Zoo News Digest 1st - 8th August 2010 (Zoo News 681)
Dear Colleagues,
Once again a return of the vile tongued animal rights. They really have not got a clue. I honestly believe that they really don't like animals at all. All they really care about is themselves. Well that is certainly the way it looks in the emails I get.
I was interested to read that the director of Yerevan Zoo said that the enclosures do not comply with international standards. I was unaware that there was any. There is advised guidance and basic minimums that some zoos will adhere to but nothing written in tablets of stone. The idea of international standards is a good one providing that these were put together by zoo people and not the so called ‘experts’ on the outside who do not have even a basic understanding of territories, food supply and ‘quality of space’. I believe the first step really needs to be compulsory international zoo inspection by competent zoo staff from recognised zoo bodies. Unfortunately international anything just does not work with anything right now. There is just too much corruption and I doubt zoos would fare any better.
I had mixed feelings about the building of a zoo in Hampi. We definitely need more zoos, everywhere, if we are to hold a wide enough genetic base for long term future conservation. I daresay there will be space somewhere around Hampi. I believe my feelings are selfish. Hampi is a magical and special place. This was the playground of the Gods. I have never been anywhere quite like it. I would urge a visit if you have the opportunity to do so.
The photograph and text 'Losing Battle' refers to the Orangutans presently held in Thailand and asking for their return. This may appear to tie in with the boxing Orangutans in Bangkok Safari World and it does loosely. Sadly it is not going to stop boxing because there are still Orangutans boxing in Bangkok Safari World. It is these animals which need to be helped. Meanwhile the 11 animals held in Thailand rescue facilities are probably better off than anything readily available in Indonesia. The animals in Ranugan Zoo still remain in very poor accommodation. Animals are still being used for photography sessions in some zoos and are used in shows in the likes of Taman Safari Indonesia. Clear up the mess at home before adding to it by bringing in other animals. Then there are the 'missing' animals from Bangkok Safari World....check out those in Koh Kong Safari World in Cambodia because I am convinced that is where the 'dead' animals are now boxing!
The story about the captive-bred giant panda giving birth in the semi-wild is an interesting one. What a great idea. Release a pregnant panda into a huge semi-wild enclosure and let her get on with it.....only they didn't did they? They knew that the cub born just the other day weighed 205 grammes! Why could they not just leave her alone? It is the same old story. Zoos pulling animals to sex, weigh, check, inject or whatever. Inevitably they end up 'having to hand rear' because the 'mother did not know what to do'. Bollocks! Then we have that special group of zoos who deliberately pull and hand rear their big cats so that they are available for posing with the public. It really is criminal. Even worse when they are white tigers.
Thank you for the two donations this week.
Once again a return of the vile tongued animal rights. They really have not got a clue. I honestly believe that they really don't like animals at all. All they really care about is themselves. Well that is certainly the way it looks in the emails I get.
I was interested to read that the director of Yerevan Zoo said that the enclosures do not comply with international standards. I was unaware that there was any. There is advised guidance and basic minimums that some zoos will adhere to but nothing written in tablets of stone. The idea of international standards is a good one providing that these were put together by zoo people and not the so called ‘experts’ on the outside who do not have even a basic understanding of territories, food supply and ‘quality of space’. I believe the first step really needs to be compulsory international zoo inspection by competent zoo staff from recognised zoo bodies. Unfortunately international anything just does not work with anything right now. There is just too much corruption and I doubt zoos would fare any better.
I had mixed feelings about the building of a zoo in Hampi. We definitely need more zoos, everywhere, if we are to hold a wide enough genetic base for long term future conservation. I daresay there will be space somewhere around Hampi. I believe my feelings are selfish. Hampi is a magical and special place. This was the playground of the Gods. I have never been anywhere quite like it. I would urge a visit if you have the opportunity to do so.
The photograph and text 'Losing Battle' refers to the Orangutans presently held in Thailand and asking for their return. This may appear to tie in with the boxing Orangutans in Bangkok Safari World and it does loosely. Sadly it is not going to stop boxing because there are still Orangutans boxing in Bangkok Safari World. It is these animals which need to be helped. Meanwhile the 11 animals held in Thailand rescue facilities are probably better off than anything readily available in Indonesia. The animals in Ranugan Zoo still remain in very poor accommodation. Animals are still being used for photography sessions in some zoos and are used in shows in the likes of Taman Safari Indonesia. Clear up the mess at home before adding to it by bringing in other animals. Then there are the 'missing' animals from Bangkok Safari World....check out those in Koh Kong Safari World in Cambodia because I am convinced that is where the 'dead' animals are now boxing!
The story about the captive-bred giant panda giving birth in the semi-wild is an interesting one. What a great idea. Release a pregnant panda into a huge semi-wild enclosure and let her get on with it.....only they didn't did they? They knew that the cub born just the other day weighed 205 grammes! Why could they not just leave her alone? It is the same old story. Zoos pulling animals to sex, weigh, check, inject or whatever. Inevitably they end up 'having to hand rear' because the 'mother did not know what to do'. Bollocks! Then we have that special group of zoos who deliberately pull and hand rear their big cats so that they are available for posing with the public. It really is criminal. Even worse when they are white tigers.
Thank you for the two donations this week.
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Byculla Zoo eyes green status for building
Even as the Byculla
zoo makeover project awaits the final nod from the Mumbai Heritage Conservation Committee (MHCC), the zoo administration is working to get a green building status for the two-storey interpretation centre. The move is expected to raise the cost of the Rs 434-crore redevelopment project by 10 per cent, zoo officials said.
The zoo administration was recently granted permission by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to register with Hyderabad-based Indian Green Building Council, a CII-led council involved in promoting green buildings in India, and enter their prestigious Leadership in Energy and Environmental
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Byculla-Zoo-eyes-green-status-for-building/655634/
David Field: Zoos are a vital part of gorilla conservation
Without a doubt, seeing a gorilla will rank as one of the most breathtaking moments in anyone's life. Even with the privilege of working at ZSL London Zoo
and seeing them every day, they continue to take my breath away.
We believe that gorillas in zoos have the potential to make an animal lover and conservationist out of every zoo visitor – and with primates now more threatened in the wild than ever before, promoting conservation couldn't be more
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/david-field-zoos-are-a-vital-part-of-gorilla-conservation-2042581.html
Irish gorilla Kesho drafted in as 'surrogate' husband and father at London Zoo
He's tall, dark and hairy and zookeepers are hoping he will be a surrogate husband and father to a group of gorillas at London Zoo.
Kesho, is being moved from Dublin Zoo
to join females, Zaire, Effie and Mjukuu at Regents Park in order to bring solace to the three women, left bereft when their previous mate died in April.
The sudden demise of Yeboah, a 20-stone silverback, was doubly sad because he had just conceived a baby with Mjukuu, the youngest gorilla, before his
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/wildlife/7924731/Irish-gorilla-Kesho-drafted-in-as-surrogate-husband-and-father-at-London-Zoo.html
Monkey attempts to 'adopt' toad in zoo
Visitors to Paignton Zoo
in Devon were astonished to witness a monkey apparently trying to adopt a toad.
Swoozie, a female swamp monkey, saved the amphibian from a pond at the edge of her enclosure.
She then spent a whole day with the common toad before it was able to wriggle free
Crowds gathered as the seven-year-old monkey cuddled the toad and even rubbed the cold-blooded creature to try and warm it up.
The bizarre event was captured on camera by retired teacher Sheila Hassanein , 64, who was visiting the zoo.
She said: ''The monkey was trying to shield it from view, she was treating it as if it was her baby and she was trying to protect it.
''The enclosure is surrounded
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/7922247/Monkey-attempts-to-adopt-toad-in-zoo.html
Ohio wildlife center breeds rare horse-like onager
A conservation center in southeastern Ohio has managed to create the world's first wild Persian onagers born through artificial insemination.
The two rare Asiatic asses were born at the Wilds in Cumberland through artificial insemination. The births came after four years of work by scientists, veterinarians and others from the Wilds and the Smithsonian Conservation Biology
Institute.
The foals were born on June 28 and July 9.
Persian onagers are endangered, with fewer than 700 living in two
http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/08/02/persian-onagers-ohio-center-artificial-insemination.html?sid=101
Chinese News Reports Arrival of 12 Rhinos From South Africa
Yunnan Wild Animal Park in Kunming, China, reportedly received 12 young rhinos from Johannesburg, South Africa, during the last week of June.
The average age of these rhinos is just four years old.
The rhinos were said to have landed in Guangzhou on June 23th, after a stop over in Kuala Lumpur. Two days later, they arrived at the Yunnan Wild Animal Park in Kunming, according to the Spring City Mobile Newspaper.
Breeding pairs?
The selection of six male and six female white rhinos from three different locations in South Africa to “avoid inbreeding”, suggests that Yunnan Wild Animal Park is planning to breed them.
Additionally, it was reported that representatives from the Yunnan Wild Animal Park traveled to Johannesburg in March and June to “research rhino breeding technology”.
Although it is not confirmed that these rhinos will be “farmed” in order to “harvest” their horns for use in traditional Chinese medicines, this new
http://www.rhinoconservation.org/2010/08/03/chinese-news-reports-arrival-of-12-rhinos-from-south-africa/
From the Bosphorus: Straight - High time to ban dolphin parks
A few of us at the Hürriyet Daily News are old enough to remember a standard feature of Istanbul life decades ago: the dancing bears. The bears and “trainers” would wander main thoroughfares. For a few liras, the colorfully-dressed bear handler would begin the beat of a drum and the domesticated animal would lumber to his hind feat. Not usually without a few whacks from the handler’s stick, in tempo with the beating drum. Guidebooks would hail them, tourists would line up to see them and somehow the practice was treated as a cheerful part of local lore.
Not any more. Public consciousness has grown and matured in many ways in recent years. Lots of customs once benignly regarded no longer exist. Child labor that might have been winked at 30 or 40 years ago is actively banned. Street vendors selling food are now regulated. Even doctors’ waiting rooms and hospital wards not long ago were equipped with ashtrays. Not anymore. Society matures and progresses and attention to animal rights is part of this process.
We realize, of course, that animal rights, hygiene standards, regulations on child labor are not today on a par with, say, Sweden. But progress has been remarkable. And no one could today imagine an itinerant bear handler strolling with his chained charge along the Bosphorus. Public mores, not to mention the law, would not allow it.
And so it should be with “dolphinariums
.” Aquatic shows featuring dolphins with their toothy smiles have proliferated in Turkey in recent years, particularly along the southern coasts.
Also proliferating are protests of the practice. The latest to get involved, as we reported yesterday, is filmmaker Savaº Karataº. He has embarked on a series of consciousness raising stunts, including plans to swim the breadth of the Dardanelles Straight, and is urging a boycott of dolphinariums.
Around the world, aquatic parks and dolphin shows have been drawing attention to the fact that most of them are based on myths. In most cases, the dolphins are not “rescued” from being washed up on a beach some place but are commercially captured. Studies indicate at least one dolphin is killed for every one taken live.
That playing with dolphins is an effective therapy for disabled children is a common argument heard in defense of dolphinariums. This is sheer nonsense, without any scientific support.
And that life penned up is a form of torture for animals accustomed to swimming up to 40 kilometers a day, a type of sensory deprivation, is apparent. Even forcing the creatures
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=from-the-bosphorus-straight---high-time-to-ban-dolphin-parks-2010-08-02
International park becomes frontier in Southern Africa's rhino war
Rampant rhino poaching is casting a dark shadow over the pride of southern Africa's ambitious transfrontier-park program. Rhino killers are ruthlessly exploiting the open international boundary running through what is known as the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park to carry out their dirty work.
Poachers typically down a rhino in South Africa's flagship Kruger National Park and then hotfoot it back into Mozambique's adjacent Limpopo National Park. The horn, sawed or hacked from the quarry, eventually passes through conduits to syndicates back in South Africa and on to markets
http://blogs.nationalgeographic.com/blogs/news/chiefeditor/2010/08/international-park-a-frontier-in-rhino-war.html
New land is crucial for zoo to succeed
I WRITE in response to the article, "Zoo sets the fur flying as it unveils plans for big land swap", about Edinburgh Zoo
's proposed investment in Edinburgh (24 July).
The map (without a legend) that accompanies the article is inaccurate in that it fails to provide a clear indication of the exchange we are presenting to the council and the fact that the community will actually gain over a third in extra land area should the swap go ahead.
It is also worth noting that the additional land will allow for the creation of a much enhanced setting for the "Rest and Be Thankful" landmark, as well as providing additional pathways and viewpoints. This is all about improving Edinburgh Zoo and Corstorphine Hill together.
The zoo needs different, not more, land
http://news.scotsman.com/letters/New-land-is-crucial-for.6442861.jp
40 tons of harmful turtles to be re-exported to US
Forty tons or 24,000 red-eared sliders are being bred in Mai Dam hamlet in the southern province of Vinh Long by the company. Around 5200 turtles have died because of hunger and hot weather.
Vinh Long officials noted that they didn’t know the turtles could harm the environment, so they allowed Can Tho Seafood Import-Export JS Company to import them.
Provincial authorities and the turtle importer recently
http://english.vietnamnet.vn/Environment/201007/40-tons-of-harmful-turtles-to-be-reexported-to-US-923509/
Knut Relieved at Departure of Italian Girlfriend
Knut is back on his own in his Berlin Zoo
enclosure after Gianna, his high-maintenance Italian-born companion, was moved back to her home in Munich Zoo last week. He doesn't seem to be pining for her -- which isn't surprising because she has been stealing his carrots for the last 11 months.
Knut, the Berlin Zoo's A-list polar bear celebrity, is back on his own again after his vivacious Italian companion Gianna was moved out of their shared enclosure last week, ending a rocky friendship that never quite turned into a romance.
Gianna's stay was always intended to be temporary. The Italian-born bear, named after pop star Gianna Nannini, was brought to Berlin last September to allow workers to renovate her home at Munich Zoo, and to get Knut accustomed to the opposite sex.
The two bears got off to a difficult start -- Gianna introduced herself by whacking Knut on the snout and had a habit of stealing his food.
But Knut, who gained global fame in 2007 when he was hand-reared from birth after his mother rejected him, proved a gracious host. In the end, they were playing together and even rubbing snouts affectionately, although they didn't mate, probably because Knut, still less than four years old and not quite sexually mature
http://www.spiegel.de/international/zeitgeist/0,1518,709771,00.html
Gorilla celebrates 50th birthday
Gorillas tore into presents at a birthday party held for Britain's oldest gorilla who has just turned 50 years old.
The party was in honour of birthday girl Mouila, a Western lowland gorilla
who is thought to be one of the oldest in the world.
Nine-year-old Limbi hoarded the special presents given to the group, whilst birthday girl Mouila
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/wildlife/7921094/Gorilla-celebrates-50th-birthday.html
Inside America's Tiger-Breeding Farms
Bred for profit, the animals are often cruelly deformed by inbreeding.
Almost all of America’s 7,000 tigers are born and raised here. Reports from tiger farms suggest there are many unscrupulous breeders, and activists allege that the trade is cruel. What’s clear is that tigers are often kept in small pens, people die when safety is lax, and the cats are hideously inbred to produce valuable white cubs.
The trade is not illegal, though a recent law bans the sale or trade of big cats across state lines for the pet trade. But breeders exploit a patchwork of state-by-state rules, and loopholes, to continue to sell cubs. People who rescue unwanted or mistreated tigers estimate that the number of breeders might be in the hundreds. Several alleged traders contacted by NEWSWEEK refused to be interviewed, perhaps because in recent years many operations have been shut down by authorities.
