Zoo News Digest 27th - 30th November 2010 (Zoo News 707)
http://zoonewsdigest.blogspot.com/
Courtesy: http://www.leszoosdanslemonde.com/
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Kanpur zoo part of global network for animal exchange programmes
As the forest cover is gradually depleting in the country, a threat of extinction is looming large over the endangered species. At this point of time, the zoos are proving to be the pioneers of the effort to breed endangered animals. It is in this regard that the animal exchange programme is given due importance by the authorities of various zoos across the country. But the exchange programme is not an easy task as it requires comprehensive pool of knowledge before going ahead with it.
Thus, to make this task simpler, the Kanpur Zoo sometime ago became a member of the International Species Information System (ISIS), a global organisation that provides world-standard zoological data collection and a sharing software called ARKS (Animal Record Keeping System), enabling the various
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kanpur/Kanpur-zoo-part-of-global-network-for-animal-exchange-programmes/articleshow/6996314.cms
German Zoo Forces Gay Vultures to Mate With Females
German zookeepers are forcing two male vultures who prefer nesting together to mate with females, sparking outrage from gay rights activists who accuse the zoo of discriminating against birds of a different feather.
The trouble began back in March, when Guido and Detlef, two Griffon vultures, decided to move in together. The lovebirds began crafting a two-man nest out of stray twigs in a communal birdcage at their zoo in the town of Munster, in northwest Germany.
Both birds are predatory males, but seemed to enjoy one another's company more than that of any female. They spent their days grooming one another with their beaks and fortifying their nest -- though other vultures occasionally stole their building materials, as if to spite them.
"They always sat so closely together. They defended their nest from the other vultures," the zoo's curator, Dirk Wewers, told The Daily Telegraph of Australia.
But Wewers explains their preference for one another as second-best. "A suitable female was missing and in such a case vultures look for companionship from
http://www.aolnews.com/world/article/german-zoo-forces-gay-vultures-to-mate-with-females/19734614
Singapore Zoo
Governments Commit to Save Tigers
The International Tiger Summit held this week in St. Petersburg approved a wide-ranging program with the goal of doubling the world’s tiger population in the wild by 2022, backed by governments of the 13 countries that still have tiger populations: Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, Vietnam and Russia.
Tigers’ habitats are being destroyed by deforestation and construction, and the animals are a valuable trophy for poachers who want their skins and body parts, which are prized in Chinese traditional medicine. Only about 3,200 tigers remain in the wild — a dramatic plunge from an estimated 100,000 a century ago.
The Global Tiger Recovery Program estimates the countries will need about $350 million in outside funding in the first five years of the 12-year plan. The summit was seeking donor commitments to help governments finance conservation measures.
The program aims to protect tiger habitats, eradicate poaching, smuggling, and illegal trade of tigers and their parts, and also create incentives for local communities to engage them in helping protect the big cats.
Leape said that along with a stronger action against poaching, it’s necessary to set up specialized reserves for tigers and restore and conserve forests outside them to let tigers expand.
“And you have to find a way to make it work for the local communities so that they would be partners in tiger conservation and benefit from it,” Leape said.
“To save tigers you need to save the forests, grasslands and lots of other species,” he added. “But at the same time, you are also conserving the foundations of the societies who live there. Their economy depends very much on the food, water and materials they get from those forests.”
About 30 percent of the program’s cost will go toward
http://www.times.spb.ru/index.php?action_id=2&story_id=33031
Polar Bear Cubs
Scotland's beaver-trapping plan has wildlife campaigners up in arms
Scottish National Heritage's plan to catch 20 beavers highlights problem of animals escaping from private collections
An urgent campaign has been launched to capture up to 20 beavers that have colonised rivers and lochs and are freely breeding in the wild.
The unpublicised project has been authorised by Scottish Natural Heritage, the government wildlife body, after it emerged that a large number of beavers had taken root following a series of escapes from private collections in Angus and Perthshire over the past decade.
Some wildlife experts believe that more than 50 beavers could be roaming free: families of beavers, and evidence of their lodge building, have been regularly seen by villagers and naturalists around Invergowrie on the outskirts of Dundee, Forfar in Angus, Glamis in Perthshire, and Tentsmuir near the mouth of the river Tay.
The animals will be trapped and given to the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, which houses beavers at its Highland wildlife park and is closely involved with the UK's only official beaver reintroduction scheme at Knapdale forest in Mid-Argyll.
But pro-beaver campaigners have furiously attacked the trapping exercise, accusing the conservation agencies of bowing to political pressure from landowners and urging the protection of the Knapdale project to avoid it being damaged by rows over illegal releases.
Sir John Lister-Kaye, a former president of the Scottish Wildlife Trust who keeps beavers at his Aigas wildlife sanctuary near Inverness, said the animals were once native to the UK and should be given protection under European conservation directives if they were breeding successfully.
"I think this is quite simply professional jealousy. Scottish Natural Heritage and the zoo have been quite hostile to those of us who have private collections or who know quite a lot about beavers," he said. "I think the public needs to be in on this debate; they've voted 59% in favour of the beaver."
His criticisms were shared by Paul Ramsay, who owns captive beavers at Alyth near Dundee. He admitted some of his animals had previously escaped but said that wildlife laws were clear: if a previously native species had re-established itself and was healthy, then it could be legally protected. "I think it's extraordinary that they should take this hostile view," he said.
SNH said the trapping operation, which is being supported by Tayside police, was a matter of urgency because beavers were spreading so rapidly. A spokesman said: "The longer we leave it the greater the task will be. We are also urging all owners of animal collections to take greater care in keeping their animals captive."
The controversy highlights a long-standing but rarely discussed problem across the UK, with persistent escapes from private beaver collections and wildlife reserves over the past 20 years, many of which have been covered up or gone unreported.
The Guardian has established that at least 20 beavers are known to have escaped from collections across southern England, the Midlands and Scotland. In some cases, the beavers were either quickly trapped and returned to captivity or believed to have been killed. However, naturalists are convinced they have now established colonies in the wild in the Scottish Highlands, particularly on Loch Tummel and on the Tay and its tributaries, but also potentially in southern England.
In parallel, conservationists in Wales and south-west England have been planning their own legally sanctioned beaver reintroduction projects, but these were being drafted before last month's deep cuts in government spending on environment programmes.
In Knapdale, there are now four beaver families living and breeding on a network of remote lochs in an uninhabited
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/nov/25/beavers-scotland-conservation
Forest dept faces stiff opposition on relocation
With the state forest department waiting for the dust to settle at Sariska before initiating any step in relocating another big cat to the reserve, it's a race against time. For if the department is keen on relocation, a strong opposition is building up to halt it.
Sources said: "A big lobby, whose members are into conservation and tourism, do not want more relocation. They have always been against relocation of tigers from Ranthambore fearing it would take away tourists from the national park. And now that they have a good enough reason, they are not willing to let it go."
However, Union minister of forest and environment Jairam Ramesh, chief minister Ashok Gehlot and the state forest department have insisted on continuing with the relocation in a bid to re-establish a tiger population.
After the death of first male tiger relocated to Sariska ST-1, the state has got into a massive exercise of overhauling the administrative machinery of the park. Relocation of villages from within the park is another top priority for the state after poisoning has been reported as a possible cause of tiger death.
During his recent visit to Sariska, Ramesh had urged the state forest department to speed up relocation . "I am under tremendous pressure in New Delhi," he said. Ramesh had advised the chief of National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) Rajesh Gopal to imm
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/jaipur/Forest-dept-faces-stiff-opposition-on-relocation-/articleshow/6966232.cms
Thailand wants to keep panda
THAI authorities are considering asking China to let Lin Ping, the first female panda born in Thailand, to stay in Thailand's Chiang Mai Zoo for two more years.
Prasertsak Boontrakulpuntawi, head of the zoo's panda-research project, said the contract to keep Lin Ping is going to expire in another six months, after which they have to send her to China.
