Zoo News Digest: December 2010

Friday, December 31, 2010

Zoo News Digest 29th - 31st December 2010 (Zoo News 714)

Zoo News Digest 29th - 31st December 2010 (Zoo News 714)

http://zoonewsdigest.blogspot.com/

Photo by: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mooitw/5273859719/

peterd482001@yahoo.co.uk

Dear Colleagues,

Wishing everyone a very happy and prosperous New Year for tomorrow and hoping that your New Years Eve is memorable. My thanks to everyone who has supported Zoo News Digest over the past and previous years. I am truly grateful.

Made any resolutions? I have. Tighten my belt and work harder though heaven knows where I will find the hours. I will have to lose a bit of weight too. I am inspired by the success of Susie Boardman, the director of Twycross Zoo, who lost five stone in five months! I never ever thought of Susie as overweight, mind you it is about two years since I last saw her.

That Chiang Mai Zoo is going to ask China to let them keep their Panda Cub a while longer does not surprise me. They have done very well out of it and are likely to for a while longer. No, what does surprise me is the statemement "Chiang Mai Zoo has been trying to separate Lhinping from her mother Lin Hui so officials can examine the cub"... what? That little Pandaling is always out and about away from its mother. It was even dressed as Santa at Christmas. Obviously another case of the press making an incorrect interpretation of what was actually said.

I don't believe that the rising deer population should be a headache for Delhi Zoo. Credit to them for the success. The obvious and practical management solution is to cull some of the animals out over the next few months. There will be less animals to feed and the meat could be used to feed the carnivores. They would save money from two directions. Quality of life for the remaining animals would improve and the carnivores lives would be enriched until they returned to normal rations.

The elephant birth in Rostov-on-Don is great news. Nice bit of video footage there too. Do take a look.

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Tyre tunnel home being built for Durrell bats in Jersey
Fruit bats from Jersey are half-way towards getting a new home, the island's zoo says.
A new tunnel is being built for them to live in at the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust using about 800 locally-sourced used tyres.
About 400 staff from HSBC are involved in the work and have finished the first stage of the project, the trust said.
Deputy head of mammals Dominic Wormell said the new habitat would be more energy-efficient when completed.
The project - expected to take four weeks - involves upgrading the current tunnel that houses the Livingstone's fruit bat.
The tyres are being be filled with earth and used to create the exterior wall of the new tunnel, the trust said.
The tunnel would provide the perfect environmental conditions for the tropical Livingstone's fruit bat, it added.
There are believed
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-jersey-12085787

Man sues Bakersfield museum after raccoon attack
A man is suing a Bakersfield zoo and museum for negligence after he was attacked by an escaped raccoon from one of its live exhibits.
The Bakersfield Californian reports that 31-year-old Ian Smith is seeking more than $25,000 from the California Living Museum for lost wages and medical expenses. He also claims his 9-year-old daughter suffered personal pain and injuries after witnessing the Jan. 31 attack.
Smith, a trained kickboxer, reportedly fought off the
http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_16960023?nclick_check=1

Artist’s work adds to the zoo experience
Thousands of visitors to the Phillips Park Zoo have enjoyed the reptile house and bald eagle exhibits over the last five years. But they might not have consciously noticed the large, scenic murals that unobtrusively depict the animals’ natural habitats.
The man behind the murals at the zoo is 41-year-old Chris Mascarella.
Mascarella, of Crystal Lake, has worked for the city’s parks and maintenance departments since 1993. During the summers, he works at the city’s Fox Valley Golf Course in North Aurora. In the winters, he plows snow and does other maintenance work.
His artwork was most recently on display at the Phillips Park Visitors Center during Santa’s chats with children before Christmas. Dan Anderson, director of parks and recreation, wanted to enhance Santa’s corner by placing plywood over the windows behind Santa’s chair so families who brought along their cameras didn’t end up with glass glare in their keepsake photos. He asked Chris to paint a winter display, but left the rest to the artist.
The result was a whimsical winter scene, painted as a double
http://beaconnews.suntimes.com/news/2973015-418/mascarella-zoo-santa-scene-visitors.html

Sacramento Zoo's Reptile House Evacuated
The reptile house at the Sacramento Zoo was evacuated Tuesday afternoon after a heating and air-conditioning unit malfunctioned and caused smoke, zoo officials said.
Visitors were told to leave the area.
The reptile house will remain closed for the rest of the day.
The zoo said all residents inside the reptile house seem to be fine and that they're being checked
http://www.kcra.com/r/26302902/detail.html

PCMC to check feasibility of zoo outsourcing
The Pimpri Chinchwad municipal corporation will look into the feasibility of outsourcing the running of the Bahinabai Chaudhary zoo, before implementing a resolution approved by the standing committee in this regard.
Speaking to TOI on Tuesday, Prakash Kadam, additional commissioner, said, "The standing committee resolution approving outsourcing of the work of running and maintenance of the zoo was tabled by an elected member and not the civic administration."
He said, "The administration will have to check whether it is more profitable and proper for the PCMC to outsource this work than run the zoo on its own. Also, if it is found to be profitable then we need to take a decision on whether or not to invite bids for the contract to outsource the work."
A short notice resolution was approved by the standing committee last week to outsource the running of the Bahinabai Chaudhary zoo to the Indian Herpetological Society (IHS). The resolution states that the Union government has recommended the creation of four posts of director and biologist and the IHS has the experience of operating the zoo in Pune. The IHS will hire people for these posts and run the zoo.
"It is profitable for the PCMC to outsource the work. The
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/pune/PCMC-to-check-feasibility-of-zoo-outsourcing/articleshow/7180907.cms

Trees come between grand zoo plan
A biodiversity report on the Byculla Gardens has said that the zone has more plant species than estimated, making it imperative that the 47-acre green lung be preserved as it is. The study commissioned by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and municipal heritage committee said that the BMC’s plans for the Rs600-crore ‘international zoo’ at the site will destroy the park’s biodiversity apart from damaging animal and plant habitat created in it over the last 150 years.
The report by botanist Marselin Almeida said that the park, originally laid out in 1861 as a botanical garden, has 276 species of trees — 50 more than earlier estimated. The report, which used GPS indicators for the first time to establish the exact location of trees, also counted the park’s plant species for the first time and said there were 843 plant types, including tree species, from 149 botanical families.
Apart from the addition of animal enclosures and more plant species, little has changed at the park over the last 150 years. But in 2007, the BMC announced plans to redevelop the park by creating
http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_trees-come-between-grand-zoo-plan_1487473

