Zoo says accusations of panda abuse groundless
The Lanzhou Zoo in
Northwest China's Gansu Province denied any abuse of a panda after pictures
allegedly showing a huge amount of blood on the animal's back sparked an uproar
among the public, saying the panda might have been struck by bamboo.
Wang Huitai, deputy
head of the Lanzhou Zoo, told the Global Times Sunday that the giant panda
named Shulan was found injured on her back with a less-than-one-centimeter
abrasion on Friday and "we believe it was caused by a bamboo strike."
The zoo veterinarian
regarded the wound as not serious and sprayed some iodine around it, which
might have been mistaken as the alleged blood, added Wang.
The State Bureau of
Forestry on Saturday pledged to further investigate the case.
Viral pictures s
howed that
22-year-old Shulan was w
Stem cells generated locally help blind sea lion at
SeaWorld see
SeaWorld is turning
to stem cells harvested in the labs of local biotech companies to heal its park
animals.
Last week, 10News
anchor Itica Milanes was given an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look as a sea
lion was given second chance at life thanks to the unique medical treatment.
SeaWorld has rescued
thousands of sea lions through the years, with most stranded or starving.
Recently, one that washed up in La Jolla had a much bigger problem -- the young
male sea lion was almost blind.
Park veterinarian
Dr. Todd Schmitt said, "We're not sure of the underlying cause. There may
be some underlying trauma. It's basically creating a haze across the cornea
that is causing vision impairment for this animal."
SeaWorld caretakers
realized he couldn't see, so he couldn't catch any fish. In the wild, he would
starve to death or be easy prey.
"So this is
general anesthesia, like you or I would have," Schmitt said prior to
beginning the procedure.
Jennifer Haselow
moved to San Diego
Orangutan escapes Kansas zoo enclosure, returns on her
own
A Kansas zoo confirmed an 11-year-old
orangutan briefly escaped from her enclosure Tuesday morning and the facility
was placed on lockdown.
The Sedgwick County
Zoo in Wichita said visitors to the facility alerted zookeepers around 10 a.m.
to an orangutan outside of her enclosure, and officials quickly confirmed
11-year-old Sumatran orangutan Tao had made her way to a public area.
After death of penguin at its zoo, BMC wants
contractor to replace dead bird
A day after an
18-month-old female Humboldt penguin, Dory, died at Veermata Jijabai Bhosale
Udyan and Zoo in Byculla, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has
directed Goatrade Farming Company, the procurement agency, to provide another
penguin as replacement. In the face of severe criticism from political leaders
and animal rights activists for the death, the zoo authorities and civic
officials insisted that the plan to place for public viewing the Humboldt
penguins, natives of Peru and Chile, would not be rolled back, though the
inauguration of the penguin enclosure will be postponed to D
A group of architects striving to renovate Karachi zoo
A team of seven
architects headed by Zain Mustafa, who is also an architect and designer, are
striving to renovate the Karachi zoo to improve the quality of life of the
animals there.
The talented design
group of 7 creative minds headed by animal rights activist and architect Zain
Mustafa and mentored by PTI architect Samar Ali Khan visits the Karachi zoo
every Friday to re-design the whole place for making it more animal friendly.
The group made a
presentation “Karachi Zoo- Revival Conceptual Visualizations” for the awareness
of the masses.
The presentation was
made right in front of the disturbed screeching Chimp Raju. They said their
initial conce
Zoo sends Puerto Rican Toad tadpoles to habitat
The N.C. Zoo
recently shipped just over 400 Puerto Rican Crested Toad tadpoles to Puerto
Rico for release into the wild.
The shipment is part
of an Association of Zoos and Aquariums Species Survival Plan program, which
aims to manage the population of these amphibians in the wild and prevent their
extinction.
In 1984, the Puerto
Rican Crested Toad became the first amphibian to be protected under the Species
Survival Plan (SSP) program. At more than 32 years, it is the longest
continuous running reintroduction program for an amphibian species. To date, 19
participating institutions have sent over 350,000 tadpoles to Puerto Rico.
The toads are kept
in isolation from general zoo populations to prevent the spread of disease to
the wild. Although the toads have bred naturally in captivity, hormones are
generally used to time all breedings to coordinate shipments and
Calgary Zoo opens Canada's 1st greater sage-grouse
breeding facility
There's some good
news for one of Canada's most endangered birds.
The Calgary Zoo has
just opened the first captive breeding facility in the country to help restore
the greater sage-grouse population, which experts estimate has fallen below 400
individuals.
"I see the
greater sage-grouse as an iconic part of our Canadian heritage; a key component
of our prairie ecosystem," said Axel Moehrenschlager, director of
conservation and science at the zoo.
How One U.S. Zoo is Supporting African Wildlife
Conservation
Despite the
sensation of tough gravel, I never
expected a rhinoceros to feel so soft around the back of the ears and mouth.
Staff at the Seneca
Park Zoological Society in Rochester, New York had graciously allowed me to
come face to face with Bill, the resident southern white rhinoceros who,
funnily enough, was more interested in being petted than eating his helping of
bananas.
“He loves contact,”
one of the keepers said as I reached out to touch his horns. Aside from the
pleasant thought of the bond that humans have shared with animals for
centuries, seeing those massive horns brought to mind the uncertain future that
wild rhinos throughout Africa currently face.
Though normally
reporting conservation stories from remote corners of sub-Saharan Africa, I’d
arranged a visit to Seneca Park Zoo to find out how management and staff are
leading the charge in saving threatened and endangered wildlife.
Bill, now 12, is
part of the zoo’s Step Into Africa program, which includes lions, elephants,
baboons, and even a Maasai manyatta (encampment) exhibit, commonly found
throughout southern Kenya and northern Tanzania.
While I was given a
behind-the-scenes tour of h
SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium set to launch sub-Antarctic
penguin ride
Travel in a raft
through a sub-Antarctic environment and get close to a spectacular colony of
king and gentoo penguins at SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium.
This
first-of-its-kind penguin exhibit, due to open in November, is inspired by
Macquarie Island – an Australian-owned island in the Pacific Ocean.
Explorers (guests)
will be surrounded by penguins and a flurry of snow, whistling winds and the
stunning southern lights, before arriving at the Macquarie Island Explorer Hut.
Here they can observe these creatures on land and under water and learn more about
life on the remote island.
Merlin
Entertainment’s Rob Smith said: “The ride allows guests to make amazing
discoveries about life on Macquarie Island, the different personalities of
cheeky gentoo and maje
Longleat safari park worker framed male colleague with
bogus emails to cover up one-night stand with another zookeeper
Hayleigh Flak, 28,
was concerned Craig Brooks would expose her affair with his friend and
pretended to be a customer, falsely accusing him of being abusive.
A married Longleat
safari park worker framed a male colleague with bogus emails in an attempt to
cover up a one-night stand she had with another zoopkeeper , a court heard.
Hayleigh Flak, 28,
who previously worked as a pole dancer, slept with a colleague who worked with
her on the same shift at the Wiltshire wildlife park.
The military wife,
who is currently 16 weeks pregnant with her third child, admitted harassing
workmate Craig Brooks when she appeared at Chippenham Magistrates' Court today.
The court heard
Flak, who runs a lifestyle
The Guardian view on zoos: respect our animal
relatives
Editorial
Gorillas are not
just animals, Sir David Attenborough said this week, explaining: “They are
related to us; they get stressed. A gorilla is not a fish.” Leaving aside the
fact that fish can also get stressed and are probably also related to us,
albeit more distantly, he surely has a point. Humans, at this advanced stage in
their evolution, may like nothing better than to parade themselves on Strictly
Come Dancing and The X Factor, but gorillas still value a bit of privacy and do
not necessarily enjoy performing for visitors.
That, some think,
may have been a factor in the escape of a dominant male gorilla called Kumbuka
from his enclosure at ZSL London Zoo. The attraction went into lockdown while
the gorilla was located – he was in a secure keepers’ area – and tranquillised,
although not before he had downed five litres of undiluted blackcurrant
cordial. It does not appear to have done him any lasting harm, and the zoo was
able to give assurances that the public were never in any danger from his
adventure. But the incident has been a public relations disaster, particularly
because the management initially failed to explain how the animal was able to
escape; the answer, it emerges, was two unlocked doors. Some commenters on
social media enjoyed the spectacle of human visitors, who had been advised to
seek sanctuary in secure buildings a
Meet the man who bought a zoo: Ten years on
Exactly ten years
ago this man made the biggest decision of his life – he bought a zoo.
