Captive lions risk brain damage from deformed skulls
Samson was two when
he went under the knife. It took six hours to remove the lump of bone that had
become embedded in his brain, causing him to lose balance and stagger about.
Before the operation could begin, his thick mane had to be shaved off the back
of his neck. Afterwards, the news of his recovery made headlines worldwide. It
isn't every day that a lion gets a brain op.
Samson, a Barbary
lion at the Hai-Kef zoo near Tel Aviv in Israel, was probably the first member
of his species to be treated for a life-threatening skull malformation in 2005.
But it now seems he is not alone in suffering from the condition, which disproportionately
affects lions living in captivity.
Zoos report a high
incidence of death in young captive-bred lions. Many of these deaths have been
anecdotally linked to bone malformations, especially a thickening at the base
of the skull. Abnormal bone growth around the foramen magnum – the hole that the
brain stem passes through to connect the brain to the spinal cord – can squeeze
parts of the brain that control things like balance and movement. This causes
tremors, loss of balance and unusual head tilts – hence Samson's strange
behaviour back in 2005.
Until now, it wasn't
known whether these malformations were specific to zoo animals, or just as
frequent in the wild. So Joseph Saragusty of the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and
Wildlife Research in Berlin, Germany, and colleagues compared 575 lion skulls –
512 from wild lions and 63 from lions that had been raised in captivity. They
found evidence that the foramen magnum was significantly smaller in captive
animals.
The skulls came fr
What the Heck is a Bilby?
Photos of Prince
George enjoying a curious meeting with a bilby named after him while on a trip
to Sydney’s Taronga Zoo on Sunday not only elicited a collective “aww” from the
Internet, but also posed the (very serious) question: what on earth is a bilby?
Not quite a rat or
possum, the short and plump little critter is a marsupial found in the
Australian bush and outback that acquired its name from an Aboriginal word
belonging to the Yuwaalaraay people of northern New South Wales, according to
the Merriam-Webster Dictionary. The long nose and face closely resemble another
native Australian animal, the bandicoot, which some people may recognize from
the wide-eyed cartoon character of the video game “Crash Bandicoot.”
While both are
ground-dwelling animals, bilbies have longer, more sensitive ears, a typically
white-tipped tail and silkier fur. They are omnivorous (watch those fingers
Prince George!) and feed mainly on insects like spiders, very small animals,
seeds and fruit,
Pairi Daiza Zoo - Just What are they Playing At?
After the recent
much publicised arrival of Giant Pandas at the Pairi Daiza Zoo in Belgium the
collection seems to have lost the plot. Pandas are rare and under threat in the
wild and are part of a managed breeding programme. The press made mention of this
so many times that one could easily be brainwashed into thinking that
conservation was really important to them.
But now?
Well now they have
brought in a young pair of White Tigers which shows the exact opposite applies.
White Tigers are not rare or endangered. They are not even a subspecies. They
may be beautiful but they are deliberately inbred freaks of nature.....no different
really to a two headed turtle.
Maintaining and
exhibitin
Why Palm Oil Isn’t the Enemy
If you watched last
night’s premiere of “Years of Living Dangerously,” the new Showtime series
about the impacts of climate change, you likely found yourself thinking palm
oil’s pretty bad stuff
Night Safari founder Bernard Harrison suggests
'un-zoo' as unique attraction
The man who founded
the Night Safari - a world-first when it opened in 1994 - has another radical
idea.
Mr Bernard Harrison
revealed yesterday that he has suggested to the Singapore Tourism Board the
creation of an "un-zoo", in which visitors can enjoy
"random" up-close encounters with trained animals like monkeys and
otters.
Such encounters,
orchestrated by guides, will be more exciting than seeing animals "behind
glass", he said.
He was speaking to
more than 100 civil servants
Zoo faces cruelty charges over cub deaths
It’s the latest
twist in a story that has made the news worldwide, and that began earlier this
month when a male brown bear, known as Misha, killed one of its two offspring –
“baby bear 3” – after repeatedly tossing it into the air in full view of shocked
zoo visitors.
Kurt Nünlist, a
train driver from Solothurn, says the Dählhölzli wildlife park behaved
recklessly in allowing the 360-kilogram male to share an enclosure with its
mate and her two cubs. After the “predictable” killing of one cub by its
father, the zoo authorities took the decision to euthanise the second baby,
sparking a public outcry.