Zoo staffer wins Lifetime Achievement Award
If ever an opportunity arises to visit the “bowels” of the zoo, take advantage of it. And when we say bowels, we mean it! It is there you will find Mr. Jimmy Bucsit flipping, and forking, and hauling, and hosing, and performing all kinds of other duties required to keep those famous piles of poop percolating in the Zoo Doo yard. It is for that work—25 dedicated years of it—that Jimmy was honored this month with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the
http://woodlandparkzblog.blogspot.com/2010/12/zoo-staffer-wins-lifetime-achievement.html

Concrete jungle: Department store's zoo sparks controversy
A few staff members cast suspicious looks at me as my video camera rolled. One asked why I was filming.
I wasn't in army-ruled Myanmar or communist North Korea. I was visiting a zoo –in Bangkok – and the employees were monitoring me closely.
"One of our zookeepers even has a picture of the gorilla in his wallet, instead of his wife," the staff member said. "You see, we really love our animals."
But it's a tough love out here at Pata Zoo, a concrete jungle on the top two floors of a department store on a busy road in Bangkok.
Solitary penguin
About 200 species – a gorilla, a penguin, bears, tigers, leopards, sheep, flamingos, pythons, and nocturnal animals – are crammed into cages and pens that are too small or otherwise inadequate for them. The two floors of the zoo are each about the size of a soccer field.
The zoo's superstar, a 20-year-old female gorilla, lives in a 10x15-yard concrete pen. "Bua Noi," as she is called, sat gripping the iron bars of her dim
http://worldblog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2010/12/29/5689748-concrete-jungle-department-stores-zoo-sparks-controversy-

Read My Articles on this place:

Pata Zoo in Bangkok, Thailand

The Pata Zoo Gorilla Keeper

53 animal parks ordered to stop abuse
The State Forestry Administration (SFA) has ordered 53 wildlife parks and zoos that stage animal shows to improve their management after inspections found animals' welfare had not been well protected.
The administration also nullified the certifications of seven other parks and zoos that violated laws.
The measures came after a nationwide inspection revealed commercial performances have led to animals' frequent abuse and exploitation.
The central government has sent six teams to monitor and evaluate 500 wildlife parks and zoos nationwide since October.
The inspections found poor management and illegal activities in some zoos and wildlife parks were increasingly causing rare species' deaths. There were also incidents in which animals injured visitors, SFA department of wildlife conservation and nature reserve management director Zhang Xiwu was quoted by Xinhua News Agency as saying.
Some zoos were found unable to provide animals' basic care because of their insufficient profits and others were found to be engaged in illegal wildlife product sales, Zhang told a meeting in Guangzhou on Monday.
"Both the security of endangered species and the safety of the public are threatened by improper management," SFA deputy head Yin Hong told Xinhua.
An estimated 700 public zoos, wildlife parks and circuses organize animal performances, which attract about 150 million visitors a year.
International Fund for Animal Welfare Beijing office campaign manager Hua Ning told China Daily she viewed the restrictions on animal performances as a positive step toward animal rights protection.
"I believe many Chinese would be unhappy if they knew the baby tigers they hold in their arms for photos (in some zoos) have had their canine teeth pulled out," Hua said.
"The government needs to help zoos and aquariums
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90001/90782/90872/7245070.html

Upkeep of zoo in Pune to be outsourced
The Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) is planning to outsource maintenance of the Bahinabai Choudhary zoo to a private player at a cost of Rs20 lakh per year, and the standing committee recently gave its clearance for the proposal.
According to sources, the PCMC will offer a hike of 10% per year for five years in the amount to be paid to the private party.
According to the Central Zoo Authority (CZA), the posts of curator, veterinarian, biologist and compounder need to be filled up, but the PCMC plans to outsource
http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_upkeep-of-zoo-in-pune-to-be-outsourced_1487712

Rising deer population a headache for Delhi Zoo
Officials at the Delhi Zoo are racking their brains trying to find housing for its burgeoning deer population as they are running out of enclosures to accommodate them.
The Delhi zoo has 11 species and sub-species of antelopes and deer, of which three varieties -- Black bucks, Sambar and Hog deer -- are over-populated, according to officials.
'We have about 130 black bucks, 70 Sambar deer and over 50 Hog deer,' an official said.
Few endangered groups like Sangai, Chinkara and Chowchinga are also present.
According to zoo officials, various steps are being taken to control the expanding deer population.
'As the deer are prolific breeders, we plan to discourage breeding in other varieties except the endangered species,' the official said.
However, the zoo authorities said they face a lot of challenges in controlling the deer population.
'For example, the black buck antelope
http://www.sify.com/news/rising-deer-population-a-headache-for-delhi-zoo-news-national-km4skxighcf.html

'Underage' elephant gives birth to calf at south Russian zoo
An underage elephant has given birth to a 70-kilogram (154 pound) calf at a zoo in the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don, a zoo official said on Wednesday.
The elephant cow named Sinta is one of three elephants who arrived to Russia from Berlin last year in an exchange by the Russian zoo for a polar bear. The elephants, two bulls and the cow, are around six years old.
Elephants are generally considered fully grown at the age of 10-12. They usually live to 60 or 70 years of age.
"The birth of the baby elephant came as a complete surprise for us: although the Germans warned us that Sinta could have been pregnant, we didn't have our hopes up because she is still underage...However
http://en.rian.ru/strange/20101229/161982477.html

