Peter Dickinson
elvinhow@gmail.com
Dear Colleague,
“Can you influence zoos which are not members of
WAZA? Can you as an industry association help lift up the poor quality ones,
and blow the whistle on the really bad ones, to help to close them down, find
alternative homes for their animals?” This is a challenge posed by the CITES
Secretary General to WAZA, the global zoos and aquarium association. John E. Scanlon
"Bad Zoos are used to launder animals and bring all
zoos down. You must address and shut them down or all zoos will suffer"
Dan Ashe
Less than 10 percent of (US) zoos and aquariums
"are able to meet our (AZA) standards," Vernon said. "Our
standards are much higher," than governmental requirements. - Rob Vernon
As you are aware
this is the message I have been trying to get out there for what seems forever
now. Unless the Good Zoos name, shame and get the Bad Dysfunctional Zoos closed
down we are all going to be tarred with the same dirty brush. I am delighted that
more people are saying it….it seems like we are getting somewhere.
This should not be
seen as an attack on some of the excellent staff working within the bad zoos
but on the bad zoos themselves and their raison d'être. Nor within the US (who
so often take offence) with every ZAA collection…just some. Consider this and then
ask yourself why. Any AZA collection would sail through a ZAA inspection but
only a few ZAA collections would pass an AZA inspection. Forget the money, yes
it is important but it is more about the raison d'être. WAZA too. They really
need to start 'influencing' some of their members. I don't hold with this 'It's
not Europe or the US' way of looking at things or "Give it time".
There has been more than enough time. There are animals suffering daily whilst
zoos are given time. It is not on. Some of the statements I see put out causes
the bile to rise to the back of my throat.
Lot's of interesting
links in this edition and I could comment on most but am choosing the "Zoo could do with a ‘pied piper’" because
rat problems are something which every zoo appears to suffer to some degree or
another. I visit zoos during the day and if I don't actually spot a rat then I
see signs of them. I recall seeing a feed truck passing through a zoo being
followed by a wave of rats. They are great survivors and difficult to keep
down. Then I am reminded of the Welsh Mountain Zoo. It has never had a rat
problem. In twenty years I only ever saw two rats (perhaps the same one twice)
and were never seen again. I often thought about why and the only thing I could
think of was the Aesculapian
Snake.
*********
Did You Know?
ZooNews Digest has over 61,000 Followers on Facebook( and over 62,000 likes) 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,
********
*****
***
**
*
CITES calls on zoos
and aquariums to support wildlife trade controls and to join the fight against
wildlife trafficking
At the annual
conference of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA), the largest
gathering of the zoos and aquariums from around the world, CITES
Secretary-General John Scanlon calls on zoos and aquariums to better support
the CITES trade regulation regime and to join the fight against illegal trade
in wildlife.
Zoos and aquariums,
exhibiting a wide a variety of animals, are often involved in international
movements of and trade in wild and captive bred animals, many of which are
protected under CITES. These include for example elephants, lions, primates,
tigers, parrots, birds of prey, flamingos, crocodiles, pythons, frogs, corals,
manta rays and sharks. This explains why a Memorandum of Understanding between
CITES and WAZA was signed in 2011.
In his presentation,
Mr. Scanlon said that zoos and aquariums can play an even more active role in
supporting CITES in regulating trade in wildlife. In particular, the expertise
of zoos and aquariums in conservation, animal welfare, education and outreach,
which is of direct relevance to CITES, can be drawn upon more effectively in
supporting the Convention.
“Can you influence
zoos which are not members of WAZA? Can you as an industry association help
lift up the poor quality ones, and blow the whistle on the really bad ones, to
help to close them down, find alternative homes for their animals?” This is a
challenge posed by the CITES Secretary General to WAZA, the global zoos and
aquarium association.
“We all want to be
able to enjoy wildlife for generations to come and you all have a role to play
here. There are many threats to wildlife and the most immediate threat to many
species is coming from the illegal trade in wildlife. We need ‘all hands on deck’
if we are going to win this fight and we must win it in quick time”, concluded
Scanlon.
"The world's
leading zoos and aquariums welcome the opportunity to align our priorities more
closely with CITES," said WAZA President Jenny Gray. "WAZA and its
members realize we can play a central role in the battle against the illegal trade
in wildlife -- in fact, we have no choice : it is something we must do. Our
expertise is nee
https://cites.org/eng/news/pr/CITES_calls_on_zoos_aquariums_support_wildlife_trade_controls_18102017
What happens to
Seneca Park Zoo animals after they die?
It seems like a
simple enough question. What happens to animals that die at the Seneca Park
Zoo?
Turns out that
answer depends on the answer to another question: Can the animal continue
contributing to science?
Larry Sorel, zoo
director, said the animals are honored, then assessed to see if they can
contribute to the continued survival of their species.
After death, a
necropsy, or animal autopsy, is performed on all animals. Experts determine the
cause of death and look for any abnormalities to help determine if other
animals in the same habitat could experience a similar death. The evaluation
also looks to see if the program of care provided was accurate.
"Sometimes the
only way you learn about an ani
Linguistics in
Aviculture - Updating for the times?
This post is not
directly related to aviculture and could indeed be applied to any discipline
involving wild animals in captivity. Wild animals in "captivity"
being the issue being discussed here.
Just to outline for
anyone looking forward to an ethical lecture, this certainly isn't one and the
aim here is to look briefly at the linguistics of aviculture, not the ethics
themselves.
OK... If you are
certain you want to go with this then lets crack on...
The ethics of
keeping animals in captivity is a minefield for anyone not initiated in animal
cognition, welfare an perception. This can be particularly tricky with birds as
they behave and perceive the world quite differently to mammals and most other
taxa in fact. It's also important that we remember that like many subjects in
which the target's thoughts and feelings are subjective only to themselves and
said subjects have no means to easily translate them in any human language,
everyone and their grandmother is free to consider and transpose what they
imagine the subject might be feeling. This produces endless (and often
erroneous) well meant guesses and in turn plenty of strong emotional opinions.
