Zoo News Digest 15th August 2017 (ZooNews 967)
Peter Dickinson
elvinhow@gmail.com
Dear Colleague,
Perhaps the thing which bothers me most about the 'Panda Incident' in Edinburgh Zoo is the fact that it is appearing now almost a year after it occurred. Who is it that has been sitting on the video and waiting for what they believe to be the right time to cause trouble? I don't know any more than anyone else about the situation in Edinburgh but if there is one then the complainants need to stand up and be counted and not hide behind a cloak of anonymity. They are either right or wrong.
The Panda incident will already have been fully investigated and acted upon so to drag it up now to fulfill some alternative agenda seems very wrong. I mean how far back do you want to go back? This same tactic is used by so many anti-zoo newspapers which start out with an up to date zoo news item and then a paragraph later reel off a list of everything, no matter how minor, which has gone wrong in the zoo in the previous twenty years. I imagine the Born Free Foundation are going to make a meal of this one.
Two snippets that appear in the recent news items - "Zoological
collections don't buy and sell animals – they loan, donate or swap."
and below the same:
"There is no sale or purchase of animals in our network"
I would like readers to think about those two statements. They say more or less the same thing and this is how GOOD zoos operate today. The animals belong to the officially sanctioned breeding programmes, to the world and not to a collection or person. This is how it should be. There is no profit motive involved.
How does your zoo measure up? You may be the most caring zoo employee on the planet but does your zoo care like you do?
I was delighted to see the recognition being given to Bali Zoo at last. It is sometime since I did a zoo tour of Indonesia. I only visited around a dozen collections but when I think back then Bali Zoo was undoubtedly the best of the bunch.
I was saddened to learn of the discovery of a new squirrel virus. I devoted a lot of time to Red Squirrels a few years back. They had enough problems back then without having to contend with a new one today.
I would urge you all to read the first link in this digest. It covers a subject I first made mention of in ZooNews Digest 22nd July 2017 (ZooNews 963). I reckon it needs more reading, more discussion. It is not too late to uninvite Mr. Pacelle and I believe that the correct action and is what the majority of AZA members want. But who am I? Just someone who listens and forms my own biased opinions.
There are some truly excellent presentations already planned...see Full Conference Schedule. I wish I could afford the trip.
Dear Colleague,
Perhaps the thing which bothers me most about the 'Panda Incident' in Edinburgh Zoo is the fact that it is appearing now almost a year after it occurred. Who is it that has been sitting on the video and waiting for what they believe to be the right time to cause trouble? I don't know any more than anyone else about the situation in Edinburgh but if there is one then the complainants need to stand up and be counted and not hide behind a cloak of anonymity. They are either right or wrong.
The Panda incident will already have been fully investigated and acted upon so to drag it up now to fulfill some alternative agenda seems very wrong. I mean how far back do you want to go back? This same tactic is used by so many anti-zoo newspapers which start out with an up to date zoo news item and then a paragraph later reel off a list of everything, no matter how minor, which has gone wrong in the zoo in the previous twenty years. I imagine the Born Free Foundation are going to make a meal of this one.
and below the same:
"There is no sale or purchase of animals in our network"
I would like readers to think about those two statements. They say more or less the same thing and this is how GOOD zoos operate today. The animals belong to the officially sanctioned breeding programmes, to the world and not to a collection or person. This is how it should be. There is no profit motive involved.
How does your zoo measure up? You may be the most caring zoo employee on the planet but does your zoo care like you do?
I was delighted to see the recognition being given to Bali Zoo at last. It is sometime since I did a zoo tour of Indonesia. I only visited around a dozen collections but when I think back then Bali Zoo was undoubtedly the best of the bunch.
I was saddened to learn of the discovery of a new squirrel virus. I devoted a lot of time to Red Squirrels a few years back. They had enough problems back then without having to contend with a new one today.
There are some truly excellent presentations already planned...see Full Conference Schedule. I wish I could afford the trip.
Did You Know?
ZooNews Digest has over 61,000 Followers on Facebook and has a weekly reach often exceeding over 350,000 people? That ZooNews Digest has subscribers in over 823 Zoos in 154+ countries? That the subscriber list for the mail out 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.
I remain committed to the work of GOOD zoos,
not DYSFUNCTIONAL zoos.
********
*****
***
**
*
Op-Ed:Partnering with Animals Rights ensures extinction of zoos and aquariums
Recently, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), an organization whose members I have proudly promoted and defended locally and nationally in good times and in bad for more than 25 years, announced it had invited HSUS CEO Wayne Pacelle to be its keynote speaker at the public display trade association’s annual meeting in Indianapolis next month. Echoing the thoughts of many rank and file zookeepers and zoo directors that have shared on social media and directly with new AZA CEO Dan Ashe, this is a terrible decision. A trade association’s first duty is to protect and advance the interests of its members, not to “invite the fox into the henhouse.” Instead, the naïve invitation sends an unmistakable signal to the world that its finest and most knowledgeable zoological park professionals need the help of the most committed and well-funded anti-zoo organizations in the area of animal welfare.
Ridiculous.
Rather than reverse course on an unpopular and dangerous decision with lasting implications, the AZA doubled down a few days later in a press statement that not only tried to legitimatize the HSUS as a welfare organization and part of the mainstream, but implied those of us that oppose this invitation are “afraid to listen.” That alone would be laughable if it weren’t also quite revealing about the trajectory of the AZA over the past decade. Perhaps the new AZA CEO and his team should spend more time with its own animal professionals– keepers, trainers, researchers, aquarists, aviculturists, herpetologists, and veterinarians are some of the most courageous and skilled people I have ever known.
Fact is there’s nothing new to be learned from Mr. Pacelle. We have heard from the HSUS for years. More importantly, we have seen in the public record how he and they have behaved to define and curtail all zoos and aquariums, including AZA members. Those slick efforts in words, deeds, and in the halls of Congress and state legislatures around the country continue in earnest. And the suggestion by AZA leadership tha
These Zoo Elephants
May Be the Loneliest in the World
Miyako is a female
Asian elephant who has lived without other elephants since arriving at Japan's
Utsunomiya Zoo, just outside of Tokyo, 44 years ago when she was six months
old. She is kept in a small, concrete enclosure near the zoo’s amusement park,
says Keith Lindsay, a conservation biologist and elephant expert based in
Oxford, England.
“She’s been in that
place her whole life, with no other elephants and nowhere to move,” he says.
Lindsay observed
Miyako earlier this year, when he spent two weeks visiting 14 zoos believed to
be the majority in Japan keeping elephants in isolation. He summarized the
conditions of the animals and their surroundings in a new report released
today, on the eve of World Elephant Day.
Five elephants have
been alone their entire lives, the report says. Eight became isolated after
their companions died or were moved, and one rejoined her previous companion
but had to be kept in a separat
Disturbing video of
Ottawa-area zoo reinforces calls for provincial regulations
Shocking video
released by an animal rights group Friday appears to show the manager and the
son of the owner of Papanack Zoo, near Ottawa, admitting to beating a lion cub
for training purposes.
“This footage shot
at the Papanack Zoo shows a number of very disturbing things, including baby
animals ripped away from their mothers when they’re very young so they can be
used as selfie props,” Camille Labchuk, executive director of Animal Justice,
told Global News.
“It includes a zoo
manager admitting to beating a baby lion for training purposes, it includes
animals performing repetitive stereotypical
Sabrina Brando Named
WAZA’s First Animal Welfare Coordinator
WAZA confirmed its
commitment to animal care and ethics with the appointment of Sabrina Brando as
the first-ever WAZA Animal Welfare Coordinator.
The World
Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) confirmed its commitment to animal
care and ethics with the appointment of Sabrina Brando as the first-ever WAZA
Animal Welfare Coordinator.
Brando will oversee
programmes that emphasize research, enrichment, advocacy, and the well-being of
animals throughout WAZA’s global network.
“We are extremely
pleased to have someone as highly regarded throughout the animal care community
as Sabrina Brando join our staff as WAZA’s first Animal Welfare Coordinator,”
said WAZA Chief Executive Officer Doug Cress. “WAZA is dedicated to achieving the
highest possible standards for the animals in the care of its member zoos and
aquariums, and we believe Sabrina
-----------------------------
www.zoolex.org in August 2017
~°v°~ ~°v°~ ~°v°~ ~°v°~ ~°v°~
Hello ZooLex Friend,
We have worked for your enjoyment!
~°v°~
NEW EXHIBIT PRESENTATION
The Snow Monkey Exhibit at Great Plains Zoo and Delbridge Museum of
Natural History displays a group of Japanese macaques. The exhibit
offers a "window to the zoo" from the parking lot and several viewing
areas inside the zoo. The netting enables the monkeys to use all
vertical space and high vantage points.
We would like to thank Kylee Breems and Elizabeth Whealy from Great
Plains Zoo for preparing this exhibit presentation for ZooLex.
~°v°~
ZOO ARCHITECTURE
Natascha Meuser published two interesting books on the topic.
