Saturday, November 12, 2011

Zoo News Digest 6th - 12th November 2011 (Zoo News 794)

Zoo News Digest 6th - 12th November 2011 (Zoo News 794)


Photo by: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ucumari/392152585/



Peter Dickinson


Dear Colleague,

Yupangco zoo business expanding? Oh no! Spreading it's ignorance further afield. This group of zoos really needs lessons in what a modern zoo is about, what it represents. Right now every one of their zoos are Dysfunctional Zoos. Read Reports at :

Residence Inn Mini Zoo at Tagaytay

Zoobic Safari

The horror of it is that it will probably happen. The biggest Dysfunctional Zoo in Thailand is Bangkok Safari World....so I suppose boxing Orangutans will be on the cards for the Philippines before too long. Corruption runs to high places. 

There you go....the mere mention of 'possibly' Gay Penguins and the press goes mad. Dozens of Papers covering the story world wide as of the 7th. Expect it to spread still further. I'm normally a supporter of IFAW, they do good work. I think though that their Michael Booth should really keep out of any decision that Toronto Zoo makes about their Penguins (I knew it would get silly). He may be a brilliant film maker (I don't know) but zoos and their work are not his expertise. I believe everyone has a right to an opinion but I am interested that anyone from IFAW should have voiced an opinion on this subject at all.
I had to laugh at the report of PAWS Mumbai visit to Byculla Zoo "after four of its members visited the zoo disguised as tourists". Disguised as tourists? What do they look like the rest of the time? And this business of "we demand the zoo be shut down". Just who the hell do they think they are? As I said last week I really don't believe these people have a clue....I am not defending the zoo as it may have its faults but PAWS are not the people to point them out.

See REVITALIZE THE GIZA ZOO. At last the zoo appears to be getting it's act together. Long may the improvements continue.

Another newspaper story I cannot believe is 'White Lies'. So full of holes. "40 kilos of meat each"....rubbish! "Windsor Safari Park has a burgeoning lion population and actually exports big cats to African countries"....has???...Windsor Safari Park closed many years ago and if it ever exported a big cat back to Africa it was for publicty and had nothing to do with boosting depleted numbers of wild animals.

I liked the story 'The Medicine Man Of Trivandrum Zoo'. Here is a vet I can relate to. Someone who appreciates the important role the Zoo Keepers play and I can really relate to "And in cases where healing can happen naturally, one should avoid causing unnecessary trauma to the animal in the name of treatment,” explains the vet."....something few members of the public and those outside of zoos can understand.

How I hate that word "inmates" when referring to animals in zoos. Good zoos are neither prisons nor mental institutions they are closer to hotels. You would never refer to a person in a hotel as an inmate. Mind you...thinking on it there are some Dysfunctional Zoos where inmate definitely applies.

I can understand the need to euthanase and cull both in the wild and in captivity. It doesn't mean I like it. It means I can understand it. I can also understand the need to slaughter (I have done a lot of it) and exercise pest control (I have done a lot of that as well). It doesn't mean I like it. It means I understand it. I have never enjoyed or got pleasure out of killing any animal. I have felt satisfaction in a clean kill because that was part of my remit. What I cannot understand is people paying to kill captive exotic animals and worse still people letting them do it. That is sick! It really is.

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Rare animals shot to save the herd at Northern Territory's mary River safari park
SOME of the world's rarest animals are to be shot by trophy hunters to pay for the rest of the herd to be fed, the owner of a Territory safari park has said.
The scimitar-horned oryx is extinct in the wild.
There are 150 of them at the Mary River safari park on the outskirts of Kakadu.
Owner Kevin Gleeson said a few of the oryx would have to be shot by trophy hunters to pay to feed the rest of the herd and dozens of other exotic animals.
The antelope is prized by hunters because of the magnificent swept-back antlers.
"We have to shoot a few to get in the dollars," Mr Gleeson said. "But we're not going to wipe them out - no way in the world.
"You've got to put a price on an
http://www.news.com.au/national/rare-animals-shot-to-save-the-herd-at-northern-territorys-mary-river-safari-park/story-e6frfkxr-1226192487023



Elephant cruelty case: Bobby Roberts' Circus owners charged
Two circus owners have been charged with causing unnecessary suffering to an elephant.
Action was originally brought by Animal Defenders International (ADI) which investigated the elephant's welfare at Bobby Roberts' circus in Peterborough.
The Crown Prosecution Service said it had now taken over the prosecution of husband and wife Bobby and Moira Roberts, who run the circus.
The elephant, Anne, was later moved to Longleat Safari Park in Wiltshire.
Mr and Mrs Roberts will appear before Corby Magistrates' Court, in Northamptonshire, on 16 November.
Shock and dismay
They are accused of keeping the 58-year-old elephant chained to the ground at all times.
They are also accused of failing to prevent an employee from repeatedly beating Anne.
The elephant was brought from Sri Lanka to The Bobby Roberts Super Circus in Peterborough in the 1950s.
A CPS spokesman said: "Given the public concern over the case, the Director of Public Prosecutions, Keir Starmer QC, has now agreed that the CPS take over and continue the legal proceedings against the Roberts."
Moira Roberts told the BBC News website: "We are shocked and dismayed, we honestly felt this would get thrown out.
"We've done nothing wrong. It's been the worst year of our lives.
"We've been in business a long time and financially and mentally we've had the worst year of our lives."
The ADI, a worldwide animal welfare organisation, carried out an undercover investigation between 21 January and 15 February this year and filmed the elephant in a barn in Polebrook, Northamptonshire.
Jan Creamer, ADI chie
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-15675102



