Personal thoughts from a Toronto Zoo Elephant Keeper!
(With kind permission of the author)- Elle LePhant
Monday, September 30, 2013
Saturday, September 28, 2013
Zoo News Digest 14th - 28th September 2013 (ZooNews 875)
Zoo News Digest 14th - 28th September 2013 (ZooNews 875)
Dear Colleagues,
Without doubt the biggest story of the week was Chessington Zoo banning animal print clothing. When I saw it I thought, what a stroke of genius...the press will love that....and they did. It has gone right around the world and back again. I have been sifting through links for Zoo News Digest since the dawn of the internet and this, as a story, is unique. Credit to them. But in all seriousness does the clothing visitors wear actually make any impact on our animals? In my experience it does....to some animals. Colour of clothing or skin does cause reaction in some. Even body shape and stature. Some of the excellent photographic prints on 'T' shirts can raise the ire of a few. Animals are not stupid. As to Chessington? Well who knows? Maybe some of their animals are affected. It matters little, it was a wonderful press coup.
Sticking with the subject. I have long puzzled about the dress of some zoo visitors. If I go out for the day I consider whether it is likely to be hot, cold or if it may rain. That's as far as it goes. I will dress accordingly. It is obvious to me that some of the customers to our zoos go a few steps further. You will all have seen them. They turn up in their Gorilla, Chimpanzee or Tiger 'T' Shirts or wearing a Safari Suit. Their choice of garment is destination rather than practically dictated. I can't quite figure....but then people, like our animals, are different.
I don't know where time has gone this past couple of weeks.....or rather I do. Time is short enough as it is but when I set myself a new project something has to give. In my case it is losing a part of a day in which I do something else. I decided to write a book which has been whizzing around in my head for a year now. It has nothing to do with zoos....I do have another life. Truth is stranger than fiction. I hope I can stick with it.
I am off to the UK again next week for a few days. I hope the weather is as pleasant as it was earlier this month. Strange really. I don't go to the UK for years and then twice in a month.
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The Art And Science Of Hand Rearing
And now onto the Links
As Zoo Board meets, CUPE 1600 renews call to ‘live up
to commitments’ and do ‘what’s best’ for the elephants
As the Toronto Zoo Board meets in Scarborough
for the last time before three African elephants are chained in crates and
driven for 80 hours to California, the union representing their keepers and
animal professionals renewed their call for politicians and administrators to
live up to their commitments and ‘do what’s best’ for Toka, Thika and Iringa.
“The system has
failed these elephants. Politicians and administrators have failed to live up
to their responsibilities to put the elephants’ best interests at heart,” said
Matthew Berridge, Vice-President of Local 1600 of the Canadian Union of Public
Employees (CUPE 1600).
In 2011, Toronto
City Council, which has ultimate responsibility for the Zoo, voted to move the
elephants to the Performing Arts Wildlife Sanctuary (PAWS) in California. An
alternative endorsed by zookeepers, animal care professionals and ethicists was
deemed too risky for the elephants because it involved a one-and-a-half day
ground transport.
“We disagreed with
the decision, but said if they are to be moved, the best place is in Florida
and the best way is by air,” said Berridge.
“The best
professional advice from zookeepers and animal care experts was ignored. These
elephants are going to the wrong facility and in the wrong mode,” he added.
“Councillor
Berardinetti, who championed sending the elephants to PAWS, specifically cited
the fact that the PAWS option would only see the elephants in transport for a
few hours, while transporting them by ground to Florida would take a
day-and-a-half, while urging her fellow councillors to ‘do what’s best for the
elephants,’” said Berridge.
“Can she now explain
why she thinks transporting them chained in crates for 80 straight hours over
land to PAWS is ‘what’s best for the eleph
New Safari Park for Bacolod
Metro Safari Resort
Bacolod
Metro Safari Resort
will soon open in Bacolod City, this was revealed by owner Mr. Francis Rey
Cabuna. The zoo resort will be located in Brgy. Alangilan,The first of its kind
in the region and will be completed in 10 months. Metro Safari Resort will house
tigers, lions, crocodiles and other exotic animals conf
Orangutan Caring Week - November 10-16, 2013
We want you to
participate in this worldwide event.
Help build a "critical mass of concerned voices" each November to focus attention on the species
through your efforts and those of other supporters.
We would like people
to come to understand that the habitat of the orangutan, the tropical rain
forest, is vital to not only orangutans but to other wildlife and to all of us
on this planet. Rainforests and related ecosystems provide important services from
climate moderation, to water quality and erosion control, to storehouses of
genetic, species and ecological biodiversity.
Rainforests need to be sustainably managed to maintain these services.