Nünlist says
Dählhölzli must be held accountable for its actions, which would otherwise be
“swept under the carpet”.
“I have laid charges
of animal cruelty with the police and these have to be legally investigated,”
Nünlist tells The Local. “Whether the zoo authorities acted out of naivety or
stupidity, it was animal cruelty and they can’t get away with that.”
Approached by The
Local, the zoo was unavailable to comment on the case.
Under Swiss law
“pain, damage or suffering must not be unjustifiably inflicted on an animal,
nor must any animal be subjected to severe anxiety. The neglect, overexertion
or mishandling of animals is forbidden,” according to the Swiss Veterinary
Office, FSVO.
Carsten Hertwig,
bear expert with the Swiss branch of the Four Paws animal rights organisation,
is supportive of Nünlist’s action. “From a moral and ethical standpoint we
agree with him: it is animal cruelty. But only time will tell what his legal
chance of success is,” he tells The Local.
“Four Paws is highly
critical of the zoo’
How do zoos prepare for dangerous animal escapes?
As the Easter Bank
Holiday gets under way, many people may be contemplating a trip to their local
zoo. This is generally accepted as a safe, family-friendly activity but in
fact, escapes by wild animals are not unheard of.
Imagine the
scenario. Unpredictable carnivores break through the steel wire of a zoo
enclosure and are on the loose. It is every zookeeper's nightmare.
Yet for keepers at
Colchester Zoo six months ago, that fear became a reality when five wolves
managed to escape.
Somehow they had
broken through a special steel mesh fence - a fence the zoo says was checked on
a daily basis. Three wolves were shot dead and two were tranquilised. To the
zoo's relief, though, no members of the public were harmed.
Industry experts say
the zoo's handling of the incident, from an operational perspective, was
successful and the rarity of such escapes highlights the great lengths zoos g
April 2014 | Vol. 29 | No. 4 | Date of Publication 23 April 2014
CONTENTS
Editorial: Zoos helping Zoos is the last ditch effort for improving ALL zoos
-- Sally Walker, Pp. 1-2
Hunting of avifauna in proposed Tsangyang Gyatso Biosphere Reserve, Western Arunachal Pradesh
-- Kripaljyoti Mazumdar, Prasanna K. Samal and Abhik Gupta, Pp. 3-7
Announcement: The 41st Annual AAZK National Conference, Orlando, FL, September 8-12, 2014
P. 7
Accredited Zoo Best-Practice: Example Animal Escape Protocol for a Zoo, (from Chapter Emergency Readiness and Crisis Management of the book ZOOKEEPING)
-- Donald E. Moore, Pp. 8-10
Census of Red Panda (Ailurus fulgens) at Singalila National Park and its surrounding area, Darjeeling, West Bengal, India
-- Bhupen Roka and A.K. Jha, Pp. 11-14
Enclosure Signage Habitat Range Maps for Zoological Gardens: An Inclusive Design Approach
-- Michael David William Richards, Pp. 15-18
Colour variation in Indian Pond Heron Ardeola grayii (Sykes, 1832) in Kannur District, Kerala
-- R. Roshnath and Ashli Jose, Pp. 19-21
Announcement: Environmental Events Calendar-Second Quarter of 2014
P. 21
Studies on a collection of aculeate Hymenoptera from Nayachar Island, West Bengal
-- P. Girish Kumar and Gaurav Sharma, Pp. 22-26
Surgical management of malocclusion due to overgrown incisors in Indian palm squirrel (Funambulus palmarum)
-- Prajwalita Sutaria, Tarun Sutaria, H.B. Prajpati, V.D. Dodiya and P.B. Patel, Pp. 27-28
Behavioural Observation of Snow Leopard (Uncia uncia) at new off display breeding centre of Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park, Darjeeling
-- S. Rai, A.K. Jha & U. Rai, Pp. 29-30
Regional Asian Elephant Veterinary Workshop in Myanmar
-- Zaw Min Oo, Ye Htut Aung and Wan Tun, Pp. 31-32
Book Review: The Story of Asia’s Elephants by Raman Sukumar, Text: Milind D. Patil
Pp. 33-34
Education Reports
Pp. 35-36
Announcement: ISIS - International Species Information - Job Vacancies, Back cover
P. 40
Czech snow leopard sent to Calcutta — finally
The Jihlava zoo at
last succeeded, on the fourth try, in delivering a rare snow leopard to a
partner zoo in India today, after three unsuccessful attempts when the transfer
was thwarted by unexpected obstacles, the zoo's spokeswoman Kateřina Kosová
told ČTK.