What I ask today is that for those without previous experience but good
intentions, is the very outdated language which we still frequently use within
aviculture as a whole helping form these opinions for them?
It's the ape escape!
From Kent to the Congo, we follow four very special gorilla brothers on their
incredible journey home
The dashboard clock
of the Toyota pickup shows 3am as we bump and swerve our way across the Lesio
Louna wildlife reserve in the Republic of the Congo.
A lightning storm,
initially mesmerising as we climbed above the capital Brazzaville, is now on
top of us, turning the dirt track into a quagmire.
The windscreen has
steamed up thanks to a broken de-mister so our driver struggles to avoid the
endless potholes, and we are thrown around like rag-dolls.
But however
uncomfortable I feel, there’s another passenger behind me who’s even more
annoyed – as he informs us at regular intervals by shrieking and thumping his
fists on his cage.
There Is No Such
Thing As Sustainable Shark’s Fin. Here’s Why.
Sharks are not
man-eaters. The majority of incidents involving humans and sharks tend to be
cases of misidentification; sharks may mistake a human swimmer or diver for a
similarly sized or shaped prey.
On the contrary,
humans actively hunt sharks for food. So much so that over 70 million of these
majestic animals are killed annually to satisfy our hunger for shark’s fin.
This is especially so in Asia where shark’s fin is deemed a luxurious delicacy.
Port Lympne Reserve
near Folkestone has defended its animal care after a monkey and ostriches died
on site
A wildlife park near
Folkestone has defended its on site methods after it was revealed that several
animals died at the reserve this year.
But the Aspinall
Foundation, which runs the Port Lympne Reserve, has confirmed some of its
procedures are under review.
This comes after the
death of a capuchin monkey, three red lechwe antelopes, a young ostrich and
several ostrich chicks in recent months.
A cheetah cub was
also reportedly taken away from its mother to become a “pet”.
‘Condor mom’
biologist raised chick No. 628 to fly free. Lead killed it. So why is she
proud?
She has been called
the mother of all condors.
All of the condor
chicks were bred, hatched and raised — 153 of them — at the World Center for
Birds of Prey, a research and education center south of Boise, since 2008 have
been under the watchful eye of Marti Jenkins.
“I’m obsessed. I lay
in bed and think about them. I have an app on my phone that lets me look at the
monitors and all the cameras, so sometimes I can lay in bed watching chicks
hatch in the middle of the night.”
Jenkins directs The
Peregrine Fund’s California condor propagation program. Worldwide, The
Peregrine Fund supports and funds work to restore rare raptor species through
captive breeding and release. She leads a staff of three biologists and one
exterminator — that’s Bunny, the cat — who are responsible for about 70
condors, including breeding adults, juveniles and chicks. (Plus at least a
dozen taita and aplomado falcons.)
A study of UK
auction house ivory sales - The missing evidence
Ivory: The Grey
Areas
Dream jobs in
research: teaching conservationists – and penguins in the office
Growing up on a farm
in New Zealand, Alison Cotton always knew she wanted to work with animals.
After graduating from college, she had the opportunity of a lifetime, traveling
to the Amazon to work in a wildlife conservation center.
There, she
encountered the harsh reality of conservation.
She and her
colleagues would rescue trapped primates and release them into the forest only
to find them trapped and eaten. “I was still in a naïve mindset that we needed
to protect everything and save all the animals,” she recalled. “But people
there were poor, and this was an easy source of food.”
Florida's 'Turtle
God' is ailing. What happens to his remarkable collection of specimens?
(w/video)
In a small town
about five miles from the University of Central Florida there stands a
two-story yellow house built in the 1920s. A modest sign mounted on the wall
next to the front door says, "Chelonian Research Institute."
Step inside that
door and you'll find the largest private collection of turtle and tortoise
specimens in the world — 13,000 individual pieces from 100 different countries,
hanging on every inch of the walls and lining every table and shelf. Live ones
crawl slowly around enclosures or swim in ponds around back.
The institute and
its vast array of shells, skulls, skeletons and live creatures are the life's
work of Peter C.H. Pritchard, a lanky and erudite scientist who has been called
"the Jane Goodall of turtles." One of his many adoring colleagues refers
to him as "The Turtle God." Time magazine declared him "A Hero
of the Planet," although one of his children asked his
sometimes-distracted dad, "Which planet?" Disney-bound tourists
stepping off a plane at the Orlando airport see a huge photo of him holding a
turtle. Worldwide, four species of turtle are named for him.
But Pritchard, 74,
now suffers from Alzheimer's disease. The robust and perpetually inquisitive
explorer who once climbed mountains and snorkeled beneath the sea chasing
specimens is now rail thin and frail. During a visit earlier this month, he was
unable to speak and seemed hesitant to take a step without someone helping him.
Young Collectors,
Traders Help Fuel a Boom in Ultra-Exotic Pets
Huang Jia Chen
started off with lizards and turtles in junior high. Then in high school he got
his first snake.
“First it was just a
hobby,” he says. “Then I started to keep more and more. When there were lots, I
started to breed them.”
It wasn’t long
before he was selling them. Now he has an entire room in his Beijing apartment
filled from floor to ceiling with glass terrariums holding snakes. “Reptiles
are very fashionable as pets,” he says.
Dolphin Park project
likely to be revived
Vizag may also have
huge marine aquariums on the lines of those at Sentosa
The largest city in
the State, Visakhapatnam, may soon have a world-class Dolphin Park and marine
aquariums to boost the thriving tourism industry in the State.
The government is
mulling over revival of the Dolphin Park project and add a couple of marine
aquariums near the Indira Gandhi Zoological Park in Visakhapatnam.
The idea is to bring
dolphins and other marine species for world-class shows at the park, according
to a top official in the Forest Department.
“The proposal is
making the rounds in the official circles. The government may soon revive the
project plan and resume the 60-acre facility on the Beach Road. The plan also
includes sending a few staff members abroad for training so that they will be
able to handle the dolphins brought for the shows,” said the official on
condition of anonymity.
