Zoo News Digest 17th - 23rd May 2010 (Zoo News 670)
http://zoonewsdigest.blogspot.com/
http://zoonewsdigest.blogspot.com/
Photo from: http://www.flickr.com/photos/axlotl/3135378611/
Dear Colleagues,
Today is World Turtle Day. Please spare a thought today for turtles everywhere.
'Al Jazeera' has been relating the story of the Lions in Giza zoo 
during the Saturday daytime TV. The trouble with this, and to be honest all, sort of reportage is you really cannot easily weed out the fact from the fallacy. The story says that they have an overabundance of Lions because they have been unable to stop breeding in spite of using human contraception and breeding separation. Euthanasia they said was a crime. But all is not lost they claim they are now doing DNA tests to establish their lions are Barbary Lions which once proved they will be able to exchange with zoos all over the world. Which brings a series of questions to my mind (1) Why can they run to DNA testing and not properly fit known to be effective contraceptive implants for large cats? (2) If breeding separation 'failed' then there can have been no controlled breeding which is going to have really messed up the genetics.....and my last thought..... Whereas I have nothing especially against Barbary Lions in particular I only see them as curiosity value. They are probably the least likely of all carnivores to ever be seriously considered for a release scheme. The African Lion, and the Asian Lion are in trouble. We really do not need more captive spaces taken up by animals which have no real conservation value. The same applies of course (you did not expect me to miss out the mention?) of White Tigers and White Lions. Zoos which are serious about conservation (with very few exceptions) do not keep such animals.
I recollect sitting in the restaurant of the Blue Planet Aquarium a few years ago. I was eating a meal of fish and chips. Fish swam past the portholes in the adjoining aquarium. I felt a slight unease but I still ate my meal. I have had similar feelings when choosing fish from an restaurant aquarium to eat and it has slightly lessened the enjoyment of my meal. Strangely I have had none of these feelings about creatures I have personally killed to eat. Perhaps because I genuinely care about every animal I kill. I digress (or perhaps not). The point I was leading up to is the 'exposure' of Beijing Zoo serving animals on the menu. It is old news being resurrected. Nonetheless it is food for thought too. Where does one draw the line? Where does right become wrong and wrong become very wrong? Zoos are exotic animal farms. True, the aims are slightly different (or hugely different depending on your point of view). Beijing Zoo restaurant apparantly has crocodiles, kangaroos, antelope, and hippopotamuses on the menu. There are hundreds of places selling crocodile and kangaroo meat. You can get it in major supermarkets. For 'antelope' read 'venison' and no-one would give it a second glance. I would raise my eyes at hippo and it does not cause me to salivate in anticipation but I have seen a big captive surplus in my travels. I recollect a few months ago where the Australia Zoo had spoken out against Kangaroo meat being on sale but had only a short time before sent living Kangaroos to Taman Safari in Indonesia. Taman Safari feed imported Australian Kangaroo meat almost exclusively to their Tigers. Which leads on to the questions of Tigers themselves and the obvious China connection. So is where a meat is sold, or what the meat is important? What is the difference in feeding it to animals as against human beings? It is a Controversial subject. As I said if is all food for thought.
((Yats Restaurant and Wine Lounge located in Clark Philippines - this restaurant to offer an exciting menus that includes dishes of venison from New Zealand, Kangaroo fillet mignon from Australia, Wagyu steaks from U.S. and Australian, Crocodile from South Africa, pigeon from the famous southern region of China and lobsters from Boston just to name a few.))
And on the subject of thought I am not really sure how I feel about the situation in the Cairns Wildlife Safari Reserve. I believe it is criminal for any zoo to expect their staff to take a cut in wages so that animals can be fed. I believe it is very noble of the staff to actually agree to such implementation. It certainly would not go down too well in Toronto. I have been in this business long enough to have seen zoo keepers taken advantage of time and again. This is wrong...but how wrong? I know next to nothing about the Cairns Wildlife Safari Reserve. Is it a commercial or a conservation zoo? I note that it is an ISIS collection with expansion plans. If they do survive this period of uncertainty they must reward their staff very very generously and put plans into place to ensure that such a thing never happens again.
The situation in Warsaw Zoo must be extremely worrying. I would not like to be in a position of having to decide which animals should move and which should live or die. I am sure that it will be a wise decision though if it ever has to be made. Such an exercise in logistics should be a necessity however for all zoos which are not based on a mountain top. Our Worlds weather becomes more uncertain as climate change tightens its grip. The unexpected can and probably will happen.
I am not a US citizen and so there will be little doubt that I will upset some here. I believe that the fact that the Louisville zoo director got flak for lowering the flag as a mark of respect after the death of the elephant 'Scotty' was insane. To me it proved that the Director cared and the staff cared. It showed no disrespect to anybody. Why didn't PETA speak up in defence? (or did they and I have missed it?) . I know nothing of flag protocols but as a citizen of the world I believe that anyone who was offended by such an action must have their heads jammed so far up their own butts that they have lost common sense, reasoning and humanity.
My sympathies are extended to the family and colleagues of the primate keeper of the Nehru Zoological Park. Always sad to lose somebody and especially so in unusual circumstances.
The best news of the week, as far as I was concerned, was learning that the results of my second biopsy came up negative. After what seems to have been a very much limbo like life I feel that it is pulling itself back together.
Please post in blog comments below if you feel so inclined.
Looking for a job? Several new vacancies posted in recent days. Take a look at:
http://zoowork.blogspot.com/
Got one to advertise? email me.
Today is World Turtle Day. Please spare a thought today for turtles everywhere.
"All the thoughts of a turtle are turtle"
Ralph Waldo Emerson
during the Saturday daytime TV. The trouble with this, and to be honest all, sort of reportage is you really cannot easily weed out the fact from the fallacy. The story says that they have an overabundance of Lions because they have been unable to stop breeding in spite of using human contraception and breeding separation. Euthanasia they said was a crime. But all is not lost they claim they are now doing DNA tests to establish their lions are Barbary Lions which once proved they will be able to exchange with zoos all over the world. Which brings a series of questions to my mind (1) Why can they run to DNA testing and not properly fit known to be effective contraceptive implants for large cats? (2) If breeding separation 'failed' then there can have been no controlled breeding which is going to have really messed up the genetics.....and my last thought..... Whereas I have nothing especially against Barbary Lions in particular I only see them as curiosity value. They are probably the least likely of all carnivores to ever be seriously considered for a release scheme. The African Lion, and the Asian Lion are in trouble. We really do not need more captive spaces taken up by animals which have no real conservation value. The same applies of course (you did not expect me to miss out the mention?) of White Tigers and White Lions. Zoos which are serious about conservation (with very few exceptions) do not keep such animals.I recollect sitting in the restaurant of the Blue Planet Aquarium a few years ago. I was eating a meal of fish and chips. Fish swam past the portholes in the adjoining aquarium. I felt a slight unease but I still ate my meal. I have had similar feelings when choosing fish from an restaurant aquarium to eat and it has slightly lessened the enjoyment of my meal. Strangely I have had none of these feelings about creatures I have personally killed to eat. Perhaps because I genuinely care about every animal I kill. I digress (or perhaps not). The point I was leading up to is the 'exposure' of Beijing Zoo serving animals on the menu. It is old news being resurrected. Nonetheless it is food for thought too. Where does one draw the line? Where does right become wrong and wrong become very wrong? Zoos are exotic animal farms. True, the aims are slightly different (or hugely different depending on your point of view). Beijing Zoo restaurant apparantly has crocodiles, kangaroos, antelope, and hippopotamuses on the menu. There are hundreds of places selling crocodile and kangaroo meat. You can get it in major supermarkets. For 'antelope' read 'venison' and no-one would give it a second glance. I would raise my eyes at hippo and it does not cause me to salivate in anticipation but I have seen a big captive surplus in my travels. I recollect a few months ago where the Australia Zoo had spoken out against Kangaroo meat being on sale but had only a short time before sent living Kangaroos to Taman Safari in Indonesia. Taman Safari feed imported Australian Kangaroo meat almost exclusively to their Tigers. Which leads on to the questions of Tigers themselves and the obvious China connection. So is where a meat is sold, or what the meat is important? What is the difference in feeding it to animals as against human beings? It is a Controversial subject. As I said if is all food for thought.