Now he's got an
internationally bestselling book, a television series and a Hollywood
blockbuster under his belt.
World's mammals being eaten into extinction, report
warns
Hundreds of mammal
species - from chimpanzees to hippos to bats - are being eaten into extinction
by people, according to the first global assessment of the impact of human
hunting.
Bushmeat has long
been a traditional source of food for many rural people, but as roads have been
driven into remote areas, large-scale commercial hunting is leaving forests and
other habitats devoid of wildlife.
The scientists
behind the new analysis warned that, without action, the wiping out of these
species could lead to the collapse of the food security of hundreds of millions
of people reliant on bushmeat for survival.
The work comes
against the backdrop of the natural world undergoing the greatest mass
extinction since a giant meteorite strike wiped out the dinosaurs 65m years
ago, with species vanishing far more rapidly than the long term rate, driven by
the destruction and invasion of wild areas by humans and their livestock and
hunting.
The researchers,
whose study is published in the journal Royal Society Open Science, used the
International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) red list to identify
the endangered land mammals that are primarily at risk from hunting for food.
They found 301 such species, representing 7% of all the land mammals assessed
by IUCN and about a quarter of all e
Mysterious origin of European bison revealed using DNA
and cave art
Threatened forest icon may be a hybrid of two extinct
species.
The European bison
(Bison bonasus) may be the continent’s largest land mammal, but its origins
have long been a mystery. Hunted for millennia and pushed into the wild corners
of Europe as agriculture expanded, the bison — also known as wisent — were reduced
to just a few zoo specimens by the late 1920s. Today, a semi-wild population
roams Białowieża Forest, near the Poland–Belarus border, where they slip
between hornbeams and mighty oaks, their curly coats and horns lending an aura
of the Pleistocene to the ancient forest.
It took a reach into
the past using ancient DNA and cave art to unveil the wisent’s origin story.
Researchers published the species’ family tree on 19 October in Nature
Communications1.
The team took almost
a decade to complete their work. Much of the analysis used ancient
mitochondrial DNA derived from 65 bison specimens ranging from 14,000 to more
than 50,000 years ago. But it wasn’t until technological advances made it
possible to examine nuclear DNA that researchers were able to produce a
coherent
Scientists Warn Federal Agency's Plan Would 'Result in
Extinction of Red Wolves in the Wild'
The same scientists
who provided the population viability analysis to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service (USFWS) for the red wolf have sent a rebuttal to the agency, accusing
it of "many alarming misinterpretations" in its justification for removing
most of the remaining animals in the wild.
Gorillas deserve more than captivity for human thrills
When it comes to the
fascination with exotic species, the ancient Egyptians seem to have got there
first. Archaeologists working at a cemetery in Hierakonpolis, a thriving city
by the Nile in the fourth millennium BC, have uncovered a zoo’s worth of skeletons
of baboons, hippopotamuses, leopards, elephants and crocodiles. These were not
pampered pets; the remains reveal scars from beatings and broken bones from
tethering.
WILD WOMEN 2016
ABMA Response to TripAdvisor Announcement
Animal Behavior Management Alliance
Newsletter
As you may have
heard, TripAdvisor recently announced that it will no longer book hundreds of
animal attractions where tourists come into physical contact with captive wild
animals, including endangered species. The Animal Behavior Management Alliance
values all of our members and understands that this announcement will affect
many of you. In an effort support all of our members and animals, ABMA has
issued the following statement:
"Trip Advisor
has released a policy change that no longer allows the booking of attractions
where tourists come into physical contact with exotic animals in human care,
including endangered species. The Animal Behavior Management Alliance supports
managed human interactions with animals that are safe, monitored, educational,
and that rely on animal behavior that is achieved through positive
reinforcement conditioning. These kinds of interactions & contact with
animals can be the most memorable and are crucial to the conservation and
preservation of all species in the world that we share because, they inspire in
a way that other educational paradigms cannot."
ABMA is delivering
this statement to TripAdvisor and other appropriate parties. Our members
represent the most progressive and innovate professionals in the animal care
community. Our members continually set new benchmarks in positive reinforcement
focused animal behavior management, ultimately improving the lives of countless
animals! We look forward to your continued support and contributions.
Sincerely,
ABMA Board of
Directors
Tasmanian devil milk fights superbugs
Milk from Tasmanian
devils could offer up a useful weapon against antibiotic-resistant superbugs,
according to Australian researchers.
The marsupial's milk
contains important peptides that appear to be able to kill hard-to-treat
infections, including MRSA, say the Sydney University team.
Experts believe
devils evolved this cocktail to help their young grow stronger.
The scientists are
looking to make new treatments that mimic the peptides.
They have scanned
the devil's genetic code to find and recreate the infection-fighting compounds,
called cathelicidins.
PhD student Emma
Peel, who worked on the research which is published in the Nature journal
Scientific Reports, said they had found six important peptides.
These appear to be
similar to peptides
So Long, Congo’s King Kong? Dramatic Population
Decline of World’s Largest Gorilla
The largest living
primate, Grauer’s gorilla, lives only in the eastern Democratic Republic of
Congo. Before civil war broke out in the region in 1996, the population was
estimated at 16,900 individuals, but it has since been difficult to conduct
population assessments.
Mumbai zoo in licence jeopardy?
The city's zoo that
has been much in the news of late for its new inhabitants — the eight Humboldt
penguins — is finding itself under the spotlight again, but this time for a
different reason. As per reports, the Mumbai zoo is facing a stiff notice from the
CZA (Central Zoo Authority) for allegedly flouting norms by failing to maintain
conditions of its animal enclosures and occupants. The zoo authorities are to
rectify matters and draft a reply until December.
Penguin dies of infection at Mumbai zoo, activists ask
police to probe
A day after a
Humboldt penguin died at the Byculla Zoo barely three months after it was
procured, animal activists in Mumbai filed a complaint with the police alleging
negligence by zoo authorities and demanded an investigation into the matter.
Non-governmental
organisation, Plant and Animals Welfare Society – Mumbai (PAWS) also wrote to
Central Zoo Authority asking it to visit Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Udyan and Zoo
and check whether ideal conditions have been provided for the seven remaining penguins.
On Sunday, a
one-and-a-half-year-old female penguin named Dory, died at the zoo’s quarantine
facility owing to liver dysfunction and an intestinal infection.
The Brihanmumbai
Municipal Corporation (BMC) had spent Rs 2.57 crore to buy the South American
species found in the cold climes of coastal Peru and Chile . The birds were
brought to Mumbai in July amid oppo
LEMUR CENTER REELING FROM SUDDEN DEATH OF FOUR
AYE-AYES
A mysterious
affliction has killed four endangered aye-ayes at the Duke Lemur Center in the
last 24 hours.
All four -- two
males and two females ranging in age from 7 to 28 years -- were stricken
suddenly and died in the emergency care of two of the world’s foremost lemur
veterinarians.
“We have experienced
a tragedy,” said Lemur Center Director Anne Yoder. “The staff is devastated.”
“This happened very
quickly,” said operations director Greg Dye. A technician entering the
enclosure where the stricken aye-ayes were housed noticed lethargic behavior at
around 3 p.m. Tuesday and transported two animals to the center’s emergency
room within minutes. “The first one died within 20 minutes
Celebrating Plants
and the Planet:
You just can’t make
this stuff up. October’s stories at
www.zooplantman.com
(NEWS/Botanical News) show that in botany truth is stranger than fiction:
· A fly that specializes in feeding on
honeybees captured by spiders is lured into a flower for pollination purposes
via the manufactured scent of dying honeybees. Oh, and there they are trapped.
· Why do some Northern Flickers have
feathers tinged red while most do not? The explanation lies with an invasive
shrub.
· If you travel the Arctic tundra, you
may come across lush wildflower gardens scattered through the harsh terrain.
These are the ancestral homes of arctic foxes.
· Pollinator gardens have become the
trendy landscape, but to pollinators not all pollinator plants are equal. If
the purpose of the garden is to support pollinators, then it is not enough to
have pretty flowers.
· A very few plant species have
iridescent blue leaves, apparently an adaptation to shady spots, but just how
does this leaf color help a plant survive in darkness? It results when leaves
bend light waves to get more out of them!
