Zoo News Digest 1st - 2nd August 2011 (Zoo News 775)
Peter Dickinson
Dear Colleague,
So now we have too many tigers. Not really of course but too many for the space available in the wild in both India and in Thailand. Still in trouble in Vietnam though. It does indicate that protection of Tigers is working in some locations but like the elephants, just where are they going to go? Can't say too much in case Windy Borman takes this to mean that I am suggesting that they should all be caught and put in zoos.
There are already far too many tigers in captivity though. The vast majority captive bred and inbred generic animals of no conservation value at all.
I note Windy Borman (see last Zoo News Digest) has decided not to publish my comment on her blog. It wasn't rude or impolite, it just pointed out that she was totally incorrect in her ridiculous presumption.
The article about the return of the Sarus Crane to Thailand was good news. I showed the photo to Dao and she said she had seen them up in Isaan many many times. I showed her photos of Painted and Milky Storks but she was convinced it was the Sarus she had seen. I believe her. Dao is very observant. On jungle walks she always spots animals before I do.
The Chimpanzee feeding the baby tiger is continuing to be promoted by what would appear to be a gullible and ignorant press. Only they aren't, they know just what sort of rubbish that the general public (that's NOT you) like to read and believe. The truth really doesn't matter as long as the story sells.
If ever there was an alternative agenda at work it was in the quotes made by Tan Sri Datuk Dr Yusof Basiron after his visit to the Orangutan enclosure at Melbourne Zoo. The guy may come from a part of the world where the animals naturally occur in the wild but that certainly does not make him an expert and what he says marks him out clearly as ignorant of Orangutan captive care and behaviour.
Read: It should not happen to an Ape
And there is more of this going on than before. They are even seriously thinking of taking Orangutans to Peninsula Malaysia to exploit them there.
My thanks once again to those few people who responded to my appeal for donations. The situation is very difficult right now.
So now we have too many tigers. Not really of course but too many for the space available in the wild in both India and in Thailand. Still in trouble in Vietnam though. It does indicate that protection of Tigers is working in some locations but like the elephants, just where are they going to go? Can't say too much in case Windy Borman takes this to mean that I am suggesting that they should all be caught and put in zoos.
There are already far too many tigers in captivity though. The vast majority captive bred and inbred generic animals of no conservation value at all.
I note Windy Borman (see last Zoo News Digest) has decided not to publish my comment on her blog. It wasn't rude or impolite, it just pointed out that she was totally incorrect in her ridiculous presumption.
The article about the return of the Sarus Crane to Thailand was good news. I showed the photo to Dao and she said she had seen them up in Isaan many many times. I showed her photos of Painted and Milky Storks but she was convinced it was the Sarus she had seen. I believe her. Dao is very observant. On jungle walks she always spots animals before I do.
The Chimpanzee feeding the baby tiger is continuing to be promoted by what would appear to be a gullible and ignorant press. Only they aren't, they know just what sort of rubbish that the general public (that's NOT you) like to read and believe. The truth really doesn't matter as long as the story sells.
If ever there was an alternative agenda at work it was in the quotes made by Tan Sri Datuk Dr Yusof Basiron after his visit to the Orangutan enclosure at Melbourne Zoo. The guy may come from a part of the world where the animals naturally occur in the wild but that certainly does not make him an expert and what he says marks him out clearly as ignorant of Orangutan captive care and behaviour.
Read: It should not happen to an Ape
And there is more of this going on than before. They are even seriously thinking of taking Orangutans to Peninsula Malaysia to exploit them there.
My thanks once again to those few people who responded to my appeal for donations. The situation is very difficult right now.
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Roger Boisen column: Day at the zoo becomes joke of a lifetime (Amusing)
In the early to mid 1960s, I lived with my parents and about eight or so so-so siblings on a dairy farm in the Wausau area. Rarely would we take a long trip, and you can probably guess why. But early one morning, when I was about 7, we crammed ourselves into our car and drove off to see some cousins in the Chicago area.
After visiting at our cousins' house, we all headed to the Brookfield Zoo for what was sure to be one whale of a good time. I was really looking forward to seeing the zoo, although in hindsight, that seems odd, given the fact that I lived on a farm with an excessive number of brothers and sisters.
Eventually, our parents herded us into the elephant house. The huge animals were fascinating, and I was mesmerized. I swear that I wasn't horsing around or anything. But at some point, my spider sense began to tingle.
Something was fishy. I turned to my left, and I turned to my right. I noticed that, except for a solitary zoo employee
http://www.postcrescent.com/article/20110731/APC06/107310494/Roger-Boisen-column-Day-zoo-becomes-joke-lifetime
Malaysian Palm Oil Chief Hits Out At Orang Utan Treatment At Melbourne Zoo
Malaysian Palm Oil Council's chief executive Tan Sri Datuk Dr Yusof Basiron has lashed out at the treatment of orang utans at the Melbourne Zoo here, describing it as deplorable and a disgrace.
Dr Yusof told Bernama he made a quick visit the zoo to check out the anti-palm oil signs outside the orang utan enclosures and was appalled at the way they were screaming for attention in the winter cold
"They were shivering and making noises which I recognised them as distress calls," he said.
"Orang utans are tropical animals and find it extremely hard to survive in biting cold temperatures. At the Melbourne zoo, orang utans had just sack cloth to cover themselves in the cold.
"But the sack cloth was small and they were struggling to get it round their huge bodies. I felt very sorry for these poor animals. Unlike human beings, orang utans cannot complain and their distress screams appeared to be ignored by the zoo," he said.
Dr Yusof said he could not believe his eyes when he saw food for the orang utans being place in the open so that zoo visitors could see how the animals ate.
"This was a poor show, just pandering to the delights of the people but to the extreme cruelty to the orang utans," he said.
Yusof, who is accompanying the Minister of Plantation Industries and Commodities, Tan Sri Benard Dompok, on his eight-day working mission to Australia, said Australian animal welfare authorities should investigate "the pathetic conditions" for orang utans at the zoo as well as other zoos in Australia.