Anne The Elephant




Animal Rights Activist: ‘If you spill blood, your blood should be spilled’
In the early hours of March 7, 2009, David Jentsch was startled out of his slumber by the sound of an explosion in his driveway. Running outside, the UCLA professor found that his car had been firebombed. His car was destroyed, and the fire spread to a nearby tree before firefighters were able to control it.
Self-described members of the “Animal Liberation Brigade” claimed responsibility for the firebombing, warning Jentsch in a message posted March 8 on the website of the North American Animal Liberation Press Office (which publishes communiqués from underground animal rights activists) that “we will come for you when you least expect it and do a lot more damanage [sic] than to your property.
Prior to the firebombing of his car, Jentsch, a professor of psychology and psychiatry whose research involves rodents and primates, had had no personal contact with animal liberation activists. He responded to the attack by forming Pro-Test for Science, a community of researchers that works to counter the radical animal liberation movement.
Soon, Jentsch found himself subject to daily harassment, including menacing emails and packages containing razors. It emerged that an obscure Florida-based group called Negotiation is Over (NIO) had targeted the UCLA professor as public enemy No. 1, posting his picture and contact information on its website and urging the animal liberation community to take action against him.
NIO is the brainchild of Camille Marino, a 47-year-old former investment banking professional who for the past three years has devoted her life to radical animal rights activism. According its website, NIO “strives to be an instrument of defiance, disruption, disobedience, subversion, creative & aggressive grassroots action, and a catalyst for revolutionary change. Total liberation – human animals, nonhuman animals, and the earth – will not happen by politely asking
http://www.splcenter.org/blog/2011/11/03/animal-rights-activist-if-you-spill-blood-your-blood-should-be-spilled/




Chinese lanterns pose danger to elephants and farm livestock, Bonfire Night revellers warned
Bonfire night revellers have been urged not to release Chinese lanterns to avoid injuring livestock and zoo animals including elephants at risk of becoming ensnared by the fireworks.
The paper lanterns, which float into the air by lighting a candle inside them, have become increasingly popular in Britain with thousands released on November 5 and other celebrations.
However, farmers and wildlife experts have warned that the devices, which can drift for several miles in the breeze, pose a serious danger to animals when they land in fields.
Wire and bamboo contained in many brands of Chinese lanterns has been blamed for numerous deaths and injuries to farmers’ livestock, while staff at a safari park said they risk harming their elephants.
Rachel Saunders, a research and conservation expert at Knowsley Safari Park in Lancashire, said six wire-framed lanterns were discovered in its elephant enclosure
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/wildlife/8870913/Chinese-lanterns-pose-danger-to-elephants-and-farm-livestock-Bonfire-Night-revellers-warned.html



Edinburgh pandas: Zoo keeper tells of 'trepidation'
The keeper charged with looking after the pandas at Edinburgh Zoo has spoken of her "trepidation" ahead of caring for the "iconic species".
Alison Maclean told the BBC Scotland news website that she was "excited" at the thought of being in charge of their "health and welfare".
However, she said it was a "pretty big weight" on her shoulders. She added it was also a huge privilege.
It is hoped the pandas will arrive at the zoo before the end of the year.
Ms Maclean, who has looked after captive bears for 25 years, will be in charge of looking after Tian Tian and Yang Guang when they move to Edinburgh from their home
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-15654609




Panda bamboo to be grown at Edinburgh Zoo
Edinburgh Zoo is to grow its own bamboo to feed its eagerly-awaited giant pandas.
It will initially cultivate 15% of the 18,000kg of bamboo required to feed the animals annually.
The plant will be grown on the grounds of the zoo, with the rest being provided by specialist German firm Reiner Winkendick.
It is hoped Tian Tian and Yang Guang will arrive in Edinburgh before the end of the year.
The breeding pair will consume 20 three-metre bamboo stems each day and be given about 25 different species of the plant over the year to replicate their diet in the wild.
While bamboo forms almost all of their diet, they also have an appetite for rats, mice, pikas (rabbit-like creatures), insects and other vegetation.
The zoo hopes to increase the amount
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-15597143




ZooKunft 2012
Die Haltung und "richtige" Präsentation einheimischer Wildtiere
am 17., 18. und 19. Februar, 2012
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Tourismusschulen Villa Blanka
Weiherburggasse 31
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JETZT PROGRAMM UND ANMELDUNG