See Video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XyNC83INaFk

Vet loses five stone as part of big changes at the zoo
A vet who has become the public face of Twycross Zoo has undergone her own transformation to coincide with the big changes that have taken place there.
During the past five years Twycross has had new animal enclosures built and improved visitor facilities created as part of a modern new look.
As the changes took effect zoo director Dr Susie Boardman found herself more and more in the public eye. Because of that, the high-powered wildlife vet and founder of the Wildlife Information Network, conservation charity decided she needed a new look – so went on a crash diet.
She managed to lose five stone in five months, converting her size 18 dress size to size eight and re-energising
http://www.thisisleicestershire.co.uk/news/Vet-loses-stone-big-changes-zoo/article-3048566-detail/article.html

Zoo plans home for new bull elephant
DUBLIN Zoo is planning an elaborate home for a new addition, due to arrive in the middle of next year.
A bull elephant is being introduced to the herd as part of the zoo's international breeding programme.
Now the search is on to find someone to build a single-storey bull elephant house with keepers' access for the latest addition.
The new elephant house in the Kaziranga Forest Trail section of the zoo will have an 11-metre wall lined with insulated panels. It will be divided into animal and keeper
http://www.herald.ie/national-news/city-news/zoo-plans-home-for-new-bull-elephant-2476963.html

Singapore Zoo breeds more giant river terrapins
THE Singapore Zoo has successfully bred four giant river terrapins. These terrapins are native to Peninsular Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia and Sumatra, with more expected to join the family of eight in the months to come.
Both female terrapins at the zoo were recently found to be with eggs, due to be laid at any time.
X-ray examinations on Dec 13, 2010 revealed that they were carrying over 40 eggs between them. The incubation period for these rare and elusive terrapins ranges from 68 to 112 days.
Giant river terrapins lay their eggs only once a year and the Singapore Zoo has successfully had four hatchlings to date in 2007 and 2009 - two of which are now on display at the Proboscis Monkey pool, while the others are in the turtle hatchery facility.
The park is currently home to the two adult females, two adult males and the four hatchlings.
Considered an extremely rare species, this breed, also
http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_618155.html

Talks to extend panda cub's stay
China is being asked to allow the giant panda cub Lhinping, a celebrity at Chiang Mai Zoo, to stay in Thailand for two more years.
Zoological Park Organisation chief Sophon Damnui said on Thursday that his agency and the Natural Resources and Environment Minister Suwit Khunkitti have been working to extend the contract signed with China to keep Lhinping at Chiang Mai Zoo for another two years.
There are only a few months left before the cub is sent to China under the existing contract.
The cub was born on May 27 last year to Lin Hui and Xuang Xuang, two giant pandas on a 10-year loan from China since 2003.
The minister had visited Beijing twice for talks on extending the cub's stay with China’s deputy forestry minister, Mr Sophon said. The topic of a panda research centre in Chiang Mai was also discussed.
He said China would send representatives to inspect the living conditions of the giant pandas and their baby in Thailand. The delegation is scheduled to visit Chiang Mai Zoo between Jan 8 and 14.
Thai authorities would discuss the proposed extension of the cub's stay during the Chinese representatives’ visit, said Mr Sophon.
Chiang Mai Zoo has been trying to separate Lhinping from her mother Lin Hui so officials can examine the cub. Normally, separating a panda cub from its mother is done when the cub is one year old.
http://www.bangkokpost.com/breakingnews/212842/china-asked-to-extend-panda-s-stay

Locusts threaten bamboo supplies
Locusts are threatening the bamboo supply at the Halls Gap Zoo, forcing owners Greg and Yvonne Cullel to call on the public for assistance.
The arrival of the first red panda at the Halls Gap Zoo was welcomed by Greg and Yvonne, but they now have concerns with the impact the locusts are having on their bamboo supplies.
Red pandas are smaller than China's black and white pandas, growing to just over one metre in length with rusty red fur, a striped tail and white and red facial fur.
Like the Giant Panda, it cannot digest cellulose so it must consume a large volume of bamboo. Its diet consists of about two thirds bamboo, but they also eat berries, fruit, mushrooms, roots and grasses.
Greg and Yvonne have a bamboo plantation at the zoo, but with the arrival of the locusts who are destroying the supplies, they are searching for supplementary supplies.
Anyone in the region who may be growing bamboo in their yard is being asked to assist by making a donation. Greg will make himself available to attend and harvest the bamboo stalks, leaving the roots to ensure the plant continues to thrive.
"We will only take what we need and leave the roots there so the bamboo will grow back," Greg said.
"The locusts have been causing us big problems
http://www.stawelltimes.com.au/news/local/news/general/locusts-threaten-bamboo-supplies/2036998.aspx

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2011 Annual Conference of the Animal Behavior Management Alliance

“Miles Above… and Beyond! Elevating Behavior Management”

Join us in Denver, CO, the Mile High City April 17 – 22, 2011

Call for Papers and Posters!

With the 2011 ABMA conference approaching rapidly, we are now seeking submissions for the paper and poster sessions. If you have a behavior management accomplishment, an intriguing case study, a research project, or innovation for the field, especially one that resonates with the theme of the conference, please come share it with your colleagues! Now is the time to put together an abstract and submit it!

Regular submission deadline: January 15th, 2011.

Travel Scholarship deadline: January 1st, 2011.

Conference Details and Teasers:

· Keynote Speaker: Jill Mellen, PhD. Education and Science Director, Disney’s Animal Kingdom

· Workshops: Team Communication, Training Evaluation, Goal Based Enrichment, TAG Teach

· Site Visits: Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, Downtown Aquarium Denver, and Earth Day at Denver Zoo

· Preconference Trip: Rescue demonstration in the Rocky Mountains with Avalanche Deployment Unit search and rescue dogs

· Conference Hotel: the JW Marriott in Denver’s hip and pedestrian friendly Cherry Creek North neighborhood (book your rooms now!)

· CEU credits available through CCPDT and IAABC

Registration for the conference is now open!

ABMA is a unique professional animal behavior organization that brings together colleagues from the zoo and aquarium field, the domestic and companion animal world , academics, and agriculture This means more expertise, more variety, and more tools to add your behavior management toolbox! And where else can you get all of this for under $300? Register before March 15th and take advantage of one of the best professional deals out there - registration prices will be the same as they were for the 2010 conference.

