Zoos warn of mass extinctions from climate change

Photo By: http://www.flickr.com/photos/albertoalerigi/

Zoos and aquariums are warning they will be the last place on Earth where people will still be able to see species ranging from polar bears to corals, unless global leaders manage to halt climate change.

Governments must set targets limiting levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, to prevent a mass extinction of wildlife, according to a statement signed by more than 200 zoos.

The World Association of Zoos and Aquariums want governments to set a target of stabilising CO2 in the atmosphere at 350 parts per million (ppm) to prevent the gas causing temperature rises which will do irreversible damage to habitats such as coral reefs. CO2 levels currently stand at around 385ppm.

Paul Pearce-Kelly, senior curator at the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), said: ''From seahorses to golden-headed lion tamarins, zoos and aquariums play a crucial role in breeding endangered species for reintroduction into the wild.

''However, the climate change threat to the natural world is so severe that we're rapidly losing suitable habitats for these species.''

WAZA president Dr Mark Penning said: ''The urgent protection of ecosystems, which act as natural carbon sinks, is vital if humanity is to avoid the fate of runaway climate change.

''Our only hope is that world leaders respond to this reality and take appropriate action.''

He added: ''Climate change is not just

>>>READ FULL ARTICLE>>>

Reptile Moms Share Nests

Photo By: http://www.flickr.com/photos/charmsd/

Some species of reptiles nest communally; that is, females lay their eggs together in the same spot around the same time. Some? Maybe that should be “many,” says J. Sean Doody, an ecologist now at the Australian National University in Canberra.

Along with two colleagues, Doody performed an exhaustive literature review of the egg-laying habits of reptiles (and amphibians). It turned out that communal nesting had been reported in 345 reptile species—four times more than previously realized. (Even some dinosaurs may have laid eggs together, but Doody sensibly restricted his survey to living species.)

The numbers represent only a minority of known reptile species, but the egg-laying behaviors of many have yet to be observed. In certain families of Australian lizards, the team points out, communal nesters represent no more than 9 percent of all the species, but more than 73 percent of the species whose nesting habits are known.

Why a female reptile should lay eggs in another’s nest has been little studied. She would probably save the time and effort of searching for an appropriate site and digging a nest. And a larger, many-mom clutch

>>>READ FULL ARTICLE>>>

Stem Cells' Next Use: Fighting Extinction

Photo By: http://www.flickr.com/photos/7326810@N08/

It's a lonely world for the two northern white rhinos at Escondido's Wild Animal Park. They are among less than a dozen of their kind left on Earth.

Conservationists work constantly through habitat protection and other means to save these and other endangered species. And now they are adding a new technology to their list of possible solutions to extinction -- stem cells.

Ryder's group wants to reprogram adult cells from drill monkeys and northern white rhinos into stem cells. Using a type of virus called a retrovirus, scientists introduce genes into the DNA of an adult cell that cause it to behave like an embryonic stem cell, a versatile cell that can divide to form any other cell type in the body.

The Zoo researchers are working in collaboration with world-renowned stem cell researcher Jeanne Loring and her lab at the Scripps Research Institute.

Exactly how or when science might use cell reprogramming technology in animals isn't yet clear. If this new application for stem cells succeeds, however, it could potentially be used to replace or regrow damaged tissues in animals, just as in humans.

Scientists could also clone an animal by injecting the stem cells into very early-stage embryos, and implanting them into a surrogate mother from a closely related species.

Reprogrammed stem cells are today's hottest topic in the world of stem cell research. Some researchers say the ability to convert adult cells into stem cells could lead to breakthroughs far sooner than they'd originally believed.

But the process also has its risks. Retroviruses sometimes can cause a cell to become cancerous. Researchers are working now on ways to deal with this problem.

And the San Diego Zoo has an additional resource that could help detect defects in the reprogrammed cells. The institute is home since the 1970s to the Frozen Zoo, one of the largest animal biobanks in the world. The Frozen Zoo stores DNA and tissue samples from more than 8,400 individual animals -- a Noah's Ark on ice that plays an ever-expanding role in conservation.

When it comes to reprogramming stem cells, the Frozen Zoo gives scientists another way to screen for problems. By comparing the chromosomes in the reprogrammed cells to normal chromosomes from the same species, scientists can check for certain kinds of abnormalities -- and hopefully reduce the possibility of defects.

Cloning, Then and Now
The San Diego Zoo has participated in a couple of attempts to clone endangered species in the past; a banteng at the Wild Animal Park was successfully cloned in 2003. The older and more common methods of cloning, however, are extremely inefficient. Producing Dolly the sheep, for example, took hundreds of attempts.

Stem cells could provide an easier and more efficient method of cloning. Cloning can't save endangered animals from serious threats like habitat loss or poaching, but it could assist in breeding efforts by duplicating valuable animals in a zoo’s collection or cloning from cells of dead animals stored in biobanks like the Frozen Zoo.

Recent breakthroughs have made cloning using stem cells a more viable proposition. Earlier this year, Chinese scientists cloned mice by reprogramming skin cells from the mice into stem cells. Scientists could potentially clone dead animals of an endangered species with the same technique, using the tissue samples ..........

Read More: http://www.voiceofsandiego.org/articles/2009/11/30/science/861endangered112909.txt

Survival of forest ox in the Kingdom

Protection, conservation awareness and financial support are key to the future of these hoofed animals and heritage habitat sites

About 20 million years ago, the first ungulates evolved from small, hornless deer-like ancestors. Cattle, sheep, antelopes and goats are grouped together in the family Bovidae, and the most common hoofed grazing animal seen today. Sometime during the Pleistocene Epoch 1.8 million years ago, the genus Bos evolved in Asia and spread to Europe, Africa and eventually to North America. Gaur Bos gaurus is a descendent of Bos Bibos, a wild cattle that lived on the great plains of Asia. Saber-toothed cats were one of the top carnivores at the time, and evolved alongside the ancient herbivores.

Gaur, the largest bovid in the world, is threatened with extinction and deserves much greater attention. The tiger and elephant have taken most of the conservation spotlight but gaur, like all the other wild animals need just as much protection, research and concern. Unfortunately, these wild forest ox continue to vanish from the wilderness areas in the Kingdom. After years of poor protective management and neglect, poaching and trophy hunting, plus a disappearing habitat suitable for these enormous creatures once found throughout Thailand, is the main reason for the decline.

Over their entire range, they are classified as internationally threatened. But not all is lost as gaur still survive quite well in a few of Thailand's top protected areas in fair numbers, and where there are true safe havens, the species has actually made a comeback. It is now estimated that more than 1,000 individuals remain in Thai forests. This number is up from the 500 recorded in Dr Boonsong Lekagul and Jeffery McNeely's book, Mammals of Thailand (1977). Dr Sompoad Srikosamatara and Varavudh Suteethorn published a paper in the Siam Society's Natural History Bulletin in 1995 about gaur and banteng. Their estimate then was about 1,000 gaur were surviving so the number is basically stable and most likely on the rise. Dr Naris Bhumpakpan from Kasetsart University published a paper in 1997 about the ecology of gaur in Huai Kha Khaeng and Khlong Saeng wildlife sanctuaries for his doctorate. He also put out a draft report on gaur and banteng in the region in 2008.

In Southeast Asia and India, gaur is found in scattered and splintered habitats. Other large wild bovine are banteng and wild water buffalo of Southeast and Southern Asia, the yak of Central Asia, the cape buffalo of Africa and the bison of North America and Europe. In recent times, the number of these wild creatures has dwindled as humans continue to hunt them for meat and trophies, and destroy and encroach on their habitat in some places. The American Bison came close to extinction but was saved in the nick of time. Thousands of wild bison now survive due to conservation efforts initiated by many people, including the late former US president Teddy Roosevelt.

Gaur is Thailand's second largest terrestrial animal after the elephant, and tends to inhibit deep mountainous terrain far from humans. They survive in dry and moist evergreen forest and mixed deciduous forests and therefore, have fared better than their cousin, the banteng, which live in more open lowland forest. Gaur occasionally mixes with banteng that has been documented in Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary, Uthai Thani province. Gaur will also shadow elephant herds using the same trails made by the larger mammals.

My favourite photographic wildlife subject is gaur. In Thailand, these majestic ungulates can still be found in the following places: the Western Forest Complex and Kaeng Krachan Forest Complex, both in the west; the Khao Ang Rue Nai Forest Complex in the east; the Dong Payayen-Khao Yai Forest Complex and the Phu Khieo-Nam Nao Forest Complex, both in the northeast; and down south in the Khlong Saeng-Khao Sok Forest Complex. Due to the serious instability in the deep South, very few surveys have been carried out and there is no consensus on gaur, but they do survive in the Hala-Bala Forest Complex situated along the border with Malaysia. It is doubtful if any gaur survive in the North but the Omgoy-Mae Tuen Forest Complex might have a few left.

Gaur has a keen sense of smell and hearing, and is always alert for danger. As a result, they can be tough to spot in the dense forests of Asia. However, luck does come sometimes, and the following accounts describe the few times I have had the great fortune to observe these magnificent beasts in the wild.



Read More: http://www.bangkokpost.com/leisure/leisurescoop/28372/survival-of-forest-ox-in-the-kingdom

Finn the Bear

Last week a mentally handicapped man climbed into the bear enclosure at the Dählhölzli Zoo in Berne, Switzerland.