1. Architektur und Zoologie - Quellentexte zur Zooarchitektur
This book offers a great selection of articles in German on developments
in zoo architecture, except for one article that is in English. Here
John Allen intriguingly describes Lubetkin's zoo projects from penguins
at London Zoo to penguins on Phillip Island in Australia.
Other articles include
- Philipp Leopold Martin's concept of a Geo-Zoo from 1878;
- Gustave Loisel's reports of zoos and behaviour enrichment from 1912;
- Kurt Brägger's evolution of landscape immersion for Basel Zoo in 1971.
You can also find a chapter of Heini Hediger's book "Wildtiere in
Gefangenschaft" on space quantity and quality of animal enclosures and
a German translation of William Conway's famous article "How to Exhibit
a Bullfrog".
2. Architektur im Zoo - Theorie und Geschichte einer Bautypologie
This huge volume has amazing drawings and photos of zoo buildings and
designs from 1950 to 2015. Although it is written in German, the English
speaking audience with an interest in zoo architecture will enjoy this
thorough documentation with its focus on German speaking countries on
one side and pachyderms, primates and big cats on the other side.
~°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
Inches from
disaster: Edinburgh Zoo Keeper escapes looming giant panda let into enclosure
by mistake
An Edinburgh Zoo
keeper made a last-minute escape after one of the zoo's giant pandas was let
into the enclosure by mistake.
A dramatic picture
has emerged which shows the female staff member fleeing to safety.
The shocking
security lapse in the capital has been blamed on staff shortages by disgruntled
keepers, who claim the worker could have been killed.
Despite their
"cuddly" image, adult giant pandas can be as dangerous as black bears
and there have been several serious attacks on zoo staff and visitors in recent
years.
EU Zoos Directive
drives conservation, education and research
Pages 204-205
Polar bear buddies
hug it out on World Bromance Day
Two polar bears
living in the Highlands appear to have celebrated “World Bromance Day” – with a
bear hug.
Walker and Arktos
have been best friends since being introduced to each other at The Royal
Zoological Society of Scotland Highland Wildlife Park in April 2012.
And the pair seemed
to show off their relationship by getting into the spirit of World Bromance
Day, which takes place six months after Valentine’s Day.
Bali Zoo awarded
Best Conservation Institution in Indonesia 2017
Bali Zoo has been
recognized by the Indonesian government as the best conservation institution in
the country for 2017.
The award was given
to the Bali conservation park by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry last
Thursday in East Java’s Baluran National Park by Darmin Nasution, coordinating
minister for Economic Affairs and Siti Nurbaya Bakar, minister of Environment
and Forestry Indonesia.
While Indonesia is
home to some of the most biological diversity on the planet, the country also
leads the way with some of the most endangered species.
Operating in
Sukawati, Gianyar, Bali Zoo’s motto of “Love. Conserve. Share.” seems to be
what earned it such a major nod from the government.
Active participation
in wildlife conservation apparently set the Bali Zoo apart from other
conservation institutions in Indonesia this year, namely the successful
breeding and routine release of
An Honest Report on
Bali Zoo
Bali zoo http://bali-zoo.com is yet another Bali animal
collection which prices its gate in US dollars. Here it was $20 or 225,000
Indonesian Rupiah. This is no small amount and I half expected to be ripped
off.
I already knew a
little of Bali Zoo having followed links in ZooNews Digest and knew of its
recent association with Peel Zoo in Australia.
On their website
they claim to be the first and only zoo in Bali. Well they may well have been
the first but they are certainly not the only because there is the Bali Bird
Park and the Bali Safari and Marine Park amongst others. I suppose it is the
website designers perception of what is a zoo.
Activists sound
alarm over Russia's whale trade
A young beluga whale
looks down as it is winched in a net onto the deck of a rusty Russian ship
moored at a far-eastern port.
"Don't forget
us, bitch!" shouts one of its captors onboard the ship as the animal is
deposited next to three more belugas and rows of other sea mammals such as
seals.
The grim
footage—aired in a recent Russian documentary—shines a spotlight on a murky and
poorly regulated trade in marine mammals that has made the country the biggest
supplier of some species to aquariums across the globe.
Activists documented
squalid conditions and dead beluga whales being hastily buried as traders
exploited loopholes in legislation to turn a lucrative profit.
"We started
making a film about aquariums, but I couldn't imagine such a huge business
behind them, a huge corrupt system," said Gayane Petrosyan, who directed
the film "Born Free" that premiered earlier this year.
While many countries
around the world are phasing out the use dolphins for entertainment, China's
industry is expanding and Russian animals are its star performers.
"The animals
are treated as a commodity," Petrosyan said.
Loopholes
Officially Russia
has exported 91 live marine mammals—including seals, whales and dolphins—since
the beginning of 2016, 84 of which went to China, according to available
customs figures.
Each year, the
government permits traders to catch about 10 orcas and 150 beluga whales for
zoos and oceanariums, said Dmitry Glazov, deputy chairman of Russia's Marine
Mammal Council of scientists.
Permits for orcas,
which fetch at least a million dollars each, are especially in demand.
While these numbers
may sound low, activists believe the true figure is higher as fishermen abuse
quotas meant to cover animals captured for educational or scientific purposes
to export them commercially.
"If you catch
an orca for education and cultural purposes in Russia and then sell it to China
for those purposes, that's against the law," said lawyer Maxim Krupsky,
who h
ENVIRONMENTAL
ENRICHMENT IN ZOOS AND AQUARIUMS
Hosted by Disney's
Animal Kingdom®
Orlando, FL
March 10 - March 15,
2018
Blue Planet Aquarium
confirms escapee otter Cho is back with her family
Blue Planet Aquarium
has confirmed escapee otter Cho has been recaptured, but is unwilling to
discuss whether more than one otter went missing.
On Friday (August
11) the popular Ellesmere Port attraction asked for the public’s help in
tracking down their fugitive otter which had been spotted at nearby Cheshire
Oaks and even filmed.
Blue Planet Aquarium
has now confirmed that Cho, a female Asian short-clawed otter, was recaptured
over the weekend and reunited with her mate Brian and baby Connie.
Puzzlingly, Cheshire
Police received reports of three otters having escaped last Thursday but
understands one was found in a supermarket car
How to save zoos?
Focus on education, conservation
One of my earlier
memories from my childhood is visiting the Frankfurt zoo in Germany. I watched
several elephants in an indoor enclosure, and while they were huge and
fascinating, it also saddened me to see such magnificent animals in captivity.
I also remember having straw thrown in my face by one of those elephants,
although my parents dispute this.
Now, with my own
children, we visit the Toronto Zoo with all of its animals in more naturalistic
enclosures, and the many educational and conservation programmes and displays.
It’s a different world.
For many, zoos are
central to some of their favourite memories as children. Seeing lions, tigers
and elephants and other less familiar animals, never mind smelling them, can be
a wonderful experience.
But the role of zoos
in society has led to serious discussion about whether zoos should even exist.
A strike earlier this year by workers at the Toronto Zoo had many musing about
whether the zoo should re-open at all. The Toronto Star reported that social
media and emails they received argued “zoos are outdated, inhumane attractions
that should be closed outright, or converted to animal sanctuarie
Hunt for groom on
for Rani Baug's only single penguin
Officials are taking
a special interest in finding a mate for Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Zoo's lone
single penguin from the waddle of seven now living here.
Zoo officials claim
that they are coordinating for one more penguin with Goatrade Farming Co. Ltd.,
the Thailand-based procurement agency that helped the Mumbai zoo acquire the
penguins.
"In case a
penguin died while being in quarantine, a commitment was made by the agency to
replace it," said a senior BMC official. Eight penguins were brought to
Mumbai, however, one died in October 2016, while in quarantine.
Dr Sanjay Tripathi,
Director of Byculla Zoo, informed, "We are constantly reminding the agency
of their promise. They have been assuring us that they are looking for a
Humboldt penguin for Bubble." He said that they were concerned about
Bubble and had sp
Cincinnati Zoo
Scientists’ Study Reveals Red Panda Reproduction Secrets
The Cincinnati Zoo
& Botanical Garden’s red panda care team was not surprised when a red panda
cub was born on June 25, 2017. Thanks to a multi-year research study by the
Zoo’s Center for Conservation and Research of Endangered Wildlife (CREW), the caregivers
knew that mom, Lin, was pregnant, and so they were able to prepare for the
impending birth of this endangered species.
Red pandas are one
of many cold-weather animals that experience delayed implantation during
pregnancy, in which an embryo stops growing and can float around for weeks or
months before attaching to the uterine wall. This results in a two-month window
of potential due dates for all expecting moms. Additionally, non-pregnant
females can experience pseudo-pregnancies: following breeding season, they may
gain weight and build nests, even though no embryos are present. Together,
these two reproductive phenomena make it nearly impossible to diagnose
pregnancy or predict parturition date in this species.
