Zoo News Digest 6th June 2016
(ZooNews 923)
(ZooNews 923)
Peter Dickinson
elvinhow@gmail.com
Dear Colleague,
Rarely have I seen so much bullshit in the media than over the past ten days. The poster below is a joke but really that is the way it has been looking. All of a sudden everyone is an expert on all manner of zoo related matters. Until now I was completely unaware that Paul Watson was an expert on Gorillas or at least thinks he is. His manic tirade is an insult to the whole Good Zoo community. He needs to stick to ramming whalers instead of commenting on things it is obvious he knows nothing at all about.
Even the existence of zoos is now being questioned....actually I partly agree there. I question the existence of Dysfunctional Zoos but then I have for a long time. It did not take the unfortunate incident in Cincinnati to rattle my cage. And why is it that poor Harambe needs to be mentioned in every news story whether related or not?
Did You Know?
ZooNews Digest has over 24,500 'Like's' on Facebook and has a weekly reach often exceeding over 250,000 people? That ZooNews Digest has subscribers in over 800 Zoos in 153+ countries? That the subscriber list reads like a 'Zoos Who's Who?'
If you are a subscriber to the email version then you probably knew this already. You would also know that ZooNews Digest pre-dates any of the others. It was there before FaceBook. It was there shortly after the internet became popular and was a 'Blog' before the word had been invented. ZooNews Digest reaches zoo people.
Dear Colleague,
Rarely have I seen so much bullshit in the media than over the past ten days. The poster below is a joke but really that is the way it has been looking. All of a sudden everyone is an expert on all manner of zoo related matters. Until now I was completely unaware that Paul Watson was an expert on Gorillas or at least thinks he is. His manic tirade is an insult to the whole Good Zoo community. He needs to stick to ramming whalers instead of commenting on things it is obvious he knows nothing at all about.
Even the existence of zoos is now being questioned....actually I partly agree there. I question the existence of Dysfunctional Zoos but then I have for a long time. It did not take the unfortunate incident in Cincinnati to rattle my cage. And why is it that poor Harambe needs to be mentioned in every news story whether related or not?
Even the existence of zoos is now being questioned....actually I partly agree there. I question the existence of Dysfunctional Zoos but then I have for a long time. It did not take the unfortunate incident in Cincinnati to rattle my cage. And why is it that poor Harambe needs to be mentioned in every news story whether related or not?
Did You Know?
ZooNews Digest has over 24,500 'Like's' on Facebook and has a weekly reach often exceeding over 250,000 people? That ZooNews Digest has subscribers in over 800 Zoos in 153+ countries? That the subscriber list reads like a 'Zoos Who's Who?'
If you are a subscriber to the email version then you probably knew this already. You would also know that ZooNews Digest pre-dates any of the others. It was there before FaceBook. It was there shortly after the internet became popular and was a 'Blog' before the word had been invented. ZooNews Digest reaches zoo people.
Malfunctioning air conditioning forces penguin
evacuation
Malfunctioning air
conditioning units forced the evacuation of visitors and an exhibit full of
penguins at an aquarium in northern Utah.
Firefighters
responded to reports of smoke coming from the aquarium in Draper south of Salt
Lake City at about 1 p.m. Saturday.
United Fire Authority Capt. Dan Brown told The
Salt Lake Tribune
Popular zoo animals could be banned under EU rules
amid fears about them escaping
Popular zoo animals
including raccoons and chipmunks could be banned from collections under EU
rules amid concerns about them escaping and setting up home, it has been
claimed.
Grey squirrels and
ruddy ducks could also be affected as officials claim the risk of them
disrupting native animals if they escape captivity is too great.
Edinburgh Zoo bosses slammed for recruiting unpaid
staff for key roles
EDINBURGH Zoo chiefs
have been accused of exploiting unpaid young workers to fill key posts.
The tourist
attraction have advertised for volunteers to work in PR, as well as running
events and
working in animal
enclosures.
The one-day-a-week
posts, advertised on social media, offer discount food and travel expenses but
no wages.
The Government have
cracked down on unpaid internships and placements but organisations such as the
zoo – who have charity status – are exempt.
Unions have
criticised the six-month roles at the five-star attraction, which brings in
800,000 visitors a year but slashed jobs by a quarter in 2010.
Sarah Collins, of
the STUC’s Better Than Zero campaign against exploitation of young workers,
said: “The zoo is a highly profitable and well-renowned organisation and
visitor attraction and – leaving asid
Father of California Condor Population Healthy, Flying
High in the Wild
Some might say he is
the father of California Condors.
AC-4, a California
Condor who helped bring the endangered species back from the brink of
extinction through a captive breeding program started in the 1980s, was
recently given a clean bill of health and is flying high in the wild, officials
with the San Diego Zoo announced this week.
Condor AC-4 spent 30
years at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park as part of the California Condor
Recovery Program. It was there, in 1988, that he fathered the first
captive-born chick and went on to help bring the number of California Condors
in the world from 22 to 435 — more than half of which have been released into
the wild in California, Arizona and Baja California, Mexico.
Of those, the San
Diego Zoo Safari Park hatched 188 chicks and released more than 130 birds into
their natural habitat.
The California
Condor Recove
What really happened at Thailand's Tiger Temple?
Tucked away among
the swelling vistas of west Thailand's Kanchanaburi province, Tanya
Erzinclioglu paced around the periphery of Pha Luang Ta Bua Yanasampanno temple
with her colleagues. Every now and again, she anxiously glanced at her phone,
taking calls or checking for updates.
"I have no idea
what's happening," she said repeatedly to herself.
Tanya's mornings
typically involved being inside the temple grounds where she helped to feed and
observe some 137 tigers who were under her partial care. It had been her
routine for six years and, from the passion with which she speaks about it, it
seems to be where her heart lies.
SAVING THE SAIGA Protecting biodiversity in Russia’s
steppe
A sign pasted to a
lamppost in the town just outside the reserve advertises that someone is
interested in buying saiga horns.
The text says
they’re looking for antique horns, but the intention is clear: if you have
horns, we’ll buy them.