As is only natural the official occupant of the enclosure, a three year old European brown bear called 'Finn' decided to rough up the unwelcome tresspasser.

Natural enough too that someone, in this case a Swiss policeman, came to the aid of the unfortunate man. He shot 'Finn' with a dum dum type 9mm bullet which makes surgery extremely difficult. The mentally handicapped man is expected to make a full recovery.

'Finn' continues to make a good recovery and is feeding well and taking antibiotics. His best interests are being considered and discussed with veterinary surgeons and the local university.

The dum dum type bullets have been used as standard issue in Switzerland since 2007 as they are percieved to cause less or no injury to innocent bystanders that previous standard issue bullets.

Source:

http://www.tagesanzeiger.ch/wissen/technik/Das-Geschoss-das-den-Baeren-Finn-stoppte/story/26371110

http://www.tagesanzeiger.ch/wissen/technik/Das-Geschoss-das-den-Baeren-Finn-stoppte/story/26371110

Chinese giant pandas given star welcome in Australia

Two giant pandas from China have received a VIP welcome in Australia at the start of a 10-year stay.

Wang Wang, four, and his female companion Funi, three, arrived at Adelaide airport to be met by state and zoo officials.

An 18-vehicle refrigerated convoy then travelled to central Adelaide for a parade and public party.

It is hoped that the two pandas will become the first breeding pair in the southern hemisphere.

The pair went straight into quarantine at Adelaide Zoo, munching on specially delivered bamboo from their home in Sichuan Province.

Successful breeding

"They're doing really well. They've been off-loaded and are just sitting now," said zoo spokeswoman Emily Rice.

"They're in the quarantine area and are very happy and relaxed."

Their purpose-built enclosure includes refrigerated rocks to keep them cool during what is expected to be a summer of record-breaking temperatures.

The zoo has a successful record of breeding endangered animals.

Wang Wang and Funi's first public appearance is scheduled for 14 December.

Officials estimate the pair could generate more than Aus $600m ($544m; £330m) for the South Australian economy during their decade-long stay.

China uses payments from zoos that host loaned giant pandas to help fund its...........

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8383955.stm

Zoo Atlanta gorilla takes own blood pressure

Vet Hayley Murphy explains why

Consider this a new twist on the phrase “a trained monkey could do that.”

In this case, actually, it’s a trained gorilla. Ozzie, the oldest of Zoo Atlanta’s 22 gorillas, has learned to take his blood pressure. It seems that heart disease is the main killer of gorillas in captivity. So Zoo Atlanta entered into a partnership with the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University to come up with a way to get blood pressure readings from the animals while they are awake.

Biomedical engineering students at Georgia Tech developed the “Gorilla Tough Cuff,” and Zoo Atlanta became the first place in the world to do the awake readings. More time is needed before veterinarians establish the normal blood pressure range for adult male gorillas.

Dr. Hayley Murphy, director of veterinary services at the zoo, talks about stress, Lipitor and pudding.


Q: Why measure a gorilla’s blood pressure?

A: Gorillas have heart disease in captivity. So we started asking [zoos] if they could get blood pressures on awake gorillas because we suspected some of the heart disease was due to high blood pressure. But because gorillas are not that easy to work with, nobody had ever gotten a blood pressure on an awake gorilla. We had data from anesthetized gorillas.


Q: But an anesthetized gorilla, what’s that going to give you? Their heart rate would slow because they are relaxed, right?

A: Right. What we didn’t know was how much the drugs were affecting the actual blood pressure readings.

Q: So where does Georgia Tech come in?

A: They had students that needed an interesting project, and they were always approaching the zoo for ideas. We had a really great project that needed to be done. So the two clicked. Gorillas are wild animals, so we really need equipment that would stand up to a gorilla pulling on it.


Q: What’s the difference then in the stress level between a gorilla in the wild and one in captivity?

A: Everybody has stress to live with. [Laughs] There are a lot of unknowns with the heart disease. We don’t know exactly what’s causing it. Is it nutritional? Is it stress? Is it genetic? Is it contagious? Is it infectious? The kind of disease they get could be based on high blood pressure.

Q: How did you train them?

A: It takes a lot of patience. When the animal does something you want it to do, it gets positive reinforcement and a treat. So every time Ozzie would put his hand in the blood pressure cuff that the Georgia Tech students developed, he got a treat. And eventually we started blowing up the cuff, a very little bit at a time and then released it to let him know that wasn’t so bad. So, over time, you build their trust and reinforce the fact that nothing bad is happening here, and [he] gets a treat. Now he’s used to doing it.


Q: What kind of treat did Ozzie get?

A: He likes pudding, sugar-free pudding.


Q: How does this thing work? How long does it take to get.....................


http://www.ajc.com/lifestyle/zoo-atlanta-gorilla-takes-216083.html

S.Leone elephants 'wiped out' by poachers: official

S.Leone elephants 'wiped out' by poachers: official

FREETOWN — Poachers "wiped out" the entire elephant herd in Sierra Leone's only wildlife park, wildlife managers said Thursday after police said they had arrested a gang of 10 poachers.

"It is likely that the elephant population is wiped out," Ibrahim Bangura, senior superintendent of the agriculture ministry's Conservation and Wildlife Management Unit.

The six elephants were shot and "crudely butchered, their bodies slashed with sword marks and their tusks virtually wrenched from their skins," said Bangura.

Police said 10 poachers were arrested after the discovery of the elephant carcasses and those of four buffaloes in Outamba Kilimni national park, near the border with Guinea.

The men, from Sierra Leone and Guinea, are being held in the northern town of Koinadugu.

"We believe the killing was done between September and October and this is a great blow to all of us," said Bangura.

"We had treasured the elephant population in the park as they are very important to the development of ecotourism in the country."

Tourism Ministry officials said a crack military unit...........

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hGvIR3If3pEoOWd6EbXq49huHZIQ

Indonesia rejects Bali plan for turtle sacrifices

Indonesia rejects Bali plan for turtle sacrifices

JAKARTA, Indonesia — Indonesia has rejected a push by the resort island of Bali for rare turtles to be legally slain in Hindu ceremonies, siding with conservationists of the protected reptiles against religious advocates, an official said Friday.

Bali Governor I Made Mangku Pastika enraged environmentalists by advocating a quota of 1,000 green turtles to be killed each year, strictly for ceremonial purposes.

He said legally killed turtles should not end up in cooking pots, served to tourists in restaurants as soup or turtle skewers as they had in the past.

"It would be supervised tightly, and any violation would have to punished," Pastika told reporters in Denpasar, Bali, on Wednesday.

Turtle meat is a traditional delicacy in Bali, the only province with a Hindu majority in Indonesia's Muslim-dominated archipelago. But Indonesia banned the turtle trade and consumption a decade ago amid international concerns about the endangered species' dwindling numbers and threats by animal welfare groups of a tourist boycott of Bali.

Masyud, a spokesman for the Forestry Ministry which is also responsible for animal conservation, said Friday the governor's request for a Bali exemption from national protection laws was recently rejected on scientific advice.

"The law clearly mandates it was not possible, that the green turtles are included in the animals listed for protection," said Masyud, who like many Indonesians uses only one name.

Tens of thousands of green turtles nest on Indonesia's coasts, but sites have dwindled due to poaching and development.

Conservationist generally respect the Hindus' need for turtles in rituals, but railed against the number proposed.

Wayan Geria, coordinator of the Turtle Education and Conservation Center at Bali, described the quota plan as an embarrassment to protection efforts.

Creusa Hitipeuw, coordinator of the Indonesia turtle program of the World Wildlife Fund, said introducing such a high quota could trigger large-scale illegal trade and consumption.

"We recognize the need for the use of turtles in a ceremony, but it has to be managed well," she said. "What we are afraid of is the commercial

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5j-i33PUryNTSZ6x2r55UA_RetEVgD9C7P3PG0

Identifying and understanding your visitors (Important for all zoos)

Audience segmentation:
Identifying and understanding your visitors

Visitor Studies Group one day conference and AGM

Sackler Centre, Victoria and Albert Museum, London
29th January 2010
10am-4.30pm

Visitors come along with a variety of backgrounds, motivations, goals and needs. It’s not practical to develop a unique offer for every individual, so how can we best categorise our visitors and meet their needs? And what about those who don’t visit?

There are many different ways to segment audiences and no one-size-fits-all solution. Come and hear examples from a variety of institutions across the spectrum. John Falk will be providing his perspective, some of which is captured in his recent book, Identity and the Museum Visitor Experience.