((Yats Restaurant and Wine Lounge located in Clark Philippines - this restaurant to offer an exciting menus that includes dishes of venison from New Zealand, Kangaroo fillet mignon from Australia, Wagyu steaks from U.S. and Australian, Crocodile from South Africa, pigeon from the famous southern region of China and lobsters from Boston just to name a few.))
And on the subject of thought I am not really sure how I feel about the situation in the Cairns Wildlife Safari Reserve. I believe it is criminal for any zoo to expect their staff to take a cut in wages so that animals can be fed. I believe it is very noble of the staff to actually agree to such implementation. It certainly would not go down too well in Toronto. I have been in this business long enough to have seen zoo keepers taken advantage of time and again. This is wrong...but how wrong? I know next to nothing about the Cairns Wildlife Safari Reserve. Is it a commercial or a conservation zoo? I note that it is an ISIS collection with expansion plans. If they do survive this period of uncertainty they must reward their staff very very generously and put plans into place to ensure that such a thing never happens again.
The situation in Warsaw Zoo must be extremely worrying. I would not like to be in a position of having to decide which animals should move and which should live or die. I am sure that it will be a wise decision though if it ever has to be made. Such an exercise in logistics should be a necessity however for all zoos which are not based on a mountain top. Our Worlds weather becomes more uncertain as climate change tightens its grip. The unexpected can and probably will happen.
I am not a US citizen and so there will be little doubt that I will upset some here. I believe that the fact that the Louisville zoo director got flak for lowering the flag as a mark of respect after the death of the elephant 'Scotty' was insane. To me it proved that the Director cared and the staff cared. It showed no disrespect to anybody. Why didn't PETA speak up in defence? (or did they and I have missed it?) . I know nothing of flag protocols but as a citizen of the world I believe that anyone who was offended by such an action must have their heads jammed so far up their own butts that they have lost common sense, reasoning and humanity.
My sympathies are extended to the family and colleagues of the primate keeper of the Nehru Zoological Park. Always sad to lose somebody and especially so in unusual circumstances.
The best news of the week, as far as I was concerned, was learning that the results of my second biopsy came up negative. After what seems to have been a very much limbo like life I feel that it is pulling itself back together.
Please post in blog comments below if you feel so inclined.
Looking for a job? Several new vacancies posted in recent days. Take a look at:
http://zoowork.blogspot.com/
Got one to advertise? email me.
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On with links:
Staff at Australian Zoo Go Hungry to Feed Lions
Staff at an Australian zoo are sacrificing their pay to keep the zoo's lions and other animals from starving.
Staff at an Australian zoo are sacrificing their pay to keep the zoo's lions and other animals from starving, The Cairns Post reported in its Thursday edition.
Cairns Wildlife Safari Reserve, like many tourism operators in Australia's far north, has experienced lean times as a result of the global financial crisis and wet holiday conditions.
High costs of keeping the zoo’s animals fed and maintained have forced staff to endure pay cuts for the past six weeks.
Some zoo staff have complained to The Cairns Post that they have been toughing it out and are unable to pay bills at home.
But reserve owner Jenny Jattke said
http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2010/05/19/staff-australian-zoo-hungry-feed-lions/
Cairns zoo staff forced to cut pay to feed lions
Staff at a Queensland zoo are sacrificing their pay to keep the zoo's lions and other animals from starving.
Cairns Wildlife Safari Reserve, like many tourism operators in Australia's far north, has experienced lean times as a result of the global financial crisis and wet holiday conditions, The Cairns Post reported.
High costs of keeping the zoo’s animals fed and maintained have forced staff to endure pay cuts for the past six weeks.
Some zoo staff have complained to The Cairns Post that they have been toughing it out and are unable to pay bills.
Would you put up with this? Tell us below.
But reserve owner Jenny Jattke said most of her 15 staff members realised the need to go without pay to keep the animals from starving.
http://www.news.com.au/business/business-smarts/cairns-zoo-staff-forced-to-cut-pay-to-feed-lions/story-e6frfm9r-1225868947321
15 baboons, two hyenas and one man seized
Fifteen baboons and two hyenas have been seized in a raid by authorities on a house in Abu Dhabi, state news agency WAM reported on Tuesday.
The endangered species were being illegally sold out of the house in the Khalidiya area of the capital, the news agency said.
The Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi (EAD) raided the house after a tip off that a group of animals being kept in a small cage, WAM said.
"(The) UAE is intensifying its fight against the illegal trade in endangered species and is implementing strict legal procedures to control this trade and penalise violators,” an EAD spokesman was quoted as saying.
The animals were transferred to the Abu Dhabi Wildlife Centre, while the owner was arrested and will likely face prosecution, WAM said.
The UAE is a key transit route and destination for exotic animals. Animals such as tig
http://business.maktoob.com/20090000471246/15_baboons_two_hyenas_and_one_man_seized/Article.htm
Afghan Tragedy: Death of a Snow Leopard
http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1972406,00.html
Animal diets at Everland
How much food is consumed each year by the animals at the Everland zoo in Yongin, Gyeonggi? And which animal eats the most?
The zoo at Everland often sees the number of visitors surge in May, due to the many national holidays during that month along with the beautiful spring weather and warm temperatures.
The food consumed by the animals at the Everland zoo amounted to some 495 tons last year. That would be equivalent to some 99 five-ton trucks delivering the food, which has total value of some 1 billion won ($893,921).
The animal that is the biggest eater at the zoo is the elephant, which consumes some 58 kilograms of hay every day. This amounts to 21 tons of hay per year. Everland zoo spends 1.5 million won every month - 18 million won a year - to feed one elephant.
Giraffes and sea lions are also gluttons for food. The giraffes’ main menu consists of chard and bread. They eat 8.5 tons of the stuff - worth some 6.9 million won - every year. Meanwhile sea lions mostly enjoy fish like Pacific saury and horse mackerel. They consume 6.4 tons per year.
Chimpanzees eat 1.6 tons of tropical fruits
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2920794
Zoo, workers, reach tentative agreement
A tentative agreement has been reached between the Toronto Zoo and the union representing more than 400 unionized staff.
The workers, many of whom take care of the animals, are expected to vote on the agreement Monday. No details have been released.
“The negotiation’s committee is pretty pleased with it. We’re going to recommend it to our members,” said Grant Ankenman, president of Local 1600 of the Canadian Union of Public Employees, which represents the workers.
The workers have been in a legal strike position since voting down a tentative agreement on May 5, but Ankenman said there never were any plans for an immediate strike.
“We wanted to be back at the bargaining table and get a fair and equitable agreement,” he said, adding that the decision to can the earlier proposed agreement had
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/810265--zoo-workers-reach-tentative-agreement
University disciplines scientist for showing paper on bat sex
A British scientist has been disciplined for sexual harassment by his Irish university for showing a female colleague a research paper about fellatio in bats, triggering an outcry over academic freedom.
Leading scientists and academics including Steven Pinker and Daniel Dennett have rallied to support Dylan Evans, after University College, Cork (UCC) placed him on probation for two years and ordered him to have counselling.
Supporters of Dr Evans, a behavioural scientist, said the university’s actions sent a dangerous message that areas of legitimate academic debate can be deemed off-limits if certain people find them offensive for personal reasons.
Professor Pinker, of Harvard University, described the sanctions as “absurd and shameful”. He said: “It runs counter to the principle of intellectual freedom and freedom of speech, to say nothing of common sense.”
Dr Evans was disciplined following a formal complaint from a colleague, to whom he had shown a peer-reviewed article from the journal Public
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/science/article7128911.ece
Top vet leaves zoo as repairs ordered, oil-spill training starts
David Murphy, a national authority on manatees who helped solve the mysterious deaths of dozens of the endangered sea mammals in 1996, has left his job as chief veterinarian at Lowry Park Zoo.
The reason remains a mystery.
Murphy, 53, has been gone about two weeks, said zoo spokeswoman Rachel Nelson. Zoo CEO Craig Pugh described the departure as "wholly a personnel issue." Both declined to elaborate.