Following talks to keep Lin Ping longer, Thai officials will have another talk in Thailand with senior Chinese wildlife conservation officials on December 20. Hopeful for a green light from China, the zoo planned the panda section expansion and requested Bt28.5 million from the Zoological Park Organisation or the government for the 2012 fiscal year.
On Saturday morning the 61.2kg cub was let out to the open-air display section for the first time. Its caretakers provided it with an 'Ice Cake' of fruits
http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_608246.html
Examiner Uncovers New "Development" in 2007 Tiger Attack Case: Nachos
The Examiner reported on Thursday night that they obtained a never-before-released police interview with the Brothers Kulbir and Amritpal “Paul” Dhaliwal regarding the 2007 Siberian tiger attack at the San Francisco Zoo, which resulted in the death of 17-year-old Carlos Sousa Jr.. This exclusive report, released just in time for the third anniversary of the incident, promised a "tasty treat" in its headline, which turned out to be the fact that the three victims were eating nachos at some point before Tatiana the tiger escaped her enclosure and attacked them.
This revelation hardly has much relevance, as the article states: "The taped interviews, however, still do not reveal what happened that day, when police had to shoot the tiger to death after the attack." Inspector Valerie Matthews, who headed the investigation, questioned the brothers about whether
http://sfist.com/2010/11/27/examiner_uncovers_new_development_in_2007.php
Plans afoot to protect giant squirrel habitat
A conservation plan for the endangered giant squirrel is being chalked out which inhabits the Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary near Pune
Forest Department officials have teamed up with Bangalore-based Indian Institute of Science (IISc) to chalk out a conservation plan for the endangered giant squirrel, which inhabits the Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary near here.
A peculiar animal known for its shyness and lightning pace, the Ratusa Indica species or the Indian giant squirrel is an attraction for the wildlife enthusiasts visiting the Bhimashankar forest, which also happens to house a famous Shiv temple, one of the 12 “Jyotirlignas“.
In coordination with IISc, we are working out a Geographical Information System (GIS) map to identify threats to the existence of the squirrel to know whether the forest area occupied by it is shrinking or not,” Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) M.K. Rao said.
At present, a census of the animal is being carried out by counting of its nests in the forest and the proposed GIS map is also expected to denote the human disturbance index.
“A healthy forest is needed to support the squirrel, which sustains itself on just leaves and fruit,” Mr. Rao said.
The IISc experts would interact with the forest field staff to enhance their technical skills for a better understanding of the ecology of giant squirrel, which leaps from one tree to another but never
http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/article917240.ece?homepage=true
Geriatric animals pose challenges for zoos
On an overcast Friday at the Salisbury Zoological Park, Poopsie the Andean bear could not be found in her hammock, where she spends most of her time.
Instead, she kept warm in a burrow in her den, which she has called home for nearly 37 years. When she finally emerged, she did so slowly. As the light hit her gray fur, which was once brown, it became evident Poopsie is no spring chicken.
"She's 37? No wonder she's not too active," said Jennifer Cross of Easthampton, Mass.
Poopsie isn't the only animal at the Salisbury zoo who might qualify for a senior discount. According to Director Joel Hamilton, the zoo's female sloth is nearing 37, a few of the alligators are in their mid-30s and one of the flamingos is 42.
Animals tend to live longer while in captivity because "their lives are much easier," said General Curator Ann Konopik, who has been with the zoo for nearly 27 years.
"They don't have to hunt for food or worry about predation, hunters and poachers," she said. "Also, their medical needs are met."
The zoo will celebrate Poopsie's birthday Dec. 27. After she passed the age of 35 1/2, Poopsie became the oldest-living Andean bear on record and "she's
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2010-11-28-geriatric-animals-zoo_N.htm
International designer for India's first night safari
Renowned zoo designer Bernard Harrison, who has designed the famous Singapore night safari, will be designing the upcoming Greater Noida night safari, according to an official.
The Greater Noida night safari will be India's first and the world's fourth - the others being in Singapore, China and Thailand.
According to a Greater Noida Industrial Development Authority official, who didn't wish to be named as he was not authorised to speak to the media, Harrison had recently met officials to discuss the project. He is expected to arrive in India next week to present the digital project report (DPR) to officials.
The night safari, to be set up on over 222 hectares of land, will be located along the Yamuna Expressway near Gautam Budh University, around 40 km from New Delhi. The zoo will have animals like leopards, tigers, crocodiles, gibbons and crocodiles. Only lions will be brought from Africa.
It will also have casinos and restaurants to attract visitors. The land for the project
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/et-cetera/International-designer-for-Indias-first-night-safari/articleshow/7005098.cms
Lions await trip to US refuges
The last of Bolivia's rescued circus lions — 12 females and five males — are now in the hands of animal rights activists, who say the big cats will be sent to wildlife refuges in the United States.
An Associated Press photographer visited the lions on Wednesday.
The felines, though still caged, were under the care of Animal Defenders International. ADI obtained them from circuses that gave them up in compliance with a pioneering Bolivian law that took effect in July prohibiting the use of all animals, domestic and wild, in circuses.
In May, ADI sent four lions to a sanctuary in California. In September, a baboon was sent to a primate center in Britain.
ADI is feeding the lions red meat and vitamin supplements — a big improvement
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101124/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/lt_bolivia_liberated_lions
Edinburgh Zoo penguin cam snowed under with Twitter hits
Zoo closed but penguin snow antics still a hit online
Edinburgh Zoo is closed today due to the weather making it too dangerous for public access. But with hundreds of animals needing fed, most of the staff are still there.
When the attraction's marketing assistant Claire Richardson arrived at work this morning she noticed the penguin webcam was down. She could see the Gengtoo penguins were more active than ever, sliding around in the fresh snow, so rebooted the camera.
Richardson - who also looks after the zoo's Twitter account - sent out a tweet to let people know that, even though the zoo was shut, they could still tune in to see the penguins in action. Within just two hours, Edinburgh Zoo was trending in the UK's top Twitter searches. Richardson's link to the penguin cam was
http://www.guardian.co.uk/edinburgh/2010/nov/29/edinburgh-zoo-penguin-cam-webcam-gentoo-snow
Zoo Society offers scholarship
The Fort Wayne Zoological Society is accepting applications for the Lawrence A. Ackerman Scholarship, which bestows a one-time $2,000 award to a college-bound high school senior pursuing an animal-related career.
The scholarship award is based on an applicant’s character, commitment to the stewardship of animals, financial need and scholastic achievement. Graduating high school seniors in Adams, Allen, DeKalb, Huntington, Kosciusko, LaGrange, Noble, Steuben, Wabash, Wells and Whitley counties are eligible to apply.
The Fort Wayne Zoological Society established the scholarship in 1992 to honor the the late Dr. Larry Ackerman, who served as the zoo’s veterinarian for 25 years.
Interested students can download an application at the zoo’s website, www.kidszoo.org. Students may
http://www.fwdailynews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=9566:Zoo-Society-offers-scholarship&catid=51:latest&Itemid=6
DENR plans P500-M facelift for QC wildlife park
The Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife Nature Center in Quezon City will get a P500-million facelift to turn the place into an ecological tourist attraction and a respite from the urban jungle.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is leading the transformation of the 22.7-hectare park, which houses an assortment of Philippine plants and animals confiscated from illegal traders or turned in by the public.
Urban planner Palafox and Associates was behind the master plan for the park’s redevelopment.
Environment Secretary Ramon Paje said he was looking for partners in the private sector to finance the project since his department’s budget could not shoulder the cost of the facelift.
“Our resources are very limited, whereas the private sector has the much-needed
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/metro/view/20101129-305931/DENR-plans-P500-M-facelift-for-QC-wildlife-park
European cheetahs spearhead drive back into wild
Two European-bred cheetahs are set to take part in a pioneering program to release their young back into the wild in an attempt boost their declining numbers.
As part of the program the hand-reared cheetahs Boumani and Zina will soon be swapping their green fields in Kent, south east England, for the arid Savannah of Kenya early next year.