Setting up of huge
marine aquariums on the lines of those at Sentosa in Singapore will also be one
of the attractions in the park.
The Dolphin Park
(Dolphinarium) project, conceived about two-and-a-half decades ago, was halted
midway after constructing a huge concrete tank and other basic structures near
the zoo park on the Visakhapatnam-Bheemunipatnam Beach Road. At present, the facility
and concrete tank are in a dilapidated condition. Youth p
Ponderosa to shut
down for weeks after visitors say animals are being mistreated
Heckmondwike’s
Ponderosa Zoo has undergone a spot check just days after an explosion of
complaints on social media about animal welfare.
Officials from
Kirklees Council visited the facility today (October 20) as part of a planned
riding licence inspection but took the opportunity to tour the site following
concerns by the public.
Now Ponderosa has
said it will close at the end of October for what management have described as
a five-month period of refurbishment.
Council officers
said standards at the zoo were seen to be “very good” and no issues regarding
the mistreatment or neglect of animals were seen.
They found that
conditions met the requirements of the Zoo Licensing Act and the Secretary of
State’s Standards of Modern Zoo Practice and determined that no further action
was required.
A spokesman said it
was coincidental that news of the temporary closure followed a flurry of
negative reports about the zoo and rural therapeutic centre. An update was
posted on its website a fortnight ago.
Zoo could do with a
‘pied piper’
Rats are multiplying
and barn owls have been given the job of killing them
Rats can be a real
menace, and the city zoo has its share of them. Recently, the zoo authorities
realised that the open enclosure housing nilgai and barking deer had become
infested with rats.
The officials first
tried to capture them by setting traps. The captured ones were fed to the
snakes at the zoo.
Soon, it became
apparent that there was a limit to the numbers of rats that could be caught
this way. A more effective solution had to be found.
Biological control
seemed to be the best option, and the officials turned to barn owls to do the
job. First, though, they had to get one little problem out of the way.
As the nilgai
enclosure also houses parakeet, peacock, and pigeon, it had to be established
that the owls did not po
German zoo keeper
finds a new family
Elke Schwierz has
enjoyed every moment at Cúc Phương National Park in northern Ninh Bình Province
for the past 15 years.
Waking up after good
night’s sleep, the birds twitter in the trees welcoming fragile sunlight
filtering through dense layers of leaves.
Staff at the
Endangered Primate Rescue Centre start work at 6am looking after our
"distant relatives" seized from illegal traders and hunters supplying
collectors and the cooking pot. They divide into groups to search for leaves
and fruit to feed the animals nurtured at cages at the centre.
They have two areas
to look after: a semi-wild area for primates that need a lot of medical
attention, and a semi-wild area with no cages, but natural trees, plants and
streams like in the forest.
However, the
semi-wild forest is still fenced off from the real world. When the primates get
their health back and form into families in the cages, the experts send them to
the semi-wild area to prepare them for relea
Construction of
$500,000 aviary for world's rarest wading bird on track
The construction of
a $500,000 aviary, for the world's rarest wading bird, in Twizel is progressing
well and on track to be completed by the end of the year.
Department of
Conservation (DoC) senior ranger Dean Nelson said steel frames were currently
being erected for the aviary, which could help see up to 175 kakī released into
the wild each year.
Nelson said two of
the eleven frames had been placed and he remained hopeful the aviary would be
built by the beginning of November which would enable new captive chicks to be
put in for the new breeding season.
How to behave at a
zoo – according to science
With October
half-term approaching, millions around the world will head to their local zoo
to indulge in the Halloween activities and get a little fresh autumnal air in
the presence of some extraordinary animals. At this time of year, the animals
are still wonderfully active and there’s plenty to see and do. But there are
certain things you should be doing as a visitor to ensure that the animals are
able to act as naturally as possible within their environments.
With advances in zoo
enclosure design, there are now more opportunities for you to get up close and
personal with the more exciting animals, with walk-through exhibits and animal
feeding sessions. In zoos, animal welfare research is carried out frequently to
ensure the animals’ lives in captivity are at their best – and we now
understand the impacts that human-animal interactions have on the animals
housed in them.
Research has shown
that zoo animals are able to tell the difference between unfamiliar (visitors)
and familiar (keepers) people and that, in some cases, visitors can have a
negative impact on them. For example, increased visitor numbers have been
associated with increased levels of aggression in mandrills, mangabeys, and
cotton-top tamarins (monkeys), more time spent alert towards visitors in sika
deer, gorillas and Soemmerring’s gazelle, less time visible to the public in
jaguars, orang-utans and siamangs, and increased stress hormones
(glucocorticoid concentrations) in spider monkeys, blackbuck and Mexican
wolves. This can be managed by responsible zoos, but everyone must play their
part.
Research has also
shown us that keeper-animal interactions have a positive impact on the animals’
behaviour. This should always be kept in mind.
Practical Zoo
Nutrition Management
Roughly 20 out of
the more than 200 Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) accredited zoos in
the United States employing full time nutritionists, there exists a critical
shortage of nutrition expertise at the vast majority of facilities within AZA.
Similar institutions outside the US face the same challenges. Many of these
institutions care for hundreds and in some cases thousands of different
species, all with specific dietary needs that may even vary across seasons and
reproductive conditions. Making nutritional decisions for a wide range of
species from around the world, and overseeing the daily management of food
purchase, storage and preparation is a complex and demanding task which must
often be performed with little targeted training. However, the long-term
sustainability of an animal collection, and the successful reproduction of
breeding animals relies heavily on proper nutrition.