Murphy, returning a call during the weekend, said in a voicemail message that he was re-evaluating his severance package and also could not
http://www2.tbo.com/content/2010/may/17/171502/top-vet-leaves-zoo-oil-spill-training-starts/news-breaking/
Tiger Attacked Teen 30 Years Ago
Animal attacks at the Como Zoo aren’t common, but when a cougar attacked a two-year old boy last week, it wasn’t the first time the zoo has seen something like this.
Nearly thirty years ago a tiger in the very same cage mauled a teenager. Ricky Rousseau died of cancer five years ago at the age of 42. Ricky’s brother, Brad, says recent reports of a cougar mauling at the zoo reminds him of a similar attack.
Back in 1981, Brad Rousseau was playing catch with his little brother at the Como Zoo, when the ball landed on the front ledge of what’s now the cougar exhibit. At the time it was home to a Siberian tiger.
Rousseau says his brother who may have been drunk, climbed under the guardrail and started taunting the tiger for several minutes. The animal eventually pushed through the mesh fence and clawed his arm. He was left with two cuts that required nearly two hundred stitches.
“He was lulled into a false sense of security from the
http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/dpp/news/minnesota/tiger-attacked-teen-30-years-ago
Four Gorillas Die From Extreme Weather Conditions
One mother gorilla and three infants are reported to have died because of extreme weather conditions, the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) has announced.
The dead mountain gorillas were discovered during routine monitoring by the RDB trackers between May 16th and 17th 2010.
The dead gorillas have been identified as Intwali and her 1.5 year old baby- Mutesi (named last year), a baby belonging to Mahane and Imvune's two-week old baby discovered Monday morning.
Efforts by veterinary doctors to save the babies
http://allafrica.com/stories/201005180347.html
Beijing Zoo lets visitors admire, eat wildlife
The Beijing Zoo puts crocodiles, kangaroos, antelope, and hippopotamuses on display. Its restaurant puts them on its menu.
Hey kids, wanna go to the zoo today and look at the crocodiles? And then maybe eat one?
The meat might be pungent, but the concept seems somewhat tasteless. The Beijing Zoo puts the same animals on its restaurant menu as it keeps behind bars.
Crocodile, kangaroo, antelope, and hippopotamus are among the species that visitors can go the zoo to admire on the hoof, and then savor at lunch – steamed, braised, or roasted – at the Bin Feng Tang restaurant.
This has been going on for years, according to the restaurant’s manager, who seemed surprised that a newspaper article this week about her establishment should cause a stir on the Chinese Internet.
The news has not gone down well. “How would you feel, watching animals imprisoned in a limited space while eating their siblings?” asked
http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Global-News/2010/0520/Beijing-Zoo-lets-visitors-admire-eat-wildlife
Beijing Zoo Features Wild Animals Live, and On Its Menu
The Beijing Zoo has caused a stir after it was reported that that the same animals at the zoo are also on its restaurant menu, according to the Christian Science Monitor.
The Beijing Zoo has caused a stir after it was reported that the same breeds of animals found at the zoo are also on its restaurant menu, according to the Christian Science Monitor.
The restaurant's manager said this has been going on for years, but some people now are upset by it.
"How would you feel, watching animals imprisoned in a limited space while eating their siblings?" Zheng Yuanjie, a well-known author, put on his blog, according
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2010/05/20/beijing-zoo-animals-menu/
Funds found for elephant enclosure
A new elephant enclosure at the Reid Park Zoo came a step closer to reality Tuesday as the City Council moved Tuesday to fund $3.2 million of the cost to make it happen.
The council had been intensely debating whether to include about $4 million for the new elephant enclosure as part of $66 million in bonds the city is trying to sell this month. More than $10 million is being refinanced to help fill next year's budget shortfall.
However, Deputy Finance Director Silvia Amparano worked to find the city's $3.2 million contribution, which she did from $2.3 million in money left from a 2000 city bond sale. Amparano said the money came from interest and money left over from projects under budget or that did not have the funding to be completed.
The remaining $900,000 was a gift to the city that was restricted to improve the zoo, Amparano said.
The Tucson Zoological Society's portion of the project is $5.2 million, $2.2 million of which the society will put up in cash, and another $3 million the city will bond for and the Zoological Society will pay back.
The council backed the $66 million bond sale unanimously.
In other business, the council voted 5-2 to institute a new pawnshop fee of $1 on each transaction at a pawnshop or secondhand store. In addition, all pawnshops and
http://azstarnet.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/article_6e814d85-6014-5dc6-a055-92641d88783f.html
Detroit Zoo launches iPhone app
The app also allows you to see the location of another iPhone-toting friend when you both have the app open in the park. (For safety reasons, the phones must first be paired by exchanging a four-digit number that allows your friend to see your location.)
The zoo is able to push instant notifications to those in the park with alerts to feedings and other activities.
http://www.freep.com/article/20100518/BLOG36/100518045/1006/NEWS04/Detroit-Zoo-launches-iPhone-app
Critically endangered birds fly free
New hope for dwindling regent honeyeaters as captive birds are released in Victoria.
FORTY-FOUR CAPTIVE-BRED regent honeyeaters were released into the wild in Victoria last week. This follows a successful 2008 trial release which granted 27 of these critically endangered birds their freedom.
Sarah Kelly, biodiversity officer from the Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE), Victoria, says the positive results of the first trial exceeded expectations: “The hope is that the captive-bred birds will mate with the wild birds, increasing the population base of the species.”
Currently, there are thought to be just 800 to 1500 wild honeyeaters left across Australia. In Victoria, numbers hover around 100, with only 11 sightings recorded this year.
Advantages of captivity
Dean Ingwersen, regent honeyeater recovery coordinator at Birds Australia, says reasons for the species' decline include “pressure from the continuing effect of historic land clearing, food scarcity due to drought, and competition from more aggressive species which out-compete them in their favoured woodland habitat."
Captive-bred at Adelaide Zoo and Sydney's Taronga Zoo, the latest batch of birds were released into the Chiltern-Mt Pilot National Park, Victoria last week. This subsequent
http://www.australiangeographic.com.au/journal/regent-honeyeaters.htm
Did zoo negligence kill tiger?
A 13-year-old male tiger died at the zoo in Thrissur due to alleged negligence on the part of the authorities and employees. This is despite the Governments, several corporate companies and voluntary agencies’ mission to protect the endangered tiger population.
Bharat, the tiger, was found dead in his cage in the morning by the cleaners. Regular visitors to the zoo and conservationists alleged that the authorities’ failure to give proper attention was the cause of death. “I used to see Bharat every alternate month and I had seen him even last week. He had showed no symptoms then,” said Poulose VK, a conservationist in Kuriyachira, off Thrissur.
Dr MK Narayanan, who holds charge of the animals, agreed with people like Poulose, saying that the tiger had no known illnesses. He said Bharat had not been showing any lack of appetite and had taken his normal quota of food the previous day. Vets have collected organ samples for analysis and the exact reason for the death would be known only later.
The organ samples would be analysed at the Department of Pathology of the Forestry College at Vellanikkara, Thrissur. However, officials of the State Wildlife Department indicated that they would hold a detailed inquiry into the death of the tiger.
They also said the post-mortem report had revealed disorders in Bharat’s liver and lungs.
Employees said they had noticed a wound in Bharat’s abdomen some months ago, from where worms had emerged after it aggravated.
However, this had healed soon and there were no other problems
http://epaper.dailypioneer.com/ThePioneer/Pioneer/2010/05/18/ArticleHtmls/18_05_2010_006_013.shtml
PLANNERS KEEP WOLVES FROM THE DOOR OF SCOTTISH WILDLIFE PARK
A MILLIONAIRE landowner has abandoned his quest to introduce wolves to the Highlands.
MFI heir Paul Lister has also shelved plans for brown bears and wild cats on his wilderness reserve because its 23,000-acres is too small.
The owner of the vast Alladale estate, near Ardgay, in Sutherland, was told he would need an area at least three times the wildlife park’s current size.
Nature groups also warned they would mount strong objections to the only alternative plan, which would see electrified fences installed.