We want to inform citizens in our own communities of this connection and
continue to enlighten local people in areas near orangutan habitat.
Mystery surrounds suspension of Longleat Safari Park
supremo
Mystery surrounds
the reason behind the suspension of Longleat chief executive David Bradley,
with Longleat confirming this week that an investigation is being carried out.
The Wiltshire Times
understands that Mr Bradley was removed from the site last week, with all locks
to the Estate office and his office replaced.
Longleat confirmed
that Mr Bradley had been temporarily suspended from his role as the head of the
safari and adventure park while a review is carried out.
Mr Bradley, formerly
managing director of Legoland, was brought in by the Viscount of Weymouth
Ceawlin after his father Lord Bath retired in 2009, with the new CEO tasked
with bringing the park into the 21st century.
A spokesman for
Longleat said: “David Bradley has been temporarily suspended from Longleat and
we are currently carrying out a review. We’re unable to comment further on any
claims as it would be unfair to those involved.”
Longleat’s PR agency
Pelham Bell Pott
celebrates its
twelfth year of existence
Questionnaire for zoos on palm oil communication
Dear All,
Orangutan Land Trust
is developing a new, adaptable toolkit for zoos to use to help them communicate
to their public about the palm oil issue. In order to make this toolkit as
successful as possible, we have compiled a very short survey to help us gauge where
zoos are presently and where their needs lie. I'd be very grateful if you could
help by completing the survey or by passing it onto someone in your zoo who is
able to do so. All responses will be kept confidential.
The survey can be
found here: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/GC9CJFN
Your help is greatly
appreciated, and if you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate
to get in touch.
Kind regards,
Michelle Desilets
Executive Director
Orangutan Land Trust
Former Las Vegas Zoo animal care manager speaks out
Their exodus marked
the beginning of the end for the Las Vegas Zoo and now for the first time
former zookeepers are breaking their silence. They spoke exclusively to Contact
13 Chief Investigator Darcy Spears.
They told Darcy the
zoo was plagued with problems and the longer they stayed, the more they
realized they couldn't be part of the solution.
Zoo Director Pat
Dingle owns the land, the animals, and has the final say on everything. That,
according to the former zookeeping staff, was the biggest problem.
They said the
animals needed more shade, more food, more enrichment and they needed more help
to provide all that, but Dingle wouldn't let them do it. A refusal despite
recent directives from the United States Department of Agriculture.
"When you look
the USDA in the eye as an animal care manager and agree with them and say I
want to do that and then you can't, now you gotta start questioning your
integrity. So if you're not doing that then that's when you really have to take
a step and make some decisions on do you need to leave and unfortunately all of
these things drove me to finally have to exit and I didn't want to," said
Jeannie Akins.
Akins said for two
of the seven years she was there, she alone was responsible for caring for the
zoo's 182 animals. When the other zookeepers were hired, th
Death of blackbucks: Lucknow zoo director removed
The state government
on Friday removed Lucknow zoo director Renu Singh for alleged laxity in the
management of the zoo where as many as 20 blackbucks have died since September
7.
Minister of State
for Zoological Gardens Shiv Pratap Yadav said the transfer followed the report
of a two-member probe committed formed by the state government.
Yadav said the
deaths of blackbucks indicated "laxity".
The two-member
committee of Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Training and Research)
Ashwani Kumar and veterinarian J K Pandey submitted its report to the
government last week.
Yadav said the state
govenrment was still considering the report of the committee in order to take
further action.
While the postmortem
revealed they died of lung infection, the pathological tests conducted by
Bareilly-based Indian Veterinary Research Institute found the
New chief executive taking the reins at Twycross Zoo
TWYCROSS Zoo will
welcome a new chief executive next month after nearly a year without an
‘official’ boss.
Sharon Redrobe, a
member of the zoo’s board and its director of life sciences, takes up the role
from October 14.
The 44-year-old was
appointed following a “lengthy, rigorous and independent selection process”
according to chairman, Susan Bell.
Mrs Bell added: “We
are confident we have a capable and enthusiastic new chief executive with the
right skill set and experience to lead Twycross Zoo through the next phase of
its development.”
Acting chief
executive Mary-Lorraine Hughes, a trustee, stepped into the breach when former
CEO of just one year, Dr Susie Jackson-Morgan resigned on November 2 2012.
Her departure came
just weeks after revelations of alleged abuse to two elephants by three keepers
and the start of a police investigation.
The matter came to
nothing last month when the Crown Prosecution Service decided not to act on the
allegations.
Dr Jackson-Morgan,
nee Boardman, had also served for around seven years as director during which
time the zoo invested in the new Himalaya visitor centre and relaunched itself
as the World Primate Centre.