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Am Stadtrand 49 b
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Tel.: 0049 (0) 4403-9746909
Fax: 0044 (0) 1296-339758



Yupangco zoo business mulls listing on PSE
THEME PARK operator Zoomanity Group is looking to list on the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) within the next three years to raise funds for plans to expand its animal farm portfolio in the coming years, an official said.
“Hopefully, we will have our IPO (initial public offering) in the next three years,” Zoomanity Group President Roberto L. Yupangco said in a telephone interview yesterday. “This will give us sustainable funding and growth.” The IPO plan comes alongside the company’s targets of adding at least six more branches on top of the existing sites.
The company currently operates theme parks Zoobic Safari in Subic Bay Freeport Zone, Zoo-in-Zip Residences Inn in Tagaytay, Paradizoo in Cavite, Zoocobia and Zoocology in Clark Fields Pampanga, Animal Wonderland inside Star City in Manila, and Zoori’s Adventure and Bird Thrill inside Enchanted Kingdom in Laguna.
“We are banking on around 20 million local tourists annually based on government data. Our dream is to have 10 million customers in few years’ time,” he said.
“And that will be achieved by putting up more branches.”
Mr. Yupangco said the additional parks would be located in the Bicol Region, Palawan, Negros, and Baguio and other tourist destinations in the Philippines.
He noted that putting up the outlets would cost around P300 million.
“These are funded through partnerships,” he said, adding that the group is debt-free.
At present, the Zoomanity customers
http://www.bworldonline.com/content.php?section=Corporate&title=Yupangco-zoo-business-mulls-listing-on-PSE&id=41230






http://www.zoolex.org/  in November 2011

~°v°~ ~°v°~ ~°v°~ ~°v°~ ~°v°~

Hello ZooLex Friend,
We have worked for your enjoyment!

~°v°~

NEW EXHIBIT PRESENTATION

Russia's Grizzly Coast is an exhibit complex at the Minnesota Zoological Garden in the United States of America where visitors can see various animal species from the Russian Far East. While our readers have already enjoyed the grizzly bear exhibit at Russia's Grizzly Coast we are pleased to introduce now exhibits for leopards, sea otters and boars at Russia's Grizzly Coast:

Leopards:
http://www.zoolex.org/zoolexcgi/view.py?id=1190

Sea Otters:
http://www.zoolex.org/zoolexcgi/view.py?id=1192

Boars:
http://www.zoolex.org/zoolexcgi/view.py?id=1193

~°v°~

SPANISH TRANSLATION

Thanks to Eduardo Diaz Garcia we are able to offer Spanish translations of a all presented exhibits of Russia's Grizzly Coast:

Osos Pardos:
http://www.zoolex.org/zoolexcgi/view.py?id=1341

Leopardo Siberiano:
http://www.zoolex.org/zoolexcgi/view.py?id=1342

Nutria marina:
http://www.zoolex.org/zoolexcgi/view.py?id=1343

Jabalíes:
http://www.zoolex.org/zoolexcgi/view.py?id=1344

~°v°~

We keep working on ZooLex ...


The ZooLex Zoo Design Organization is a non-profit organization
registered in Austria (ZVR-Zahl 933849053). ZooLex runs a professional
zoo design website and distributes this newsletter. More information and
contact: http://www.zoolex.org/about.html





Bad state of Byculla zoo out in the open
Environmental activists from a city NGO released a report on the poor conditions of the animals at the Veermata Jijabai Udyan and Zoo in Byculla on Sunday.
Four environmentalists documented the maltreatment of the animals by thezoo administration. Plant and Animals Welfare Society (PAWS) Mumbai has prepared a report, after four of its members visited the zoo disguised as tourists, on October 29. The report has been sent to the various authorities including, the secretary of the Animal Welfare Board of India.
“We found that there was no water served in many enclosures.The animals looked weak. We found wounds on the elephant. One of the workers was poking a crocodile with a stick,” complained Sunish Subramaniam of PAWS Mumbai.
The report has demanded that the zoo should be closed down immediately as the enclosures provided are unable to give the natural space needed for an animal.“Till then, the Central Zoo Authority
http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_bad-state-of-byculla-zoo-out-in-the-open_1608616




Tapirs losing out
Tapirs are another casualty of our dwindling forest cover and expanding development.
BENDUL, the Malayan tapir, is a sorry sight. Unlike the other tapirs at the Sungai Dusun Wildlife Conservation Centre which have hefty, robust bodies, Bendul is almost all skin and bones. Her coat is dull and grey, not a healthy shine like that on the others. Her ribcage shows under her skin and her body is badly scarred.
She was named after the place where she was found loitering in late September, a village in Ulu Bendul some 16km from Seremban in Negri Sembilan, and arrived at the centre wounded and starving.
“After trapping her, we had planned to return her to the forest but when we saw that she had a bullet wound which was infested with maggots, we decided to bring her here,” says Mahathir Mohamad
http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=/2011/11/8/lifefocus/9827517&sec=lifefocus