One of the biggest, Savage Kingdom, in Florida, was closed by the Department of Agriculture in 2006. Several accidents had occurred there. In 2001 a handyman named Vincent Lowe went into a cage to repair a dangerously worn-down gate. Colleagues had to watch as a 318-pound male tiger, Tijik, “ripped out [his] throat,” according to the USDA report. They could not rescue him for fear of being attacked themselves.
The tiger was eventually shot by Savage Kingdom’s octogenarian owner, Robert Baudy, who had been in the tiger trade for many decades—he’d even been on The Ed Sullivan Show promoting his animals. “He was from an era before animal welfare,” says Jamie Veronica, who is with the charity Big Cat Rescue and went into the farm after it was closed to try to remove and resettle dozens of tigers (all were eventually moved safely). “When he started out, people just saw animals as a commodity, a way to make money.” The USDA report blamed Baudy for safety failures that led to Lowe’s death. He could not be reached for comment at a number listed for him.
Baudy specialized in white tigers, which sell for up to $20,000 per cub. But white tigers are rare genetic mutations, not a different species. According to the San Diego Zoo, every American white tiger is descended from a single father. New cubs must be inbred further. For every healthy, valuable cub, it is thought that many are born with ailments like shortened
http://www.newsweek.com/2010/07/27/inside-america-s-tiger-breeding-farms.html
The Trouble With Tigers
There are twice as many tigers in captivity in the U.S. as are left in the wild. They make deadly pets. So why do Americans love them so much?
There are only 3,000 tigers left in the wild. There are at least 7,000 in the United States. A few hundred of America's tigers are in established zoos, but the rest live in suburban homes and urban apartments. They decorate Las Vegas casinos, prowl the estates of celebrities—glimpsed on MTV's "Cribs"—and perform in circuses, magic shows and animal parks. Some are even employed as guards or punishers. Police in Atlanta recently found a tiger (along with a lion and a bear) when they arrested a local drug dealer. Another was found patrolling a crystal meth lab in San Antonio.
They make bad pets. Americans die or are severely injured in tiger attacks almost every year. The biggest subspecies, the Siberian, can be almost four feet tall at the shoulders, nine feet long, weigh more than 650 pounds, and live longer than 20 years. In the wild they kill prey, including bears and leopards, by stalking through dense jungles. They target the head and neck, with jaws designed to macerate living bone. But, says Beth Preiss, who tracks the cats and other animals for the Humane Society of the United States, they are appealing precisely because they are so dangerous. "We want," she says, "what we can't have."
The American tiger has had some stellar endorsements too. Martin Van Buren, the eighth president (1837 to 1841), was given two cubs by the Sultan of Oman. In December 1960, the first white tiger in the U.S.—a tigress with ice-blue eyes named Mohini of Rewa—was presented to President Eisenhower on the White House lawn, a gift of Metropolitan Broadcasting Corporation.
The market for pet tigers swelled between the 1980s and early 2000s, say those who work with big cats. Many cite the influence of the movie "Scarface," in which Al Pacino's drug baron Tony Montana keeps tigers, and of Michael Jackson who posed with a 6-week-old cub on the cover of his "Thriller" album. Jackson also kept two of the animals, Thriller and Sabu, on his Neverland
http://www.newsweek.com/2010/07/27/the-american-tiger.html
Is the Houston zoo's exhibit racist?
The Houston Zoo
has announced a project “The African Forest” which will open December 2010. Zoo exhibits that teach about non-Whites, replicating their villages among animal habitats, are called “human zoos,” and The African Forest is one of them. Despite their claim of making foreign cultures accessible, human zoos have been widely condemned as racist for a century. (Whites are never showcased in zoos.)
According to the zoo’s website, The African Forest includes an “African Marketplace Plaza,” a “Pygmy Village and Campground,” “Pygmy Huts,” a “Storytelling Fire Pit,” a “Communications Hut and Conservation Kiosk,” and a “Rustic Outdoor Shower.” (Notice there is little of “modern” Africa to be found.) The exhibit is
http://www.aframnews.com/websitepublisher/articles/is-the-houston-zoos-exhibit-racist.html
Manipulating wildlife conservation for special interests
Taxation without representation is magnificently exemplified within our wildlife management system. Like most, I once believed in the suggestive concept of “wildlife conservation” and “preservation”. Make no mistake – an ample supply of game for the next hunting season is the only thing being conserved and preserved. These terms are officially oxymoron’s.
On July 23, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, and Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, announced the appointment of 18 people to the Wildlife and Hunting Heritage Conservation Council to give advice about recreational activities associated with wildlife and habitat conservation.
Whatever diversity had been described in soliciting nominations must have been forgotten. Instead, like the majority of our state wildlife agencies governing Boards, all 18 of Salazar’s and Vilsack’s appointees to this Council have very strong ties to hunting, wildlife and shooting sports. Once again, non-sporting wildlife stakeholders have absolutely no representation!
This “Heritage” Council (yet
http://www.examiner.com/x-41663-Urban-Wildlife-Examiner~y2010m7d31-Manipulating-wildlife-conservation
Wipe for Wildlife CSA from Zoos Victoria on Vimeo.
Central Zoo Authority to get more teeth: Govt
The Government plans to restructure Central Zoo Authority to give it more teeth, Minister for Environment and Forest Jairam Ramesh told Rajya Sabha today.
He said during Question Hour that the Central Zoo Authority in its present form is "hardly an authority" and the proposal is to make it more effective.
There is a proposal to set up five regional offices of the Authority. The proposal will go to the Cabinet soon, he said.
The Central Zoo Authority oversees and enforces minimum standards the norms for upkeep and healthcare of animals in Indian zoos through Recognition of Zoo Rules, and provides them technical and other assistance for improvement and restrains mushrooming of unplanned and ill?conceived zoos.
He also said that Master Plans for all the 198 zoos in the country are being prepared. With this, ?I hope to see some improvement in the way zoos are maintained in the country," he said.
Of the 198 zoos in the country, only one is run by the Central government and the rest are by state government, NGOs, private individuals etc.
On setting up of new zoos, he said new proposals
http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/article547804.ece
Never a dull moment for zoo residents
San Diego Zoo’s program keeps its animals engaged
The cardboard pony didn’t last long in the lion’s den at the San Diego Zoo. One reason for that: Raw meat was inside of it, and lions really like raw meat.
A female lion swiped a big paw at the make-believe prey and then lunged her 300-pound body at it. It wasn’t just a treat for her; the cardboard pony helped improve the lion’s life in captivity.
The process of enrichment — mental and physical activity — is as vital as food, water and shelter, said zoo experts nationwide.
“The whole point is to bring out the natural behavior of the animals,” said Yvette Kemp, a senior mammal keeper at the San Diego Zoo in Balboa Park and a member of the facility’s Enrichment Committee.
That small group of employees — and a similar one at the Wild Animal Park near Escondido — is constantly brainstorming for new ideas to help wild animals stay active and vibrant. It also helps zookeepers incorporate the concepts into their daily work routines.
Granted, taking down a cardboard pony in front of a throng of camera-toting tourists isn’t the same as chasing down a zebra on the African grasslands, but it still helps alleviate boredom and keeps the animals on their toes, so to speak.
Enrichment is an evolving field of study.
In the early 1900s, just keeping wild animals alive was a significant goal for zoos, said Beth Bicknese, a senior veterinarian and another member of the Enrichment Committee. The next milestone was the successful breeding of various species in captivity. Today, zoos are trying to make the animals’ lives as fulfilling as possible, Bicknese said.
Don Moore, associate director of animal care at the Smithsonian National Zoological Park in Washington, D.C., has worked on enrichment for 35 years. He remembers when zoos — even major ones — sported isolated cages with bars and offered little, if anything, for animal stimulation.
Some zoos came into being after traveling circuses failed, Moore said. Towns and cities created the facilities to house animals that were left behind. There was little scientific expertise in the field.
The enrichment measures were simple at first, Moore said. Lions were given scratching posts. Walls were knocked down so some animals could socialize, which is one of the most powerful forms of enrichment.
Since then, Moore said zookeepers’ efforts have grown considerably in scope and depth. Habitats are more spacious, the scenery is more realistic and studies are conducted on how to stimulate an animal’s natural behavior.
Now zoos must have enrichment programs to receive accreditation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Federal law also mandates
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/jul/30/theres-never-a-dull-moment/
Tortoises illegally on sale in Indonesia
Ploughshares, the world’s rarest tortoise species have been observed openly for sale at an exposition in the centre of Jakarta, Indonesia’s capital.
Ploughshare Tortoises Astrochelys yniphora and other threatened reptile species were seen illegally on sale by TRAFFIC staff last week at the expo which ran from 2 July to 2 August.
In addition to Ploughshares, Radiated Tortoises Astrochelys radiata, Indian Star Tortoises Geochelone elegans and Pig-nose Turtles Carettochelys insculpta were also being offered for sale—none of which may be legally sold in Indonesia.
International trade in all these reptiles is also regulated under the Convention on International Trade on Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Ploughshare Tortoises and Radiated Tortoises are listed in Appendix I of the Convention, which means no international commercial trade is permitted.
“Indonesia has sufficient legislative tools at their disposal to combat the illegal trade in tortoises and freshwater turtles, but recent surveys and this expo demonstrate that the trade in endangered species continues,” said Chris Shepherd, Senior Programme Officer with TRAFFIC
http://www.traffic.org/home/2010/8/2/tortoises-illegally-on-sale-in-indonesia.html
Wildlife park joins in global conservation
AL AIN Wildlife Park and Resort (AWPR), a multi-faceted ongoing phased development spread over 900 hectares, boasts one of the world’s most unique collections of arid-land species and work is underway in collaboration with Oxford University, the Smithsonian Institution, San Diego Zoo and other global conservation leaders on species reintroduction projects.
AWPR CEO DR FREDERIC LAUNAY speaks to SHALU CHANDRAN about his plans for AWPR and developing a destination of choice for nature lovers the world over.
Since your launch as AWPR, how much global awareness does the park have?
Whereas the global reach of AWPR’s conservation efforts is broad and well-known, marketing the resort as a destination of global importance has only just begun. This spring AWPR participated in ITB Berlin, Arabian Travel Market (Dubai), and GIBTM (Abu Dhabi). In the fall exhibitions will include World Travel Market in London and the World Green Tourism Abu Dhabi event. AWPR partners with the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority to travel regionally and globally with current trips to Australia and a recent tour through Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar and Bahrain.
What kind of attendance do you see now? What percentage of visitors are residents compared to tourists?
In 2009 we welcomed 760,000 guests. In 2010 we are on target to receive nearly 1 million. As the park rolls out new offerings we expect to increase attendance to 2.5 million.
Currently, the majority of our visitors are residents of the UAE and Oman. Al Ain, Dubai and Abu Dhabi residents constitute 75 per cent. Oman and the distant emirates of the UAE contribute another 15 per cent. The remaining 10 per cent are international tourists from the GCC region, Europe, Russia and Asia.
The focus will be on the international tourist to meet the attendance goals of the future.
When is Phase 1 due for completion and what can we expect to see?
Phase 1 is expected to welcome guests at the end of 2011. It includes the Sheikh Zayed Desert Learning Centre – a 10,000-sq-m natural history museum dedicated to geology, ecology, anthropology and the concepts of conservation and sustainability – the North Kenya Safari – the first of five desert safari experiences, featuring the arid land ecosystem of North Kenya with abundant wildlife including herds of ostrich, eland, giraffe, impala, zebra, a pride of lions, hippo and water birds.
The World Deserts Zoo symbolises the new wildlife park. It is filled
http://www.ttnworldwide.com/articles.aspx?ID=1436&artID=10162
What is it with Putin and tigers?
Does Vladimir Putin have a cuddly side? It’s not been evident so far, but in September he will host a summit of world leaders aimed at saving the tiger. And on Thursday (World Tiger Day, as it happens, though it passed me by) he took steps to protect the forests of Korean Pine in the far east of his country, home to the rare Amur tiger.
Once there were 100,000 tigers in the wild. Now, says WWF (formerly the World Wildlife Fund) there are more in America’s zoos than in all the forests of the globe. Three species – the Bali, Caspian and Javan tigers – are already extinct, with others struggling to survive. The summit, held in Vladivostok to mark the Chinese year of the Tiger, aims to double
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/geoffreylean/100049299/what-is-it-with-putin-and-tigers/
Woman attacked by wolf at wildlife park
A 21-year-old woman was bitten by a wolf on Friday during a private guided tour at Kolmården wildlife park.
The one-year-old wolf sank its teeth into the woman’s cardigan before dragging her to the ground and biting her in the arm.
“I was terrified,” the woman told newspaper Aftonbladet.
The woman was treated by the park’s veterinarian after fleeing the wolf enclosure with the rest of the group. She was later taken to hospital.
According to the Norrköping park, the young wolf’s behaviour was a means of seeking contact and was not intended as
http://www.thelocal.se/28122/20100801/
Zoo visitors stay indoors as curious gibbons go walkabout
THERE WAS something of a role reversal at Dublin Zoo yesterday when some 200 visitors found themselves locked into the venue’s main restaurant after a pair of gibbons escaped from their enclosure and went on a short walkabout.
The siamang gibbons, Sasak and her baby son Gizmo, temporarily left their island habitat on the zoo’s main lake at about 10am yesterday.
Carrying her three-year-old infant, Sasak is thought to have swung from the island on to a low-hanging branch on the shore, in an apparent bid to sample life on the mainland.
While the primates posed little threat to their human cousins, zoo authorities took the precaution of locking down the complex while the gibbons remained at large.
Dozens of bewildered visitors were ushered into nearby buildings or directed to stay in the zoo’s main Meerkat restaurant while keepers attempted to cajole the runaways back home.
A Dublin Zoo spokesman said: “At no time were the gibbons out of sight of zookeepers and the pair never left the perimeter of the zoo. The gibbons were never
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2010/0803/1224276087876.html
From Shining Forest
Byculla Zoo eyes green status for building
Even as the Byculla
zoo makeover project awaits the final nod from the Mumbai Heritage Conservation Committee (MHCC), the zoo administration is working to get a green building status for the two-storey interpretation centre. The move is expected to raise the cost of the Rs 434-crore redevelopment project by 10 per cent, zoo officials said. The zoo administration was recently granted permission by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to register with Hyderabad-based Indian Green Building Council, a CII-led council involved in promoting green buildings in India, and enter their prestigious Leadership in Energy and Environmental
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Byculla-Zoo-eyes-green-status-for-building/655634/
David Field: Zoos are a vital part of gorilla conservation
Without a doubt, seeing a gorilla will rank as one of the most breathtaking moments in anyone's life. Even with the privilege of working at ZSL London Zoo
and seeing them every day, they continue to take my breath away.We believe that gorillas in zoos have the potential to make an animal lover and conservationist out of every zoo visitor – and with primates now more threatened in the wild than ever before, promoting conservation couldn't be more
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/david-field-zoos-are-a-vital-part-of-gorilla-conservation-2042581.html
Irish gorilla Kesho drafted in as 'surrogate' husband and father at London Zoo
He's tall, dark and hairy and zookeepers are hoping he will be a surrogate husband and father to a group of gorillas at London Zoo.
Kesho, is being moved from Dublin Zoo
to join females, Zaire, Effie and Mjukuu at Regents Park in order to bring solace to the three women, left bereft when their previous mate died in April. The sudden demise of Yeboah, a 20-stone silverback, was doubly sad because he had just conceived a baby with Mjukuu, the youngest gorilla, before his
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/wildlife/7924731/Irish-gorilla-Kesho-drafted-in-as-surrogate-husband-and-father-at-London-Zoo.html
Monkey attempts to 'adopt' toad in zoo
Visitors to Paignton Zoo
in Devon were astonished to witness a monkey apparently trying to adopt a toad. Swoozie, a female swamp monkey, saved the amphibian from a pond at the edge of her enclosure.