One kilogramme of
saiga horns (equalling two or three pairs) can fetch US$5000USD in China. The
purchase price on the Russian steppe can reach up to 25,000RUB (about $375), a
significant temptation for local poachers. In 2013, Russia toughened penalties for
illegal saiga hunting, and for storing or selling any parts/derivatives of the
saiga. In 2015, anti-poaching operations were stepped up, and coupled with
efforts to combat illegal purchases of horns, but these efforts have not been
enough. More work is needed to stop poachers and save the saiga population.
Oil & Water: Zookeeping & Math
It is currently
5:45am as I write this, which is either:
a. A very
deliberate, artistic intention
b. A direct
consequence of procrastination
c. All of the above
The social implications of vicuña trafficking
The vicuña (Vicugna
vicugna) is a charismatic high-alpine camelid known for its fine wool. Vicuña
poaching is a serious problem in Latin America and the primary threat to this
species. Despite relatively successful conservation efforts around this highly
sought-after animal, the IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC) South American
Camelid Specialist Group estimates that over 5,000 vicuñas have been killed for
their wool over the past eight years.
Addressing the issue
is legally and socially complex.
Many Latin American
countries fail to adequately recognise illegal hunting as a serious crime that
warrants considerable fines and imprisonment. Enforcement is difficult to
achieve due to the geographical characteristics of the region, human and
technical resource deficiencies and limited coordination of security forces
within and between countries. Many residents don’t report poaching activities
out of fear of retaliation from hunters. One country representative from the
South American Camelid Specialist Group was held at gunpoint by vicuña hunters
early last year. There aren’t strong incentives to develop legal vicuña use but
illegal vicuña use can be profitable.
For successful
action against vicuña poaching at the national level, law enforcement officials
need to be adequately trained to identify illegal vicuña products and on
related legislation. Awareness campaigns about illegal vicuña products should
target touristic sites and airports.
At the international
level, there is an urgent need for concerted efforts to control demand for
vicuña wool. The South American Camelid Specialist Group aims for CITES (the
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) resolutions that
require countries to ensure that imported vicuña wool is certified to be
legally and sustainably harvested, and that non-certified vicuña wool is
seized.
It’s important to
ensure that actions against illegal vicuña use do not negatively impact native
Andean communities, whose cultural traditions include live-capture for
sustainable use of Vicuña wool. The cultural traditions of these communities
need to be co
Scottish zookeepers armed and ready to shoot animals
if public put at risk
YOU may not know it
as you wander around Edinburgh Zoo, or drive through Blair Drummond Safari
Park, but these sanctuaries for animals and animals lovers have arsenals of
guns and staff trained in firearms ready to shoot dead any animal which poses a
threat to human life.
The world may have
been shocked by the killing of Harambe the silverback gorilla who was shot
after he was seen to behave dangerously with a three-year-old boy who had
managed to get into his enclosure at Cincinnati Zoo ... but the events would
have played out exactly the same here in Scotland. In fact, they have already
played out exactly the same - with dangerous or escaped animals shot dead by
Scottish zoo staff to
Malawi to relocate 500 elephants to new home
Conservation group
announces ambitious plan to move animals over 300km from overcrowded wildlife
reserves.
Conservationists in
Malawi will next month attempt the largest-ever relocation of elephants in
Africa.
They will move 500
elephants from two overcrowded wildlife reserves in the country's south to
Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve, a distance of more than 300km.
The relocation of
the herd by African Parks, a non-profit
conservation organisation, is an effort to halt a steep decline in elephant
numbers, the result of ivory poaching and loss of habitat.
Over the past 20
years, Malawi's elephant population has been halved - from 4,000 to 2,000 amid
a continent-wide decline.
“Most of the news we
hear about elephants out of Africa is about the poaching crisis, and their
steep declines," Andrea Heydlauff, the organisation's director of
strategic communications, told Al Jazeera.
"This is a
story about restoration and providing a future for Malawi's elephants,” she
said.
The $1.6m relocation
operation, funded by the Dutch Postcode Lottery, will require small groups of
elephants to be sedated, using darts shot from a helicopter.
The first herd will
then be transported by trucks from Liwonde National Park to the Nkhotakota
wildlife reserve, wher
Tiger temple scandal exposes the shadowy
billion-dollar Asian trade
A week ago it cost
600 baht (£11.50) to visit the tiger temple in Thailand’s Kanchanaburi
province, west of the capital, Bangkok. Tourists moved by the spectacle of such
splendid creatures living side by side with human beings could also pay the
saffron-robed Buddhist monks an extra £15 to help feed the cubs, or to have
their picture taken with an adult tiger’s head resting on their lap.
Along with nearly
250,000 people, Jay Z, Beyoncé and their daughter Blue Ivy posed with the
animals last year, and marvelled that some of the world’s fiercest creatures
could be so tame.
Now the doors of the
temple have been closed and the animals removed, possibly for ever. After a
decade of allegations by animal groups of cruelty, illegal wildlife trafficking
and breeding, 1,000 police, military and government officials descended on the
temple to expose a shadowy trade in tiger parts that feeds an insatiable market
in China and threatens the few remaining tigers in the wild.
The figures are
stark and depressing. Today’s population of wild tigers is estimated to be
around 3,200, down from 100,000 in 1900. But research by the Environmental
Investigation Agency (EIA), Australia’s Conservation and Environmental
Education 4 Life (Cee4life) and others, backed by investigations for Traffic,
the wildlife trade monitoring network, suggest that more than 5,000 tigers are
being farmed in China, 1,450 in Thailand, 180 in Vietnam and possibly 400 in
Laos. In addition, there are private collections and zoos in most other Asian
countries.
Debbie Banks of the
EIA has worked undercover at tiger farms in China. She says that for the past
decade, tiger breeding has been a fast-expanding and lucrative industry, often
masquerading as conservatio
Police search for ‘possible’ escaped bear in Cantabria
continues
A CRACK team of
government experts and Guardia Civil nature protection officers from the
force’s SEPRONA arm reconvened on the morning of Friday June 3 to continue the
search for an evasive bear that may have escaped from the Cabarceno Wildlife
Park in Cantabria.
The animal was
supposedly spotted by three ‘reliable’ young men a few kilometres from the park
on Wednesday June 1, who said they had seen what was “clearly a big brown bear”
near the river in the hamlet of Casas del Monte, although no footprints or other
evidence have been found.