But her reign was
also troubled with the loss of £3.5 million when US bank Lehman Brothers went
bankrupt.
New chief executive,
Mrs Redrobe, a vet with distinction in zoo medicine, launched her own exotic
pet vet service before being appointed head of veterinary services at Bristol
Zoo Gardens. By 2010 she had taken a clinical associate professorship at Nottingham
University and joined Twycross’s board.
Mrs Bell added: “We
are very grateful to our fellow trustee, Mary-Lorraine Hughes who stepped into
the role
What does it mean to lose zoo accreditation?
Among the nearly
3,000 zoos across the United States, less than 10 percent boast national
accreditation from the prestigious Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
The Jackson Zoo has
been among the fortunate few since 1989, but that soon could end.
The AZA will not
renew Jackson’s membership, it told the zoo earlier this month, citing
financial instability.
Zoo leaders have
appealed and will keep provisional accreditation until a hearing in March, but
if it fails, it could lose more than just cachet. It also could forfeit dozens
of its most popular animals.
AZA accredited zoos
belong to a Species Survival Program, which allows them to share animals with
other accredited zoos.
Jackson houses 43
such animals through this program, including its Sumatran tigers, white
rhinoceros, red wolves and orangutans.
Losing accreditation
wouldn’t necessarily result in the automatic seiz
More zoo animals ill with foot-and-mouth disease
At least 20 animals
at the Bannerghatta Biological Park are showing signs of the contagious and
often fatal foot-and-mouth disease.
These include bison,
nilgai and spotted deer, said executive director of the zoo, Range Gowda.
The contagious viral
disease, which has killed scores of cattle in the State, has already claimed
the lives of three spotted deer and a nilgai at the zoo’s herbivore safari. The
safari has remained closed for two days to keep the disease from spreading.
VACCINATION
The enormous task of
vaccinating the 300-odd animals at the herbivore enclosure is proving
difficult, Mr. Range Gowda said. “We have been darting drugs through
tranquilising guns, but the herds startle and run away the moment we begin
firing them.”
As a result only a
few dozen animals have been vaccinated so far, senior veterinary scientist B.C.
Chittiappa told The Hindu. Medication being administered includes antibiotics
to prevent secondary infection and B complex to build up resistance.
BIO-SECURITY
Meanwhile, the zoo
authorities have begun putting in place “bio-security measures” to destroy
traces of the virus in the environment. “We’ve had to
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4 elephants call former citrus farm home
Forget peanuts. In
the heart of Florida's citrus grove region, it's the oranges elephants are
after.
At the newly opened
National Elephant Center in Fellsmere, Fla., the pachyderms have discovered how
to pluck the fruit from the trees with their trunks and pop it into their
mouths.
Fresh Valencia
oranges are not the only thing that makes the 200-acre center unique. It is
also the only such site operated by the U.S. zoo community to house displaced
elephants.
The center is open
to two categories of the mammoth mammals: those sent for a limited stay by zoos
that need to temporarily free up space for renovations or breeding; and
elephants that need a p
Chimpanzee escapes from the zoo
Don’t worry, it’s
nothing like Rise of the Planet of the Apes or any other animal escape-themed
Hollywood blockbuster gone awry.
Sudi, the lone
chimpanzee at the Emperor Valley Zoo in Port of Spain, escaped her enclosure
yesterday morning and was just about to start taking a stroll through the zoo
when zookeepers noticed the shaggy, greyish-black three-and-a-half-foot
upright-walking creature roaming the primate section was Sudi.
In a release
yesterday, the zoo said that around 8.30 a.m., Sudi escaped her cage into the
general zoo compound.
As soon as her
escape was discovered, almost immediately after it happened, zoo curator Nirmal
Biptah initiated standard operating procedures for such an event, which proved
quite effective in containing and recapturing Sudi.
The zoo opens at 10
a.m. so there were no members of the public v
Endangered Orangutan Dies at Surabaya ‘Zoo of Death’
An endangered
Bornean orangutan has died young at Indonesia’s notorious “zoo of death” in
Surabaya after succumbing to a tumor in her large intestine, the zoo confirmed
on Wednesday.
“The autopsy result
showed that there was a tumor in her large intestine,” Surabaya Zoo spokesman
Agus Supangkat said. “Her appetite had dropped drastically.”
Nanik, who was also
found to have liver problems, was found dead on Sept. 21 at the age of 12 —
Bornean orangutans should live to around 60 in captivity.
Agus said a group of
veterinarians at the zoo had become aware of the animal’s health problems
around two months ago. Vets described the animal’s declining energy levels and
increasingly asthenic appearance before she was moved to the zoo’s quarantine
facility on Sept. 19.