Vehicles threatening rare flightless Okinawa bird
A critically endangered flightless bird found only in northern Okinawa Island is under increasing threat from vehicles, which killed a record number this year, according to officials at the Environment Ministry's Yambaru Wildlife Conservation Center.
With many paved roads running through the core of the forested habitat of the Okinawa rail, whose existence was confirmed just three decades ago, 34 of the birds were fatally struck by vehicles this year, up from 33 for all of last year and 20 in 2009.
By contrast, the number of bird kills between 1995 and 2004 totaled 26.
"The reason for this sharp increase remains unclear, but we believe the birds may be more frequently c
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20111108f1.html




CONSERVATION IN CHINA: UNIQUE CHALLENGES OR GLOBAL LESSONS?
http://www.zsl.org/science/scientific-meetings?dm_i=9GD,LO0B,110QE2,1R929,1



Reconsider dolphinarium plan: animal rights org to Maha Govt
In a bid to restrict capturing of dolphins from the wild, animal rights organisation ''Humane Society International'' has requested Maharashtra government to reconsider the proposal to build dolphin parks along the coastline in Sindhudurg district.
Such projects are being increasingly discarded in developed countries, it says.
"In a letter to Tourism Minister Chhagan Bhujbal, we have strongly urged him to reconsider his support to the proposal to build new dolphinariums," the NGO''s Campaign Manager, N G Jayasimha told PTI.
"Building dolphin parks, especially in regions where such facilities do not exist, may mean that animals must be imported or captured from the wild," HSI''s letter says.
"The construction of dolphinariums is a backward step...
true ecotourism has minimal costs to the environment and maximum benefits for the local community. Dolphinariums in new areas do not comply with these requirements," Jayasimha said.
The letter was sent after media reports that in a bid to give a boost to tourism in Konkan area, the government was planning to set up a Rs 510 crore Sea World theme park in Sindhudurg.
"India has the opportunity to be a leader in Asia
http://news.in.msn.com/national/article.aspx?cp-documentid=5570702




Ohio Exotic Animals Theft: 5 Accused Of Stealing Dead Lion
Five people were charged Monday with trying to steal the carcass of a lion that was among dozens of exotic animals released from a private compound by their suicidal owner and shot dead by sheriff's deputies in a big-game hunt.
Deputies said they stopped four men and a teenage boy who had loaded the lion into a Jeep several hours after the animals ran from their cages at the compound near Zanesville, in eastern Ohio.
Deputies were forced to kill 48 wild animals including bears, lions and endangered Bengal tigers after their owner, Terry Thompson, threw open their cages late in the afternoon on Oct. 18
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/07/ohio-exotic-animals-lion-theft_n_1080700.html?1320711362&ncid=edlinkusaolp00000008




French zoo steps up rhino surveillance against poachers
The owner of the Thoiry zoo and wildlife park west of Paris took the measure following a spate of rhino horn thefts from zoos and museums around Europe, broadening security measures already in place for small primates.
"We have extended the surveillance that we initiated for our small monkeys, which were regularly stolen and sold illegally, to the white rhinos that weigh 2.5 tonnes," zoo owner Paul de la Panouse told AFP.
"Their enclosures are under surveillance by cameras and staff who make regular rounds."
Rhinos are often poached for their horns, made of keratin and sold on the black market for ornamental or medicinal purposes, particularly in Asia.
Horns can fetch between 25,000 and 200,000 euros depending on their size.
Panouse said that thieves had already stolen rhino horns that had been on display for educational purposes from the Sigean wildlife park in the south west of the country.
"Today I'm worried for the living rhinos," Panouse said.
"It's absurd to kill these animals for their horns that some people think might treat illnesses like cancer or impotence," he said.
"The horn is only made of a mass of hair and eating it is the same as eating your nails."
Europol, the European Union's criminal intelligence agency, suspects an Irish organised crime group is behind the spate of robberies that has hit European zoos, auction houses, antique dealers and private collectors.
Trade in rhino horns is banned under the CITES
http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-11-french-zoo-rhino-surveillance-poachers.html




Rare heron returned to wildlife park after weeks in the wild
The black-crowned night heron was found by the SSPCA after surviving an attack by buzzards.
The black-crowned night heron escaped from Galloway Wildlife and Conservation Park in Kirkcudbright in September.
The 12in tall female has lived in the wild ever since, surviving on small fish, worms and frogs.
It was finally recaptured after it was attacked by buzzards in the village of Dunragit, in Dumfries and Galloway near Stranraer.
The stricken bird was picked up by the Scottish SPCA on Monday and examined by vets before being transported to the South of Scotland Wildlife Hospital in Dumfries to recover. It has now been returned to its owners.
Scottish SPCA Inspector Arianne
http://news.stv.tv/scotland/west-central/278233-rare-heron-returned-to-wildlife-park-after-weeks-in-the-wild/