Sun bears, Malayan
tapirs and Asian songbirds get stunning new homes at Chester Zoo
Chester Zoo has
unveiled state-of-the-art new habitats for sun bears, Malayan tapirs and Asian
songbirds.
The world famous zoo
has added the huge new animal habitats to its £40m Islands zone – already the
largest zoological development in the UK – which features animal species native
to South East Asia.
The zoo’s two sun
bears, Milli and Toni, who were rescued from Cambodia after their mothers were
killed by poachers and they were found as mistreated pets, are among the
individual animals with new South East Asian habitats.
http://www.chesterchronicle.co.uk/news/chester-cheshire-news/sun-bears-malayan-tapirs-asian-13451909
Rethinking the Big,
Bad Wolf
Last month the
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife killed its first wolf from the
Smackout pack after deciding that the animals were preying on too many cows in
the state’s Colville National Forest. The state’s action came after its “Wolf
Advisory Group” concluded that “lethal action” was the best way to manage the
pack’s population following a string of attacks on livestock on grazing
allotments in the forest, despite the fact that numerous scientific studies
have proven that livestock predation actually increases when wolves and other
large predator animals are killed.
Almost 5,000 miles
away, across the continental United States and Atlantic Ocean, a similar
situation is playing out in Denmark. There wolves have established a population
for the first time in more than 200 years, thanks to reproductive success in
nearby Germany. As in the western United States, the argument that wolves
should be managed according to science is playing out against livestock-owner
and hunting-industry desires to use lethal measures to stop the animals from
preying on stock and game. It’s a contentious struggle — and one that has its
origins in Europe itself.
“Wolves and other
predator animals have been persecuted in Europe for hundreds of years by
ranchers who want to protect their anima
Did You Know?
ZooNews Digest has over 61,000 Followers on Facebook and has a weekly reach often exceeding over 350,000 people? That ZooNews Digest has subscribers in over 823 Zoos in 154+ countries? That the subscriber list for the mail out 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.
I remain committed to the work of GOOD zoos,
not DYSFUNCTIONAL zoos.
********
*****
***
**
*
Op-Ed:Partnering with Animals Rights ensures extinction of zoos and aquariums
Recently, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), an organization whose members I have proudly promoted and defended locally and nationally in good times and in bad for more than 25 years, announced it had invited HSUS CEO Wayne Pacelle to be its keynote speaker at the public display trade association’s annual meeting in Indianapolis next month. Echoing the thoughts of many rank and file zookeepers and zoo directors that have shared on social media and directly with new AZA CEO Dan Ashe, this is a terrible decision. A trade association’s first duty is to protect and advance the interests of its members, not to “invite the fox into the henhouse.” Instead, the naïve invitation sends an unmistakable signal to the world that its finest and most knowledgeable zoological park professionals need the help of the most committed and well-funded anti-zoo organizations in the area of animal welfare.
Ridiculous.
Rather than reverse course on an unpopular and dangerous decision with lasting implications, the AZA doubled down a few days later in a press statement that not only tried to legitimatize the HSUS as a welfare organization and part of the mainstream, but implied those of us that oppose this invitation are “afraid to listen.” That alone would be laughable if it weren’t also quite revealing about the trajectory of the AZA over the past decade. Perhaps the new AZA CEO and his team should spend more time with its own animal professionals– keepers, trainers, researchers, aquarists, aviculturists, herpetologists, and veterinarians are some of the most courageous and skilled people I have ever known.
Fact is there’s nothing new to be learned from Mr. Pacelle. We have heard from the HSUS for years. More importantly, we have seen in the public record how he and they have behaved to define and curtail all zoos and aquariums, including AZA members. Those slick efforts in words, deeds, and in the halls of Congress and state legislatures around the country continue in earnest. And the suggestion by AZA leadership tha
These Zoo Elephants
May Be the Loneliest in the World
Miyako is a female
Asian elephant who has lived without other elephants since arriving at Japan's
Utsunomiya Zoo, just outside of Tokyo, 44 years ago when she was six months
old. She is kept in a small, concrete enclosure near the zoo’s amusement park,
says Keith Lindsay, a conservation biologist and elephant expert based in
Oxford, England.
“She’s been in that
place her whole life, with no other elephants and nowhere to move,” he says.
Lindsay observed
Miyako earlier this year, when he spent two weeks visiting 14 zoos believed to
be the majority in Japan keeping elephants in isolation. He summarized the
conditions of the animals and their surroundings in a new report released
today, on the eve of World Elephant Day.
Five elephants have
been alone their entire lives, the report says. Eight became isolated after
their companions died or were moved, and one rejoined her previous companion
but had to be kept in a separat
Disturbing video of
Ottawa-area zoo reinforces calls for provincial regulations
Shocking video
released by an animal rights group Friday appears to show the manager and the
son of the owner of Papanack Zoo, near Ottawa, admitting to beating a lion cub
for training purposes.
“This footage shot
at the Papanack Zoo shows a number of very disturbing things, including baby
animals ripped away from their mothers when they’re very young so they can be
used as selfie props,” Camille Labchuk, executive director of Animal Justice,
told Global News.
“It includes a zoo
manager admitting to beating a baby lion for training purposes, it includes
animals performing repetitive stereotypical
Sabrina Brando Named
WAZA’s First Animal Welfare Coordinator
WAZA confirmed its
commitment to animal care and ethics with the appointment of Sabrina Brando as
the first-ever WAZA Animal Welfare Coordinator.
The World
Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) confirmed its commitment to animal
care and ethics with the appointment of Sabrina Brando as the first-ever WAZA
Animal Welfare Coordinator.
Brando will oversee
programmes that emphasize research, enrichment, advocacy, and the well-being of
animals throughout WAZA’s global network.
“We are extremely
pleased to have someone as highly regarded throughout the animal care community
as Sabrina Brando join our staff as WAZA’s first Animal Welfare Coordinator,”
said WAZA Chief Executive Officer Doug Cress. “WAZA is dedicated to achieving the
highest possible standards for the animals in the care of its member zoos and
aquariums, and we believe Sabrina
-----------------------------
www.zoolex.org in August 2017
~°v°~ ~°v°~ ~°v°~ ~°v°~ ~°v°~
Hello ZooLex Friend,
We have worked for your enjoyment!
~°v°~
NEW EXHIBIT PRESENTATION
The Snow Monkey Exhibit at Great Plains Zoo and Delbridge Museum of
Natural History displays a group of Japanese macaques. The exhibit
offers a "window to the zoo" from the parking lot and several viewing
areas inside the zoo. The netting enables the monkeys to use all
vertical space and high vantage points.
We would like to thank Kylee Breems and Elizabeth Whealy from Great
Plains Zoo for preparing this exhibit presentation for ZooLex.
~°v°~
ZOO ARCHITECTURE
Natascha Meuser published two interesting books on the topic.
1. Architektur und Zoologie - Quellentexte zur Zooarchitektur
This book offers a great selection of articles in German on developments
in zoo architecture, except for one article that is in English. Here
John Allen intriguingly describes Lubetkin's zoo projects from penguins
at London Zoo to penguins on Phillip Island in Australia.
Other articles include
- Philipp Leopold Martin's concept of a Geo-Zoo from 1878;
- Gustave Loisel's reports of zoos and behaviour enrichment from 1912;
- Kurt Brägger's evolution of landscape immersion for Basel Zoo in 1971.
You can also find a chapter of Heini Hediger's book "Wildtiere in
Gefangenschaft" on space quantity and quality of animal enclosures and
a German translation of William Conway's famous article "How to Exhibit
a Bullfrog".
2. Architektur im Zoo - Theorie und Geschichte einer Bautypologie
This huge volume has amazing drawings and photos of zoo buildings and
designs from 1950 to 2015. Although it is written in German, the English
speaking audience with an interest in zoo architecture will enjoy this
thorough documentation with its focus on German speaking countries on
one side and pachyderms, primates and big cats on the other side.
~°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
Inches from
disaster: Edinburgh Zoo Keeper escapes looming giant panda let into enclosure
by mistake
An Edinburgh Zoo
keeper made a last-minute escape after one of the zoo's giant pandas was let
into the enclosure by mistake.
A dramatic picture
has emerged which shows the female staff member fleeing to safety.
The shocking
security lapse in the capital has been blamed on staff shortages by disgruntled
keepers, who claim the worker could have been killed.
Despite their
"cuddly" image, adult giant pandas can be as dangerous as black bears
and there have been several serious attacks on zoo staff and visitors in recent
years.
EU Zoos Directive
drives conservation, education and research
Pages 204-205
Polar bear buddies
hug it out on World Bromance Day
Two polar bears
living in the Highlands appear to have celebrated “World Bromance Day” – with a
bear hug.
Walker and Arktos
have been best friends since being introduced to each other at The Royal
Zoological Society of Scotland Highland Wildlife Park in April 2012.
And the pair seemed
to show off their relationship by getting into the spirit of World Bromance
Day, which takes place six months after Valentine’s Day.