Animal doctors
administered antibiotics, vitamins and an analgesic in quarantine but Nanik
made little progress in the following two days.
At 2:45 p.m on Sept.
21, Nanik exhibited difficulties breathing. She died shortly after.
Indonesia’s largest
zoo has proved itself to be a macabre animal dungeon, incarcerating some of the
world’s most endangered species in shambolic squalor. A giraffe was found dead
with almost 20 kilos of plastic in its stomach. A steady diet of formaldehyde-laced
meat corroded a Sumatran tiger’s digestive tract. More than 150 pelicans lived
Toronto Zoo Elephants – A diplomatic sacrifice in the
name of Trade Deals
As the Toronto Zoo
braced for the arrival of two pandas from Chengdun, China I could only stop and
wonder; If the three Toronto zoo elephants were iconic pop culture images of
conservation as pandas have become around the world would more people care about
how they were sacrificed to aid the Prime Minister in a trade deal with China?
In fact to aid a
multiple of people’s careers and self interest causes?
They are now slated
for an inhumane 4200km road transport and transfer to the PAWS sanctuary in
California which has proven tuberculosis risks and a now documented TB
outbreak. All facts, science and expert industry opposition to this transfer is
ignored. But alas when it comes to pandas and elephants the issues are not just
black an
Merlin secures Turkuazoo Aquarium acquisition
Merlin
Entertainments has announced the acquisition of Istanbul's Turkuazoo Aquarium
from Dutch-based company Global Aquariums BV for an undisclosed sum. The
aquarium is Merlin’s first acquisition in Turkey’s largest city, which the
attractions brand sees as a catalyst to potentially develop a ‘cluster’ of its
global midway brands in the city. The aquarium, which first opened in 2009,
will have its displays and infrastructure upgraded to enhance the overall
visitor experience. Merlin owns and operates Sea Life, the largest aquarium
brand in the world, which attracts around 14m visitors a year through its 45
aquariums and marine sanctuary attractions. “Istanbul offers us both a very
significant domestic market as well as a fast growing tourist trade and this
wonderful site – big enough to be awe inspiring, but also very accessible for
visitors,” said Glenn Earlam, managing director for Merlin Entertainments
Midway Attractions. “Our obje - See more at: http://www.attractionsmanagement.com/detail.cfm?pagetype=detail&subject=news&codeID=306989#sthash.Gnc2n1fT.dpuf
Hippo swims out of flooded zoo in China
A hippo escaped from
the zoo Sunday during heavy rains brought by Typhoon Usagi in the city of
Shantou, south China's Guangdong Province.
The super typhoon
Usagi made landfall on Guangdong Province on Sunday evening, which affected
5.48 million people and displaced 310,000 residents.
The escaped hippo
was detected by local residents in a river near the zoo.
According to
officials from the zoo, the hippo swam over the guard railing as the rain water
was as high as two meters in the zoo.
"The hippo's
legs are only 20 centimeters long. So it is unable to jump out of the railing.
However the hippo was able to swim out of its home as the water level was 80
centimeters high
Leopard print clothing banned at zoo as it 'confuses
animals'
A wildlife park has
banned visitors from wearing leopard print clothing because it is confusing the
animals.
Chessington World of
Adventures Resort introduced the zero-tolerance policy on animal print and
brought in bouncers to enforce it.
Zookeepers noticed
the trend for animal print clothing had caused animals to try to communicate
with those wearing it or to run away in fear.
The ban follows the
launch of a new experience 'ZUFARI: Ride Into Africa!', which sees visitors
journey off-road on a safari adventure.
In this they come
face-to-face with white rhinos, giraffes, flamingos, waterbuck and other
antelopes such as blesbok.
Since the launch of
the 22-acre Serengeti-style trail, Chessington's zookeepers have noticed the
wildlife 'becoming puzzled' when spotting visitors that look like them.
Zoo closes after entire zookeeping staff quits
The troubled Las
Vegas Zoo is facing even more problems. This time with their employees.
Contact 13 has
learned the entire zookeeping staff has quit.
Chief Investigator
Darcy Spears has been looking for answers, but the man who owns the zoo isn't
talking.
The big empty space
on the zoo's front fence is where their "open hours" banner used to
hang.
As of Monday
morning, the sign was gone and the only activity we saw was a rodent running
across the zoo's entryway.
There's a new sign
hanging here now that says, "The zoo is closed to the public while we
upgrade."
But the last of the
three zookeepers, who quit on Friday morning, says none of them were aware of
any upgrades going on at the zoo and they're wondering, who is taking care of
the animals?
That's what animal
welfare advocate Linda Faso wants to know. She filed a formal complaint with
the USDA on Friday.