Speakers include:
• Dr John Falk, Sea Grant Professor of Free Choice Learning, Oregon State University
• Xerxes Mazda, British Museum
• Jo Proctor, British Marketing Research Board
• Sophie Duncan, BBC

Book now: price held from 2009!
Members £70
Non-members £90
Students/concessions members £40
Students/concessions non members £50

Registration fee includes lunch/tea&coffee

For more information contact Georgina Bishop 020 7942 6028 or g.bishop@nhm.ac.uk

Zoo News Digest 23rd - 27th November 2009 (Zoo News 632)

Zoo News Digest 23rd - 27th November 2009 (Zoo News 632)
http://zoonewsdigest.com/

http://zoonewsdigest.blogspot.com/

Peter Dickinson
peterd482001@yahoo.co.uk


Dear Colleagues,

It is easy enough to say what you believe in or to comment on what you know to be wrong. We all do it every day, it is one of the things which make us human and of course it largely makes a blog a blog. It is however, only recently that I realised how much hate an opposing point of view can generate in some people. It matters little that there is ample evidence and proof to support me because those who oppose are indoctrinated, even brainwashed. They either cannot or will not consider any possible alternative. This past month as a direct result of this Digest and Hubs I have had attacks from four different camps. I have threats to 'hunt me down' and to 'expose me' hanging over my head. I have nothing to expose and I am hardly hiding but at the same time it does cause some discomfort. I don't like threats. I am non violent but feel the need to hit back but I really cannot be bothered to argue.

The situation of the Indian Zoo Elephants went very quiet after the announcement was made in the press. I expected to see more zoo comment but there was scarcely a whisper. I was then delighted to read what Sally Walker had to say. Sally, I respect greatly not just for her opinion on so many things but for her tireless dedication to her work. You can read what she has to say by clicking on Elephant Madness ? or a better future for elephants ?

I was saddened to learn that the Bear shot last week in Berne was shot with a fragmenting bullet. Can anyone tell me if Swiss police carry these for shooting animals or is it the last place in the world that you want to be shot by a policeman?


Please post in comments below if you feel so inclined.


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On with links:

State deals Safari Wild project major blow
TAMPA Neighbors don't want Safari Wild, a wild animal park, next door in rural Polk County, and now it appears the state doesn't either.
The Department of Community Affairs has appealed Polk's development order allowing Safari Wild to be built in the Green Swamp, an environmentally sensitive area that supplies drinking water to much of Central Florida.
It is asking for an administrative hearing on the issue to be scheduled.
Polk issued its development order in October.
After a 45-day review, the state determined the project, co-owned by former Lowry Park Zoo CEO Lex Salisbury, is a commercial development located in an area where such development is prohibited.
Salisbury has told county and state officials Safari Wild is a working game farm/ranch. He says it's an agri-tourist enterprise and should be allowed in the Green Swamp, where there are many other working farms.
Plans for Safari Wild originally included a welcome center, hotel cottages and a restaurant. The venture, which is under construction, is to eventually house 1,000 wild animals on 250 acres. Small groups of pre-booked guests will
http://www2.tbo.com/content/2009/nov/26/state-deals-safari-wild-project-major-blow/news-breaking/




Madagascar's lemurs in danger from political turmoil and 'timber mafia'
The lemur, a furry primate that symbolises Madagascar's unique biodiversity, is under renewed threat from a "timber mafia" pillaging the island's forests for profit.
Environmentalists warn that a political crisis in the impoverished country is reversing conservation gains of recent years and putting "hundreds if not thousands" of species, many not yet identified, at risk of extinction.
Madagascar, which has been isolated from landmasses for more than 160m years, is the world's fourth largest island and a "conservation hotspot" with thousands of exotic species found only here. These include nearly 100 species of lemur, six of which are deemed critically endangered.
Decades of logging, mining and slash-and-burn farming have destroyed 90% of Madagascar's forests, though the rate has slowed in the past two decades.
The former president, Marc Ravalomanana, was praised for putting 6m hectares under protection and backing eco
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/nov/17/madagascar-lemurs-conservation-forests-extinction




Zoo Workers Claim Grizzly Nearly Broke Free
Some workers at the Toronto Zoo claim a male Grizzly named Samson nearly broke out of his overnight pen this week.
Samson, who weighs about 1,000lbs., ripped down some of the wooden logs in his overnight area and then started working on chain-link barrier Tuesday morning. Some zoo employees claim that if they hadn’t recognized the problem when they did, the massive animal may have worked its way out of the pen to freedom within an hour.
Zoo officials described the accusation that Samson nearly escaped as alarmist and silly, and insist the pen used to contain the bear is safe. The bears roam around in a large enclosure during the day.
The zoo’s chief operating officer said Samson wasn’t trying to escape, but get closer to his female companion, Shintay.
Some workers say otherwise. They claim the pen, which is more than 30-years
http://www.citytv.com/toronto/citynews/news/local/article/64361--zoo-workers-claim-grizzly-nearly-broke-free




Flying foxes get sanctuary in Jharkhand
Every evening, as dusk gathers on the smoking chimneys of this iron and steel township, an army of giant vampires creeps out of lairs on a small island in the middle of a lake.
Welcome to the little known Jubilee Lake Mega (giant) Bat sanctuary - the state's lone urban bat reserve - on a 0.69 hectare island inside the Tata Steel Zoological Park in the heart of this industrial town in eastern India. The bat population here has logged a sharp rise from 500 in 2008 to 700 in 2009, according to a census carried out by zoo authorities and local researchers this week.
The sanctuary boasts of two of the largest bats in the world -- the herbivorous flying fox (Pteropus giganteus) and the sphinx (Cynopterus sphinx) -- natives of the tropics and the sub-tropics.
"In 2006-07, K.K. Sharma, who heads the department of zoology of the Jamshedpur Cooperative College, carried out a survey with a group of students and
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/flora-fauna/Flying-foxes-get-sanctuary-in-Jharkhand/articleshow/5251883.cms




China's pandas worth more than Tiger Woods: Australian zoo
Two giant pandas due to begin a 10-year stay at an Australian zoo could give the local economy a bigger boost than recent visits by Tiger Woods or Lance Armstrong, officials said Wednesday.
Wang Wang, four, and three-year-old Funi are due to arrive at Adelaide Zoo Saturday for a long-term loan from the Panda Protection and Research Centre at Ya'an in China's Sichuan Province.
Zoos South Australia chief Chris West said the stay would be a "financial bonanza" for the state's economy, reaping an estimated 600-million dollar benefit over the 10 years.
"The pandas can be expected to generate 632 million dollars (584 million US) for the state economy over 10 years," West said.
"Each year (the pandas) could generate significantly more economic benefits than the much-vaunted appearances by golfer Tiger Woods
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jRdZZVQbZTqrd3xeUabFdJfKqr6g




Franklin Park Zoo: Learning from zebras
Franklin Park Zoo shares a dilemma with its most famous animals of the moment, a zebra named Evita and the baby she delivered last week. Both mother and foal are Grevy’s zebras, native to the savannas of Kenya and Ethiopia, where their ranks have dwindled to fewer than 2,500.
Like the zebra species, Franklin Park Zoo is endangered, facing a budget crisis and having recently promised the state it will become more self-sufficient. Zoo New England, the nonprofit group that runs both Franklin Park Zoo and Stone Zoo in Stoneham, is struggling to keep both state-subsidized zoos afloat..
One reason the Grevy’s zebra is almost extinct - in addition to hunting and habitat loss - is that it competes with livestock and humans
http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/editorials/articles/2009/11/26/franklin_park_zoo_learning_from_zebras/




Reindeer-Dung Jewelry Flying Off Gift Shop's Shelves
People went crazy last Christmas for necklaces on sale at the Miller Park Zoo. The Illinois zoo is excited to offer the same necklaces this holiday season. The necklaces are covered with glitter. And they may also give the wearers some clue to the real-life chores of Santa Claus. The $15 necklaces are made with some beads, glitter and
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120809397




Police Taser runaway deer
Lost deer four-steps past pursuing police during bizarre big city adventure
Bambi's trip downtown abruptly ended when she was drugged, Tasered and then thrown into the back of a police truck.
Oh dear, where to begin?
The intrepid deer's tour of the city core – including a jaunt by Union Station and some Bay St. financial towers – finished on a small grass patch on Edward St. on Tuesday morning, where she
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/730473--police-taser-runaway-deer




Gov't Silence Dooms Whales to Slaughter
Latin American governments are considering a bloc response to the Japanese whaling fleet's departure for Antarctica, in a new season of what it claims is "hunting for scientific purposes" and which threatens to kill 1,000 whales in the protected Southern Ocean sanctuary.
But the diplomatic action being considered by the countries of the region belonging to the International Whaling Commission (IWC) will apparently be too late to prevent another slaughter of these mammals taking place, just as it has in previous years, conservation organisations complain.
Last week Japan authorised the departure of the whaling fleet, in spite of ongoing negotiations at the IWC about whether or not whaling for scientific purposes should continue to be permitted. Conservationists want to eliminate the "scientific" loophole that Japan uses to supply its home market with whale meat.
On the other hand, countries in favour of whale hunting want to lift the moratorium on commercial whaling, in force since 1986. The Commission is so polarised on the issues that neither side can reach the two-thirds majority of votes required to change the rules.
However, Latin America is working hard. All the countries in this region are in favour of whale conservation, and as a group they are at the forefront of actions to end whaling. Their prominence is reflected in the appointment of the current IWC Chair, Cristián Maquieira of Chile.
At the prompting of the region, a Small Working Group on the
http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=49400