Zoo supporter leaves record-setting bequest of more than $800k
Riverbanks Zoo and Garden has received the single largest bequest in its 37-year history.
The Charitable Remainder Trust of Melinda Poole Grizzell recently bestowed an unrestricted gift of $863,000 to Riverbanks Society – the private, non-profit organization supporting the needs of the Zoo and Garden.
Melinda Poole Grizzell moved to South Carolina from San Diego with her family a little more than 20 years ago. Not only did she enjoy visiting the Zoo and Garden, she also loved the art of quilting and frequent boat rides on Lake Murray. Grizzell, who conveyed a passion for animals and the Zoo through more than 20 years of membership and financial support to Riverbanks Society, passed away on January 30, 2011. “Our grandfather, HM Poole, donated to and served as a board member for the San Diego Zoological Society. We believe his love for giving contributed to the compassion she had for others,” says Andrew Grizzell, Grizzell’s son.
Throughout her life, Grizzell not only supported Riverbanks Zoo but also many other organizations throughout the community. She insisted that she remain anonymous any time she made a contribution. She never wanted to be acknowledged publicly for her donations because she wanted the organization to have the attention. “We are so proud of her generosity
http://columbia.wistv.com/news/community-spirit/50413-zoo-supporter-leaves-record-setting-bequest-more-800k




REVITALIZE THE GIZA ZOO
http://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/41013815455/




Breakthrough made in breeding of seahorses
The Penghu Marine Biology Research Center has succeeded in breeding thousands of seahorses in its first effort at mass reproduction, director Tsai Wann-sheng (蔡萬生) said.
The center, which is part of the Council of Agriculture’s Fisheries Research Institute, began looking into the mass reproduction of seahorses after identifying a potential market for them in the aquarium industry, Tsai said on Saturday in a report on the latest technological developments in seahorse breeding.
It hopes there will be less reliance on supplies of wild seahorses, he said in the report, which is part of an exhibition in Penghu organized by the National Science Council, the National Taiwan Science Education Center and National Penghu University of Science and Technology.
The sale of wild seahorses is prohibited in Taiwan, but those bred in captivity can fetch up to NT$300 each in the ornamental fish market.
Previously, there had been no complete information how on long it takes for seahorse eggs to spawn and produce a marketable product, Tsai said.
However, the research center can now provide aquarium companies with the technology to breeding seahorses that would be ready to sell in about three months, he said.
Seahorses are very different from
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2011/11/07/2003517699




International Bear News
http://www.bearbiology.com/iba/ibn01/cen.html




Lion tranquilized after escape from Woodland Park Zoo den
A female African lion escaped from its sleeping den at the Woodland Park Zoo this afternoon before employees managed to tranquilze the animal.
The zoo said no one was injured in the incident.
Just before 4 p.m., the 12-year-old lion named Kalisa, pictured at right, was able to leave its den and get into a service hallway that zoo officials say is “behind the scenes” of the felines’ building. The lion was contained inside the building.
The zoo’s emergency response team composed of the zoo’s firearms units and veterinary staff equipped with tranquilizer darts responded. The lion was tranquilized and secured at 4:53 p.m. inside the service area, according
http://today.seattletimes.com/2011/11/lion-escapes-from-woodland-park-zoo-den/




Why Didn't They Dart The Tiger?




Hey, Toronto Zoo: Leave those birds alone!
Today we heard that the Toronto Zoo is planning on separating Pedro and Buddy, two male African penguins that paired up and are showing no interest in any of the six females they share the exhibit with. Curators at the zoo are opting to forcefully end the relationship so the birds can have a chance to eventually produce offspring.
Here are just a couple of reasons why we simply don’t agree with
http://blog.ifaw.org/2011/11/09/hey-toronto-zoo-leave-those-birds-alone/




Western black rhino declared extinct
No wild black rhinos remain in West Africa, according to the latest global assessment of threatened species.
The Red List, drawn up by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), has declared the subspecies extinct.
A subspecies of white rhino in central Africa is also listed as possibly extinct, the organisation says.
The annual update of the Red List now records more threatened species than ever before.
The IUCN reports that despite conservation efforts, 25% of the world's mammals are at risk of extinction. As part of its latest work it has reassessed several rhinoceros groups.
Poaching vulnerability
As well as declaring the western black rhino (Diceros bicornis longipes) extinct, it records the northern white rhino (Ceratotherium simum cottoni), a subspecies
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-15663982