Further details can be found at the http://www.theabma.org/

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http://www.indianapolisprize.org/

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Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Fear of the Animal Planet The Hidden History of Animal Resistance

Animal Resistance? Only an Animal Rights activist could put those two words together.

Zoo News Digest 22nd - 28th December 2010 (Zoo News 713)

Zoo News Digest 22nd - 28th December 2010 (Zoo News 713)

http://zoonewsdigest.blogspot.com/

Gavilán de Monte (Accipiter bicolor)

Photo By: Juan Villalba
BIOPARQUE M'BOPICUÁ - Área de Conservación de Flora y Fauna Uruguaya

Peter Dickinson

peterd482001@yahoo.co.uk

Dear Colleagues,

Unfortunately I got stuck in Cambodia longer than intended which meant an even bigger build up of emails to answer. Happily it is fairly quiet on the zoo scene, though we are slowly approaching the silly season. There are though some very interesting links here.

Delighted to learn that the Killer Whale is doing so well. The Guinea Pigs in Edmonton is a bit of a worry. Several things spring to mind but no doubt more has to be learned as yet.

How many people died in your town, village or city this year? People do die and so do animals and some in inexplicable circumstances. If it is people then the press do not start listing those who died in the past few years... Mr Jones, Mrs Smith, Miss Tingle, Mr Terious etc etc Why do they insist on doing it with zoos? To make them look inadequate or what? Zoo staff in Good Zoos care about their animals and don't need a kick in the crotch by some reporter when they are mourning an animal they cared about.

Stories like "Mozambique's war-hit wildlife park slowly recovers" really should make the anti-zoo brigade think....only sadly it won't. Here 95% of the wildlife were killed. Okay so zoos have not played a part in the recovery (as far as I am aware) but they could have done. 95% is not so very far from 100%. Let's not kid ourselves that this is the last conflict. Look at any newspaper today. It could be somewhere else tomorrow. We need zoos. Good Zoos!

I was angry to learn that the 'Animals in Aurangabad zoo not fed for two days'. I read a few links to the incident and was pleased the situation was quickly rectified once the situation was made aware. Isn't it odd though that someone with an anti-zoo slant can make the situation seem that bit worse. I refer here to 'Zoo Deliberately Deprives Animals of Food'. The ZOO deliberately deprives?? I think not. This suggests it was the Zoo Keepers when I feel quite surely it was not....so was it management? There is the statement that it was the 'company' running the zoo. Who exactly are they? A company running a Municipal Zoo. If true then they need to be kicked out today. Tomorrow is too late in my eyes. This is simply not good enough. I thought the 'Animals Starved' used in some reports was a bit strong but it has the appeal which the press like.
I interpret the 'real' story as the contractors who supply the zoo with food were not paid due to an oversight or bureaucratic bungle by the municipality and so the contractors refused to supply till paid. This is hardly the zoos fault. So am I wrong or am I right?
Anyone who can give me a very clear and honest view of the situation here please let me know as I am sure Zoo News Digest readers are interested.

Pandas? Personally I don't really see the fascination. They are pretty enough I suppose but there are far rarer, far more important and endangered species out there. They just need promoting and marketing properly. Perhaps they won't bring in quite as many visitors but at least they won't lose you money.

I am sure that Georges Laraque is a good man but he is holding the stick at the wrong end. What he really needs to do is become objective. Spend the next month working in the zoo as a volunteer, working alongside the keepers, eating and chatting with them (and without the press on his back). I feel 99% sure that if he gave it a month that his feelings would change. All elephants are different and their keepers know them best.

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

Remember that the new year is just around the corner. You are never stuck for a gift by giving a Calendar or a book. Check out:

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Zoo News Digest Facebook page
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See new vacancies posted in recent days. Take a look at:

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

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

Is your meeting/conference/symposium listed here?http://zoosymposia.blogspot.com/

If not why not? ZooNews Digest is read by more zoo people than any other similar publication. I will advertise up till the event.

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Rare Saharan Cheetah Photographed in the Wild
An elusive Saharan cheetah recently came into the spotlight in Niger, Africa, where a hidden camera snapped photos of the ghostly cat, whose pale coat and emaciated appearance distinguish it from other cheetahs.
In one of the images the sleek, light-colored cat with small spots on its coat and a small head is turning in the direction of the camera, its eyes aglow.
Its appearance, and how the Saharan cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus hecki) is genetically related to other cheetahs is open to question, said John Newby, CEO of the Sahara Conservation Fund (SCF), who is part of the team, along with SCF's Thomas Rabeil and
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-501465_162-20026593-501465.html

Aquarium-raised whale thriving in the wild
The first killer whale to be released into the wild after human intervention was recently spotted in good health north of Vancouver Island with the rest of its pod.
Ten-year-old Springer, found orphaned and starving near the Seattle waterfront over eight years ago, was reported to be in excellent condition by research biologists.
The young whale's recovery was made possible by the Vancouver Aquarium's B.C. wild killer whale adoption program, which has funded research efforts for 18 years.
"Killer whales are an iconic species, the public care about them. But going out in boats is expensive and with the kind of research we do, we needed to find some way to fund it," said Lance Barrett-Lennard, a senior marine mammal scientist and adjunct professor at the University of British Columbia.
"[Springer's rescue] was to a great extent because of the research that we conducted
http://www.torontosun.com/news/canada/2010/12/22/16640186.html

Four lions imported 'illegally' to Karachi
A Pakistani exotic animal dealer is battling to recover four lions which were impounded in Karachi Zoo after he had them flown in from South Africa.
Wildlife officials said it was illegal to import big cats and that the buyer, Irfan Ahmed, did not have valid import papers. He denies this.
The lions arrived in Karachi on Wednesday after being flown from Johannesburg to Frankfurt in November.
Zoos have often imported lions to Pakistan, where the cats are extinct.
Fahmida Firdous, chief conservation officer at Sindh province's Wildlife Department, told the BBC that Mr Ahmed's import permit had expired in June 2008.
"It has not been renewed since then. Besides, there has been a ban on the import of large wild cats since October 2008."
But Mr Ahmed, owner of Osaka Traders, which imports and exports animals and birds, told the BBC: "If I did not have the required documents, how could I fly these animals
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-12074775