It is hoped the pair will breed there in a 500-acre enclosure and that their offspring will be taught to hunt by their mother Zina during extended excursions into the adjoining Tsavo national park.
This method of reintroducing captive-bred cheetahs into the wild has never been attempted, says their keeper Jonathan Ames.
"My dream is to prove that captive-bred cheetahs can be successfully placed back in the wild, it is something that has been very unsuccessful [in the past]," Ames told CNN.
"There is no point in breeding cheetahs in captivity if they can't go back into the wild," he adds.
Cheetahs are more vulnerable than many other large predators in Africa -- they are designed for speed and they prey on a relatively small numbers of species, needing vast tracts of land in which to hunt and breed. They are also vulnerable to attack from lions, hyenas and leopards.
The cheetah has three main threats to its survival, according to the Namibia-based Cheetah Conservation Fund: A loss of habitat to farming and urban development; persecution by farmers who think they are a threat to their livestock and poaching for their skins.
Boumani -- his name means warrior in Malawi -- is a three-year-old male weighing just over 13-stone (85kg) who was hand-reared by Ames at the family-run Eagle Heights Wildlife Park in Kent.
The early stages of Boumani's training
http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/europe/11/26/uk.cheetah.kenya/index.html?hpt=Mid
Center plans to build wildlife corridor for pandas in Sichuan Province
A green group said Sunday it will build a wildlife corridor in Sichuan Province to protect wild pandas.
Beijing-based Shan Shui Conservation Center, will use a 1 million yuan gift ($149,981) from a private enterprise for the corridor. The center said Sunday that it will build a 1,000-mu (66.67 hectares) forest of carbon sequestration in Mamize Nature Reserve in Sichuan Province, located at 28 north latitude.
Sun Shan, from the center, told the Xinhua News Agency that pandas in that area are scattered. Based on figures from the third panda census, there are 120 pandas in the area.
"It's the most southern area for panda habitat, and it is vulnerable to climate change," Sun said, adding that the habitat for wild pandas has shrunk due to years of deforestation in the area.
She said 2,000 mu of forest for 20 corridors are needed to protect wild pandas. The 1,000-mu forest of carbon sequestration will absorb 20,000 tons of carbon dioxide over the next 30 years, which equals to emission from 7,500 cars in a year.
"Protecting pandas is not about protecting the pandas kept in the cages of the zoos. It is more about those in the wild area and
http://china.globaltimes.cn/society/2010-11/597250.html
Former zoo veterinarian charged with molest
A former senior veterinarian at the Singapore Zoological Gardens has been charged with four counts of molest.
Fifty-two year-old Oh Soon Hock allegedly outraged the modesty of a 21-year-old ex-colleague at their former workplace between January and March last year.
Oh was known to combine both Western veterinary practices and Chinese traditional medicine when treating animals at the zoo. Once, he even used acupuncture to treat a lame elephant.
Oh, who looked visibly worried as he appeared
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1096185/1/.html
University of York in educational link-up with Flamingo Land zoo
A PARTNERSHIP between the University of York and Flamingo Land, near Malton, is helping to enhance conservation education in the region.
The Knowledge Transfer Partnership draws on expertise in the university’s environment department to promote scientific excellence in the education system at Flamingo Land.
The scheme will enhance conservation education by modernising the range of programmes, and incorporating scientific theory as well as aspects of the National Curriculum. A new research associate will undertake a range of marketing activities and develop educational events, building on the park’s recently-attained “Learning Outside The Classroom” Quality Badge.
This role will also further
http://www.gazetteherald.co.uk/news/8708345.University_of_York_in_educational_link_up_with_Flamingo_Land_zoo/
Breeding trouble at zoo leaves vets brooding
It could be their home away from home. But for some exotic avian residents of the Mysore Zoo, there’s a catch when it comes to hatching.
The ostrich, the emu, the peahen and a few pheasants at the Sri Chamarajendra Zoological Garden have been laying less and infertile eggs in the past two years, leaving the vets “brooding.”
The only female ostrich here’s too young to lay eggs. There are two male and another female bird which are around three years old. This is not the right age for breeding either, say zookeepers.
But all hope is not lost yet. An ostrich normally lives up to 17-18 years. And there’s always the next breeding season. “We expect fertile eggs in the coming season,” said the zookeeper.
As for emus, there are eight - three males and five females. Since they are large birds, they were recently moved in to a spacious new enclosure. But the giant avians chickened out. No eggs, no chicks.
“Although emus here are mature enough to lay fertile eggs, their relocation seems to be a hindrance. The vets even tried incubation, but in vain. It has been two years since they laid fertile eggs,” adds the zookeeper. Their life span is seven -eight years.
And the zoo’s peahen and peacock don’t see eye to eye. “The females are not ‘co-operating’ with the males. There are a total of 25 peafowls in the zoo and in the neighbouring Karanji Lake. The authorities are trying to change the grouping among white peafowls to encourage mating and successful breeding.”
The pheasants are old. There is only one Reeves pheasant; one male green and Monal pheasant and only females in the other varieties. The zoo plans to bring in mates through an ‘animal exchange programme’.
According to a health advisory committee which visited the zoo in August last, the breeding problems among the birds could be the lack
http://www.deccanherald.com/content/116535/breeding-trouble-zoo-leaves-vets.html
Seized lion cubs returned to owner
Under the law confiscated animals are to be given back when medical costs are repaid
The UAE animal welfare officials returned two lion cubs to the same Egyptian owner they charged with animal mistreatment.
The travelling circus which brought the animals to the UAE has now taken them to Bahrain while it is believed the owner has returned to Egypt, a ministry of environment and water official said.
For Dh35,000 each, Mamdouh Al Helw, an Egyptian lion trainer in his 50s offered the cubs for sale to Gulf News in an undercover investigation into the illegal animal and luxury pet trade in the UAE in March, this year.
Posing as potential buyers, Gulf News obtained access to the cubs and was taken to a location between Dhaid and Ras Al Khaimah where four adult lions and one tiger were also caged, and two elephants were tied up.
The cubs, both male, were lame from a bad diet and poor living conditions. They had to receive injections
http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/uae/environment/seized-lion-cubs-returned-to-owner-1.716189
Crocuta crocuta - Jyllands Park Zoo
Photo by: Jonas Livet Courtesy: http://www.leszoosdanslemonde.com/
Dear Colleagues,
Earlier in the week I was answering a couple of queries on Yahoo Answers. I don't go on there very often. I certainly don't go on to abuse the system or cause trouble, simply to answer questions. It makes me think and gives me ideas and lets me spot trends. I had been busy for literally minutes before a warning flashed up saying I was suspended for abuse. I could not figure it. I had done nothing wrong. I have had similar 'suspensions' before from both Facebook and a couple of Social Bookmarking sites for entering too much information too quickly. There I was automatically re-instated usually an hour later. Yahoo Answers was different. Two days later I checked and I was still locked out. There was an email address to write to if I thought it was wrong so I wrote. A little later I had a reply to say the address I had written to was no longer in use and that I should check out the small print. I did. There is a lot of it. I waded through it and could still find no reason for a suspension. There was a choice of contact subjects to email to but not one for my problem. I chose the nearest equivalent and emailed that. To my horror I had a reply which said that they had looked into my case and I was to be completely suspended and would lose everything on Yahoo associated with me. This included Zoo Biology, Zoo News Digest etc. Needless to say, I panicked. Big time and sent out a warning message to group members. I had literally hundreds of emails of support along with suggestions and offers of aid. I am going to try and answer them all but it will be a struggle to do it in a day of so. Especially so as messages keep coming in. If I miss anybody I apologise but thank you one and all.
The good news is that the answer to the problem was amongst the suggestions. This was simply to change over the Group ownership. This I have done. So nothing will change. You don't have to do anything. Everything will work as before. There will be no interruption of services.