"It is utter cruelty to the orang utans. The zoo must understand these are animals from the tropics and adequate protection should be given to them during winter. Their enclosures must be warm and made comfortable
http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v5/newsgeneral.php?id=604445
Melbourne Zoo rejects claims orang-utans mistreated
MELBOURNE Zoo has refuted claims it mistreats its Orang-utans by leaving them exposed to winter conditions.
The zoo's conservation director Rachel Lowry said allegations made by Malaysian Palm Oil Council chief executive Dr Yusof Basiron that the endangered apes were suffering were ridiculous.
"He was saying the animal was cold. Our exhibit actually has heated elements integrated throughout," Ms Lowry, a board member of the International Zoo Educators Board, said.
"They also have access to beds that are heated. They're like bedrooms really that are maintained at 20C at all times. On a cold day the orang-utans have a choice of whether they want to stay in our outside."
A Malaysian news agency reported last week Mr Datuk briefly visited the zoo to find the apes
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/more-news/melbourne-zoo-rejects-claims-orang-utans-mistreated/story-fn7x8me2-1226105871911
The age of aquarium The Deep opens a window on what lies beneath. Roger Ratcliffe reports on the work that goes on to keep its 3,500 sea creatures healthy and well-fed.
There’s a place right at the bottom of The Deep known as “the tunnel”, a glass passageway across an authentic reproduction of an ocean floor. Unless you are a deep sea diver, being there is probably one of the most thrilling experiences you’ll ever have.
It’s at this point where you get a sense of almost leaving dry land behind and becoming enveloped by a greenish-blue world of reefs and seaweed. And if you stand there long enough you will begin to feel as though you have gone native and joined a swirling fraternity of big fish – sharks and stingrays, shoals of jacks, and a couple of fearsome green swordfish.
It’s a constantly changing scene, and one that has been enjoyed by over four million people since the aquarium – or “submarium” as The Deep prefers to be known – was first opened in 2002.
The journey starts in a lift to the third floor of a building which looks like a ship’s bow has been left stranded at the confluence of the River Hull and Humber estuary. You then proceed down a series of gently sloping ramps ingeniously wrapped around the 10-metre-deep main tank.
But in the lift there is a button without a number, and if pressed the lift stops on the second floor. This is a place which the public never get to see. It’s where the backroom operation of looking after thousands of fish and reptiles goes on seven days a week.
Here, curator Katy Duke and her 14 staff start the day by planning and preparing meals for 3,500 fish,
http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/lifestyle/health-and-family/the_age_of_aquarium_1_3630327
Management of Kuwait Zoo open to constructive criticism
Director denies animals dying due to summer power cuts
Director of Kuwait Zoo, Farida Mulla Ahmed, has denied the allegations made by PETA Asia Director, Jason Baker, last Friday saying that she believes that Baker has based his opinions and concerns only through a particular article published a month ago that is full of unfounded remarks.
Referring to an article written by Fahed Al-Mayah of Al-Rai newspaper on June 21, Mulla Ahmed said that the way the article was written was unprofessional and biased. “The writer claimed that there isn’t any air conditioning in the indoor animal enclosures and that they are dying due to the summer power cuts, which is untrue,” she said.
In an interview with the Arab Times, Mulla Ahmed added that she had personally requested the Ministry of Electricity and Water not make electricity cuts in the zoo. “Even if our power gets cut, we immediately respond and take care of the situation to make sure all the animals are alright.”
“Even though the zoo is undersized and our enclosures are considered small for the amount of animals, we have renovated plenty of enclosures and many animals have successfully bred. Our doors are wide open and everyone is welcome to come and see what we are doing themselves,” she said.
Speaking to the Arab Times, Wildlife
http://www.arabtimesonline.com/NewsDetails/tabid/96/smid/414/ArticleID/157212/reftab/69/t/Management-of-Kuwait-Zoo-open-to-constructive-criticism/Default.aspx
All about rhinoceros conservation and research – in all languages – on all subjects.
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Rhinos close to extinction
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General and Historical
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Fossil rhinos
Contact Information
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Vietnam's tiger population hits crisis point
JUST 30 wild tigers survive today in Vietnam out of 3,200 across the world, according to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).
The WWF said there were 100 wild tigers in Viet Nam 10 years ago. The conservation body said the number of tigers across the world has decreased by 97 per cent since 1900.
The main reason for the diminishing tiger population is deforestation, said Do Quang Tung, deputy director of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites) Viet Nam. The growing human population has also put pressure on tiger numbers, he added, as has illegal hunting and trafficking.
Meanwhile, Nick Cox, WWF's manager of protected areas, species and wildlife trade, said Vietnam was a trade hub for tiger products, while illegal medicines made from tiger bones had become increasingly popular. 'It's very important at the moment to halt the illegal international tiger trade and domestic consumption of tigers,' Mr Cox said.
Keshav Varma, programme director of Global Tiger Initiative (GTI), said the continuous demand for tiger parts and the surge in illegal smuggling are totally unacceptable. He said if things continue going as they were, the last remaining tigers in Indo-China will be wiped out within a few years.
Hoang Thi Thanh Nhan, deputy head of the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry's Bio-diversification Conservation Department, said Vietnam, in a bid to save tigers in the wild, has participated in Global Tiger Initiative forums. Vietnam and 12 other countries have made a historic commitment to eradicating poaching and the illegal trade
http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/TechandScience/Story/STIStory_697104.html
Wild tigers crowding habitats
The number of wild tigers is increasing to the delight of conservationists, but a new problem is now emerging _ their habitats are running out.
The National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department plans to increase tiger territory to accommodate the growing number of the animals in Huai Kha Khaeng and Thungyai Naresuan Wildlife Sanctuaries.
The growing number of tigers is the result of a successful crackdown on poachers and efforts to provide more forest areas for the animals to forage for food. The country now has 250 tigers, with most of them found in the two sanctuaries.
The sanctuaries are adjacent to national parks in Uthai Thani, Kanchanaburi and Tak provinces.
Covering 622,200 hectares, they form the largest protected area in Southeast Asia and were listed as a Unesco World Heritage Site in 1991.