Chester Zoo lands top conservation award from BIAZA
Staff at Chester Zoo are celebrating a prestigous award gained for their work in helping save a rare bird from extinction.
The "fody" - a colourful bird found only on the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius - is among the most endangered species in the world, with only a few hundred left in the wild.
Chester Zoo, together with the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, are winners of the Field Conservation Award from the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA) for their work in preserving the fody.
Knowsley Hall at Prescot, Merseyside - in the centre of the famous Knowsley Safari Park - was selected as a fitting venue for the 2009 BIAZA Awards ceremony.
The awards recognise excellence in contributions to wildlife conservation, animal welfare, zoo veterinary medicine, animal husbandry, and landscaping and gardening skills along with increasing public understanding, awareness and engagement with zoos.
The BIAZA judges praised Chester and Durrell for
http://www.clickliverpool.com/news/national-news/126970-chester-zoo-lands-top-conservation-award-from-biaza.html




Malaysia implants Borneo orangutans with transmitters
Veterinarians have been tracking three orangutans they implanted with tiny transmitters as part of efforts to protect the endangered primates once they reintroduce them to the wild, a Malaysian official said Monday.
French and Austrian veterinarians worked with the Wildlife Department in eastern Sabah state on Borneo island to implant specially designed coin-sized transmitters in the necks of the orangutans for the first time ever in September, said Senthilvel Nathan, the department's chief field veterinarian.
The orangutans' jungle habitat in Sabah has shrunk over the decades and their numbers have plummeted as loggers cut down the forests and plantation farming encroached.
Fewer than 11,000 orangutans remain in Sabah. Up to
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20091123/malaysia_orangutan_091123/20091123?hub=SciTech




Noah's Ark Zoo Farm tourism award
Noah's Ark Zoo Farm has been presented with a top green tourism award.
The centre has been presented with a silver award by the Green Tourism Business Scheme (GBTS) for its eco-friendly practices.
Officials from the organisation, which assesses the green credentials of businesses across the UK, visited the farm last month to look at its operation.
They judged the zoo farm on a number of criteria including sustainability, waste minimisation, recycling and
http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/news/Noah-s-Ark-Zoo-Farm-tourism-award/article-1556184-detail/article.html




City zoo plans big for the birds
The oldest zoo in India is planning to set up one of the largest aviaries in the country.
On Thursday, the Alipore zoo top brass wrote to the Central Zoo Authority seeking financial grant of Rs 3-4 crore to set up the aviary and refurbish the building that houses reptiles.
“In the first phase of the project, we would like to do away with the small aviaries in the zoo and come up with a bigger and better one. Some of our best assets would be showcased there,” Raju Das, the director of the zoo, told Metro.
“Tigers need not be the only attractions in the zoo. Even birds can draw crowds if displayed nicely,” he added.
According to the proposal, the new oval-shaped aviary would be spread over 10,000sq ft and would tower to a height of 40ft. There would be an artificial water body inside.
The birds would be segregated into enclosures through which a walkway has been planned. The stress would be on providing good nesting places, ample vegetation and quality food. Agriculturists and biologists would he
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1091127/jsp/calcutta/story_11790455.jsp




Foolish zoo visitor
A Swiss man was mauled by a bear after climbing into the animal's cage.
The man broke into the enclosure of four-year-old Finn - a European brown bear - at Bern Park zoo in Switzerland in an attempt to get close to the large, dangerous creature.
Once the bear noticed there was an intruder in his cage he grabbed the 25-year-old man by the neck and dragged him across.
Police officers were forced to shoot the animal to make him let go of the man.
The foolish visitor sustained severe head injuries and leg wounds in the attack but is expected to make a full recovery.
Finn has not been so lucky.
He was shot with a fragmentation bullet - which splinters as it hits its target, to cause less injury.
However, Finn is not expected to survive as veterinarians are unable to operate because the bullet split into too
http://entertainment.stv.tv/showbiz/140207-foolish-zoo-visitor/




Orangutans in danger of being wiped out by palm oil industry - Video Orangutans are human beings' closest relatives. They have a DNA structure that is 97 percent the same as ours and are the world's most intelligent animal with more advanced learning and problem-solving ability than any other animal
http://www.3news.co.nz/Orangutans-in-danger-of-being-wiped-out-by-palm-oil-industry/tabid/367/articleID/129274/cat/221/Default.aspx




ICCAT leaves albatross conservation dead in the water
After a 3-year seabird risk assessment that found tuna and swordfish longline fishing has significant impacts on Atlantic seabird populations, the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) failed to act at a recent meeting in Recife, Brazil.
“Albatrosses and petrel populations in the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea are undergoing some of the most severe decreases anywhere in the world”, said Dr Cleo Small - Senior Policy Officer for the BirdLife Global Seabird Programme, based at the RSPB (BirdLife in the UK).
More than 40 fishing nations are members of ICCAT, and they gathered recently in Recife, Brazil for the annual meeting of the commission. Collectively they control longline fishing
http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2009/11/iccat_albatross_failure.html




Siberian tigers almost extinct: Report
Siberian tigers are almost on the verge of extinction, thanks to poaching and habitat loss, says a report.
The area monitored for the study, 23,555 square km, represents 15 to 18 percent of the existing tiger habitat in Russia.
Only 56 tigers were counted at these monitoring sites. The total number of such Siberian tigers was estimated to be 500 in 2005, having recovered from less than 30 animals in the late 1940s.
Deep snow last winter may have forced tigers to reduce the amount they travelled, making them less detectable, but the report notes a four-year trend of decreasing
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Flora-Fauna/Siberian-tigers-almost-extinct-Report-/articleshow/5268299.cms




Scientists spot rare wild cat in Fujairah wadi - report
A never-before-seen wild cat has been spotted in the protected zone of Wadi Wurayah on the East Coast, according to a report.
Camera traps set up by the ecologists working in the mountainous area of Fujairah have captured an image of a rare breed of wild cat (Felis silvestris lybica) whose presence was, until now, just assumed thanks to some elusive tracks, newswire WAM quoted a Gulf News daily report as saying.
Wadi Wurayah is a 129-kilometre-square area that was officially declared the UAE's first protected mountain area by Sheikh Hamad Bin Mohammad Al Sharqi,
http://www.arabianbusiness.com/574665





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ZOO BIOLOGY


The Zoo Biology Group is concerned with all disciplines involved inthe running of a Zoological Garden. Captive breeding, husbandry,cage design and construction, diets, enrichment, man management,record keeping, etc etc

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/zoo-biology

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Okay this is NOT zoo related but with the festive season coming up it is worth clicking on the link to make a choice or really original gifts. Most of these you will not find anywhere else! Even if you are not feeling festive you will find gifts with a difference for any occassion.





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Bristol Zoo’s head vet wins international award



Bristol Zoo Gardens’ head vet has won an international award for her ground breaking research work on tortoises.



Sharon Redrobe submitted a paper on the use of ultrasound to scan a tortoises’ heart to detect failure and subsequent treatment, to The British Chelonia Group (BCG) Oliphant Jackson Memorial Fund. It is the first report of its kind on heart treatment of a live tortoise.



The late Dr Oliphant Jackson MRCVS (1913 – 1991) was a pioneer in reptile medicine who led the way in developing interest in the treatment of reptiles, forming the first regular reptile clinic in London. He influenced a whole generation of veterinary surgeons and inspired many to take an interest in the care and conservation of reptiles.



The Oliphant Jackson Memorial Fund was established in his memory to encourage veterinary students and qualified veterinarians to take an interest in chelonian medicine. The award invited submissions from vets for the care and conservation of tortoises, terrapins and turtles worldwide.



Members of the British Chelonia Group visited Bristol Zoo this week to present Sharon Redrobe with her £500 prize and certificate.



Sharon, who set up Bristol Zoo’s vet department 10 years ago this month (November) said:”This case involved a sick pet tortoise. The paper demonstrated how useful ultrasound scanning can be in tortoise medicine, and that we should consider heart failure in some of the elderly or sick tortoises we see commonly in pet practice.”



She added: “We routinely scan our tortoises at Bristol Zoo as part of their health checks. I am glad BCG has recognised the importance of this work and I fully support the great work BCG does in educating tortoise owners.”



The awarding panel was made up of the President of the BCG, The Veterinary Liaison Officer and an external veterinarian with an interest in chelonian medicine.



Diana Scott, general secretary of the BCG, commended Sharon on her paper. She said: “It is particularly good to see research which is equally relevant for ‘pet’ tortoises as well as those in large collections or zoos.”



The full title of Sharon’s paper was ‘diagnosis of pericardial effusion in a spur thighed tortoise'.



Sharon Redrobe is an RCVS Recognised Specialist in Zoo & Wildife Medicine and established Bristol Zoo’s vet service in 1999. The department gained RCVS Centre of Excellence in Zoo Medicine status in 2005, which it has since retained.



