Friday, January 7, 2011

Zoo News Digest 4th - 7th January 2011 (Zoo News 716)

Zoo News Digest 4th - 7th January 2011 (Zoo News 716)

Photo by: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mvjantzen/332459044/





Dear Colleagues,

So a tiger kills a third villager. I like tigers but I am a human being too. The villagers have their lives to lead, families to feed. The villagers are at home. The tiger is too. Why should the villagers move away? The tiger should be trapped and relocated (not really practical) or shot. If it was my wife, daughter or mother or friend who had been killed I would say shoot it now. In fact I would shoot it before someone else puts poison down and kills a lot of other animals too. Yet here on the internet we have a bunch of people sticking their names down on a petition to save the tiger, move the villagers and saying some very nasty things about them too. People living in their suburban homes, not having to worry about grazing goats, firewood or the safety of their children. Then when I write and point this out my comment is deleted. Not because I was rude or impolite but because my opinion differed from the petitioners. Once again the blinkered unthinking opinion of the Animal Rights.

"Putting his life on the line for his lions" - Oh the press are going to love that one. I surprised that he is are not tripping over film crews and reporters already. Nothing too clever about it either, just one mans way of keeping his pets in food and living out his Tarzan fantasies. This place is a zoo regardless of whatever fancy names the owner gives it. As such it should work towards becoming a Good Zoo and not an animal playground.

I know I was taken to task on my remarks about the Indian Zoo Elephants (and probably will be again) - read more in links from  http://zoonewsdigest.blogspot.com/2010/10/indian-zoo-elephants-out-of-sight-out.html  but it does seem that I am in a position to say 'I told you so'. Whoever it was in the CZA should have thought a lot more deeply about their mighty plan. It is not as if this latest problem is the first encountered.

Wheras I am sad to learn of the keeper being killed by a bear and I offer my sincere condolences to his friends and family I am disturbed by the statement "The bear is still being kept in the zoo while its future is being decided.", What is to decide? It wasn't the bear which was at fault and no zoo keeper worth his or her salt would condemn the unfortunate animal for behaving naturally. Improve safety, strengthen protocols and get on with it.

I am sorry to to learn of the bus driver being mauled to death by a Siberian Tiger in China at the Hengdaohezi Feline Breeding Center. Again my sympathies are extended to family and friends.

I am not too familiar with the Hengdaohezi Feline Breeding Center. Can you imagine a collection, ONE collection with a thousand Siberian Tigers? Do you then wonder why? Where are they going? How is the breeding managed? How many appear in a studbook? A thousand in one collection! It all seems a little bit pointless to me. (Read The Terrible Truth About Tiger Farms)

And on the subject of pointless tigers, the Dusit Zoo are now showing off their latest White Tiger cubs. I won't dispute the fact that they are beautiful but this is the sixth breeding of white tigers in the zoo. They are not rare or endangered and contribute nothing to conservation. No doubt the same argument that 'because they are different' they draw people in will be used. The trouble is ALL the zoos who keep white tigers use the same argument and continue to breed the same pointless inbred lines and then sell or pass on to the next collection to do the same. I would like to see a law passed whereby breeders of White Tigers must keep any progeny for the duration of their natural lives. They should not be allowed to gift, loan, relocate, donate, present or otherwise pass on any progeny. It is the only way to have these inbred hybrids in check.

I was sorry but not surprised to learn of the Cheetah being shot in Riyadh. In fact the first link I found about this story referred to the animal as a leopard. Herein lies the problem, most people do not know the difference and one spotted animal is much like another. Cast your mind back to the Yemeni leopards last week where they were referred to as tigers. If I have heard it once I have heard it a thousand times (maybe more) leopards being referred to as tigers. Spots and stripes? Sad though it is that the animal was shot it is understandable. A pity though they were not a little less hasty to act as with the Cheetah which recently swam ashore in the UAE.