"I just asked
them to please check on the facility as soon as possible, that the zookeepers
have all left and that I didn't know if the animals were gonna get properly
taken care of, who was going to feed them," said Faso.
Animal Care Manager
Jeannie Akins was the first of the zoo's three keepers to quit. She left the
zoo two weeks ago, and the two women she t
Op-Ed: Bad PR and lies for new Qatar dolphin facility
A newly planned
dolphin aquarium in Souq Waqif, Qatar, lied about a National Geographic
sponsorship and then launched an incredible display of bad PR.
At the end of August
and in preparation for opening, Qatar Dolphin Discovery & Research (QDD)
announced on its Facebook page that its new marine mammal show was being
sponsored by the National Geographic Society.
The announcement
immediately raised several red flags after learning that the temporary lease
dolphin show was being run by Ukrainian company NEMO or Nerum LLC, a business
that has purchased and imported dolphins captured in the cruel Taiji dolphin
drives.
Requests for denial
or confirmation were sent to NatGeo's media office on Sept. 16 and 19, but went
unanswered. Finally on Sept. 20, the National Geograph
And this little panda went to....14 adorable cubs
shown off to an admiring Chinese public
THESE innocent
little panda cubs look all worn out and ready for bed, or perhaps in need of
Goldilocks and 14 bowls of porridge, Chinese-style.
Fourteen were placed
on a small bed to lie to show them off to an adoring public at the Chengdu
Research Base for Giant Panda Breeding today.
In all 20 Panda cubs
were born this year with 17 surviving.
The Chengdu Panda
Base was founded in 1987 with six giant pandas rescued from the wild.
Today, 83 of the
captive speci
Elephant handlers protest in Ayutthaya
A large group of
elephant handlers and their animals gathered at Ayutthaya Historical Park in
Ayutthaya province Sunday to protest the government's plan to transfer
supervising authority for domesticated elephants from the Provincial
Administration Department to the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and
Plant Conservation (DNWPC).
The elephants were
brought from Lae Paniad Elephant Kraal in Ayutthaya while the handlers were
from the Northeast and the South.
The government has
drafted a bill to transfer the supervision of domesticated elephants from the
Provincial Administration Department to the DNWPC.
A public hearing on
the "elephant bill" will be held on Monday.
Laithongrian
Meephan, owner of Lae Paniad Elephant
Kraal in Ayutthaya, said elephant handlers had been given no part in the
drafting of the bill and mo
The great rhino cash con
Conservationists
fear money donated by the public to help save the endangered rhino, could be
lining the pockets of opportunistic fly-by-nights posing as NGOs.
Bandile Mkhize,
chief executive of Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, said “everyone was jumping on the
bandwagon” proclaiming to help rhinos, but not everyone cared about the
endangered animal. Conservationists were asking where the money raised from the
public to help fight rhino poaching ended up.
Chris Galliers, the
Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa’s Rhino Initiative
co-ordinator, said as there were numerous NGOs and non-profit organisations
operating to save the rhino, there was a need to ensure that the public’s money
went to the right places.
“A database of this
nature is long overdue, and will help see who is doing what,” said Galliers.
He said there were
many organisations capitalising on pretending to save the rhino.
There is so much
alarm in environmental circles about scams involving fund-raising for rhinos
that the government has stepped in and asked all organisations and individuals
involved in anti-poaching and conservation projects to register with the
Departme
Profit over Killer Whales
Living in the
Pacific Northwest, I have had the good fortune to see killer whales on several
occasions from shore or boats. My dream is to view them underwater while scuba
diving. Once after having surfaced from a dive in Saanich Inlet, I was told a
pod of killer whales had swam past behind me. I was upset at the dive
instructor who explained that he hadn’t informed me because he was afraid the
other diver in our group might panic.
So I was
particularly keen to watch the documentary on captive killer whales, Blackfish,
which reminded me of La Planète Sauvage (Fantastic Planet) in reverse. La
Planète Sauvage is a thought-provoking French animation from 1973. On this
savage planet were humans, called Oms, but there were also giant blue
humanoids, called Traags. The Traags would capture the Oms and keep them as
pets. On Earth, many humans believe they have the right to capture animals and
place them in zoos and aquariums for their viewing pleasure (and, in the case
of the owners, for their profit). There appear to be no limits. Humans will
capture large sentient sea mammals with brains that surpass a human’s brain in
size, creatures that demonstrate complex thinking and exhibit a high level of
communication.