Bali Zoo awarded
Best Conservation Institution in Indonesia 2017
Bali Zoo has been
recognized by the Indonesian government as the best conservation institution in
the country for 2017.
The award was given
to the Bali conservation park by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry last
Thursday in East Java’s Baluran National Park by Darmin Nasution, coordinating
minister for Economic Affairs and Siti Nurbaya Bakar, minister of Environment
and Forestry Indonesia.
While Indonesia is
home to some of the most biological diversity on the planet, the country also
leads the way with some of the most endangered species.
Operating in
Sukawati, Gianyar, Bali Zoo’s motto of “Love. Conserve. Share.” seems to be
what earned it such a major nod from the government.
Active participation
in wildlife conservation apparently set the Bali Zoo apart from other
conservation institutions in Indonesia this year, namely the successful
breeding and routine release of
An Honest Report on
Bali Zoo
Bali zoo http://bali-zoo.com is yet another Bali animal
collection which prices its gate in US dollars. Here it was $20 or 225,000
Indonesian Rupiah. This is no small amount and I half expected to be ripped
off.
I already knew a
little of Bali Zoo having followed links in ZooNews Digest and knew of its
recent association with Peel Zoo in Australia.
On their website
they claim to be the first and only zoo in Bali. Well they may well have been
the first but they are certainly not the only because there is the Bali Bird
Park and the Bali Safari and Marine Park amongst others. I suppose it is the
website designers perception of what is a zoo.
Activists sound
alarm over Russia's whale trade
A young beluga whale
looks down as it is winched in a net onto the deck of a rusty Russian ship
moored at a far-eastern port.
"Don't forget
us, bitch!" shouts one of its captors onboard the ship as the animal is
deposited next to three more belugas and rows of other sea mammals such as
seals.
The grim
footage—aired in a recent Russian documentary—shines a spotlight on a murky and
poorly regulated trade in marine mammals that has made the country the biggest
supplier of some species to aquariums across the globe.
Activists documented
squalid conditions and dead beluga whales being hastily buried as traders
exploited loopholes in legislation to turn a lucrative profit.
"We started
making a film about aquariums, but I couldn't imagine such a huge business
behind them, a huge corrupt system," said Gayane Petrosyan, who directed
the film "Born Free" that premiered earlier this year.
While many countries
around the world are phasing out the use dolphins for entertainment, China's
industry is expanding and Russian animals are its star performers.
"The animals
are treated as a commodity," Petrosyan said.
Loopholes
Officially Russia
has exported 91 live marine mammals—including seals, whales and dolphins—since
the beginning of 2016, 84 of which went to China, according to available
customs figures.
Each year, the
government permits traders to catch about 10 orcas and 150 beluga whales for
zoos and oceanariums, said Dmitry Glazov, deputy chairman of Russia's Marine
Mammal Council of scientists.
Permits for orcas,
which fetch at least a million dollars each, are especially in demand.
While these numbers
may sound low, activists believe the true figure is higher as fishermen abuse
quotas meant to cover animals captured for educational or scientific purposes
to export them commercially.
"If you catch
an orca for education and cultural purposes in Russia and then sell it to China
for those purposes, that's against the law," said lawyer Maxim Krupsky,
who h
ENVIRONMENTAL
ENRICHMENT IN ZOOS AND AQUARIUMS
Hosted by Disney's
Animal Kingdom®
Orlando, FL
March 10 - March 15,
2018
Blue Planet Aquarium
confirms escapee otter Cho is back with her family
Blue Planet Aquarium
has confirmed escapee otter Cho has been recaptured, but is unwilling to
discuss whether more than one otter went missing.
On Friday (August
11) the popular Ellesmere Port attraction asked for the public’s help in
tracking down their fugitive otter which had been spotted at nearby Cheshire
Oaks and even filmed.
Blue Planet Aquarium
has now confirmed that Cho, a female Asian short-clawed otter, was recaptured
over the weekend and reunited with her mate Brian and baby Connie.
Puzzlingly, Cheshire
Police received reports of three otters having escaped last Thursday but
understands one was found in a supermarket car
How to save zoos?
Focus on education, conservation
One of my earlier
memories from my childhood is visiting the Frankfurt zoo in Germany. I watched
several elephants in an indoor enclosure, and while they were huge and
fascinating, it also saddened me to see such magnificent animals in captivity.
I also remember having straw thrown in my face by one of those elephants,
although my parents dispute this.
Now, with my own
children, we visit the Toronto Zoo with all of its animals in more naturalistic
enclosures, and the many educational and conservation programmes and displays.
It’s a different world.
For many, zoos are
central to some of their favourite memories as children. Seeing lions, tigers
and elephants and other less familiar animals, never mind smelling them, can be
a wonderful experience.
But the role of zoos
in society has led to serious discussion about whether zoos should even exist.
A strike earlier this year by workers at the Toronto Zoo had many musing about
whether the zoo should re-open at all. The Toronto Star reported that social
media and emails they received argued “zoos are outdated, inhumane attractions
that should be closed outright, or converted to animal sanctuarie
Hunt for groom on
for Rani Baug's only single penguin
Officials are taking
a special interest in finding a mate for Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Zoo's lone
single penguin from the waddle of seven now living here.
Zoo officials claim
that they are coordinating for one more penguin with Goatrade Farming Co. Ltd.,
the Thailand-based procurement agency that helped the Mumbai zoo acquire the
penguins.
"In case a
penguin died while being in quarantine, a commitment was made by the agency to
replace it," said a senior BMC official. Eight penguins were brought to
Mumbai, however, one died in October 2016, while in quarantine.
Dr Sanjay Tripathi,
Director of Byculla Zoo, informed, "We are constantly reminding the agency
of their promise. They have been assuring us that they are looking for a
Humboldt penguin for Bubble." He said that they were concerned about
Bubble and had sp
Cincinnati Zoo
Scientists’ Study Reveals Red Panda Reproduction Secrets
The Cincinnati Zoo
& Botanical Garden’s red panda care team was not surprised when a red panda
cub was born on June 25, 2017. Thanks to a multi-year research study by the
Zoo’s Center for Conservation and Research of Endangered Wildlife (CREW), the caregivers
knew that mom, Lin, was pregnant, and so they were able to prepare for the
impending birth of this endangered species.
Red pandas are one
of many cold-weather animals that experience delayed implantation during
pregnancy, in which an embryo stops growing and can float around for weeks or
months before attaching to the uterine wall. This results in a two-month window
of potential due dates for all expecting moms. Additionally, non-pregnant
females can experience pseudo-pregnancies: following breeding season, they may
gain weight and build nests, even though no embryos are present. Together,
these two reproductive phenomena make it nearly impossible to diagnose
pregnancy or predict parturition date in this species.
Sun bears, Malayan
tapirs and Asian songbirds get stunning new homes at Chester Zoo
Chester Zoo has
unveiled state-of-the-art new habitats for sun bears, Malayan tapirs and Asian
songbirds.
The world famous zoo
has added the huge new animal habitats to its £40m Islands zone – already the
largest zoological development in the UK – which features animal species native
to South East Asia.
The zoo’s two sun
bears, Milli and Toni, who were rescued from Cambodia after their mothers were
killed by poachers and they were found as mistreated pets, are among the
individual animals with new South East Asian habitats.
http://www.chesterchronicle.co.uk/news/chester-cheshire-news/sun-bears-malayan-tapirs-asian-13451909
Rethinking the Big,
Bad Wolf
Last month the
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife killed its first wolf from the
Smackout pack after deciding that the animals were preying on too many cows in
the state’s Colville National Forest. The state’s action came after its “Wolf
Advisory Group” concluded that “lethal action” was the best way to manage the
pack’s population following a string of attacks on livestock on grazing
allotments in the forest, despite the fact that numerous scientific studies
have proven that livestock predation actually increases when wolves and other
large predator animals are killed.
Almost 5,000 miles
away, across the continental United States and Atlantic Ocean, a similar
situation is playing out in Denmark. There wolves have established a population
for the first time in more than 200 years, thanks to reproductive success in
nearby Germany. As in the western United States, the argument that wolves
should be managed according to science is playing out against livestock-owner
and hunting-industry desires to use lethal measures to stop the animals from
preying on stock and game. It’s a contentious struggle — and one that has its
origins in Europe itself.
“Wolves and other
predator animals have been persecuted in Europe for hundreds of years by
ranchers who want to protect their anima
Latest Newsletter Here
Remake of BBC
children's classic Animal Magic should be axed say campaigners in row over zoo
creatures being given 'misleading' human voices
A BBC remake of the
creature-based television classic Animal Magic in which animals are given
amusing voiceovers, has been branded 'mis-educational' by an animal rights
charity.
CBBC's The Zoo has
been criticised by the Born Free Foundation for 'attributing human voices to
animals and misinterpreting their actions to meet a fabricated narrative'.