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Rare monk seal colony found in the Mediterranean
Scientists have found a colony of rare Mediterranean monk seals at an undisclosed location in Greece.
The species is the world's most endangered seal, and one of the most endangered marine mammals - fewer than 600 individuals remain.
Researchers are keeping the location of the colony secret to avoid having the seals disturbed by human visitors.
It is the only place in the region where seals lie on open beaches, rather than hide in coastal caves.
Alexandros Karamanlidis, scientific co-ordinator of the Mom/Hellenic Society for the Study and Protection of the Monk seal, explained that this was the
http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_9317000/9317582.stm





Bonny Doon woman lends a healing hand to Asian elephants
Boonmee was depressed and in pain.
The 10-year-old Asian elephant was separated from her mother and her foot looked like a cauliflower. She'd stepped on a land mine near Thailand's border in September, which blew her foot apart, and traveled for two days before arriving at the Friends of the Asian Elephant hospital in Lampang, Thailand.
By early November, the hospital's staff worried that Boonmee was giving up, said Bonny Doon resident Jodi Frediani, 62, who visited the hospital last month. Boonmee wasn't eating, was withdrawn and couldn't walk easily. And, "she repeatedly, gently touched her cauliflower foot with the tip of her trunk," Frediani said.
But then, Frediani tried using TTouch on Boonmee. The touch-based therapy is similar to gentle bodywork and can help relieve physical and emotional distress in animals.
TTouch appeared to revive the elephant's spirit, and her previously glassy-eyed stare gave way to tears. Soon, Boonmee was offering areas to be worked on -- like her enormous, large-eared head, which "she lowered so I could do some of the circular TTouches," said Frediani, a 30-year practitioner of TTouch.
By the end of the day, Boonmee had become playful, even letting Frediani peel bananas for her.
"Boonmee had a new brightness and a twinkle in her eye," said Windy Borman, a San Francisco-based filmmaker who traveled to Thailand with Frediani and observed the TTouch process. "The elephants
http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/localnews/ci_16991654





Drama at German Zoo
Escaped Penguin Ends Up in Lion Enclosure
A little penguin intent on seeing the world strolled out of her ice-covered pool and ended up in the lion enclosure of the Münster Zoo in western Germany. Zookeepers armed with herrings tried to rescue her in a race against time, as the big cats dozed nearby.
An adventurous penguin that had escaped from its pool at a German zoo took a wrong turn and ended up in the lion enclosure, the zoo in the western city of Münster said on Monday.
A visitor spotted the three-month-old bird, the zoo's youngest African Penguin, strolling up and down the ice-covered moat alongside the enclosure on New Year's Day, blissfully unaware of the proximity of a pride of lions.
"Luckily the family of lions didn't pose a threat because they were dozing in the warmth of their house," the zoo said in a statement. But the penguin was still in danger because she could have panicked and slipped under the ice.
A zookeeper managed to lure the penguin
http://www.spiegel.de/international/zeitgeist/0,1518,737560,00.html





Iran's Siberian tiger dies: reports
A Siberian tiger delivered to Iran by Russia in a swap deal last year has died from a disease which one official said it contracted before it was given to Tehran, reports said on Monday.
The tiger was a resident of Tehran's Eram Zoo since April 2010 when Russia gave it to Iran along with a Siberian tigress in exchange for two Persian leopards.
Hooshang Ziaee, an adviser to Iran's Environmental Protection Organisation, told ISNA news agency that the tiger had been infected with Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) but it was unclear when it died.
"The preliminary laboratory tests show that the Siberian tiger.... tested positive for FIV," Ziaee said, adding that a Bengal tiger and five other lions at the Eram zoo had also tested positive for FIV.
"The final cause for the death of the Siberian tiger was that it and other felines fed on diseased donkeys," he said.
Eram zoo director Amir Elhami said the tiger had been infected with FIV before arriving to the zoo but denied that other animals contracted the virus.
"The doctors tested the dead feline and have concluded
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jSzmyqg4cPwZxPahY1niGIkOXe4w?docId=CNG.bd44f850cc70eb5825857f15629d21fa.61