Zoo harassing dalit staff: Parishad
Mysuru Divisional
State, Central Semi-Government and Aided Institutions SC/ST Officers and
Employees Parishad on Wednesday accused Mysuru Zoo authorities of harassing
dalit employees.
Four on-contract
dalit employees of Mysuru Zoo were suspended recently without giving any valid
reasons, the parishad claimed.
Parishat President
Shantaraju on Wednesday told reporters that atrocities against dalit employees
have increased at the zoo. "Over 80% of its employees belong to backward
communities or minorities and yet, they face a lot of harass
Puan the grumpy Perth orangutan is declared world's
oldest
A 60-year-old
primate at Perth Zoo has been declared the oldest living Sumatran orangutan in
the world.
But do not expect
Puan to show much enthusiasm.
Staff at Perth Zoo
said while the primate was in surprisingly good health, she had become a little
grumpy in her old age.
"Puan's a
difficult one," primate keeper Martina Hart said.
"She gets a bit
impatient, she stamps her foot when she wants something quickly.
"She demands a
lot of respect. She deserves a lot of respect, she's not someone who'll show
you outwardly that she's particularly interested in you."
It has taken staff
at Perth Zoo several years to clarify how old Puan is.
It was believed she
was born in the wild in 1956, earning her
The American Zoo Debate: Sanctuary or Threat?
The zoo has always
been a family fun excursion. Here, in habitats that are as close to the ones in
the outside world as possible (except for the aspect of freedom, of course),
people can come and visit some of the most stunning creatures this earth has to
offer. One such place, the San Diego Zoo, has even grown into one of the most
popular attractions ever seen. This nonprofit zoo is more than respected and
literally brought in $30 million dollars more than it spent last year alone.
Woman killed by tiger at breeding centre in Free State
A senior supervisor
at Laohu Valley Reserve near Philippolis in the Free State, South Africa, was
killed by a tiger over the weekend. The Laohu Valley Reserve is a roughly
350km² private reserve that was established in 2002 as a breeding centre for
the South China tiger. The reserve is not open to the public, as the tigers are
part of a project that aims to rewild the animals for eventual return to
protected reserves in China.
MUMBAI MIRROR EXPOSÉ: THE BIG LIE BEHIND THE PENGUINS
AT THE BYCULLA ZOO
Highway Construction
won contract for penguin enclosure by telling BMC it has a JV with US firm
specialising in aquatic exhibits. Mirror finds there’s no such pact, which
means a company for roads and civil works is heading the project.
The company building
the penguin enclosures at Byculla zoo was awarded the Rs 50-crore contract
because it said it had struck up a partnership with a US firm specialising in
aquatic systems. But Mirror has discovered there is no such joint venture
between M/s Highway Construction Company and Austin-based SIVAT Services, and
the BMC blindly believed the agreement’s existence.
SIVAT, in an email
to Mirror, said it only discussed the possibility of a joint venture with
Highway Construction, which has experience only in road and civil works, but
the talks didn’t move forward because of cost concerns. It insisted it had no
involvement in the pengu
World’s Most Endangered Alligator Making a Comeback –
in Shanghai
WCS (Wildlife
Conservation Society) reports that eggs of critically endangered Chinese
alligators discovered recently in a nest in a Shanghai wetland park have
hatched and that baby alligators have been photographed and identified swimming
in the area. The announcement signals a huge success for the species and for
ongoing reintroduction efforts initiated by East China Normal University,
Chongming Dongtan Wetland Park, and WCS with the help of U.S. zoos including
WCS’s Bronx Zoo, and the Saint Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park.
“This shows that
even the most endangered wildlife can recover if given a chance,” said Aili
Kang, WCS Executive Director for Asia Programs. “Without the efforts of our
partners and colleagues in China, we wouldn’t have had this great outcome that
demonstrates that people and predators can co-exist in one of the most densely
populate
Lions, tigers and conspiracy theories
It may not rise to
the level of the Kennedy assassination or the moon landing, but the Zanesville
animal escape has become a prime breeding ground for conspiracy theories.
Authorities see the
events of Oct. 18, 2011 as an open-and-shut case of a single man who let all
but a few of his 56 exotic animals free before taking his own life. Many,
including Columbus Zoo & Aquarium Director Emeritus Jack Hanna, remain
unconvinced that an individual could release so many dangerous animals without
being injured or killed in the process. Others take their theories even further
to include elaborate plots involving murder, political intrigue and cover ups.
"Was someone
else involved, it's a question I've always had," said Hanna, who rushed to
the scene from a speech he was giving in Pennsylvania to help advise law
enforcement on how to handle the animals. "I've wondered how this man went
around and opened all the cages, he couldn't have done it."
The Muskingum County
Sheriff's Office didn't find evidence that would lead it to any criminal
charges regarding the release of the animals and the death of animal owner
Terry Thompson, Sheriff Matthew Lutz said. By early 2
Shark industry, lobbyists take sides in shark finning
debate
Competing interests
in Florida’s debate over shark fishing are taking sides in Washington D.C.,
lobbying lawmakers over a bill that seeks to ban trading shark fins.
Timothy Cama of The
Hill reports on a trade group called the Sustainable Shark Alliance, a new ad
hoc industry player in the $2.2 million business which works primarily in Gulf
and East Coast waters around Florida, Louisiana, North Carolina and New Jersey.
The alliance is
battling the Shark Fin Trade Elimination Act, which would expand on an existing
congressional ban on shark finning. The bill, sponsored by New Jersey Sen. Cory
Booker and Democratic U.S. Rep. Gregorio Kilili Sablan of the Northern Mariana
Islands, attempts to outlaw cutting a fish’s fin and returning it to the ocean
Some Animals Have Picky Eating Habits...and These Guys
Are No Exception
There is this
hilarious thing floating around the Internet about toddlers' weird eating
habits. If you haven't seen it, you can
check it out here. But basically, it is
photo after photo of grumpy-looking young'uns and a brief, quippy description
of their quirky nourishment conundrums.
www.zoolex.org in October 2016
~°v°~ ~°v°~ ~°v°~ ~°v°~ ~°v°~
Hello ZooLex Friend,
We have worked for your enjoyment!
~°v°~
NEW EXHIBIT PRESENTATION
The Walk-through Kea Aviary at Orana Wildlife Park in Christchurch, New
Zealand, offers the opportunity for close encounters with these
interesting birds. The aviary reflects their natural mountain habitat
and has many built-in enrichment features such as fruit bearing native
trees that create retreat areas and opportunities to follow the sun
around the exhibit, rotten logs, a water pool, natural food sources and
the people walking though.
http://www.zoolex.org/zoolexcgi/view.py?id=1736
We would like to thank Nathan Hawke from Orana Wildlife Park and Florian
Schäfer who volunteered for ZooLex for preparing this presentation.
~°v°~
ZOO DESIGN CONFERENCE
Don't wait to register - the early registration discount ends soon, on
31 October (time zone: UTC/GMT +2 hours)!
ZooLex collaborates with Wroclaw Zoo in organizing an international zoo
design conference. The conference will take place in Wroclaw, Poland,
from 4th to 7th April 2017. The theme of the conference is "Animal
welfare through built-in enrichment".
www.zoodesignconference.com
Exhibitors will be accomodated in the order of registration. Please
check out your opportunities and contact MCC Consulting Ltd. for booking
your package:
www.zoodesignconference.com/index.php/exhibitors
~°v°~
EXHIBITING ZOO ANIMALS
Erik van Vliet wrote a very inspirational book on immersion techniques.
His drawings nicely illustrate ideas and principles of creating a great
visitor experience. This book may facilitate communication in design
processes and promote the understanding for the need of detailed
planning by experienced zoo designers. With so many drawings supporting
the text, the book is targeting an international readership.
VAN VLIET Erik (2016) Exhibiting Zoo Animals. The book that makes its
author redundant. Schüling Verlag. Münster, Germany.
~°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
Survey - Exhibit information, Tapirs housed in zoos
around the World
Zoos and Zookeepers: The Roles of an Industry and its
People (A Four-Part Series)
Part One: What is a "Zoo" and A Brief
History of Them
Before I jump into the nitty-gritty
of this four-part series, a little background on myself and what I aim to give
readers with these pieces. My name is Blaine Peluso-Miller. I am, proudly and
professionally, a zookeeper; a zookeeper that is slowly growing his roots in an
industry and profession that has its fair share of successes and failures,
proponents and opponents, and controversies and misconceptions, like every
single business and industry in the world, past, present, and future. Educating
the public is one of the most important things that a zoo can do; especially
with the global ecological problems that we are facing today. But all too
often, questions remain unasked and unanswered or worse the wrong answers are
presented with extreme bias and it causes distortion of reality and brings
about misconceived perceptions.