Two rhino species bite the dust: Red List
Several species of rhino have been poached into extinction or to the point of no return, according to an update of the Red List of Threatened Species, the gold standard for animal and plant conservation.
All told, a quarter of all mammal species assessed are at risk of extinction, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), which compiles the list, said on Thursday.
About a third of the 61,900 species now catalogued by the IUCN are classified as "vulnerable," "endangered," "critically endangered," or extinct, with some groups, such as amphibians and reptiles, in particularly rapid decline.
Rhinoceros have been hit especially hard in recent years. Their fearsome horns -- prized for dagger handles in the Middle East and traditional medicine in east Asia -- can fetch hundreds of thousands of dollars on the black market.
The new assessment shows that a subspecies of the western black rhino (Diceros bicornis longipes) native to western Africa is now extinct, joining a long list of creatures -- from the Tasmanian tiger to the Arabian gazelle
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gGlTNHr_p6CG5EzAQiRGfkgWZ5FQ?docId=CNG.4f0c63687383f92d2e2672061cd48532.781




The Medicine Man Of Trivandrum Zoo
The medical problems of the animals of our city zoo will be taken care of by new hands, which is a welcome turning point indeed, for the place
His name is Jacob Alexander, and he is a specialist in Veterinary Pathology. And he is the new veterinary doctor at the Trivandrum Zoo. Anyone who is aware of the present scenario of our city zoo would welcome this new development. From the little time spent with Jacob Alexander in between his busy routine, one gets the clear indication that this vet means business.
“Our new zoo vet has all the needed medicines ready as he comes for his rounds. He is well equipped. So no one needs to run around later between the cages and the hospital,” says a keeper, all smiling.
“Yes, you can never say if an animal is allergic to any particular medicine. So you have to be prepared,” says the vet as he walks towards the enclosures.
“The Sambar and the spotted deer have to be sterilized soon as their numbers have far exceeded their enclosure space. But Etorphine which is used for sedation can be procured only with a license. Ketamine and Xylaxine take time to sedate and by that time a sambar deer can panic and go out of control and might even lead to capture-myopathy that can be fatal. And in cases where healing can happen naturally, one should avoid causing unnecessary trauma to the animal in the name of treatment,” explains the vet.
“One must do away with the idea that a total change can be brought about overnight,” which for him means nothing less than starting his work from day one. But one can see that Jacob Alexander has been studying the overall situation in great detail so that he would know from where to start and how. And he is well aware that he is not a one-man army. "One must make an early morning round within the zoo to study the condition of the animals and their cages even before the keepers clean the space. This is to make a thorough note of the leftover food as well as the excreta of the animals as it determines the health of the inmates. For example, endoparasites can cause diarrhea which a vet will know only if he monitors the cages before it is washed clean." He reiterates that prevention of illness has to be the priority.
So a zoo vet's eyes must always have that extra zoom so that he never misses out on anything regarding the animals. Then doubts will be clarified by discussing with the keepers and directing them towards the actions to be taken. With
http://www.yentha.com/news/view/4/14222



ZOO KEEPERS


Palming for Profit: The Oily Truth
Come mid November, palm oil pundits the world over will grandly gather in Kuala Lumpur to propel palm oil polities and “discuss the many facets of the palm oil industry”. One facet of no exclusive concern at the Malaysian Palm Oil Board International Palm Oil Conference (PIPOC 2011) would be the Orangutan de-habitation facet! This feast of greed aims to “fortify and energise the world” through what they claim to be sustainable means of palm oil propagation. Nonetheless, these conferences merely serve to garner further protection and institutional approval of environmental crimes. It is purely profane profit over profundity!
Palm oil protectors will no doubt be in full force, slaying critics and cuddling groupies. One such faction certain to be jumping up and down like a restless banshee is Palmhugger. Palmhugger dispels the myth that platypuses are the only venomous mammals in existence. The Palmhuggist have exhibited a tendency to deem me unhuggable and have expressed this endearment in an exquisite editorial/epistle titled “A Spiteful and Malevolent rant by Shenaaz Khan”.
Hence, having roused and provoked head hugger, Ms Linda Everett, my spiteful and malevolent
http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/2011/11/11/palming-for-profit-the-oily-truth/





Shark fin soup disappearing from the menu at Chinese weddings
Couples marrying in Hong Kong and mainland China swayed by conservation groups' campaign to ban shark trade
Chinese couples who have chosen Friday – 11/11/11 – one of the most auspicious days of the year to exchange their wedding vows, could be among the last to mark the occasion by feasting on shark fin soup, if environmental groups get their way.
As the wedding parties scoop pieces of the slippery, glutinous flesh from bowls of broth, they will not just be respecting tradition; they will also be defying a growing campaign to ban the trade in shark fin that has now spread to its most lucrative market, Hong Kong.
It is easy to see during a short walk through Sheung
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/nov/10/shark-fin-soup-off-chinese-menu?newsfeed=true