Taipei Zoo introduces newborn pangolin
The Taipei Zoo's program to keep and breed pangolins, an animal notoriously difficult to maintain in captivity, has scored another success as a pangolin born recently there is doing well, the zoo said Monday.
The baby pangolin, the fourth ever born in captivity at the zoo, was born on Dec. 9, 2010 and now weighs 260 grams, compared with 105 grams at birth, said zoo director Jason Yeh in a statement.
Yeh said much of the zoo's success can be attributed to its special formula of feeds, consisting of apples, egg yolks, mealworms and bee pupae, developed after one of the four pangolins born at the zoo died in 2004 after having trouble adjusting from milk to feed.
Pangolins, also known as scaly anteaters, forage with their long and sticky tongues, with ants and termites their major food, but reproducing the natural diets in captivity has been problematic.
Yeh said zoos around the world attempted to keep the animal in the 1970s, but they failed because of problems finding appropriate feeds.
He did not anticipate having similar problems with the baby pangolin, which at present is doing little other than sleeping, feeding on milk and occasionally climbing on the back of its mother.
The toothless pup was found by zoo staffers last month in a hole
http://focustaiwan.tw/ShowNews/WebNews_Detail.aspx?Type=aLIV&ID=201101030023





Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm
Now, I’ve had this in my drafts box for ages.
The zoo/farm is near Bristol and I’ve been kicking around the idea of a field trip for some time – the lack of desire to give them any money being one deterrent.
What is it? It’s a tourist attraction, specialising in school trips, pushing a creationist agenda. It’s the kind of thing I’d expect to see in the Bible Belt of the States but it’s been nestled in South West England for some time now.
You could be forgiven for thinking “that’s a bit harsh” and that they are in fact a decent, educational establishment. The website is fairly innocuous until you reach the far-right tab ‘Evolution and Creation‘, which links to a ‘sister website’, Earth History: A New Approach.
Some gems:
We believe the fossil record does not show one evolutionary tree of life but rather genetically controlled diversification from a number of original forms
As the currently measured value of an element’s decay rate (or half-life) has no theoretical basis, the only way we can test which is true is to compare the
http://noodlemaz.wordpress.com/2011/01/03/noahs-ark-zoo-farm/






Marineland's dolphin center sold to Georgia Aquarium
The Georgia Aquarium has purchased Marineland's Dolphin Conservation Center, marking a new epoch for the historic attraction.
Georgia Aquarium President David Kimmel said no immediate changes are planned at the dolphin center, where people can go beyond just watching dolphins to feeding the animals and swimming with them.
The Georgia Aquarium's purchase of the dolphin center will help the aquarium in its research and collection of animals. Three manta rays at the Georgia Aquarium were captured off the coast of Marineland, Kimmel said Monday.
"It adds to our ability to collect and to our ability to do research," Kimmel said.
The majority of the approximately 40 people employed at Marineland's dolphin center will keep their jobs, said Kimmel, who added that staffing levels are still being evaluated.
Kimmel declined to reveal the purchase price during an interview Monday. But an Associated Press
http://www.news-journalonline.com/news/local/flagler/2011/01/04/marinelands-dolphin-center-sold-to-georgia-aquarium.html






Attorney suing zoo to shut down elephant exhibit to launch refuge in Cambodia
During the holidays, the new Elephants of Asia exhibit at the Los Angeles Zoo drew big crowds. Zoo officials say they’ve greeted as many 10,000 visitors a day. However, one opponent eager to shut down the exhibit that opened in mid-December has his own plans for an elephant sanctuary this year.
Leading the legal fight is Tarzana-based trial attorney David Casselman. His firm is handling the lawsuit against LA Zoo for free.
“While elephants are forced to stay in zoos, they really don’t live in zoos,” says Casselman. “They die in zoos.”
Casselman says he wants to help change that, so he’s establishing a wildlife sanctuary near the Angkor Temples in Cambodia. He plans to open a veterinary hospital there this year, and Casselman says he’s covered most expenses to develop the million-acre jungle preserve.
“We’re hoping to have ponds and underground viewing area for elephants and tigers, Clouded Leopards and other animals,” he explains.
And, he hopes, to open it up for eco-tourism in a couple of years.
LA Zoo Director John Lewis says its $42 million exhibit, about 6 square acres, includes some elements that activists like Casselman say the
http://www.scpr.org/news/2011/01/03/elephants-santuary-or-zoo/