Like a majority of professional
zookeepers and animal caretakers, I have always loved animals (and the natural
world) and wanted to make a difference for future generations of people and
wildlife; it was these two things that really propelled me into this industry
in the first place. I started as a seasonal naturalist at a local state park in
New Jersey during college, educating the general public about our planet, the
natural world, and the creatures that inhabit it. After that I was hooked on
zookeeping as a career path and profession, but I digress. What I am writi
Stuck for Enrichment Ideas? Check out the following
Links.
Zagreb Zoo Opens after a Two-Year Reconstruction
Project
Reconstruction works
at the Zagreb Zoo have finally been completed after two years, and as of today
all parts of the Zagreb Zoo are again available to visitors. The modernized zoo
was opened this afternoon by Zagreb Mayor Milan Bandić, reports Index.hr on
October 16, 2016.
“On the island, we
have built a large dwelling for Dalmatian pelicans, the first in Croatia after
a hundred years”, said Tomislav Krizmanić from the Zoo. “We have also built a
new habitat for African birds, the Madagascar area with a living area for Madagascan
animals, a souvenir shop, the new main entrance to the Zoo, an education centre
and a restaurant”, said Kriz
‘It’s hardly surprising he got fed up’: Sir David
Attenborough defends the gorilla that escaped from London Zoo and blames the
glass enclosures and ‘shrieking’ visitors for winding him up
Sir David
Attenborough has defended the gorilla which escaped from its enclosure at a zoo
and urged visitors to be more respectful when observing animals.
The veteran
naturalist, 90, said that it was 'hardly surprising' that the gorilla got 'fed
up', after being subjected to intrusion by visitors for most of the day.
Visitors to ZSL
London Zoo described fearing for their safety as they were ordered to take
cover in buildings when the mammal got out of its den last week.
Rob (Robert) J Ollason MBE
One of the great zoo educators of the 20th century and a key player in the International Zoo Educators association (IZE) history and development, Rob Ollason, died in Edinburgh 10th October 2016.
Rob was born in the Shetland Islands, and graduated from Edinburgh College of Art in 1961 and after some years teaching art and design in Edinburgh and Shetland, then spent 5 years in Kenya.
At the end of 1976 he took up the post of Education Officer / Head of Education at the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, Edinburgh Zoo, a post he held until his retirement 27 years later.
Rob became involved and engaged with various zoo committees and activities, especially the development of zoo education, and was a member of the IZE Board for over 10 years. He hosted the IZE conference in 1984, and was President of IZE from 1992-1996. He also hosted several UK Federation of Zoos (now BIAZA) zoo education and other conferences and helped inspire and encourage a generation of educators and zoo professionals.
Through the '80s and '90s Rob, alongside his team, especially Mary Patterson, and with the encouragement of RZSS Director Roger Wheater, developed innovative new zoo education programmes and facilities at Edinburgh Zoo. This included diverse schools programmes, interpretation, keeper talks, summer schools, volunteer scheme and overseas tours.
On his retirement at the start of 2004 Rob was awarded the MBE in recognition of his contribution to education. After leaving Edinburgh Zoo Rob continued to travel and spent more time doing his art work, including taking part in an art exhibition back in Shetland.
Rob was a real gentleman and contributed greatly to the life and work of many colleagues across the world and his contribution to zoo education is noted in many zoos. I remember meeting him on many occasions and always felt his warmth and generosity of spirit and encouragement. I also felt a real sense of responsibility and honour when I took up the post of Head of Education at RZSS a few years after his retirement.
He was also author of the popular book ‘Penguin Parade’ and wrote many papers on zoo education. He will be sorely missed and remembered fondly by all of us.
Stephen P. Woollard
www.ZooStephen.com
(RZSS Education 2005-2015)
Returning endangered animals to the wild
It has been 35 years
since the Japanese crested ibis disappeared from the skies of Japan. This year,
“genuinely wild” chicks, the offspring of ibises born out of captivity on Sado
Island, Niigata Prefecture, left their nests for the first time in 42 years.
The effort to reintroduce the ibis is one of several similar initiatives — rare
even overseas — to preserve endangered species that have disappeared from the
wild.
Ibises learn to fly,
find food
A total of 174
ibises were being bred at seven locations throughout Japan, including the
Environment Ministry’s Sado Japanese Crested Ibis Conservation Center on Sado
Island, as of Sept. 25. They are ibises provided by China since 199
Public consultation as part of the REFIT evaluation of
the Zoos Directive
PETA Says Florida Zoo Abuses Baby Tigers
People for the
Ethical Treatment of Animals has set its sights on a private Florida zoo that
allows visitors personal interaction with cute and cuddly tiger cubs.
In a federal lawsuit filed in Tampa, PETA
claims Dade City's Wild Things and its owners are violating the Endangered
Species Act.
The complaint, peppered with eyewitness
accounts and references to previous federal violations, takes aim at the zoo's
programs that allow patrons to handle, pet and swim with tiger cubs.
Dade City's Wild Things holds more than
200 animals, including primates and reptiles, on 22 acres of land in Pasco
County, Florida.
Among its draws are opportunities for
up-close interactions with tiger cubs, baby alligators and monkeys, including a
chance to swim with them.
Under Florida law, patrons can only have
contact with tigers under 25 pounds.
The zoo's owners — Kathryn Stearns and her
son, Randall Stearns — are also named as defendants.
Randall Stearns, president of the zoo,
declined to comment on PETA's allegations, saying he has not yet seen the
complaint.
According to the lawsuit, Dade City's Wild
Things staff forced cubs to interact with patrons by forcibly grabbing the
animals and not allowing them to escape.
PETA also claims the cubs are prematurely
separated from their mothers and suffer under bad conditions.
"The Endangered Species Act prohibits
harming and harassing tigers," said Brittany Peet, PETA's director of
captive ani
Zoo rhino poaching case still under investigation
The most shocking
rhino poaching incident that rocked the Free State when two white rhinos were
killed in the Bloemfontein Kwaggafontein Zoo is, after more than six months,
still under investigation.
This is according to
Free State Environmental Affairs MEC, Benny Malakoane. He said during an oral
question-and-answer session in the legislature that the investigation is being
handled by the police.
The dead rhinos were
found during a routine patrol, with three gun shots each. Malakoane says all I
What we lose when we lose the world’s frogs
Last month, a frog
died in an Atlanta botanical garden. With it went an entire species never to
hop along the Earth again. Biologists at Zoo Atlanta who’d looked after the
frog for the past 12 years called him “Toughie.” He was a charismatic,
glossy-eyed specimen and the very last Rabbs’ fringe-limbed tree frog in the
world.
Joseph Mendelson,
the director of research at Zoo Atlanta, had been prepared for this. When the
Rabbs’ frog was discovered in Panama in 2005, some 80 percent of the population
had already been lost to disease. A few were removed in hope of a revival. Alas,
the last female died in 2009. In 2012, when another male died, Toughie became
the sole survivor of his kind.
Still, his death
hurts, in part because of one of his beautiful biological quirks: The Rabbs’
were the only species in the world where the fathers let the babies eat the
skin off thei
Durrell wins inaugural Conservation Award from The
World Association of Zoos and Aquariums
Last night Durrell
Wildlife Conservation Trust was awarded the first ever Conservation Award from
The World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA).
In a ceremony that
took place at WAZA’s 71st Annual Conference in Puebla, Mexico, the conservation
charity’s CEO Dr Lesley Dickie accepted the award from WAZA president Susan
Hunt and Manfred Niekisch Chair of CSC.
Commenting on the
amazing achievement, Durrell’s Honorary Director, Dr Lee Durrell, said, "I
am overjoyed with the news that Durrell has won the WAZA Conservation Award and
so proud that we are the first ever recipient.
It validates the efforts begun by Gerald Durrell so long ago to prove
that zoos could become agents of species survival, and his firm belief that all
zoos should strive towards this goal.