Saksit Simcharoen, chief of the department's wildlife conservation division, said the two sanctuaries might not have enough territory to handle the rising number of tigers which will also result from the department's policy of doubling their population. The sanctuaries are home to about 100 tigers.
He said Mae Wong National Park in Kamphaeng Phet, Tab Lan National Park in Prachin Buri and Dong Payayen-Khao Yai Forest Complex in Nakhon Ratchasima might be chosen as new tiger habitats.
Staff would check the number of tigers, and introduce a patrol system to tackle poachers in Mae Wong National Park and Tab Lan National Park, where wild tigers are also
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/249676/wild-tigers-crowding-habitats
India's tigers gain numbers but not ground
Results of the world’s largest tiger population study show that the numbers of the highly endangered big cat in India have increased, but that habitat continues to decline.
The estimated population of 1,706 individual tigers represents a 20 percent increase from the last survey in 2006, which estimated a number of 1,411. As well as an increase in the number of tigers within high-density populations, the increase is also due to additional areas being included in the survey this time.
http://www.peopleandplanet.net/?lid=29932§ion=42&topic=23
Rise in attacks – bad news for victims, good news for tigers
For villagers and their families it is a tragedy, but for tiger conservationists a sudden rise in the number of attacks offers welcome, if gruesome, evidence the predator is staging a comeback.
Tiger numbers have risen by more than 20 per cent in the last five years in India, the first time that a significant increase has been recorded since the population crashed – in 1960 there were an estimated 25,000 of the
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/rise-in-attacks-ndash-bad-news-for-victims-good-news-for-tigers-2329694.html
Elephants ! Are we going to lose them too?
http://youtu.be/MbZNpkkTEDU
Maybe a bit late to attend the above. Sadly I was only made aware today.
Facial-recognition software could help to save great apes
Attempts to save populations of great apes could be helped by new facial-recognition software designed to monitor the animals in the wild.
Researchers from Germany’s Fraunhofer and Max-Planck societies are designing a program that can recognise individual apes from photos, video and audio footage recorded in a specific area and so help to count the numbers living there.
‘The biologists [looking after apes in the wild] have to evaluate whether a management strategy is efficient or not,’ Alexander Loos from the Fraunhofer Institute for Digital Media Technology told The Engineer.
‘They have to know the number of individuals of a specific species, whether a population is declining or increasing and which factors influence the population.’
Remotely operated cameras and audio equipment are already used to help monitor animal populations in the wild, but they often produce more data than can be manually processed.
The new semi-automatic system can filter the footage to find where the apes clearly appear and then identify individuals in real time using complex algorithms, in a similar way to human face-recognition software such as that of the Microsoft Kinect.
‘This technology has to be adapted but the similarities of the human face and the ape’s face are clear and so we decided that it is a good idea to use face
http://www.theengineer.co.uk/sectors/electronics/news/facial-recognition-software-could-help-to-save-great-apes/1009542.article
"Would you believe me".......Rula Lenska
http://youtu.be/DaloDpIyqqM
Toad Escapes Snake and Tiger to be Rescued by Zoo Staff
What is thought to be the luckiest toad in the country has been rescued at the Isle of Wight Zoo.
The amphibian was spotted by a visitor inside the Indian Tiger Enclosure on Monday morning with a grass snake coiled around it.
But the snake fled when the toad was approached by an Indian Tigress called Lola, who started licking the creature. However, she was put off from eating the toad because of its taste.
Charlotte Corney, Isle of Wight Zoo Director, explained to IW Radio: "Toads secrete when they are worried as a defence mechanism - they don't taste too good! The tiger decided it would stick with its normal diet and didn't pursue the toad at that point. The toad hopped off outside the mesh of the
http://www.iwradio.co.uk/news/iw-radio-news/toad-escapes-snake-and-tiger-to-be-rescued-by-zoo-staff-2654/
Baby elephant on the way at Melbourne Zoo
Melbourne Zoo's two baby Thai elephants are to be joined by another playmate ... eventually.
The zoo says Num-Oi, a 10-year-old female, is four months into her 24-months-long pregnancy, with the new arrival expected in early 2013.
Senior veterinarian Helen McCracken says Num-Oi was impregnated via artificial insemination after a year-long focus for the zoo.
"We've got three elephants we imported from Thailand several years ago, now all have either had babies or are about to have babies so it's terribly exciting," Dr McCracken said.
"That was our plan, we really wanted to make sure we had a good breeding population of elephants here at Melbourne Zoo."
The new arrival will join 18-month-old Mali, daughter of Dokkoon, and Ongard, the 11-month-old son of Kulab.
The three mothers arrived from Thailand in 2006 to join the zoo's original pair, Mek Kapah and the family patriarch, Bong Su.
Dr McCracken says the baby will be born into a happy family unit.
"They've got two (playmates) and a mum, and the mum herself
http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/national/9961619/baby-elephant-on-the-way-at-melbourne-zoo/
Helping to protect the species
THE TWO seven month white old lion cubs who arrived at Paphos Animal and Bird Park on Wednesday are settling in nicely after their 16-hour flight from South Africa.
Dias and Hera, as they have been named by park founder Christos Christoforou, seem relaxed and quite at home in their new specially constructed 800 square metre enclosure, and none the worse for their long journey.
Yesterday Christoforou spoke to the Cyprus Mail of his joy at finally adding cats to the ever growing list of animals which now call the park home.
“They are so friendly and playful and settled into their new enclosure immediately,” he said.
The lion’s new home is expansive and includes trees, rocks, wood and a water feature. They also have a specially constructed room in which to feed and sleep, complete with a ceramic tiled floor, which is easy for their keepers to clean.
Christoforou said: “Just before the lions left South Africa it was raining and snowing, as its winter there, and so when they arrived they were quite muddy. We are now grooming them and will give them a bath and groom them again,” he said.
“They are very beautiful creatures and we now have our first cats at the park,” he said adding: “We will get some more lions from a zoo in Denmark, they will be arriving in the middle of September.”