I wondered whether it would be a good time to change over to something different. We know it isn't perfect but it does work. The Zoo Biology Group and Zoo News Digest have been on Yahoo for ten or so years now, they were on egroups previously and on my own system before that. There has never been a problem whilst on Yahoo up till the other day. I have decided to stay with it for now. I can review again later. So, as I said the Panic is over. Thank you one and all.
After I posted the message out to the group members I got to thinking that perhaps I had done nothing wrong at all. If I had then it can be only a very minor infringement of the rules. I have been with Yahoo for years. I pay them money every month. I have my photographs stored on their affiliate. One little wrong could surely not mean a ban?
So perhaps, just perhaps it is something I have said here in my editorial. I am outspoken on certain issues because I can be. I do upset people in high places. It is not as if I have not had the threats. So someone powerful has a word with someone powerful and something happens. Does it sound like I am barking up the conspiracy tree or barking mad?
Perhaps not. In my messages of support there were more than one who suggested that as a possibility and one stated:
"Well done! Keep it up and keep your tone! I like the fact that you say what you think whatever others may think. It's crucial. Thanks for everything you do."
I like that word 'crucial'. Rest assured that I remain 100% committed to supporting good zoos but where I see wrong I will say it.
I covered the story about the 'Gay' vultures a couple of weeks ago with a link but I did not comment. Today I am just going to comment on the title of the latest link "German Zoo Forces Gay Vultures to Mate With Females". Ridiculous. Anyone who knows vultures will know you cannot force them to do anything they don't like.
So how much did the Russian Tiger Summit decide to commit towards Tiger Conservation? I know Mr. Di Caprio donated $1 million. I know the summit stated they need $350 million for the first five years but who actually gave what? Just putting things into perspective here. The Detroit Tigers Baseball team have just signed a $50 Million four year deal with Victor Martinez (one man!). The jungle Tigers don't need money, they need action. There seems to have been an endless succession of back slapping meetings. I wonder that the summit has done any good at all. I hope so. As a little man sitting on the outside I believe that the only thing they really need to do is implement all the current protection that tigers have and should enjoy. Root out the corrupt, prosecute to the full extent of the law. That would work. Protect the forests and the tigers will sort themselves out. We really don't need to be talking about doubling the population. We can't even sort our own out.
You will note from the links that there are also plans afoot to protect the Giant Squirrel habitat. Here the Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) M.K. Rao said "A healthy forest is needed to support the squirrel, which sustains itself on..." This is exactly what the Tiger needs. A Healthy Forest!
I wondered what possibly could be new news on the 2007 San Francisco Tiger incident. 'Nachos!'... what a way to sell a paper.
I was delighted yesterday to see that there are plans for a facelift to the the Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife Nature Center. It is about time. I am sure the people who work there will be jumping with joy. They have been striving to do a very worthwhile job whilst being let down with wholly inadequate facilities. But before everyone starts jumping up and down for joy one must think back to July 7th 2009 because that was the last time they announced that they would be doing this. You can read part of that newspaper article in my hub on Ninoy Aquino Park and Wildlife Nature Center in Manila in the Philippines
I dare say that we could all come up with examples but, just because something is the law does not make it right. As Mr Bumble said in 'Oliver Twist', "The law is an ass". How on earth could any law allow two mistreated and starved lion cubs to be returned to their idiotic owner after they had been nursed back to health. Yes the law is an ass. I dread to think what the keepers in Al Ain Wildlife Park and Resort think as it was they who did the nursing.
Earlier in the week I was answering a couple of queries on Yahoo Answers. I don't go on there very often. I certainly don't go on to abuse the system or cause trouble, simply to answer questions. It makes me think and gives me ideas and lets me spot trends. I had been busy for literally minutes before a warning flashed up saying I was suspended for abuse. I could not figure it. I had done nothing wrong. I have had similar 'suspensions' before from both Facebook and a couple of Social Bookmarking sites for entering too much information too quickly. There I was automatically re-instated usually an hour later. Yahoo Answers was different. Two days later I checked and I was still locked out. There was an email address to write to if I thought it was wrong so I wrote. A little later I had a reply to say the address I had written to was no longer in use and that I should check out the small print. I did. There is a lot of it. I waded through it and could still find no reason for a suspension. There was a choice of contact subjects to email to but not one for my problem. I chose the nearest equivalent and emailed that. To my horror I had a reply which said that they had looked into my case and I was to be completely suspended and would lose everything on Yahoo associated with me. This included Zoo Biology, Zoo News Digest etc. Needless to say, I panicked. Big time and sent out a warning message to group members. I had literally hundreds of emails of support along with suggestions and offers of aid. I am going to try and answer them all but it will be a struggle to do it in a day of so. Especially so as messages keep coming in. If I miss anybody I apologise but thank you one and all.
The good news is that the answer to the problem was amongst the suggestions. This was simply to change over the Group ownership. This I have done. So nothing will change. You don't have to do anything. Everything will work as before. There will be no interruption of services.
I wondered whether it would be a good time to change over to something different. We know it isn't perfect but it does work. The Zoo Biology Group and Zoo News Digest have been on Yahoo for ten or so years now, they were on egroups previously and on my own system before that. There has never been a problem whilst on Yahoo up till the other day. I have decided to stay with it for now. I can review again later. So, as I said the Panic is over. Thank you one and all.
After I posted the message out to the group members I got to thinking that perhaps I had done nothing wrong at all. If I had then it can be only a very minor infringement of the rules. I have been with Yahoo for years. I pay them money every month. I have my photographs stored on their affiliate. One little wrong could surely not mean a ban?
So perhaps, just perhaps it is something I have said here in my editorial. I am outspoken on certain issues because I can be. I do upset people in high places. It is not as if I have not had the threats. So someone powerful has a word with someone powerful and something happens. Does it sound like I am barking up the conspiracy tree or barking mad?
Perhaps not. In my messages of support there were more than one who suggested that as a possibility and one stated:
"Well done! Keep it up and keep your tone! I like the fact that you say what you think whatever others may think. It's crucial. Thanks for everything you do."
I like that word 'crucial'. Rest assured that I remain 100% committed to supporting good zoos but where I see wrong I will say it.
I covered the story about the 'Gay' vultures a couple of weeks ago with a link but I did not comment. Today I am just going to comment on the title of the latest link "German Zoo Forces Gay Vultures to Mate With Females". Ridiculous. Anyone who knows vultures will know you cannot force them to do anything they don't like.
So how much did the Russian Tiger Summit decide to commit towards Tiger Conservation? I know Mr. Di Caprio donated $1 million. I know the summit stated they need $350 million for the first five years but who actually gave what? Just putting things into perspective here. The Detroit Tigers Baseball team have just signed a $50 Million four year deal with Victor Martinez (one man!). The jungle Tigers don't need money, they need action. There seems to have been an endless succession of back slapping meetings. I wonder that the summit has done any good at all. I hope so. As a little man sitting on the outside I believe that the only thing they really need to do is implement all the current protection that tigers have and should enjoy. Root out the corrupt, prosecute to the full extent of the law. That would work. Protect the forests and the tigers will sort themselves out. We really don't need to be talking about doubling the population. We can't even sort our own out.
You will note from the links that there are also plans afoot to protect the Giant Squirrel habitat. Here the Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) M.K. Rao said "A healthy forest is needed to support the squirrel, which sustains itself on..." This is exactly what the Tiger needs. A Healthy Forest!
I wondered what possibly could be new news on the 2007 San Francisco Tiger incident. 'Nachos!'... what a way to sell a paper.
I was delighted yesterday to see that there are plans for a facelift to the the Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife Nature Center. It is about time. I am sure the people who work there will be jumping with joy. They have been striving to do a very worthwhile job whilst being let down with wholly inadequate facilities. But before everyone starts jumping up and down for joy one must think back to July 7th 2009 because that was the last time they announced that they would be doing this. You can read part of that newspaper article in my hub on Ninoy Aquino Park and Wildlife Nature Center in Manila in the Philippines
I dare say that we could all come up with examples but, just because something is the law does not make it right. As Mr Bumble said in 'Oliver Twist', "The law is an ass". How on earth could any law allow two mistreated and starved lion cubs to be returned to their idiotic owner after they had been nursed back to health. Yes the law is an ass. I dread to think what the keepers in Al Ain Wildlife Park and Resort think as it was they who did the nursing.