Fici, the
three-year-old leopard male, was raised in Jihlava and he was to leave for
Calcutta on April 9 to reinforce the snow leopard population in India's Padmaja
Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park.
"Today we've
been informed that the snow leopard has reached India at last," Kosová
said.
On April 9, Fici's
planned departure from Jihlava was cancelled in the last moment over the Indian
partner's refusal to take the animal over in the evening hours.
Another date of
departure was set for April 14, when a van with Fici set out from Jihlava for
the Prague airport, some 120 km far westwards. However, the D1 motorway was
jammed due to ongoing repairs, which delayed the van and Fici missed his
flight.
"On the third
try, the leopard arrived in Prague but the air carrier's staff returned him to
us because they disliked his transport box," Kosová said.
She said Fici was
traveling in a box which the zoo had used to transport animals many times
before.
Similar problems are
a rarity in the Jihlava zoo, Kosová
"Animal Training Workshop for Zoo Professionals" Heidelberg, Germany
May 11, 2014
Presented by Barbara Heidenreich, this day-long seminar covers the fundamentals of animal training and how it can be applied in zoological parks and similar facilities to solve behavior problems, train cooperation in medical care, stream line husbandry and educate the public. Hosted by Zoo Heidelberg. Visit this link to learn more about the zoo.
http://www.zoo-heidelberg.de/ The fee is 100 euros. To register Email:
simon.bruslund@heidelberg.de Deadline to register is May 1! See the flyer here
https://www.facebook.com/events/739802839386711/
Let’s Keep Zoos
The year that we
were married, my husband and I were given a truly wonderful gift: a honeymoon
safari to southern Africa. It was an amazing experience. We now have all the
magical memories that one would hope to bring home from a safari: the fresh
lion kill, the mother elephant tenderly caressing her baby, the warthog
crashing through the undergrowth with a leopard in hot pursuit. I could go on
(and on and on), but nothing’s more pretentious than regaling people with tales
of your honeymoon safari, so I’ll just reiterate once more: completely
fabulous.
You meet a lot of
rich people on safari. For a youth-hostel veteran such as myself, it felt odd
to be wined and dined like some kind of colonial grandee, which is pretty much
how it goes in these high-end safari lodges. Our fellow guests (not struggling academics
like ourselves) were clearly more accustomed to this kind of service. We met
wealthy bankers and businessmen
Revealed: UK aquarium cashes in on whale circus...
despite 'leading global fight to free captive animals'
In front of a
stadium of screaming crowds, three Beluga whales dance, wave and high-five.
It seems like
innocent entertainment, attracting thousands to Changfeng Ocean World in
Shanghai every day.
But today, the
company that owns the park and dozens of others worldwide, including Alton
Towers, has been accused of animal cruelty and ‘double standards’.
Merlin
Entertainments, which owns 44 SeaLife aquaria across the globe, claims to be
leading the fight to free Beluga whales and dolphins from captivity, and makes
no mention of their performing trio – Junjun, Uka 1 and Uka 2 – on their
British websites.
Its websites state:
'Sea Life believes it is wrong to keep whales and dolphins in captivity. No
matter how spacious, no captive facility can ever provide such far-ranging,
highly social and highly intelligent animals with the stimulation they need for
a good quality of life.'
'Indonesia's deforestation is a disaster for the planet' - audio slideshow
Orca Profiles in Captivity: The San Diego 10
Dame Jane Goodall
(famed British primatologist, ethologist, anthropologist, and UN Messenger of
Peace) was asked a question. “Why did she do what she did for the chimps she
has advocated for all her life?” She answered by sharing a true story.
A captive lab chimp
had never lived outside a cage his entire life. Now freed by Jane and her team
of researchers and scientists, the frightened primate sat and watched the other
chimps in a large zoo compound—free of cages and offering grassy, rocky, chimp-appealing
offerings, including the sight and sound of others like him. He was terrified
by such a contrast—from darkness to light.