The parks founder said that he believed the climate of Cyprus
http://www.cyprus-mail.com/lions/helping-protect-species/20110731
White Lion Breeding Is Not Conservation
Kirkpatricks give $1 million to Oklahoma City Zoo hospital
The Kirkpatrick family has pledged $1 million to help build a new veterinary hospital at the Oklahoma City Zoo.
An Oklahoma family announced Thursday a $1 million pledge to help build a new veterinary hospital at the Oklahoma City Zoo.
The donation from the Kirkpatrick family is one of the largest in the history of the zoo, said Dana McCrory, executive director of the Oklahoma Zoological Society.
The gift is funded by two Kirkpatrick family philanthropies: $650,000 from the Kirkpatrick Family Fund and $350,000 from the Kirkpatrick Foundation.
The Kirkpatricks
http://newsok.com/kirkpatricks-give-1-million-to-oklahoma-city-zoo-hospital/article/3589718
MAN HUGS LEOPARD TO SAVE IT FROM VILLAGERS
http://youtu.be/G4AtZ1lc310
'Extinct' cranes back in wild
Thailand should remove the sarus crane from its extinct wild animal list now that 10 of the birds bred in captivity have been released into the wild, Zoological Park Organisation director Pimook Simaroj said yesterday.
The sarus crane has been listed as extinct in the wild by the Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning (Onep) since it disappeared from from its natural habitat in Thailand 50 years ago.
In 1989, Thailand received a couple of the cranes from Cambodia. Experts at Nakhon Ratchasima Zoo successfully bred the birds in captivity bringing their present population at the zoo to about 100.
Ten of the birds were released into the wild in March at Hoei Chorakay Mak Wildlife Sanctuary in Buri Ram which is close to Cambodia, the birds' original home.
All of the cranes were fitted with radio tracking devices to enable officials to monitor them.
"This is a major success," Mr Pramook said. "They all are in good health and there is a chance they will breed in nature. I support the delisting of the cranes from the extinction list."
The director said Her Majesty the Queen had expressed concern over the cranes and supported the programme aimed at boosting their population in the wild.
The Zoological Park Organisation and the Department
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/249851/extinct-cranes-back-in-wild
Animal deaths shock Sipahijala zoo authorities
The Sipahijala wildlife sanctuary has not been able to keep its guests safe. Death of three exotic animals in the sanctuary and zoo, located about 25 km south of Agartala, in the last few months has sent the forest authorities into a tizzy.
Only recently the zoo authorities had brought three Emus, giant Australian birds, to garner tourist attraction. But, one of these flightless birds, second largest to Ostrich in the world, fell sick with Ranikhet disease, also known as New Castle disease and died last week.
Animal experts said Ranikhet disease, a serious viral disorder in poultry, spreads with lack of proper housing and good care.
Another shocking animal death took place when two adult bears killed and ate up a cub recently. The zoo authorities were rearing two bear cubs in isolation for sometime. They decided to put them with adult bears in the same cage recently and as soon as the cubs were put in the cage, the adult bears became furious
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/guwahati/Animal-deaths-shock-Sipahijala-zoo-authorities/articleshow/9448377.cms
Visitors turned away at zoo due to overcrowding .
Hundreds of people who turned up to visit the National Zoological gardens at Dehiwala were disappointed as they were turned away on Saturday due to overcrowding, an official said.
"Even on Sunday we have received a large crowd and finding it difficult to issue tickets to them", an official said.
He said if people would come earlier in the day it would help them to visit the zoo without being disappointed.
Some of those who were turned away told Sundaytimesonline that there were a large number of people who had come from areas such as Ampara, Matara and Anuradhapura who were turned away.
"Usually from a place like Anuradhapura it takes four to five hours and when we reached the zoo it was about 2.00 p.m. and were told no tickets were available. Our group including a large number of schoolchildren were disappointed and had to get back home", school teacher Anurangani Chandralatha said.
Another group from Kandy said they had left around 6.00 a.m., but since they had several other visits they had decided to visit the zoo as their last visit before ending the trip, but around 3
http://www.sundaytimes.lk/latest/9321-visitors-turned-away-as-zoo-due-to-overcrowding.html
Pilikula Nisargadhama hisses with King Cobra success
Ophiophagus Hannah aka King Cobra stands demystified at the Dr Shivaram Karanth Biological Park at Moodushedde near here. In the first known successful instance of captive breeding of largest venomous snake in the world, indigenously, park authorities late on Sunday tasted success with 32 out of 147 eggs laid by 'Rani', 'Nagaveni' and 'Nagamani' - female King Cobras at the park hatching increasing the slithery tribe by 32.
Permitted by the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) in November 2007 to breed the reptile in captivity, the project did not take off for a good two years. CZA in 2009 sanctioned funds for the construction of a spacious off-display King Cobra breeding centre on the park premises where authorities chose four pairs of King Cobras for mating. Remaining six King Cobras including five males were kept in glass enclosure at snake house for viewing by visitors.
Eggs started hatching late on Sunday
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/environment/flora-fauna/pilikula-nisargadhama-hisses-with-king-cobra-success/articleshow/9441924.cms
Chocoholic fish at London aquarium ate nothing but Kit Kats
STAFF at a London aquarium have managed to wean a chocoholic fish raised on Kit Kats onto a healthier diet, Sky News reported today.
Staff members at the Sea Life London Aquarium initially could not understand why Gary, an inherited 4 kilogram, 40cm-long gourami, refused to eat.
They later discovered he had been fed nothing but chocolate by his previous owners.
To gradually wean Gary off his unhealthy diet, the team began feeding Gary Kit Kat pieces inside grapes.
"Gouramis usually eat a diet of fruit but Gary doesn't
http://www.news.com.au/weird-true-freaky/chocoholic-fish-at-london-aquarium-ate-nothing-but-kit-kats/story-e6frflri-1226106397363
Conservationists say stronger protections needed for sharks
An international marine conservation organization is calling on the federal government to protect the world's dwindling shark populations by banning imports of shark products from countries that have weak protections in place.