For more information about Bristol Zoo Gardens, please visit the website at http://www.bristolzoo.org.uk/

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ZOOS' PRINT MAGAZINE

Volume XXIV, Number 12
December 2009
ISSN 0971-6378 (Print edition); 0973-2543 (Online edition); RNI 11:3
Date of publication 21 November 2009


List of Individual Articles
Cover - including contents, publication information and other cover material

PDF ( 252Kb )

Complete Magazine, Pp. 1-32

PDF ( 1157Kb )

Elephant Madness ? or a better future for elephants ?
-- S. Walker, Pp. 1-4
PDF ( 96Kb )

A Triathalon of Conservation Conferences in USA : Communication, Cooperation and Collaboration leading to One World…One Conservation
P. 5
PDF ( 47Kb )

The ABC’s and XYZ’s of the International Congress of Zookeepers ICZ
P. 6
PDF ( 26Kb )

History and Future of Intl Congress of Zookeepers — from their website www.iczoo.org
P. 7
PDF ( 80Kb )

One World One Zoo — Intl Congress of Zookeepers’ Vision - from President’s keynote
P. 8
PDF ( 20Kb )

The Future of Zookeeping and the Challenges Ahead
-- S. Good, Pp. 9-14
PDF ( 53Kb )

Again, What is CBSG, anyway?
P. 15
PDF ( 35Kb )

CBSG Steering Committee Meeting Notes, 1 October 2009
Pp. 16-18
PDF ( 252Kb )

CBSG 2009 Working Group Report Summaries
Pp. 19-22
PDF ( 52Kb )

The World’s 25 Most Threatened Primate Species, R. Mittermeier, et al
Pp. 23-27
PDF ( 72Kb )

Training in Field Techniques for Research and Conservation of Volant and Non-volant Small Mammals
-- R. Marimuthu, P. 28
PDF ( 199Kb )

Animal welfare Fortnightly Annual Offer of Educational Materials by ZOO
P. 29
PDF ( 22Kb )

55th Wildlife Week & Other Report Summaries
-- R. Marimuthu, Ed., Pp. 30-32
PDF ( 295Kb )


http://www.zoosprint.org/showMagazine.asp


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Dear Friends and Colleagues,

We have a lot of new events planned for 2009 and 2010, some in collaboration with Chester Zoo, Odense Zoo, Reaseheath College and Howletts & Port Lympne.

Please check on http://www.animalconcepts.eu/AnimalConcepts/Events/Events.html
for the latest information and programs.

There will also be information on upcoming conferences and workshops in the animal field, like the PASA workshop in Kenya later this month.
Please let us know if we are missing one, or if you are organising an event so we can add it to the calendar. Thank you.

Please contact us if you have any further questions.

Kind regards,

Sabrina

AnimalConcepts
http://www.animalconcepts.eu/
+31633008373



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Howletts and Port Lympne Student Enrichment and Welfare Course in collaboration with AnimalConcepts.
27th – 29th January 2010



Instructors: Sabrina Brando and Mark Kingston Jones



Howletts and Port Lympne Wild Animal Parks are pleased to announce a course on Enrichment and Welfare to be run by Sabrina Brando and Mark Kingston Jones.


Sabrina runs AnimalConcepts, an international consultancy company specialising in enrichment, behaviour and animal welfare. Sabrina has 17 years experience in the field and collaborates with many facilities, universities and research institutes.


Mark has been involved in the animal welfare field since 2004 and now works at Howletts and Port Lympne as the Enrichment and Research Officer for both parks organising workshops, talks and working with keepers to design and implement enrichment ideas. He has been involved in two ‘The Shape of Enrichment’ workshops, in the UK and Indonesia, and has presented 9 talks on topics relating to animal welfare at conferences, both nationally and internationally.



This course is designed specifically for college and university students (past or present) who do not currently work within a zoo setting but are looking to do so as a career. Over three days students will gain a background in animal welfare and working with different species, as well as providing practical skills in designing, building and testing enrichment within the settings of both Howletts and Port Lympne Wild Animal Parks, in Kent. Our aim is to provide valuable experience and the addition of useful skills to a would-be keeper’s CV. Please note you must be 18 or over to attend this course.


Lecture topics include: An overview of welfare and enrichment, animal husbandry and learning, choice and control, enclosure design and breaking into the zoo world. Additionally there will be talks and practicals with keepers involving working with carnivores, primates, ungulates, elephant management, getting involved in in-situ conservation, rope splicing and fire hose weaving.


The workshop registration fee of £150 includes:
All workshop materials
Practical sessions
Lunches during the 3 days, as well as drinks and snacks during the scheduled tea breaks.


Information on discounted accommodation is available on request and the number of available places is limited, so please book early.



For further information and to request a booking form please contact:
Kim Guillot at Howletts and Port Lympne Wild Animal Parks
Email: intern@totallywild.net


Final deadline for registration is: 31.12.09

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For Zoo Jobs and Related Vacancies please visit: http://zoowork.blogspot.com/

For notification of Zoo related Meetings, Conferences, Courses and Symposia go to: http://zoosymposia.blogspot.com/

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ZooNews Digest is an independent publication, not allied or attached to any zoological collection. Many thanks.


Kind Regards,

Wishing you a wonderful week,

Peter Dickinson


Zoo News Digest Blog
http://zoonewsdigest.blogspot.com/

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http://www.zoonewsdigest.com/

Zoo Vacancies Blog
http://zoowork.blogspot.com/

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Follow me on Twitter at:
Twitter: http://twitter.com/PeterZoo

Sorry Kuwait Zoo

In the editorial to my last Zoo News Digest I made a few remarks about Kuwait Zoo which were based on wrongly interpreted assumptions. How do I know?

A friend and colleague of mine has just returned from a visit to Kuwait Zoo. If it were just anybody informing me I may not believe what they had to say. He tells me that there are actually Kuwaiti keepers and supervisors within Kuwait Zoo and that they appear dedicated to their work. This includes the zoo director, Farid a Mulla Ahmad who is doing an extremely good job of work.

The newspaper article which began my suppositions had been put in the paper to draw peoples attention to their bad behaviour in the hope that it may lessen during the Eid Holidays. I do hope that it does.

Some of the things I recollect zoo visitors doing to animals and giving to animals are enough to bring a shiver down my spine and most of these would be from the UK!

So, Sorry Kuwait Zoo. My friend says you are dedicated and doing a good job. Thank you and keep up the good work. Shukran.

Global Warming, Global Cooling, Climate Change

So what do you think? Is the climate changing? Have we really messed up our planet so much that we are now on a slippery downward slope? We have the scientists who claim normality and those who prophesise doom. Then we have politics and big business sticking their oars in to confuse the issue. It really is difficult to know just who to believe.
I believe myself. I believe the changes that I see around me. I take the news I read and the news I see with a pinch of salt in the same way I assess zoo news stories. I just thought I would pull a few videos together for you to look at. After all Copenhagen is just around the corner.















You will make up your own mind. Just remember not to believe all you see and hear.....even here! There are the FACTS for and then there are the FACTS against. Someone has got it wrong somewhere along the way. Take a look at a few more YouTube videos. There are dozens out there, each fighting its own little corner.

Zoo News Digest 19th - 22nd November 2009 (Zoo News 631)

Zoo News Digest 19th - 22nd November 2009 (Zoo News 631)
http://zoonewsdigest.com/

http://zoonewsdigest.blogspot.com/

Peter Dickinson
peterd482001@yahoo.co.uk


Dear Colleagues,

There appears to be a spate of people wanting to commune with bears at the moment. This one is a double tragedy as not only was the 'communer' injured but the bear too. These modern bear pits have only been open a little over a month and house the bears which originally lived in the traditional pits in the middle of the city. I recollect seeing the pits a number of years ago.

Pleased to learn of the new home for the 900 pound alligator. I am sure though he must have been much loved to have lived in the same back yard for so long. There was a story in the Bangkok Post today of a tame temple crocodile (there was a photo of it being petted by children) which was inhabited by the spirit of the former Abbot.

The mention of the Bacolod Zoo in the Philippines brought back a few memories. This is one of the best collections I have ever visited. Not because of big, beautiful, state of art because it is none of these. No it was the dedication of the staff there that impressed me.

I read the Kuwait Zoo story three times. I could see similarities there to Al Ain Zoo in the seventies. This behaviour of zoo visitors can be changed. It needs supervision and support. I very much doubt that there is more than a few, if any, Kuwaiti keepers in the zoo. How then is the citizen employee of any other country going to tell a Kuwaiti citizen what to do? At best they will be ignored and at worst they will be beaten. In between they and all their relatives will be insulted. Keepers need support. They need the back up, instant back up. Supervisors who care! People who do not abide by the rules must be asked to immediately leave or be forcibly removed. It would not need more than a few weeks of strict control before a visible difference would be noted. You can put up all the signs you like, you can raise the barriers, you can widen moats but it is active supervision and reprimand which will work.

'Jaguars take Jungle Walkies'....I knew nothing about this place but I do now because I visited the website. Their volunteers (most of them) appear to have a good time. I would like to know more than I have read though. I really cannot get my head round the concept of how taking jaguars and pumas for walks on leads is ever going to ready them for return to the wild. Can anyone enlighten me?

Please post in comments below if you feel so inclined.


This blog has readers from 105 countries: Afghanistan, Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cote D’Ivoire, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Eire, England, Estonia, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Lao, Latvia, Lebanon, Madagascar, Malaysia, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Mongolia, Montserrat, Myanmar, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Northern Ireland, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Scotland, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United States, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Wales, Zambia.


The ZooNews Digest continues to be read more often by more staff in more zoos than any other publication.

Please consider advertising on this blog as I need the money but understand.... I am of stubborn principle and will not advertise products or services that I disagree with no matter how much you pay me.

Please feel free to use the comment section at the end of this Zoo News Digest.

Is your meeting/conference/symposium listed here?http://zoosymposia.blogspot.com/
If not why not? ZooNews Digest is read by more zoo people than any other similar publication. I will advertise up till the event.