Helen Todd, of the Ramblers Association of Scotland, said: “If you are going to bring in new species, you must have the right habitat. The issue with Alladale is there is not
http://www.dailyexpress.co.uk/posts/view/175793/Planners-keep-wolves-from-the-door-of-Scottish-wildlife-park/
Farmers vs. Lions: A Battle to the Death in Kenya
and opposite reaction, and poisoned three lions. The man was arrested and admitted to killing the lions, which is illegal in Kenya. But he got off scot free after a local politician reportedly intervened on his behalf.
The poisonings, which occurred in April, were only the latest in a spate of big cat killings since the start of the year — at least 25, scientists say — that have spurred new warnings that the country's lions will go extinct in the next few years. The news is equally alarming for conservationists who fear that, despite millions of dollars spent on countless programs to save the lions over the years, their efforts are just not working. Kenya's lion population has declined from 20,000 to less than 2,000 in 50 years and there are very few places in the country where the animals are not under threat.
(See the animals of Kenya, up-close and personal.)
To understand why the Maasai are killing lions in Kenya, you have to realize that there is a big difference between the way Africans who live among predators think about them, and the way westerners do. Tourists will spend thousands of dollars on safari vacations for the chance to see
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1989669,00.html
Al Ain Wildlife Park: A night at the Zoo
The Al Ain zoological park weds the thrill of watching wildlife with the urgent need for conservation
If you like roars, howls, chatters and grunts, the Al Ain Wildlife Park & Resort (AWPR) is the place to be, especially during the scorching summer months when the park remains open until midnight.
Wild Nights runs daily until the end of September and exposes visitors to a new set of experiences with many animals displaying their nocturnal behaviour.
"A zoo is a different place at night. Lots of residents tend to rest during the heat of the day, so they get more active at night and exhibit more naturalistic behaviour," said Farshid Mehrdadfar, AWPR's animal collection manager.
The gardens and landscapes have special lighting by night, giving the park a mysterious, sometimes spooky feel. The downside of visiting the zoo by night is that lots of animals are indeed sleeping. There wasn't much action around 9pm at the monkeys' exhibit. But because it was bedtime, several of them were holding on to each other and sleeping on a branch — a very cute sight.
AWPR is home to 4,300 animals, 30 per cent of which are considered to be endangered. The sole Arabian leopard walked back
http://gulfnews.com/life-style/travel/al-ain-wildlife-park-a-night-at-the-zoo-1.630128
Zoo director apologizes for lowering flag after death of baby elephant Scotty
The Louisville zoo director is apologizing after he says he mistakenly lowered the American flag to honor the dead baby elephant named Scotty. John Walczak told WHAS11 News, it is a mistake that was called to his attention by a WHAS11 viewer who saw the flag on our newscast.
Last Thursday, the zoo lowered the American flag out front after the death of Scotty.
Since then, people have been posting comments at WHAS11.com, upset with that move.
Zoo Director John Walczak told WHAS11 he understands
http://www.whas11.com/news/local/Zoo-director-apologizes-after-lowering-flag-after-death-of-baby-elephant-Scotty-94001369.html
Iran to hold Asiatic Cheetah festival
The Conservation of Asiatic Cheetah (CAC) project is planning to hold a festival in an attempt to increase public awareness about the endangered species.
Cheetah and Media, which is to be held in September, will highlight the role of media in the preservation of Asiatic Cheetahs in Iran, IRNA reported.
National and local media can participate in the event with audiovisual productions or articles on Cheetahs, their habitats and preys, the threats to their lives and the possible ways to protect them from extinction.
Launched by the Wild Conservation Society (WCS), Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF), and the International Union of Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the CAC project helps to rehabilitate Iran's
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=126154§ionid=3510212
London Zoo joins anti-mining fight
London Zoo is joining the campaign against allowing mining on New Zealand's conservation estate, in a bid to save a rare, endangered frog.
The Zoological Society of London is calling on the British public to make submissions on the New Zealand government's proposals to permit mining on more than 7000 hectares of the conservation estate, the Dominion Post reported.
The campaign was launched on the London Zoo website and is drawing attention to the plight of the critically endangered Archey's frog, found in the area of the Coromandel Peninsula proposed as suitable for mining.
The frog is described as the m
http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/london-zoo-joins-anti-mining-fight-3563716
'Private' women spur John Ball Zoo plan
Idema family members donate for expansion, growth
A Master Plan for the John Ball Zoo, years in the making, is being pushed front and center by Grand Rapids philanthropists you may never have heard of before.
The plan could change the "magnitude and landscape" of the zoo, featuring a tram to transport visitors from the main level of the zoo all the way up a hill to previously unexplored and uninhabited forest land.
The John Ball Zoological Society and influential people in the area are working to make this plan a reality. A feasibility study was just completed on the plan. The plan was OK'd five years ago by Kent County -- the owner of the John Ball Zoo.
Sisters-in-law Bea Aldrink Idema and Joyce Idema VerSluis come from the family that co-founded Steelcase, the largest office furniture manufacturer in the world. The two women are planning a gift that would spur the dream to reality.
They've expressed interest in financing
http://www.woodtv.com/dpp/news/local/grand_rapids/Private-women-spur-John-Ball-Zoo-plan
New species found on trip to 'Lost World'
We may think we've seen it all when it comes to wildlife, but we haven't, as these remarkable pictures prove. You won't find any of these creatures in any zoo or aviary or animal collection, as every single one of them is believed to be new to science.
They are the results of an expedition to the Foja mountains of western New Guinea, a remote, untouched part of Indonesia which is one of the least disturbed areas in the whole Asia-Pacific region. An expedition to Foja in 2007 produced two new mammals, a pygmy possum and a giant rat, yet a subsequent exploration a year later produced an even richer haul of new species, whose pictures were unveiled for the first time yesterday. The group includes several new mammals, a reptile, an amphibian, no fewer than
http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/nature/new-species-found-on-trip-to-lost-world-1975581.html
Mugabe's 'Noah's Ark' gift to Kim Jong Il sparks outrage
The British conservation group Born Free has joined the outcry against a plan by Zimbabwe to ship a “Noah’s Ark” of wildlife, including two young elephants, to North Korea.
News reports last week said the animals, reportedly two of every species in Zimbabwe’s 14,600 square kilometer Hwange National Park, are to be a gift from Zimbawean President Robert Mugabe to his North Korean counterpart, Kim Jong Il.
“We can see no conservation benefit to these plans, and are concerned about the substantial threat to the welfare of the individual animals involved,” Born Free said in a statement on its website.
The group said the 18-month-old elephants are unlikely to fare well during the approximate 7,000 mile trip and afterward when they get to North Korea.
“Baby elephants normally continue to suckle from their mothers for 4 years, so removal at this young age could have a severe physical impact in terms of nutrition, immunity and other developmental issues. It is also certain to have a huge impact on the emotional and social development
http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2010/05/18/mugabes-noahs-ark-gift-to-kim-jong-il-sparks-outrage/
Lesbian albatrosses, gay giraffes and some very open-minded penguins. So, can animals really be gay?
As the two birds gently entwine their heads, their soft, downy necks form a heart shape. They are, quite literally, a pair of love birds - Laysan albatrosses, reunited after months apart.
These seabirds, with a seven-foot wingspan and curved yellow beaks, soar over the oceans as far north as Alaska every November, after six months alone, before meeting at Kaena Point.
This rocky outcrop overlooking the Pacific in Oahu, Hawaii, is their ancestral breeding ground. It is here they return to mate and put on the world's greatest display of monogamy.
Albatrosses can live until they are 70 years old and it's said they make a lifelong commitment to one bird. They incubate their egg together for 65 days, taking turns to find food.
Indeed, former American first lady Laura Bush once hailed the bird as a mascot for pro-family Republicans. But a new study has emerged - and it is sure to shock Mrs Bush.
For all is not how it seems on Kaena Point. A biologist studying the 120-strong albatross colony at the University of Hawaii has ruffled quite a few feathers with her extraordinary discovery. She has found that many of the albatrosses appear to be, well ...gay.
Lindsay Young, who has worked on Oahu since 2003, has discovered that a third of the pairs at Kaena Point consist of two female birds.
The albatrosses have previously pulled the wool over conservationists' eyes with their cosy cuddling - as the two sexes look identical.
According to Young, who used DNA analysis
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1279241/Lesbian-albatrosses-gay-giraffes-open-minded-penguins-So-animals-really-gay.html?ito=feeds-newsxml
Rare parrots stolen from Taronga Zoo
Police are investigating whether the theft of two rare South American birds from Sydney's Taronga Zoo was an inside job.