A growing crowd of
onlookers watched silently as the terrified chimp was being acclimated to his
new world and then in a united gasp of disbelief witnessed the chimp run and
fall into the watery moat surrounding the enclosure. Not knowing what to do,
never having experienced being in water before, he began to flail in terror and
sink.
At that, a man in
the crowd instantly jumped over the railing, dove into the water and pulled the
huge ape up and out of the water to safer grounds. The man was even able to get
there faster than the watching zookeeper who was as horrified as were all the
on-lookers. The man made sure that the chimp was breathing alright. Climbing
over the railing back to the crowd he turned to see the chimp yet again running
in fright and falling back into the water. Again, the man jumped over the
railing, lifted the heavy, flailing chimp back up onto the grassy enclosure and
waited until now the chimp seemed to realize that he was home and calmed down.
After what seemed
like eternity, everyone observed the chimp being welcomed by the others in the
troop and appeared safe at last. Finally, someone in the crowd turned to the
man and asked him, “Why did he do that? What would compel him to risk being
killed by a huge, drowning ape that could have easily mauled him in fear?” And
the man sai
Research Training Seminar in collaboration with Syddansk Universitet in Odense, Denmark.
Dates are May 12th - 15th, 2014
Killer whales should not be held captive
Wonder why you see
dozens of people protesting outside theme parks with animals as the star
attraction? These activists will not back down until something is done about
animals being held captive. The recent documentary “Blackfish” has raised
awareness of the well-being of the orcas SeaWorld Entertainment Inc. uses in
its shows, creating controversy. It is obvious that these orcas are massive
animals that are confined in a small space. This movie is an eye-opener about
the harsh realities of these enormous creatures and how SeaWorld should not be
allowed to hold orcas in captivity. Working with a 5-ton sea mammal is a
life-threatening job that can have bad consequences. Tilikum is the largest
orca in captivity, weighing 12,000 pounds, and is being held at SeaWorld
Orlando. His life consists of entertaining people for money, swimming in a
confined space and then going back into his cell. Tilikum is linked to three
deaths, two trainers and a drifter who happened to jump in the wrong pool. One
of the reasons why this creature was driven to kill was all the stress that he
endures w
SeaWorld rescues whales from predators
SeaWorld’s Shamu
show provides such substantial benefits to killer whales in the wild and to the
entire ocean that it would be tragic to shut it down.
Killer whales in the
wild face habitat and prey depletion, and the International Institute for
Conservation of Nature is unable to get specific data on the numbers in the
wild.
The SeaWorld
Entertainment Inc. facilities contain the majority of killer whales in
captivity with SeaWorld investing $70 million in their facilities in the last
three years according to SeaWorld’s website.
Killer whales’
behavior places them in a uniquely vulnerable situation. As apex predators they
have no natural predators, and damage to a species on their food chain
undercuts their food supply. Meaning damage to the ocean is likely to impact
these whales.
They are frequently
exposed to humans due to their hunting range being in close proximity to the
shoreline. With humans come pollutants, and killer whales have been found with
dangerous levels of human-made pollutants from salmon c
End public display of animals
This summer,
Assiniboine Park Zoo is set to open a new $90-million polar bear exhibit,
Journey Into Churchill, as part of a $200-million redevelopment. The zoo’s
website says the new exhibit will "combine elements focused on research,
conservation, education and public display to provide a venue that will bring
the North to mainstream Canadians."
The work of
Assiniboine Park Zoo in its efforts to aid both polar bears, as well as
northern communities often affected by their unwelcome presence, is certainly
commendable.
The problem I, along
with many other Canadians, have is with the primary purpose of zoos, that
"public display" of animals. At a time when much of the collective
Canadian consciousness is moving away from industries and businesses that
exploit or harm animals (the banning of gestation crates, boycotting of marine
parks, closing of pet shops, etc.) more Canadians are seeing zoos as yet
another institution that should be going the way of the dodo bird.
Like most zoos,
Assiniboine Park Zoo has always operated with the apparent purpose of educating
the public and conserving animal species. Times, however, have changed, and no
longer can zoos hang on to the same rationales that once made them legitimate.