Bear mauls zoo worker in South Russia
A zoo bear mauled to death a 55-year-old worker who was cleaning an enclosure in the southern Russian city of Stavropol, an official with the city's emergencies service said.
"A zoo cage cleaner forgot to lock the bear's cage, and the animal attacked him from behind," Boris Skripka said. "The bear caught him by the leg and damaged a vital artery. The worker was rescued by other zoo employees, but succumbed to his injuries before the ambulance arrived."
The bear is still being kept in the zoo while its future is being decided.
"I have no idea of
http://en.rian.ru/russia/20110105/162047830.html





Who ape all the pies? Orangutan kicks back with a full belly in the midday sun
It looks like this orangutan got more than her fair share of the Christmas hamper.
Louise Bleakly, 69, snapped the portly primate as she lazed by a tree after over-indulging.
The sedentary creature soaked up the midday sun at Taman Safari Park near Jakarta, Indonesia - and was too lazy to even swing on
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1343977/Who-ape-pies-Orangutan-kicks-belly-midday-sun.html?ito=feeds-newsxml






No takers for two ageing elephants at Byculla zoo
A year after the central zoo authority had asked all 26 zoos in the country to relocate their elephants to national parks or sanctuaries, the two female elephants at Byculla zoo are still waiting for a new home. Following the circular, teams from Solapur and Chhattisgarh forest reserves had visited
the Byculla zoo but rejected Laxmi, 53, and Anarkali, 46, because they are too old to patrol the jungles.
The situation is similar across most zoos in the country. Only 10 elephants have been shifted from six of the 26 zoos in the country.
Officials from the central zoo authority confirmed that compliance of this directive has been low and several zoos have written to them asking them to exempt their pachyderms from being relocated.
The administration of the Byculla zoo too had written to the authority asking to exempt Laxmi and Anarkali because they are old and will neither be able to adapt to the new surroundings in the wild nor fend for themselves.
“A team will visit these zoos and inspect whether an exception can be made for those
http://www.hindustantimes.com/No-takers-for-two-ageing-elephants-at-Byculla-zoo/Article1-647256.aspx





ROME ZOO CELEBRATES 100 YEARS
Following a year that saw the birth of a giraffe, two lemurs and a zebra, Rome's zoo is celebrating its own significant birthday, turning 100 years old this month.
The Bioparco di Roma is feting the centennial of its inauguration, which took place on January 5, 1911, with free admission for all children 12 and under tomorrow, January 5.
A series of special activities have been organized for the event, like close encounters with reptiles and elephants, face painting, shows and children's laboratories, where kids can learn about and build the ears, noses and tails of animals.
The zoo will be receiving
http://www.lifeinitaly.com/news/rome-zoo-celebrates-100-years





Dentist Called In After Greenville Zoo Elephant Loses Part Of Tusk
A Greenville Zoo elephant, Lady Bird, 40, lost part of her right tusk last week, according to zoo officials.
In a release, they say the tusk was discovered by zoo staff in the elephant barn when they let her out for exhibit.
While they say it is not uncommon for elephants to break off their tusks, Lady Bird had a large crack in what was left of her tusk that concerned staff.
“If the pulp canal, the vital portion of the tooth that runs down the center of the tusk, is open via the crack, then there is a direct route for bacteria to invade and result in a tooth infection,” said Greenville Zoo Director Jeff Bullock.
Dr. Mike Lowder, a professor at the department of large
http://www2.wspa.com/news/2011/jan/04/dentist-called-after-greenville-zoo-elephant-loses-ar-1301254/