Now more and more zoos and aquariums tackle conservation issues
proactively and engage their visiting public in what needs to be done and
why. I hope the award heralds an era of
even greater commitment to conservation by our community. I am delighted that our new CEO, Dr Lesley
Dickie, is able to attend the WAZA conference and accept this prestigious award
on Durrell's behalf."
This, the first ever
Conservation Award was introduced by WAZA in order to promote and recognise
conservation efforts and success within the WAZ
ELEPHANTS TO AMPHIBIANS – ANIMAL INTERACTIONS IN ZOOS
AND AQUARIUMS
Zoos and aquariums
have seen a rapid growth in interactive experiences in recent years. From
walk-through, swim-through or drive-through exhibits and shows, to direct
animal contact that includes activities such as touch pools, touch paddocks and
petting areas, the interactive experiences on offer vary. Their popularity has
increased as they are deemed to demonstrate an engaging educational experience,
with education being a key objective for the modern zoological collection.
Although animal interactions are popular, the welfare impact of such
interactions is still relatively unknown. Many facilities do support positive
interaction programmes that can be rewarding for both the animal and visitor,
but equally there are some that demonstrate only minimal planning having been
given to how the animal’s welfare may be affected by different experiences.
Legally, any animal
interactive programmes a zoological collection offers should comply with all
applicable regional, national and international legislation. However, in many
countries there are no specific regulations pertaining to such programmes and as
such, institutions are reliant on either other legislative standards that may
have an impact on such programmes (health and safety etc.) or regionally
specific guidelines from their respective regional zoo asso
Edinburgh Zoo earns its stripes through tiger research
Edinburgh Zoo is
developing pioneering conservation techniques to boost the survival of
endangered cat species ranging from tigers to the Scottish wildcat. Although
primarily known as a leading tourist attraction, with more than 600,000
visitors each year, the zoo is aiming to increase the profile of its research
work, which plays a vital role in internationally coordinated efforts to
preserve diversity of life.
Plans for new company to take over Dalton zoo's
licence revealed
A NEW company
intends to take over the licence of South Lakes Safari Zoo, it was revealed
during a meeting today.
A plan is due to be
submitted to transfer the licence from the Dalton attraction's current licence
holder, David Gill, to a different company which he has no connection to.
China's 'extinct' dolphin may have returned to Yangtze
river, say conservationists
Chinese
conservationists believe they may have caught a rare glimpse of a freshwater
dolphin that was declared functionally extinct a decade ago having graced the
Yangtze river for 20 million years.
Scientists and
environmentalists had appeared to abandon hope that China’s baiji, or white
dolphin, could survive as a species after they failed to find a single animal
during a fruitless six-week hunt along the 6,300-km (3,915-mile) waterway in
2006.
Yellowstone bison genetics transferred to another zoo
herd
Jennifer Barfield
has salvaged life from the slaughterhouse floor.
That’s where the
Colorado State University professor has collected ovaries from some of
Yellowstone National Park’s bison after they met their controversial demise.
“It’s definitely not
a fun part of the process,” said the professor in the Department of Biomedical
Sciences. “None of us enjoy that.”
But by retrieving
some of the bison’s ovaries and the eggs they contain, Barfield and CSU have
managed to preserve and spread the coveted genetics of the species to
conservation herds around the United States. Most recently, Barfield
transplanted fertilized embryos from the Yellowstone gene pool into four bison
cows at the Minnesota Zoo in Apple Valley, Minn. Now, the waiting begins to see
if the bison will give birth
State zoos turn deathtrap for translocated big cats
A day after a
tigress trapped inside a coffee plantation at Armad, near Sulthan Bathery, on
the fringes of the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary (WSS), was shifted to the
Thrissur zoo for treatment, animal activists have urged the authorities to
discourage translocation of tigers from the sanctuary to zoos in Thrissur and
Thiruvananthapuram.
“Many a time caging
and translocation turn to be lethal to the animals as it can lead to capture
myopathy. Three of the five big cats translocated from the sanctuary in the
past four years were dead in a short time,” they said.
In a petition
addressed to Inspector General (IG), Ministry of Environment and Forest, V.K.
Venkitachalam, secretary of the Thrissur-based Heritage Animal Task Force, said
as many as five big cats had been caged and three shot dead in the sanctuar
Zoos Victoria 'devastated' over accidental animal
deaths, reviews practices
Zoos Victoria says
it has taken immediate action and learnt valuable lessons after a number of
incidents resulted in the deaths of animals, including 17 possums who were
accidentally baited.
Acting CEO Rachel
Lowry said staff at Werribee Open Range Zoo were devastated over the incident
and practices had been changed to ensure it never happened again.
It was one of a
number of incidents over the past year, detailed in the latest annual report.
She said the
organisation was transparent in the deaths so that other zoos around the world
could learn from their mistakes.
"Unfortunately
an accident occurred where the baiting wa
Plan ‘Singapore style’ lion safari: Chandigarh
administrator V P Singh Badnore
UT ADMINISTRATOR V P
Singh Badnore has mooted a proposal for setting up a lion safari on the lines
of Singapore Night Safari in Chandigarh. He has directed the Chandigarh
Administration to look into the details of implementation of the project.
Sources said he also discussed the matter with the officials of the Punjab
wildlife department during his visit to the Mahendra Chaudhary Zoological Park
at Chhatbir recently.
Confirming the
development, M P Singh, principal secretary to Badnore, said, “Yes it one of
his ideas for the City Beautiful. He has also asked the UT officials and the
officials of the forest department to look into the details of how the project
can be implemented in the city and to find a suitable place for the same.” He
added that the Administrator had told the forest department officials that if
need be they can visit the Singapore Night Safari to study t
TripAdvisor Stops Booking Activities With Captive
Animals and Endangered Species
After six months of
soul searching — and consulting conservation, animal welfare, academic, trade,
and tourism groups — TripAdvisor announced late Tuesday it will no longer allow
users to book activities that involve contact with endangered species or captive
wild animals.
The decision comes
as public sentiment, and public companies’ actions, evolve on the subject of
animals and entertainment. Following years of pressure that reached a peak with
the CNN-produced film Blackfish, SeaWorld said earlier this year that it would
end its orca breeding program and theatrical shows. And Ringling Bros. and
Barnum & Bailey stopped using elephants in circus performances this spring
as jurisdictions put more regulations on animal treatment into place.
“TripAdvisor’s new
booking policy and education effort is designed as a means to do our part in
helping improve the health and safety standards of animals, especially in
markets with limited regulatory protections,” Steve Kaufer, CEO and co-founder
of TripAdvisor, Inc., said in a statement. “At the same time, we want to
celebrate those destinations and attractions that are leaders in caring for
animals and those in the tourism industry who help further the cause of animal
welfare, conservation and the preservation of endangered species.”
The new policy,
which goes into effect at the beginning of 2017, means TripAdvisor and its tour
subsidiary Viator will not sell tickets for tourist draws such as
swim-with-dolphin programs, elephant rides, or pet-the-tiger photo
opportunities.
Customers will still
be able to review such activities, but the travel site will provide links to
research and information from a variety of groups who have signed on as
partners in the effort. Thousands of attractions will be designated with a
special paw icon linking to a portal with educational material.
“Soon, for anyone
who cares about animals, there will be some of the best minds in tourism,
sustainability, conservation and animal welfare who will be able to put their
best foot forward and make their arg
It’s time to get real about conservation
How can scientists
protect biodiversity? In the wake of August’s Great Elephant Census, which
revealed a precipitous decline in numbers throughout Africa, there were the
usual calls from researchers for more and better data. Only if we know where
and how many of each species there are, this argument goes, can we hope to
conserve them. This is nonsense.
Beasts of A Nation: Rebuilding the Kabul Zoo in a Time
of War
Nestled between two
hills, the Kabul Zoo is a massive oasis of green in a war-torn city that
continues to be increasingly compartmentalized into a maze of concrete blast
walls and concertina wires. The zoo, once the frontline for Kabul’s bloodiest
conflict, has found itself caught between deadly crossfires far too often as
the Afghan civil war left most of the historic city in rubble and ruins.
Today, however, you
are more likely to find idyllic young men sprawled on its lawn taking in the
afternoon sun, children huddled around a merry-go-round set up in what used to
be the elephant’s enclosure, and families huddled in awe and amazement around the
cage of a lonely Chinese pig — believed to be the only one in the whole of
Afghanistan. And if you look closely enough, you will even spot quite a few
young couples, many of whom find an unusual refugee for romance among the
sparse wildlife Afghanistan has to boast of.