Billed as the
'Animal Magic of the 21'st Century', the 15-part series is due to air on Monday
and features real creatures with computer-generated mouths to give a realistic
impression that they are actually talking.
Khao Kheow Open Zoo
unveils Forest of Asia
Khao Kheow Open Zoo has unveiled a new display
zone called Forest of Asia.
In his opening
speech, Director of the Thailand Zoological Park Organization Benchapol
Nakprasert, mentioned the role of Khao Kheow Open Zoo as a model of zoological
management and said that Forest of Asia was expected to raise public awareness
of the importance of wildlife and forest conservation.
The new display zone
offers visitors the opportunity to get a close look at rare wild animals such
as Himalayan marten, black giant squirrel, grey-shanked douc, Siam
Adaptation and
Acceptance
Being in a position
of giving a helping hand with many different species gives me an opportunity to
observe species I never had the chance to observe before, I learn a lot.
Observation is an important part of our day. A Head Trainer told me once do we
really know our animals if we just train them and never observe in free time?
Valid question I thought and Past the message through the departments in our
Zoo.
How do animals
respond to each others behaviour? To different species joining the environment?
To new members being added on the environment? Or even babies that are born or
start to move a lot more?
There is a lot to
learn through looking at the animals we work with especially at moments where
we change the groups around for a little bit. As with people I believe that
animals also have the ability to like some animals better as others what I
think is a normal thing. When animals don’t really like each other for whatever
reason we can make them accept each other what gives both of them the b
Animal cruelty
charges dropped against Marineland
Animal cruelty charges that had been laid
against Marineland were dropped Thursday after prosecutors said there was no
reasonable chance of conviction on most of the 11 counts faced by the Ontario
tourist attraction.
During a brief
hearing in a Niagara Falls, Ont., courtroom, the Crown said it could have
proceeded on three of the charges — which related to failing to comply with
standards of care for a peacock, guinea hens and a red deer — but did not
believe it was in the public interest to do so, citing potential court costs
and a weak case.
Crown attorney
Stephen Galbraith said prosecutors had instead come up with an alternative
solution that included ongoing monitoring of the amusement park and zoo.
“The Crown’s case is
more circumstantial than direct evidence,” Galbraith told the court. “The
photographs and video provided preserves observations, but there was no
independent examination of the animals. The veterinarian’s re
Scientists hope to
breed Asian ‘unicorns’ – if they can find them
In 1996, William
Robichaud spent three weeks with Martha before she died. Robichaud studied
Martha – a beautiful, enigmatic, shy saola – with a scientist’s eye but also
fell under the gracile animal’s spell as she ate out of his hand and allowed
herself to be stroked. Captured by local hunters, Martha spent those final days
in a Laotian village, doted on by Robichaud.
Since losing Martha,
Robichaud has become the coordinator of the Saola Working Group (SWG) at the
International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). He has dedicated his
life to saving this critically endangered species – and believes the best
chance to achieve that now is through a captive breeding programme.
“We need to act
while there is still time,” he said adding that “seldom, if ever” are captive
breeding programs begun too soon for species on the edge.
“More likely, too
late.”
We just found the
saola – and now we’re very close to losing it forever.
Discovery
Hardly a household
name, the saola was one of the most astounding biological discoveries of the
20th Century. In 1992, a group of scientists met a local hunter in Vietnam who
gave them a skull of something no
UK named as world's
largest legal ivory exporter
Britain was the
world’s largest exporter of legal ivory between 2010 and 2015, a breakdown of
records held by the Convention on international trade in endangered species
(Cites) has revealed.
Not only did the UK
export more ivory than anyone else to Hong Kong and China – which are
considered smuggling hubs for “blood ivory” - it also sold on 370% more ivory
than the next highest exporter, the USA.
The new trade
analysis, which is being released ahead of World Elephant Day on Saturday, will
embarrass the government, after a call by Boris Johnson for “an all out ban” on
ivory exports last month.
Mary Rice, the
executive director of the Environmental Investigations Agency which carried out
the research said: “UK ivory exports are stimulating consumer demand globally,
especially in Hong Kong and China, two of the world’s largest markets for both
legal and illegal ivory.
Proper paperwork
puts penguins on path to Portugal
Twenty penguins from
a coastal zoo in Devon have been sent to a new home in Portugal to help with
the conservation of their species.
Living Coasts in
Torquay has sent the penguins to Parque Zoologico de Lagos. The birds travelled
by road in a temperature-controlled van, taking a ferry across the Channel
before being driven on to the Algarve, a total journey of 1,700 miles.
The group – two
breeding pairs and a collection of younger birds – is starting a new colony.
Clare Rugg, Living Coasts operations manager/curator, said: "They arrived
and all went for a swim. They seem to be fine after their journey."
Paulo Figueiras, the
curator of Parque Zoologico de Lagos, said: "I am so excited, they are
lovely birds. They will be a success at our zoo. When they arrived, they spent
so long in the water… they go in the pool a lot. Thank you so much."
Like anyone going
overseas this summer – they all had to have their travel documents in order.
Zoological
collections don't buy and sell animals – they loan, donate or swap. And, as
awe-inspiring and exciting as nature is, the conservation of species is a
serious world of acronyms, committees and computer spreadsheets.
A pox on their
squirrels: German scientists find new virus
Scientists in
Germany have identified a new type of pox virus that's sickening young red
squirrels in Berlin.
Tanya Lenn, who
works at a local squirrel sanctuary, had noticed juvenile animals with severely
inflamed hands and feet.
Lenn says: "The
little squirrels cannot keep hold of anything because their tiny fingers are
sticking together. The wounds are so painful that some animals die in
shock."
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/ap/article-4778794/A-pox-squirrels-German-scientists-new-virus.html
Chinese tourist
agencies to stop promoting elephant shows, rides
Three major Chinese
travel agencies have pledged to stop offering elephant rides and shows over
animal welfare concerns, a first in China according to one organization.
CAISSA Touristic,
Zannadu and Faxian Trip are the first agencies in China to phase out elephant
tourism from their offerings, Zheng Yu, an employee with World Animal
Protection told thepaper.cn.
Zheng said the
Chinese agencies join more than 160 travel agencies worldwide committed to
keeping elephant-based entertainment off their itineraries.
Most of the
activities are offered to tourists in South Asia, in countries including India,
Sir Lanka and Nepal, thepaper.cn reported on Thursday.
About 100,000
visitors choose CAISSA Touristic to experience elephants rides every year, said
Ge Mu, the company's deputy CEO.
Faxian Trip has
already stopped offerin
Toby Nainan: The
zookeeper who handled fighting hyenas, cuddly tigers and an anxious Rajiv
Gandhi
On a rainy evening
in July, 78-year-old Toby Nainan sat by his window recalling the day he caught
a snake at his neighbour’s house. He looks for a picture on his phone and after
some confused swiping, retrieves one from WhatsApp. In the photograph, Nainan
has a firm grip on a snake’s mouth with his left hand. Zooming closer, he
reveals his missing index finger. That one was lost while separating two
fighting hyenas, he adds. The hyena episode also left him with a deep scar
above his right ankle.
The table in
Nainan’s drawing room was adorned with two large, emerald green emu eggs and
coasters from the zoo in Algiers, both gifts from his travels. Much like the
scars on his body, each of the objects in the room had a story that related to
his time as the curator of the Delhi Zoo.
The future of zoos:
A focus on education and conservation
One of my earlier
memories from my childhood is visiting the Frankfurt zoo in Germany. I watched
several elephants in an indoor enclosure, and while they were huge and
fascinating, it also saddened me to see such magnificent animals in captivity.
I also remember having straw thrown in my face by one of those elephants,
although my parents dispute this.
Now, with my own
children, we visit the Toronto Zoo with all of its animals in more naturalistic
enclosures, and the many educational and conservation programs and displays.
It’s a different world.
For many, zoos are
central to some of their favourite memories as children. Seeing lions, tigers
and elephants and other less familiar animals, never mind smelling them, can be
a wonderful experience.
But the role of zoos
in society has led to serious discussion about whether zoos should even exist.
A strike earlier this year by workers at the Toronto Zoo had many musing about
whether the zoo should re-open at all. The Toronto Star reported that social
media and emails they received argued “zoos are outdated, inhumane attractions
that should be closed outright, or converted to animal sanctuaries.”
That’s a widespread
sentiment, manifested in part by t
Activists call for
whale refuges, but can they stay afloat?
A Hawaii marine
park’s purchase of Kina, a 40-year-old false killer whale long used in
echolocation research, has reignited a debate about captive marine mammals and
the places that care for them.
Most of the world’s
captive cetaceans – dolphins, whales and porpoises – are now born in
marine-park breeding programs, though some are still taken from the wild. Since
they’re so expensive to care for, even marine mammals used solely for research,
like Kina, often end up at attractions like Oahu’s Sea Life Park.
Animal-rights
activists are calling for the creation of ocean-based refuges, where they say
captive marine animals could retire and live a life closer to nature. At least
two groups already are working to create such sanctuaries, but experts question
whether they can stay afloat.