Al Ain Wildlife Park and Resort The Orangutans are waiting, the chimpanzees are waiting and the rest of the zoo world are waiting to see what will happen next
Some Stories You May Have Missed:
Vietnam cannot have both Bears and bear bile
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Do you have an animal/zoo/wildlife photo that you would like to see included at the start of Zoo News Digest? Sorry I can't afford to pay for it but I will credit you and link back to a website if you wish. Sadly I cannot guarantee when I will get round to including as this will depend on the level of response. If you are interested please email the photo to me. Use 'Photo' as your subject heading. Please give your full name, the name of the species and where the photo was taken. I look forward to hearing from you.Some Stories You May Have Missed:
Vietnam cannot have both Bears and bear bile
Remember that the festive season and the new year are just around the corner. You are never stuck for a gift by giving a Calendar or a book. Check out:
2011 Wildlife Calendars
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Kanpur zoo part of global network for animal exchange programmes
As the forest cover is gradually depleting in the country, a threat of extinction is looming large over the endangered species. At this point of time, the zoos are proving to be the pioneers of the effort to breed endangered animals. It is in this regard that the animal exchange programme is given due importance by the authorities of various zoos across the country. But the exchange programme is not an easy task as it requires comprehensive pool of knowledge before going ahead with it.
Thus, to make this task simpler, the Kanpur Zoo sometime ago became a member of the International Species Information System (ISIS), a global organisation that provides world-standard zoological data collection and a sharing software called ARKS (Animal Record Keeping System), enabling the various
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kanpur/Kanpur-zoo-part-of-global-network-for-animal-exchange-programmes/articleshow/6996314.cms
German Zoo Forces Gay Vultures to Mate With Females
German zookeepers are forcing two male vultures who prefer nesting together to mate with females, sparking outrage from gay rights activists who accuse the zoo of discriminating against birds of a different feather.
The trouble began back in March, when Guido and Detlef, two Griffon vultures, decided to move in together. The lovebirds began crafting a two-man nest out of stray twigs in a communal birdcage at their zoo in the town of Munster, in northwest Germany.
Both birds are predatory males, but seemed to enjoy one another's company more than that of any female. They spent their days grooming one another with their beaks and fortifying their nest -- though other vultures occasionally stole their building materials, as if to spite them.
"They always sat so closely together. They defended their nest from the other vultures," the zoo's curator, Dirk Wewers, told The Daily Telegraph of Australia.
But Wewers explains their preference for one another as second-best. "A suitable female was missing and in such a case vultures look for companionship from
http://www.aolnews.com/world/article/german-zoo-forces-gay-vultures-to-mate-with-females/19734614
Singapore Zoo
Governments Commit to Save Tigers
The International Tiger Summit held this week in St. Petersburg approved a wide-ranging program with the goal of doubling the world’s tiger population in the wild by 2022, backed by governments of the 13 countries that still have tiger populations: Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, Vietnam and Russia.
Tigers’ habitats are being destroyed by deforestation and construction, and the animals are a valuable trophy for poachers who want their skins and body parts, which are prized in Chinese traditional medicine. Only about 3,200 tigers remain in the wild — a dramatic plunge from an estimated 100,000 a century ago.
The Global Tiger Recovery Program estimates the countries will need about $350 million in outside funding in the first five years of the 12-year plan. The summit was seeking donor commitments to help governments finance conservation measures.
The program aims to protect tiger habitats, eradicate poaching, smuggling, and illegal trade of tigers and their parts, and also create incentives for local communities to engage them in helping protect the big cats.
Leape said that along with a stronger action against poaching, it’s necessary to set up specialized reserves for tigers and restore and conserve forests outside them to let tigers expand.
“And you have to find a way to make it work for the local communities so that they would be partners in tiger conservation and benefit from it,” Leape said.
“To save tigers you need to save the forests, grasslands and lots of other species,” he added. “But at the same time, you are also conserving the foundations of the societies who live there. Their economy depends very much on the food, water and materials they get from those forests.”
About 30 percent of the program’s cost will go toward
http://www.times.spb.ru/index.php?action_id=2&story_id=33031
Polar Bear Cubs
Scotland's beaver-trapping plan has wildlife campaigners up in arms
Scottish National Heritage's plan to catch 20 beavers highlights problem of animals escaping from private collections
An urgent campaign has been launched to capture up to 20 beavers that have colonised rivers and lochs and are freely breeding in the wild.
The unpublicised project has been authorised by Scottish Natural Heritage, the government wildlife body, after it emerged that a large number of beavers had taken root following a series of escapes from private collections in Angus and Perthshire over the past decade.
Some wildlife experts believe that more than 50 beavers could be roaming free: families of beavers, and evidence of their lodge building, have been regularly seen by villagers and naturalists around Invergowrie on the outskirts of Dundee, Forfar in Angus, Glamis in Perthshire, and Tentsmuir near the mouth of the river Tay.
The animals will be trapped and given to the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, which houses beavers at its Highland wildlife park and is closely involved with the UK's only official beaver reintroduction scheme at Knapdale forest in Mid-Argyll.
But pro-beaver campaigners have furiously attacked the trapping exercise, accusing the conservation agencies of bowing to political pressure from landowners and urging the protection of the Knapdale project to avoid it being damaged by rows over illegal releases.
Sir John Lister-Kaye, a former president of the Scottish Wildlife Trust who keeps beavers at his Aigas wildlife sanctuary near Inverness, said the animals were once native to the UK and should be given protection under European conservation directives if they were breeding successfully.
"I think this is quite simply professional jealousy. Scottish Natural Heritage and the zoo have been quite hostile to those of us who have private collections or who know quite a lot about beavers," he said. "I think the public needs to be in on this debate; they've voted 59% in favour of the beaver."
His criticisms were shared by Paul Ramsay, who owns captive beavers at Alyth near Dundee. He admitted some of his animals had previously escaped but said that wildlife laws were clear: if a previously native species had re-established itself and was healthy, then it could be legally protected. "I think it's extraordinary that they should take this hostile view," he said.
SNH said the trapping operation, which is being supported by Tayside police, was a matter of urgency because beavers were spreading so rapidly. A spokesman said: "The longer we leave it the greater the task will be. We are also urging all owners of animal collections to take greater care in keeping their animals captive."
The controversy highlights a long-standing but rarely discussed problem across the UK, with persistent escapes from private beaver collections and wildlife reserves over the past 20 years, many of which have been covered up or gone unreported.
The Guardian has established that at least 20 beavers are known to have escaped from collections across southern England, the Midlands and Scotland. In some cases, the beavers were either quickly trapped and returned to captivity or believed to have been killed. However, naturalists are convinced they have now established colonies in the wild in the Scottish Highlands, particularly on Loch Tummel and on the Tay and its tributaries, but also potentially in southern England.
In parallel, conservationists in Wales and south-west England have been planning their own legally sanctioned beaver reintroduction projects, but these were being drafted before last month's deep cuts in government spending on environment programmes.
In Knapdale, there are now four beaver families living and breeding on a network of remote lochs in an uninhabited
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/nov/25/beavers-scotland-conservation
Forest dept faces stiff opposition on relocation
With the state forest department waiting for the dust to settle at Sariska before initiating any step in relocating another big cat to the reserve, it's a race against time. For if the department is keen on relocation, a strong opposition is building up to halt it.
Sources said: "A big lobby, whose members are into conservation and tourism, do not want more relocation. They have always been against relocation of tigers from Ranthambore fearing it would take away tourists from the national park. And now that they have a good enough reason, they are not willing to let it go."
However, Union minister of forest and environment Jairam Ramesh, chief minister Ashok Gehlot and the state forest department have insisted on continuing with the relocation in a bid to re-establish a tiger population.