The news and
subsequent emergency operation has created great interest on national
television, with the major channels sending camera crews to the northern region
in order to follow proceedings.
Wildlife park
director, Miguel Oti, says that no damage to the perimeter fence of the massive
bear exhibit has been detected, claiming that an escape would be very unlikely.
“The whole complex
is electrified and the wires are connected to an alarm, which has not been
activated at any time this week.”
There are
‘approximately’ 80 brown bears inhabiting the 35-hectare exhibit, where they
live in semi-natural surroundings, but it is not possible to count them to see
if any are missing since the space is filled with cavities and caves meaning
many remain hidden during the day.
Park staff do
occasionally use anaesthetic darts to tranquilise individuals, but only when
there are health concerns or the animal is to have a microchipped tag inserted.
Chief veterinarian
and bear specialist Santiago Borrigan said that the three boys who claim to
have seen the critter are ‘normal guys’ and that nothing has made him doubt
their testimony,
ON HARAMBE
I’m coming in late
to this conversation because I wanted to take a lot of time to read and listen.
I’ve watched the videos, listened to the news reports, read eyewitness
accounts, and read responses by or spoken to zookeepers, exhibit designers,
primatologists, attorneys, and dangerous animal response team members. Here is
what I have for you: the incident at the Cincinnati Zoo was a tragedy. Once the
child was in the moat, what had to happen could not have been prevented.
Actions need to be taken on all sides to ensure that such a perfect storm of a
bad situation can never happen again. I am glad the child is alive and I grieve
with the zoo staff for the loss of their beloved and rare companion. I do not
believe in continuing to point fingers and lay blame - those who deserve it are
well aware at this point, and while it is natural and human to seek vengeance
and justice it does no good to protect future children and future gorillas. So,
with that said, let’s talk about what happened.
Mandai to be nature hub with five wildlife parks
Singapore will have
a new wildlife and nature attraction in Mandai, complete with eco-lodges and a
rainforest-themed park where visitors can get up close to wildlife.
When the Mandai
nature precinct is completed by 2023, two wildlife parks - the new Rainforest
Park and the relocated Bird Park - will join the existing trio: the Singapore
Zoo, the River Safari and the Night Safari.
Sleeping under the
stars could be an option for those who want to spend a night or two in Mandai,
as options such as tents, suites and family rooms are being considered.
Belfast Zoo on a steep slope literally and financially
- things must change
In January the
Belfast Telegraph headlined its account of a report presented to Belfast City
Council's growth and regeneration committee 'Fears over future of Belfast Zoo'.
The paper took its cue from Ulster Unionist councillor Chris McGimpsey - a
long-standing critic of the zoo - who, apart from condemning losses running at
£2m a year, raised more fundamental issues, arguing "zoos are a thing of
the past" and no better than "Victorian peep shows".
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He added: "We
are taking animals that normally have been on flat land and we stick them on a
hill... in areas which are just too small. It is virtually impossible to run a
zoo without there being massive concerns about animal welfare."
The recurrent loss
on the zoo's operations in 2014-2015 was £1,080,259, but capital depreciation
of around £570,000 and other support services and property maintenance charges
make up McGimpsey's total of a £2m-a-year loss.
The council's
business manager agrees this is "unsustainable". Yet, other
councillors are hardly onboard for closure. Rather, they have approved a plan
to reduce the deficit by 30% over three years. As the detail is opaque, it
seems unlikely it will fare better than similar initiatives over the years.
Like drowning men
(and women), they can reach for rescue as even Chris McGimpsey does - and that
is the hope that fu
In defence of zoos: how captivity helps conservation
The death of Harambe
the gorilla at Cincinnati Zoo, shot to protect a child who had fallen into his
cage, has caused outrage. Some of the anger has now turned from “trigger-happy”
staff towards zoos in general. Why, some are asking, is an endangered gorilla
behind bars in the first place?
In an ideal world,
Harambe would live peacefully in Central Africa. There would be no
deforestation, no poachers, and no diseases transmitted by humans and our
livestock.
But in the real
world, fewer than 900 mountain gorillas are left in the wild. And zoos are a
necessary and vital part of efforts to conserve them and other endangered
animals.
Modern zoos aim to
promote animal conservation, educate people, and support further wildlife
research. The three are entwined to ensure the animals are housed to the
highest possible standards of welfare. Staff are dedicated to providing
species-specific housing, appropriate diets and husbandry to ensure that the
animals’ lives are as natural as possible within captivity.
Anti-zoo and animal
rights groups such as CAPS, PETA or the Born Free foundation claim that zoos
are inherently cruel. They highlight animals housed in small cages for “our
entertainment” and claim all should be released
Stuttgart Zoo Gives Orangutans Option of Video Dating
Modern dating is
going to the apes. Literally.
A zoo in southern
Germany has decided to give its orangutans more mating options through video
dating.
Two of the rare
orangutans — Sinta and Conny — were shown videos of available males to see if
there was any interest in hopes of one day breeding, according to a statement
from the Wilhelma Zoo in Stuttgart.
"The signs are
positive," the zoo said after Sinta and Conny appeared to take a liking to
a male named Gempa living 350 miles away in Belgium.
The zoo said Sinta
and Gempa are now enjoying a real-life date at the Pairi Daiza zoo,
approximately 40 miles south-west of Brussels.
"We will now
have to wait and see, whether it will be love at se
Calgary Thai tiger temple defender yanks support as
new details surface
A vocal defender of
the Thailand tiger temple says he is pulling his support after new information
make the allegations he once dismissed, far more likely.
The Buddhist temple
in Kanchanaburi province west of Bangkok came under fire early this week as
local wildlife authorities discovered 40 tiger cub carcasses in a freezer.
Live animals were
removed in response to international pressure over suspected trafficking and
abuse.
Calgarian Gary Agnew
came to the defence of the temple, questioning the motives of the Department of
National Parks (DNP) and saying the dead cubs were being stored at the temple
for research on the direction of the temple's former vet.
One of Vietnam’s oldest zoos to exchange animals with
local counterparts
Saigon Zoo and
Botanical Garden, which celebrated its 150th anniversary last year, is making
plans to exchange animals with three other zoos across Vietnam, in an attempt
to diversify its collection.