Blackfish dove home
the topic matter on the morality of killer whale captivity effectively, but its
probing of related issues came off as shallow. Another quibble is the lack of
labeling so the curious vi
Secrecy divides Idaho Aquarium board
Idaho Aquarium board
member Josh Cook was told this week he cannot have access to recent board
minutes, bank statements or billing records unless he signs a confidentiality
agreement. And if he wants to see the nonprofit organization's tax returns, he
can dig around online.
"I am not
signing a confidentiality agreement," Cook said Friday. "As a board
member, I have a duty to investigate the allegations being made against the
aquarium. I want answers. I cannot get answers."
Earlier this month,
the aquarium had all employees sign confidentiality agreements.
"We are not
giving him that information until he signs the agreement," board president
and aquarium director Ama
Casino king’s last roll of the dice to save wildcat
DAMIAN ASPINALL, the
millionaire casino operator and conservationist, is turning a remote island
into a breeding centre for the Scottish wildcat, in a last attempt to save it
from extinction.
Aspinall, son of the
famous gambler and zoo keeper John Aspinall, is creating the sanctuary on the
uninhabited island of Carna, on the west coast of Scotland, after warnings from
scientists that the species could die out within a few years.
The animal, of which
there are only an estimated 35 to 100 left in the wild, is threatened by mass
crossbreeding with feral domestic cats. Most “wildcats” are already hybrids
with just a handful of pure-br
Furry furore as Rihanna poses with endangered loris
The US-based
Barbadian R&B singer arrived in Phuket last week and has posted several
photos on her Instagram account, including ones with the endangered loris and
elephants at an unidentified location. Local...
The US-based
Barbadian R&B singer arrived in Phuket last week and has posted several
photos on her Instagram account, including ones with the endangered loris and
elephants at an unidentified location. Local...
How Marineland Is Using the Law to Silence Protestors
Even if you don't
care about beluga whales or how animals are treated in captivity, you may still
be interested in what's happening at Marineland. In this age of widespread
protest -- from the Occupy Movement to the Québec student protests to the Arab
Spring -- Marineland reminds us that it is not just governments that may seek
to silence their critics.
Marineland, a marine
mammal park in Niagara Falls, Ontario, was the subject of an investigative
series by the Toronto Star last year. The series was based in part on
allegations by former employees, of abuse and mistreatment of animals.
Marineland has denied and responded to the allegations, and is suing the Star
as well as several of the former employees. Marineland has also set its sights
on protesters and activists who demonstrate outside the park -- launching
lawsuits against at least two protestors -- and has gone to Ontario courts for
injunctions to order that protestors refrain from certain activities.
The Ontario
government recently introduced a Bill that would make it easier for individuals
faced with lawsuits like Marineland's to get the cases dealt with quickly.
Where the lawsuit aims to curb expression on a matter of public interest, it
could be dismissed on an expedited basis. This anti-SLAPP legislation (a SLAPP
is a strategic lawsuit against public participation) is designed to keep
threats of legal action being used as a way to silence debate and discussion on
issues of interest to the public. We should encourage the government to pass
this legislation
Family of girl savaged by tapir will not look for
compensation
Zoo forced to stop
close interaction with animals after incident
The family of a
two-year-old girl nearly torn apart by a tapir at a zoo will not look for a
cent in compensation.
The horrific mauling
left little Katie Frost in Temple Street Hospital with serious injuries last
month.
But her parents
aren’t looking for any cash from Dublin Zoo following the attack on August 8.
A family source
said: “Everyone has been through the ringer but the main thing is that Katie is
OK.
“There was a lot of
talk that they would be in for a massive amount of compensation if they wanted
to go down that route but they don’t.
“It is all about
making sure Katie is OK and that she makes a full recovery. The family are
friends of the zoo.”
The mauling happened
when the toddler and her family had a private visit to see the tapir, a
pig-shaped mammal known for being calm and approachable, in its enclosure.
But when Katie let
out a shriek of delight after she spotted a baby tapir, the mother pounced on
her, knocking her unconscious.
It emerged after the
attack that the Frosts were regular visitors to the zoo and had entered many of
the animal pens for a closer look.
Katie’s mother
Patricia, who is originally from Limerick, was also injured as she tried to
protect her little girl.
The family source
added: “Katie was in a very bad way. The animal managed to grab on to her side
and rip a six-inch tear in her stomach.
“The tapir also
managed to grab her arm and take a large slice out of it.
“The skin and muscle
was pulled away from the bone. She will be scarred for life.
“But the main thing
is she’s on the mend.”