Because of the
complexities and extensive experiential learning involved in the profession,
this course is not designed “to create a zoo nutritionist in 5 days.” Rather,
it will assist interested individuals in gaining knowledge and hands-on
experience within one of the oldest zoo nutrition programs in the US. It is
designed such that participants will develop an appreciation for a wide variety
of topics within the field of zoo and wildlife nutrition, as well as some of
the nuances of managing a commissary (food procurement and preparation)
operation to support a zoo. This co
Evidence Based
Animal Care: A Conversation with Lance Miller, Senior Director of Animal
Welfare Research at the Brookfield Zoo
For the past 80 years, the Chicago Zoological
Society, which manages Brookfield Zoo has been a leader in the zoo field. One
of the things that makes Brookfield Zoo special is its focus on research and
animal science. This commitment is shown in the Center for the Science of
Animal Care and Welfare, which is doing cutting-edge research into the
wellbeing of animals. One of the leaders of the Center is Dr. Lance Miller, one
of the most well-respected behaviorists in the zoo field. Here is his story.
Thoughts: Making
money on animals – right or wrong
The are a lot of
ethical aspects of keeping animals in human care, one of them is using animals
in any sort of show or display and another is “making money on them”. Even if
you don’t make any profit of your zoo some people will always think you are a
money machine using the animals. Working in a private company that owns a lot
of different amusement parks and zoos this is a question I get a lot: Is it
right to make money on animals? First of all, there is no right or wrong to
this question, and it is also not all black and white. To give a little
background, our zoo was owned by the city in over 30 years. In all years we had
financial struggles and was dependent on tax money. With private owners, we could invest far
greater amounts of money than before. This have led to us doing positive
results for the first time.
AAZK Professional
Development Committee
First Call for
Topical Workshops
2018 AAZK National
Conference
Workshops
Format:
Workshop subjects
should be in-depth explorations of animal health, animal management,
taxa-specific husbandry, and keeper professional development. Workshops should be two hours in length. Subjects that require more than two hours
should be submitted as “Part One” and “Part Two”.
Open Topical
Workshops
This new Open
Workshop format will offer unlimited attendance (based on the capacity of the
ballroom) and will be best suited for lecture-based workshops with a Q & A
session at the end.
Limited Topical
Workshops
Held in limited
capacity breakout rooms, this format is best suited for small group interactive
workshops and will have a cap on the number of participants.
Panel Discussions
Panel Discussions
must have a minimum of three instructors and are designed to offer multiple
points of view, and include a Q&A component. Can be Open Attendance or Limited Attendance
Format
NEW EVIDENCE SPARKS
CONCERNS OVER PUBLIC SAFETY AND WILD ANIMALS IN CIRCUSES
A report published
today by Eurogroup for Animals presents new data on the shocking number of
incidents involving the public and wild animals in circuses across the EU. Over
the past 22 years, 305 incidents involving 608 wild animals were recorded,
which is on average 15 per year in the whole of the EU. [1] This data is even
more striking if we consider the limited number of circuses using wild animals
in Europe and then the relatively small amount of animals potentially
implicated.
Eurogroup for
Animals demonstrates the extent to which the use of wild animals in circuses is
not only a problem for animal welfare, but also of public safety and security.
Incidents involving animals in circuses occur regularly and frequently, causing
varying degrees of public disorder or even the injury or the death of people.
The temporary nature of traveling circuses and the close proximity of dangerous
animals to the public mean that this type of public entertainment can never be
entirely safe.
Director of
Eurogroup for Animals Reineke Hameleers says, ‘‘wild animals in circuses are
bought and sold, prematurely separated from their mothers, confirmed or chained
and forced to stand for hours and frequently travel in small train or truck
compartments. They are required to perform behaviours never seen in their
natural environments. This needs to stop’’.
Although 19 EU
Member States have adopted res
Kuwait zoo to be
divided
Director General of Public Authority for
Agricultural Affairs and Fish Resources (PAAAFR) Eng Faisal Al-Hassawi
disclosed about a study to divide the Kuwait Zoo into two parts — one part as a
public garden and the other part as the zoo — as well as increase the entry fee
to a range between 500 fils and KD 1 per head, reports Al-Rai daily. This comes
within the framework of PAAAFR’s plan to improve its facilities and increase
its revenues. Eng Al-Hassawi explained that the zoo is regarded as a touristic
landmark that attracts about 500,000 visitors annually. The costs of taking
care of the animals and increasing their diversity as well as maintaining
Tony the truck stop
tiger euthanized after 17 years as Grosse Tete attraction
Tony — a 17 year-old
Siberian Bengal tiger — has died, after living his life as a Grosse Tete truck
stop attraction at the center of a controversial legal battle over his
ownership and life in Louisiana.
According to a
statement from the Tiger Truck Stop website, Tony was euthanized Oct. 16 after
exhibiting "typical signs that death was imminent" to "prevent
Tony from suffering." The statement says Tony will be "preserved
through taxidermy" following an autopsy.
Tony had lived at
the truck stop since January 2001, when the tiger was six months old.
"Tony knew many of the regular visitors to his Grosse Tete home and was
known for
rubbing against the
bars of his enclosure and 'chuffing' to those he liked," the statement
said.
The Animal Legal
Defense Fund (ALDF) — the animal welfare organization that led several legal
challenges to move Tony to an animal sanctuary — says the group is "deeply
saddened" by Tony's death.
"For more than
seven years, we litigated on many fronts to free Tony, and we are devastated
that despite our best efforts, he lived a
Ushering in a new,
kinder era for Japan’s zoos
Animals are big
business in Japan — at least, cute ones are. According to an estimate from
Kansai University, Xiang Xiang, the new panda cub at Tokyo’s Ueno Zoo, has the
potential to boost the Tokyo-area economy by ¥26.7 billion over a year.
However, not all zoo animals receive the care and attention lavished on the
tiny piebald bear.
Japanese zoos run
the gamut. While there are some world-class facilities, comfort for the
creatures seems to be severely lacking at many establishments. It isn’t unusual
to find negative comments on travel websites from international visitors
dismayed at cramped enclosures and their listless occupants.
Toshio Tsubota is a
professor at Hokkaido University’s Laboratory of Wildlife Biology and Medicine,
the first university lab in Japan to specialize in wild animals.