After the death of first male tiger relocated to Sariska ST-1, the state has got into a massive exercise of overhauling the administrative machinery of the park. Relocation of villages from within the park is another top priority for the state after poisoning has been reported as a possible cause of tiger death.
During his recent visit to Sariska, Ramesh had urged the state forest department to speed up relocation . "I am under tremendous pressure in New Delhi," he said. Ramesh had advised the chief of National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) Rajesh Gopal to imm
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/jaipur/Forest-dept-faces-stiff-opposition-on-relocation-/articleshow/6966232.cms
Thailand wants to keep panda
THAI authorities are considering asking China to let Lin Ping, the first female panda born in Thailand, to stay in Thailand's Chiang Mai Zoo for two more years.
Prasertsak Boontrakulpuntawi, head of the zoo's panda-research project, said the contract to keep Lin Ping is going to expire in another six months, after which they have to send her to China.
Following talks to keep Lin Ping longer, Thai officials will have another talk in Thailand with senior Chinese wildlife conservation officials on December 20. Hopeful for a green light from China, the zoo planned the panda section expansion and requested Bt28.5 million from the Zoological Park Organisation or the government for the 2012 fiscal year.
On Saturday morning the 61.2kg cub was let out to the open-air display section for the first time. Its caretakers provided it with an 'Ice Cake' of fruits
http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_608246.html
Examiner Uncovers New "Development" in 2007 Tiger Attack Case: Nachos
The Examiner reported on Thursday night that they obtained a never-before-released police interview with the Brothers Kulbir and Amritpal “Paul” Dhaliwal regarding the 2007 Siberian tiger attack at the San Francisco Zoo, which resulted in the death of 17-year-old Carlos Sousa Jr.. This exclusive report, released just in time for the third anniversary of the incident, promised a "tasty treat" in its headline, which turned out to be the fact that the three victims were eating nachos at some point before Tatiana the tiger escaped her enclosure and attacked them.
This revelation hardly has much relevance, as the article states: "The taped interviews, however, still do not reveal what happened that day, when police had to shoot the tiger to death after the attack." Inspector Valerie Matthews, who headed the investigation, questioned the brothers about whether
http://sfist.com/2010/11/27/examiner_uncovers_new_development_in_2007.php
Plans afoot to protect giant squirrel habitat
A conservation plan for the endangered giant squirrel is being chalked out which inhabits the Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary near Pune
Forest Department officials have teamed up with Bangalore-based Indian Institute of Science (IISc) to chalk out a conservation plan for the endangered giant squirrel, which inhabits the Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary near here.
A peculiar animal known for its shyness and lightning pace, the Ratusa Indica species or the Indian giant squirrel is an attraction for the wildlife enthusiasts visiting the Bhimashankar forest, which also happens to house a famous Shiv temple, one of the 12 “Jyotirlignas“.
In coordination with IISc, we are working out a Geographical Information System (GIS) map to identify threats to the existence of the squirrel to know whether the forest area occupied by it is shrinking or not,” Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) M.K. Rao said.
At present, a census of the animal is being carried out by counting of its nests in the forest and the proposed GIS map is also expected to denote the human disturbance index.
“A healthy forest is needed to support the squirrel, which sustains itself on just leaves and fruit,” Mr. Rao said.
The IISc experts would interact with the forest field staff to enhance their technical skills for a better understanding of the ecology of giant squirrel, which leaps from one tree to another but never
http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/article917240.ece?homepage=true
Geriatric animals pose challenges for zoos
On an overcast Friday at the Salisbury Zoological Park, Poopsie the Andean bear could not be found in her hammock, where she spends most of her time.
Instead, she kept warm in a burrow in her den, which she has called home for nearly 37 years. When she finally emerged, she did so slowly. As the light hit her gray fur, which was once brown, it became evident Poopsie is no spring chicken.
"She's 37? No wonder she's not too active," said Jennifer Cross of Easthampton, Mass.
Poopsie isn't the only animal at the Salisbury zoo who might qualify for a senior discount. According to Director Joel Hamilton, the zoo's female sloth is nearing 37, a few of the alligators are in their mid-30s and one of the flamingos is 42.
Animals tend to live longer while in captivity because "their lives are much easier," said General Curator Ann Konopik, who has been with the zoo for nearly 27 years.
"They don't have to hunt for food or worry about predation, hunters and poachers," she said. "Also, their medical needs are met."
The zoo will celebrate Poopsie's birthday Dec. 27. After she passed the age of 35 1/2, Poopsie became the oldest-living Andean bear on record and "she's
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2010-11-28-geriatric-animals-zoo_N.htm
International designer for India's first night safari
Renowned zoo designer Bernard Harrison, who has designed the famous Singapore night safari, will be designing the upcoming Greater Noida night safari, according to an official.
The Greater Noida night safari will be India's first and the world's fourth - the others being in Singapore, China and Thailand.
According to a Greater Noida Industrial Development Authority official, who didn't wish to be named as he was not authorised to speak to the media, Harrison had recently met officials to discuss the project. He is expected to arrive in India next week to present the digital project report (DPR) to officials.
The night safari, to be set up on over 222 hectares of land, will be located along the Yamuna Expressway near Gautam Budh University, around 40 km from New Delhi. The zoo will have animals like leopards, tigers, crocodiles, gibbons and crocodiles. Only lions will be brought from Africa.
It will also have casinos and restaurants to attract visitors. The land for the project
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/et-cetera/International-designer-for-Indias-first-night-safari/articleshow/7005098.cms
Lions await trip to US refuges
The last of Bolivia's rescued circus lions — 12 females and five males — are now in the hands of animal rights activists, who say the big cats will be sent to wildlife refuges in the United States.
An Associated Press photographer visited the lions on Wednesday.
The felines, though still caged, were under the care of Animal Defenders International. ADI obtained them from circuses that gave them up in compliance with a pioneering Bolivian law that took effect in July prohibiting the use of all animals, domestic and wild, in circuses.
In May, ADI sent four lions to a sanctuary in California. In September, a baboon was sent to a primate center in Britain.
ADI is feeding the lions red meat and vitamin supplements — a big improvement
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101124/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/lt_bolivia_liberated_lions
Edinburgh Zoo penguin cam snowed under with Twitter hits
Zoo closed but penguin snow antics still a hit online
Edinburgh Zoo is closed today due to the weather making it too dangerous for public access. But with hundreds of animals needing fed, most of the staff are still there.
When the attraction's marketing assistant Claire Richardson arrived at work this morning she noticed the penguin webcam was down. She could see the Gengtoo penguins were more active than ever, sliding around in the fresh snow, so rebooted the camera.
Richardson - who also looks after the zoo's Twitter account - sent out a tweet to let people know that, even though the zoo was shut, they could still tune in to see the penguins in action. Within just two hours, Edinburgh Zoo was trending in the UK's top Twitter searches. Richardson's link to the penguin cam was
http://www.guardian.co.uk/edinburgh/2010/nov/29/edinburgh-zoo-penguin-cam-webcam-gentoo-snow
Zoo Society offers scholarship
The Fort Wayne Zoological Society is accepting applications for the Lawrence A. Ackerman Scholarship, which bestows a one-time $2,000 award to a college-bound high school senior pursuing an animal-related career.
The scholarship award is based on an applicant’s character, commitment to the stewardship of animals, financial need and scholastic achievement. Graduating high school seniors in Adams, Allen, DeKalb, Huntington, Kosciusko, LaGrange, Noble, Steuben, Wabash, Wells and Whitley counties are eligible to apply.
The Fort Wayne Zoological Society established the scholarship in 1992 to honor the the late Dr. Larry Ackerman, who served as the zoo’s veterinarian for 25 years.
Interested students can download an application at the zoo’s website, www.kidszoo.org. Students may
http://www.fwdailynews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=9566:Zoo-Society-offers-scholarship&catid=51:latest&Itemid=6
DENR plans P500-M facelift for QC wildlife park
The Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife Nature Center in Quezon City will get a P500-million facelift to turn the place into an ecological tourist attraction and a respite from the urban jungle.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is leading the transformation of the 22.7-hectare park, which houses an assortment of Philippine plants and animals confiscated from illegal traders or turned in by the public.