The Ho Chi Minh
City-based Saigon Zoo and Botanical Garden, or Saigon Zoo for short, was
established in 1865, and has since been a hallmark of the city, leaving
unforgettable childhood imprints on generations of city dwellers.
The zoo’s management
recently announced its plan to trade parts of its tiger, lutung, and gibbon
populations for other animals including ostriches, camels, and zebras from
three other zoos across Vietnam.
According to the
plan, Saigon Zoo will trade two Bengal tigers, four Indochinese tigers, and
three Indochinese lutungs for two white tigers, one zebra, two Alpacas, four
Arctic foxes, and five ostriches from Cu Chi Waterpark in Ho Chi Minh City.
In its exchange with
the Prenn Waterfall Tourist Site in the Central Highlands city of Da Lat,
Saigon Zoo will trade two Bengal tiger cubs, two yellow-cheeked gibbons, a
RHINO RESOURCE CENTER – NEWSLETTER 43 – JUNE 2016
Edited by Dr Kees Rookmaaker
The Rhino Resource
Center is a repository of all publications about all species of the rhinoceros.
Any time, any language, any region, including children's literature, popular
articles and academic publications. Also with an image gallery of every rhinoceros
in the wild or in art.
The total number of
references in the database and collection of the RRC now stands at 20,250.
Thank you to all contributors.
Please share your
articles on rhinos, pictures of rhinos.
The RRC thanks the
sponsors: SOS Rhino, International Rhino Foundation, WWF AREAS, Save the Rhino
International, Rhino Carhire as well as individuals who have found the RRC
useful in their research.
TO DOWNLOAD THE
NEWSLETTER, CLICK HERE
Asia's first vulture re-introduction programme
launched in Haryana
Haryana Chief
Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said almost 95 per cent of vultures have
disappeared from the country due to the widespread use of diclofenac - a pain
killer drug used to treat cattle.
The Haryana
government on Friday launched Asia's First 'Gyps Vulture Reintroduction
Programme' at Jatayu Conservation Breeding Centre, Pinjore.
VULTURE CONSERVATION
The Centre has
become prominent vulture breeding and conservation centre in the country-after
successfully breeding Himalayan Griffon Vultures-an old world vulture in the
family of Accipitridae-in captivity.
Cincinnati Zoo to store slain gorilla's sperm for
future use
After shooting dead
a gorilla at the Cincinnati Zoo to save a 3-year-old boy, zoo officials said
they had collected a sample of his sperm, raising hopes among distraught fans
that Harambe could sire offspring even in death.
But officials at the
main U.S. body that oversees breeding of zoo animals said it was highly
unlikely that the Western lowland gorilla's contribution to the nation's
"frozen zoo" of genetic material of rare and endangered species would
be used to breed.
"Currently,
it's not anything we would use for reproduction," Kristen Lukas, who heads
the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' Gorilla Species Survival Plan, said on
Wednesday. "It will be banked and just stored for future use or for research
studies."
Bengal tigress and 114 other animals die at Yumká Zoo
in Tabasco
“Animals are not
immortal,” was the “smart” comment made by Cristel Perez Arevalo, director of
Yumká Ecological Park in Tabasco, recognizing that in three years, 114 animals
have died and that 70% of the population of the zoo are long-living species.
The official
appeared before the members of the Local Congress after more than two months of
meetings and demands by the different parliamentary factions, who requested her
presence to explain the constant death of animals in Yumká.
After the meeting
with legislators, Pérez Arévalo acknowledged that a total of 114 animals have
died from 2013 to 2015 in the zoo, but she denied that these deaths are due to
negligence. She said several factors are involved in this situation, such as predators,
age and diseases, claiming that this amount represents 15% of the total
population which currently stands at 819 animals.
While she says that
animals “are not immortal”, the albino
tigress known as “Shakira” died on May 31, after agonizing for several days.
According to veterinarians from the Yumká Zoo, the animal passed away after not
being properly fed for an eight-day
How One Man's Obsessive Orca Hunt Left A Legacy Of
Controversy And Conservation
These days, the
prospect of seeing the Pacific Northwest’s iconic orca whales in the wild
attracts thousands of tourists annually to whale-watching boats or shore-side
excursions. But it wasn’t that long ago
that these majestic endangered creatures were seen as a menace.
The person who
turned the tide on that thinking was, perhaps ironically, someone who pioneered
the controversial practice of hunting orcas so they could be put on captive
display in aquariums.
In 1965, Orca Hunter
Ted Griffin became the first person to ever swim publicly with a killer whale.
He also founded and operated Seattle’s first aquarium, the Seattle Marine
Aquarium on Pier 56 in Elliot Bay, where he showcased Namu, the famous orca who
also starred in a Hollywood movie of the same name made that year.
Griffin went on to
capture and sell dozens of orcas to other aquariums during the late 1960s and
early 1970s. That practice earned him lasting infamy in many circles, from
people who find keeping such large and intelligent mammals captive inhumane. But at the time, it represented a radical
change in the way humans related to killer whales.
With their enormous
appetites for salmon and massive size, killer whales were viewed as a nuisance
by com
Orca whale filmed beaching herself as zoo defends
welfare record
Animal rights
activists have called for the release of an orca whale filmed deliberately
beaching herself and lying motionless at the side of the pool for several
minutes after a show at Tenerife’s Loro Parque zoo.
Some spectators
interpreted the video as an attempt by the whale, named Morgan, to commit
suicide.
“Looks to me as if
trying to take her own life, I don’t blame her,” wrote commenter Efrat
Cybulkiewicz after viewing the clip showing Morgan on her belly outside of Loro
Parque’s display pool on Vimeo.
Owner of Bowmanville Zoo, charged with animal cruelty,
in court Monday
The owner of the
Bowmanville Zoo, charged with animal cruelty, will appear in court on Monday.
Michael Hackenberger
is charged with four counts of causing an animal distress and one of failing to
comply with the prescribed standards of care for an animal.
The OSPCA began its
investigation after video footage surfaced that appeared to show Hackenberger
hitting a tiger with a whip during a training session. The footage emerged in
December.