She then spent a whole day with the common toad before it was able to wriggle free
Crowds gathered as the seven-year-old monkey cuddled the toad and even rubbed the cold-blooded creature to try and warm it up.
The bizarre event was captured on camera by retired teacher Sheila Hassanein , 64, who was visiting the zoo.
She said: ''The monkey was trying to shield it from view, she was treating it as if it was her baby and she was trying to protect it.
''The enclosure is surrounded
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/7922247/Monkey-attempts-to-adopt-toad-in-zoo.html
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Ohio wildlife center breeds rare horse-like onager
A conservation center in southeastern Ohio has managed to create the world's first wild Persian onagers born through artificial insemination.
The two rare Asiatic asses were born at the Wilds in Cumberland through artificial insemination. The births came after four years of work by scientists, veterinarians and others from the Wilds and the Smithsonian Conservation Biology
Institute.The foals were born on June 28 and July 9.
Persian onagers are endangered, with fewer than 700 living in two
http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/08/02/persian-onagers-ohio-center-artificial-insemination.html?sid=101
Chinese News Reports Arrival of 12 Rhinos From South Africa
Yunnan Wild Animal Park in Kunming, China, reportedly received 12 young rhinos from Johannesburg, South Africa, during the last week of June.
The average age of these rhinos is just four years old.
The rhinos were said to have landed in Guangzhou on June 23th, after a stop over in Kuala Lumpur. Two days later, they arrived at the Yunnan Wild Animal Park in Kunming, according to the Spring City Mobile Newspaper.
Breeding pairs?
The selection of six male and six female white rhinos from three different locations in South Africa to “avoid inbreeding”, suggests that Yunnan Wild Animal Park is planning to breed them.
Additionally, it was reported that representatives from the Yunnan Wild Animal Park traveled to Johannesburg in March and June to “research rhino breeding technology”.
Although it is not confirmed that these rhinos will be “farmed” in order to “harvest” their horns for use in traditional Chinese medicines, this new
http://www.rhinoconservation.org/2010/08/03/chinese-news-reports-arrival-of-12-rhinos-from-south-africa/
From the Bosphorus: Straight - High time to ban dolphin parks
A few of us at the Hürriyet Daily News are old enough to remember a standard feature of Istanbul life decades ago: the dancing bears. The bears and “trainers” would wander main thoroughfares. For a few liras, the colorfully-dressed bear handler would begin the beat of a drum and the domesticated animal would lumber to his hind feat. Not usually without a few whacks from the handler’s stick, in tempo with the beating drum. Guidebooks would hail them, tourists would line up to see them and somehow the practice was treated as a cheerful part of local lore.
Not any more. Public consciousness has grown and matured in many ways in recent years. Lots of customs once benignly regarded no longer exist. Child labor that might have been winked at 30 or 40 years ago is actively banned. Street vendors selling food are now regulated. Even doctors’ waiting rooms and hospital wards not long ago were equipped with ashtrays. Not anymore. Society matures and progresses and attention to animal rights is part of this process.
We realize, of course, that animal rights, hygiene standards, regulations on child labor are not today on a par with, say, Sweden. But progress has been remarkable. And no one could today imagine an itinerant bear handler strolling with his chained charge along the Bosphorus. Public mores, not to mention the law, would not allow it.
And so it should be with “dolphinariums
.” Aquatic shows featuring dolphins with their toothy smiles have proliferated in Turkey in recent years, particularly along the southern coasts.Also proliferating are protests of the practice. The latest to get involved, as we reported yesterday, is filmmaker Savaº Karataº. He has embarked on a series of consciousness raising stunts, including plans to swim the breadth of the Dardanelles Straight, and is urging a boycott of dolphinariums.
Around the world, aquatic parks and dolphin shows have been drawing attention to the fact that most of them are based on myths. In most cases, the dolphins are not “rescued” from being washed up on a beach some place but are commercially captured. Studies indicate at least one dolphin is killed for every one taken live.
That playing with dolphins is an effective therapy for disabled children is a common argument heard in defense of dolphinariums. This is sheer nonsense, without any scientific support.
And that life penned up is a form of torture for animals accustomed to swimming up to 40 kilometers a day, a type of sensory deprivation, is apparent. Even forcing the creatures
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=from-the-bosphorus-straight---high-time-to-ban-dolphin-parks-2010-08-02
International park becomes frontier in Southern Africa's rhino war
Rampant rhino poaching is casting a dark shadow over the pride of southern Africa's ambitious transfrontier-park program. Rhino killers are ruthlessly exploiting the open international boundary running through what is known as the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park to carry out their dirty work.
Poachers typically down a rhino in South Africa's flagship Kruger National Park and then hotfoot it back into Mozambique's adjacent Limpopo National Park. The horn, sawed or hacked from the quarry, eventually passes through conduits to syndicates back in South Africa and on to markets
http://blogs.nationalgeographic.com/blogs/news/chiefeditor/2010/08/international-park-a-frontier-in-rhino-war.html
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New land is crucial for zoo to succeed
I WRITE in response to the article, "Zoo sets the fur flying as it unveils plans for big land swap", about Edinburgh Zoo
's proposed investment in Edinburgh (24 July).The map (without a legend) that accompanies the article is inaccurate in that it fails to provide a clear indication of the exchange we are presenting to the council and the fact that the community will actually gain over a third in extra land area should the swap go ahead.
It is also worth noting that the additional land will allow for the creation of a much enhanced setting for the "Rest and Be Thankful" landmark, as well as providing additional pathways and viewpoints. This is all about improving Edinburgh Zoo and Corstorphine Hill together.
The zoo needs different, not more, land
http://news.scotsman.com/letters/New-land-is-crucial-for.6442861.jp
40 tons of harmful turtles to be re-exported to US
Forty tons or 24,000 red-eared sliders are being bred in Mai Dam hamlet in the southern province of Vinh Long by the company. Around 5200 turtles have died because of hunger and hot weather.
Vinh Long officials noted that they didn’t know the turtles could harm the environment, so they allowed Can Tho Seafood Import-Export JS Company to import them.
Provincial authorities and the turtle importer recently
http://english.vietnamnet.vn/Environment/201007/40-tons-of-harmful-turtles-to-be-reexported-to-US-923509/
Knut Relieved at Departure of Italian Girlfriend
Knut is back on his own in his Berlin Zoo
enclosure after Gianna, his high-maintenance Italian-born companion, was moved back to her home in Munich Zoo last week. He doesn't seem to be pining for her -- which isn't surprising because she has been stealing his carrots for the last 11 months.Knut, the Berlin Zoo's A-list polar bear celebrity, is back on his own again after his vivacious Italian companion Gianna was moved out of their shared enclosure last week, ending a rocky friendship that never quite turned into a romance.
Gianna's stay was always intended to be temporary. The Italian-born bear, named after pop star Gianna Nannini, was brought to Berlin last September to allow workers to renovate her home at Munich Zoo, and to get Knut accustomed to the opposite sex.
The two bears got off to a difficult start -- Gianna introduced herself by whacking Knut on the snout and had a habit of stealing his food.
But Knut, who gained global fame in 2007 when he was hand-reared from birth after his mother rejected him, proved a gracious host. In the end, they were playing together and even rubbing snouts affectionately, although they didn't mate, probably because Knut, still less than four years old and not quite sexually mature
http://www.spiegel.de/international/zeitgeist/0,1518,709771,00.html
Gorilla celebrates 50th birthday
Gorillas tore into presents at a birthday party held for Britain's oldest gorilla who has just turned 50 years old.
The party was in honour of birthday girl Mouila, a Western lowland gorilla
who is thought to be one of the oldest in the world. Nine-year-old Limbi hoarded the special presents given to the group, whilst birthday girl Mouila
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/wildlife/7921094/Gorilla-celebrates-50th-birthday.html
Inside America's Tiger-Breeding Farms
Bred for profit, the animals are often cruelly deformed by inbreeding.
Almost all of America’s 7,000 tigers are born and raised here. Reports from tiger farms suggest there are many unscrupulous breeders, and activists allege that the trade is cruel. What’s clear is that tigers are often kept in small pens, people die when safety is lax, and the cats are hideously inbred to produce valuable white cubs.
The trade is not illegal, though a recent law bans the sale or trade of big cats across state lines for the pet trade. But breeders exploit a patchwork of state-by-state rules, and loopholes, to continue to sell cubs. People who rescue unwanted or mistreated tigers estimate that the number of breeders might be in the hundreds. Several alleged traders contacted by NEWSWEEK refused to be interviewed, perhaps because in recent years many operations have been shut down by authorities.
One of the biggest, Savage Kingdom, in Florida, was closed by the Department of Agriculture in 2006. Several accidents had occurred there. In 2001 a handyman named Vincent Lowe went into a cage to repair a dangerously worn-down gate. Colleagues had to watch as a 318-pound male tiger, Tijik, “ripped out [his] throat,” according to the USDA report. They could not rescue him for fear of being attacked themselves.
The tiger was eventually shot by Savage Kingdom’s octogenarian owner, Robert Baudy, who had been in the tiger trade for many decades—he’d even been on The Ed Sullivan Show promoting his animals. “He was from an era before animal welfare,” says Jamie Veronica, who is with the charity Big Cat Rescue and went into the farm after it was closed to try to remove and resettle dozens of tigers (all were eventually moved safely). “When he started out, people just saw animals as a commodity, a way to make money.” The USDA report blamed Baudy for safety failures that led to Lowe’s death. He could not be reached for comment at a number listed for him.
Baudy specialized in white tigers, which sell for up to $20,000 per cub. But white tigers are rare genetic mutations, not a different species. According to the San Diego Zoo, every American white tiger is descended from a single father. New cubs must be inbred further. For every healthy, valuable cub, it is thought that many are born with ailments like shortened
http://www.newsweek.com/2010/07/27/inside-america-s-tiger-breeding-farms.html
The Trouble With Tigers
There are twice as many tigers in captivity in the U.S. as are left in the wild. They make deadly pets. So why do Americans love them so much?
There are only 3,000 tigers left in the wild. There are at least 7,000 in the United States. A few hundred of America's tigers are in established zoos, but the rest live in suburban homes and urban apartments. They decorate Las Vegas casinos, prowl the estates of celebrities—glimpsed on MTV's "Cribs"—and perform in circuses, magic shows and animal parks. Some are even employed as guards or punishers. Police in Atlanta recently found a tiger (along with a lion and a bear) when they arrested a local drug dealer. Another was found patrolling a crystal meth lab in San Antonio.
They make bad pets. Americans die or are severely injured in tiger attacks almost every year. The biggest subspecies, the Siberian, can be almost four feet tall at the shoulders, nine feet long, weigh more than 650 pounds, and live longer than 20 years. In the wild they kill prey, including bears and leopards, by stalking through dense jungles. They target the head and neck, with jaws designed to macerate living bone. But, says Beth Preiss, who tracks the cats and other animals for the Humane Society of the United States, they are appealing precisely because they are so dangerous. "We want," she says, "what we can't have."
The American tiger has had some stellar endorsements too. Martin Van Buren, the eighth president (1837 to 1841), was given two cubs by the Sultan of Oman. In December 1960, the first white tiger in the U.S.—a tigress with ice-blue eyes named Mohini of Rewa—was presented to President Eisenhower on the White House lawn, a gift of Metropolitan Broadcasting Corporation.
The market for pet tigers swelled between the 1980s and early 2000s, say those who work with big cats. Many cite the influence of the movie "Scarface," in which Al Pacino's drug baron Tony Montana keeps tigers, and of Michael Jackson who posed with a 6-week-old cub on the cover of his "Thriller" album. Jackson also kept two of the animals, Thriller and Sabu, on his Neverland
http://www.newsweek.com/2010/07/27/the-american-tiger.html
Is the Houston zoo's exhibit racist?
The Houston Zoo
has announced a project “The African Forest” which will open December 2010. Zoo exhibits that teach about non-Whites, replicating their villages among animal habitats, are called “human zoos,” and The African Forest is one of them. Despite their claim of making foreign cultures accessible, human zoos have been widely condemned as racist for a century. (Whites are never showcased in zoos.)According to the zoo’s website, The African Forest includes an “African Marketplace Plaza,” a “Pygmy Village and Campground,” “Pygmy Huts,” a “Storytelling Fire Pit,” a “Communications Hut and Conservation Kiosk,” and a “Rustic Outdoor Shower.” (Notice there is little of “modern” Africa to be found.) The exhibit is
http://www.aframnews.com/websitepublisher/articles/is-the-houston-zoos-exhibit-racist.html
Manipulating wildlife conservation for special interests
Taxation without representation is magnificently exemplified within our wildlife management system. Like most, I once believed in the suggestive concept of “wildlife conservation” and “preservation”. Make no mistake – an ample supply of game for the next hunting season is the only thing being conserved and preserved. These terms are officially oxymoron’s.
On July 23, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, and Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, announced the appointment of 18 people to the Wildlife and Hunting Heritage Conservation Council to give advice about recreational activities associated with wildlife and habitat conservation.
Whatever diversity had been described in soliciting nominations must have been forgotten. Instead, like the majority of our state wildlife agencies governing Boards, all 18 of Salazar’s and Vilsack’s appointees to this Council have very strong ties to hunting, wildlife and shooting sports. Once again, non-sporting wildlife stakeholders have absolutely no representation!
This “Heritage” Council (yet
http://www.examiner.com/x-41663-Urban-Wildlife-Examiner~y2010m7d31-Manipulating-wildlife-conservation
Wipe for Wildlife CSA from Zoos Victoria on Vimeo.
Central Zoo Authority to get more teeth: Govt
The Government plans to restructure Central Zoo Authority to give it more teeth, Minister for Environment and Forest Jairam Ramesh told Rajya Sabha today.
He said during Question Hour that the Central Zoo Authority in its present form is "hardly an authority" and the proposal is to make it more effective.
There is a proposal to set up five regional offices of the Authority. The proposal will go to the Cabinet soon, he said.
The Central Zoo Authority oversees and enforces minimum standards the norms for upkeep and healthcare of animals in Indian zoos through Recognition of Zoo Rules, and provides them technical and other assistance for improvement and restrains mushrooming of unplanned and ill?conceived zoos.
He also said that Master Plans for all the 198 zoos in the country are being prepared. With this, ?I hope to see some improvement in the way zoos are maintained in the country," he said.
Of the 198 zoos in the country, only one is run by the Central government and the rest are by state government, NGOs, private individuals etc.
On setting up of new zoos, he said new proposals
http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/article547804.ece
Never a dull moment for zoo residents
San Diego Zoo’s program keeps its animals engaged
The cardboard pony didn’t last long in the lion’s den at the San Diego Zoo. One reason for that: Raw meat was inside of it, and lions really like raw meat.
A female lion swiped a big paw at the make-believe prey and then lunged her 300-pound body at it. It wasn’t just a treat for her; the cardboard pony helped improve the lion’s life in captivity.
The process of enrichment — mental and physical activity — is as vital as food, water and shelter, said zoo experts nationwide.
“The whole point is to bring out the natural behavior of the animals,” said Yvette Kemp, a senior mammal keeper at the San Diego Zoo in Balboa Park and a member of the facility’s Enrichment Committee.
That small group of employees — and a similar one at the Wild Animal Park near Escondido — is constantly brainstorming for new ideas to help wild animals stay active and vibrant. It also helps zookeepers incorporate the concepts into their daily work routines.
Granted, taking down a cardboard pony in front of a throng of camera-toting tourists isn’t the same as chasing down a zebra on the African grasslands, but it still helps alleviate boredom and keeps the animals on their toes, so to speak.
Enrichment is an evolving field of study.