Zebra the latest fatality at Canadian zoo
A zebra has died of unknown causes at a Canadian zoo that has come under fire for several animal fatalities in recent years, officials said on Friday.
A 13-year-old Grevy's Zebra died at the Calgary Zoo's breeding facility on Wednesday after it was found collapsed in a heated barn, the zoo said in a statement.
Veterinarians at the satellite facility, located outside the city, managed to revive the animal, named Igali, but it was unable to stand and later died, officials said.
The zebra, which is native to Eastern Africa, was born in Florida and had lived at the zoo for six years. A zebra's life span is normally about 25 years.
The zoo said it expects results from tests to determine the cause of death in early 2011. It said its staff saw no previous health problems.
A hippopotamus, four gorillas, a capybara and 41 stingrays were among creatures that died at the Calgary Zoo in recent years.
In June, the zoo officials adopted a plan to improve animal care practices after independent auditors uncovered systemic pr
http://ca.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idCATRE6BN2GA20101224

Kids go free at ZSL London Zoo: 26 to 31 December 2010
The presents are unwrapped, the crackers pulled and dinner eaten; it’s time to banish the boredom with a visit to ZSL London Zoo – where between Sunday 26 and Friday 31 December, the Zoo is inviting five kids to visit for free with just one full-paying adult.
http://www.zsl.org/zsl-london-zoo/news/kids-go-free-at-zsl-london-zoo,779,NS.html

Most of zoo guinea pigs killed with poison
Tests show some of the 65 dead animals exhibited signs of being attacked
The 65 guinea pigs that died at the Edmonton Valley Zoo in May were victims of a deliberate attack, an investigation has found.
Necropsies revealed the majority of the rodents were poisoned, while some were killed by a small animal, said Milton Ness, Valley Zoo veterinarian.
Ness believes the attack was intentional. "I have no doubt in my mind that this was done on purpose."
Those responsible for the attack brought an animal similar in size to a small terrier into the enclosure to terrorize the guinea pigs, Ness said. He said the attack pattern of killing several guinea pigs indicates it was a domestic animal.
"Wild animals wouldn't do this. If they broke into the pen, they would grab a meal and run off."
The dead guinea pigs were discovered May 26. Orange slices that are suspected to have been poisoned were found
http://www.edmontonjournal.com/news/Most+guinea+pigs+killed+with+poison/4022805/story.html

Lioness drowns in Lyon zoo
A young lioness recently arrived at Lyon zoo in eastern France has drowned in the moat surrounding her enclosure.
A Lyon town hall spokesman said the lioness died because she ran out of her covered shelter and fell into the moat.
"Visitors were evacuated to allow firefighters to intervene. But when they fished her out, the animal was already dead", a spokesman said.
Unlike tigers, lions are not good swimmers.
Lyon zoo is planning on putting a system of grates in the moat to prevent a repeat of the incident, which happened on the first day the lioness spent in the male lion's
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/8221648/Lioness-drowns-in-Lyon-zoo.html

Feline Conservation Federation Supports African Cheetah and Leopard Research Project
The Feline Conservation Federation (www.FelineConservation.org) and T.I.G.E.R.S., The Institute of Greatly Endangered and Rare Species have presented $2,000 in funding from their Rare Species Fund to the Matabeleland Leopard and Cheetah Project. This fund was created by T.I.G.E.R.S. and is managed and distributed by the FCF for worldwide conservation of felines and the territories they inhabit.
The Matabeleland Leopard and Cheetah Project was started in 2001 in Zimbabwe. This project works closely with Viv Wilson and staff at the Chipangali Wildlife Trust in support of the wildlife strategies of Zimbabwe's National Parks. The main objective of the research is to monitor the home range, movements and behaviors of leopard and cheetah in order to aid in their conservation.
The Feline Conservation Federation is a Washington, D.C. based international feline conservation organization. The mission of FCF is to preserve, protect and
http://markestglobal.com/data/con521551495a/page_25407766

New problems for crested ibis
China's conservation work for the endangered crested ibis is facing new challenges, including an increasing mortality rate due to inbreeding, and the conflict between the need to expand natural habitats and local communities' economic interests, bird experts have warned.
The crested ibis, once widespread in Japan, China, Russia and the Korean Peninsula, almost became extinct in the first half of the 20th century.
Before 1981, when seven crested ibis were accidentally found in Yangxian county, in Northwest China's Shaanxi province, academics thought the species had been extinct in China for almost 17 years.
Due to the huge effort put into species protection since 1981, the number of crested ibis in China has risen to an estimated 1,617, including 997 in the wild, the State
http://www.china.org.cn/2010-12/22/content_21593654.htm

Keepers break ice to stop tigers escaping
The big freeze is affecting all creatures - great and small - in different ways.
Staff at Plymouth's Dartmoor Zoo had to smash through up to 5 inches of ice as the moat surrounding the big cat enclosure froze over.
Curator, Colin Northcott, said the tigers could escape over the solid ice.
Over the weekend some of the animals which usually had free reign within their enclosures, including tigers and a jaguar, were kept indoors
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12062831

Blood donors eligible for free zoo admission
Nashville Zoo at Grassmere will hold a blood drive next week that will include a free admission for donors good through March 31.
http://www.tennessean.com/article/20101222/NEWS01/101222021/Blood-donors-eligible-for-free-zoo-admission

Photos of Emperor Penguin hatched in Hutan Polar World on 17th August 2010
http://blog.sina.com.cn/cnbabypenguin

A shocking festive display: Japanese aquarium uses an electric EEL to power its 6ft tall Christmas tree
An aquarium in Japan is shocking visitors with its Christmas display - using an eco-friendly electric eel to illuminate the lights on its holiday tree.
Each time the eel moves, two aluminium panels gather enough electricity to light up the 6 ft tall tree, decked out in white, in glowing intermittent flashes.
The aquarium in Kamakura, just south of Tokyo, has featured the electric eel for five years to encourage ecological sensitivity.
http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/news/article-1339462/A-shocking-festive-display-Japanese-aquarium-uses-electric-EEL-power-6ft-tall-Christmas-tree.html