The zoo and its
tenants have a most unlikely story to tell. “What remained after years of
battle was a crumbling enclosure a few monkeys, two vultures, and one lion
named Marjan, who was blinded with a hand grenade by an angry mujahideen,” says
Aziz Gul Saqib, the direct
CARING FOR ELDERLY ZOO ANIMALS
BBP's animal-keepers seek regularisation of their
service, move HC
Animal-keepers at
Bannerghatta Biological Park (BBP) have approached the High Court seeking
directions to the Zoo Authority of Karnataka to consider them on a par with
kavadis and mahouts. Kavadis and mahouts are Group D employees working with
elephants under the forest department. A petition has been filed by Suresh and
55 others who have been working in the BBP on contract for many years as
administrators, animal-keepers, watchmen, drivers, electricians, plumbers,
cooks, gate-keepers, ticket examiners, solar operators, store-keepers, sweepers
and assistants.
The petitioners have
contended that in their years of service at the park, they have gained
experience and special knowledge about wild animals at the BBP. Most of the
workers have experience of over 15 years and have been working for more than
10-12 hours a day, but are deprived of medical or retirement benefits.
The petitioners have
sought directions to the Zoo Authority of Karnataka to frame Cadre and
Recruitment Rules or include them under the Karnataka Forest Department
Recruitment Services (Recruitment) Rules. Kavadis and mahouts are included
under these rules. The petitioners have said that despite several pleas to the
government to regularise their services, no action has been taken.
A master plan proposed by the Central Zoo
Authority for BBP in December 2014 recommended 208 posts but there are already
200 contract workers at the park. The petitioners have said that in the Supreme
Court order in Karnataka Government versus Umadevi’s case, there were
principles laid down that if appointments are made on contract when there are
vacancies, the workers on contract are entitled to benefits as they are
eligible candidates. They have also contended that though mahouts were
regularised in Mysuru Zoo in 1990 and in 2013, the petitioners were never given
similar benefits.
The petitioners have
approached the High Court seeking interim relief by restraining the Zoo
Authorities and the forest department from terminating their services. They
have also sought directions to the authorities not to cut their increment and
benefits which they are entitled to by virtue of eligibility, during the
pendency of the writ petition.
Justice A N
Venugopala Gowda, hearing the petitioners, ordered issuance of notice to the
zoo authorities and to the forest department and have directed the government
counsel to get original documents relating to zoo-keepers’ recruitment. The
judge adjourned the next hearing to October 20.
Can We Alter Endangered Species to Be More Adaptable?
Scientists have long
known that invasive species possess “pesty traits” that benefit their spread.
But what if similar, but latent, pesty traits could be triggered into action in
endangered species to allow them to be more adaptable, maybe improving the success
rates of captive breeding programs, or of habitat reintroductions?
Why Private Exotic Cat Ownership Should be Made
Illegal
In the early evening
of October 18, 2011, the Zanesville, Ohio police department began receiving
phone calls from terrified citizens. There were dozens of animals on the loose,
running wild through their neighborhood. What made these calls different from
the ordinary escaped animal reports were the species of animals being reported:
bears, wolves, cougars and, most alarming, lions and tigers. This wasn’t a zoo
escape, however, as these animals were fleeing from a private residence. The
Zanesville police department, or any other organization for that matter, had no
experience with a disaster of this magnitude and the only way to prevent
massive human casualties was to execute every animal on sight. When this
frightening ordeal was finally under control, 50 exotic animals were dead,
along with their owner. Among the dead were 18 Bengal tigers and 17 lions. It
was later determined that the owner of the property set all of his animals
free, then committed suicide.
This horrible
tragedy made international news and brought necessary attention to the highly
controversial subject of private ownership of wild and exotic cats. Finding an
accurate number of citizens who are involved in this practice, or the number of
animals in captivity, is difficult to truly ascertain. There is no official
organization which specifically monitors this activity, and many exotic animal
owners remain in the shadows, afraid of losing their animals to the government
or animal advocacy groups. According to Born Free USA, the number of exotic
animals kept as pets are estimated to be in the millions. Most noteworthy is
the fact that there are an estimated 5,000-7,000 tigers held in captivity,
which is more than the amount living freely in the wild. The Humane Society
estimates that fewer than 400
Mixed exhibit management
Mixed exhibits is
not something from today but its being done in zoos for a while now. The
beautiful part is when its done right it looks stunningly beautiful. I’ve been
to quite some zoos over the time and it is fascinating how and what zoos put
together to give a more natural look to an exhibit for the animal and the
visitors. Dublin Zoo has some great mixed specie exhibits but so as Borås
Djurpark on the west coast of Sweden.
Mixed exhibit are
something to go to in the future it looks like because it gives a wilder look
to the exhibit but for training and enrichment there are some cons, believe it
or not. Yes it is very enriching to have some animals together but we can’t forget
that these animals over time get used to each other as well, of course to a
certain extend. I do believe it stays enriching for the animals to be in a
mixed specie exhibit. Beside that matter managing mixed specie exhibits can be
ve
Evansville zoo could lose nearly half of its animals
The national
association that accredits zoos and aquariums has given Evansville's Mesker
Park Zoo one year to fix maintenance concerns or the zoo could lose nearly half
of its animals.
Zoo director Amos
Morris told the Evansville Courier & Press (http://bit.ly/2dPahMt
) that he should be able to satisfy the Association of Zoos and Aquariums'
immediate concerns to remain accredited if money from City Council comes
through.
According to the
zoo's review the association found that Mesker's is inadequately funded, is too
slow in updating the facility and defers maintenance too long.
Morris said with the
current zoo funds, short term problems can be resolved but not the big
maintenance issues.
"I can fix a
barn," he said. "I can get mold off a roof. But the other piece of
this is long term sustainability. We need to create something that allows the
zoo to b
Bowmanville Zoo closing today after animal cruelty
scandal
After 97 years in
operation and plenty of controversy, the Bowmanville Zoo is officially closing
its doors Monday afternoon.
Last December, PETA
posted a portion of an undercover video online, which showed the zoo’s
co-owner, Michael Hackenberger allegedly whipping a tiger during a training
session.
The OSPCA launched
an investigation and Hackenberger was charged with five counts of animal
cruelty.
After the
controversy, attendance for the 2016 season dropped so significantly that
Hackenberger and zoo staff were forced to make the decision to shut down.
Feelings were mixed
about the zoo’s closure.
“They do a lot of
education for children,” one visitor to the zoo said. “I think there are a lot
of children who come here and enjoy learning.”
There were people
outside the zoo on Monday protesting, saying the closure is a victory for
animal rights.
These animals have
been treated
"Species, Interrupted; Why it Matters When
Extinction Silences a Tree Frog"
Elephants walk on their tip-toes and it’s literally
killing them in captivity
Olga
Panagiotopoulou, an evolutionary morphologist at the University of Queensland,
Australia, wanted to get to the bottom of an oddity. Many captive elephants are
plagued by foot problems which not only changes their gait in an awkward way
but in time can grow in a disease. Every year, elephants from zoos and
conservation sites need to be euthanised because there’s nothing that can treat
them, Panagiotopoulou said.
The debate has come
up with two primary candidate explanations: either the captivity itself is
driving the elephants to change their gait and ultimately ruin their feet or
somethin
An Aspiring Trainer’s Guide to Conquering Career
Induced Depression (Special Guest Author Justin Dickinson)
I met Justin
Dickinson when he interned at my current facility last year. Now, he's all growed-up, working as a
zookeeper and writing blogs. When I read
the one I'm about to share with you, I got real excited. Here was an entry that perfectly encapsulated
not only the struggles of aspiring trainers...but ALL of our bad days and ruts
in our career and life. But the best
part of Justin's spiel? The ability to
turn our jobs as animal trainers and caregivers into a life lesson. There are a lot of gems of wisdom in here,
and I happily pass this on to
Michael Hackenberger reflects on his time at the
Bowmanville Zoo on its final weekend
After 97 years in
operation, the Bowmanville Zoo, North America’s oldest private zoo will close
this weekend.
“It’s terribly sad,”
said Zoo co-owner Michael Hackenberger. “You have an institution that has
survived nearly 100 years - that has informed and delighted millions of people,
that has been a vibrant addition to the economic community and I think this an example
of the power of the Internet.”