In the early 1900s, just keeping wild animals alive was a significant goal for zoos, said Beth Bicknese, a senior veterinarian and another member of the Enrichment Committee. The next milestone was the successful breeding of various species in captivity. Today, zoos are trying to make the animals’ lives as fulfilling as possible, Bicknese said.
Don Moore, associate director of animal care at the Smithsonian National Zoological Park in Washington, D.C., has worked on enrichment for 35 years. He remembers when zoos — even major ones — sported isolated cages with bars and offered little, if anything, for animal stimulation.
Some zoos came into being after traveling circuses failed, Moore said. Towns and cities created the facilities to house animals that were left behind. There was little scientific expertise in the field.
The enrichment measures were simple at first, Moore said. Lions were given scratching posts. Walls were knocked down so some animals could socialize, which is one of the most powerful forms of enrichment.
Since then, Moore said zookeepers’ efforts have grown considerably in scope and depth. Habitats are more spacious, the scenery is more realistic and studies are conducted on how to stimulate an animal’s natural behavior.
Now zoos must have enrichment programs to receive accreditation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Federal law also mandates
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/jul/30/theres-never-a-dull-moment/
Tortoises illegally on sale in Indonesia
Ploughshares, the world’s rarest tortoise species have been observed openly for sale at an exposition in the centre of Jakarta, Indonesia’s capital.
Ploughshare Tortoises Astrochelys yniphora and other threatened reptile species were seen illegally on sale by TRAFFIC staff last week at the expo which ran from 2 July to 2 August.
In addition to Ploughshares, Radiated Tortoises Astrochelys radiata, Indian Star Tortoises Geochelone elegans and Pig-nose Turtles Carettochelys insculpta were also being offered for sale—none of which may be legally sold in Indonesia.
International trade in all these reptiles is also regulated under the Convention on International Trade on Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Ploughshare Tortoises and Radiated Tortoises are listed in Appendix I of the Convention, which means no international commercial trade is permitted.
“Indonesia has sufficient legislative tools at their disposal to combat the illegal trade in tortoises and freshwater turtles, but recent surveys and this expo demonstrate that the trade in endangered species continues,” said Chris Shepherd, Senior Programme Officer with TRAFFIC
http://www.traffic.org/home/2010/8/2/tortoises-illegally-on-sale-in-indonesia.html
Wildlife park joins in global conservation
AL AIN Wildlife Park and Resort (AWPR), a multi-faceted ongoing phased development spread over 900 hectares, boasts one of the world’s most unique collections of arid-land species and work is underway in collaboration with Oxford University, the Smithsonian Institution, San Diego Zoo and other global conservation leaders on species reintroduction projects.
AWPR CEO DR FREDERIC LAUNAY speaks to SHALU CHANDRAN about his plans for AWPR and developing a destination of choice for nature lovers the world over.
Since your launch as AWPR, how much global awareness does the park have?
Whereas the global reach of AWPR’s conservation efforts is broad and well-known, marketing the resort as a destination of global importance has only just begun. This spring AWPR participated in ITB Berlin, Arabian Travel Market (Dubai), and GIBTM (Abu Dhabi). In the fall exhibitions will include World Travel Market in London and the World Green Tourism Abu Dhabi event. AWPR partners with the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority to travel regionally and globally with current trips to Australia and a recent tour through Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar and Bahrain.
What kind of attendance do you see now? What percentage of visitors are residents compared to tourists?
In 2009 we welcomed 760,000 guests. In 2010 we are on target to receive nearly 1 million. As the park rolls out new offerings we expect to increase attendance to 2.5 million.
Currently, the majority of our visitors are residents of the UAE and Oman. Al Ain, Dubai and Abu Dhabi residents constitute 75 per cent. Oman and the distant emirates of the UAE contribute another 15 per cent. The remaining 10 per cent are international tourists from the GCC region, Europe, Russia and Asia.
The focus will be on the international tourist to meet the attendance goals of the future.
When is Phase 1 due for completion and what can we expect to see?
Phase 1 is expected to welcome guests at the end of 2011. It includes the Sheikh Zayed Desert Learning Centre – a 10,000-sq-m natural history museum dedicated to geology, ecology, anthropology and the concepts of conservation and sustainability – the North Kenya Safari – the first of five desert safari experiences, featuring the arid land ecosystem of North Kenya with abundant wildlife including herds of ostrich, eland, giraffe, impala, zebra, a pride of lions, hippo and water birds.
The World Deserts Zoo symbolises the new wildlife park. It is filled
http://www.ttnworldwide.com/articles.aspx?ID=1436&artID=10162
What is it with Putin and tigers?
Does Vladimir Putin have a cuddly side? It’s not been evident so far, but in September he will host a summit of world leaders aimed at saving the tiger. And on Thursday (World Tiger Day, as it happens, though it passed me by) he took steps to protect the forests of Korean Pine in the far east of his country, home to the rare Amur tiger.
Once there were 100,000 tigers in the wild. Now, says WWF (formerly the World Wildlife Fund) there are more in America’s zoos than in all the forests of the globe. Three species – the Bali, Caspian and Javan tigers – are already extinct, with others struggling to survive. The summit, held in Vladivostok to mark the Chinese year of the Tiger, aims to double
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/geoffreylean/100049299/what-is-it-with-putin-and-tigers/
Woman attacked by wolf at wildlife park
A 21-year-old woman was bitten by a wolf on Friday during a private guided tour at Kolmården wildlife park.
The one-year-old wolf sank its teeth into the woman’s cardigan before dragging her to the ground and biting her in the arm.
“I was terrified,” the woman told newspaper Aftonbladet.
The woman was treated by the park’s veterinarian after fleeing the wolf enclosure with the rest of the group. She was later taken to hospital.
According to the Norrköping park, the young wolf’s behaviour was a means of seeking contact and was not intended as
http://www.thelocal.se/28122/20100801/
Zoo visitors stay indoors as curious gibbons go walkabout
THERE WAS something of a role reversal at Dublin Zoo yesterday when some 200 visitors found themselves locked into the venue’s main restaurant after a pair of gibbons escaped from their enclosure and went on a short walkabout.
The siamang gibbons, Sasak and her baby son Gizmo, temporarily left their island habitat on the zoo’s main lake at about 10am yesterday.
Carrying her three-year-old infant, Sasak is thought to have swung from the island on to a low-hanging branch on the shore, in an apparent bid to sample life on the mainland.
While the primates posed little threat to their human cousins, zoo authorities took the precaution of locking down the complex while the gibbons remained at large.
Dozens of bewildered visitors were ushered into nearby buildings or directed to stay in the zoo’s main Meerkat restaurant while keepers attempted to cajole the runaways back home.
A Dublin Zoo spokesman said: “At no time were the gibbons out of sight of zookeepers and the pair never left the perimeter of the zoo. The gibbons were never
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2010/0803/1224276087876.html
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50% of Yerevan Zoo enclosures do not comply with international standards
Director of Yerevan Zoo Sahak Abovyan said that 50% of Yerevan Zoo enclosures do not comply with international standards. “However, any zoo has its small and big problems. Yerevan Mayor’s Office assists us in solving big problems, and we try to solve the small ones ourselves,” Abovyan told a press conference on August 5.According to him, even under conditions of the crisis, Yerevan Mayor’s Office has not cut the zoo budget. Moreover, it has developed a special program on reconstructing and bringing the zoo into compliance with international standards.“As wildlife and wild animals are studied in none of Armenia’s higher education institutions, Yerevan Mayor offered to establish a college under the Armenian zoo to study wildlife and wild animals, and it will be the first similar college in the region,” noted Abovyan.He added that the basic problem faced by the zoo is lack of free enclosures http://www.panarmenian.net/eng/society/news/51983/50_of_Yerevan_Zoo_enclosures_do_not_comply_with_international_standards
Some Exotic Animals Lent to Milwaukee Man Charged With Animal Abuse
Some of the exotic animals that were found in squalid conditions in Milwaukee this spring had been lent by zoos from around the country.
The Journal Sentinel says at least 32 zoo reptiles were loaned to Terry Cullen, who is charged with a dozen counts of animal abuse and violating rules for endangered species.
Police were investigating allegations that Cullen sexually assaulted a woman from Chicago when they found 230 exotic animals at Cullen’s wildlife conservatory in May. The paper said some of the animals had been loaned for decades, with very little oversight from the zoos which provided them.
The reptiles included endangered Chinese alligators and crocodiles. They came from the Bronx Zoo in New York and zoos in Miami, Memphis, and Brownsville
http://www.whbl.com/news/articles/2010/aug/05/some-exotic-animals-lent-milwaukee-man-charged-ani/
From the Bosphorus: Straight - High time to ban dolphin parks
A few of us at the Hürriyet Daily News are old enough to remember a standard feature of Istanbul life decades ago: the dancing bears. The bears and “trainers” would wander main thoroughfares. For a few liras, the colorfully-dressed bear handler would begin the beat of a drum and the domesticated animal would lumber to his hind feat. Not usually without a few whacks from the handler’s stick, in tempo with the beating drum. Guidebooks would hail them, tourists would line up to see them and somehow the practice was treated as a cheerful part of local lore.
Not any more. Public consciousness has grown and matured in many ways in recent years. Lots of customs once benignly regarded no longer exist. Child labor that might have been winked at 30 or 40 years ago is actively banned. Street vendors selling food are now regulated. Even doctors’ waiting rooms and hospital wards not long ago were equipped with ashtrays. Not anymore. Society matures and progresses and attention to animal rights is part of this process.
We realize, of course, that animal rights, hygiene standards, regulations on child labor are not today on a par with, say, Sweden. But progress has been remarkable. And no one could today imagine an itinerant bear handler strolling with his chained charge along the Bosphorus. Public mores, not to mention the law, would not allow it.
And so it should be with “dolphinariums.” Aquatic shows featuring dolphins with their toothy smiles have proliferated in Turkey in recent years, particularly along the southern coasts.
Also proliferating are protests of the practice. The latest to get involved, as we reported yesterday, is filmmaker Savaº Karataº. He has embarked on a series of consciousness raising stunts, including plans to swim the breadth of the Dardanelles Straight, and is urging a boycott of dolphinariums.
Around the world, aquatic parks and dolphin shows have been drawing attention to the fact that most of them are based on myths. In most cases, the dolphins are not “rescued” from being
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=from-the-bosphorus-straight---high-time-to-ban-dolphin-parks-2010-08-02
A Chinese media source has reported the arrival of 12 rhinos from South Africa
Yunnan Wild Animal Park in Kunming, China, reportedly received 12 young rhinos from Johannesburg, South Africa, during the last week of June.
The average age of these rhinos is just four years old.
The rhinos were said to have landed in Guangzhou on June 23th, after a stop over in Kuala Lumpur. Two days later, they arrived at the Yunnan Wild Animal Park in Kunming, according to the Spring City Mobile Newspaper.
Breeding pairs?
The selection of six male and six female white rhinos from three different locations in South Africa to “avoid inbreeding”, suggests that Yunnan Wild Animal Park is planning to breed them.
Additionally, it was reported that representatives from the Yunnan Wild Animal Park traveled to Johannesburg in March
http://www.rhinoconservation.org/2010/08/03/chinese-news-reports-arrival-of-12-rhinos-from-south-africa/
Myanmar Officially Designates the World's Largest Tiger Reserve in the Hukaung Valley
The Government of Myanmar formally announced that the entire Hukaung Valley would be declared a Protected Tiger Area. The declaration officially protects an area the size of Vermont and marks a major step forward in saving one of the most endangered species on the planet - the tiger - which numbers less than 3,000 in the wild.
In 2004, the Myanmar government designated 2,500 square miles of the Hukaung Valley as an inviolate wildlife sanctuary, based off of the first ever biological expedition of the area in 1999 led by Dr. Alan Rabinowitz, President and CEO of the wild cat conservation group Panthera, and staff from the Forest
http://campaign.constantcontact.com/render?v=001LUMlplLnauYNxDyInXiLU4ldRa0SCV9CU-gJglyD90JZC5gn7jkmgXEkSDwIkMwiTnBTRhel0bUv1Fu-0F2FfaG6Qf0jieczvO4hl85Kb45l18JYISSoaBTYffwQ3qC4q9XgnXzInqpi-U0qAjZcqzAahFAPf1h5HMuti5AYy21g0-Exxz2NoNkb6ZvTCXcuQqfLwS-mNPrBLL8jJyhe4VHPQGveAtprIwT9oq0p_821quKcNSeyRpkAIy65M7MR
New land is crucial for zoo to succeed
I WRITE in response to the article, "Zoo sets the fur flying as it unveils plans for big land swap", about Edinburgh Zoo's proposed investment in Edinburgh (24 July).
The map (without a legend) that accompanies the article is inaccurate in that it fails to provide a clear indication of the exchange we are presenting to the council and the fact that the community will actually gain over a third in
http://news.scotsman.com/letters/New-land-is-crucial-for.6442861.jp
Captive-bred panda gives birth in semi-wild fields
A giant panda
gave birth Tuesday to a male cub in a semi-wild training base in southwest China. This marked the first time a captive-bred panda delivered a cub in a near-wild environment.
Cao Cao, the giant panda, gave birth without assistance early Tuesday morning in camera-monitored fields in Hetaoping, Wolong, the panda's hometown in southwest China's Sichuan Province.
The cub, weighing 205 grams, is healthy, staff at the base said.
The semi-wild training base, which covers some 20,000 square meters, appears the same as wild fields only with hidden cameras to monitor panda activities.
Cao Cao was among four pregnant pandas selected from the Ya'an panda breeding base to give birth in the semi-wild environment, as researchers sought to have panda cubs born and raised in the wild.
This is part of a program from the Wolong Giant Panda Protection and Research Center to gradually release captive-bred giant pandas into the wild.
According to the plan, the four giant pandas, aged four to five, were expected to give birth to their cubs and live in the wild until the young are aged
http://www.china.org.cn/environment/2010-08/04/content_20635881.htm
International park becomes frontier in Southern Africa's rhino war
Rampant rhino poaching is casting a dark shadow over the pride of southern Africa's ambitious transfrontier-park program. Rhino killers are ruthlessly exploiting the open international boundary running through what is known as the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park to carry out their dirty work.
Poachers typically down a rhino in South Africa's flagship Kruger National Park and then hotfoot it back into Mozambique's adjacent Limpopo National Park. The horn, sawed or hacked from the quarry, eventually passes through conduits to syndicates back in South Africa and
http://blogs.nationalgeographic.com/blogs/news/chiefeditor/2010/08/international-park-a-frontier-in-rhino-war.html
My Husband and Other Animals - Croc Whisperer
Many years ago, I pointed to the pictures of Thai crocodile and American alligator wrestlers with their heads inside gaping toothy jaws and asked incredulously, “Surely those animals are trained, aren't they?” Rom thought they just intimidated the animals enough so they wouldn't bite during the show. The accepted wisdom then was: crocs can be tamed but not trained.
In Irian Jaya (Indonesia), Rom had seen a New Guinea fresh-water croc that lived in a wooden house on stilts. From the time it had been a mere hatchling, it had grown to five feet in length alongside children, people and dogs. On cool rainy nights, it lay by the fire warming itself along with the community members.
Ralf Sommerlad, who was the Director of the Madras Crocodile Bank briefly in mid-2008, recalled seeing a gardener with his pet caiman (a kind of South American crocodile) in Frankfurt, Germany. When the man knelt down, it would rub against his head and shoulders much like a puppy wanting to be petted.
Ralf initiated a programme to start training the reptiles at the Madras Crocodile Bank. Soham Mukherjee, the Assistant Curator, developed the idea into an increasingly fun (for both people and crocs) and
http://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/metroplus/article549685.ece
Wildlife Manager Assassinated
Unknown assailants murdered the manager of the Special Maputo Wildlife Reserve, Gilberto Vicente, on Sunday night.