Visit my webpages at:
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My Latest Hubs are:

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Why don't you try writing on HubPages?

Write about what you know about or are interested in. You can post on line. Free to join and yet you can earn money continually. A passive income. Not much to begin with but it mounts up. It pays me enough to buy a cup of coffee every day...well nearly every day.

Read how with my "Quick Guide to Hub Construction." I truly believe it will be worth your while.

Please visit the Zoo Professionals Book Store for more if you are looking for books for yourself or as gifts.

****************************************************************************

On with links:

Zoo horror in bear pit
A man lies injured after being attacked by a bear at a zoo yesterday.
The 25-year-old suffered head and leg injuries after climbing on to a wall and falling 13ft into the animal's enclosure.
The intruder was saved after police shot the bear at the Bear Park in Bern, Switzerland. Both man
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2009/11/22/zoo-horror-in-bear-pit-115875-21840252/

See Photos and more information;
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1229998/Man-seriously-injured-bear-attack-climbing-zoo-enclosure.html



Elephant dies at Vandalur zoo
A four-year-old sub adult cow elephant died at Vandalur zoo, on Friday due to a suspected attack of herpes virus.
The zoo authorities said the elephant, Chellamma, was rescued from the Andhiyur forests in Erode district and brought to the zoo in 2005. Since Friday morning, the animal refused food. Its head started swelling and administration of prophylactic medicines also
A four-year-old sub adult cow elephant died at Vandalur zoo, on Friday due to a suspected attack of herpes virus.
http://www.hindu.com/2009/11/22/stories/2009112258760300.htm




ZOO TO BE REFURBISHED TO ACCOMMODATE NEW ANIMALS
Sri Lanka National zoo at Dehiwala does not have enough space to accommodate new animals, therefore the zoo authorities are planning to refurbish the zoo premises according to a master plan on completion of the new zoo in Pinnawala and the Safari park in Ridiyagama Hambantota , Director of the national zoo Duminda Jayaratne said.
Addressing a press conference yesterday he further said that they received Rs 120 million for the Pinnawala zoo construction and Rs.50 million for Ridiyagama safari park construction this year.
“We are planning to open a Sri Lankan section at the Pinnawala zoo and a Lion enclosure at the safari park next year. Normally we introduce a pair of animal to the zoo instead
http://srilankanewsfirst.com/news/14960.html




900 pound neighbor gets new home
Walter is his name: a 48-year old alligator adopted by a local family when it was just two years old. The gator has been living in a back yard in Marshall for 46 years. Friday, the dear old friend moved to a new home - all 900 pounds of him. Click on the video in the upper right-hand corner of this page to watch KLTV photojournalist Lynn Mitchell's story. The gator is safe and making new friends. He is now living in a 22-foot pond at the East Texas Gators and Wildlife Park in Canton. He is
http://www.kltv.com/Global/story.asp?S=11548527





Bacolod kids treated to zoo tour at Conservation Center
More than 150 kids and parents took part in the storytelling and zoo tour at the Negros Forests and Ecological Foundation, Inc. (NFEFI), Biodiversity Conservation Center (BCC) open house in observance of the Negros Occ. Wildlife Month.
According to NFEFI Curator -Veterinarian Joanne Mae Justo, the open house and story telling day is meant to educate the children on the richness of Negros Occ. biodiversity.
She said the youngsters were given the opportunity to appreciate and see various endemic and rare species kept in the center after a story telling session.
Teaching kids to value the wildlife develops a positive character within them and in the process, they influence their parents on their views regarding the environment and the wildlife, she said.
Environmentalists lament the fact that Filipino kids know more about lions, giraffes and tigers when these animals are not found in the country rather than local fauna like maral (wildcats), Philippine spotted dear and the bleeding heart pigeons which are
http://www.pia.gov.ph/default.asp?m=12&r=&y=&mo=&fi=p091120.htm&no=28




Catalina will give contraceptives to female bison
In 1924, a film crew moved 14 bison onto Catalina Island for a movie appearance that never came to be.
Not only were the animals cut out of the silent film, they were left behind on the island's interior, presumably because of cost overruns. The move would leave Catalina with a sizeable herd decades later.
To trim the population that at one point numbered 600, the conservancy that oversees most of the island has sold bison to an auction house and shipped the animals off to South Dakota Indian reservations.
But now, management of the herd will come from a shot of a contraceptive dart. The Catalina Island Conservancy Friday will announce the start of a birth control program among female bison that utilizes a vaccine derived from pig eggs - a management strategy that's said to be cheaper and less stressful for the animals than having them shipped away.
The goal is to reduce the annual growth of the herd from nearly 10 percent to 4 percent
http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_13829260




Alexandria Zoo plans $3.5 million in improvements; Lee Ann Whitt named director
The Alexandria Zoo will undergo a $3.5 million renovation and expansion, and it will do so under the leadership of Lee Ann Whitt, who was named today as the zoo’s director.
Whitt had been serving as acting director for more than a year following the death of her husband, Les Whitt, who ran the Alexandria Zoo for 34 years.
The $3.5 million project and the naming of Lee Ann Whitt as zoo director were announced today in a press conference
http://www.thetowntalk.com/article/20091120/NEWS01/91120022




Charles Darwin’s Findings Hold Key To Saving Rare Bird
Two birds collected by Charles Darwin back in 1835 could help bring back a rare mockingbird to the Galapagos Islands.
The DNA was taken from the specimens by a team of geneticists and then compared to DNA from living sub-populations on two other islands. The researchers discovered genetic hints on the best way to conserve the birds.
The study, appearing in the Royal Society journal Biology Letters, was let by biologist Paquita Hoeck of the University of Zurich in Switzerland.
Darwin and Robert Fitzroy, the captain of HMS Beagle, collected samples from Floreana Island during their trip to the Galapagos more than 170 years ago.
Shortly after his famed expedition, human impact on its delicate habitat led to the extinction of the Floreana mockingbird (Mimus trifasciatus) on that particular island.
There are now only two small sub-populations surviving on two tiny satellite
http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/1788632/charles_darwins_findings_hold_key_to_saving_rare_bird/




It's no party for the animals in Kuwait Zoo
As Eid Al-Adha approaches and the temperature continues to fall, Kuwait Zoo in Omariya has been getting ready for a surge of visitors - an alternative option for families willing to spend a day outdoors. However, the growing expectation of more visitors has also spread the fear that the lack of zoo manners amongst them might cause further suffering to the animals. "Many visitors don't care about the cleanliness of the zoo, and they throw different objects everywhere and in the animal cages," explains Farid a Mulla Ahmad, the zoo's director.
Speaking with the Kuwait Times, Ahmad explained that throwing food and objects as varied as socks, bottle caps and keys are common pastimes for the more offensive zoo visitors. "It is quite dangerous for the animals and disturbs their digestion," she explained. "On one occasion, we found socks in an ostrich's stomach after it had died.
In a bid to tackle the problem of illegal feeding of the animals, the zoo's administration has installed signs all over the cages warning people against feeding them, but "People do not respect the signs," said the director.
She explained that the zoo also faces a serious problem with visitors who harm the animals intentionally or unintentionally, explaining that the animals have a certain food regime. "The animals are fed at a certain time and should not eat more, but the visitors fail to respect that," said Ahmad, calling upon visitors to respect the rules and instructions and keep the zoo clean.
Shelter
The zoo and the animals have still not made it to the priority list for the Government's budget, with the under-funded zoo desperately needing more spacious cages and more utilities. There are archaic utilities that need to be changed. "We need to expand some cages to give more freedom of movement to the animals," Ahmad explained, adding that the number of animals is increasing. The elephants and hippopotami, especially, need more living space, she stressed.
The administration at the zoo has drawn up expansion plans, but its limited budget remains the greatest obstacle to implementing them. "I aim to make our zoo the best, especially if there are world organizations visiting us," Ahmad asserted.
Wild animals brought from desert hunting have created the need to establish a rescue center, with a number of hunters of wild birds in the desert area attempting to sell their captured prey to the zoo, explains the director. "Some people hunt for birds and bring them here injured. When we refuse to buy them, they just leave them here. We then cure them at the veterinary clinic and later take them back to the natural protectorate or desert and set them free." Ahmad said that, despite the zoo's advice, "The
hunters then go hunting again although we explain to them that they can't keep such birds at home and feed them bread as these birds eat meat only.
Establishing a rescue shelter for animals is one of the plans on the zoo's list and the administration there has already submitted an official request to the Public Authority for Agriculture Affairs and Fish Resources, who agreed to the establishment of an animal shelter. "We're currently searching for a suitable place to establish the rescue center," explained Ahmad.
Animal exchange
In recent years, the animals' breeding rate has outstripped the zoo's forecast for growth. In such cases, Kuwait Zoo exchanges these animals with other zoos around the world. For instance, at the end of last year, Kuwait Zoo received a batch of new animals from North Korea as a part of an animal exchange program. "We received sika deer, water deer, lemur and ponies. In exchange, we sent a mouflon, Barbary sheep, fallow deer, axis deer, Alexandrian parakeets, rose ring parakeets and pygmy goats," the zoo di
rector said.
When the animals' life cycle approaches its end and get very ill, often euthanasia is the only solution. "If any animal is still eating and walking, we keep it with the others, even if it's very old," Ahmad revealed, adding that when an animal is incurably ill, the zoo is forced to euthanize it.
Fortunately, Farida observes, the zoo is swine flu-free.
Two staff members, Noor Hussein and Jamal Al-Jeeran, gave the Kuwait Times a tour of the zoo, showing this reporter the diversity of birds, and the various kinds of reptiles. They also explained how the zoo administration has installed double cages to keep visitors as far from the animals as possible in order to protect both, especially from
http://www.kuwaittimes.net/read_news.php?newsid=NDEwNzI1NDQ3