In an Aug. 1 letter to the National Marine Fisheries Service, Oceana asks the U.S. government to ban imports of shark products, such as dried fins, from China, Japan, Indonesia, and a dozen other countries where conservation regulations governing shark fishing are weaker than in the United States.
"What we're proposing here is a separate tool" from
http://www.sfbg.com/politics/2011/08/01/conservationists-say-stronger-protections-needed-sharks
A lonely, barren existence for elephant
Does the elephant in question, a 34-year-old female from Sri Lanka, really look that curious?
To me she looks malungkot (lonely). You would be too, if you were taken from your home, kicking and screaming, to be later confined in a small space with little or nothing to do for the rest of your life.
It’s a barren, dusty and miserable existence for one of our planet’s most intelligent animals. While she has it bad, some of the zoo’s less lucky animals have it even worse. The monkey exhibit is nothing more than a collection of barren cages, without so much as a single leaf provided to replicate a natural environment.
Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim’s claim that some of Manila Zoo’s animal residents, in captivity, live beyond their life span is a weak argument. I think all of us would prefer to live to 75 surrounded by friends and family, rather than living 100 lonely years in a prison cell. After a lifetime of misery, even the best birthday cake would taste like dust.
Carlos Celdran advises all tourists who take his tours not to go to Manila Zoo. Would he do that if it were the brilliant source of education and entertainment that Lim so often claims it to be?
I understand why our neighboring countries are dragging
http://opinion.inquirer.net/9091/a-lonely-barren-existence-for-elephant
Roger Boisen column: Day at the zoo becomes joke of a lifetime (Amusing)
In the early to mid 1960s, I lived with my parents and about eight or so so-so siblings on a dairy farm in the Wausau area. Rarely would we take a long trip, and you can probably guess why. But early one morning, when I was about 7, we crammed ourselves into our car and drove off to see some cousins in the Chicago area.
After visiting at our cousins' house, we all headed to the Brookfield Zoo for what was sure to be one whale of a good time. I was really looking forward to seeing the zoo, although in hindsight, that seems odd, given the fact that I lived on a farm with an excessive number of brothers and sisters.
Eventually, our parents herded us into the elephant house. The huge animals were fascinating, and I was mesmerized. I swear that I wasn't horsing around or anything. But at some point, my spider sense began to tingle.
Something was fishy. I turned to my left, and I turned to my right. I noticed that, except for a solitary zoo employee
http://www.postcrescent.com/article/20110731/APC06/107310494/Roger-Boisen-column-Day-zoo-becomes-joke-lifetime
Malaysian Palm Oil Chief Hits Out At Orang Utan Treatment At Melbourne Zoo
Malaysian Palm Oil Council's chief executive Tan Sri Datuk Dr Yusof Basiron has lashed out at the treatment of orang utans at the Melbourne Zoo here, describing it as deplorable and a disgrace.
Dr Yusof told Bernama he made a quick visit the zoo to check out the anti-palm oil signs outside the orang utan enclosures and was appalled at the way they were screaming for attention in the winter cold
"They were shivering and making noises which I recognised them as distress calls," he said.
"Orang utans are tropical animals and find it extremely hard to survive in biting cold temperatures. At the Melbourne zoo, orang utans had just sack cloth to cover themselves in the cold.
"But the sack cloth was small and they were struggling to get it round their huge bodies. I felt very sorry for these poor animals. Unlike human beings, orang utans cannot complain and their distress screams appeared to be ignored by the zoo," he said.
Dr Yusof said he could not believe his eyes when he saw food for the orang utans being place in the open so that zoo visitors could see how the animals ate.
"This was a poor show, just pandering to the delights of the people but to the extreme cruelty to the orang utans," he said.
Yusof, who is accompanying the Minister of Plantation Industries and Commodities, Tan Sri Benard Dompok, on his eight-day working mission to Australia, said Australian animal welfare authorities should investigate "the pathetic conditions" for orang utans at the zoo as well as other zoos in Australia.
"It is utter cruelty to the orang utans. The zoo must understand these are animals from the tropics and adequate protection should be given to them during winter. Their enclosures must be warm and made comfortable
http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v5/newsgeneral.php?id=604445
Melbourne Zoo rejects claims orang-utans mistreated
MELBOURNE Zoo has refuted claims it mistreats its Orang-utans by leaving them exposed to winter conditions.
The zoo's conservation director Rachel Lowry said allegations made by Malaysian Palm Oil Council chief executive Dr Yusof Basiron that the endangered apes were suffering were ridiculous.
"He was saying the animal was cold. Our exhibit actually has heated elements integrated throughout," Ms Lowry, a board member of the International Zoo Educators Board, said.
"They also have access to beds that are heated. They're like bedrooms really that are maintained at 20C at all times. On a cold day the orang-utans have a choice of whether they want to stay in our outside."
A Malaysian news agency reported last week Mr Datuk briefly visited the zoo to find the apes
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/more-news/melbourne-zoo-rejects-claims-orang-utans-mistreated/story-fn7x8me2-1226105871911
The age of aquarium The Deep opens a window on what lies beneath. Roger Ratcliffe reports on the work that goes on to keep its 3,500 sea creatures healthy and well-fed.
There’s a place right at the bottom of The Deep known as “the tunnel”, a glass passageway across an authentic reproduction of an ocean floor. Unless you are a deep sea diver, being there is probably one of the most thrilling experiences you’ll ever have.
It’s at this point where you get a sense of almost leaving dry land behind and becoming enveloped by a greenish-blue world of reefs and seaweed. And if you stand there long enough you will begin to feel as though you have gone native and joined a swirling fraternity of big fish – sharks and stingrays, shoals of jacks, and a couple of fearsome green swordfish.
It’s a constantly changing scene, and one that has been enjoyed by over four million people since the aquarium – or “submarium” as The Deep prefers to be known – was first opened in 2002.
The journey starts in a lift to the third floor of a building which looks like a ship’s bow has been left stranded at the confluence of the River Hull and Humber estuary. You then proceed down a series of gently sloping ramps ingeniously wrapped around the 10-metre-deep main tank.