According to a report in Saturday's issue of the Maputo daily "Noticias", the murder occurred at around 19.00 in Chigubatana locality, in Boane district, as Vicente was driving from the Reserve to Maputo City, where he had meetings scheduled for the following morning.
According to the police, the Toyota Hilux in which Vicente was traveling was ambushed by six men, each armed with an AK-47 assault rifle. Eight shots were fired, instantly killing Vicente, and seriously injuring his companion, Carlos Nunes, who is now undergoing medical treatment at Maputo Central Hospital.
The gang made no attempt to steal anything from the car, and after the murder made off at high speed in their own vehicles.
The police suspect that this was a contract killing, since Vicente was a thorn in the flesh for organised groups of poachers.
Vicente had earlier worked on the restocking of the Limpopo National Park, in Gaza province, with large mammals (imported from South Africa), and was preparing to do the same in the Maputo Special
http://allafrica.com/stories/201007310171.html
Noah's Ark Zoo Farm urged to drop elephant plans
Animal welfare experts have urged a zoo near Bristol to drop plans to build what is thought would be the UK's biggest elephant enclosure.
Noah's Ark Zoo Farm, at Wraxall, has been granted planning permission for a 12-acre enclosure which would be home to up to 10 elephants.
The RSPCA, which is against elephants being kept in European zoos, said it was not enough space for the animals.
The zoo said its plans would improve standards of welfare.
'Highly irresponsible'
The RSPCA said studies had shown elephants often develop lameness, obesity and behavioural abnormalities in zoos.
The charity's senior scientist, Dr Ros Clubb, said: "It is clear elephants do not fare well in zoos and we believe it would be highly irresponsible to introduce yet more of the
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-10878060
SeaWorld wildlife fund awards $1 million in grants
The conservation fund set up by SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment this week awarded more than $1 million in grants aimed at protecting endangered species around the world.
The SeaWorld and Busch Gardens Conservation Fund grants will go 95 wildlife-protection projects and help everything from sand tiger sharks and West African manatees to bald eagles
http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/business_tourism_aviation/2010/07/seaworld-wildlife-fund-awards-1-million-in-grants.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+business%2Ftourism%2Ftourismcentral+%28Tourism+Central...+Florida%29
Losing battle
An activists wearing an orangutan mask lies on his back with a foot of another protester on his belly in a campaign for orangutan protection in front of the Thailand embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia, Thursday. Conservationists from the Center for Orangutan Protection( COP ) called on Thailand to send back to Indonesia 11 orangutans they
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2010/08/05/losing-fight.html
No-charge surgery: Eel goes under knife at S.A. zoo
How do you get rocks out of an electric eel's stomach? Very carefully!
An eel named Sparky, who lives at the San Antonio Zoo, has an appetite for rocks.
So, veterinarians did a special surgery to remove them before they wrecked his digestive system.
Of course, there were some unique risks associated with the procedure.
"We did have a volt meter, just something you'd find in a hardware store that was actually measuring the electrical charge within the water. So that way we can determine if he was ' firing
http://www.kens5.com/home/Electric-eel-undergoes--100135084.html
Mankiewicz's death leaves big void for L.A. Zoo
Screenwriter had devoted much of his later life to drumming up funds for the zoo and defending the organization during controversy.
In the world of zoos, there is no greater compliment than having an animal named after you. So it was little surprise to find a rare snow leopard cub frolicking at the Los Angeles Zoo in early 2007 named Tom — after Tom Mankiewicz, the chairman of the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Assn., the institution's fundraising arm.
"I thought it was perfect," recalled Gail Oppenheimer, who with her husband, Jerry, donated
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-0805-zoo-20100805,0,11159.story
Plumpton Park Zoo closes in Rising Sun
As Rising Sun residents mourned this week the closure of a beloved local attraction, the 24-year-old Plumpton Park Zoo, records show that inspectors from the U.S. Department of Agriculture had recently notified owner Ed Plumstead, 82, of nearly two dozen potential violations of federal regulations governing animal health and safety.
Among the 21 concerns cited in a June 29 report, an inspector wrote that seven animal enclosures needed repair, a structure housing six bison lacked proper access to water, a monkey cage had insufficient ventilation and a tiger was living in a keeper's residence on the property.
"That's a lot of [problems], and we take them seriously," said David Sacks, a spokesman for the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, which inspected the facility on Telegraph Road again Thursday. "I don't know the details of the [Plumpton Park] situation, but running a zoo is a huge and complex responsibility. Sometimes the best-intentioned [owners] just
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/bs-md-zoo-closes-0807-20100807-1,0,5135756.story
Zoo record broken for ferret births
The black-footed ferret was once thought to be extinct. But the National Zoo's Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal is doing its part in helping to boost the population.
Twelve litters of the ferrets have been born at the facility since May 7, including litters born to four females who had never given birth
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/local-breaking-news/dc/zoo-record-broken-for-ferret-b.html
South African reserve’s last rhino butchered for her horn
Poachers have butchered the last adult rhinoceros at a South African game reserve, cutting off her horn and letting her bleed to death, the chief game ranger says.
“We’ve had rhinos here for 20 years,” Japie Mostert told the Star on Thursday from the Krugersdorp Game Reserve, 60 kilometres northwest of Johannesburg. “She was the last one.”
The nine-year-old rhino at the 1,400-hectare reserve was likely attacked by poachers who hovered in a helicopter, shot her with a tranquillizer dart then leapt out and sliced her horn off with a chainsaw, Mostert said.
“The whole operation would take seven to 10 minutes.”
The animal’s female calf had been killed by poachers in January; her nine-month-old male calf was taken to a different reserve for sanctuary after the killing on July 14, he said.
It would take “a guard working day and night” to protect the rhinoceroses, which are being slaughtered at a record rate across South
http://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/844335--south-african-reserve-s-last-rhino-butchered-for-her-horn?bn=1
SeaWorld’s killer-whale peer review nears conclusion
A team of marine-mammal experts assembled by SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment to review the company’s killer-whale training protocols has made its recommendations to SeaWorld.
But neither SeaWorld nor the experts is yet willing to say what changes they recommended.
http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/business_tourism_aviation/2010/07/seaworlds-killer-whale-peer-review-nears-conclusion.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+business%2Ftourism%2Ftourismcentral+%28Tourism+Central...+Florida%29
PETA Seeks Manslaughter Charges In SeaWorld Whale Attack
Organization Calls OCSO Investigation 'Grossly Negligent'
PETA wants SeaWorld and its executives to face criminal charges for the death of a killer whale trainer in February at the Orlando theme park.
Trainer Dawn Brancheau was killed when she was attacked by a killer whale named Tilikum.
PETA said it reviewed the investigation file from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office and is calling for Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum to pursue involuntary manslaughter charges against SeaWorld and its senior executives. (READ: PETA
http://www.wesh.com/entertainment/24436651/detail.html?source=orl
Alipore Zoo's 60 spotted deer to be sent to Sunderban Park
Alipore zoo authorities here have decided to release 60 spotted deer into Sunderbans Tiger Reserve to improve the food supply of Bengal tigers, which usually strayinto villages and attack people.
"We have an excess population of deer over here, which has bred over here and multiplied over the course of time.
Now we have taken a decision after getting proper permission from the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) and getting the approval from other authorities concerned in this field that we will be shifting out of the total population of 70, we will be shifting about 60 of them to Sunderbans," said Raju Das, Director of Alipore Zoological Gardens.
"Initially, they'll be taken over there and be kept in an enclosure so that they can acclimatize themselves to the surrounding and to the environment over there. Once they have acclimatized, they will be released in the wild," he added.
Das informed all required permissions have been taken and medical tests for all the spotted deer completed. They are free from any disease.he zoo authorities are hopeful that this initiative
http://www.newstrackindia.com/newsdetails/173236
Army wages war on seagulls at a Jersey wildlife park
A troop of soldiers has been drafted into a wildlife park in Jersey to help protect visitors from nuisance seagulls.
Twenty soldiers from the Royal Wessex Yeomanry spent a day at Durrell Wildlife Park building a seagull-proof roof on the Dodo restaurant terrace.
Large wooden supports were installed
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-jersey-10902908
This is a fictional story but has hints of fact, There was of course a zoo in the Tower in the dim and distant past. I thought it may appeal to some.
A Beefeater, his wife, and their nearly 180-year-old tortoise live in the Tower of London, and if Stuart's deadly charming sophomore novel (after The Matchmaker of Perigord) is any indication, the fortress is as full of intrigue as ever. Balthazar and Hebe Jones lost their son, Milo, to illness three years ago, and while Beefeater Balthazar grieves silently and obsessively collects rainwater in perfume bottles, Hebe wants to talk about their loss openly. Hebe works in the thematically convenient London Underground Lost Property Office, and the abandoned items that reside there (an ash-filled urn, a gigolo's diary, Dustin Hoffman's Oscar) are almost as peculiar as the unruly animals (lovebirds not in love, a smelly zorilla, monkeys with a peculiar nervous tic) in the Tower's new menagerie, given to the queen and overseen by Balthazar. Passion, desperation, and romantic shenanigans abound among the other Tower-dwellers: the Reverend, an erotic fiction writer, has eyes for a bartender, and the Ravenmaster is cheating on his wife with the cook. Though the cuteness sometimes comes across a little thick, the love story is adorable.
Plastic bags killing turtles, Quebec aquarium warns
Officials at the Magdalen Islands aquarium say plastic bags threaten the lives of the leatherback turtles that migrate to the region every summer.
The Island Aquarium has launched a seasonal exhibit on the leatherback turtle to raise awareness about the dangers.
Since 2005, more than a dozen of the 400-kilogram creatures have been found dead along the beach.
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/montreal/story/2010/08/03/qc-magdalen-islands-turtles-plastic-danger.html
Hampi to get zoo
Tourism Minister Janardhana Reddy said on Friday that the State Government would develop world heritage site Hampi as a major tourist destination with a 'Rs 100-crore zoo in 1,000 acres in Hampi being the star attraction.
Reddy told reporters that the government had set up Vijayanagar Area Development Authority (VADA) for overall development of Hampi and surrounding areas.
A unique programme ‘Hampi by night’ - to take tourists around Hampi by walk would be launched soon. The programme includes four sound and light shows.
The Zoo Authority of India had given its clearance for setting up of a zoo in Hampi. The government would be investing about 75 crore on the project. The minister said soon after assuming office in the Yeddyurappa Cabinet he had assured the Bellary people that he would develop the district such a way that it should attract attention globally.
“Now all major steel industries of the world are setting up their units in Bellary. In a couple of years from now Bellary will become the global hub of steel,” he said.
The VADA will develop 530 sq km area as a major industrial hub. It would serve as a major centre for all types of industrial activities including
http://www.deccanherald.com/content/86664/hampi-get-zoo.html
Mark Wahlberg's Son Attacked By Giant Octopus At Aquarium - Considers Suing
Mark Wahlberg is considering taking legal action against bosses of a public aquarium in San Diego, California, after a "giant" captive octopus attacked his son.
The Hollywood actor and his model wife Rhea Durham were on family holiday with their four kids, but the trip took a frightening turn at the Sea Life Aquarium in Carlsbad - when an aggressive sea creature latched on to Durham, their four-year old son Michael, and the family's tour guide.
Wahlberg recalled the incident during an interview on David Letterman's late night TV show on Thursday.
He said: "We have a tour guide so she's like, 'You have a special treat today, we'll be able to take you behind the tank and you'll be able to see the octopus...' So this women pulls out this gigantic octopus, the thing latches on to my son's arm. It's got my wife, (it's) wrapped completely around the lady, and another guy's just standing there. They can't get this octopus off.
"My son is freaking out but no sound is coming out of his mouth. So finally we rip the thing off of him. He's got all these suction marks
http://www.postchronicle.com/news/original/article_212316408.shtml?ref=rss
Aquarium boobs over buxom mermaid
Aquarium bosses have put a bikini on an underwater statue of a mermaid - because her boobs were attracting too much attention.
Staff at Sea Life Chessington said they noticed many young male visitors to their underwater tunnel were not giving the marine life their full attention.
So in a bid to save the mermaid's modesty and get visitors concentrating on the fish again, a diver was dispatched to cover the statue's breasts with a bikini.
Manager Justine Locker said: "It's a bit of a boob on our part. We hadn't noticed quite how buxom Sally was until we clocked young boys, and not so young boys, spending a lot of time ogling
http://web.orange.co.uk/article/quirkies/Aquarium_boobs_over_buxom_mermaid
Nearly extinct snake coiled to regain habitat with Memphis Zoo's help
The baby snake that emerged from its shell at the Memphis Zoo recently represents the future of the Louisiana pine snake.
It's at the center of a program to re-introduce the species to its native territory.
The program is the first attempt to release captive-bred Louisiana pine snakes into the wild, according to Steve Reichling, curator of reptiles, aquarium and small animals at the Memphis Zoo.
It is also a program that puts into action the commitment zoos have to species preservation.
"Zoos often talk about why
http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2010/aug/07/species-re-emerges/
Zoo needs revamp of facilities to carry on Whitley's legacy
PAIGNTON Zoo boasts it is open all year round, except Christmas Day, and that is a record to be proud of.
However, there was a time when it closed down completely when its owner, Herbert Whitley, saw red that he was being wrongly taxed, the HM Customs and Excise assessing the zoo to be an entertainment establishment rather than an educational one.
Mr Whitley was adamant he should not have to pay the tax for that which he had always maintained to be an educational theme.
He found himself obliged to attend the Paignton Magistrates Court in March 1924 — it would seem he had no respect for the way one should dress because there he was, stating verdantly his case, dressed in his working clothes, like he was doing the rounds in his zoo.
Despite his enthused opinion, he could not persuade the HM inspector present to budge. Mr Whitley stormed out of the court shouting he would immediately close the zoo down rather than pay such an unjust tax.
He meant business and no matter what the local zoo enthusiasts said, the closed notice on the front entrance gate remained intact. He was a man of high principles but although folks were deprived of seeing creatures they could never see otherwise at that time, he took the time to reassess his stock and pursue other ambitions, perhaps thinking that maybe public opinion may persuade HM inspector of taxes to submit.
Of course, it didn't work like that, but something would have to give, so three years later, in June 1927, the zoo was in business again. Whitley relented "in the interest of public education".
That was not the end of it and come 1939 the intrepid zoo man had come to the end of his tether — more problems arose regarding charges, tax and the overriding question of what constitutes entertainment as compared to education and there were comings and goings of all manner of people.
After all, other similar establishments did not have to pay the dreaded tax so why should he? It seemed even a man as determined as Herbert Whitley had his breaking point when, in 1939, war was declared, it was the final straw and he had to close and sell his animals lock, stock and barrel.
It wasn't simply a question of the money — he was a millionaire — but the action may have probably been his demise but for a certain extrovert called Reginald Goddard, founder
http://www.thisissouthdevon.co.uk/dartmouth/Zoo-needs-revamp-facilities-carry-Whitley-s-legacy/article-2499914-detail/article.html
Asiatic lions, iguanas, emus to come to Kolkata zoo
Asiatic lions, iguanas and emus will be seen among the animals housed at the Alipore Zoological Gardens here in a little more than a fortnight, and a consignment of kangaroos and zebras may not be far behind, officials told The Hindu on Friday.
“A pair of pure-bred Asiatic lions, two pairs of iguanas and a pair of emus are being brought from the Nehru Zoological Park in Hyderabad. The Hyderabad zoo authorities are going to procure some zebras and kangaroos, so we are trying to acquire them for the zoo here as well,” said Raju Das, director of the Alipore Zoological Gardens.