Three of the
distress charges relate to the use of a whip.
Mitch Albom: Gorilla empathy not matched for humans
A silverback gorilla
belongs in the Cincinnati Zoo as much as a human being belongs in an African
bird’s nest. But when a child got into that gorilla’s enclosure last weekend,
and the animal was killed to protect the child’s life, we were suddenly arguing
as if both sides had an equal say.
“The gorilla didn’t
have to die!” people protested. “It’s inhumane. It’s cruel.”
It certainly is. But
if you are worried about cruelty to gorillas, you should begin with them being
in a zoo in the first place. Healthy debates can be had over the rights of man
to imprison animals for exploration and profit.
Malfunctioning air conditioning forces penguin
evacuation
Malfunctioning air
conditioning units forced the evacuation of visitors and an exhibit full of
penguins at an aquarium in northern Utah.
Firefighters
responded to reports of smoke coming from the aquarium in Draper south of Salt
Lake City at about 1 p.m. Saturday.
United Fire Authority Capt. Dan Brown told The
Salt Lake Tribune
Popular zoo animals could be banned under EU rules
amid fears about them escaping
Popular zoo animals
including raccoons and chipmunks could be banned from collections under EU
rules amid concerns about them escaping and setting up home, it has been
claimed.
Grey squirrels and
ruddy ducks could also be affected as officials claim the risk of them
disrupting native animals if they escape captivity is too great.
Edinburgh Zoo bosses slammed for recruiting unpaid
staff for key roles
EDINBURGH Zoo chiefs
have been accused of exploiting unpaid young workers to fill key posts.
The tourist
attraction have advertised for volunteers to work in PR, as well as running
events and
working in animal
enclosures.
The one-day-a-week
posts, advertised on social media, offer discount food and travel expenses but
no wages.
The Government have
cracked down on unpaid internships and placements but organisations such as the
zoo – who have charity status – are exempt.
Unions have
criticised the six-month roles at the five-star attraction, which brings in
800,000 visitors a year but slashed jobs by a quarter in 2010.
Sarah Collins, of
the STUC’s Better Than Zero campaign against exploitation of young workers,
said: “The zoo is a highly profitable and well-renowned organisation and
visitor attraction and – leaving asid
Father of California Condor Population Healthy, Flying
High in the Wild
Some might say he is
the father of California Condors.
AC-4, a California
Condor who helped bring the endangered species back from the brink of
extinction through a captive breeding program started in the 1980s, was
recently given a clean bill of health and is flying high in the wild, officials
with the San Diego Zoo announced this week.
Condor AC-4 spent 30
years at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park as part of the California Condor
Recovery Program. It was there, in 1988, that he fathered the first
captive-born chick and went on to help bring the number of California Condors
in the world from 22 to 435 — more than half of which have been released into
the wild in California, Arizona and Baja California, Mexico.
Of those, the San
Diego Zoo Safari Park hatched 188 chicks and released more than 130 birds into
their natural habitat.
The California
Condor Recove
What really happened at Thailand's Tiger Temple?
Tucked away among
the swelling vistas of west Thailand's Kanchanaburi province, Tanya
Erzinclioglu paced around the periphery of Pha Luang Ta Bua Yanasampanno temple
with her colleagues. Every now and again, she anxiously glanced at her phone,
taking calls or checking for updates.
"I have no idea
what's happening," she said repeatedly to herself.
Tanya's mornings
typically involved being inside the temple grounds where she helped to feed and
observe some 137 tigers who were under her partial care. It had been her
routine for six years and, from the passion with which she speaks about it, it
seems to be where her heart lies.
SAVING THE SAIGA Protecting biodiversity in Russia’s
steppe
A sign pasted to a
lamppost in the town just outside the reserve advertises that someone is
interested in buying saiga horns.
The text says
they’re looking for antique horns, but the intention is clear: if you have
horns, we’ll buy them.
One kilogramme of
saiga horns (equalling two or three pairs) can fetch US$5000USD in China. The
purchase price on the Russian steppe can reach up to 25,000RUB (about $375), a
significant temptation for local poachers. In 2013, Russia toughened penalties for
illegal saiga hunting, and for storing or selling any parts/derivatives of the
saiga. In 2015, anti-poaching operations were stepped up, and coupled with
efforts to combat illegal purchases of horns, but these efforts have not been
enough. More work is needed to stop poachers and save the saiga population.
Oil & Water: Zookeeping & Math
It is currently
5:45am as I write this, which is either:
a. A very
deliberate, artistic intention
b. A direct
consequence of procrastination
c. All of the above
The social implications of vicuña trafficking
The vicuña (Vicugna
vicugna) is a charismatic high-alpine camelid known for its fine wool. Vicuña
poaching is a serious problem in Latin America and the primary threat to this
species. Despite relatively successful conservation efforts around this highly
sought-after animal, the IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC) South American
Camelid Specialist Group estimates that over 5,000 vicuñas have been killed for
their wool over the past eight years.
Addressing the issue
is legally and socially complex.
Many Latin American
countries fail to adequately recognise illegal hunting as a serious crime that
warrants considerable fines and imprisonment. Enforcement is difficult to
achieve due to the geographical characteristics of the region, human and
technical resource deficiencies and limited coordination of security forces
within and between countries. Many residents don’t report poaching activities
out of fear of retaliation from hunters. One country representative from the
South American Camelid Specialist Group was held at gunpoint by vicuña hunters
early last year. There aren’t strong incentives to develop legal vicuña use but
illegal vicuña use can be profitable.
For successful
action against vicuña poaching at the national level, law enforcement officials
need to be adequately trained to identify illegal vicuña products and on
related legislation. Awareness campaigns about illegal vicuña products should
target touristic sites and airports.
At the international
level, there is an urgent need for concerted efforts to control demand for
vicuña wool. The South American Camelid Specialist Group aims for CITES (the
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) resolutions that
require countries to ensure that imported vicuña wool is certified to be
legally and sustainably harvested, and that non-certified vicuña wool is
seized.