Elephant's durian dung an aphrodisiac
UNDIGESTED durian fruits excreted by elephants may sound disgusting, but faecal fruit could well be the most expensive (and delicious) aphrodisiac from the jungle.
As supply is scarce, it is learnt that timber tycoons with good connections with the Orang Asli are willing to pay about RM1,000 for a sample.
Simply termed as "elephant durians", the fruits are collected the same way as kopi luwak (civet coffee) in Indonesia.
While the natives in Sumatra trail after the civet in search for its faeces consisting of undigested coffee berries, the Jakun in Malaysian forests follow elephants which have swallowed durian fruits.
They have to take the risk to follow the mammals for at least four hours, as this is the duration needed by the animals for digestion before the fruit is excreted with the faeces.
Malaysia Nature Society advisor (Johor branch) Vincent Chow heard about this aphrodisiac from his timber tycoon friends and Orang Asli.
He said timber tycoons will usually book in advance
http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/22vincent/Article/

Read Elephant Aphrodisiac

Potty training at the sloth orphanage from Amphibian Avenger on Vimeo.

Pandas will leave Adelaide Zoo in debt for a decade
ADELAIDE Zoo has a giant panda debt it will be paying off for a decade, the non-profit conservation charity says.
On the first anniversary of the pandas' Adelaide debut, Zoos SA chief executive Dr Chris West said the zoo was "not floating on a sea of panda dollars" and borrowed $6.7 million to turn the dream into reality, reported AdelaideNow.
"We are a charity, bringing very significant tourism revenue into South Australia but we are not loaded ourselves," he said.
"We are stretched - against a balanced business plan - and will be repaying the bank for a while. The time-frame for paying off the panda debt depends on several factors including visitation, other revenue and panda babies, but at the current
http://www.news.com.au/national/wang-wang-leaves-giant-panda-debt-for-adelaide-zoo/story-e6frfkvr-1225976525886

Animals in Aurangabad zoo not fed for two days
Animals in the 'Siddharth Garden' zoo were left hungry due to a food shortage occurred following mismanagement by the authorities here on Sunday.
The authorities were shifting the blame for not providing food to the animals on each other.
Madhukar Anavadya, the Animal Conservation Committee chairman, lamented over the issue and suggested the zoo officials to look into the matter.
"The incident which happened inside the zoo maintained by the Municipal Corporation of Aurangabad has not left anybody happy in the District. These animals cannot speak but earn good revenue for the municipal corporation and these animals were kept hungry for two days this is indeed very saddening. We hope that this incident is not repeated again," said Anavadya.
The authorities claimed that timing of food should be maintained and admitted that there has been a lapse in management and the food for the animals has been arriving late since past two or three days.
"Providing good quality of food and that too on time is very important. If that is not maintained then the health of animals
http://www.sify.com/news/animals-in-aurangabad-zoo-not-fed-for-two-days-news-national-km0qkeahbhd.html

Zoo Deliberately Deprives Animals of Food
Animals at a zoo in India were deliberately deprived of food for two days because of a dispute about payment to the zoo contractor.
The company in charge of running the Siddharth Zoo in Aurangbad, India had not been paid by city officials for the past three months. In protest to the delay the company refused to feed the animals and ordered employees to leave the zoo.
Zoo employees upset by the situation went directly to the mayor’s office to complain. Mayor Anita Ghodele then ordered that immediate payment be made to the zoo contractor.
However, the check was not handed over to the contractor. Instead city employees claimed they could not cut the check
http://www.care2.com/causes/animal-welfare/blog/zoo-animals-deliberately-deprived-of-food/

Camden Aquarium not paying medical bills for diver bitten by shark
THE SHARK was like a master surgeon, sinking its mouthful of scalpels into Robert Large's flesh so quickly and with such precision last year that he felt almost no pain whatsoever.
Large, a longtime volunteer diver at Camden's Adventure Aquarium, had just descended a ladder into the Shark Realm exhibit on Dec. 6, 2009, when he felt an "intense squeezing pressure" on his right leg. He thought it was a sea turtle.
"I thought to myself, 'What the heck is that?' " the married father of two said earlier this week. "I looked down and saw the shark's head and was in disbelief."
None of the visitors saw the 7 1/2-foot sand-tiger shark chomp on Large's leg that afternoon and the animal let go before it could carry him off into the 550,000 gallon tank and into news headlines across the country.
The pain that most endures, however, is that Large was kicked off the dive team, and now he's haggling over medical bills that he'd been promised would be covered, he said.
When Large, 59, of Mantua. Gloucester County,
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20101217_Shark-bit_at_Camden_aquarium__longtime_volunteer_diver_says_medical_bills_have_gone_unpaid___his_gig_was_deep-sixed.html

Lincoln Park Zoo laying groundwork for blood bank for apes
Research opens the possibility of successful transfusions for gorillas
In April 2005, Mumbali, an adolescent female gorilla, was dying of a mysterious infection at Lincoln Park Zoo.
In a last-ditch effort to save her life, veterinarian and keepers anesthetized both Mumbali and Kwan, a male gorilla, then laid them side by side to send Kwan's blood directly from his arm into hers.
It was a crude procedure, similar to the way transfusions were done for humans before the blood bank was invented at Cook County Hospital in 1937.
But there was little to go on in the veterinary literature, which had nothing about whether or not gorillas have different A-B-O blood groups like humans or if they needed to have blood matched to their own for a successful
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-ape-blood-bank-20101226,0,3412481.story

Milk of human kindness
A female baby lion-tailed macaque drinks human breast milk from a feeding incubator at the Guangzhou Zoo, Guangdong Province on December 10. The monkey, classified as a threatened species, on the IUN(International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List, was born on November 3, but its mother rejected it.
"It was born thin, and because its mother did not feed it, the situation was very dangerous," said a zoo worker surnamed Yang who looked after the baby.
When zoo employees discussed how to feed it artificially, a vet who was a 2-month-old father at that time thought that his wife's breast milk might be helpful. His wife agreed. "When my husband told me his idea, I
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90001/90782/90872/7242828.html