Putting his life on the line for his lions
The radio station called, and Jimmy Jablon went to wake the lions.
"Yes, I'm still in one piece," Jablon said into his cell phone Tuesday morning as he walked to the far end of the enclosure where Ed and Lea were cuddling mid-nap.
Jablon slapped Ed on the chest and the year-old, 225-pound cat raised his head groggily.
Then Jablon grabbed Lea's head, opened the 2-year-old, 250-pound lion's mouth and pointed it toward a videocamera to show off massive teeth to the Miami radio host and other viewers watching live on the Web.
"As you can see, they're quite content, and I'm content in here," Jablon, 46, said in a thick Long Island accent.
On New Year's Eve, Jablon closed the gate on the 4,000-square-foot pen to begin a month of captivity with the two lions. The goal: garner enough publicity — and subsequent donations — to keep his non-profit wildlife and exotic animal rescue operation afloat.
"We need about a hundred and fifty thousand to get through the next two years," Jablon said. "That shouldn't be a problem. There are so many people who love animals, they should get off their butt and do something."
Founded in 2002, Wildlife Rehabilitation of Hernando Inc. is situated on 14 acres behind Jablon's ranch home just north of the Pasco-Hernando line.
The place is home to Bengal tigers and Siberian tigers, white lions and cougars. There are spider monkeys and emus, alligators and lemurs. They were raised in captivity, Jablon said, and can't be returned to the wild. He also rehabilitates and releases native animals such as r
http://www.tampabay.com/news/humaninterest/putting-his-life-on-the-line-for-his-lions/1143539










Rhino put down at N.C. Zoo
Alice, a 41-year-old Southern white rhino that has been a popular draw to the N.C. Zoo for more than three decades, was euthanized Tuesday after years of declining health.
The rhino, according to zookeepers and veterinarians, suffered from chronic foot infections that, after three years, were no longer responding to medical or surgical therapies. Dr. Ryan DeVoe, senior veterinarian at the zoo, said Alice was in constant pain.
"There is no doubt this was the right thing to do for her at this point," DeVoe said in a statement. "But this was tough for everyone. Alice was one of
http://www.newsobserver.com/2011/01/05/900110/rhino-put-down-at-nc-zoo.html





Detroit Zoo attendance breaks record
Detroit Zoo broke its single-day attendance record and hosted more than one million visitors for the fifth consecutive year.
The zoo counted 1,146,241 visitors in 2010, according to figures released today. The zoo also broke its single-day attendance record last year, hosting 18,264 guests on Aug. 7.
“The Detroit Zoo continues to provide a unique and wonderful experience for our guests. We’re grateful to the community for its support as we look forward to another amazing year,” Detroit Zoological Society Executive Director Ron Kagan said.
Dinosauria returns to the zoo this summer with more than 30 animatronic dinosaurs, a major draw last summer. Later in the year, the zoo plans to open
http://www.freep.com/article/20110105/NEWS05/110105041/1007/Detroit-Zoo-attendance-breaks-record





Squirrel Returned to Wild After Tiger Attack at Buffalo Zoo
One lucky squirrel who survived a run-in with some tigers at the Buffalo Zoo was returned to the wild Wednesday.
The squirrel was noticed within the tiger enclosure last week. Catherine Carroll from the Zoo says the "tigers were being tigers" playing with the squirrel and tossing it around.
Zookeepers lured the tigers back indoors with some meat, before heading into the enclosure. They found the squirrel still alive.
The squirrel was taken to the Erie County SPCA to be rehabilitated. We're told part of it's tail needed to be amputated, but otherwise it's alright.
Joel Thomas from the SPCA says even though we think of them as cute, fluffy creatures, "Grey squirrels are tough as nails, they're survivors."
The squirrel was returned to a spot close
http://www.wgrz.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=103294&catid=13





Restaurant sneers at Monterey aquarium's 'don't eat' list
A Boston-based restaurant chain is planning a dinner featuring seafood it says environmental groups have "brainwashed" consumers to avoid.
Legal Sea Foods owner Roger Berkowitz tells the Gloucester Daily Times that guides such as "Seafood Watch," published by the Monterey Bay Aquarium in California, have "no scientific basis," but intimidate buyers.
The guide, for instance, tells consumers not to eat trawl-caught Atlantic cod, because it says the gear damages sea floors.
The Jan. 24 dinner in Boston features tiger shrimp, cod cheeks and hake -- items Seafood Watch recommends people avoid.
Aquarium spokesman Ken Peterson said the recommendations are "grounded in good science" and aim to inform
http://www.mercurynews.com/central-coast/ci_17027540?source=rss&nclick_check=1