“The standard in
Japanese zoos varies from great to terrible,” he says. “I would like to see
zoos move from being places merely for people’s entertainment to becoming
facilities for promot
Bong Su is dead,
broken by cramped and impoverished zoo conditions
Bong Su, Melbourne
Zoo's beloved bull elephant, is dead. His death is a tragedy: zoo veterinarians
euthanised him after an assessment that the pain he felt from
"arthritis" could not be relieved. While this may be the case, Bong
Su's pain was not natural. It was due to the conditions in which he was kept
for many years at Melbourne Zoo. In reality, Bong Su should have been in his
prime.
Captured from the
wild in Malaysia, Bong Su and a female elephant, Mek Kapah, were shipped to
Melbourne in 1977-78. They were young calves, no more than five years old.
“Can you influence zoos which are not members of
WAZA? Can you as an industry association help lift up the poor quality ones,
and blow the whistle on the really bad ones, to help to close them down, find
alternative homes for their animals?” This is a challenge posed by the CITES
Secretary General to WAZA, the global zoos and aquarium association. John E. Scanlon
"Bad Zoos are used to launder animals and bring all
zoos down. You must address and shut them down or all zoos will suffer"
Dan Ashe
Less than 10 percent of (US) zoos and aquariums
"are able to meet our (AZA) standards," Vernon said. "Our
standards are much higher," than governmental requirements. - Rob Vernon
As you are aware
this is the message I have been trying to get out there for what seems forever
now. Unless the Good Zoos name, shame and get the Bad Dysfunctional Zoos closed
down we are all going to be tarred with the same dirty brush. I am delighted that
more people are saying it….it seems like we are getting somewhere.
This should not be
seen as an attack on some of the excellent staff working within the bad zoos
but on the bad zoos themselves and their raison d'être. Nor within the US (who
so often take offence) with every ZAA collection…just some. Consider this and then
ask yourself why. Any AZA collection would sail through a ZAA inspection but
only a few ZAA collections would pass an AZA inspection. Forget the money, yes
it is important but it is more about the raison d'être. WAZA too. They really
need to start 'influencing' some of their members. I don't hold with this 'It's
not Europe or the US' way of looking at things or "Give it time".
There has been more than enough time. There are animals suffering daily whilst
zoos are given time. It is not on. Some of the statements I see put out causes
the bile to rise to the back of my throat.
Lot's of interesting
links in this edition and I could comment on most but am choosing the "Zoo could do with a ‘pied piper’" because
rat problems are something which every zoo appears to suffer to some degree or
another. I visit zoos during the day and if I don't actually spot a rat then I
see signs of them. I recall seeing a feed truck passing through a zoo being
followed by a wave of rats. They are great survivors and difficult to keep
down. Then I am reminded of the Welsh Mountain Zoo. It has never had a rat
problem. In twenty years I only ever saw two rats (perhaps the same one twice)
and were never seen again. I often thought about why and the only thing I could
think of was the Aesculapian
Snake.
*********
Did You Know?
ZooNews Digest has over 61,000 Followers on Facebook( and over 62,000 likes) 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,
********
*****
***
**
*
CITES calls on zoos
and aquariums to support wildlife trade controls and to join the fight against
wildlife trafficking
At the annual
conference of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA), the largest
gathering of the zoos and aquariums from around the world, CITES
Secretary-General John Scanlon calls on zoos and aquariums to better support
the CITES trade regulation regime and to join the fight against illegal trade
in wildlife.
Zoos and aquariums,
exhibiting a wide a variety of animals, are often involved in international
movements of and trade in wild and captive bred animals, many of which are
protected under CITES. These include for example elephants, lions, primates,
tigers, parrots, birds of prey, flamingos, crocodiles, pythons, frogs, corals,
manta rays and sharks. This explains why a Memorandum of Understanding between
CITES and WAZA was signed in 2011.
In his presentation,
Mr. Scanlon said that zoos and aquariums can play an even more active role in
supporting CITES in regulating trade in wildlife. In particular, the expertise
of zoos and aquariums in conservation, animal welfare, education and outreach,
which is of direct relevance to CITES, can be drawn upon more effectively in
supporting the Convention.
“Can you influence
zoos which are not members of WAZA? Can you as an industry association help
lift up the poor quality ones, and blow the whistle on the really bad ones, to
help to close them down, find alternative homes for their animals?” This is a
challenge posed by the CITES Secretary General to WAZA, the global zoos and
aquarium association.
“We all want to be
able to enjoy wildlife for generations to come and you all have a role to play
here. There are many threats to wildlife and the most immediate threat to many
species is coming from the illegal trade in wildlife. We need ‘all hands on deck’
if we are going to win this fight and we must win it in quick time”, concluded
Scanlon.
"The world's
leading zoos and aquariums welcome the opportunity to align our priorities more
closely with CITES," said WAZA President Jenny Gray. "WAZA and its
members realize we can play a central role in the battle against the illegal trade
in wildlife -- in fact, we have no choice : it is something we must do. Our
expertise is nee
https://cites.org/eng/news/pr/CITES_calls_on_zoos_aquariums_support_wildlife_trade_controls_18102017
What happens to
Seneca Park Zoo animals after they die?
It seems like a
simple enough question. What happens to animals that die at the Seneca Park
Zoo?
Turns out that
answer depends on the answer to another question: Can the animal continue
contributing to science?
Larry Sorel, zoo
director, said the animals are honored, then assessed to see if they can
contribute to the continued survival of their species.
After death, a
necropsy, or animal autopsy, is performed on all animals. Experts determine the
cause of death and look for any abnormalities to help determine if other
animals in the same habitat could experience a similar death. The evaluation
also looks to see if the program of care provided was accurate.
"Sometimes the
only way you learn about an ani
Linguistics in
Aviculture - Updating for the times?
This post is not
directly related to aviculture and could indeed be applied to any discipline
involving wild animals in captivity. Wild animals in "captivity"
being the issue being discussed here.
Just to outline for
anyone looking forward to an ethical lecture, this certainly isn't one and the
aim here is to look briefly at the linguistics of aviculture, not the ethics
themselves.
OK... If you are
certain you want to go with this then lets crack on...