A closer look at the
discussion:
Portrait of a
Nation: Expert coaxed out of retirement to welcome wild animals to Dubai
With a lifetime of
experience behind him, Timothy Husband was settling into retirement when the
lure of helping captive wild animals at a new venture in Dubai pulled him back
to work.
The animals at the
closing Dubai Zoo had an uncertain future and, as an expert on exotic animals
and as a trouble-shooter for failing zoos around the world, he knew he could
assist in the setting up of Dubai Safari.
The New Zealander’s
expertise in turning round poorly run wildlife parks was viewed as a key asset
when he was approached by UAE authorities to take on the project, due to open
in November.
Mr Husband, who
studied a degree in zoology at Sydney University, has worked in zoos and safari
parks in Canberra, Cairns, Bali and elsewhere in Indonesia before moving to the
UAE with
Learning the rules
of the rock–paper–scissors game: chimpanzees versus children
The present study
aimed to investigate whether chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) could learn a
transverse pattern by being trained in the rules of the rock–paper–scissors
game in which “paper” beats “rock,” “rock” beats “scissors,” and “scissors”
beats “paper.” Additionally, this study compared the learning processes between
chimpanzees and children. Seven chimpanzees were tested using a
computer-controlled task. They were trained to choose the stronger of two
options according to the game rules. The chimpanzees first engaged in the
paper–rock sessions until they reached the learning criterion. Subsequently,
they engaged in the rock–scissors and scissors–paper sessions, before
progressing to sessions with all three pairs mixed. Five of the seven
chimpanzees completed training after a mean of 307 sessions, which indicates
that they learned the circular pattern. The chimpanzees required more
scissors–paper sessions (14.29 ± 6.89), the third learnt pair, than pap
The biggest condor
recovery milestone yet: a second-generation wild-born condor.
Miracle and Nomad
have made history.
Ventana Wildlife
Society biologists discovered July 6 that Condor 538 (Miracle) and Condor 574
(Nomad), both of whom were born in the wild, made a nest together this year in
southern Big Sur. It is the first known nest of wild-born California condors in
the state since 1985.
But that’s not all:
They have a chick in their nest, the first second-generation wild-born condor
in decades
The BIG LIE about
lion trophy hunting
So often we hear
from the pro-hunting lobby that by killing free roaming lions, trophy hunters
are actually saving lions.
Well, if my aunt had
balls she’d be my uncle.
That term
“sustainable offtake” often creeps into the justification. The trophy hunting
of free roaming lions is about as sustainable as putting ice cubes in a mug of
steaming coffee. Let’s dig deeper into this issue of sustainable, shall we?
Syndicate smuggling
pangolin scales to Malaysia busted
Authorities in Ghana
have arrested three agents from a syndicate behind the smuggling of US$1.2
million (RM5.14 million) worth of prohibited pangolin scales from the west
African country to Malaysia in June.
They were said to
have initially evaded detection by labelling the packaging of the goods in 16
boxes, weighing a total of 400kg, as “oyster shells”.
Graphic Online, an
Accra-based news portal, reported on Saturday that the trio – shipping agents
Prosper Kumako and Prince Anim, and exporter Robert Konu – were picked up in
the capital city on July 27 and 29 through a paper trail for the illegal export
during investigations.
It quoted Nana Kofi
Adu-Nsiah, executive director of
French farmers
demand action against wolves killing livestock
Hundreds of farmers,
shepherds and politicians rallied in Aveyron, southern France, on Saturday
calling for action to halt the slaughter of livestock by packs of wolves.
The demonstrators
gathered more than 3,000 sheep, about a hundred cattle and a few horses in a
field to represent the number of animals killed by wolves in France in recent
months.
How To Leverage
Education Value To Increase Visitation to Cultural Organizations (DATA)
Providing an
educational experience helps visitor-serving organizations increase visitation
– but not necessarily in the way that they might suspect.
This week, I would
like to underscore an opportunity – and that opportunity is for cultural
organizations (i.e. museums, zoos, aquariums, gardens, performing arts
organizations, etc.) to successfully leverage their education value…by
increasing their entertainment value.
Who said that they
were at-odds in the first place?
These data do not
represent a “win” for education in the infamous, ugly, and ongoing “education
vs. entertainment” debate that still ra
Living blanket,
water diviner, wild pet: a cultural history of the dingo
In traditional
Aboriginal society, women travelled with canine companions draped around their
waists like garments of clothing. Dingoes played an important role in the
protection and mobility of the women and children, and are believed to have
greatly extended women’s contribution to the traditional economy and food
supply.
Dingo pups were
taken from the wild when very young. The pups were a highly valued ritual food
source, while others were adopted into human society. They grew up in the
company of women and children, providing an effective hunting aid, a living
blanket and guarding against intruders.
Nursing young dingo
pups was also deeply embedded in traditional customs. Interspecies
breastfeeding of mammalian young was common in most human societies
pre-industrialisation, historically providing the only safe way to ensure the
survival of motherless mammalian young. Technological advances in milk
pasteurisation made artificial feeding a viable alternative by the late 1800s.
Cohabitation with
human society represented a transient phase of the dingo’s lifecycle: the pups
generally returned to the wild once mature (at one or two years of age) to
breed. As such, dingoes maintained the dual roles of human companion and
top-order predator – retaining their independent and essentially wild nature
over thousands of years.
Regulating Costa
Rica Zoos and Rescue Centers
New genetic analyses
help scientists rethink the elephant family tree
The first DNA
analysis of ancient straight-tusked elephant fossils may be changing what we
know about elephant evolution. A new study shows that African forest elephants
are more closely related to a now-extinct ancestor than they are to African
savanna elephants, according to a report in the online journal, Mongabay.
Elephant dung shows
stress levels
Asian elephant
stress levels peak during dry seasons, when resources are low. This is what
studying leftover hormones in elephant poop unravels. The method could be an
important non-invasive tool to study the health of wild pachyderm populations
in India, finds a new study. In the future, it could also help test the
efficacy of management interventions introduced to conserve the endangered
species.
With shrinking
habitats, India's endangered elephants face food shortages and increased
disturbances in their environments. The resulting physiological stress (a
result of secretion of stress hormones such as glucocorticoids) can be
beneficial for elephants, helping them escape from threats. However, if
prolonged, the stress can affect their health, reproduction and even survival.
Stress levels are often high in emaciated pachyderms: so can hormones – traces
of which come through in elephant dung – be an indicator of elephant health?
Scientists at the
Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, examined changes in visual body
condition scores of 261 elephants in the Mysuru and Nilgiri elephant reserves
in south India during wet and dry seasons, scoring their ‘body condition’ on a
scale of one (for very thin pa
Naka Foundation:
Changing the Narrative for Captive Elephants
We in Thailand have
long taken elephants for granted. They have always just been ‘there’, taking
our kings into battle through history, sung about in nursery rhymes, seen
begging on the streets and as a tourist magnet. Elephants have lived amongst us
and with us for so many generations that today’s trend to ‘free’ elephants,
calling for a return to the wild, can be quite bewildering to we Thais.
Just over a century
ago Thailand was home to over 100,000 wild elephant, today that number has
dwindled to around 3,000. However, thousands more live in captivity alongside
man in elephant camps and sanctuaries. This is cause for much debate amongst
experts and profiteers, animal rights groups and owners.
CityNews talks to
Carmen Rademaker, Founder of Na
Farmers offered free
llamas to protect sheep from wild lynx
Farmers could be
offered free llamas as bodyguards to protect their sheep from wild lynx, which
conservationists are hoping to reintroduce to Britain.
The Lynx Trust has
applied to Natural England for permission to release Eurasian lynx into Kielder
Forest in England and also want to rewild the animals in the Scottish
Highlands.
But farmers are
opposing the plans, claiming lynx will kill sheep and lambs.
New grass snake
discovered in the UK
A new type of snake
has been discovered in the UK, bringing the total number of species to four.
Scientists say the
barred grass snake, Natrix helvetica, is actually a different species to the
common or eastern grass snake, Natrix natrix.
Before, it was
thought the grass snake was one species with several subspecies that looked
slightly different.
The others native to
the UK are the smooth snake and the adder, which is venomous.
Grass snakes are a
protected species under the Wildlife and Countryside Act so it is a criminal
offence to injure or kill them.
Both types of grass
snake are normally found in lowland regions in the south of England. The snakes
can be more than a metre (3ft) long, are found near water and eat mainly
amphibians like frogs and newts.
The newly
distinguished barred grass snake is grey, not olive green like the N. natrix
and does not have the same bright
Latest Newsletter Here
Remake of BBC
children's classic Animal Magic should be axed say campaigners in row over zoo
creatures being given 'misleading' human voices
A BBC remake of the
creature-based television classic Animal Magic in which animals are given
amusing voiceovers, has been branded 'mis-educational' by an animal rights
charity.