It’s important to
ensure that actions against illegal vicuña use do not negatively impact native
Andean communities, whose cultural traditions include live-capture for
sustainable use of Vicuña wool. The cultural traditions of these communities
need to be co
Scottish zookeepers armed and ready to shoot animals
if public put at risk
YOU may not know it
as you wander around Edinburgh Zoo, or drive through Blair Drummond Safari
Park, but these sanctuaries for animals and animals lovers have arsenals of
guns and staff trained in firearms ready to shoot dead any animal which poses a
threat to human life.
The world may have
been shocked by the killing of Harambe the silverback gorilla who was shot
after he was seen to behave dangerously with a three-year-old boy who had
managed to get into his enclosure at Cincinnati Zoo ... but the events would
have played out exactly the same here in Scotland. In fact, they have already
played out exactly the same - with dangerous or escaped animals shot dead by
Scottish zoo staff to
Malawi to relocate 500 elephants to new home
Conservation group
announces ambitious plan to move animals over 300km from overcrowded wildlife
reserves.
Conservationists in
Malawi will next month attempt the largest-ever relocation of elephants in
Africa.
They will move 500
elephants from two overcrowded wildlife reserves in the country's south to
Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve, a distance of more than 300km.
The relocation of
the herd by African Parks, a non-profit
conservation organisation, is an effort to halt a steep decline in elephant
numbers, the result of ivory poaching and loss of habitat.
Over the past 20
years, Malawi's elephant population has been halved - from 4,000 to 2,000 amid
a continent-wide decline.
“Most of the news we
hear about elephants out of Africa is about the poaching crisis, and their
steep declines," Andrea Heydlauff, the organisation's director of
strategic communications, told Al Jazeera.
"This is a
story about restoration and providing a future for Malawi's elephants,” she
said.
The $1.6m relocation
operation, funded by the Dutch Postcode Lottery, will require small groups of
elephants to be sedated, using darts shot from a helicopter.
The first herd will
then be transported by trucks from Liwonde National Park to the Nkhotakota
wildlife reserve, wher
Tiger temple scandal exposes the shadowy
billion-dollar Asian trade
A week ago it cost
600 baht (£11.50) to visit the tiger temple in Thailand’s Kanchanaburi
province, west of the capital, Bangkok. Tourists moved by the spectacle of such
splendid creatures living side by side with human beings could also pay the
saffron-robed Buddhist monks an extra £15 to help feed the cubs, or to have
their picture taken with an adult tiger’s head resting on their lap.
Along with nearly
250,000 people, Jay Z, Beyoncé and their daughter Blue Ivy posed with the
animals last year, and marvelled that some of the world’s fiercest creatures
could be so tame.
Now the doors of the
temple have been closed and the animals removed, possibly for ever. After a
decade of allegations by animal groups of cruelty, illegal wildlife trafficking
and breeding, 1,000 police, military and government officials descended on the
temple to expose a shadowy trade in tiger parts that feeds an insatiable market
in China and threatens the few remaining tigers in the wild.
The figures are
stark and depressing. Today’s population of wild tigers is estimated to be
around 3,200, down from 100,000 in 1900. But research by the Environmental
Investigation Agency (EIA), Australia’s Conservation and Environmental
Education 4 Life (Cee4life) and others, backed by investigations for Traffic,
the wildlife trade monitoring network, suggest that more than 5,000 tigers are
being farmed in China, 1,450 in Thailand, 180 in Vietnam and possibly 400 in
Laos. In addition, there are private collections and zoos in most other Asian
countries.
Debbie Banks of the
EIA has worked undercover at tiger farms in China. She says that for the past
decade, tiger breeding has been a fast-expanding and lucrative industry, often
masquerading as conservatio
Police search for ‘possible’ escaped bear in Cantabria
continues
A CRACK team of
government experts and Guardia Civil nature protection officers from the
force’s SEPRONA arm reconvened on the morning of Friday June 3 to continue the
search for an evasive bear that may have escaped from the Cabarceno Wildlife
Park in Cantabria.
The animal was
supposedly spotted by three ‘reliable’ young men a few kilometres from the park
on Wednesday June 1, who said they had seen what was “clearly a big brown bear”
near the river in the hamlet of Casas del Monte, although no footprints or other
evidence have been found.
The news and
subsequent emergency operation has created great interest on national
television, with the major channels sending camera crews to the northern region
in order to follow proceedings.
Wildlife park
director, Miguel Oti, says that no damage to the perimeter fence of the massive
bear exhibit has been detected, claiming that an escape would be very unlikely.
“The whole complex
is electrified and the wires are connected to an alarm, which has not been
activated at any time this week.”
There are
‘approximately’ 80 brown bears inhabiting the 35-hectare exhibit, where they
live in semi-natural surroundings, but it is not possible to count them to see
if any are missing since the space is filled with cavities and caves meaning
many remain hidden during the day.
Park staff do
occasionally use anaesthetic darts to tranquilise individuals, but only when
there are health concerns or the animal is to have a microchipped tag inserted.
Chief veterinarian
and bear specialist Santiago Borrigan said that the three boys who claim to
have seen the critter are ‘normal guys’ and that nothing has made him doubt
their testimony,
ON HARAMBE
I’m coming in late
to this conversation because I wanted to take a lot of time to read and listen.
I’ve watched the videos, listened to the news reports, read eyewitness
accounts, and read responses by or spoken to zookeepers, exhibit designers,
primatologists, attorneys, and dangerous animal response team members. Here is
what I have for you: the incident at the Cincinnati Zoo was a tragedy. Once the
child was in the moat, what had to happen could not have been prevented.
Actions need to be taken on all sides to ensure that such a perfect storm of a
bad situation can never happen again. I am glad the child is alive and I grieve
with the zoo staff for the loss of their beloved and rare companion. I do not
believe in continuing to point fingers and lay blame - those who deserve it are
well aware at this point, and while it is natural and human to seek vengeance
and justice it does no good to protect future children and future gorillas. So,
with that said, let’s talk about what happened.
Mandai to be nature hub with five wildlife parks
Singapore will have
a new wildlife and nature attraction in Mandai, complete with eco-lodges and a
rainforest-themed park where visitors can get up close to wildlife.
When the Mandai
nature precinct is completed by 2023, two wildlife parks - the new Rainforest
Park and the relocated Bird Park - will join the existing trio: the Singapore
Zoo, the River Safari and the Night Safari.