SHARK FIN SOUP




Nature Studies by Michael McCarthy: Why extinctions should worry us as a species
You probably missed it on the news, three weeks ago, the item about the Vietnamese rhinoceros going extinct; it didn't make a lot of noise. The fact that an animal which had roamed the jungles of Vietnam for millions of years had now disappeared from the Earth for ever didn't hit the front pages, or the television headlines: there were far more pressing concerns for the world. A rhino in Vietnam? So what? Who's bothered?
But I've been thinking about it ever since. I find the story gripping. Nobody knew there were any rhinos at all in Vietnam, or in mainland Indo-China, for that matter, until just over 20 years ago, when hunters shot one in the dense forests of the Cat Tien National Park about a hundred miles north of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon as was). Imagine. You suddenly realise your country's got rhinos. You had no idea. It's like finding wolves surviving in the Scottish Highlands.
It turned out to be a subspecies of the Javan rhinoceros, itself one of the world's rarest animals, and its discovery was one of the first elements
http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/nature/nature_studies/nature-studies-by-michael-mccarthy-why-extinctions-should-worry-us-as-a-species-6260205.html




Rhinoceros Farming In China





Rare white kiwi to be kept in captivity
A rare white kiwi hatched in captivity six months ago will not be released into the wild, out of fears that it would be too vulnerable, a New Zealand conservation centre said Friday.
The nocturnal, flightless kiwi is normally brown, but the female bird was born lacking a colour gene, making it a mottled white.
Its colouring could make it an easier target for predators, said Jason Kerehi, spokesman for the Pukaha Mount Bruce centre on the North Island.
The unusual kiwi has become a symbol for the plight of the rare species after making headlines due to health scares.
The bird underwent surgery this week to remove an excessively large stone it had swallowed along with some gravel to aid its digestion.
Dubbed Manukura, meaning chiefly status in Maori, the kiwi is to be housed in an enclosure that simulates a reversed day-night rhythm, to allow visitors to observe it during the d
http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/asiapacific/news/article_1674541.php/Rare-white-kiwi-to-be-kept-in-captivity





Eye of Newt and Wool of Bat Will Be Plentiful After London Olympics
Wildlife Habitat Planned for Creepy Critters; Powerful Lobby Insists on Adequate Housing.
The organizers of the 2012 Olympics here are hoping to attract millions of visitors from across the world for next year's Summer Games.
Some of them, planners hope, will be bats.
The Olympic Delivery Authority, which is creating the Olympic Park, wants to lure the flying mammals and build habitats for various creatures at the London site. The result is hundreds of "wildlife installations" across the 618-acre Olympic Park, housing everything from moths to otters. The goal is biodiversity, and creating a worthy post-Games legacy.
To make bats feel at home, the developers are installing at least 156 special "bat boxes," cozy residences attached to bridges and buildings for the flying animals. Their plan also calls for an environment full of insects—one bat can eat 3,000 bugs a night—and landscaping features that provide a "bat corridor."
The bat boxes won't officially be open for roosting until after the Games because of fears that terrorists will put bombs in them. But already there's some
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203752604576644771544849048.html




Zoo debt predicament solution close
ADELAIDE Zoo's financial predicament is expected to be resolved early next week as the Government strikes a deal with Westpac.
The Advertiser understands to return the Zoo to a financially sustainable position, the Government has negotiated with Westpac to resolve the Zoo's financial predicament which has seen it unable to service a $24 million debt with Westpac since June.
It is expected that as part of the deal, the Government will make a substantial lump sum payment to the bank, but in exchange the Government wants Westpac to write off a large portion of the loan as a bad debt. It has been speculated the loan could be as much as halved.
Land next to the Monarto conservation park, estimated to be worth about $3 million, is understood to form part of the agreement, with the
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/zoo-debt-predicament-solution-close/story-e6frea6u-1226193164543




White Lies
The Lahore Safari Park, off Raiwind Road in Lahore, was created on the pattern of Britain’s Windsor Safari Park.
The imported lions and tigers were to be given a near-natural habitat where they could roam about freely within a large well-guarded compound. Of course, they were to be well-fed by keepers and not expected to hunt and scavenge for themselves. For this, they were provided the required 40 kilos of meat each to keep them kicking. The Windsor Safari Park has a burgeoning lion population and actually exports big cats to African countries where their numbers have been depleted by unscrupulous poachers and hunters.
Not so at the Lahore Safari Park. We hear that the meat allocation for the cat population is bought on paper only. Some of the meat that actually makes it to the park, often lands up on the keepers’ dinner tables. The lions and tigers, far from proliferating, are starving slowly; some have already died of malnutrition. As for the Safari Park staff; besides being well-fed, they are busy demanding tips, even to open a gate for ticket holding visitors. Now what was this project all about?
http://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2011/11/white-lies-51/