Urban planner Palafox and Associates was behind the master plan for the park’s redevelopment.
Environment Secretary Ramon Paje said he was looking for partners in the private sector to finance the project since his department’s budget could not shoulder the cost of the facelift.
“Our resources are very limited, whereas the private sector has the much-needed
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/metro/view/20101129-305931/DENR-plans-P500-M-facelift-for-QC-wildlife-park
European cheetahs spearhead drive back into wild
Two European-bred cheetahs are set to take part in a pioneering program to release their young back into the wild in an attempt boost their declining numbers.
As part of the program the hand-reared cheetahs Boumani and Zina will soon be swapping their green fields in Kent, south east England, for the arid Savannah of Kenya early next year.
It is hoped the pair will breed there in a 500-acre enclosure and that their offspring will be taught to hunt by their mother Zina during extended excursions into the adjoining Tsavo national park.
This method of reintroducing captive-bred cheetahs into the wild has never been attempted, says their keeper Jonathan Ames.
"My dream is to prove that captive-bred cheetahs can be successfully placed back in the wild, it is something that has been very unsuccessful [in the past]," Ames told CNN.
"There is no point in breeding cheetahs in captivity if they can't go back into the wild," he adds.
Cheetahs are more vulnerable than many other large predators in Africa -- they are designed for speed and they prey on a relatively small numbers of species, needing vast tracts of land in which to hunt and breed. They are also vulnerable to attack from lions, hyenas and leopards.
The cheetah has three main threats to its survival, according to the Namibia-based Cheetah Conservation Fund: A loss of habitat to farming and urban development; persecution by farmers who think they are a threat to their livestock and poaching for their skins.
Boumani -- his name means warrior in Malawi -- is a three-year-old male weighing just over 13-stone (85kg) who was hand-reared by Ames at the family-run Eagle Heights Wildlife Park in Kent.
The early stages of Boumani's training
http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/europe/11/26/uk.cheetah.kenya/index.html?hpt=Mid
Center plans to build wildlife corridor for pandas in Sichuan Province
A green group said Sunday it will build a wildlife corridor in Sichuan Province to protect wild pandas.
Beijing-based Shan Shui Conservation Center, will use a 1 million yuan gift ($149,981) from a private enterprise for the corridor. The center said Sunday that it will build a 1,000-mu (66.67 hectares) forest of carbon sequestration in Mamize Nature Reserve in Sichuan Province, located at 28 north latitude.
Sun Shan, from the center, told the Xinhua News Agency that pandas in that area are scattered. Based on figures from the third panda census, there are 120 pandas in the area.
"It's the most southern area for panda habitat, and it is vulnerable to climate change," Sun said, adding that the habitat for wild pandas has shrunk due to years of deforestation in the area.
She said 2,000 mu of forest for 20 corridors are needed to protect wild pandas. The 1,000-mu forest of carbon sequestration will absorb 20,000 tons of carbon dioxide over the next 30 years, which equals to emission from 7,500 cars in a year.
"Protecting pandas is not about protecting the pandas kept in the cages of the zoos. It is more about those in the wild area and
http://china.globaltimes.cn/society/2010-11/597250.html
Former zoo veterinarian charged with molest
A former senior veterinarian at the Singapore Zoological Gardens has been charged with four counts of molest.
Fifty-two year-old Oh Soon Hock allegedly outraged the modesty of a 21-year-old ex-colleague at their former workplace between January and March last year.
Oh was known to combine both Western veterinary practices and Chinese traditional medicine when treating animals at the zoo. Once, he even used acupuncture to treat a lame elephant.
Oh, who looked visibly worried as he appeared
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1096185/1/.html
University of York in educational link-up with Flamingo Land zoo
A PARTNERSHIP between the University of York and Flamingo Land, near Malton, is helping to enhance conservation education in the region.
The Knowledge Transfer Partnership draws on expertise in the university’s environment department to promote scientific excellence in the education system at Flamingo Land.
The scheme will enhance conservation education by modernising the range of programmes, and incorporating scientific theory as well as aspects of the National Curriculum. A new research associate will undertake a range of marketing activities and develop educational events, building on the park’s recently-attained “Learning Outside The Classroom” Quality Badge.
This role will also further
http://www.gazetteherald.co.uk/news/8708345.University_of_York_in_educational_link_up_with_Flamingo_Land_zoo/
Breeding trouble at zoo leaves vets brooding
It could be their home away from home. But for some exotic avian residents of the Mysore Zoo, there’s a catch when it comes to hatching.
The ostrich, the emu, the peahen and a few pheasants at the Sri Chamarajendra Zoological Garden have been laying less and infertile eggs in the past two years, leaving the vets “brooding.”
The only female ostrich here’s too young to lay eggs. There are two male and another female bird which are around three years old. This is not the right age for breeding either, say zookeepers.
But all hope is not lost yet. An ostrich normally lives up to 17-18 years. And there’s always the next breeding season. “We expect fertile eggs in the coming season,” said the zookeeper.
As for emus, there are eight - three males and five females. Since they are large birds, they were recently moved in to a spacious new enclosure. But the giant avians chickened out. No eggs, no chicks.
“Although emus here are mature enough to lay fertile eggs, their relocation seems to be a hindrance. The vets even tried incubation, but in vain. It has been two years since they laid fertile eggs,” adds the zookeeper. Their life span is seven -eight years.
And the zoo’s peahen and peacock don’t see eye to eye. “The females are not ‘co-operating’ with the males. There are a total of 25 peafowls in the zoo and in the neighbouring Karanji Lake. The authorities are trying to change the grouping among white peafowls to encourage mating and successful breeding.”
The pheasants are old. There is only one Reeves pheasant; one male green and Monal pheasant and only females in the other varieties. The zoo plans to bring in mates through an ‘animal exchange programme’.
According to a health advisory committee which visited the zoo in August last, the breeding problems among the birds could be the lack
http://www.deccanherald.com/content/116535/breeding-trouble-zoo-leaves-vets.html
Seized lion cubs returned to owner
Under the law confiscated animals are to be given back when medical costs are repaid
The UAE animal welfare officials returned two lion cubs to the same Egyptian owner they charged with animal mistreatment.
The travelling circus which brought the animals to the UAE has now taken them to Bahrain while it is believed the owner has returned to Egypt, a ministry of environment and water official said.
For Dh35,000 each, Mamdouh Al Helw, an Egyptian lion trainer in his 50s offered the cubs for sale to Gulf News in an undercover investigation into the illegal animal and luxury pet trade in the UAE in March, this year.
Posing as potential buyers, Gulf News obtained access to the cubs and was taken to a location between Dhaid and Ras Al Khaimah where four adult lions and one tiger were also caged, and two elephants were tied up.
The cubs, both male, were lame from a bad diet and poor living conditions. They had to receive injections
http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/uae/environment/seized-lion-cubs-returned-to-owner-1.716189
***
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Dear friends of the rain forest,
the Swedish transnational home wares giant, IKEA, sells huge amounts of candles and tealights made of palm oil. But can you enjoy the cosy glow of candles knowing that to produce palm oil rain forests are irretrievably razed, appalling crimes are perpetrated on people living there and the world climate is ruined?