Zookeepers are in a flutter about how the green-winged macaws, which can measure a metre long, could be stolen despite tight security.
Staff discovered the females, aged eight and 10, were missing from their aviary yesterday morning.
There was no sign of a break-in, but the padlock was gone.
Police are investigating whether the crime is linked to the theft of another pair of macaws from a house in Sydney three months ago.
Officers are still searching for those birds, named Coco and Jackson.
Police Inspector Craig James
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/05/21/2906103.htm
Zoo park employee drowns in moat
An employee of the Nehru Zoological Park reportedly drowned in a moat built to restrict movement of monkeys on Saturday morning.
The victim, 36-year-old P Narasimha Reddy, who had been working at the zoo since he was a teenager, drowned in the water filled in the moat that surrounds the primates' enclosure. Reddy was allotted the job on compassionate grounds after his father's demise. He had taken a liking to his job of feeding and taking care of primates at the Zoo Park.
Police officials said that he slipped accidentally into the water while working at the moat of the wolf monkey on Saturday morning. Reddy joined the zoo when he was 17-years-old. In 1991, his employment was regularised with the zoo.
Zoo officials said that the incident occurred between 9.30 am and 10 am. "The curator had seen him working at the moat at around 9 am when he was on an inspection
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/Zoo-park-employee-drowns-in-moat/articleshow/5964063.cms
This last link is by way of Google Translate and may seem a little confusing. It is about the breakthrough breeding of the Common Eel. I will let you make the best sense of the article yourself.
Nematodes born in a laboratory
Most fish do not reproduce in captivity. Certainly not eels. But in a Leiden laboratory, scientists have recently eel reproduction. Useful for breeders.
http://translate.google.com/translate?js=y&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&layout=1&eotf=1&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.trouw.nl%2Fgroen%2Fnieuws%2Farticle3067434.ece%2FAaltjes_geboren_in_een_laboratorium_.html&sl=nl&tl=en
Staff at Australian Zoo Go Hungry to Feed Lions
Staff at an Australian zoo are sacrificing their pay to keep the zoo's lions and other animals from starving.
Staff at an Australian zoo are sacrificing their pay to keep the zoo's lions and other animals from starving, The Cairns Post reported in its Thursday edition.
Cairns Wildlife Safari Reserve, like many tourism operators in Australia's far north, has experienced lean times as a result of the global financial crisis and wet holiday conditions.
High costs of keeping the zoo’s animals fed and maintained have forced staff to endure pay cuts for the past six weeks.
Some zoo staff have complained to The Cairns Post that they have been toughing it out and are unable to pay bills at home.
But reserve owner Jenny Jattke said
http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2010/05/19/staff-australian-zoo-hungry-feed-lions/
Cairns zoo staff forced to cut pay to feed lions
Staff at a Queensland zoo are sacrificing their pay to keep the zoo's lions and other animals from starving.
Cairns Wildlife Safari Reserve, like many tourism operators in Australia's far north, has experienced lean times as a result of the global financial crisis and wet holiday conditions, The Cairns Post reported.
High costs of keeping the zoo’s animals fed and maintained have forced staff to endure pay cuts for the past six weeks.
Some zoo staff have complained to The Cairns Post that they have been toughing it out and are unable to pay bills.
Would you put up with this? Tell us below.
But reserve owner Jenny Jattke said most of her 15 staff members realised the need to go without pay to keep the animals from starving.
http://www.news.com.au/business/business-smarts/cairns-zoo-staff-forced-to-cut-pay-to-feed-lions/story-e6frfm9r-1225868947321
15 baboons, two hyenas and one man seized
Fifteen baboons and two hyenas have been seized in a raid by authorities on a house in Abu Dhabi, state news agency WAM reported on Tuesday.
The endangered species were being illegally sold out of the house in the Khalidiya area of the capital, the news agency said.
The Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi (EAD) raided the house after a tip off that a group of animals being kept in a small cage, WAM said.
"(The) UAE is intensifying its fight against the illegal trade in endangered species and is implementing strict legal procedures to control this trade and penalise violators,” an EAD spokesman was quoted as saying.
The animals were transferred to the Abu Dhabi Wildlife Centre, while the owner was arrested and will likely face prosecution, WAM said.
The UAE is a key transit route and destination for exotic animals. Animals such as tig
http://business.maktoob.com/20090000471246/15_baboons_two_hyenas_and_one_man_seized/Article.htm
Afghan Tragedy: Death of a Snow Leopard
http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1972406,00.html
Animal diets at Everland
How much food is consumed each year by the animals at the Everland zoo in Yongin, Gyeonggi? And which animal eats the most?
The zoo at Everland often sees the number of visitors surge in May, due to the many national holidays during that month along with the beautiful spring weather and warm temperatures.
The food consumed by the animals at the Everland zoo amounted to some 495 tons last year. That would be equivalent to some 99 five-ton trucks delivering the food, which has total value of some 1 billion won ($893,921).
The animal that is the biggest eater at the zoo is the elephant, which consumes some 58 kilograms of hay every day. This amounts to 21 tons of hay per year. Everland zoo spends 1.5 million won every month - 18 million won a year - to feed one elephant.
Giraffes and sea lions are also gluttons for food. The giraffes’ main menu consists of chard and bread. They eat 8.5 tons of the stuff - worth some 6.9 million won - every year. Meanwhile sea lions mostly enjoy fish like Pacific saury and horse mackerel. They consume 6.4 tons per year.
Chimpanzees eat 1.6 tons of tropical fruits
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2920794
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Zoo, workers, reach tentative agreement
A tentative agreement has been reached between the Toronto Zoo and the union representing more than 400 unionized staff.
The workers, many of whom take care of the animals, are expected to vote on the agreement Monday. No details have been released.
“The negotiation’s committee is pretty pleased with it. We’re going to recommend it to our members,” said Grant Ankenman, president of Local 1600 of the Canadian Union of Public Employees, which represents the workers.
The workers have been in a legal strike position since voting down a tentative agreement on May 5, but Ankenman said there never were any plans for an immediate strike.
“We wanted to be back at the bargaining table and get a fair and equitable agreement,” he said, adding that the decision to can the earlier proposed agreement had
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/810265--zoo-workers-reach-tentative-agreement
University disciplines scientist for showing paper on bat sex
A British scientist has been disciplined for sexual harassment by his Irish university for showing a female colleague a research paper about fellatio in bats, triggering an outcry over academic freedom.
Leading scientists and academics including Steven Pinker and Daniel Dennett have rallied to support Dylan Evans, after University College, Cork (UCC) placed him on probation for two years and ordered him to have counselling.
Supporters of Dr Evans, a behavioural scientist, said the university’s actions sent a dangerous message that areas of legitimate academic debate can be deemed off-limits if certain people find them offensive for personal reasons.
Professor Pinker, of Harvard University, described the sanctions as “absurd and shameful”. He said: “It runs counter to the principle of intellectual freedom and freedom of speech, to say nothing of common sense.”
Dr Evans was disciplined following a formal complaint from a colleague, to whom he had shown a peer-reviewed article from the journal Public
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/science/article7128911.ece
Top vet leaves zoo as repairs ordered, oil-spill training starts
David Murphy, a national authority on manatees who helped solve the mysterious deaths of dozens of the endangered sea mammals in 1996, has left his job as chief veterinarian at Lowry Park Zoo.
The reason remains a mystery.
Murphy, 53, has been gone about two weeks, said zoo spokeswoman Rachel Nelson. Zoo CEO Craig Pugh described the departure as "wholly a personnel issue." Both declined to elaborate.
Murphy, returning a call during the weekend, said in a voicemail message that he was re-evaluating his severance package and also could not
http://www2.tbo.com/content/2010/may/17/171502/top-vet-leaves-zoo-oil-spill-training-starts/news-breaking/
Tiger Attacked Teen 30 Years Ago
Animal attacks at the Como Zoo aren’t common, but when a cougar attacked a two-year old boy last week, it wasn’t the first time the zoo has seen something like this.