After the attack zoo
director Leo Oosterweg
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
September 2013 | Vol. 28 | No. 9 | Date of Publication 25 September 2013
If you wish to download the full magazine or certain articles click on <www.zoosprint.org/
CONTENTS
Feature articles
Report on Kabul Zoo Veterinarian Training at Arignar Anna Zoological Park, Chennai
-- Jamshid Noori, Pp. 1-4
Technical articles
Chimpanzee Enclosure Enrichment in Kanpur Zoo
-- K. Praveen Rao, Pp. 5-7
First photographic record of albino chital with its albino fawn (Axis axis Erxleben, 1777) in Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve, Rajasthan, India
-- Charles Leo Prabu, Ayan Sadhu and Devlin Leishangthem, P. 8
Andaman wild pig (Sus scrofa andamanensis): A preliminary report on phenotypic and haematological characteristics
-- Arun Kumar De, S. Jeyakumar, M.S. Kundu, A. Kundu and Jai Sunder, Pp. 9-11
Announcements: ATEC 2013 - First call for Papers & Poster Abstracts
P. 11
Study of Neoplasms in Non-human Primates of Assam
-- Bichitra Gopal Nath, Apurba Chakraborty and Taibur Rahman, Pp. 12-14
Population Status of House Sparrow, Passer domesticus in different areas of Agra region, Uttar Pradesh, India
-- Saurabh Vashisth and Natasha Sethi, Pp. 15-18
Sighting of Demoiselle Crane Anthropoides virgo at Haripura Reservoir, Uttarakhand, India
-- Zaara Kidwai, Pp. 19-20
Announcements: National Seminar on ‘Invertebrate Taxonomy - Current Trends and Future Prospects’ 12-13 November 2013
P. 20
On a small collection of Aquatic Beetles from Dudhwa National Park, Uttar Pradesh, India (Order Coleoptera: Noteridae, Dytiscidae and Hydrophilidae)
-- Sujit Kr. Ghosh and V.D. Hedge, Pp. 21-22
A note on the taxonomy and distribution of Thunia alba var. bracteata (Orchidaceae) in India
-- C.R. Magesh, P. Lakshminarasimhan, K.N. Reddy and C.S. Reddy, Pp. 23-25
Announcements: Advanced training course in ornithology, 29 December 2013 – 09 January 2014, Coimbatore
P. 25
Prevalence of gastrointestinal parasitism in free ranging rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) of Himachal Pradesh
-- Pardeep Sharma, Vipin Kumar, B. Pal, R.K. Mandial, K.P.Jithendran and S. Rastogi, Pp. 26-27
A Preliminary assessment of Butterfly diversity in Utkal University campus, Odisha
-- Rajesh Kumar Mohapatra, Arun Kumar Mishra, Satyanarayan Mishra and Siba Prasad Parida, Pp. 28-31
Education Report
Report on International Tiger Day - 2013 conducted at Pilikula Biological Park, Mangalore
P. 32
When I read the first story below, I started thinking about how surprising predation can be. And that got me thinking about plants –which are usually prey – and their response to predation. September’s news linkswww.zooplantman.com (NEWS/Botanical News) follow the trail:
· Big, bad predators who eat and disperse seed. Crocodilians discovered to be fruit eaters.
· Predators and pests cause plants to accumulate more carbon. The brighter side of stress.
· Plants actually anticipate predator attack and become less palatable. You have to sneak up on your cabbages.
· Warning! Warning! Plants use soil fungi to raise alerts when attacked.
· House plants meet fewer predators than their outdoor cousins. And their health actually suffers from the coddling. So go attack your philodendron! It’s for its own good.
If the links were stressful then here is an antidote: slow motion HD film of birds in action. Beautiful and rather calming. http://youtu.be/ST8kxWlpeQo
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.