The ethics of
keeping animals in captivity is a minefield for anyone not initiated in animal
cognition, welfare an perception. This can be particularly tricky with birds as
they behave and perceive the world quite differently to mammals and most other
taxa in fact. It's also important that we remember that like many subjects in
which the target's thoughts and feelings are subjective only to themselves and
said subjects have no means to easily translate them in any human language,
everyone and their grandmother is free to consider and transpose what they
imagine the subject might be feeling. This produces endless (and often
erroneous) well meant guesses and in turn plenty of strong emotional opinions.
What I ask today is that for those without previous experience but good
intentions, is the very outdated language which we still frequently use within
aviculture as a whole helping form these opinions for them?
It's the ape escape!
From Kent to the Congo, we follow four very special gorilla brothers on their
incredible journey home
The dashboard clock
of the Toyota pickup shows 3am as we bump and swerve our way across the Lesio
Louna wildlife reserve in the Republic of the Congo.
A lightning storm,
initially mesmerising as we climbed above the capital Brazzaville, is now on
top of us, turning the dirt track into a quagmire.
The windscreen has
steamed up thanks to a broken de-mister so our driver struggles to avoid the
endless potholes, and we are thrown around like rag-dolls.
But however
uncomfortable I feel, there’s another passenger behind me who’s even more
annoyed – as he informs us at regular intervals by shrieking and thumping his
fists on his cage.
There Is No Such
Thing As Sustainable Shark’s Fin. Here’s Why.
Sharks are not
man-eaters. The majority of incidents involving humans and sharks tend to be
cases of misidentification; sharks may mistake a human swimmer or diver for a
similarly sized or shaped prey.
On the contrary,
humans actively hunt sharks for food. So much so that over 70 million of these
majestic animals are killed annually to satisfy our hunger for shark’s fin.
This is especially so in Asia where shark’s fin is deemed a luxurious delicacy.
Port Lympne Reserve
near Folkestone has defended its animal care after a monkey and ostriches died
on site
A wildlife park near
Folkestone has defended its on site methods after it was revealed that several
animals died at the reserve this year.
But the Aspinall
Foundation, which runs the Port Lympne Reserve, has confirmed some of its
procedures are under review.
This comes after the
death of a capuchin monkey, three red lechwe antelopes, a young ostrich and
several ostrich chicks in recent months.
A cheetah cub was
also reportedly taken away from its mother to become a “pet”.
‘Condor mom’
biologist raised chick No. 628 to fly free. Lead killed it. So why is she
proud?
She has been called
the mother of all condors.
All of the condor
chicks were bred, hatched and raised — 153 of them — at the World Center for
Birds of Prey, a research and education center south of Boise, since 2008 have
been under the watchful eye of Marti Jenkins.
“I’m obsessed. I lay
in bed and think about them. I have an app on my phone that lets me look at the
monitors and all the cameras, so sometimes I can lay in bed watching chicks
hatch in the middle of the night.”
Jenkins directs The
Peregrine Fund’s California condor propagation program. Worldwide, The
Peregrine Fund supports and funds work to restore rare raptor species through
captive breeding and release. She leads a staff of three biologists and one
exterminator — that’s Bunny, the cat — who are responsible for about 70
condors, including breeding adults, juveniles and chicks. (Plus at least a
dozen taita and aplomado falcons.)
A study of UK
auction house ivory sales - The missing evidence
Ivory: The Grey
Areas
Dream jobs in
research: teaching conservationists – and penguins in the office
Growing up on a farm
in New Zealand, Alison Cotton always knew she wanted to work with animals.
After graduating from college, she had the opportunity of a lifetime, traveling
to the Amazon to work in a wildlife conservation center.
There, she
encountered the harsh reality of conservation.
She and her
colleagues would rescue trapped primates and release them into the forest only
to find them trapped and eaten. “I was still in a naïve mindset that we needed
to protect everything and save all the animals,” she recalled. “But people
there were poor, and this was an easy source of food.”
Florida's 'Turtle
God' is ailing. What happens to his remarkable collection of specimens?
(w/video)
In a small town
about five miles from the University of Central Florida there stands a
two-story yellow house built in the 1920s. A modest sign mounted on the wall
next to the front door says, "Chelonian Research Institute."
Step inside that
door and you'll find the largest private collection of turtle and tortoise
specimens in the world — 13,000 individual pieces from 100 different countries,
hanging on every inch of the walls and lining every table and shelf. Live ones
crawl slowly around enclosures or swim in ponds around back.
The institute and
its vast array of shells, skulls, skeletons and live creatures are the life's
work of Peter C.H. Pritchard, a lanky and erudite scientist who has been called
"the Jane Goodall of turtles." One of his many adoring colleagues refers
to him as "The Turtle God." Time magazine declared him "A Hero
of the Planet," although one of his children asked his
sometimes-distracted dad, "Which planet?" Disney-bound tourists
stepping off a plane at the Orlando airport see a huge photo of him holding a
turtle. Worldwide, four species of turtle are named for him.
But Pritchard, 74,
now suffers from Alzheimer's disease. The robust and perpetually inquisitive
explorer who once climbed mountains and snorkeled beneath the sea chasing
specimens is now rail thin and frail. During a visit earlier this month, he was
unable to speak and seemed hesitant to take a step without someone helping him.
Young Collectors,
Traders Help Fuel a Boom in Ultra-Exotic Pets
Huang Jia Chen
started off with lizards and turtles in junior high. Then in high school he got
his first snake.
“First it was just a
hobby,” he says. “Then I started to keep more and more. When there were lots, I
started to breed them.”
It wasn’t long
before he was selling them. Now he has an entire room in his Beijing apartment
filled from floor to ceiling with glass terrariums holding snakes. “Reptiles
are very fashionable as pets,” he says.
Dolphin Park project
likely to be revived
Vizag may also have
huge marine aquariums on the lines of those at Sentosa
The largest city in
the State, Visakhapatnam, may soon have a world-class Dolphin Park and marine
aquariums to boost the thriving tourism industry in the State.