Mr. Das was hopeful that they will be able to secure the same terms and conditions from the international agency that will be proving the zebras and kangaroos to the Nehru Zoological Park.
In exchange for the animals received from the Hyderabad zoo, a male giraffe, six pairs of spoon bills and a pair of pea fowl are being dispatched there shortly. “Of the animals being brought here, we are
http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/other-states/article556025.ece
Director of Yerevan Zoo Sahak Abovyan said that 50% of Yerevan Zoo enclosures do not comply with international standards. “However, any zoo has its small and big problems. Yerevan Mayor’s Office assists us in solving big problems, and we try to solve the small ones ourselves,” Abovyan told a press conference on August 5.According to him, even under conditions of the crisis, Yerevan Mayor’s Office has not cut the zoo budget. Moreover, it has developed a special program on reconstructing and bringing the zoo into compliance with international standards.“As wildlife and wild animals are studied in none of Armenia’s higher education institutions, Yerevan Mayor offered to establish a college under the Armenian zoo to study wildlife and wild animals, and it will be the first similar college in the region,” noted Abovyan.He added that the basic problem faced by the zoo is lack of free enclosures http://www.panarmenian.net/eng/society/news/51983/50_of_Yerevan_Zoo_enclosures_do_not_comply_with_international_standards
Some Exotic Animals Lent to Milwaukee Man Charged With Animal Abuse
Some of the exotic animals that were found in squalid conditions in Milwaukee this spring had been lent by zoos from around the country.
The Journal Sentinel says at least 32 zoo reptiles were loaned to Terry Cullen, who is charged with a dozen counts of animal abuse and violating rules for endangered species.
Police were investigating allegations that Cullen sexually assaulted a woman from Chicago when they found 230 exotic animals at Cullen’s wildlife conservatory in May. The paper said some of the animals had been loaned for decades, with very little oversight from the zoos which provided them.
The reptiles included endangered Chinese alligators and crocodiles. They came from the Bronx Zoo in New York and zoos in Miami, Memphis, and Brownsville
http://www.whbl.com/news/articles/2010/aug/05/some-exotic-animals-lent-milwaukee-man-charged-ani/
From the Bosphorus: Straight - High time to ban dolphin parks
A few of us at the Hürriyet Daily News are old enough to remember a standard feature of Istanbul life decades ago: the dancing bears. The bears and “trainers” would wander main thoroughfares. For a few liras, the colorfully-dressed bear handler would begin the beat of a drum and the domesticated animal would lumber to his hind feat. Not usually without a few whacks from the handler’s stick, in tempo with the beating drum. Guidebooks would hail them, tourists would line up to see them and somehow the practice was treated as a cheerful part of local lore.
Not any more. Public consciousness has grown and matured in many ways in recent years. Lots of customs once benignly regarded no longer exist. Child labor that might have been winked at 30 or 40 years ago is actively banned. Street vendors selling food are now regulated. Even doctors’ waiting rooms and hospital wards not long ago were equipped with ashtrays. Not anymore. Society matures and progresses and attention to animal rights is part of this process.
We realize, of course, that animal rights, hygiene standards, regulations on child labor are not today on a par with, say, Sweden. But progress has been remarkable. And no one could today imagine an itinerant bear handler strolling with his chained charge along the Bosphorus. Public mores, not to mention the law, would not allow it.
And so it should be with “dolphinariums.” Aquatic shows featuring dolphins with their toothy smiles have proliferated in Turkey in recent years, particularly along the southern coasts.
Also proliferating are protests of the practice. The latest to get involved, as we reported yesterday, is filmmaker Savaº Karataº. He has embarked on a series of consciousness raising stunts, including plans to swim the breadth of the Dardanelles Straight, and is urging a boycott of dolphinariums.
Around the world, aquatic parks and dolphin shows have been drawing attention to the fact that most of them are based on myths. In most cases, the dolphins are not “rescued” from being
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=from-the-bosphorus-straight---high-time-to-ban-dolphin-parks-2010-08-02
A Chinese media source has reported the arrival of 12 rhinos from South Africa
Yunnan Wild Animal Park in Kunming, China, reportedly received 12 young rhinos from Johannesburg, South Africa, during the last week of June.
The average age of these rhinos is just four years old.
The rhinos were said to have landed in Guangzhou on June 23th, after a stop over in Kuala Lumpur. Two days later, they arrived at the Yunnan Wild Animal Park in Kunming, according to the Spring City Mobile Newspaper.
Breeding pairs?
The selection of six male and six female white rhinos from three different locations in South Africa to “avoid inbreeding”, suggests that Yunnan Wild Animal Park is planning to breed them.
Additionally, it was reported that representatives from the Yunnan Wild Animal Park traveled to Johannesburg in March
http://www.rhinoconservation.org/2010/08/03/chinese-news-reports-arrival-of-12-rhinos-from-south-africa/
Myanmar Officially Designates the World's Largest Tiger Reserve in the Hukaung Valley
The Government of Myanmar formally announced that the entire Hukaung Valley would be declared a Protected Tiger Area. The declaration officially protects an area the size of Vermont and marks a major step forward in saving one of the most endangered species on the planet - the tiger - which numbers less than 3,000 in the wild.
In 2004, the Myanmar government designated 2,500 square miles of the Hukaung Valley as an inviolate wildlife sanctuary, based off of the first ever biological expedition of the area in 1999 led by Dr. Alan Rabinowitz, President and CEO of the wild cat conservation group Panthera, and staff from the Forest
http://campaign.constantcontact.com/render?v=001LUMlplLnauYNxDyInXiLU4ldRa0SCV9CU-gJglyD90JZC5gn7jkmgXEkSDwIkMwiTnBTRhel0bUv1Fu-0F2FfaG6Qf0jieczvO4hl85Kb45l18JYISSoaBTYffwQ3qC4q9XgnXzInqpi-U0qAjZcqzAahFAPf1h5HMuti5AYy21g0-Exxz2NoNkb6ZvTCXcuQqfLwS-mNPrBLL8jJyhe4VHPQGveAtprIwT9oq0p_821quKcNSeyRpkAIy65M7MR
New land is crucial for zoo to succeed
I WRITE in response to the article, "Zoo sets the fur flying as it unveils plans for big land swap", about Edinburgh Zoo's proposed investment in Edinburgh (24 July).
The map (without a legend) that accompanies the article is inaccurate in that it fails to provide a clear indication of the exchange we are presenting to the council and the fact that the community will actually gain over a third in
http://news.scotsman.com/letters/New-land-is-crucial-for.6442861.jp
Captive-bred panda gives birth in semi-wild fields
A giant panda
gave birth Tuesday to a male cub in a semi-wild training base in southwest China. This marked the first time a captive-bred panda delivered a cub in a near-wild environment.Cao Cao, the giant panda, gave birth without assistance early Tuesday morning in camera-monitored fields in Hetaoping, Wolong, the panda's hometown in southwest China's Sichuan Province.
The cub, weighing 205 grams, is healthy, staff at the base said.
The semi-wild training base, which covers some 20,000 square meters, appears the same as wild fields only with hidden cameras to monitor panda activities.
Cao Cao was among four pregnant pandas selected from the Ya'an panda breeding base to give birth in the semi-wild environment, as researchers sought to have panda cubs born and raised in the wild.
This is part of a program from the Wolong Giant Panda Protection and Research Center to gradually release captive-bred giant pandas into the wild.
According to the plan, the four giant pandas, aged four to five, were expected to give birth to their cubs and live in the wild until the young are aged
http://www.china.org.cn/environment/2010-08/04/content_20635881.htm
International park becomes frontier in Southern Africa's rhino war
Rampant rhino poaching is casting a dark shadow over the pride of southern Africa's ambitious transfrontier-park program. Rhino killers are ruthlessly exploiting the open international boundary running through what is known as the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park to carry out their dirty work.
Poachers typically down a rhino in South Africa's flagship Kruger National Park and then hotfoot it back into Mozambique's adjacent Limpopo National Park. The horn, sawed or hacked from the quarry, eventually passes through conduits to syndicates back in South Africa and
http://blogs.nationalgeographic.com/blogs/news/chiefeditor/2010/08/international-park-a-frontier-in-rhino-war.html
My Husband and Other Animals - Croc Whisperer
Many years ago, I pointed to the pictures of Thai crocodile and American alligator wrestlers with their heads inside gaping toothy jaws and asked incredulously, “Surely those animals are trained, aren't they?” Rom thought they just intimidated the animals enough so they wouldn't bite during the show. The accepted wisdom then was: crocs can be tamed but not trained.
In Irian Jaya (Indonesia), Rom had seen a New Guinea fresh-water croc that lived in a wooden house on stilts. From the time it had been a mere hatchling, it had grown to five feet in length alongside children, people and dogs. On cool rainy nights, it lay by the fire warming itself along with the community members.
Ralf Sommerlad, who was the Director of the Madras Crocodile Bank briefly in mid-2008, recalled seeing a gardener with his pet caiman (a kind of South American crocodile) in Frankfurt, Germany. When the man knelt down, it would rub against his head and shoulders much like a puppy wanting to be petted.
Ralf initiated a programme to start training the reptiles at the Madras Crocodile Bank. Soham Mukherjee, the Assistant Curator, developed the idea into an increasingly fun (for both people and crocs) and
http://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/metroplus/article549685.ece
Wildlife Manager Assassinated
Unknown assailants murdered the manager of the Special Maputo Wildlife Reserve, Gilberto Vicente, on Sunday night.
According to a report in Saturday's issue of the Maputo daily "Noticias", the murder occurred at around 19.00 in Chigubatana locality, in Boane district, as Vicente was driving from the Reserve to Maputo City, where he had meetings scheduled for the following morning.
According to the police, the Toyota Hilux in which Vicente was traveling was ambushed by six men, each armed with an AK-47 assault rifle. Eight shots were fired, instantly killing Vicente, and seriously injuring his companion, Carlos Nunes, who is now undergoing medical treatment at Maputo Central Hospital.
The gang made no attempt to steal anything from the car, and after the murder made off at high speed in their own vehicles.
The police suspect that this was a contract killing, since Vicente was a thorn in the flesh for organised groups of poachers.
Vicente had earlier worked on the restocking of the Limpopo National Park, in Gaza province, with large mammals (imported from South Africa), and was preparing to do the same in the Maputo Special
http://allafrica.com/stories/201007310171.html
Noah's Ark Zoo Farm urged to drop elephant plans
Animal welfare experts have urged a zoo near Bristol to drop plans to build what is thought would be the UK's biggest elephant enclosure.
Noah's Ark Zoo Farm, at Wraxall, has been granted planning permission for a 12-acre enclosure which would be home to up to 10 elephants.
The RSPCA, which is against elephants being kept in European zoos, said it was not enough space for the animals.
The zoo said its plans would improve standards of welfare.
'Highly irresponsible'
The RSPCA said studies had shown elephants often develop lameness, obesity and behavioural abnormalities in zoos.
The charity's senior scientist, Dr Ros Clubb, said: "It is clear elephants do not fare well in zoos and we believe it would be highly irresponsible to introduce yet more of the
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-10878060
SeaWorld wildlife fund awards $1 million in grants
The conservation fund set up by SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment this week awarded more than $1 million in grants aimed at protecting endangered species around the world.
The SeaWorld and Busch Gardens Conservation Fund grants will go 95 wildlife-protection projects and help everything from sand tiger sharks and West African manatees to bald eagles
http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/business_tourism_aviation/2010/07/seaworld-wildlife-fund-awards-1-million-in-grants.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+business%2Ftourism%2Ftourismcentral+%28Tourism+Central...+Florida%29
Losing battle
An activists wearing an orangutan mask lies on his back with a foot of another protester on his belly in a campaign for orangutan protection in front of the Thailand embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia, Thursday. Conservationists from the Center for Orangutan Protection( COP ) called on Thailand to send back to Indonesia 11 orangutans they
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2010/08/05/losing-fight.html
No-charge surgery: Eel goes under knife at S.A. zoo
How do you get rocks out of an electric eel's stomach? Very carefully!
An eel named Sparky, who lives at the San Antonio Zoo, has an appetite for rocks.
So, veterinarians did a special surgery to remove them before they wrecked his digestive system.
Of course, there were some unique risks associated with the procedure.
"We did have a volt meter, just something you'd find in a hardware store that was actually measuring the electrical charge within the water. So that way we can determine if he was ' firing
http://www.kens5.com/home/Electric-eel-undergoes--100135084.html
Mankiewicz's death leaves big void for L.A. Zoo
Screenwriter had devoted much of his later life to drumming up funds for the zoo and defending the organization during controversy.
In the world of zoos, there is no greater compliment than having an animal named after you. So it was little surprise to find a rare snow leopard cub frolicking at the Los Angeles Zoo in early 2007 named Tom — after Tom Mankiewicz, the chairman of the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Assn., the institution's fundraising arm.
"I thought it was perfect," recalled Gail Oppenheimer, who with her husband, Jerry, donated
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-0805-zoo-20100805,0,11159.story
Plumpton Park Zoo closes in Rising Sun
As Rising Sun residents mourned this week the closure of a beloved local attraction, the 24-year-old Plumpton Park Zoo, records show that inspectors from the U.S. Department of Agriculture had recently notified owner Ed Plumstead, 82, of nearly two dozen potential violations of federal regulations governing animal health and safety.
Among the 21 concerns cited in a June 29 report, an inspector wrote that seven animal enclosures needed repair, a structure housing six bison lacked proper access to water, a monkey cage had insufficient ventilation and a tiger was living in a keeper's residence on the property.
"That's a lot of [problems], and we take them seriously," said David Sacks, a spokesman for the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, which inspected the facility on Telegraph Road again Thursday. "I don't know the details of the [Plumpton Park] situation, but running a zoo is a huge and complex responsibility. Sometimes the best-intentioned [owners] just
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/bs-md-zoo-closes-0807-20100807-1,0,5135756.story
Zoo record broken for ferret births
The black-footed ferret was once thought to be extinct. But the National Zoo's Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal is doing its part in helping to boost the population.
Twelve litters of the ferrets have been born at the facility since May 7, including litters born to four females who had never given birth
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/local-breaking-news/dc/zoo-record-broken-for-ferret-b.html
South African reserve’s last rhino butchered for her horn
Poachers have butchered the last adult rhinoceros at a South African game reserve, cutting off her horn and letting her bleed to death, the chief game ranger says.
“We’ve had rhinos here for 20 years,” Japie Mostert told the Star on Thursday from the Krugersdorp Game Reserve, 60 kilometres northwest of Johannesburg. “She was the last one.”
The nine-year-old rhino at the 1,400-hectare reserve was likely attacked by poachers who hovered in a helicopter, shot her with a tranquillizer dart then leapt out and sliced her horn off with a chainsaw, Mostert said.
“The whole operation would take seven to 10 minutes.”
The animal’s female calf had been killed by poachers in January; her nine-month-old male calf was taken to a different reserve for sanctuary after the killing on July 14, he said.
It would take “a guard working day and night” to protect the rhinoceroses, which are being slaughtered at a record rate across South
http://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/844335--south-african-reserve-s-last-rhino-butchered-for-her-horn?bn=1
SeaWorld’s killer-whale peer review nears conclusion
A team of marine-mammal experts assembled by SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment to review the company’s killer-whale training protocols has made its recommendations to SeaWorld.
But neither SeaWorld nor the experts is yet willing to say what changes they recommended.
http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/business_tourism_aviation/2010/07/seaworlds-killer-whale-peer-review-nears-conclusion.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+business%2Ftourism%2Ftourismcentral+%28Tourism+Central...+Florida%29
PETA Seeks Manslaughter Charges In SeaWorld Whale Attack
Organization Calls OCSO Investigation 'Grossly Negligent'
PETA wants SeaWorld and its executives to face criminal charges for the death of a killer whale trainer in February at the Orlando theme park.