The Serpent King
How a notorious Malaysian wildlife smuggler was brought to justice -- and what it tells us about stopping the world's most profitable black market
It began almost innocently. A broken lock on a suitcase moving through Kuala Lumpur International Airport this summer led to an odd discovery: nearly 100 baby boa constrictors, two vipers, and a South American turtle, all hidden inside. It was a fairly modest cache for a wildlife smuggler, but the man who claimed the suitcase was no ordinary criminal. He was Anson Wong Keng Liang, the world's most notorious wildlife trafficker. And instead of a slap on the wrist, which he might reasonably have expected, Wong was about to receive a surprising punishment.
From the tiny Malaysian island of Penang, in a storefront no larger than your average nail salon, Wong commanded one of the world's largest wildlife trafficking syndicates. Much of the work Wong's company, Sungai Rusa Wildlife, had done since he got into the business three decades ago was above-board: He legally wholesaled tens of thousands of wild reptiles annually, making him the likely source for many of the snakes, lizards, turtles, and frogs on sale in American pet stores. But using a private zoo as a cover, he also offered an astounding array of contraband, including snow leopard pelts, panda bear skins, rhino horns, rare birds, and Komodo dragons. He moved everything from chinchillas to elephants, smuggling critically endangered wildlife from Australia, China, Madagascar, New Zealand, South America, and elsewhere to markets largely in Europe, Japan, and the United States. For a man capable of brokering these kinds of deals, Wong's arrest over a suitcase of boa constrictors was the equivalent of a Mexican narcotraficante getting caught with a few marijuana cigarettes in his pocket.
Wong's long career beyond the reach of the law offers a window on the illegal wildlife trade and our broken system to combat it. Underfunded law enforcement, government corruption, controversy-shy NGOs, and a feeble international legal framework have yielded few inroads against wildlife syndicates or kingpins like Anson Wong. Wong's arrest and his sentencing in November 2010 provide
http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2010/12/28/the_serpent_king?page=full&sms_ss=facebook&at_xt=4d256c89fae14115%2C0





Strolling cheetah killed near Saudi bank
Residents of Riyadh panicked after seeing animal on the street
A cheetah triggered panic among residents as it strolled freely on a street in the Saudi capital Riyadh before it was shot dead by security forces, a newspaper in the Gulf Kingdom reported on Tuesday.
Frightened residents of Marbaa neighbourhood phoned the authorities after they saw the leopard roaming on the street near a local bank, Sharq said.
“Security forces rushed to the scene
http://www.emirates247.com/news/region/strolling-cheetah-killed-near-saudi-bank-2011-01-04-1.337770









Siberian tiger attacks, kills bus driver in China
A rare Siberian tiger attacked and killed a tour bus driver in northern China while the man's horrified passengers watched, Chinese media reported.
The tiger pounced on driver Jin Shijun and dragged him into the forest after he got out to check on his bus, which was stuck in the snow at the world's largest Siberian tiger breeding base in the northern province of Heilongjiang, the official Xinhua News Agency said.
The bus was full of tourists visiting the breeding center, and Jin broke safety guidelines by leaving the vehicle, the report said. Park employees tried to distract the tiger with firecrackers and tranquilizer darts, but when they managed
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110106/ap_on_re_as/as_china_tiger_attack_3





Thailand zoo unveils 2 new members of its white Bengal tiger family
Bangkok's zoo has unveiled new arrivals to its white Bengal tiger family — a pair of white-and-black striped cubs named "One" and "Two."
The Dusit Zoo held a photo opportunity Thursday for the 50-day-old female cubs, who were born Nov. 16.
Zookeeper Noppadon Tiptanya says it is the sixth time the cubs' 15-year-old mother has given birth in captivity at the zoo. Female white tigers generally produce
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/wire/sns-ap-as-thailand-white-tigers,0,54461.story