The government is
mulling over revival of the Dolphin Park project and add a couple of marine
aquariums near the Indira Gandhi Zoological Park in Visakhapatnam.
The idea is to bring
dolphins and other marine species for world-class shows at the park, according
to a top official in the Forest Department.
“The proposal is
making the rounds in the official circles. The government may soon revive the
project plan and resume the 60-acre facility on the Beach Road. The plan also
includes sending a few staff members abroad for training so that they will be
able to handle the dolphins brought for the shows,” said the official on
condition of anonymity.
Setting up of huge
marine aquariums on the lines of those at Sentosa in Singapore will also be one
of the attractions in the park.
The Dolphin Park
(Dolphinarium) project, conceived about two-and-a-half decades ago, was halted
midway after constructing a huge concrete tank and other basic structures near
the zoo park on the Visakhapatnam-Bheemunipatnam Beach Road. At present, the facility
and concrete tank are in a dilapidated condition. Youth p
Ponderosa to shut
down for weeks after visitors say animals are being mistreated
Heckmondwike’s
Ponderosa Zoo has undergone a spot check just days after an explosion of
complaints on social media about animal welfare.
Officials from
Kirklees Council visited the facility today (October 20) as part of a planned
riding licence inspection but took the opportunity to tour the site following
concerns by the public.
Now Ponderosa has
said it will close at the end of October for what management have described as
a five-month period of refurbishment.
Council officers
said standards at the zoo were seen to be “very good” and no issues regarding
the mistreatment or neglect of animals were seen.
They found that
conditions met the requirements of the Zoo Licensing Act and the Secretary of
State’s Standards of Modern Zoo Practice and determined that no further action
was required.
A spokesman said it
was coincidental that news of the temporary closure followed a flurry of
negative reports about the zoo and rural therapeutic centre. An update was
posted on its website a fortnight ago.
Zoo could do with a
‘pied piper’
Rats are multiplying
and barn owls have been given the job of killing them
Rats can be a real
menace, and the city zoo has its share of them. Recently, the zoo authorities
realised that the open enclosure housing nilgai and barking deer had become
infested with rats.
The officials first
tried to capture them by setting traps. The captured ones were fed to the
snakes at the zoo.
Soon, it became
apparent that there was a limit to the numbers of rats that could be caught
this way. A more effective solution had to be found.
Biological control
seemed to be the best option, and the officials turned to barn owls to do the
job. First, though, they had to get one little problem out of the way.
As the nilgai
enclosure also houses parakeet, peacock, and pigeon, it had to be established
that the owls did not po
German zoo keeper
finds a new family
Elke Schwierz has
enjoyed every moment at Cúc Phương National Park in northern Ninh Bình Province
for the past 15 years.
Waking up after good
night’s sleep, the birds twitter in the trees welcoming fragile sunlight
filtering through dense layers of leaves.
Staff at the
Endangered Primate Rescue Centre start work at 6am looking after our
"distant relatives" seized from illegal traders and hunters supplying
collectors and the cooking pot. They divide into groups to search for leaves
and fruit to feed the animals nurtured at cages at the centre.
They have two areas
to look after: a semi-wild area for primates that need a lot of medical
attention, and a semi-wild area with no cages, but natural trees, plants and
streams like in the forest.
However, the
semi-wild forest is still fenced off from the real world. When the primates get
their health back and form into families in the cages, the experts send them to
the semi-wild area to prepare them for relea
Construction of
$500,000 aviary for world's rarest wading bird on track
The construction of
a $500,000 aviary, for the world's rarest wading bird, in Twizel is progressing
well and on track to be completed by the end of the year.
Department of
Conservation (DoC) senior ranger Dean Nelson said steel frames were currently
being erected for the aviary, which could help see up to 175 kakī released into
the wild each year.
Nelson said two of
the eleven frames had been placed and he remained hopeful the aviary would be
built by the beginning of November which would enable new captive chicks to be
put in for the new breeding season.
How to behave at a
zoo – according to science
With October
half-term approaching, millions around the world will head to their local zoo
to indulge in the Halloween activities and get a little fresh autumnal air in
the presence of some extraordinary animals. At this time of year, the animals
are still wonderfully active and there’s plenty to see and do. But there are
certain things you should be doing as a visitor to ensure that the animals are
able to act as naturally as possible within their environments.
With advances in zoo
enclosure design, there are now more opportunities for you to get up close and
personal with the more exciting animals, with walk-through exhibits and animal
feeding sessions. In zoos, animal welfare research is carried out frequently to
ensure the animals’ lives in captivity are at their best – and we now
understand the impacts that human-animal interactions have on the animals
housed in them.
Research has shown
that zoo animals are able to tell the difference between unfamiliar (visitors)
and familiar (keepers) people and that, in some cases, visitors can have a
negative impact on them. For example, increased visitor numbers have been
associated with increased levels of aggression in mandrills, mangabeys, and
cotton-top tamarins (monkeys), more time spent alert towards visitors in sika
deer, gorillas and Soemmerring’s gazelle, less time visible to the public in
jaguars, orang-utans and siamangs, and increased stress hormones
(glucocorticoid concentrations) in spider monkeys, blackbuck and Mexican
wolves. This can be managed by responsible zoos, but everyone must play their
part.
Research has also
shown us that keeper-animal interactions have a positive impact on the animals’
behaviour. This should always be kept in mind.
Practical Zoo
Nutrition Management
Roughly 20 out of
the more than 200 Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) accredited zoos in
the United States employing full time nutritionists, there exists a critical
shortage of nutrition expertise at the vast majority of facilities within AZA.
Similar institutions outside the US face the same challenges. Many of these
institutions care for hundreds and in some cases thousands of different
species, all with specific dietary needs that may even vary across seasons and
reproductive conditions. Making nutritional decisions for a wide range of
species from around the world, and overseeing the daily management of food
purchase, storage and preparation is a complex and demanding task which must
often be performed with little targeted training. However, the long-term
sustainability of an animal collection, and the successful reproduction of
breeding animals relies heavily on proper nutrition.