CBBC's The Zoo has
been criticised by the Born Free Foundation for 'attributing human voices to
animals and misinterpreting their actions to meet a fabricated narrative'.
Billed as the
'Animal Magic of the 21'st Century', the 15-part series is due to air on Monday
and features real creatures with computer-generated mouths to give a realistic
impression that they are actually talking.
Khao Kheow Open Zoo
unveils Forest of Asia
Khao Kheow Open Zoo has unveiled a new display
zone called Forest of Asia.
In his opening
speech, Director of the Thailand Zoological Park Organization Benchapol
Nakprasert, mentioned the role of Khao Kheow Open Zoo as a model of zoological
management and said that Forest of Asia was expected to raise public awareness
of the importance of wildlife and forest conservation.
The new display zone
offers visitors the opportunity to get a close look at rare wild animals such
as Himalayan marten, black giant squirrel, grey-shanked douc, Siam
Adaptation and
Acceptance
Being in a position
of giving a helping hand with many different species gives me an opportunity to
observe species I never had the chance to observe before, I learn a lot.
Observation is an important part of our day. A Head Trainer told me once do we
really know our animals if we just train them and never observe in free time?
Valid question I thought and Past the message through the departments in our
Zoo.
How do animals
respond to each others behaviour? To different species joining the environment?
To new members being added on the environment? Or even babies that are born or
start to move a lot more?
There is a lot to
learn through looking at the animals we work with especially at moments where
we change the groups around for a little bit. As with people I believe that
animals also have the ability to like some animals better as others what I
think is a normal thing. When animals don’t really like each other for whatever
reason we can make them accept each other what gives both of them the b
Animal cruelty
charges dropped against Marineland
Animal cruelty charges that had been laid
against Marineland were dropped Thursday after prosecutors said there was no
reasonable chance of conviction on most of the 11 counts faced by the Ontario
tourist attraction.
During a brief
hearing in a Niagara Falls, Ont., courtroom, the Crown said it could have
proceeded on three of the charges — which related to failing to comply with
standards of care for a peacock, guinea hens and a red deer — but did not
believe it was in the public interest to do so, citing potential court costs
and a weak case.
Crown attorney
Stephen Galbraith said prosecutors had instead come up with an alternative
solution that included ongoing monitoring of the amusement park and zoo.
“The Crown’s case is
more circumstantial than direct evidence,” Galbraith told the court. “The
photographs and video provided preserves observations, but there was no
independent examination of the animals. The veterinarian’s re
Scientists hope to
breed Asian ‘unicorns’ – if they can find them
In 1996, William
Robichaud spent three weeks with Martha before she died. Robichaud studied
Martha – a beautiful, enigmatic, shy saola – with a scientist’s eye but also
fell under the gracile animal’s spell as she ate out of his hand and allowed
herself to be stroked. Captured by local hunters, Martha spent those final days
in a Laotian village, doted on by Robichaud.
Since losing Martha,
Robichaud has become the coordinator of the Saola Working Group (SWG) at the
International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). He has dedicated his
life to saving this critically endangered species – and believes the best
chance to achieve that now is through a captive breeding programme.
“We need to act
while there is still time,” he said adding that “seldom, if ever” are captive
breeding programs begun too soon for species on the edge.
“More likely, too
late.”
We just found the
saola – and now we’re very close to losing it forever.
Discovery
Hardly a household
name, the saola was one of the most astounding biological discoveries of the
20th Century. In 1992, a group of scientists met a local hunter in Vietnam who
gave them a skull of something no
UK named as world's
largest legal ivory exporter
Britain was the
world’s largest exporter of legal ivory between 2010 and 2015, a breakdown of
records held by the Convention on international trade in endangered species
(Cites) has revealed.
Not only did the UK
export more ivory than anyone else to Hong Kong and China – which are
considered smuggling hubs for “blood ivory” - it also sold on 370% more ivory
than the next highest exporter, the USA.
The new trade
analysis, which is being released ahead of World Elephant Day on Saturday, will
embarrass the government, after a call by Boris Johnson for “an all out ban” on
ivory exports last month.
Mary Rice, the
executive director of the Environmental Investigations Agency which carried out
the research said: “UK ivory exports are stimulating consumer demand globally,
especially in Hong Kong and China, two of the world’s largest markets for both
legal and illegal ivory.
Proper paperwork
puts penguins on path to Portugal
Twenty penguins from
a coastal zoo in Devon have been sent to a new home in Portugal to help with
the conservation of their species.
Living Coasts in
Torquay has sent the penguins to Parque Zoologico de Lagos. The birds travelled
by road in a temperature-controlled van, taking a ferry across the Channel
before being driven on to the Algarve, a total journey of 1,700 miles.
The group – two
breeding pairs and a collection of younger birds – is starting a new colony.
Clare Rugg, Living Coasts operations manager/curator, said: "They arrived
and all went for a swim. They seem to be fine after their journey."
Paulo Figueiras, the
curator of Parque Zoologico de Lagos, said: "I am so excited, they are
lovely birds. They will be a success at our zoo. When they arrived, they spent
so long in the water… they go in the pool a lot. Thank you so much."
Like anyone going
overseas this summer – they all had to have their travel documents in order.
Zoological
collections don't buy and sell animals – they loan, donate or swap. And, as
awe-inspiring and exciting as nature is, the conservation of species is a
serious world of acronyms, committees and computer spreadsheets.
A pox on their
squirrels: German scientists find new virus
Scientists in
Germany have identified a new type of pox virus that's sickening young red
squirrels in Berlin.
Tanya Lenn, who
works at a local squirrel sanctuary, had noticed juvenile animals with severely
inflamed hands and feet.
Lenn says: "The
little squirrels cannot keep hold of anything because their tiny fingers are
sticking together. The wounds are so painful that some animals die in
shock."
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/ap/article-4778794/A-pox-squirrels-German-scientists-new-virus.html
Chinese tourist
agencies to stop promoting elephant shows, rides
Three major Chinese
travel agencies have pledged to stop offering elephant rides and shows over
animal welfare concerns, a first in China according to one organization.
CAISSA Touristic,
Zannadu and Faxian Trip are the first agencies in China to phase out elephant
tourism from their offerings, Zheng Yu, an employee with World Animal
Protection told thepaper.cn.
Zheng said the
Chinese agencies join more than 160 travel agencies worldwide committed to
keeping elephant-based entertainment off their itineraries.
Most of the
activities are offered to tourists in South Asia, in countries including India,
Sir Lanka and Nepal, thepaper.cn reported on Thursday.
About 100,000
visitors choose CAISSA Touristic to experience elephants rides every year, said
Ge Mu, the company's deputy CEO.
Faxian Trip has
already stopped offerin
Toby Nainan: The
zookeeper who handled fighting hyenas, cuddly tigers and an anxious Rajiv
Gandhi
On a rainy evening
in July, 78-year-old Toby Nainan sat by his window recalling the day he caught
a snake at his neighbour’s house. He looks for a picture on his phone and after
some confused swiping, retrieves one from WhatsApp. In the photograph, Nainan
has a firm grip on a snake’s mouth with his left hand. Zooming closer, he
reveals his missing index finger. That one was lost while separating two
fighting hyenas, he adds. The hyena episode also left him with a deep scar
above his right ankle.
The table in
Nainan’s drawing room was adorned with two large, emerald green emu eggs and
coasters from the zoo in Algiers, both gifts from his travels. Much like the
scars on his body, each of the objects in the room had a story that related to
his time as the curator of the Delhi Zoo.
The future of zoos:
A focus on education and conservation
One of my earlier
memories from my childhood is visiting the Frankfurt zoo in Germany. I watched
several elephants in an indoor enclosure, and while they were huge and
fascinating, it also saddened me to see such magnificent animals in captivity.
I also remember having straw thrown in my face by one of those elephants,
although my parents dispute this.
Now, with my own
children, we visit the Toronto Zoo with all of its animals in more naturalistic
enclosures, and the many educational and conservation programs and displays.
It’s a different world.
For many, zoos are
central to some of their favourite memories as children. Seeing lions, tigers
and elephants and other less familiar animals, never mind smelling them, can be
a wonderful experience.
But the role of zoos
in society has led to serious discussion about whether zoos should even exist.
A strike earlier this year by workers at the Toronto Zoo had many musing about
whether the zoo should re-open at all. The Toronto Star reported that social
media and emails they received argued “zoos are outdated, inhumane attractions
that should be closed outright, or converted to animal sanctuaries.”
That’s a widespread
sentiment, manifested in part by t
Activists call for
whale refuges, but can they stay afloat?
A Hawaii marine
park’s purchase of Kina, a 40-year-old false killer whale long used in
echolocation research, has reignited a debate about captive marine mammals and
the places that care for them.
Most of the world’s
captive cetaceans – dolphins, whales and porpoises – are now born in
marine-park breeding programs, though some are still taken from the wild. Since
they’re so expensive to care for, even marine mammals used solely for research,
like Kina, often end up at attractions like Oahu’s Sea Life Park.