Modern technologies,
such as the Internet and other interactive tools, along with our current
knowledge regarding the harms of keeping animals captive, now render zoos
unjustified and unethical. Interactive educational tools, such as those already
found in modern museums and science centres, offer suitable alternatives to
displaying live animals under the guise of education. In fact, a great portion
of the new Journey Into Churchill exhibit will not feature any live animals.
So, why have them at all?
In the case of one
Assiniboine Park Zoo polar bear, Aurora, who was captured as a cub after being
discovered alone in a residential area of Churchill, Assiniboine Park Zoo
officials would have us believe they offered happily-ever-afters to both the
bear and the community it was potentially threatening. Unfortunately, such a
tale is just that, a tale.
The problem with
relocating wild animals to zoos is regardless of monetary investment, natural
habitats cannot be replicated in zoo settings. Zoo animals are infamously
stressed and bored, unable to roam, hunt or engage in other important natural
behaviours. Zoos do implement "environmental-enrichment programs,"
aimed at
Nomination Deadline
1st May
Chimps on the Loose: Why I Skip Zoos
You may have seen
the video of seven chimpanzees that escaped the Kansas City Zoo the other day
after the ringleader broke off a 6-foot-long tree branch that he then used to
scale a wall.
The wily primate
quickly motioned to his pals, who followed him up the makeshift ladder to
freedom.
The chimps cavorted
along the wall — apparently far enough away from zoo visitors to prevent a
panic — for about 90 minutes before staff lured them back into their enclosure
with malted milk balls.
I’m glad no humans
or animals were injured, though I’m a little disappointed the chimps fell for
such a simple trick. I can only imagine what was going through their heads at
the time:
“Free! We’re free!
Yippee! At last, we can go wherever we want, whenever we want ... ooooh, candy!
Hey guys, check it out! Chocolate!...”
A zoo veterinarian
I’ve met once remarked that of all the animals she deals with in captivity,
including lions, tigers and cheetahs, the ones she fears most are chimpanzees
because they’re not just powerful and nimble, but also maliciously clever.
Like most TV viewers
and movie fans I used to chuckle at the antics of such “celebrity” chimps as
Cheetah of “Tarzan” fame; J. Fred Muggs, a mascot on the “Today” show; and all
the others that appeared regularly in commercials, sitcoms and on the big screen,
performing silly stunts that alternately delighted or exasperated human
co-stars, including Ronald Reagan in “Bedtime for Bonzo” and Clint Eastwood in
“Every Which Way but
Loose.”
The humor gradually
lost its charm, and then forever soured after the horrific Travis tragedy in
2009 when a former chimp actor kept as a pet by a misguided Stamf
Free Morgan: Sunday People and Born Free launch appeal
to help scarred and wounded captive killer whale
The Sunday People
reports animal rights groups, including the Free Morgan Foundation, are
lobbying to liberate her from what they call her Spanish hellhole
As Morgan the orca
leaps through the air under her trainer’s instructions, British tourists cheer
the awesome spectacle.
None of the holiday
families know that this captive creature – performing as loudspeakers pump out
Gloria Gaynor’s hit song I Will Survive – was born free in the ocean.
The killer whale now
performs what environmentalists describe as demeaning circus tricks in a
“concrete coffin” up to three times a day.
And they fear
Morgan’s two-and-a-half-year incarceration at Loro Parque Zoo on the Spanish
holiday island Tenerife has taken a heartbreaking toll.
Campaigners say the
anguished mammal is covered in scars and painful open cuts and bruises after
repeatedly bashing her head and body on the side of her enclosure.
They describe it as
a deliberate and horrifying display of frustration.
They say the young
animal, part of the dolphin family, also has over 600 bite marks from repeated
bullying by larger adult orcas at the park, Tenerife’s biggest tourist
attraction with one million visitors a year.
Now animal rights
groups, including the Free Morgan Foundation, the Born Free Foundation and
British Divers Marine Life Rescue, are lobbying to liberate her from what they
call her Spanish hellhole.
With the help of
acoustics experts, they
North Carolina Zoo gets environmental distinction
The North Carolina
Zoo, in Asheboro, NC, got a big honor for its environmental efforts.
This week the zoo
was recognized as an Environmental Steward by an advisory board appointed by
the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources. The honor is for organizations that
demonstrate superior performance beyond what is required.
“Attaining Steward
status is a culmination of the tireless efforts of the entire zoo staff towards
operating in a more environmental sustainable manner and being an