Nearly thirty years ago a tiger in the very same cage mauled a teenager. Ricky Rousseau died of cancer five years ago at the age of 42. Ricky’s brother, Brad, says recent reports of a cougar mauling at the zoo reminds him of a similar attack.
Back in 1981, Brad Rousseau was playing catch with his little brother at the Como Zoo, when the ball landed on the front ledge of what’s now the cougar exhibit. At the time it was home to a Siberian tiger.
Rousseau says his brother who may have been drunk, climbed under the guardrail and started taunting the tiger for several minutes. The animal eventually pushed through the mesh fence and clawed his arm. He was left with two cuts that required nearly two hundred stitches.
“He was lulled into a false sense of security from the
http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/dpp/news/minnesota/tiger-attacked-teen-30-years-ago
Four Gorillas Die From Extreme Weather Conditions
One mother gorilla and three infants are reported to have died because of extreme weather conditions, the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) has announced.
The dead mountain gorillas were discovered during routine monitoring by the RDB trackers between May 16th and 17th 2010.
The dead gorillas have been identified as Intwali and her 1.5 year old baby- Mutesi (named last year), a baby belonging to Mahane and Imvune's two-week old baby discovered Monday morning.
Efforts by veterinary doctors to save the babies
http://allafrica.com/stories/201005180347.html
Beijing Zoo lets visitors admire, eat wildlife
The Beijing Zoo puts crocodiles, kangaroos, antelope, and hippopotamuses on display. Its restaurant puts them on its menu.
Hey kids, wanna go to the zoo today and look at the crocodiles? And then maybe eat one?
The meat might be pungent, but the concept seems somewhat tasteless. The Beijing Zoo puts the same animals on its restaurant menu as it keeps behind bars.
Crocodile, kangaroo, antelope, and hippopotamus are among the species that visitors can go the zoo to admire on the hoof, and then savor at lunch – steamed, braised, or roasted – at the Bin Feng Tang restaurant.
This has been going on for years, according to the restaurant’s manager, who seemed surprised that a newspaper article this week about her establishment should cause a stir on the Chinese Internet.
The news has not gone down well. “How would you feel, watching animals imprisoned in a limited space while eating their siblings?” asked
http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Global-News/2010/0520/Beijing-Zoo-lets-visitors-admire-eat-wildlife
Beijing Zoo Features Wild Animals Live, and On Its Menu
The Beijing Zoo has caused a stir after it was reported that that the same animals at the zoo are also on its restaurant menu, according to the Christian Science Monitor.
The Beijing Zoo has caused a stir after it was reported that the same breeds of animals found at the zoo are also on its restaurant menu, according to the Christian Science Monitor.
The restaurant's manager said this has been going on for years, but some people now are upset by it.
"How would you feel, watching animals imprisoned in a limited space while eating their siblings?" Zheng Yuanjie, a well-known author, put on his blog, according
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2010/05/20/beijing-zoo-animals-menu/
Funds found for elephant enclosure
A new elephant enclosure at the Reid Park Zoo came a step closer to reality Tuesday as the City Council moved Tuesday to fund $3.2 million of the cost to make it happen.
The council had been intensely debating whether to include about $4 million for the new elephant enclosure as part of $66 million in bonds the city is trying to sell this month. More than $10 million is being refinanced to help fill next year's budget shortfall.
However, Deputy Finance Director Silvia Amparano worked to find the city's $3.2 million contribution, which she did from $2.3 million in money left from a 2000 city bond sale. Amparano said the money came from interest and money left over from projects under budget or that did not have the funding to be completed.
The remaining $900,000 was a gift to the city that was restricted to improve the zoo, Amparano said.
The Tucson Zoological Society's portion of the project is $5.2 million, $2.2 million of which the society will put up in cash, and another $3 million the city will bond for and the Zoological Society will pay back.
The council backed the $66 million bond sale unanimously.
In other business, the council voted 5-2 to institute a new pawnshop fee of $1 on each transaction at a pawnshop or secondhand store. In addition, all pawnshops and
http://azstarnet.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/article_6e814d85-6014-5dc6-a055-92641d88783f.html
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Detroit Zoo launches iPhone app
The app also allows you to see the location of another iPhone-toting friend when you both have the app open in the park. (For safety reasons, the phones must first be paired by exchanging a four-digit number that allows your friend to see your location.)
The zoo is able to push instant notifications to those in the park with alerts to feedings and other activities.
http://www.freep.com/article/20100518/BLOG36/100518045/1006/NEWS04/Detroit-Zoo-launches-iPhone-app
Critically endangered birds fly free
New hope for dwindling regent honeyeaters as captive birds are released in Victoria.
FORTY-FOUR CAPTIVE-BRED regent honeyeaters were released into the wild in Victoria last week. This follows a successful 2008 trial release which granted 27 of these critically endangered birds their freedom.
Sarah Kelly, biodiversity officer from the Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE), Victoria, says the positive results of the first trial exceeded expectations: “The hope is that the captive-bred birds will mate with the wild birds, increasing the population base of the species.”
Currently, there are thought to be just 800 to 1500 wild honeyeaters left across Australia. In Victoria, numbers hover around 100, with only 11 sightings recorded this year.
Advantages of captivity
Dean Ingwersen, regent honeyeater recovery coordinator at Birds Australia, says reasons for the species' decline include “pressure from the continuing effect of historic land clearing, food scarcity due to drought, and competition from more aggressive species which out-compete them in their favoured woodland habitat."
Captive-bred at Adelaide Zoo and Sydney's Taronga Zoo, the latest batch of birds were released into the Chiltern-Mt Pilot National Park, Victoria last week. This subsequent
http://www.australiangeographic.com.au/journal/regent-honeyeaters.htm
Did zoo negligence kill tiger?
A 13-year-old male tiger died at the zoo in Thrissur due to alleged negligence on the part of the authorities and employees. This is despite the Governments, several corporate companies and voluntary agencies’ mission to protect the endangered tiger population.
Bharat, the tiger, was found dead in his cage in the morning by the cleaners. Regular visitors to the zoo and conservationists alleged that the authorities’ failure to give proper attention was the cause of death. “I used to see Bharat every alternate month and I had seen him even last week. He had showed no symptoms then,” said Poulose VK, a conservationist in Kuriyachira, off Thrissur.
Dr MK Narayanan, who holds charge of the animals, agreed with people like Poulose, saying that the tiger had no known illnesses. He said Bharat had not been showing any lack of appetite and had taken his normal quota of food the previous day. Vets have collected organ samples for analysis and the exact reason for the death would be known only later.
The organ samples would be analysed at the Department of Pathology of the Forestry College at Vellanikkara, Thrissur. However, officials of the State Wildlife Department indicated that they would hold a detailed inquiry into the death of the tiger.
They also said the post-mortem report had revealed disorders in Bharat’s liver and lungs.
Employees said they had noticed a wound in Bharat’s abdomen some months ago, from where worms had emerged after it aggravated.
However, this had healed soon and there were no other problems
http://epaper.dailypioneer.com/ThePioneer/Pioneer/2010/05/18/ArticleHtmls/18_05_2010_006_013.shtml
PLANNERS KEEP WOLVES FROM THE DOOR OF SCOTTISH WILDLIFE PARK
A MILLIONAIRE landowner has abandoned his quest to introduce wolves to the Highlands.
MFI heir Paul Lister has also shelved plans for brown bears and wild cats on his wilderness reserve because its 23,000-acres is too small.
The owner of the vast Alladale estate, near Ardgay, in Sutherland, was told he would need an area at least three times the wildlife park’s current size.
Nature groups also warned they would mount strong objections to the only alternative plan, which would see electrified fences installed.
Helen Todd, of the Ramblers Association of Scotland, said: “If you are going to bring in new species, you must have the right habitat. The issue with Alladale is there is not
http://www.dailyexpress.co.uk/posts/view/175793/Planners-keep-wolves-from-the-door-of-Scottish-wildlife-park/
Farmers vs. Lions: A Battle to the Death in Kenya
and opposite reaction, and poisoned three lions. The man was arrested and admitted to killing the lions, which is illegal in Kenya. But he got off scot free after a local politician reportedly intervened on his behalf.