In December 2015,
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) posted a portion of an
undercover video online allegedly showing Hackenberger whipping a tiger during
a training session. The Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to
Animals (OSPCA) launched an investigation and Hackenberger was subsequently
charged with five counts of animal cruelty.
The social media
campaign by PETA urging people to stop
supporting the Bowmanville Zoo has proven successful and the effects of that
have been catastrophic for the Zoo.
Attendance for the
2016 season dropped so significantly that Hackenberger and staff were forced to
make the decision to close.
“Perception is
everything. PETA has been masterful in discharging their ideology in an
extremely high fashion,” said Hackenberger, in an
Abbot dreams of reopening his tiger zoo
The abbot of the
Tiger Temple in Kanchanaburi province told reporters on Saturday that he
already had a zoo licence and would seek a return of five disabled tigers so he
could reopen the place to visitors...
Behind the Scenes at the National Zoo With the World’s
Most Dangerous Bird
In the years he has
spent looking after the National Zoo’s cassowary, Eric Slovak has never found
himself on the receiving end of one of her assaults. That’s impressive, because
she's an uncommonly monstrous creature.
Imagine an ostrich
as described by H.P. Lovecraft, or maybe a turkey fused with a velociraptor.
Weighing in at close to 150 pounds, she stands on powerful reptilian legs that
let her stretch to six feet tall when she needs her full height. Though flightless,
the cassowary is covered in a coat of long black feathers, against which her
brilliant blue visage—crowned by a towering, keratinous casque—stands out like
a symbol in a dream.
The feature she and
her kind are best known for, however, is not her plumage. It’s her toenails: On
each three-toed foot, one nail is longer than the rest.
Enclosure construction: volunteer needed!
Royal Zoological Society of Scotland appoints new CEO
Jeremy Peat, Chair
of Trustees of the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS), said:
“I am delighted to
announce that, following a very thorough externally-supported process with
consideration of a range of internal and external candidates, the Board of
Trustees of RZSS has appointed Barbara Smith as the organisation’s new Chief
Executive Officer.
Barbara was
previously the Managing Director of RZSS and has been acting as interim
Aquarium wins $1 million lawsuit against Fishman
Chemical
It was back in April of last year when the
Texas State Aquarium experienced a sudden and unusual fish mortality. It was
later discovered that a mislabeled chemical was at fault, and on Thursday, the
Aquarium announced that they have won the lawsuit against Fishman Chemical,
LLC.
U.S. District Judge
Hilda G. Tagle ruled in favor of the Aquarium on Sept. 22, ordering Fishman
Chemical to pay in excess of $1 million.
It was April 15,
2015, the morning after the fish mortality, when 3News confirmed that all of
the animals inside of the Islands of Steel exhibit tank at the Texas State
Aquarium, with the exception of two, were dead. Aquarium representatives said
they were trying to treat a parasite that they had detected in the tank, but
when they added medicine to the
Why wildlife conservation is good for our collective
health
What if we could
reduce diseases and discover life-saving drugs by conserving natural habitat?
Would saving ecosystems become more appealing if human health were on the line?
Well, although an
underreported dimension of the destruction of wildlife habitat, human health is
exactly what is at stake. Habitat destruction has played a role in the
emergence of disease organisms that move between humans and other animals, such
as Ebola, and even, some scientists argue, in the increase of incidences of
Lyme disease. Loss of habitat has also had the unintended consequence of
eliminating access to potentially lifesaving drugs by destroying the very
places where those drugs originate.
Whether or not
people care about nature for its own sake, these implications for human
well-being should galvanise them toward habitat and wildlife conservation, and
elevate conservation to the same level of importance as things such a
Can great apes read your mind?
One of the things
that defines humans most is our ability to read others’ minds – that is, to
make inferences about what others are thinking. To build or maintain
relationships, we offer gifts and services – not arbitrarily, but with the
recipient’s desires in mind. When we communicate, we do our best to take into
account what our partners already know and to provide information we know will
be new and comprehensible. And sometimes we deceive others by making them
believe something that is not true, or we help them by correcting such false
beliefs.
All these very human
behaviors rely on an ability psychologists call theory of mind: We are able to
think about others’ thoughts and emotions. We form ideas about what beliefs and
feelings are held in the minds of others – and recognize that they can be different
from our own. Theory of mind is at the heart of everything social that makes us
human. Without it, we’d have a much harder time interpreting – and probably
predicting – others’ behavior.
For a long time,
many researchers have believed that a major reason human beings alone exhibit
unique forms of communication, cooperation and culture is that we’re the only
animals to have a complete theory of mind. But is this ability really unique to
humans?
In a new study
published in Science, my colleagues and I tried to answer this question using a
novel approach. Previous work has generally suggested that people think about
others’ perspectives in very different ways than ot
Thai authorities keeping tabs on tagged tigers
Thai wildlife
authorities began checking microchips and taking blood samples from tigers at a
zoo on Thursday, pressing ahead with new ways to tackle the illegal wildlife
trade.
The Sriracha Zoo in
Chonburi province east of Bangkok is home to 323 registered tigers and offers
visitors feeding and photo opportunities with cubs, and a circus show with
adult tigers.
Tiger tourism has
come under increased scrutiny in Thailand after wildlife authorities found
scores of dead cubs while rescuing animals from a famous Tiger Temple in
Kanchanaburi province, west of Bangkok, in June.
The inspection will
continue into Friday, offici
Special Investigation: Inside the Deadly Rhino Horn
Trade
It was a five-hour
drive from South Africa’s Kruger National Park, home of the world’s largest
wild rhinoceros population, to Polokwane, home of the world’s most wanted man
when it comes to rhino horn trafficking: a millionaire safari operator and
ex-policeman named Dawie Groenewald.
To meet Groenewald,
photographer Brent Stirton and I sped in two cars through gorgeous, winding
mountain ranges. But then night fell, and in the darkness outside the city
someone had poured tar down the center line of the highway and set it ablaze.
It appeared to be another protest rooted in the racial and economic tensions
that continue to flare in South Africa more than two decades after the end of
apartheid. We wove around the fire only to come upon a traffic jam and a
makeshift roadblock a mile later. In the middle of the road what looked like a
sofa was on fire, the flames shooting 10 feet into the air. Large rocks blocked
all four lanes. Brent got out of his car and moved rocks too big to drive over,
while I watched for an ambush. We picked our way through the gantlet as unseen
people hurled stones from beyond the shoulder.
We stayed the night
at a dank roadside hotel, then waited, in accordance with Groenewald’s
instructions, at a gas station for his man, Leon van der Merwe, to meet us. We
followed h
First ‘baby dragons’ hatched in captivity reach
adolescence
IT WAS touch and go
for a while. But the elusive pink aquatic salamanders that hatched inside
Slovenia’s Postojna Cave about four months ago have survived the most difficult
stage of their lives, reaching adolescence.
“These are the only
baby dragons in the world known to humanity,” says Sašo Weldt, a member of the
conservation team taking care of the creatures, called olms.
They were once only
known from specimens washed out of caves by flooding and legend had it they
were baby dragons – a nickname that stuck. They can live to be 100 years old
and only lay eggs once or twice a decade.
So it was remarkable
to see 64 eggs laid by a single individual earlier this year. They were placed
in an aquarium within the cave. In total, 22 eggs hatched, and all are
Singapore Underwater World diver killed by stingray
A professional diver
has been killed by a stingray at an oceanarium in Singapore.
Philip Chan, 62, was
heading a team of divers who were removing sea creatures from the Underwater
World attraction on Tuesday.
The once-popular
marine life park shut down earlier this year.
Police said Mr Chan
was taken to hospital where he died from his injuries. They are now
investigating the "unnatural death".
A police spokesman
said the incident was the first of its kind in Singapore.
Rhino export to Vietnam under fire
South African NGO
Oscap (Outraged SA Citizens against Poaching), supported by the Species
Survival Network, which represents more than 100 local and international NGOs,
on Monday delivered a letter to the Minister of Environmental Affairs Edna
Molewa requesting she suspend the export of six rhino calves.
These rhino calves,
which are being held under quarantine at Sondela Wildlife Centre, are destined
for a zoo in Vietna
FWC report finds no fault with zoo in fatal tiger
attack
New developments in
the investigation surrounding that deadly tiger attack at the Palm Beach Zoo in
April.