Mozambique's war-hit wildlife park slowly recovers
As warthogs play in the mud behind him, park ranger Charles Pereira Aranje scans the savannah for poachers, while waterbuck and reedbuck antelopes graze in the grass. Despite 95 percent of its wildlife being killed during Mozambique's 16-year civil war, the Gorongosa National Park is back on its feet and Aranje, 62, who started working here in the 1970s wants it to stay that way.
"There used to be many animals. Many elephants, hippos, zebras and other species," he says.
But the once popular holiday destination for Europeans during Portuguese colonial rule was closed when civil war broke out after independence. And by the time it had re-opened when the fighting ended in 1992, wide-scale poaching had severely depleted its numbers.
"I was shocked, because as we walked around surveying the park we found nothing," says Aranje. "The only living animals we found were monkeys. And even then they kept 100 metres or 200 metres away."
Succesful repopulation programme
Ten years later American philanthropist Greg Carr, who made a fortune from selling voicemail systems to telephone companies, backed a major repopulation programme at the park.
Since then 200 wildebeest, 180 buffalo, six elephants and six rhinoceros have been introduced with the help of the nearby Marromeu nature reserve and South Africa's Kruger Park.
In 2008 the government and Carr struck a 20-year
http://www.rnw.nl/africa/article/mozambiques-war-hit-wildlife-park-slowly-recovers

Veterinarian for Abilene Zoo staff sought
The Abilene Zoo’s steady growth the past few years has created the need for a staff veterinarian to serve the zoo’s animal population.
But this vet can’t simply be your standard neighborhood veterinarian whose practice ranges from small cats to dogs, or even farm animals. The vet the zoo is looking for must be trained and have experience in all treatment elements for exotic animals.
The zoo also is looking for an animal keeper to tend to birds.
This position also calls for a fair amount of experience that can only be gotten at a zoo.
Mike Hall, Abilene’s director of community services, said that to meet standards of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, as well as some federal requirements, the hire for a vet must meet certain
http://www.reporternews.com/news/2010/dec/27/veterinarian-for-zoo-staff-sought/

Zoo better to house northern animals
Georges Laraque has given much to Edmonton, not only in his hockey efforts, but also in the countless hours he has given to so many worthy causes in our city and province. His advocacy for Lucy the elephant is not the same as some of the shameless, self-promoting entertainment industry celebs indulging in pushing uninformed animal rights. He has even offered $100,000 without demanding concession rights. He should be commended for trying to move Lucy and end this blight on Edmonton's image.
This initiative should be looked upon by the zoo and the City as an opportunity. Media reports have shown an ailing, warm-climate elephant forced to trudge around in the snow. This does Edmonton and Alberta no good in the eyes of the many city dwellers across North America and Europe who equate all animals with pets or cartoons like Bambi and Babar. Their views may be shallow but they are real and affect how they think of other things like tourism.
Edmonton's zoo has wisely been turning it's focus away from children's entertainment to wildlife conservation and environmental education. Many look forward to the zoo's new
http://www.edmontonjournal.com/travel/better+house+northern+animals/4028662/story.html

French Architects Win Contest to Design Zoo
The city’s new zoo will be built to designs drawn up by French architects on six islands in St. Petersburg’s Yuntolovo district in the Primorsky district, with each island symbolizing a different part of world.
The French architectural studio Beckman-N’Thepe Architects won the international contest for the construction of the new zoo in St. Petersburg on Friday.
The Frenchmen proposed turning the territory designated for the zoo into an archipelago of six islands with the help of six canals. Each island will present the plant and animal kingdoms of all six continents.
The cost of the French plan is estimated at $395 million and is particularly attractive due to the phased implementation its construction, the press service of the St. Petersburg government said.
Beckman-N’Thepe competed with a joint design created by two Russian architectural companies – the Ukhov Architectural Studio and the Studio-17 Architectural Bureau. The French architects received 12 votes out of a total of 14 in the Expert Council.
The city’s chief architect Yuri Mityurev said that in choosing the winner the jury weighed up three main criteria — the possibility of opening the zoo during the first stage of the
http://www.times.spb.ru/index.php?action_id=2&story_id=33356

PBS' 'Nature' remembers 'Born Free,' 50 years later
It's been 50 years since Joy and George Adamson adopted a lion cub in Kenya. Her name was Elsa and she became the major character in the book, "Born Free" by Joy Adamson. A popular movie followed starring Virginia McKenna as Joy and McKenna's husband, Bill Travers, as George.
But the star of the piece was Elsa and it marked a new understanding of the relationship between wild animals and humans - a combination that nowadays people often - to their detriment - take for granted.
For those too young to remember the story, PBS is offering a documentary on "Nature" Jan. 9 (check local listings). "Elsa's Legacy: the 'Born Free' Story" not only brings us up-to-date on the status of animals in Africa, it shows us how it used to be, says documentary filmmaker Sacha Mirzoeff.
"It instructs us a little bit about our desire to connect with nature, to have a sense that we still can be part of the natural world and have an understanding, and that the relationships with wild animals are possible and that individuals, animals should be seen just as that, that there's no such thing as generic lion, elephant or monkey," he says.
McKenna says working with the young lions in "Born Free" (there were several) made her far more sensitive and pro-active to the needs of the graceful beasts who are often exploited by man.
"We started in 1984 because of the death of an elephant at London Zoo in '83, an elephant we had worked with in a film at the end of the '60s that we knew. And my husband, Bill, and I were so shattered by the death of this wonderful teenage elephant that we decided that her death should not be in vain.
"And we started our organization in '84, which was then known as Zoo Check because, at the beginning, our focus was totally on the situation of wild animals in captivity, whether it was the circus or the zoo," she says.
"And we started to investigate, not only in our own country, but further afield, the damage that so many captive situations can do to wild animals when they can't cope with their environment.
"But, as we developed, thanks, I have to say, mainly to the work of our eldest son Will - Will Travers - we began to work with problems that they face in the wild as well. And that, today, probably forms at least half of the work we do: wild animals in trade, wild animals who are poisoned because they are attacking villagers and villages and damaging crops, reduction of habitat, of sport hunting.
"For me always and for my husband until his death, our focus was on the captive wild animal because that is truly what the experience of working with the 'Born Free' lions, most of which were sent to zoos and safari parks when the film was over - only three were given to George to return to the wild, and that betrayal that we felt at the time spurred us on over the years."
McKenna thinks the Adamsons led the way. "They were pioneers just as Jane Goodall was for chimps, Dian Fossey was for gorillas and Biruta Galdikas for orangutans. They were the pioneers that started us thinking about animals as individuals. Before that, you know, it was lions and tigers and elephants and gorillas, whatever, but we thought of animals collectively. We didn't do that in our own homes with our cats and dogs, but we did do it for wild animals because we didn't seem to understand, until this new thinking came about, that animals, too, have feelings," she says.
"They have many feelings that we have. We are, after all, human animals. They feel jealousy. They feel pain. They can suffer. They can feel joy. They can feel a lot of the things, not all of the things perhaps, that we feel. And it was through the inspirational work and understanding of people that I just mentioned that we started to think much more deeply ourselves about those issues.
"And, of course," she continues, "once you see an animal as an individual, you can't bear for it to suffer. You can't bear to see it when it's deprived in a zoo cage or in a circus ring. It's truly deeply shocking and deeply sad, and you've got to try and do something about it. And because we were both action people, we thought it's no good us sitting at home and saying 'Isn't it terrible?' We want to get out and try and do something."
Comedian Paul Provenza got lucky a second time. Showtime has ordered up a second course on his "The Green Room with Paul Provenza
http://www.kansascity.com/2010/12/27/2544323/pbs-nature-remembers-born-free.html