Salisbury Zoo Says Goodbye to 'Poopsie' the Bear
Salisbury Zoo officials are mourning the death of "Poopsie," a female Andean bear that had lived at the zoo for more than 37 years.
Officials said that Poopsie's overall condition had declined in recent months. They said the bear's appetite became depressed and, some days, she would refuse to eat her daily diet. Officials said that despite medication to help with the arthritic conditions in her hips and joints, her mobility and strength had become compromised, making it difficult for her to move around her exhibit. Some days, she would not leave the holding building. After examining her current medical condition, the Zoo staff decided she had to be euthanized.
Poopsie was the oldest known Andean bear ever on record, according to officials. On Dec. 27, she would have celebrated her 38th birthday. The average life span of a captive Andean bear is around 25 years.
Poopsie was born in 1973 at the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore. She came to the Salisbury Zoo seven months later, on July 18, 1974. This matriarch who bore two litters of cubs, two females
http://www.wboc.com/story/15998867/salisbury-zoo-says-goodbye-to-poopsie-the-bear



ZOO EUTHANASIA



Gay Penguins Forced To Seperate

http://youtu.be/EufYK61-FCM



800 rare and endangered giant snails frozen to death because of a faulty temperature gauge

A faulty temperature gauge was today blamed for 800 rare giant snails being accidentally frozen to death.
Staff at New Zealand's conservation centre in Hokitika were said to be 'very upset' over the incident.
The endangered Powelliphanta land snails, which measure 9cm across, had been rescued from an area earmarked for coal mining.
They were kept in a temperature-controlled room run by the Department of Conservation, but the technical glitch sent temperatures plunging below freezing.
The snails were among 6,000 taken from the Stockton Plateau on South Island several years ago when the area was earmarked for coal mining, the BBC reported.
About 4,000 of them have already
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2060399/800-endangered-giant-snails-frozen-death-faulty-temperature-gauge.html?ito=feeds-newsxml




Top Twenty Pictures Made Famous By The Internet
http://listverse.com/2011/11/12/top-20-real-pictures-made-famous-by-the-internet/



I have included the above link because it does contain some amazing animal related photos. It even goes into stating which is true and which is fake. I thought it a pity then that they did not dig deeper because they included 'Anjana the Chimp'....the story is a lie. "Since she was young, Anjana". What do they mean 'since she was young? This is a baby chimpanzee with a baby white tiger. The story was set up and staged by the so called 'Institute of Greatly Endangered and Rare Species' and then copied very recently by the Samutprakarn Crocodile Farm and Zoo, with whom Mr Antle has had dealing by supplying inbred coloured tigers.









Celebrating Plants and the Planet:

Forget everything you thought you knew. That world is gone. The world has changed, and those of us interested in wildlife had best re-educate ourselves for the new reality.

November's links at http://www.zooplantman.com/  (NEWS/Botanical News) are all new lessons. Yes, this will be on the test:

· Ants are vital seed dispersers, but when the climate warms, they go out on strike. Who will do their job if they won't?

· A weed is not simply a plant out of place, as the saying goes. It is a necessary part of the ecosystem.

· Can green roofs replace lost habitat? No and maybe… says a new study.

· When corals decline due to climate and other stresses, some seaweeds use chemical warfare to make sure the corals don't return.

· Add to the list of how children benefit from time spent playing outside: they are less likely to become nearsighted.

So the human population has reached 7 billion. What was it the day you were born? And what does this mean to wildlife?

Please share these stories with associates, staff, docents and -- most importantly -- visitors! Follow on Twitter: http://twitter.com/PlantWorldNews  -- a new story every day as well as hundreds of stories from the past few years.

Rob



Zoo debt predicament solution close
ADELAIDE Zoo's financial predicament is expected to be resolved early next week as the Government strikes a deal with Westpac.
The Advertiser understands to return the Zoo to a financially sustainable position, the Government has negotiated with Westpac to resolve the Zoo's financial predicament which has seen it unable to service a $24 million debt with Westpac since June.
It is expected that as part of the deal, the Government will make a substantial lump sum payment to the bank, but in exchange the Government wants Westpac to write off a large portion of the loan as a bad debt. It has been speculated the loan could be as much as halved.
Land next to the Monarto conservation park, estimated to be worth about $3 million, is understood to form part of the agreement, with the
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/zoo-debt-predicament-solution-close/story-e6frea6u-1226193164543




Patna zoo set to welcome eight new inmates
The Patna zoo is all set to welcome as many as eight more animals, including a pair of leopards, two male and a female leopard cats, two female jungle cats and a chimpanzee soon.
Zoo director Abhay Kumar told TOI, "We have finalized the deal with Assam State Zoo, Guwahati. Under this deal, we are getting
http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-11-10/patna/30381744_1_patna-zoo-zoo-director-abhay-kumar-female-leopard



Loggerhead turtles take 45 years to grow up
Loggerhead turtles take almost half a century to reach maturity, say scientists.
A female turtle, the researchers report in the journal Functional Ecology, will not start to lay eggs until she is 45.
This estimate, based on examination of several decades of data on the turtles' growth, has implications for conservation efforts.
It reveals how long it takes for turtles hatched at a protected nesting site to return to that site to breed.
Prof Graeme Hays from the University of Swansea, one of the authors of the study, explained how reaching maturity so slowly meant that the turtle population was "less resilient" than previously thought.
"The longer an animal takes to reach
http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/15625291




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