A state wildlife
agency has just issued its investigation surrounding the attack that claimed
the life of a beloved zookeeper.
A report from the
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission concludes the Palm Beach Zoo
did not violate any state rules or regulations on April 15, when Stacey
Konwiser was killed by a male Malayan tiger named Hati.
The report shows
Konwiser was attacked when she entered the Tiger River night house and she
entered an enclosure the tiger had access to.
Investigators say
Konwiser violated two zoo policies. At no time is a zoo staff member supposed
to enter a deadly animal enclosure unless the animal has been immobilized.
And zoo policy
states that staff members caring for dangerou
WILDLIFE WATCH
What Happens to Smuggled Animals After They’re Seized?
We’ve heard a lot
recently about illegal trading of elephant ivory and rhino horn, but it’s not
only animal parts that smugglers attempt to slip across borders for the
commercial trade. They also move live wild animals—reptiles, birds, monkeys—to
other nations, where they’re sold as exotic pets or as props in tourist
attractions. Some are killed to supply demand for their body parts.
Officials seized
more than 60,000 wild creatures between 2010 and 2014, according to a recent
study by World Animal Protection and WildCRU, Oxford University’s wildlife
conservation research team. About a fifth of those were threatened species. And
this statistic represents the “tip of a far greater iceberg,” said lead author
Neil D’Cruze, because most countries don’t report information about live
wildlife confiscations.
So with grim futures
awaiting so many trafficked animals, it’s a good thing when authorities seize
illegally traded wildlife—you’d think. Instead, wildlife advocates say that
animals often fare terribly after they’re confiscated.
“In some places, if
the animals could speak up, maybe they’d choose to be with the traffickers,”
said Elsayed Ahmed Moha
THE DODO ISN’T ADVANCING ANIMAL RIGHTS, IT’S HINDERING
THEM
It’s easy to
consider yourself a friend to the animals if you’re a daily reader of The Dodo.
The Dodo is pop animal welfare, a website that positions itself as true-blue
animal activism. After exploring this popular online community, it becomes
quite obvious that The Dodo is piggybacking off the Animals Rights Movement,
and dragging it back.
Right in the
beginning of it’s mission statement, The Dodo tells us that their goal is to
“make caring about animals a viral cause,” and viral cause they have indeed
created. The header on the front page gives us a few options: Video, Pets,
Inspiring, Cute, Seaworld, Animals in Need, Community, and How to Help. Fun,
precious animals, usually pets, having a good time. Oh, Seaworld- there we go!
Seaworld is hell for animals, but wait, we all saw that on CNN and at the
Oscars. Okay, Dodo, let’s check out Animals in Need
Copenhagen Zoo sees birth of Denmark's first okapi
calf in 50 years
An okapi calf was
born in a Copenhagen Zoo for the first time in half a century on Sunday (2
October). The animal that is also known as a "forest giraffe" was due
to be born in approximately two months.
The mother okapi had
suffered a miscarriage previously, so the zookeepers were incredibly surprised
when she started to go into labour, a
San Diego Zoo turns 100 amid a global debate over the
treatment of animals in captivity
entury ago, a San
Diego physician named Harry Wegeforth held a meeting with his brother and three
other men. The topic: starting a zoo.
There were already
some animals — buffalo, bears, monkeys, lions, wolves — left over from the 1915
to 1916 Panama-California Exposition in San Diego’s Balboa Park, but not much
else. Nobody knew where they would get more animals, where they would put them,
or how they would pay for it all. The men went ahead anyway, forming the San
Diego Zoological Society.
“The whole zoo was a
gamble from the start,” Wegeforth later wrote, “but fortune usually favored
us.”
By many measures, it
favors them still. What was derided in the early days as “Wegeforth’s Folly”
has become one of the most famous and respected zoos in the world — a major
tourist attraction, a leader in efforts to conserve endangered plants and
animals, and a thriving nonprofit that last year took in almost $30 million
more than it spent.
But the zoo begins
its second century on Sunday amid a swirling public debate about the treatment
of animals in captivity that has already roiled other facilities.
In March, bowing to
pressure ignited by th
For zoos, pandas are about prestige, not profit
Giant pandas aren’t
quite the economic boon they’re made out to be.
In fact, American
zoos that host giant pandas don’t make money at all. They lose it.
“Pandas have been a
cost, not a revenue source,” said Christina Simmons, public relations manager
for the San Diego Zoo, which is one of four U.S. zoos with pandas. “Our
attendance has been the same from before and after we got pandas.”
When the San Diego
Zoo acquired pandas in 1996 it agreed to a loan contract that required the zoo
to donate $1 million per year toward panda conservation, exchange experts for
research at zoos and in the wild, and contribute $500,000 toward conservation for
the first baby panda born at the zoo, plus additional funds for subsequent
births.
That deal, which was
similar to those at other American zoos, has since been negotiated to a 50
percent discount, but the costs still outweigh the profits.
When it tried to
acquire giant pandas from China, the Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium used a
budget of $55 million. That included the standard $1 million per year, 10-year
loan, plus $250,000 per year toward panda conservation, $15 million or more for
a new exhibit and additional funds for research and conservation. About
$400,000 w
Ganzhou zoo under fire for spraying pandas with cold
water
China Giant Panda
Research Center has demanded that Ganzhou Forest Zoo reform its problematic
practice in panda care. The demand comes after Internet users alleged that the
zoo was mistreating its pandas.
According to several
Weibo users, the caretakers at Ganzhou Forest Zoo regularly spray the zoo's
pandas with cold water. In a letter to the China Giant Panda Research Center,
the zoo denied the allegation. It also explained that, due to recent high temperatures,
they use central air conditioning to create a comfortable environment for the
pandas.
According to the
statement, the zoo d
Giant panda that ate trash is in good condition: zoo
On the afternoon of
Oct. 5, a netizen posted photos online, showing the panda house at Taiyuan Zoo
littered with snacks, water bottles, beverage cans and plastic bags. An adult
giant panda was eating the refuse thrown away by tourists and no one was trying
to stop it.
Soon afterwards,
China's State Forestry Administration and the China Giant Panda Protection and
Research Center ordered the zoo to investigate the incident.
According to the
Center, the giant panda involved in the incident belonged to the center and was
named "Shunshun." The male panda was b
How natural selection acted on one penguin species
over the past quarter century
Biologists of all
stripes attest to evolution, but have debated its details since Darwin’s day.
Since changes arise and take hold slowly over many generations, it is daunting
to track this process in real time for long-lived creatures.
“We know that
evolution occurs — that species change,” said Dee Boersma, a University of
Washington professor of biology. “But to see this process in long-lived animals
you have to look at generations of individuals, track how traits are inherited
and detect selection at work.”
Are zoos still relevant? Minnesota Zoo exec takes on
the question
The Timmy
controversy unfolded around the beginning of Kevin Willis’ zookeeping career.
Now the Minnesota Zoo’s vice president for biological programs, Willis points
to cases like Timmy’s when he talks about how little the public understands
zoos.
“If you look at the
movie ‘Blackfish’ and Sea World’s response to it, and the public response to
it, if you look at the public’s response to the shooting of the gorilla at the
zoo in Ohio, there are a lot of people who I don’t think really thought very much
about the role of zoos,” Willis said. “When those sorts of topics come up, I
think people do start to question.”
These days, the
questions spread a lot faster than they did in 1991. Type “Minnesota Zoo
dolphins” into a Google search, and “Minnesota Zoo dolphins death” emerges
among the top results. Do the same with bears, and “Minnesota Zoo bear breaks
glass” pops up.
Last year’s story
about a grizzly
The Tiny Threat That’s Killing North America’s Largest
Bird
Every egg matters
when you’re trying to save a critically endangered bird from extinction.
That’s especially
true for California condors, North America’s largest birds with a 10-foot
wingspan. Condors nearly went extinct in the 1980s as a result of hunting, lead
contamination, DDT poisoning, and other factors. The last 22 California condors
were brought into captivity in 1987 in a last-ditch effort to breed them in
safety and save the species from disappearing.
Zoos breed animals by the studbook
Breeding animals in
the zoo is not as simple as putting any male and female together and expecting
them to mate.
Zoologists around
the world work behind the scenes to find the perfect match for animals in order
to ensure good genetic diversity.
They do this with
the help of studbooks, which are online databases on the parenting history of
animals.