The poisonings, which occurred in April, were only the latest in a spate of big cat killings since the start of the year — at least 25, scientists say — that have spurred new warnings that the country's lions will go extinct in the next few years. The news is equally alarming for conservationists who fear that, despite millions of dollars spent on countless programs to save the lions over the years, their efforts are just not working. Kenya's lion population has declined from 20,000 to less than 2,000 in 50 years and there are very few places in the country where the animals are not under threat.
(See the animals of Kenya, up-close and personal.)
To understand why the Maasai are killing lions in Kenya, you have to realize that there is a big difference between the way Africans who live among predators think about them, and the way westerners do. Tourists will spend thousands of dollars on safari vacations for the chance to see
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1989669,00.html
Al Ain Wildlife Park: A night at the Zoo
The Al Ain zoological park weds the thrill of watching wildlife with the urgent need for conservation
If you like roars, howls, chatters and grunts, the Al Ain Wildlife Park & Resort (AWPR) is the place to be, especially during the scorching summer months when the park remains open until midnight.
Wild Nights runs daily until the end of September and exposes visitors to a new set of experiences with many animals displaying their nocturnal behaviour.
"A zoo is a different place at night. Lots of residents tend to rest during the heat of the day, so they get more active at night and exhibit more naturalistic behaviour," said Farshid Mehrdadfar, AWPR's animal collection manager.
The gardens and landscapes have special lighting by night, giving the park a mysterious, sometimes spooky feel. The downside of visiting the zoo by night is that lots of animals are indeed sleeping. There wasn't much action around 9pm at the monkeys' exhibit. But because it was bedtime, several of them were holding on to each other and sleeping on a branch — a very cute sight.
AWPR is home to 4,300 animals, 30 per cent of which are considered to be endangered. The sole Arabian leopard walked back
http://gulfnews.com/life-style/travel/al-ain-wildlife-park-a-night-at-the-zoo-1.630128
Zoo director apologizes for lowering flag after death of baby elephant Scotty
The Louisville zoo director is apologizing after he says he mistakenly lowered the American flag to honor the dead baby elephant named Scotty. John Walczak told WHAS11 News, it is a mistake that was called to his attention by a WHAS11 viewer who saw the flag on our newscast.
Last Thursday, the zoo lowered the American flag out front after the death of Scotty.
Since then, people have been posting comments at WHAS11.com, upset with that move.
Zoo Director John Walczak told WHAS11 he understands
http://www.whas11.com/news/local/Zoo-director-apologizes-after-lowering-flag-after-death-of-baby-elephant-Scotty-94001369.html
Iran to hold Asiatic Cheetah festival
The Conservation of Asiatic Cheetah (CAC) project is planning to hold a festival in an attempt to increase public awareness about the endangered species.
Cheetah and Media, which is to be held in September, will highlight the role of media in the preservation of Asiatic Cheetahs in Iran, IRNA reported.
National and local media can participate in the event with audiovisual productions or articles on Cheetahs, their habitats and preys, the threats to their lives and the possible ways to protect them from extinction.
Launched by the Wild Conservation Society (WCS), Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF), and the International Union of Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the CAC project helps to rehabilitate Iran's
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=126154§ionid=3510212
London Zoo joins anti-mining fight
London Zoo is joining the campaign against allowing mining on New Zealand's conservation estate, in a bid to save a rare, endangered frog.
The Zoological Society of London is calling on the British public to make submissions on the New Zealand government's proposals to permit mining on more than 7000 hectares of the conservation estate, the Dominion Post reported.
The campaign was launched on the London Zoo website and is drawing attention to the plight of the critically endangered Archey's frog, found in the area of the Coromandel Peninsula proposed as suitable for mining.
The frog is described as the m
http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/london-zoo-joins-anti-mining-fight-3563716
'Private' women spur John Ball Zoo plan
Idema family members donate for expansion, growth
A Master Plan for the John Ball Zoo, years in the making, is being pushed front and center by Grand Rapids philanthropists you may never have heard of before.
The plan could change the "magnitude and landscape" of the zoo, featuring a tram to transport visitors from the main level of the zoo all the way up a hill to previously unexplored and uninhabited forest land.
The John Ball Zoological Society and influential people in the area are working to make this plan a reality. A feasibility study was just completed on the plan. The plan was OK'd five years ago by Kent County -- the owner of the John Ball Zoo.
Sisters-in-law Bea Aldrink Idema and Joyce Idema VerSluis come from the family that co-founded Steelcase, the largest office furniture manufacturer in the world. The two women are planning a gift that would spur the dream to reality.
They've expressed interest in financing
http://www.woodtv.com/dpp/news/local/grand_rapids/Private-women-spur-John-Ball-Zoo-plan
New species found on trip to 'Lost World'
We may think we've seen it all when it comes to wildlife, but we haven't, as these remarkable pictures prove. You won't find any of these creatures in any zoo or aviary or animal collection, as every single one of them is believed to be new to science.
They are the results of an expedition to the Foja mountains of western New Guinea, a remote, untouched part of Indonesia which is one of the least disturbed areas in the whole Asia-Pacific region. An expedition to Foja in 2007 produced two new mammals, a pygmy possum and a giant rat, yet a subsequent exploration a year later produced an even richer haul of new species, whose pictures were unveiled for the first time yesterday. The group includes several new mammals, a reptile, an amphibian, no fewer than
http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/nature/new-species-found-on-trip-to-lost-world-1975581.html
Mugabe's 'Noah's Ark' gift to Kim Jong Il sparks outrage
The British conservation group Born Free has joined the outcry against a plan by Zimbabwe to ship a “Noah’s Ark” of wildlife, including two young elephants, to North Korea.
News reports last week said the animals, reportedly two of every species in Zimbabwe’s 14,600 square kilometer Hwange National Park, are to be a gift from Zimbawean President Robert Mugabe to his North Korean counterpart, Kim Jong Il.
“We can see no conservation benefit to these plans, and are concerned about the substantial threat to the welfare of the individual animals involved,” Born Free said in a statement on its website.
The group said the 18-month-old elephants are unlikely to fare well during the approximate 7,000 mile trip and afterward when they get to North Korea.
“Baby elephants normally continue to suckle from their mothers for 4 years, so removal at this young age could have a severe physical impact in terms of nutrition, immunity and other developmental issues. It is also certain to have a huge impact on the emotional and social development
http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2010/05/18/mugabes-noahs-ark-gift-to-kim-jong-il-sparks-outrage/
Lesbian albatrosses, gay giraffes and some very open-minded penguins. So, can animals really be gay?
As the two birds gently entwine their heads, their soft, downy necks form a heart shape. They are, quite literally, a pair of love birds - Laysan albatrosses, reunited after months apart.
These seabirds, with a seven-foot wingspan and curved yellow beaks, soar over the oceans as far north as Alaska every November, after six months alone, before meeting at Kaena Point.
This rocky outcrop overlooking the Pacific in Oahu, Hawaii, is their ancestral breeding ground. It is here they return to mate and put on the world's greatest display of monogamy.
Albatrosses can live until they are 70 years old and it's said they make a lifelong commitment to one bird. They incubate their egg together for 65 days, taking turns to find food.
Indeed, former American first lady Laura Bush once hailed the bird as a mascot for pro-family Republicans. But a new study has emerged - and it is sure to shock Mrs Bush.
For all is not how it seems on Kaena Point. A biologist studying the 120-strong albatross colony at the University of Hawaii has ruffled quite a few feathers with her extraordinary discovery. She has found that many of the albatrosses appear to be, well ...gay.
Lindsay Young, who has worked on Oahu since 2003, has discovered that a third of the pairs at Kaena Point consist of two female birds.
The albatrosses have previously pulled the wool over conservationists' eyes with their cosy cuddling - as the two sexes look identical.
According to Young, who used DNA analysis
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1279241/Lesbian-albatrosses-gay-giraffes-open-minded-penguins-So-animals-really-gay.html?ito=feeds-newsxml
Rare parrots stolen from Taronga Zoo
Police are investigating whether the theft of two rare South American birds from Sydney's Taronga Zoo was an inside job.
Zookeepers are in a flutter about how the green-winged macaws, which can measure a metre long, could be stolen despite tight security.
Staff discovered the females, aged eight and 10, were missing from their aviary yesterday morning.
There was no sign of a break-in, but the padlock was gone.