Sleeping under the
stars could be an option for those who want to spend a night or two in Mandai,
as options such as tents, suites and family rooms are being considered.
Belfast Zoo on a steep slope literally and financially
- things must change
In January the
Belfast Telegraph headlined its account of a report presented to Belfast City
Council's growth and regeneration committee 'Fears over future of Belfast Zoo'.
The paper took its cue from Ulster Unionist councillor Chris McGimpsey - a
long-standing critic of the zoo - who, apart from condemning losses running at
£2m a year, raised more fundamental issues, arguing "zoos are a thing of
the past" and no better than "Victorian peep shows".
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He added: "We
are taking animals that normally have been on flat land and we stick them on a
hill... in areas which are just too small. It is virtually impossible to run a
zoo without there being massive concerns about animal welfare."
The recurrent loss
on the zoo's operations in 2014-2015 was £1,080,259, but capital depreciation
of around £570,000 and other support services and property maintenance charges
make up McGimpsey's total of a £2m-a-year loss.
The council's
business manager agrees this is "unsustainable". Yet, other
councillors are hardly onboard for closure. Rather, they have approved a plan
to reduce the deficit by 30% over three years. As the detail is opaque, it
seems unlikely it will fare better than similar initiatives over the years.
Like drowning men
(and women), they can reach for rescue as even Chris McGimpsey does - and that
is the hope that fu
In defence of zoos: how captivity helps conservation
The death of Harambe
the gorilla at Cincinnati Zoo, shot to protect a child who had fallen into his
cage, has caused outrage. Some of the anger has now turned from “trigger-happy”
staff towards zoos in general. Why, some are asking, is an endangered gorilla
behind bars in the first place?
In an ideal world,
Harambe would live peacefully in Central Africa. There would be no
deforestation, no poachers, and no diseases transmitted by humans and our
livestock.
But in the real
world, fewer than 900 mountain gorillas are left in the wild. And zoos are a
necessary and vital part of efforts to conserve them and other endangered
animals.
Modern zoos aim to
promote animal conservation, educate people, and support further wildlife
research. The three are entwined to ensure the animals are housed to the
highest possible standards of welfare. Staff are dedicated to providing
species-specific housing, appropriate diets and husbandry to ensure that the
animals’ lives are as natural as possible within captivity.
Anti-zoo and animal
rights groups such as CAPS, PETA or the Born Free foundation claim that zoos
are inherently cruel. They highlight animals housed in small cages for “our
entertainment” and claim all should be released
Stuttgart Zoo Gives Orangutans Option of Video Dating
Modern dating is
going to the apes. Literally.
A zoo in southern
Germany has decided to give its orangutans more mating options through video
dating.
Two of the rare
orangutans — Sinta and Conny — were shown videos of available males to see if
there was any interest in hopes of one day breeding, according to a statement
from the Wilhelma Zoo in Stuttgart.
"The signs are
positive," the zoo said after Sinta and Conny appeared to take a liking to
a male named Gempa living 350 miles away in Belgium.
The zoo said Sinta
and Gempa are now enjoying a real-life date at the Pairi Daiza zoo,
approximately 40 miles south-west of Brussels.
"We will now
have to wait and see, whether it will be love at se
Calgary Thai tiger temple defender yanks support as
new details surface
A vocal defender of
the Thailand tiger temple says he is pulling his support after new information
make the allegations he once dismissed, far more likely.
The Buddhist temple
in Kanchanaburi province west of Bangkok came under fire early this week as
local wildlife authorities discovered 40 tiger cub carcasses in a freezer.
Live animals were
removed in response to international pressure over suspected trafficking and
abuse.
Calgarian Gary Agnew
came to the defence of the temple, questioning the motives of the Department of
National Parks (DNP) and saying the dead cubs were being stored at the temple
for research on the direction of the temple's former vet.
One of Vietnam’s oldest zoos to exchange animals with
local counterparts
Saigon Zoo and
Botanical Garden, which celebrated its 150th anniversary last year, is making
plans to exchange animals with three other zoos across Vietnam, in an attempt
to diversify its collection.
The Ho Chi Minh
City-based Saigon Zoo and Botanical Garden, or Saigon Zoo for short, was
established in 1865, and has since been a hallmark of the city, leaving
unforgettable childhood imprints on generations of city dwellers.
The zoo’s management
recently announced its plan to trade parts of its tiger, lutung, and gibbon
populations for other animals including ostriches, camels, and zebras from
three other zoos across Vietnam.
According to the
plan, Saigon Zoo will trade two Bengal tigers, four Indochinese tigers, and
three Indochinese lutungs for two white tigers, one zebra, two Alpacas, four
Arctic foxes, and five ostriches from Cu Chi Waterpark in Ho Chi Minh City.
In its exchange with
the Prenn Waterfall Tourist Site in the Central Highlands city of Da Lat,
Saigon Zoo will trade two Bengal tiger cubs, two yellow-cheeked gibbons, a
RHINO RESOURCE CENTER – NEWSLETTER 43 – JUNE 2016
Edited by Dr Kees Rookmaaker
The Rhino Resource
Center is a repository of all publications about all species of the rhinoceros.
Any time, any language, any region, including children's literature, popular
articles and academic publications. Also with an image gallery of every rhinoceros
in the wild or in art.
The total number of
references in the database and collection of the RRC now stands at 20,250.
Thank you to all contributors.
Please share your
articles on rhinos, pictures of rhinos.
The RRC thanks the
sponsors: SOS Rhino, International Rhino Foundation, WWF AREAS, Save the Rhino
International, Rhino Carhire as well as individuals who have found the RRC
useful in their research.
TO DOWNLOAD THE
NEWSLETTER, CLICK HERE
Asia's first vulture re-introduction programme
launched in Haryana
Haryana Chief
Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said almost 95 per cent of vultures have
disappeared from the country due to the widespread use of diclofenac - a pain
killer drug used to treat cattle.
The Haryana
government on Friday launched Asia's First 'Gyps Vulture Reintroduction
Programme' at Jatayu Conservation Breeding Centre, Pinjore.