But in the lift there is a button without a number, and if pressed the lift stops on the second floor. This is a place which the public never get to see. It’s where the backroom operation of looking after thousands of fish and reptiles goes on seven days a week.
Here, curator Katy Duke and her 14 staff start the day by planning and preparing meals for 3,500 fish,
http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/lifestyle/health-and-family/the_age_of_aquarium_1_3630327
Management of Kuwait Zoo open to constructive criticism
Director denies animals dying due to summer power cuts
Director of Kuwait Zoo, Farida Mulla Ahmed, has denied the allegations made by PETA Asia Director, Jason Baker, last Friday saying that she believes that Baker has based his opinions and concerns only through a particular article published a month ago that is full of unfounded remarks.
Referring to an article written by Fahed Al-Mayah of Al-Rai newspaper on June 21, Mulla Ahmed said that the way the article was written was unprofessional and biased. “The writer claimed that there isn’t any air conditioning in the indoor animal enclosures and that they are dying due to the summer power cuts, which is untrue,” she said.
In an interview with the Arab Times, Mulla Ahmed added that she had personally requested the Ministry of Electricity and Water not make electricity cuts in the zoo. “Even if our power gets cut, we immediately respond and take care of the situation to make sure all the animals are alright.”
“Even though the zoo is undersized and our enclosures are considered small for the amount of animals, we have renovated plenty of enclosures and many animals have successfully bred. Our doors are wide open and everyone is welcome to come and see what we are doing themselves,” she said.
Speaking to the Arab Times, Wildlife
http://www.arabtimesonline.com/NewsDetails/tabid/96/smid/414/ArticleID/157212/reftab/69/t/Management-of-Kuwait-Zoo-open-to-constructive-criticism/Default.aspx
RHINO RESOURCE CENTER – NEWSLETTER 24 – AUGUST 2011
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All about rhinoceros conservation and research – in all languages – on all subjects.
The total number of references in the database and collection of the RRC now stands at 15,530.
This represents a quarterly increase of 527 items.
There are over 13,000 references available as PDF on the RRC website.
In this issue:
Rhinos close to extinction
Our sponsors
Books preserve what we know
Skead’s Historical Incidence
Meetings on the rhinoceros
Contents of the RRC website
New Literature
African rhinos
Asian rhinos
General and Historical
Theses and Dissertations
Fossil rhinos
Contact Information
http://www.rhinoresourcecenter.com/
Vietnam's tiger population hits crisis point
JUST 30 wild tigers survive today in Vietnam out of 3,200 across the world, according to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).
The WWF said there were 100 wild tigers in Viet Nam 10 years ago. The conservation body said the number of tigers across the world has decreased by 97 per cent since 1900.
The main reason for the diminishing tiger population is deforestation, said Do Quang Tung, deputy director of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites) Viet Nam. The growing human population has also put pressure on tiger numbers, he added, as has illegal hunting and trafficking.
Meanwhile, Nick Cox, WWF's manager of protected areas, species and wildlife trade, said Vietnam was a trade hub for tiger products, while illegal medicines made from tiger bones had become increasingly popular. 'It's very important at the moment to halt the illegal international tiger trade and domestic consumption of tigers,' Mr Cox said.
Keshav Varma, programme director of Global Tiger Initiative (GTI), said the continuous demand for tiger parts and the surge in illegal smuggling are totally unacceptable. He said if things continue going as they were, the last remaining tigers in Indo-China will be wiped out within a few years.
Hoang Thi Thanh Nhan, deputy head of the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry's Bio-diversification Conservation Department, said Vietnam, in a bid to save tigers in the wild, has participated in Global Tiger Initiative forums. Vietnam and 12 other countries have made a historic commitment to eradicating poaching and the illegal trade
http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/TechandScience/Story/STIStory_697104.html
Wild tigers crowding habitats
The number of wild tigers is increasing to the delight of conservationists, but a new problem is now emerging _ their habitats are running out.
The National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department plans to increase tiger territory to accommodate the growing number of the animals in Huai Kha Khaeng and Thungyai Naresuan Wildlife Sanctuaries.
The growing number of tigers is the result of a successful crackdown on poachers and efforts to provide more forest areas for the animals to forage for food. The country now has 250 tigers, with most of them found in the two sanctuaries.
The sanctuaries are adjacent to national parks in Uthai Thani, Kanchanaburi and Tak provinces.
Covering 622,200 hectares, they form the largest protected area in Southeast Asia and were listed as a Unesco World Heritage Site in 1991.
Saksit Simcharoen, chief of the department's wildlife conservation division, said the two sanctuaries might not have enough territory to handle the rising number of tigers which will also result from the department's policy of doubling their population. The sanctuaries are home to about 100 tigers.
He said Mae Wong National Park in Kamphaeng Phet, Tab Lan National Park in Prachin Buri and Dong Payayen-Khao Yai Forest Complex in Nakhon Ratchasima might be chosen as new tiger habitats.
Staff would check the number of tigers, and introduce a patrol system to tackle poachers in Mae Wong National Park and Tab Lan National Park, where wild tigers are also
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/249676/wild-tigers-crowding-habitats
India's tigers gain numbers but not ground
Results of the world’s largest tiger population study show that the numbers of the highly endangered big cat in India have increased, but that habitat continues to decline.
The estimated population of 1,706 individual tigers represents a 20 percent increase from the last survey in 2006, which estimated a number of 1,411. As well as an increase in the number of tigers within high-density populations, the increase is also due to additional areas being included in the survey this time.
http://www.peopleandplanet.net/?lid=29932§ion=42&topic=23
Rise in attacks – bad news for victims, good news for tigers
For villagers and their families it is a tragedy, but for tiger conservationists a sudden rise in the number of attacks offers welcome, if gruesome, evidence the predator is staging a comeback.