Police are investigating whether the crime is linked to the theft of another pair of macaws from a house in Sydney three months ago.
Officers are still searching for those birds, named Coco and Jackson.
Police Inspector Craig James
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/05/21/2906103.htm
Zoo park employee drowns in moat
An employee of the Nehru Zoological Park reportedly drowned in a moat built to restrict movement of monkeys on Saturday morning.
The victim, 36-year-old P Narasimha Reddy, who had been working at the zoo since he was a teenager, drowned in the water filled in the moat that surrounds the primates' enclosure. Reddy was allotted the job on compassionate grounds after his father's demise. He had taken a liking to his job of feeding and taking care of primates at the Zoo Park.
Police officials said that he slipped accidentally into the water while working at the moat of the wolf monkey on Saturday morning. Reddy joined the zoo when he was 17-years-old. In 1991, his employment was regularised with the zoo.
Zoo officials said that the incident occurred between 9.30 am and 10 am. "The curator had seen him working at the moat at around 9 am when he was on an inspection
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/Zoo-park-employee-drowns-in-moat/articleshow/5964063.cms
This last link is by way of Google Translate and may seem a little confusing. It is about the breakthrough breeding of the Common Eel. I will let you make the best sense of the article yourself.
Nematodes born in a laboratory
Most fish do not reproduce in captivity. Certainly not eels. But in a Leiden laboratory, scientists have recently eel reproduction. Useful for breeders.
http://translate.google.com/translate?js=y&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&layout=1&eotf=1&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.trouw.nl%2Fgroen%2Fnieuws%2Farticle3067434.ece%2FAaltjes_geboren_in_een_laboratorium_.html&sl=nl&tl=en
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Blog Posts:
Look to the right within the blog and see and click on blog postings. Some of these have not been mailed out by email. Most will have been posted on the Facebook Page however.
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ZOOS' PRINT MAGAZINE http://www.zoosprint.org/showMagazine.asp
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Book Your Place!
John will be at the BIAZA conference Belfast between 10 and 12 June, and is available to be booked for one to one consultations so you can pick his brains on any external funding issues you may wish to discuss.
AND IT’S FREE! But please do contact us to actually book your time in advance with him.
As many of you will be aware John is an acknowledged specialist in securing major external funding (grants, government support, business sponsorship, private gifts, etc.) for zoological sites, bringing with him over 15 years of experience and major successes for numerous clients.
If you would like some time with John availability will be limited with a number of sessions already booked, so please let me know and we will reserve this specifically to discuss your external funding needs.
You may also find the various resources available on our website http://www.johnreganassociates.com/ useful.
Please book with John Edwards:
Johnedwards@johnreganassociates.com
I look forward to hearing from you and seeing you in Belfast,
John Regan
*******************************************************************************
Hello ZooLex Friend,
We have worked for your enjoyment!
~°v°~
NEW EXHIBIT PRESENTATION
Rio Negro at Zoo Duisburg is an exhibit for the two Amazon river dolphins which have been kept at the Zoo since 1975. Visitors to the tropical hall experience animal species of the Amazon region in dense vegetation, such as sloth, tamarin, lesser anteater, toucan and macaw, besides the Amazon river dolphin.
http://www.zoolex.org/zoolexcgi/view.py?id=1160
~°v°~
SPANISH TRANSLATION
Thanks to Eduardo Diaz Garcia we are able to offer a Spanish translation of the previously presented "Amazon River Forest" at the National Aquarium in Baltimore:
http://www.zoolex.org/zoolexcgi/view.py?id=937
~°v°~
We keep working on ZooLex ...
The ZooLex Zoo Design Organization is a non-profit organization
registered in Austria (ZVR-Zahl 933849053). ZooLex runs a professional zoo design website and distributes this newsletter. More information and contact: http://www.zoolex.org/about.html
Look to the right within the blog and see and click on blog postings. Some of these have not been mailed out by email. Most will have been posted on the Facebook Page however.
*******************************************************************************
MARK ADLINGTON
Animals of Arabia, John Martin Gallery
24 June - 24 July 2010
for details please click
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Interesting in reading more?
visit
The June 2010 issue of ZOOS' PRINT [Volume XXV, Number 6] is published and the online version is available free on the web at
ZOOS' PRINT MAGAZINE http://www.zoosprint.org/showMagazine.asp
Complete Magazine
PDF
Cover/Contents
PDF 263Kb
Obituary: Devra G. Kleiman, Conservation Biologist, Pp. 1-2
PDF 275Kb
Editorial feature : Devra Kleiman and Zoo Outreach Organisation, Pp. 3-4
PDF 215Kb
Other remembrances about Devra Kleiman by Colleagues, P. 4
PDF 36Kb
Your turn-- P.O. Nameer, Pp. 5-6
PDF 53Kb
Testimonial about Zoo Outreach Organisation-- B. Ravichandran, P. 7
PDF 108Kb
This month, That age: ZOOS’ PRINT 25 years ago - June 1986, Pp. 8-11
PDF 83Kb
ZOO LEX - Zoo Antwerp : Spectacled Bear Exhibit, P. 12
PDF 46Kb
WAZA Mid-year Meeting at Sri Lanka-- Sally Walker, Pp. 13-14
PDF 126Kb
The Zoo Veterinary Profession: Challenging, Interesting, Vibrant and Fulfilling-- R. Hemanth Kumar and U.C. Srivatsav, Pp. 15-16
PDF 57Kb
Education Reports from South Asia, Pp. 17-28
PDF 1846Kb
Technical articles-- Dr. B. Sarma, B. Dutta, B. Choudhury and A. Talukder, Dr. A. B. Shrivastav, Shivaraj, M. D. Venkatesha, Rajkumar Sanjukta, P. Giridhar and C. Renukaprasad, Rajesh C. Senma and Chirag A. Acharya, Syed Ali Ahasan, Md. Salim Iqbal and Md. Shakif-Ul-Azam, Pp. 29-36
PDF 313Kb
Book Your Place!
John will be at the BIAZA conference Belfast between 10 and 12 June, and is available to be booked for one to one consultations so you can pick his brains on any external funding issues you may wish to discuss.
AND IT’S FREE! But please do contact us to actually book your time in advance with him.
As many of you will be aware John is an acknowledged specialist in securing major external funding (grants, government support, business sponsorship, private gifts, etc.) for zoological sites, bringing with him over 15 years of experience and major successes for numerous clients.
If you would like some time with John availability will be limited with a number of sessions already booked, so please let me know and we will reserve this specifically to discuss your external funding needs.
You may also find the various resources available on our website http://www.johnreganassociates.com/ useful.
Please book with John Edwards:
Johnedwards@johnreganassociates.com
I look forward to hearing from you and seeing you in Belfast,
John Regan
*******************************************************************************
Hello ZooLex Friend,
We have worked for your enjoyment!
~°v°~
NEW EXHIBIT PRESENTATION
Rio Negro at Zoo Duisburg is an exhibit for the two Amazon river dolphins which have been kept at the Zoo since 1975. Visitors to the tropical hall experience animal species of the Amazon region in dense vegetation, such as sloth, tamarin, lesser anteater, toucan and macaw, besides the Amazon river dolphin.
http://www.zoolex.org/zoolexcgi/view.py?id=1160
~°v°~
SPANISH TRANSLATION
Thanks to Eduardo Diaz Garcia we are able to offer a Spanish translation of the previously presented "Amazon River Forest" at the National Aquarium in Baltimore:
http://www.zoolex.org/zoolexcgi/view.py?id=937
~°v°~
We keep working on ZooLex ...
The ZooLex Zoo Design Organization is a non-profit organization
registered in Austria (ZVR-Zahl 933849053). ZooLex runs a professional zoo design website and distributes this newsletter. More information and contact: http://www.zoolex.org/about.html
*******************************************************************************
Zoo Conferences, Meetings, Courses and Symposia
Zoo Conferences, Meetings, Courses and Symposia
click HERE
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ZOO BIOLOGY
The Zoo Biology Group is concerned with all disciplines involved in the running of a Zoological Garden. Captive breeding, husbandry,cage design and construction, diets, enrichment, man management,record keeping, etc etc
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Kind Regards,
Wishing you a wonderful week,
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