VULTURE CONSERVATION
The Centre has
become prominent vulture breeding and conservation centre in the country-after
successfully breeding Himalayan Griffon Vultures-an old world vulture in the
family of Accipitridae-in captivity.
Cincinnati Zoo to store slain gorilla's sperm for
future use
After shooting dead
a gorilla at the Cincinnati Zoo to save a 3-year-old boy, zoo officials said
they had collected a sample of his sperm, raising hopes among distraught fans
that Harambe could sire offspring even in death.
But officials at the
main U.S. body that oversees breeding of zoo animals said it was highly
unlikely that the Western lowland gorilla's contribution to the nation's
"frozen zoo" of genetic material of rare and endangered species would
be used to breed.
"Currently,
it's not anything we would use for reproduction," Kristen Lukas, who heads
the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' Gorilla Species Survival Plan, said on
Wednesday. "It will be banked and just stored for future use or for research
studies."
Bengal tigress and 114 other animals die at Yumká Zoo
in Tabasco
“Animals are not
immortal,” was the “smart” comment made by Cristel Perez Arevalo, director of
Yumká Ecological Park in Tabasco, recognizing that in three years, 114 animals
have died and that 70% of the population of the zoo are long-living species.
The official
appeared before the members of the Local Congress after more than two months of
meetings and demands by the different parliamentary factions, who requested her
presence to explain the constant death of animals in Yumká.
After the meeting
with legislators, Pérez Arévalo acknowledged that a total of 114 animals have
died from 2013 to 2015 in the zoo, but she denied that these deaths are due to
negligence. She said several factors are involved in this situation, such as predators,
age and diseases, claiming that this amount represents 15% of the total
population which currently stands at 819 animals.
While she says that
animals “are not immortal”, the albino
tigress known as “Shakira” died on May 31, after agonizing for several days.
According to veterinarians from the Yumká Zoo, the animal passed away after not
being properly fed for an eight-day
How One Man's Obsessive Orca Hunt Left A Legacy Of
Controversy And Conservation
These days, the
prospect of seeing the Pacific Northwest’s iconic orca whales in the wild
attracts thousands of tourists annually to whale-watching boats or shore-side
excursions. But it wasn’t that long ago
that these majestic endangered creatures were seen as a menace.
The person who
turned the tide on that thinking was, perhaps ironically, someone who pioneered
the controversial practice of hunting orcas so they could be put on captive
display in aquariums.
In 1965, Orca Hunter
Ted Griffin became the first person to ever swim publicly with a killer whale.
He also founded and operated Seattle’s first aquarium, the Seattle Marine
Aquarium on Pier 56 in Elliot Bay, where he showcased Namu, the famous orca who
also starred in a Hollywood movie of the same name made that year.
Griffin went on to
capture and sell dozens of orcas to other aquariums during the late 1960s and
early 1970s. That practice earned him lasting infamy in many circles, from
people who find keeping such large and intelligent mammals captive inhumane. But at the time, it represented a radical
change in the way humans related to killer whales.
With their enormous
appetites for salmon and massive size, killer whales were viewed as a nuisance
by com
Orca whale filmed beaching herself as zoo defends
welfare record
Animal rights
activists have called for the release of an orca whale filmed deliberately
beaching herself and lying motionless at the side of the pool for several
minutes after a show at Tenerife’s Loro Parque zoo.
Some spectators
interpreted the video as an attempt by the whale, named Morgan, to commit
suicide.
“Looks to me as if
trying to take her own life, I don’t blame her,” wrote commenter Efrat
Cybulkiewicz after viewing the clip showing Morgan on her belly outside of Loro
Parque’s display pool on Vimeo.
Owner of Bowmanville Zoo, charged with animal cruelty,
in court Monday
The owner of the
Bowmanville Zoo, charged with animal cruelty, will appear in court on Monday.
Michael Hackenberger
is charged with four counts of causing an animal distress and one of failing to
comply with the prescribed standards of care for an animal.
The OSPCA began its
investigation after video footage surfaced that appeared to show Hackenberger
hitting a tiger with a whip during a training session. The footage emerged in
December.
Three of the
distress charges relate to the use of a whip.
Mitch Albom: Gorilla empathy not matched for humans
A silverback gorilla
belongs in the Cincinnati Zoo as much as a human being belongs in an African
bird’s nest. But when a child got into that gorilla’s enclosure last weekend,
and the animal was killed to protect the child’s life, we were suddenly arguing
as if both sides had an equal say.
“The gorilla didn’t
have to die!” people protested. “It’s inhumane. It’s cruel.”
It certainly is. But
if you are worried about cruelty to gorillas, you should begin with them being
in a zoo in the first place. Healthy debates can be had over the rights of man
to imprison animals for exploration and profit.
****
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*
New Meetings and Conferences updated Here
****
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*
New Meetings and Conferences updated Here
If you have anything to add then please email me at elvinhow@gmail.com
I will include it when I get a minute. You know it makes sense.
Recent Zoo Vacancies
Vacancies in Zoos and Aquariums and Wildlife/Conservation facilities around the World
*****
About me
After more than 47 years working in private, commercial and National zoos in the capacity of keeper, head keeper and curator Peter Dickinson started to travel. He sold house and all his possessions and hit the road. He has traveled extensively in Turkey, Southern India and much of South East Asia before settling in Thailand. In his travels he has visited well over 200 zoos and writes about these in his blog http://zoonewsdigest.blogspot.com/
or on Hubpages http://hubpages.com/profile/Peter+Dickinson
Peter earns his living as an international independent zoo consultant, critic and writer. Currently working as Curator of Penguins in Ski Dubai. United Arab Emirates. He describes himself as an itinerant zoo keeper, one time zoo inspector, a dreamer, a traveler, a people watcher, a lover, a thinker, a cosmopolitan, a writer, a hedonist, an explorer, a pantheist, a gastronome, sometime fool, a good friend to some and a pain in the butt to others.
"These are the best days of my life"
Peter Dickinson
Contact email - elvinhow@gmail.com
Dubai: ++ 971 (0)50 4787 122
Skype: peter.dickinson48
Mailing address: (not where I live...currently in Dubai)
2 Highgate
Dolwen
Abergele
Conwy
North Wales
LL22 8NP
United Kingdom
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