Tiger numbers have risen by more than 20 per cent in the last five years in India, the first time that a significant increase has been recorded since the population crashed – in 1960 there were an estimated 25,000 of the
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/rise-in-attacks-ndash-bad-news-for-victims-good-news-for-tigers-2329694.html
Elephants ! Are we going to lose them too?
http://youtu.be/MbZNpkkTEDU
BAT COURSE 2012
Taxonomy, Ecology and Conservation
Loreto, Peru
14 -24 January 2012
For further details please click
Maybe a bit late to attend the above. Sadly I was only made aware today.
Facial-recognition software could help to save great apes
Attempts to save populations of great apes could be helped by new facial-recognition software designed to monitor the animals in the wild.
Researchers from Germany’s Fraunhofer and Max-Planck societies are designing a program that can recognise individual apes from photos, video and audio footage recorded in a specific area and so help to count the numbers living there.
‘The biologists [looking after apes in the wild] have to evaluate whether a management strategy is efficient or not,’ Alexander Loos from the Fraunhofer Institute for Digital Media Technology told The Engineer.
‘They have to know the number of individuals of a specific species, whether a population is declining or increasing and which factors influence the population.’
Remotely operated cameras and audio equipment are already used to help monitor animal populations in the wild, but they often produce more data than can be manually processed.
The new semi-automatic system can filter the footage to find where the apes clearly appear and then identify individuals in real time using complex algorithms, in a similar way to human face-recognition software such as that of the Microsoft Kinect.
‘This technology has to be adapted but the similarities of the human face and the ape’s face are clear and so we decided that it is a good idea to use face
http://www.theengineer.co.uk/sectors/electronics/news/facial-recognition-software-could-help-to-save-great-apes/1009542.article
"Would you believe me".......Rula Lenska
http://youtu.be/DaloDpIyqqM
Toad Escapes Snake and Tiger to be Rescued by Zoo Staff
What is thought to be the luckiest toad in the country has been rescued at the Isle of Wight Zoo.
The amphibian was spotted by a visitor inside the Indian Tiger Enclosure on Monday morning with a grass snake coiled around it.
But the snake fled when the toad was approached by an Indian Tigress called Lola, who started licking the creature. However, she was put off from eating the toad because of its taste.
Charlotte Corney, Isle of Wight Zoo Director, explained to IW Radio: "Toads secrete when they are worried as a defence mechanism - they don't taste too good! The tiger decided it would stick with its normal diet and didn't pursue the toad at that point. The toad hopped off outside the mesh of the
http://www.iwradio.co.uk/news/iw-radio-news/toad-escapes-snake-and-tiger-to-be-rescued-by-zoo-staff-2654/
Baby elephant on the way at Melbourne Zoo
Melbourne Zoo's two baby Thai elephants are to be joined by another playmate ... eventually.
The zoo says Num-Oi, a 10-year-old female, is four months into her 24-months-long pregnancy, with the new arrival expected in early 2013.
Senior veterinarian Helen McCracken says Num-Oi was impregnated via artificial insemination after a year-long focus for the zoo.
"We've got three elephants we imported from Thailand several years ago, now all have either had babies or are about to have babies so it's terribly exciting," Dr McCracken said.
"That was our plan, we really wanted to make sure we had a good breeding population of elephants here at Melbourne Zoo."
The new arrival will join 18-month-old Mali, daughter of Dokkoon, and Ongard, the 11-month-old son of Kulab.
The three mothers arrived from Thailand in 2006 to join the zoo's original pair, Mek Kapah and the family patriarch, Bong Su.
Dr McCracken says the baby will be born into a happy family unit.
"They've got two (playmates) and a mum, and the mum herself
http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/national/9961619/baby-elephant-on-the-way-at-melbourne-zoo/
Helping to protect the species
THE TWO seven month white old lion cubs who arrived at Paphos Animal and Bird Park on Wednesday are settling in nicely after their 16-hour flight from South Africa.
Dias and Hera, as they have been named by park founder Christos Christoforou, seem relaxed and quite at home in their new specially constructed 800 square metre enclosure, and none the worse for their long journey.
Yesterday Christoforou spoke to the Cyprus Mail of his joy at finally adding cats to the ever growing list of animals which now call the park home.
“They are so friendly and playful and settled into their new enclosure immediately,” he said.
The lion’s new home is expansive and includes trees, rocks, wood and a water feature. They also have a specially constructed room in which to feed and sleep, complete with a ceramic tiled floor, which is easy for their keepers to clean.
Christoforou said: “Just before the lions left South Africa it was raining and snowing, as its winter there, and so when they arrived they were quite muddy. We are now grooming them and will give them a bath and groom them again,” he said.
“They are very beautiful creatures and we now have our first cats at the park,” he said adding: “We will get some more lions from a zoo in Denmark, they will be arriving in the middle of September.”
The parks founder said that he believed the climate of Cyprus
http://www.cyprus-mail.com/lions/helping-protect-species/20110731
White Lion Breeding Is Not Conservation
Kirkpatricks give $1 million to Oklahoma City Zoo hospital
The Kirkpatrick family has pledged $1 million to help build a new veterinary hospital at the Oklahoma City Zoo.
An Oklahoma family announced Thursday a $1 million pledge to help build a new veterinary hospital at the Oklahoma City Zoo.
The donation from the Kirkpatrick family is one of the largest in the history of the zoo, said Dana McCrory, executive director of the Oklahoma Zoological Society.
The gift is funded by two Kirkpatrick family philanthropies: $650,000 from the Kirkpatrick Family Fund and $350,000 from the Kirkpatrick Foundation.
The Kirkpatricks
http://newsok.com/kirkpatricks-give-1-million-to-oklahoma-city-zoo-hospital/article/3589718
MAN HUGS LEOPARD TO SAVE IT FROM VILLAGERS
http://youtu.be/G4AtZ1lc310
'Extinct' cranes back in wild
Thailand should remove the sarus crane from its extinct wild animal list now that 10 of the birds bred in captivity have been released into the wild, Zoological Park Organisation director Pimook Simaroj said yesterday.
The sarus crane has been listed as extinct in the wild by the Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning (Onep) since it disappeared from from its natural habitat in Thailand 50 years ago.