Journal of Threatened Taxa
The International Journal on Conservation & Taxonomy
ISSN 0974-7907 (online) | 0974-7893 (print)
September 2013 | Vol. 5 | No. 13 | Pages 4725-4824
Date of Publication 26 September 2013 (online & print)
Contents
Callerebia dibangensis (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae: Satyrinae), a new butterfly species from the eastern Himalaya, India
-- Purnendu Roy, Pp. 4725–4733
CEPF Western Ghats Special Series
Re-description of Hypselobarbus lithopidos (Teleostei: Cyprinidae), based on its rediscovery from the Western Ghats, India, with notes on H. thomassi
-- J.D. Marcus Knight, Ashwin Rai & Ronald K.P. D’souza, Pp. 4734–4742
CEPF Western Ghats Special Series
Back from obscurity: notes on the current distribution, threats and conservation status of a poorly known cyprinid, Hypselobarbus lithopidos (Day, 1874) from the Western Ghats of India
-- Anvar Ali, Siby Philip & Rajeev Raghavan, Pp. 4743–4751
Functional composition of benthic macroinvertebrate fauna in the plateau rivers, Bundelkhand, central India
-- Asheesh Shivam Mishra & Prakash Nautiyal, Pp. 4752–4758
Notes on some skipper butterflies (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae) from Panbari Forest and its adjoining areas, Kaziranga-Karbi Anglong, upper Assam, India
-- Monsoon Jyoti Gogoi, Pp. 4759–4768
CEPF Western Ghats Special Series
Length-weight and length-length relationship of three species of snakehead fish, Channa diplogramma, C. marulius and C. striata from the riverine reaches of Lake Vembanad, Kerala, India
-- Anvar Ali, Neelesh Dahanukar & Rajeev Raghavan, Pp. 4769–4773
New records of reptiles and amphibians from Bhutan
-- Jigme Tshelthrim Wangyal, Pp. 4774–4783
New regional record and notes on historical specimens of Günther’s Toad Duttaphrynus hololius with comments on other southeastern Indian congeners
-- Bhargavi Srinivasulu, S.R. Ganesh & Chelmala Srinivasulu, Pp. 4784–4790
An updated checklist of birds of Sariska Tiger Reserve, Rajasthan, India
-- Aisha Sultana, Pp. 4791–4804
CEPF Western Ghats Special Series
New fungi from Kerala, India
-- V.B. Hosagoudar, A. Sabeena & B. Divya, Pp. 4805–4807
New distribution record of the endemic and rare Ficus dalhousiae Miq. (Moraceae)
-- K.K. Sampath Kumara, A.N. Sringeswara, K.B. Sadananda & H.S. Prakash, Pp. 4808–4810
CEPF Western Ghats Special Series
On the occurrence of Memecylon clarkeanum Cogn. (Melastomataceae) - a vulnerable species from Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu, India
-- C. Udhayavani & V.S. Ramachandran, Pp. 4811–4813
Some hydroids (Cnidaria: Hydrozoa: Hydroidolina) from the Konkan coast, Maharashtra, India
-- Pooja Nagale & Deepak Apte, Pp. 4814–4818
Feeding behavior of Harlequin Shrimp Hymenocera picta Dana, 1852 (Hymenoceridae) on Sea Star Linckia laevigata (Ophidiasteridae)
-- Sanjeevi Prakash & Thipramalai Thangappan Ajith Kumar, Pp. 4819–4821
Bat mortality due to collision with wind turbines in Kutch District, Gujarat, India
-- S. Ramesh Kumar, A. Mohamed Samsoor Ali & P.R. Arun, Pp. 4822–4824
Hello ZooLex Friend,
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NEW EXHIBIT PRESENTATION
Plans to renovate two adjacent exhibits at Newquay Zoo Environmental Park in Newquay, Great Britain, resulted in the creation of a Madagascan exhibit, a new theme area that showcases the zoo's involvement in conservation programs in Madagascar and allows to breed several endangered Madagascan species. Moverover, narrow-striped mongoose and crowned lemurs are kept together for the first time which turned out to be a success.
We would like to thank Amy Plowman from the Whitley Wildlife Conservation Trust for preparing this presentation for the ZooLex Gallery:
http://www.zoolex.org/zoolexcgi/view.py?id=1362
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SPANISH TRANSLATION
Thanks to Eduardo Diaz Garcia we are able to offer the Spanish translation of the Madagascan Exhibit at Newquay Zoo Environmental Park in Newquay, Great Britain:
http://www.zoolex.org/zoolexcgi/view.py?id=1493
~°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
We have worked for your enjoyment!
~°v°~
NEW EXHIBIT PRESENTATION
Plans to renovate two adjacent exhibits at Newquay Zoo Environmental Park in Newquay, Great Britain, resulted in the creation of a Madagascan exhibit, a new theme area that showcases the zoo's involvement in conservation programs in Madagascar and allows to breed several endangered Madagascan species. Moverover, narrow-striped mongoose and crowned lemurs are kept together for the first time which turned out to be a success.
We would like to thank Amy Plowman from the Whitley Wildlife Conservation Trust for preparing this presentation for the ZooLex Gallery:
http://www.zoolex.org/zoolexcgi/view.py?id=1362
~°v°~
SPANISH TRANSLATION
Thanks to Eduardo Diaz Garcia we are able to offer the Spanish translation of the Madagascan Exhibit at Newquay Zoo Environmental Park in Newquay, Great Britain:
http://www.zoolex.org/zoolexcgi/view.py?id=1493
~°v°~
We keep working on ZooLex ...
The ZooLex Zoo Design Organization is a non-profit organization
registered in Austria (ZVR-Zahl 933849053). ZooLex runs a professional
zoo design website and distributes this newsletter. More information and
contact: http://www.zoolex.org/about.html
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