Rhinos de-horned to stop poaching
Three black rhinos at Imire Safari Park have been dehorned in order to prevent them from being killed by poachers. Imire has four black and two white rhino, and all but one baby have now been dehorned. An estimated 200 rhino have been killed by poachers in the last three years. (Pictured: Dehorning one of the Imire rhino)
MARONDERA – In August 2007: Imire lost three of their rhinos. Even though they had been dehorned, they were brutally killed by poachers. It has been speculated that the poachers were not aware that the rhinos had been dehorned. However, they managed to cut off the male rhino’s stub of horn, so some believe that the massacre of these dehorned rhinos was a politically motivated act, and that the poachers were fully aware that these rhino did not have horns but went out and killed them anyway.
Another theory is that poachers have now resorted to killing off rhinos for the sake of being able to cover more ground when it comes to poaching. That way they can keep track of the rhinos that are still alive in certain areas and can then condense the margin they have to cover when poaching. Zimbabwe has become a hot spot for rhino poaching, and with the
demand for rhino horns ever increasing from the Asian market, the question remains; how can these relentless poachers be stopped? Dehorning is one solution, as it stops giving poachers a reason to kill these animals. The Rhino are sedated, a qualified vet is brought in, and the horn is literally sawn off. They suffer no pain, and are back on their feet in a matter of minutes.
However the act of dehorning has been quite a controversial topic, with the main argument being that rhinos use their horns for grazing, and for protection in the wild. If the animals are dehorned it may affect their entire social behavior. Reily Travis, who has lived on Imire his entire life, and runs the volunteer programme on the farm, thinks that there is another way
that Zimbabwe can save the rhinos and their horns
http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk/2009111826796/opinion-analysis/rhinos-de-horned-to-stop-poaching.html




Tourists sue Sanbona safari park after too-close encounter with lions Eight British tourists are suing a South African safari park after they became trapped by a pride of wild lions when their tour vehicle overturned.
The group are claiming hundreds of thousands of pounds for injuries and post-traumatic stress allegedly suffered when they were exposed to the “threatening conduct of the lions” at Sanbona Wildlife Reserve northeast of Cape Town.
One of the animals also stole a boot from the tourists, they say.
Papers lodged at Cape Town High Court claim that the injuries were due to the irresponsible actions of Natasha Van der Merwe, a park
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/africa/article6922448.ece




Baghdad's once ravaged zoo comes back to life
More than six years after the U.S. invasion left Iraq's main zoo a wasteland of starving animals and deserted cages, the park in central Baghdad is enjoying a vigorous revival and needs to grow.
Few Iraqis ventured into Baghdad Zoo during the violence that surged after the 2003 invasion. But as the bombings and shootings receded, families started to return in droves -- so many, in fact, that officials are now desperate to expand the park which is home for the zoo to make space for them all.
The zoo has replaced the hundreds of animals that escaped, were stolen, died of thirst
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/17/AR2009111700254.html




Toronto Zoo's baby gorilla named Nassir
A contest to name the new baby gorilla at the Toronto Zoo was capped off in an usual way on Wednesday when the baby's father made the final choice.
Charles is a western lowland gorilla at the Toronto Zoo and on Wednesday morning he chose his son's new name by picking a plate filled with his favourite treats.
The zoo decided to have a naming contest for the baby gorilla and solicited names from the public.
They were inundated with thousands of name suggestions, then whittled that pile down to five: Nassir, Neo,
http://news.sympatico.cbc.ca/abc/Local/ON/ContentPosting?isfa=1&feedname=CBC_LOCALNEWS&date=true&newsitemid=to-toronto-gorilla




Anderson blames NT govt for hippo death
The Northern Territory government is to blame for the death of a pygmy hippopotamus in the outback, the former owner of Tipperary Wildlife Sanctuary says.
The hippopotamus was shot on Saturday night during a pig hunting expedition in the Douglas Daly region, about 200km south of Darwin.
It is believed the African rainforest animal had escaped from Tipperary Station, near the Daly River, which was once an exotic wildlife sanctuary.
Warren Anderson, a millionaire property developer who established the sanctuary, tried to sell the animals after being wrongly accused by the territory
http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-national/anderson-blames-nt-govt-for-hippo-death-20091118-im1j.html




NT's Tipperary Zoo animals sold for hunting, hippo shot
IT'S a curious tale of a hippo, a pig hunter, a millionaire property developer, a red-faced government and now a game safari. Warning: graphic image.
The accidental shooting of a rare African species of pygmy hippo in the Northern Territory outback sparked peoples' imagination and raised the question: Whatever happened to the exotic animals of Tipperary Wildlife Sanctuary?
Despite urban legends, the fantasy of a mini African menagerie wandering freely in the Top End could not be further from the truth.
About 300 of the animals, including herds of critically endangered African scimitar horned oryx and addax, were sold to a hunting safari in the Northern Territory.
A small number of the more crowd-attracting animals were transferred to a zoo in far north Queensland.
Sadly, it is believed the remainder of Tipperary's 2000 animals suffered the same fate as the pygmy hippo following two separate and yet equally intriguing legal battles.
The mystery hippo
Nico Courtney said he would not have shot the pygmy hippo had he known what it
http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/story/0,21598,26384260-5017965,00.html




Flamingo Land zoo's new addition is six-foot tall and a big baby - WATCH THE VIDEO
A six-foot baby giraffe is finding its feet at Flamingo Land Zoo and Theme Park near Malton.
The giraffe was born on November 3 and staff are not sure whether it is a boy or a girl.
Zoo manager Ross Snipp said: "We're really pleased – it's very exciting.
"We've had three giraffes born in the last three to four years and this one is doing the best of all of them. It's healthy
http://www.maltonmercury.co.uk/news/Flamingo-Land-zoo39s-new-addition.5832027.jp




Experts convene to save freshwater fish
A plan to save Australia's freshwater fish from becoming extinct is being worked out at a meeting of experts from around the world at the Adelaide Zoo which begins today.
The 25 delegates will discuss a series of freshwater fish management strategies to tackle the issue.
The head of Zoos SA, Chris West, says the drought, over-extraction and the drainage of wetlands have all led to diminished native fish numbers in Australia.
"In Australia, about 95 per cent of our wetlands have either been destroyed or very severely compromised by urban and
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/11/22/2749828.htm




First Aquarium in US to Breed Dwarf Cuttlefish
Anchored to an algae-covered rock in a 120-gallon tank at the California Academy of Sciences' Steinhart Aquarium, a cluster of inky-colored cuttlefish eggs is beginning to swell -- evidence of success for the Academy's new captive breeding program for dwarf cuttlefish, Sepia bandensis. The program, pioneered by Academy biologist Richard Ross, is the first of its kind in a U.S. aquarium, and offers the Academy and other institutions the opportunity
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091112141319.htm




Really Rare Rhinos Found by Dung-Sniffing Dogs
We all know dogs like to smell just about everything, including other animals' poo. Now scientists have figured out how to put the canines' odd pastimes to work to help sniff out the dung of endangered rhinos in Vietnam.
The collected dung will help scientists to figure out how many Javan rhinos, also called Rhinoceros sondaicus, remain in the wild. The rhinos were considered extinct on mainland Southeast Asia until hunters in Vietnam killed one in 1988. Now two remaining populations exist, with
http://www.livescience.com/animals/091120-dogs-sniff-rhinos.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+livescience%2Fanimaldomain+%28LiveScience.com+Animal+Domain%29




Bears get satellite collars in Indian Kashmir: officials
Wildlife experts in Indian-controlled Kashmir have fitted black bears with satellite-tracking collars to study their behaviour and help conserve the endangered animals, officials said Wednesday.
"This is the first time in India that Himalayan black bears have been fitted with a GPS collar," wildlife warden Rashid Naqash told AFP, adding that there just 300 of the animals in the region.
These collars will help in studying the behaviour and habitat of the Himalayan black bear, he said, adding the "step will go a long way in conserving the endangered species."
A team of wildlife experts have put collars on three black bears -- a male, a female and a cub -- in the Dachigam national...........Wild bears have killed more than two dozen people in the past four
http://www.spacemart.com/reports/Bears_get_satellite_collars_in_Indian_Kashmir_officials_999.html