Please take part in our campaign to save the rain forests by writing to IKEA, demanding they stop selling palm oil products.
http://www.rainforest-rescue.org/
Heartfelt thanks and best regards
Klaus Schenck
Rainforest Rescue
22391 Hamburg
49 -40 - 4103804
http://www.rainforest-rescue.org/
http://www.facebook.com/StopAgroenergy
*******************************************************************************
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Carnivore Enrichment: www.facebook.com/carnivoreenrichment
Zoo Enrichment: www.facebook.com/zooenrichment
Primate Enrichment: www.facebook.com/primateenrichment
Enrichment Shape UK and Ireland: http://www.facebook.com/carnivoreenrichment#!/group.php?gid=27267684390
The Shape of Enrichment, Inc: http://www.facebook.com/carnivoreenrichment#!/shapeofenrichment
Avian Enrichment:
http://www.facebook.com/1AvianEnrichment?ref=ts&v=wall
*******************************************************************************
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November 2010 | Vol. 2 | No. 12| Pages 1309-1348 | Date of Publication 26 November 2010
ISSN 0974-7907 (online) | 0974-7893 (print)
Contents
Description of a new species of Netomocera Bou ek (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea: Pteromalidae) from Arunachal Pradesh, India, with a key to world species
-- P.M. Sureshan, Pp. 1309-1312
New records of potter wasps (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Eumeninae) from Arunachal Pradesh, India: five genera and ten species
-- G. Srinivasan & P. Girish Kumar, Pp.1313-1322
Bheemamyces, a new genus of the family Asterinaceae (Ascomycetes)
-- V.B. Hosagoudar , A. Sabeena & M.C. Riju, Pp.1323-1324
On a collection of praying mantids (Insecta: Mantodea) from Goa, India, with new distribution records
-- M.C. Vyjayandi, R.S. Rajeesh, P. Sajin John & M.M. Dhanasree, Pp.1325-1329
A checklist of freshwater fishes of the New Amarambalam Reserve Forest (NARF), Kerala, India
-- Fibin Baby, Josin Tharian, Anvar Ali & Rajeev Raghavan, Pp.1330-1333
Species persistence: a re-look at the freshwater fish fauna of Chennai, India
-- J.D. Marcus Knight & K. Rema Devi, Pp.1334-1337
Sperm Whale Physeter macrocephalus stranded at Devbagh beach, Karwar, western coast of India
-- U.G. Naik, J.L. Rathod & S.B. Haragi, Pp.1338-1341
Distribution and status of Long-tailed Macaque (Macaca fascicularis aurea I. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1830) in Bangladesh
-- Md. Kamrul Hasan & Mohammed Mostafa Feeroz, Pp.1342-1344
Sighting of Tibetan Wolf Canis lupus chanko in the Greater Himalayan range of Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve, Uttarakhand, India: a new record
-- T. Bhattacharya & S. Sathyakumar, Pp.1345-1348
*******************************************************************************
Dear readers,
I am a PhD student working on the husbandry of ex-situ amphibian populations at Manchester University. I am interested in the effect of captive environmental variables, including prey items offered, on captive amphibian populations.
There is a huge variety of live food species available to feed to captive amphibians, available from both commercial breeders and as stock to culture in-house. Making use of this variety may help to promote amphibian health through the provision of a varied diet, in terms of nutritional completeness and adaptation to captivity, and so it is important to get a good picture of what live-food species different institutions are using to feed their animals.
If anyone working with captive populations of amphibians could fill in the ‘doodle poll’ questionnaire at http://doodle.com/fg8rni2ym3ad6kk5 I would be very grateful. The survey will take less than a minute of your time – just fill your name or your institution’s name in the box on the left hand side, underneath ‘Chester Zoo’, and tick the boxes for the livefoods you use. Then click save and you’re done.
Many thanks
Christopher Michaels
Michael Smith Bdg.
Faculty of Life Sciences
University of Manchester
M13 9PT
christopher.michaels@postgrad.manchester.ac.uk
Dear friends of the rain forest,
the Swedish transnational home wares giant, IKEA, sells huge amounts of candles and tealights made of palm oil. But can you enjoy the cosy glow of candles knowing that to produce palm oil rain forests are irretrievably razed, appalling crimes are perpetrated on people living there and the world climate is ruined?
Please take part in our campaign to save the rain forests by writing to IKEA, demanding they stop selling palm oil products.
http://www.rainforest-rescue.org/
Heartfelt thanks and best regards
Klaus Schenck
Rainforest Rescue
22391 Hamburg
49 -40 - 4103804
http://www.rainforest-rescue.org/
http://www.facebook.com/StopAgroenergy
*******************************************************************************
Act Now to Fully Protect Polar Bears
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Zoo Animal Enrichment on Facebook
Carnivore Enrichment: www.facebook.com/carnivoreenrichment
Zoo Enrichment: www.facebook.com/zooenrichment
Primate Enrichment: www.facebook.com/primateenrichment
Enrichment Shape UK and Ireland: http://www.facebook.com/carnivoreenrichment#!/group.php?gid=27267684390
The Shape of Enrichment, Inc: http://www.facebook.com/carnivoreenrichment#!/shapeofenrichment
Avian Enrichment:
http://www.facebook.com/1AvianEnrichment?ref=ts&v=wall
*******************************************************************************
International Journal of Primatology
Volume 1 / 1980 - Volume 31 / 2010
Special Tarsier Edition
*******************************************************************************
The 24th issue of the Journal of Threatened Taxa
is online at
November 2010 | Vol. 2 | No. 12| Pages 1309-1348 | Date of Publication 26 November 2010
ISSN 0974-7907 (online) | 0974-7893 (print)
Contents
Description of a new species of Netomocera Bou ek (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea: Pteromalidae) from Arunachal Pradesh, India, with a key to world species
-- P.M. Sureshan, Pp. 1309-1312
New records of potter wasps (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Eumeninae) from Arunachal Pradesh, India: five genera and ten species
-- G. Srinivasan & P. Girish Kumar, Pp.1313-1322
Bheemamyces, a new genus of the family Asterinaceae (Ascomycetes)
-- V.B. Hosagoudar , A. Sabeena & M.C. Riju, Pp.1323-1324
On a collection of praying mantids (Insecta: Mantodea) from Goa, India, with new distribution records
-- M.C. Vyjayandi, R.S. Rajeesh, P. Sajin John & M.M. Dhanasree, Pp.1325-1329
A checklist of freshwater fishes of the New Amarambalam Reserve Forest (NARF), Kerala, India
-- Fibin Baby, Josin Tharian, Anvar Ali & Rajeev Raghavan, Pp.1330-1333
Species persistence: a re-look at the freshwater fish fauna of Chennai, India
-- J.D. Marcus Knight & K. Rema Devi, Pp.1334-1337
Sperm Whale Physeter macrocephalus stranded at Devbagh beach, Karwar, western coast of India
-- U.G. Naik, J.L. Rathod & S.B. Haragi, Pp.1338-1341
Distribution and status of Long-tailed Macaque (Macaca fascicularis aurea I. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1830) in Bangladesh
-- Md. Kamrul Hasan & Mohammed Mostafa Feeroz, Pp.1342-1344
Sighting of Tibetan Wolf Canis lupus chanko in the Greater Himalayan range of Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve, Uttarakhand, India: a new record
-- T. Bhattacharya & S. Sathyakumar, Pp.1345-1348
*******************************************************************************
Amphibian Livefood Survey
Dear readers,
I am a PhD student working on the husbandry of ex-situ amphibian populations at Manchester University. I am interested in the effect of captive environmental variables, including prey items offered, on captive amphibian populations.
There is a huge variety of live food species available to feed to captive amphibians, available from both commercial breeders and as stock to culture in-house. Making use of this variety may help to promote amphibian health through the provision of a varied diet, in terms of nutritional completeness and adaptation to captivity, and so it is important to get a good picture of what live-food species different institutions are using to feed their animals.
If anyone working with captive populations of amphibians could fill in the ‘doodle poll’ questionnaire at http://doodle.com/fg8rni2ym3ad6kk5 I would be very grateful. The survey will take less than a minute of your time – just fill your name or your institution’s name in the box on the left hand side, underneath ‘Chester Zoo’, and tick the boxes for the livefoods you use. Then click save and you’re done.
Many thanks
Christopher Michaels
Michael Smith Bdg.
Faculty of Life Sciences
University of Manchester
M13 9PT
christopher.michaels@postgrad.manchester.ac.uk
**************************************************************************
Nominations are now open for the 2012 Indianapolis Prize
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