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2011 Annual Conference of the Animal Behavior Management Alliance

“Miles Above… and Beyond! Elevating Behavior Management”

Join us in Denver, CO, the Mile High City April 17 – 22, 2011

Call for Papers and Posters!

Regular submission deadline: January 15th, 2011.

Travel Scholarship deadline: January 1st, 2011.

Conference Details and Teasers:

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The 25th issue of the Journal of Threatened Taxa is online at www.threatenedtaxa.org

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http://www.zoolex.org/ in December 2010

~°v°~ 10 YEARS ~°v°~ 10 YEARS ~°v°~ 10 YEARS ~°v°~ 10 YEARS ~°v°~

Hello ZooLex Friend,
We have worked for your enjoyment - since the year 2000!

~°v°~

NEW EXHIBIT PRESENTATION

Grizzly Bears are among the species that can be seen at Russia's Grizzly Coast, an exhibit complex at the Minnesota Zoological Garden in the United States of America. Through the development of this exhibit, the zoo has increased its involvement in various in-situ conservation programs, including research on northern sea otter populations, brown bear research in Yellowstone and Kamchatka, and research in the Russian Far East for cranes and Blakiston's fish owls.

http://www.zoolex.org/zoolexcgi/view.py?id=1191

~°v°~

TROUBLES IN PARADISE

Monika Fiby gave a presentation on zoo design for conservation education at the WAZA conference 2010 in Cologne:

http://www.zoolex.org/publication/fiby/waza2010/2010waza_fiby.html

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ANNUAL REVIEW 2010

ZooLex Gallery:
---------------
We wish to thank all those who have taken their time to compile and submit information for exhibit presentations, particularly Netty Gunn, our ZooLex intern in 2010.

With your support we have been able to publish 233 presentations (including translations) of 140 exhibits from 78 zoos in 18 countries in the ZooLex Gallery within 10 years.

Articles in ZooLex:
-------------------
In addition to Gallery presentations, ZooLex publishes articles and links in its Research section: http://www.zoolex.org/research.html

We wish to thank Kevin Frediani, Curator Plants and Gardens
at Paignton Zoo, and Monika Fiby for making their articles available on ZooLex.

We welcome references to articles on zoo design. Please contact zoolex@zoolex.org for announcing or publishing such articles on ZooLex.

Promotion for ZooLex:
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ZooLex was represented by our manager Monika Fiby at the WAZA Conference in Cologne.

An international ZooLex workshop on zoo design was held at Zoo Salzburg in Austria in March.

ZooLex Editors and Correspondents:
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Our first newsletter was distributed in November 2000.
This issue therefore is the no. 122 ZooLex newsletter.

We would like to thank the following people for translating and disseminating ZooLex newsletters:

Peter Dickinson: distribution through http://www.zoonewsdigest.com/
Monika Fiby: translation to German
Pierre Godlewski: translation to French and distribution
Andrei Kotkin: translation to Russian and distribution
Ivan Lozano Ortega: translation to Spanish and distribution
Dirk Petzold: distribution through http://www.zoopresseschau.info/
Sally Walker: distribution through http://www.zoosprint.org/
Enquan Zhang: translation to Chinese and distribution

The quality of ZooLex publications is ensured by our editorial board
whose members edit and comment on all newsletters, Gallery presentations
and papers prior to publication and dissemination. We wish to thank all
our editors for this valuable support.
http://www.zoolex.org/editors.html

In 2010, translations were provided by Monika Lange, Barbara Brem, Andrei Kotkin, Ivan Lozano, Eduardo Diaz Garcia, Enquan Zhang, Lauren Axtmann and Monika Fiby. We appreciate this help.

Cooperation with WAZA:
----------------------
A link to the ZooLex Gallery is available on the website of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums at http://www.waza.org/ . 47 out of 78 zoos presenting their exhibits in the ZooLex Gallery are WAZA members. Longevity and accessibility of the ZooLex Gallery is guaranteed by an archive at the WAZA office.

Sponsors
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In 2010 banners of our sponsors were introduced in the headline of all ZooLex pages. Sponsors are the only financial support for ZooLex. Thanks to these sponsors, we can offer free access to high quality information on zoo design.

Companies and organizations listed in ZooLex Firms offer special services and products to zoos and similar institutions.
http://www.zoolex.org/zoolexcgi/firm.py

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Season Greetings to all our supporters and readers and our best wishes for 2011!

~°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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