Army divers working at Edinburgh Zoo
A team of Army divers have been working at Edinburgh Zoo, carrying out an underwater survey of the penguin enclosure.
The zoo contacted Soldiers from 39 Engineer Regiment in East Anglia after cracks appeared in the penguin tank.
The regiment are providing their services for free but are gaining valuable training to maintain their skills and safety standards
http://www.bfbs.com/news/uk/army-divers-working-edinburgh-zoo-41859.html





Road to Rare Earths
http://www.cnbc.com/id/15840232?video=1716722565&play=1





Thai temple butchers carcasses of 3 elephants, sold their meat
Following news that a Maha Sarakham temple butchered the carcasses of three elephants and sold the meat, skulls and tusks for Bt2 million ($85,619), elephant conservationists yesterday called on the government to rescue the remaining beasts and do something before tourism was affected.
The case has disturbed elephant conservationists worldwide, raised questions over the temple's treatment of its animals and highlighted Thailand's severe cruelty against elephants, said Thai conservationist and one of Time Magazine's Asia's Heroes 2005, Sangduen Chailert.
The government should assist the remaining seven elephants there, she said. The Elephant Nature Foundation president said the elephants seemed to be suffering from severe malnutrition and could die if they did not receive treatment.
Sangduen said the government should use this incident as the starting point for passing an elephant protection law. The beasts are a symbol of Thailand and could become extinct if not protected, she said.
A source said the temple bought 10 elephants including two from Phuket, two from Phang Nga and two from Mae Hong Son.
Krittapol Salangam, manager of the Elephant Village
http://news.asiaone.com/News/Latest%2BNews/Asia/Story/A1Story20110107-256876.html





Jerusalem Biblical Zoo puts three elephants on low-calorie hay diet in hopes of conception
The pregnancy drive stems from the fact that Asian elephants are in danger of extinction.
For several weeks now, Tamar, Michaela and Suzanne have been on a very strict diet, seeking to lose 600 kilograms apiece − because that’s what the doctor says is needed for the three Asian elephants to get pregnant.
Thus the mountains of apples and watermelons that used to grace their cages at Jerusalem’s Biblical Zoo have been replaced with low-calorie hay. They spend their mornings on long walks down the zoo’s trails before it opens to visitors. And once every two weeks, they are weighed on a special scale originally designed
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/jerusalem-biblical-zoo-puts-three-elephants-on-low-calorie-hay-diet-in-hopes-of-conception-1.335701




Aquarium heralds exciting new era for coral research
An exciting new era of research has begun at the Coral Reef Research Unit at the University of Essex.
Its new tropical research aquarium facility is now up and running and will greatly enhance the diversity of research undertaken at Essex.
The £50,000 aquarium doubles up as a research facility and a coral husbandry facility, taking away the need to buy coral for experiments and enabling the research unit to address key research questions under controlled laboratory conditions.
It is unique in terms of its experimental chambers where different environments can be created and will showcase the world-class coral research being carried out at the university.
Dr Dave Smith, director of the unit, said: “We now have total control over coral growth conditions and this will enable us to answer key questions from the molecular to the ecosystem level. It is a new
http://www.businessweekly.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=37821%3Aaquarium-heralds-exciting-new-era-for-coral-research&catid=107%3Aacademia-and-research&Itemid=1013




Tiger which killed three Indian villagers ordered to be shot on sight
Big cat's latest victim, a 35-year-old woman, was killed earlier this week as she collected animal fodder near her village

Environmental officials in northern India have issued an order for a tiger that has attacked and killed three women to be shot on sight.