In 1989, Thailand received a couple of the cranes from Cambodia. Experts at Nakhon Ratchasima Zoo successfully bred the birds in captivity bringing their present population at the zoo to about 100.
Ten of the birds were released into the wild in March at Hoei Chorakay Mak Wildlife Sanctuary in Buri Ram which is close to Cambodia, the birds' original home.
All of the cranes were fitted with radio tracking devices to enable officials to monitor them.
"This is a major success," Mr Pramook said. "They all are in good health and there is a chance they will breed in nature. I support the delisting of the cranes from the extinction list."
The director said Her Majesty the Queen had expressed concern over the cranes and supported the programme aimed at boosting their population in the wild.
The Zoological Park Organisation and the Department
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/249851/extinct-cranes-back-in-wild
Animal deaths shock Sipahijala zoo authorities
The Sipahijala wildlife sanctuary has not been able to keep its guests safe. Death of three exotic animals in the sanctuary and zoo, located about 25 km south of Agartala, in the last few months has sent the forest authorities into a tizzy.
Only recently the zoo authorities had brought three Emus, giant Australian birds, to garner tourist attraction. But, one of these flightless birds, second largest to Ostrich in the world, fell sick with Ranikhet disease, also known as New Castle disease and died last week.
Animal experts said Ranikhet disease, a serious viral disorder in poultry, spreads with lack of proper housing and good care.
Another shocking animal death took place when two adult bears killed and ate up a cub recently. The zoo authorities were rearing two bear cubs in isolation for sometime. They decided to put them with adult bears in the same cage recently and as soon as the cubs were put in the cage, the adult bears became furious
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/guwahati/Animal-deaths-shock-Sipahijala-zoo-authorities/articleshow/9448377.cms
Visitors turned away at zoo due to overcrowding .
Hundreds of people who turned up to visit the National Zoological gardens at Dehiwala were disappointed as they were turned away on Saturday due to overcrowding, an official said.
"Even on Sunday we have received a large crowd and finding it difficult to issue tickets to them", an official said.
He said if people would come earlier in the day it would help them to visit the zoo without being disappointed.
Some of those who were turned away told Sundaytimesonline that there were a large number of people who had come from areas such as Ampara, Matara and Anuradhapura who were turned away.
"Usually from a place like Anuradhapura it takes four to five hours and when we reached the zoo it was about 2.00 p.m. and were told no tickets were available. Our group including a large number of schoolchildren were disappointed and had to get back home", school teacher Anurangani Chandralatha said.
Another group from Kandy said they had left around 6.00 a.m., but since they had several other visits they had decided to visit the zoo as their last visit before ending the trip, but around 3
http://www.sundaytimes.lk/latest/9321-visitors-turned-away-as-zoo-due-to-overcrowding.html
Pilikula Nisargadhama hisses with King Cobra success
Ophiophagus Hannah aka King Cobra stands demystified at the Dr Shivaram Karanth Biological Park at Moodushedde near here. In the first known successful instance of captive breeding of largest venomous snake in the world, indigenously, park authorities late on Sunday tasted success with 32 out of 147 eggs laid by 'Rani', 'Nagaveni' and 'Nagamani' - female King Cobras at the park hatching increasing the slithery tribe by 32.
Permitted by the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) in November 2007 to breed the reptile in captivity, the project did not take off for a good two years. CZA in 2009 sanctioned funds for the construction of a spacious off-display King Cobra breeding centre on the park premises where authorities chose four pairs of King Cobras for mating. Remaining six King Cobras including five males were kept in glass enclosure at snake house for viewing by visitors.
Eggs started hatching late on Sunday
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/environment/flora-fauna/pilikula-nisargadhama-hisses-with-king-cobra-success/articleshow/9441924.cms
Chocoholic fish at London aquarium ate nothing but Kit Kats
STAFF at a London aquarium have managed to wean a chocoholic fish raised on Kit Kats onto a healthier diet, Sky News reported today.
Staff members at the Sea Life London Aquarium initially could not understand why Gary, an inherited 4 kilogram, 40cm-long gourami, refused to eat.
They later discovered he had been fed nothing but chocolate by his previous owners.
To gradually wean Gary off his unhealthy diet, the team began feeding Gary Kit Kat pieces inside grapes.
"Gouramis usually eat a diet of fruit but Gary doesn't
http://www.news.com.au/weird-true-freaky/chocoholic-fish-at-london-aquarium-ate-nothing-but-kit-kats/story-e6frflri-1226106397363
Conservationists say stronger protections needed for sharks
An international marine conservation organization is calling on the federal government to protect the world's dwindling shark populations by banning imports of shark products from countries that have weak protections in place.
In an Aug. 1 letter to the National Marine Fisheries Service, Oceana asks the U.S. government to ban imports of shark products, such as dried fins, from China, Japan, Indonesia, and a dozen other countries where conservation regulations governing shark fishing are weaker than in the United States.
"What we're proposing here is a separate tool" from
http://www.sfbg.com/politics/2011/08/01/conservationists-say-stronger-protections-needed-sharks
A lonely, barren existence for elephant
Does the elephant in question, a 34-year-old female from Sri Lanka, really look that curious?
To me she looks malungkot (lonely). You would be too, if you were taken from your home, kicking and screaming, to be later confined in a small space with little or nothing to do for the rest of your life.
It’s a barren, dusty and miserable existence for one of our planet’s most intelligent animals. While she has it bad, some of the zoo’s less lucky animals have it even worse. The monkey exhibit is nothing more than a collection of barren cages, without so much as a single leaf provided to replicate a natural environment.
Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim’s claim that some of Manila Zoo’s animal residents, in captivity, live beyond their life span is a weak argument. I think all of us would prefer to live to 75 surrounded by friends and family, rather than living 100 lonely years in a prison cell. After a lifetime of misery, even the best birthday cake would taste like dust.
Carlos Celdran advises all tourists who take his tours not to go to Manila Zoo. Would he do that if it were the brilliant source of education and entertainment that Lim so often claims it to be?
I understand why our neighboring countries are dragging
http://opinion.inquirer.net/9091/a-lonely-barren-existence-for-elephant
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