Jaguars take jungle walkies
MOST humans wouldn't get this close to a killer big cat, let alone put it on a lead and take it for a walk.
But these are the passionate volunteers at a unique animal rescue centre where they are trying to reintroduce jaguars back into the wild.
These majestic creatures have been saved from Bolivian black markets or abusive situations.
The volunteers at the Comunidad Inti Wara Yassi (CIWY) are gradually trying to get the cats used to their natural environment, but most of them have never set so much as a paw in the wild.
So each day the dedicated live-in helpers walk the predatory felines, some weighing as much as 260 pounds, on a lead through the CIWY's 1,991-acre Bolivian jungle compound.
Karen Peter, a 45-year-old volunteer who has been stationed at the centre for two years, said: "They are walked around outside their cage by a minimum of two volunteers at one time and a maximum of three.
"Each jaguar spends up to seven or eight hours outside the cage a day to readjust them to a semi-wild existence.
"It must be remembered that some of the animals have never spent any time in the wild and are totally dependent on humans for their lead and food."
CIWY, which is located in the central-Bolivian region of Santa Cruz and also rescues monkeys, birds and pumas, has become recognised as one of the world's leading animal rescue centres.
Karen added: "We get the animals from all across Bolivia and the border with Peru.
"The illegal trade and purchasing of exotic cats such as
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/2735676/Jaguars-take-jungle-walkies.html




Enforcement officers put in the picture
One of the hardest daily challenges facing wildlife law enforcement officers is to recognize which species are being traded in order to determine if the trade is legal.
To assist them, the ASEAN-Wildlife Enforcement Network (WEN) Support Programme has today launched a set of simple identification sheets to provide frontline enforcement officers with a user-friendly tool designed to help them decide whether a species is being traded legally or not.
The ASEAN region is a major hub of trade in wildlife, functioning both as supplier and consumer of plants, animals and their derivatives. Nearly all the major groups of plants and animals found within this biodiverse area are traded.
Unscrupulous traders often label shipments of rare and threatened animals as common species that can be legally traded, in the hope that officers inspecting the shipment can’t tell the difference.
“It’s obviously impossible for officers to be experts in the identification of every wildlife product they come across, which is why ASEAN-WEN has produced these simple guides” commented Dr Chumphon Sukkaseam, Senior Officer of the ASEAN-WEN Programme
http://www.traffic.org/home/2009/11/18/enforcement-officers-put-in-the-picture.html


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ZOO BIOLOGY


The Zoo Biology Group is concerned with all disciplines involved inthe running of a Zoological Garden. Captive breeding, husbandry,cage design and construction, diets, enrichment, man management,record keeping, etc etc

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/zoo-biology

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Okay this is NOT zoo related but with the festive season coming up it is worth clicking on the link to make a choice or really original gifts. Most of these you will not find anywhere else! Even if you are not feeling festive you will find gifts with a difference for any occassion.





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Asia for Animals Singapore 2010
http://www.blogger.com/

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MonkeyLand- (worth a watch for the diversity, but it is interesting too)
http://www.wikemy.com/monkeyland


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The 6th European Zoo Nutrition Conference, Barcelona , 28-31 January 2010

organised by ConZOOlting and the EAZA Nutrition Group

The full draft programme for the event has just been released, coinciding with an extension of the early bird registration period to November 30th.

Potential delegates are encouraged to register as soon as possible in order to benefit from both the lower registration fee and discounted hotel rates.

To view the draft programme, accommodation arrangements, registration and paper submission forms, please visit the dedicated page on the EAZA website: http://www.eaza.net/

Dr. Andrea Fidgett

Chair, EAZA Nutrition Group


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Zookunft 2010
Crowne Plaza Hotel
Bleicher Ufer 23
19053 Schwerin
on
19, 20 & 21 February 2010

Environment and Climate Change - Challenges for the zoo of the future

Program and registration: http://www.zookunft.info/



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Celebrating Plants and the Planet:


OK, maybe last month I had too much fun at the expense of insects (that can be read in so many unpleasant ways). The dance of plants and insects is complex and wonderful, as this month's stories at www.zooplantman.com (NEWS/Botanical News) illustrate.


· Plants and pollinators have intimate, carefully developed relationships, right? What about insects that break the rules and steal nectar without pollinating? Is that bad for plants or good? Check out this terrific link examining the entire phenomenon.

· To defend against foraging insects, plants produce a variety of hormones that are matched to the precise nature of the damage they are suffering.

· Ants have evolved exquisite relationships with plants in the tropics, from "ant gardens" to "ant acacias." But when the ant population outgrows the home plant, things can get interesting in the neighborhood.

· Few relationships are as interdependent as the one between the Senita cactus and its pollinating moth. So how do they avoid killing each other?

· Back to ants: you know those Batesian bodies we learned about that the tree produces to keep the ants around? Now learn about the rare vegetarian spider that outwits the ants and the plant (with video!).


Remember, you can find all of the past stories, easily categorized and separate from the ZHCD website at www.plantworldnews.com . Additional stories are also posted there, and the new stories are added each week. Share with Facebook or whatever you kids use, or subscribe via RSS. A great tool for educators and students, as well as general nature nuts.


Please share these stories with associates, staff, docents and -- most importantly -- visitors! Remember, over a hundred other stories can be found in the archive section of the website.


Rob

Zoo Horticulture

Consulting & Design

Greening design teams since 1987

Please add rob@zooplantman.com to your email list

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1st Conservation Medicine Symposium - Chile

On November 30th and December 1st, we are organizing The first Conservation Medicine Simposium in Chile. This concept is a very new concept for Chile, but it is completely necesary since in Chile we have and extremely high endemism!


We also have 3 zoos, which are very good, but need to use some conservation medicine in their exhibits. For example, are zoos are plagued (sorry if it sounds harsh!) with cats! They go in and out of the other animals enclosures! I believe I don't have to mention how many diseases could be transmitted between cats and the rest of the animals!! We have very important guest speakers like: Andrew Cunningham, Alonso Aguirre and Marcela Uhart.


If you want to read more about it, and are interested in coming please go to: http://mdc.unab.cl/


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ORCA
Organization for Reinforcement Contingencies with Animals

The second annual Art and Science of Animal Training conference is in February

http://orgs.unt.edu/orca

or email Katie Tucker at obie1204@gmail.com

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Dear Friends and Colleagues,

We have a lot of new events planned for 2009 and 2010, some in collaboration with Chester Zoo, Odense Zoo, Reaseheath College and Howletts & Port Lympne.

Please check on http://www.animalco ncepts.eu/ AnimalConcepts/ Events/Events. html
for the latest information and programs.

There will also be information on upcoming conferences and workshops in the animal field, like the PASA workshop in Kenya later this month.
Please let us know if we are missing one, or if you are organising an event so we can add it to the calendar. Thank you.

Please contact us if you have any further questions.

Kind regards,

Sabrina

AnimalConcepts
http://www.animalconcepts.eu/
+31633008373



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Howletts and Port Lympne Student Enrichment and Welfare Course in collaboration with AnimalConcepts.
27th – 29th January 2010



Instructors: Sabrina Brando and Mark Kingston Jones



Howletts and Port Lympne Wild Animal Parks are pleased to announce a course on Enrichment and Welfare to be run by Sabrina Brando and Mark Kingston Jones.


Sabrina runs AnimalConcepts, an international consultancy company specialising in enrichment, behaviour and animal welfare. Sabrina has 17 years experience in the field and collaborates with many facilities, universities and research institutes.


Mark has been involved in the animal welfare field since 2004 and now works at Howletts and Port Lympne as the Enrichment and Research Officer for both parks organising workshops, talks and working with keepers to design and implement enrichment ideas. He has been involved in two ‘The Shape of Enrichment’ workshops, in the UK and Indonesia, and has presented 9 talks on topics relating to animal welfare at conferences, both nationally and internationally.



This course is designed specifically for college and university students (past or present) who do not currently work within a zoo setting but are looking to do so as a career. Over three days students will gain a background in animal welfare and working with different species, as well as providing practical skills in designing, building and testing enrichment within the settings of both Howletts and Port Lympne Wild Animal Parks, in Kent. Our aim is to provide valuable experience and the addition of useful skills to a would-be keeper’s CV. Please note you must be 18 or over to attend this course.


Lecture topics include: An overview of welfare and enrichment, animal husbandry and learning, choice and control, enclosure design and breaking into the zoo world. Additionally there will be talks and practicals with keepers involving working with carnivores, primates, ungulates, elephant management, getting involved in in-situ conservation, rope splicing and fire hose weaving.


The workshop registration fee of £150 includes:
All workshop materials
Practical sessions
Lunches during the 3 days, as well as drinks and snacks during the scheduled tea breaks.


Information on discounted accommodation is available on request and the number of available places is limited, so please book early.



For further information and to request a booking form please contact:
Kim Guillot at Howletts and Port Lympne Wild Animal Parks
Email: intern@totallywild.net


Final deadline for registration is: 31.12.09

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For Zoo Jobs and Related Vacancies please visit: http://zoowork.blogspot.com/

For notification of Zoo related Meetings, Conferences, Courses and Symposia go to: http://zoosymposia.blogspot.com/

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ZooNews Digest is an independent publication, not allied or attached to any zoological collection. Many thanks.


Kind Regards,

Wishing you a wonderful week,

Peter Dickinson


Zoo News Digest Blog
http://zoonewsdigest.blogspot.com/

ZooNews Digest Webpage
http://www.zoonewsdigest.com/

Zoo Vacancies Blog
http://zoowork.blogspot.com/

Hub Pages
http://u.nu/2kx

Follow me on Twitter at:
Twitter: http://twitter.com/PeterZoo