Trainer Dawn Brancheau was killed when she was attacked by a killer whale named Tilikum.
PETA said it reviewed the investigation file from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office and is calling for Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum to pursue involuntary manslaughter charges against SeaWorld and its senior executives. (READ: PETA
http://www.wesh.com/entertainment/24436651/detail.html?source=orl
Alipore Zoo's 60 spotted deer to be sent to Sunderban Park
Alipore zoo authorities here have decided to release 60 spotted deer into Sunderbans Tiger Reserve to improve the food supply of Bengal tigers, which usually strayinto villages and attack people.
"We have an excess population of deer over here, which has bred over here and multiplied over the course of time.
Now we have taken a decision after getting proper permission from the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) and getting the approval from other authorities concerned in this field that we will be shifting out of the total population of 70, we will be shifting about 60 of them to Sunderbans," said Raju Das, Director of Alipore Zoological Gardens.
"Initially, they'll be taken over there and be kept in an enclosure so that they can acclimatize themselves to the surrounding and to the environment over there. Once they have acclimatized, they will be released in the wild," he added.
Das informed all required permissions have been taken and medical tests for all the spotted deer completed. They are free from any disease.he zoo authorities are hopeful that this initiative
http://www.newstrackindia.com/newsdetails/173236
Army wages war on seagulls at a Jersey wildlife park
A troop of soldiers has been drafted into a wildlife park in Jersey to help protect visitors from nuisance seagulls.
Twenty soldiers from the Royal Wessex Yeomanry spent a day at Durrell Wildlife Park building a seagull-proof roof on the Dodo restaurant terrace.
Large wooden supports were installed
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-jersey-10902908
The Tower, The Zoo And The Tortoise
To order please click
A Beefeater, his wife, and their nearly 180-year-old tortoise live in the Tower of London, and if Stuart's deadly charming sophomore novel (after The Matchmaker of Perigord) is any indication, the fortress is as full of intrigue as ever. Balthazar and Hebe Jones lost their son, Milo, to illness three years ago, and while Beefeater Balthazar grieves silently and obsessively collects rainwater in perfume bottles, Hebe wants to talk about their loss openly. Hebe works in the thematically convenient London Underground Lost Property Office, and the abandoned items that reside there (an ash-filled urn, a gigolo's diary, Dustin Hoffman's Oscar) are almost as peculiar as the unruly animals (lovebirds not in love, a smelly zorilla, monkeys with a peculiar nervous tic) in the Tower's new menagerie, given to the queen and overseen by Balthazar. Passion, desperation, and romantic shenanigans abound among the other Tower-dwellers: the Reverend, an erotic fiction writer, has eyes for a bartender, and the Ravenmaster is cheating on his wife with the cook. Though the cuteness sometimes comes across a little thick, the love story is adorable.
Plastic bags killing turtles, Quebec aquarium warns
Officials at the Magdalen Islands aquarium say plastic bags threaten the lives of the leatherback turtles that migrate to the region every summer.
The Island Aquarium has launched a seasonal exhibit on the leatherback turtle to raise awareness about the dangers.
Since 2005, more than a dozen of the 400-kilogram creatures have been found dead along the beach.
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/montreal/story/2010/08/03/qc-magdalen-islands-turtles-plastic-danger.html
Hampi to get zoo
Tourism Minister Janardhana Reddy said on Friday that the State Government would develop world heritage site Hampi as a major tourist destination with a 'Rs 100-crore zoo in 1,000 acres in Hampi being the star attraction.
Reddy told reporters that the government had set up Vijayanagar Area Development Authority (VADA) for overall development of Hampi and surrounding areas.
A unique programme ‘Hampi by night’ - to take tourists around Hampi by walk would be launched soon. The programme includes four sound and light shows.
The Zoo Authority of India had given its clearance for setting up of a zoo in Hampi. The government would be investing about 75 crore on the project. The minister said soon after assuming office in the Yeddyurappa Cabinet he had assured the Bellary people that he would develop the district such a way that it should attract attention globally.
“Now all major steel industries of the world are setting up their units in Bellary. In a couple of years from now Bellary will become the global hub of steel,” he said.
The VADA will develop 530 sq km area as a major industrial hub. It would serve as a major centre for all types of industrial activities including
http://www.deccanherald.com/content/86664/hampi-get-zoo.html
Mark Wahlberg's Son Attacked By Giant Octopus At Aquarium - Considers Suing
Mark Wahlberg is considering taking legal action against bosses of a public aquarium in San Diego, California, after a "giant" captive octopus attacked his son.
The Hollywood actor and his model wife Rhea Durham were on family holiday with their four kids, but the trip took a frightening turn at the Sea Life Aquarium in Carlsbad - when an aggressive sea creature latched on to Durham, their four-year old son Michael, and the family's tour guide.
Wahlberg recalled the incident during an interview on David Letterman's late night TV show on Thursday.
He said: "We have a tour guide so she's like, 'You have a special treat today, we'll be able to take you behind the tank and you'll be able to see the octopus...' So this women pulls out this gigantic octopus, the thing latches on to my son's arm. It's got my wife, (it's) wrapped completely around the lady, and another guy's just standing there. They can't get this octopus off.
"My son is freaking out but no sound is coming out of his mouth. So finally we rip the thing off of him. He's got all these suction marks
http://www.postchronicle.com/news/original/article_212316408.shtml?ref=rss
Aquarium boobs over buxom mermaid
Aquarium bosses have put a bikini on an underwater statue of a mermaid - because her boobs were attracting too much attention.
Staff at Sea Life Chessington said they noticed many young male visitors to their underwater tunnel were not giving the marine life their full attention.
So in a bid to save the mermaid's modesty and get visitors concentrating on the fish again, a diver was dispatched to cover the statue's breasts with a bikini.
Manager Justine Locker said: "It's a bit of a boob on our part. We hadn't noticed quite how buxom Sally was until we clocked young boys, and not so young boys, spending a lot of time ogling
http://web.orange.co.uk/article/quirkies/Aquarium_boobs_over_buxom_mermaid
Nearly extinct snake coiled to regain habitat with Memphis Zoo's help
The baby snake that emerged from its shell at the Memphis Zoo recently represents the future of the Louisiana pine snake.
It's at the center of a program to re-introduce the species to its native territory.
The program is the first attempt to release captive-bred Louisiana pine snakes into the wild, according to Steve Reichling, curator of reptiles, aquarium and small animals at the Memphis Zoo.
It is also a program that puts into action the commitment zoos have to species preservation.
"Zoos often talk about why
http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2010/aug/07/species-re-emerges/
Zoo needs revamp of facilities to carry on Whitley's legacy
PAIGNTON Zoo boasts it is open all year round, except Christmas Day, and that is a record to be proud of.
However, there was a time when it closed down completely when its owner, Herbert Whitley, saw red that he was being wrongly taxed, the HM Customs and Excise assessing the zoo to be an entertainment establishment rather than an educational one.
Mr Whitley was adamant he should not have to pay the tax for that which he had always maintained to be an educational theme.
He found himself obliged to attend the Paignton Magistrates Court in March 1924 — it would seem he had no respect for the way one should dress because there he was, stating verdantly his case, dressed in his working clothes, like he was doing the rounds in his zoo.
Despite his enthused opinion, he could not persuade the HM inspector present to budge. Mr Whitley stormed out of the court shouting he would immediately close the zoo down rather than pay such an unjust tax.
He meant business and no matter what the local zoo enthusiasts said, the closed notice on the front entrance gate remained intact. He was a man of high principles but although folks were deprived of seeing creatures they could never see otherwise at that time, he took the time to reassess his stock and pursue other ambitions, perhaps thinking that maybe public opinion may persuade HM inspector of taxes to submit.
Of course, it didn't work like that, but something would have to give, so three years later, in June 1927, the zoo was in business again. Whitley relented "in the interest of public education".
That was not the end of it and come 1939 the intrepid zoo man had come to the end of his tether — more problems arose regarding charges, tax and the overriding question of what constitutes entertainment as compared to education and there were comings and goings of all manner of people.
After all, other similar establishments did not have to pay the dreaded tax so why should he? It seemed even a man as determined as Herbert Whitley had his breaking point when, in 1939, war was declared, it was the final straw and he had to close and sell his animals lock, stock and barrel.
It wasn't simply a question of the money — he was a millionaire — but the action may have probably been his demise but for a certain extrovert called Reginald Goddard, founder
http://www.thisissouthdevon.co.uk/dartmouth/Zoo-needs-revamp-facilities-carry-Whitley-s-legacy/article-2499914-detail/article.html
Asiatic lions, iguanas, emus to come to Kolkata zoo
Asiatic lions, iguanas and emus will be seen among the animals housed at the Alipore Zoological Gardens here in a little more than a fortnight, and a consignment of kangaroos and zebras may not be far behind, officials told The Hindu on Friday.
“A pair of pure-bred Asiatic lions, two pairs of iguanas and a pair of emus are being brought from the Nehru Zoological Park in Hyderabad. The Hyderabad zoo authorities are going to procure some zebras and kangaroos, so we are trying to acquire them for the zoo here as well,” said Raju Das, director of the Alipore Zoological Gardens.
Mr. Das was hopeful that they will be able to secure the same terms and conditions from the international agency that will be proving the zebras and kangaroos to the Nehru Zoological Park.
In exchange for the animals received from the Hyderabad zoo, a male giraffe, six pairs of spoon bills and a pair of pea fowl are being dispatched there shortly. “Of the animals being brought here, we are
http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/other-states/article556025.ece
Corridor Of Life For Sabah's Endangered Wildlife
The protected wildlife in Sabah is set to see better chances of survival, thanks to the `corridor of life' introduced by the Sabah state government.
The corridor of life is not only aimed at creating more forest for the wild animals to move about but also to complement the state government's goal of ensuring that 55 per cent of Sabah's total area has green cover.
State Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun said the program would involve rehabilitation of the riparian reserve to create a passage for the wild animals to move about.
"Many people, especially owners of oil palm estates, plant crop right up to the river bank, thus blocking the passage
http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v5/newsindex.php?id=518121
Elephant gets tusk caps at Calgary Zoo
An elephant at the Calgary Zoo is feeling a lot better thanks to two hours of surgery to place stainless steel caps on his damaged tusks.
Spike, a 30-year-old bull elephant, had caps installed on both tusks about 10 years ago after his left tusk became cracked.
About 18 months ago, the 5.4-tonne elephant cracked his right tusk above the cap while playing with a toy in his enclosure.
The zoo decided to recap both the tusks, a two-hour task that required a team of eight, including a machinist, a welder and a 10-tonne hoist.
After Spike was sedated, the team trimmed the tusks and installed the caps, which weigh about 20 kilograms apiece.
Fabricating the caps and installing them cost an estimated
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/calgary/story/2010/08/07/cgy-elephant-tooth-surgery.html
China to lend Singapore a pair of pandas: minister
China will loan Singapore a pair of pandas for ten years to celebrate this year's 20th anniversary of the Sino-Singapore relations, a Singaporean minister said Saturday.
The promise was first made between leaders of the two countries last November.
Lee Yi Shyan, minister of state for trade, industry and manpower, said at a ceremony marking Singapore's National Pavilion Day at the ongoing Shanghai World Expo that the two countries had signed a cooperative contract on research and breeding of pandas.
Lee said Singaporean people would view the panda in the River Safari, a newly built wildlife conservation park in Singapore, in the first half of 2012, after the Chinese most beloved animal passed the adaptive phase.
"The preparation work is underway, and the panda will be delivered to Singapore in the second half next year," he said. @ Experts say "panda diplomacy" shows that China
http://english.eastday.com/e/100808/u1a5379363.html
GRANITEROCK, GOATS AND RED-LEGGED FROGS
In an era where old, established companies seem to disappear with distressing regularity, there are some companies that have long histories. The family owned aggregate company Graniterock is one of them. This year it is celebrating its 110th birthday (it started business on Valentine’s Day 1900) and it remains committed to the basics of good customer service and environmental protection that has keep them in business in both good and bad times.
Although over a century old, Graniterock has maintained a reputation for being a forward thinking company. It has been consistently named by Fortune Magazine as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work for, received the Clean Ocean Award from the City of Santa Cruz, and been named the Manufacturing Business of the Year by San Benito County Chamber of Commerce. They have also taken ideas from other industries to make the construction materials business more customer friendly.
Graniterock has thrived and survived in the environmentally tough California business environment by keeping a focus on environmental concerns. Graniterock created approximately 100 acres of set-asides and conservation
http://www.minersnews.com/FebMar2010/Graniterock.html
London Zoo's gorilla breeding initiative is questioned by conservationists
Is our preoccupation with the species in captivity distracting from the problems they face in the wild?
London Zoo announced that, in August, Kesho, an 11-year-old male "blackback" gorilla will be imported from Dublin in the hope he might graduate to silverback status and breed with the females in Regent's Park.
One would find it hard to recall the last time we read a story about the baby-making issues of other under-threat species in our zoos. Why are we fascinated by gorillas and their breeding habits? Ian Redmond, a biologist and conservationist who worked with Dian Fossey in the 1970s, refers to himself as a "lifelong gorillaholic". He is consultant to the Born Free Foundation; in 2009 he was an ambassador for the UN year of the gorilla; and he taught Sigourney Weaver how to grunt like a gorilla for her role as Fossey in 1988's Gorillas in the Mist.
"We seem to be more excited by gorillas perhaps because they embody many of the characteristics we wish we had. Chimpanzees are very like us – prone to violence and mob culture sometimes – but gorillas have a reputation for being above all that."
So our interest in gorillas isn't necessarily about their fight against extinction and conservation issues are often far from our minds. Redmond finds a zoo visit "very uncomfortable".
"You see a lot of institutionalised behaviour patterns that you see in humans – rocking, plucking of hair, boredom and stress – things you don't see in the wild because
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/aug/08/london-zoo-gorilla-conservation
The protected wildlife in Sabah is set to see better chances of survival, thanks to the `corridor of life' introduced by the Sabah state government.
The corridor of life is not only aimed at creating more forest for the wild animals to move about but also to complement the state government's goal of ensuring that 55 per cent of Sabah's total area has green cover.
State Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun said the program would involve rehabilitation of the riparian reserve to create a passage for the wild animals to move about.
"Many people, especially owners of oil palm estates, plant crop right up to the river bank, thus blocking the passage
http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v5/newsindex.php?id=518121
Elephant gets tusk caps at Calgary Zoo
An elephant at the Calgary Zoo is feeling a lot better thanks to two hours of surgery to place stainless steel caps on his damaged tusks.
Spike, a 30-year-old bull elephant, had caps installed on both tusks about 10 years ago after his left tusk became cracked.
About 18 months ago, the 5.4-tonne elephant cracked his right tusk above the cap while playing with a toy in his enclosure.
The zoo decided to recap both the tusks, a two-hour task that required a team of eight, including a machinist, a welder and a 10-tonne hoist.
After Spike was sedated, the team trimmed the tusks and installed the caps, which weigh about 20 kilograms apiece.
Fabricating the caps and installing them cost an estimated
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/calgary/story/2010/08/07/cgy-elephant-tooth-surgery.html
China to lend Singapore a pair of pandas: minister
China will loan Singapore a pair of pandas for ten years to celebrate this year's 20th anniversary of the Sino-Singapore relations, a Singaporean minister said Saturday.
The promise was first made between leaders of the two countries last November.
Lee Yi Shyan, minister of state for trade, industry and manpower, said at a ceremony marking Singapore's National Pavilion Day at the ongoing Shanghai World Expo that the two countries had signed a cooperative contract on research and breeding of pandas.