Animal-rights
activists are calling for the creation of ocean-based refuges, where they say
captive marine animals could retire and live a life closer to nature. At least
two groups already are working to create such sanctuaries, but experts question
whether they can stay afloat.
A closer look at the
discussion:
Portrait of a
Nation: Expert coaxed out of retirement to welcome wild animals to Dubai
With a lifetime of
experience behind him, Timothy Husband was settling into retirement when the
lure of helping captive wild animals at a new venture in Dubai pulled him back
to work.
The animals at the
closing Dubai Zoo had an uncertain future and, as an expert on exotic animals
and as a trouble-shooter for failing zoos around the world, he knew he could
assist in the setting up of Dubai Safari.
The New Zealander’s
expertise in turning round poorly run wildlife parks was viewed as a key asset
when he was approached by UAE authorities to take on the project, due to open
in November.
Mr Husband, who
studied a degree in zoology at Sydney University, has worked in zoos and safari
parks in Canberra, Cairns, Bali and elsewhere in Indonesia before moving to the
UAE with
Learning the rules
of the rock–paper–scissors game: chimpanzees versus children
The present study
aimed to investigate whether chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) could learn a
transverse pattern by being trained in the rules of the rock–paper–scissors
game in which “paper” beats “rock,” “rock” beats “scissors,” and “scissors”
beats “paper.” Additionally, this study compared the learning processes between
chimpanzees and children. Seven chimpanzees were tested using a
computer-controlled task. They were trained to choose the stronger of two
options according to the game rules. The chimpanzees first engaged in the
paper–rock sessions until they reached the learning criterion. Subsequently,
they engaged in the rock–scissors and scissors–paper sessions, before
progressing to sessions with all three pairs mixed. Five of the seven
chimpanzees completed training after a mean of 307 sessions, which indicates
that they learned the circular pattern. The chimpanzees required more
scissors–paper sessions (14.29 ± 6.89), the third learnt pair, than pap
The biggest condor
recovery milestone yet: a second-generation wild-born condor.
Miracle and Nomad
have made history.
Ventana Wildlife
Society biologists discovered July 6 that Condor 538 (Miracle) and Condor 574
(Nomad), both of whom were born in the wild, made a nest together this year in
southern Big Sur. It is the first known nest of wild-born California condors in
the state since 1985.
But that’s not all:
They have a chick in their nest, the first second-generation wild-born condor
in decades
The BIG LIE about
lion trophy hunting
So often we hear
from the pro-hunting lobby that by killing free roaming lions, trophy hunters
are actually saving lions.
Well, if my aunt had
balls she’d be my uncle.
That term
“sustainable offtake” often creeps into the justification. The trophy hunting
of free roaming lions is about as sustainable as putting ice cubes in a mug of
steaming coffee. Let’s dig deeper into this issue of sustainable, shall we?
Syndicate smuggling
pangolin scales to Malaysia busted
Authorities in Ghana
have arrested three agents from a syndicate behind the smuggling of US$1.2
million (RM5.14 million) worth of prohibited pangolin scales from the west
African country to Malaysia in June.
They were said to
have initially evaded detection by labelling the packaging of the goods in 16
boxes, weighing a total of 400kg, as “oyster shells”.
Graphic Online, an
Accra-based news portal, reported on Saturday that the trio – shipping agents
Prosper Kumako and Prince Anim, and exporter Robert Konu – were picked up in
the capital city on July 27 and 29 through a paper trail for the illegal export
during investigations.
It quoted Nana Kofi
Adu-Nsiah, executive director of
French farmers
demand action against wolves killing livestock
Hundreds of farmers,
shepherds and politicians rallied in Aveyron, southern France, on Saturday
calling for action to halt the slaughter of livestock by packs of wolves.
The demonstrators
gathered more than 3,000 sheep, about a hundred cattle and a few horses in a
field to represent the number of animals killed by wolves in France in recent
months.
How To Leverage
Education Value To Increase Visitation to Cultural Organizations (DATA)
Providing an
educational experience helps visitor-serving organizations increase visitation
– but not necessarily in the way that they might suspect.
This week, I would
like to underscore an opportunity – and that opportunity is for cultural
organizations (i.e. museums, zoos, aquariums, gardens, performing arts
organizations, etc.) to successfully leverage their education value…by
increasing their entertainment value.
Who said that they
were at-odds in the first place?
These data do not
represent a “win” for education in the infamous, ugly, and ongoing “education
vs. entertainment” debate that still ra
Living blanket,
water diviner, wild pet: a cultural history of the dingo
In traditional
Aboriginal society, women travelled with canine companions draped around their
waists like garments of clothing. Dingoes played an important role in the
protection and mobility of the women and children, and are believed to have
greatly extended women’s contribution to the traditional economy and food
supply.
Dingo pups were
taken from the wild when very young. The pups were a highly valued ritual food
source, while others were adopted into human society. They grew up in the
company of women and children, providing an effective hunting aid, a living
blanket and guarding against intruders.
Nursing young dingo
pups was also deeply embedded in traditional customs. Interspecies
breastfeeding of mammalian young was common in most human societies
pre-industrialisation, historically providing the only safe way to ensure the
survival of motherless mammalian young. Technological advances in milk
pasteurisation made artificial feeding a viable alternative by the late 1800s.
Cohabitation with
human society represented a transient phase of the dingo’s lifecycle: the pups
generally returned to the wild once mature (at one or two years of age) to
breed. As such, dingoes maintained the dual roles of human companion and
top-order predator – retaining their independent and essentially wild nature
over thousands of years.
Regulating Costa
Rica Zoos and Rescue Centers
New genetic analyses
help scientists rethink the elephant family tree
The first DNA
analysis of ancient straight-tusked elephant fossils may be changing what we
know about elephant evolution. A new study shows that African forest elephants
are more closely related to a now-extinct ancestor than they are to African
savanna elephants, according to a report in the online journal, Mongabay.
Elephant dung shows
stress levels
Asian elephant
stress levels peak during dry seasons, when resources are low. This is what
studying leftover hormones in elephant poop unravels. The method could be an
important non-invasive tool to study the health of wild pachyderm populations
in India, finds a new study. In the future, it could also help test the
efficacy of management interventions introduced to conserve the endangered
species.
With shrinking
habitats, India's endangered elephants face food shortages and increased
disturbances in their environments. The resulting physiological stress (a
result of secretion of stress hormones such as glucocorticoids) can be
beneficial for elephants, helping them escape from threats. However, if
prolonged, the stress can affect their health, reproduction and even survival.
Stress levels are often high in emaciated pachyderms: so can hormones – traces
of which come through in elephant dung – be an indicator of elephant health?
Scientists at the
Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, examined changes in visual body
condition scores of 261 elephants in the Mysuru and Nilgiri elephant reserves
in south India during wet and dry seasons, scoring their ‘body condition’ on a
scale of one (for very thin pa
Naka Foundation:
Changing the Narrative for Captive Elephants
We in Thailand have
long taken elephants for granted. They have always just been ‘there’, taking
our kings into battle through history, sung about in nursery rhymes, seen
begging on the streets and as a tourist magnet. Elephants have lived amongst us
and with us for so many generations that today’s trend to ‘free’ elephants,
calling for a return to the wild, can be quite bewildering to we Thais.
Just over a century
ago Thailand was home to over 100,000 wild elephant, today that number has
dwindled to around 3,000. However, thousands more live in captivity alongside
man in elephant camps and sanctuaries. This is cause for much debate amongst
experts and profiteers, animal rights groups and owners.
CityNews talks to
Carmen Rademaker, Founder of Na
Farmers offered free
llamas to protect sheep from wild lynx
Farmers could be
offered free llamas as bodyguards to protect their sheep from wild lynx, which
conservationists are hoping to reintroduce to Britain.
The Lynx Trust has
applied to Natural England for permission to release Eurasian lynx into Kielder
Forest in England and also want to rewild the animals in the Scottish
Highlands.
But farmers are
opposing the plans, claiming lynx will kill sheep and lambs.
New grass snake
discovered in the UK
A new type of snake
has been discovered in the UK, bringing the total number of species to four.
Scientists say the
barred grass snake, Natrix helvetica, is actually a different species to the
common or eastern grass snake, Natrix natrix.
Before, it was
thought the grass snake was one species with several subspecies that looked
slightly different.
The others native to
the UK are the smooth snake and the adder, which is venomous.
Grass snakes are a
protected species under the Wildlife and Countryside Act so it is a criminal
offence to injure or kill them.
Both types of grass
snake are normally found in lowland regions in the south of England. The snakes
can be more than a metre (3ft) long, are found near water and eat mainly
amphibians like frogs and newts.
The newly
distinguished barred grass snake is grey, not olive green like the N. natrix
and does not have the same bright
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New Meetings and Conferences updated Here
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 49 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 many more before 'hitting the road' 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 independent international 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, an introvert, 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
Independent International Zoo Consultant        |
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