A specialist team has been dispatched to track down the animal in the world-famous Corbett national park, seven hours' drive north of Delhi.
There have been angry protests by local people at the gates of the park, an increasingly popular tourist destination, since the body of the tiger's most recent victim was found.
Devki Devi, 35, was attacked earlier this week when she and 12 other women went out to collect cattle fodder near their village, said Anil Baluni, the vice-chairman of the Uttarakhand forests and environment advisory committee. The others managed to get away.
Such attacks are rare but regular occurrences in India where repeated drives to preserve the country's tiger
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/dec/31/india-deadly-tiger-shoot




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Teleseminar
Zoo Story: Life in the Garden of Captives

 On October 26, 2010, the New York State Bar Association Committee on Animals and the Law hosted a teleseminar with Tom French, author of Zoo Story: Life in the Garden of Captives. Professor French, a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, Committee members and other colleagues engaged in a thoughtful discussion of the book and numerous Animal Law related considerations. Available here for listening or complimentary download is the entire teleseminar courtesy of the Committee and the NYSBA. Go to https://www.box.net/shared/lyx66aomi0




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Canadian Association of Zoo and Wildlife Veterinarians



Association Canadienne des Vétérinaires de Zoo et la Faune


Volume 1, Issue 4 - December 2010

http://caza.memberlodge.com/Resources/Documents/CAZWV%20Newsletter%20Vol%201%20Issue4.pdf


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Palm Oil Awareness Survey


You are invited to participate in a Palm Oil Awareness Survey. Here is the link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/PalmOilAwareness

We are interested in finding out the current state of palm oil awareness RIGHT NOW at your facility. We plan to repeat this survey annually for the next 2-4 years. In order to see improvement over time it is important to BE AS HONEST AS POSSIBLE with your responses.

Please forward this email promptly to any of the following staff at your institution: animal keepers, animal managers, curators, educators, conservation directors, senior staff/upper management, director/CEO, and any other staff that would be pertinent. You do NOT need to work at a U.S. facility to respond, international information would be great.

This survey takes about 5-6 minutes to fill it out. Please respond to the survey by January 18th. A summary of results will be available in the near future, details will be posted/emailed on the palm oil awareness listserv. Note: awareness trends will be summarized but individual responses will be confidential.


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Why be nice? Understanding cooperative behaviour in humans and other animals
 8 February 2011
ZSL Communicating Science series
http://ctt-news.org/9GD-C4UN-14110QE2E2/cr.aspx



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The art and science of animal training
Early registration

Please check link below for updated details

Art and Science of Animal Training Conference


19th February 2011

University of North Texas

Denton, Texas

For further details please click HERE




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Environmental Enrichment
Zoo, Circus and Marine MammalsPlease click
HERE



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ABWAK Symposium

Saturday, March 5 · 10:00am - 1:00pm


This 2 day Symposium is based on the concept of 'The Modern Zookeeper' with a range topics including husbandry, training and conservation.



Including:

The use of Positive Reinforcement Training to elicit an open mouth response in Amur tigers (Panthera tigris altaica) at Dartmoor Zoological Park, presented by Hannah Webb

...Utilising training as a management tool to increase breeding success within a mixed bird exhibit. Presented by Adrian Walls

Effects of a Randomised Environmental Enrichment Schedule on the Behaviour of Giant Anteaters (Myrmecophaga tridactyla): A Case Study. Presented by Kat Dale and Shelley Ansell

Using novel environmental enrichment to investigate locomotory and investigative behaviours of an Indian desert cat (Felis silvestris ornata). Presented by Joachim Williams and Chris Hales

to name a few!

(These presentations could be subject to change .....though hopefully wont be:)


**** REGISTER BEFORE JANUARY 14TH 2011 FOR A DISCOUNT****



PRIORITY GIVEN TO MEMBERS £36 (before 14/1/11)

£40 (after 14/1/11)



Non members (before 14/1/11)

£55 (after 14/1/11)



More Info HERE


ABWAK WEBSITE


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Zoo Conferences, Meetings, Courses and Symposia
click HERE 

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ZOO BIOLOGY  


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




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Join Zoo News Digest Facebook Page
updated daily



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


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ZooNews Digest is a private and completely independent publication, not allied or attached to any zoological collection. Many thanks.
Kind Regards,

Wishing you a wonderful week


"These are the best days of my life"


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