Lee said Singaporean people would view the panda in the River Safari, a newly built wildlife conservation park in Singapore, in the first half of 2012, after the Chinese most beloved animal passed the adaptive phase.
"The preparation work is underway, and the panda will be delivered to Singapore in the second half next year," he said. @ Experts say "panda diplomacy" shows that China
http://english.eastday.com/e/100808/u1a5379363.html
GRANITEROCK, GOATS AND RED-LEGGED FROGS
In an era where old, established companies seem to disappear with distressing regularity, there are some companies that have long histories. The family owned aggregate company Graniterock is one of them. This year it is celebrating its 110th birthday (it started business on Valentine’s Day 1900) and it remains committed to the basics of good customer service and environmental protection that has keep them in business in both good and bad times.
Although over a century old, Graniterock has maintained a reputation for being a forward thinking company. It has been consistently named by Fortune Magazine as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work for, received the Clean Ocean Award from the City of Santa Cruz, and been named the Manufacturing Business of the Year by San Benito County Chamber of Commerce. They have also taken ideas from other industries to make the construction materials business more customer friendly.
Graniterock has thrived and survived in the environmentally tough California business environment by keeping a focus on environmental concerns. Graniterock created approximately 100 acres of set-asides and conservation
http://www.minersnews.com/FebMar2010/Graniterock.html
London Zoo's gorilla breeding initiative is questioned by conservationists
Is our preoccupation with the species in captivity distracting from the problems they face in the wild?
London Zoo announced that, in August, Kesho, an 11-year-old male "blackback" gorilla will be imported from Dublin in the hope he might graduate to silverback status and breed with the females in Regent's Park.
One would find it hard to recall the last time we read a story about the baby-making issues of other under-threat species in our zoos. Why are we fascinated by gorillas and their breeding habits? Ian Redmond, a biologist and conservationist who worked with Dian Fossey in the 1970s, refers to himself as a "lifelong gorillaholic". He is consultant to the Born Free Foundation; in 2009 he was an ambassador for the UN year of the gorilla; and he taught Sigourney Weaver how to grunt like a gorilla for her role as Fossey in 1988's Gorillas in the Mist.
"We seem to be more excited by gorillas perhaps because they embody many of the characteristics we wish we had. Chimpanzees are very like us – prone to violence and mob culture sometimes – but gorillas have a reputation for being above all that."
So our interest in gorillas isn't necessarily about their fight against extinction and conservation issues are often far from our minds. Redmond finds a zoo visit "very uncomfortable".
"You see a lot of institutionalised behaviour patterns that you see in humans – rocking, plucking of hair, boredom and stress – things you don't see in the wild because
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/aug/08/london-zoo-gorilla-conservation
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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Hello ZooLex Friend,
We have worked for your enjoyment!
~°v°~
NEW EXHIBIT PRESENTATION
The World of the Meerkat at Zoo Cologne is an exhibit easily recognizable by its large conspicuous umbrellas. These umbrellas give the meerkats the choice to stay outdoors all year round which would otherwise not be possible in the cold and wet climate of Germany.
http://www.zoolex.org/zoolexcgi/view.py?id=840
~°v°~
ZOOLEX SPONSORS
When browsing ZooLex web pages you may notice new banners in the headline. These are pointing to our sponsors - the only financial support for ZooLex. Thanks to these sponsors, we can offer free access to high quality information on zoo design.
If you are interested in sponsoring ZooLex please contact zoolex@zoolex.org
~°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
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Durrell’s International Training Centre (ITC), in conjunction with the Mammal Department. Course faculty will include visiting international experts in lemur and callitrichid husbandry and conservation
Where will the course run?
The course will be based at the ITC at Durrell’s headquarters on the island of Jersey, British Channel Islands. Practical sessions will be run within the lemur and callitrichid animal sections of Durrell.
How long will the course last?
5 days (arrive Sunday evening– leave Saturday morning)
What will be covered on the course?
The course will include the following topics:
• Planning your captive collection: making the link to the wild
• Enclosure design, stress management and nutrition
• Population management for controlled breeding programmes
• Past, present and future for callitrichid and lemur conservation and the role of zoos
How much will it cost?
£1000 This will include 7 nights full-board accommodation on-site at Les Noyers (adjacent to the ITC and animal collection); tuition fee; and all course materials.
Deadline for applications: 30th July 2010
For further information please contact:
Catherine Burrows
Tel: 01534 860037
Email: itc@durrell.org
International Training Centre
Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust,
Les Augres Manor, La Profonde Rue,
Trinity, Jersey, JE3 5BP
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This is an intensive, practical workshop which will cover the following topics:
• Embryo and membrane development
• Factors affecting hatchability before and during incubation
• Hatchery management techniques (including equipment selection and operation, egg weight loss management and hatchability analysis)
• Artificial incubation and its role in field conservation programmes
Participants will break out embryos at all stages of development (older embryos are euthanized first) and gain first-hand experience of candling techniques, egg repair, hatching assistance and egg necropsy
Who is running the workshop?
Susie Kasielke (Los Angeles Zoo) and Pat Witman (San Diego Zoo) will be leading the workshop with additional lecturing support from Durrell’s International Training Centre, Bird Department and Prof. Carl Jones, MBE , Scientific Director, Mauritius Wildlife Foundation.
Susie has been working with birds at the Los Angeles Zoo for over 30 years and has been Curator of Birds there since 2001. Through her involvement with the California Condor Recovery Program, she worked with the staff at Los Angeles and other facilities to develop and refine propagation, incubation and rearing methods for condors and other species. She has been teaching workshops on avian egg incubation for zoo
groups in North America for 18 years.
Pat has been working for San Diego Zoo for almost 30 years with 20 of those years being involved with artificial incubation and hand rearing at the Zoo’s Avian Popagation Center (APC). The APC has hatched almost 300 avian species, including the first California Condor. Pat joined forces with Susie Kasielke two years ago to combine their knowledge into the actual workshop format.
How much will it cost
Course (including lunches and coffee): £450
On-site accommodation (full-board, 4 nights): £170
Catherine Burrows at itc@durrell.org
or call +44 (0)1534 860037
an international charity saving species from extinction
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We want to thank the family of the late Heidi Frohring for their generous donation of $1,000.00 from the W.O. and G.L. Frohring Foundation to the Tapir Preservation Fund (TPF). This donation has allowed TPF's perpetual Heidi Frohring Memorial Fund to enact the current call for proposals, which will result in the award of $1,000.00 to a tapir conservation project selected by TPF in September. We expect the successful outcome of this call for proposals to become a model for future fundraising and grants by TPF, and we look forward to receiving your proposals.
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.
*******************************************************************************
Hello ZooLex Friend,
We have worked for your enjoyment!
~°v°~
NEW EXHIBIT PRESENTATION
The World of the Meerkat at Zoo Cologne is an exhibit easily recognizable by its large conspicuous umbrellas. These umbrellas give the meerkats the choice to stay outdoors all year round which would otherwise not be possible in the cold and wet climate of Germany.
http://www.zoolex.org/zoolexcgi/view.py?id=840
~°v°~
ZOOLEX SPONSORS
When browsing ZooLex web pages you may notice new banners in the headline. These are pointing to our sponsors - the only financial support for ZooLex. Thanks to these sponsors, we can offer free access to high quality information on zoo design.
If you are interested in sponsoring ZooLex please contact zoolex@zoolex.org
~°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
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Zoos & Aquariums: Committing to Conservation
2011 Conference
For details please click
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Photographic Competition
Win a trip to Chuchill to see polar bears
To learn more please click
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For further details please click
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27th September—1st October 2010
Who is running the course?
Durrell’s International Training Centre (ITC), in conjunction with the Mammal Department. Course faculty will include visiting international experts in lemur and callitrichid husbandry and conservation
Where will the course run?
How long will the course last?
5 days (arrive Sunday evening– leave Saturday morning)
What will be covered on the course?
The course will include the following topics:
• Planning your captive collection: making the link to the wild
• Enclosure design, stress management and nutrition
• Population management for controlled breeding programmes
• Past, present and future for callitrichid and lemur conservation and the role of zoos
How much will it cost?
£1000 This will include 7 nights full-board accommodation on-site at Les Noyers (adjacent to the ITC and animal collection); tuition fee; and all course materials.
Deadline for applications: 30th July 2010
For further information please contact:
Catherine Burrows
Tel: 01534 860037
Email: itc@durrell.org
International Training Centre
Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust,
Les Augres Manor, La Profonde Rue,
Trinity, Jersey, JE3 5BP
durrell.org
*******************************************************************************
Avian egg incubation workshop
Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, Jersey, UK
1st - 4th December 2010
What will be covered on the workshop?
This is an intensive, practical workshop which will cover the following topics:
• Embryo and membrane development
• Factors affecting hatchability before and during incubation
• Hatchery management techniques (including equipment selection and operation, egg weight loss management and hatchability analysis)
• Artificial incubation and its role in field conservation programmes
Participants will break out embryos at all stages of development (older embryos are euthanized first) and gain first-hand experience of candling techniques, egg repair, hatching assistance and egg necropsy
Who is running the workshop?
Susie Kasielke (Los Angeles Zoo) and Pat Witman (San Diego Zoo) will be leading the workshop with additional lecturing support from Durrell’s International Training Centre, Bird Department and Prof. Carl Jones, MBE , Scientific Director, Mauritius Wildlife Foundation.
Susie has been working with birds at the Los Angeles Zoo for over 30 years and has been Curator of Birds there since 2001. Through her involvement with the California Condor Recovery Program, she worked with the staff at Los Angeles and other facilities to develop and refine propagation, incubation and rearing methods for condors and other species. She has been teaching workshops on avian egg incubation for zoo
groups in North America for 18 years.
Pat has been working for San Diego Zoo for almost 30 years with 20 of those years being involved with artificial incubation and hand rearing at the Zoo’s Avian Popagation Center (APC). The APC has hatched almost 300 avian species, including the first California Condor. Pat joined forces with Susie Kasielke two years ago to combine their knowledge into the actual workshop format.
How much will it cost
Course (including lunches and coffee): £450
On-site accommodation (full-board, 4 nights): £170
For further information please contact
or call +44 (0)1534 860037
an international charity saving species from extinction
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Conference Bookings
Conference Programme
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The Elephant Conservation Network
Run for Elephants
19 Dec 2010
Kanchanaburi, Thailand
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Nominations are now open for the 2012 Indianapolis Prize
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TAPIRS: The Tapir Preservation Fund (TPF)
Call for Proposals ~ July-August 2010
Tapir Preservation Fund (TPF)
Call for Proposals, July-August 2010
$1,000.00 will be awarded in September 2010
We want to thank the family of the late Heidi Frohring for their generous donation of $1,000.00 from the W.O. and G.L. Frohring Foundation to the Tapir Preservation Fund (TPF). This donation has allowed TPF's perpetual Heidi Frohring Memorial Fund to enact the current call for proposals, which will result in the award of $1,000.00 to a tapir conservation project selected by TPF in September. We expect the successful outcome of this call for proposals to become a model for future fundraising and grants by TPF, and we look forward to receiving your proposals.
For Full Details Please Click
HERE
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ABWAK is holding its 2 day Annual Symposium at Port Lympne Wild Animal and Safari Park on the 05th and 06th March 2011. This year the symposium will focus on the modern zoo keeper and the latest techniques being employed in zoos in the UK and Ireland.
This is an opportunity for animal keepers to share their knowledge with other keepers in a friendly environment. We are inviting oral presentations on subjects ranging from new husbandry techniques, enclosure design, innovative environmental enrichment and new ideas in animal diets. Preference will be given to zoo keepers working in the UK and Ireland, but we also encourage students and other zoo professionals as well.
Presentations would normally be no longer than 20 minutes, with time for questions. A brief outline/abstract of your presentation should be submitted and you will be informed if your presentation has been accepted.
The outline/abstract should include:
• Title
• Keywords
• Author
• A/V equipment required
• Summary of presentation (no more than 300 words).
Deadline is 31st October 2010.
Please submit abstracts to Ross Snipp, ross.snipp@flamingoland.co.uk
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ELEPHANT CONSERVATION AND RESEARCH FUNDING SUPPORT.
Visit The Website
HERE*******************************************************************************
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ABWAK Annual Symposium 2011
1st Call for Presentations
ABWAK is holding its 2 day Annual Symposium at Port Lympne Wild Animal and Safari Park on the 05th and 06th March 2011. This year the symposium will focus on the modern zoo keeper and the latest techniques being employed in zoos in the UK and Ireland.
This is an opportunity for animal keepers to share their knowledge with other keepers in a friendly environment. We are inviting oral presentations on subjects ranging from new husbandry techniques, enclosure design, innovative environmental enrichment and new ideas in animal diets. Preference will be given to zoo keepers working in the UK and Ireland, but we also encourage students and other zoo professionals as well.
Presentations would normally be no longer than 20 minutes, with time for questions. A brief outline/abstract of your presentation should be submitted and you will be informed if your presentation has been accepted.
The outline/abstract should include:
• Title
• Keywords
• Author
• A/V equipment required
• Summary of presentation (no more than 300 words).
Deadline is 31st October 2010.
Please submit abstracts to Ross Snipp, ross.snipp@flamingoland.co.uk
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Voluntary opportunity to Join ABWAK Council
Please see this link for details
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Private Zoo For Sale
please see link for details
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THE INTERNATIONAL ELEPHANT FOUNDATION (IEF) IS NOW ACCEPTING PROPOSALS FOR
ELEPHANT CONSERVATION AND RESEARCH FUNDING SUPPORT.
IEF is offering financial support in 2011 for in situ and ex situ projects, including protection of wild elephants and their habitats, scientific research, education efforts, and improvements in captive elephant care. Proposals are peer-reviewed by a panel of advisors from field conservation, medicine, research, academia, and elephant management. Funds will be awarded and available January 2011.
Criteria for funding:
Requests for funds should provide adequate information for evaluation of the project and the specific request, including a detailed design/methodology.
Projects that designate local/public education/awareness as a significant program outcome must include an evaluation component.
Projects must begin in the year that they are applying for funding, (but not before funds are to be awarded) and contain a clearly defined beginning and end point.
Funds will not be awarded for elements of a project that will have already occurred before awards are made.
Budget requests that consist primarily of salary will generally not be considered favorably.
Proposals are preferred that meet some or all of the following objectives and criteria:
The proposal should clearly contribute to the in situ or ex situ conservation of African or Asian elephants or their habitats.
Project is part of an established conservation program or is well-suited to become a long term program.
Project has conservation value and measurable impact.
Project is grounded in sound scientific methodology, is logistically feasible, and has a high probability of success.
Project has multi-institutional participation and matching funds.
Project is a new approach for long term elephant and/or habitat conservation.
Project is action-oriented not simply data collection or survey.
Project and Principle Investigator demonstrate a spirit of cooperation with ex situ elephant facilities and other like-minded conservation institutions.
Principal investigators must have a reputation for completing projects, publishing results in an expeditious manner and cooperating with funding agencies in providing reports and educational materials. If awarded funding previously by the IEF, satisfactory performance on previous grant awards is essential.
Projects must meet humane standards of care when animals are involved. Each of these studies must be approved by the appropriate agency at the facility or institution where the study is conducted.
Examples of some funding priorities are:
Capacity building
Strategies for human elephant conflict mitigation or resolution
Strategies to combat habitat loss
Strategies that identify elephant ranges
Strategies to manage local elephant over-population problems
Strategies to counteract the bushmeat crisis/ivory poaching
Ex Situ elephant management, veterinary and reproduction projects
Visit The Website
HERE
Are You Going To Participate This Year?
I do hope so
Please highlight the plight of the vulture
Every Zoo should play their part
Every zoo which keeps vultures MUST do so
Learn more by clicking
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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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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
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