Because of the
complexities and extensive experiential learning involved in the profession,
this course is not designed “to create a zoo nutritionist in 5 days.” Rather,
it will assist interested individuals in gaining knowledge and hands-on
experience within one of the oldest zoo nutrition programs in the US. It is
designed such that participants will develop an appreciation for a wide variety
of topics within the field of zoo and wildlife nutrition, as well as some of
the nuances of managing a commissary (food procurement and preparation)
operation to support a zoo. This co
Evidence Based
Animal Care: A Conversation with Lance Miller, Senior Director of Animal
Welfare Research at the Brookfield Zoo
For the past 80 years, the Chicago Zoological
Society, which manages Brookfield Zoo has been a leader in the zoo field. One
of the things that makes Brookfield Zoo special is its focus on research and
animal science. This commitment is shown in the Center for the Science of
Animal Care and Welfare, which is doing cutting-edge research into the
wellbeing of animals. One of the leaders of the Center is Dr. Lance Miller, one
of the most well-respected behaviorists in the zoo field. Here is his story.
Thoughts: Making
money on animals – right or wrong
The are a lot of
ethical aspects of keeping animals in human care, one of them is using animals
in any sort of show or display and another is “making money on them”. Even if
you don’t make any profit of your zoo some people will always think you are a
money machine using the animals. Working in a private company that owns a lot
of different amusement parks and zoos this is a question I get a lot: Is it
right to make money on animals? First of all, there is no right or wrong to
this question, and it is also not all black and white. To give a little
background, our zoo was owned by the city in over 30 years. In all years we had
financial struggles and was dependent on tax money. With private owners, we could invest far
greater amounts of money than before. This have led to us doing positive
results for the first time.
AAZK Professional
Development Committee
First Call for
Topical Workshops
2018 AAZK National
Conference
Workshops
Format:
Workshop subjects
should be in-depth explorations of animal health, animal management,
taxa-specific husbandry, and keeper professional development. Workshops should be two hours in length. Subjects that require more than two hours
should be submitted as “Part One” and “Part Two”.
Open Topical
Workshops
This new Open
Workshop format will offer unlimited attendance (based on the capacity of the
ballroom) and will be best suited for lecture-based workshops with a Q & A
session at the end.
Limited Topical
Workshops
Held in limited
capacity breakout rooms, this format is best suited for small group interactive
workshops and will have a cap on the number of participants.
Panel Discussions
Panel Discussions
must have a minimum of three instructors and are designed to offer multiple
points of view, and include a Q&A component. Can be Open Attendance or Limited Attendance
Format
NEW EVIDENCE SPARKS
CONCERNS OVER PUBLIC SAFETY AND WILD ANIMALS IN CIRCUSES
A report published
today by Eurogroup for Animals presents new data on the shocking number of
incidents involving the public and wild animals in circuses across the EU. Over
the past 22 years, 305 incidents involving 608 wild animals were recorded,
which is on average 15 per year in the whole of the EU. [1] This data is even
more striking if we consider the limited number of circuses using wild animals
in Europe and then the relatively small amount of animals potentially
implicated.
Eurogroup for
Animals demonstrates the extent to which the use of wild animals in circuses is
not only a problem for animal welfare, but also of public safety and security.
Incidents involving animals in circuses occur regularly and frequently, causing
varying degrees of public disorder or even the injury or the death of people.
The temporary nature of traveling circuses and the close proximity of dangerous
animals to the public mean that this type of public entertainment can never be
entirely safe.
Director of
Eurogroup for Animals Reineke Hameleers says, ‘‘wild animals in circuses are
bought and sold, prematurely separated from their mothers, confirmed or chained
and forced to stand for hours and frequently travel in small train or truck
compartments. They are required to perform behaviours never seen in their
natural environments. This needs to stop’’.
Although 19 EU
Member States have adopted res
Kuwait zoo to be
divided
Director General of Public Authority for
Agricultural Affairs and Fish Resources (PAAAFR) Eng Faisal Al-Hassawi
disclosed about a study to divide the Kuwait Zoo into two parts — one part as a
public garden and the other part as the zoo — as well as increase the entry fee
to a range between 500 fils and KD 1 per head, reports Al-Rai daily. This comes
within the framework of PAAAFR’s plan to improve its facilities and increase
its revenues. Eng Al-Hassawi explained that the zoo is regarded as a touristic
landmark that attracts about 500,000 visitors annually. The costs of taking
care of the animals and increasing their diversity as well as maintaining
Tony the truck stop
tiger euthanized after 17 years as Grosse Tete attraction
Tony — a 17 year-old
Siberian Bengal tiger — has died, after living his life as a Grosse Tete truck
stop attraction at the center of a controversial legal battle over his
ownership and life in Louisiana.
According to a
statement from the Tiger Truck Stop website, Tony was euthanized Oct. 16 after
exhibiting "typical signs that death was imminent" to "prevent
Tony from suffering." The statement says Tony will be "preserved
through taxidermy" following an autopsy.
Tony had lived at
the truck stop since January 2001, when the tiger was six months old.
"Tony knew many of the regular visitors to his Grosse Tete home and was
known for
rubbing against the
bars of his enclosure and 'chuffing' to those he liked," the statement
said.
The Animal Legal
Defense Fund (ALDF) — the animal welfare organization that led several legal
challenges to move Tony to an animal sanctuary — says the group is "deeply
saddened" by Tony's death.
"For more than
seven years, we litigated on many fronts to free Tony, and we are devastated
that despite our best efforts, he lived a
Ushering in a new,
kinder era for Japan’s zoos
Animals are big
business in Japan — at least, cute ones are. According to an estimate from
Kansai University, Xiang Xiang, the new panda cub at Tokyo’s Ueno Zoo, has the
potential to boost the Tokyo-area economy by ¥26.7 billion over a year.
However, not all zoo animals receive the care and attention lavished on the
tiny piebald bear.
Japanese zoos run
the gamut. While there are some world-class facilities, comfort for the
creatures seems to be severely lacking at many establishments. It isn’t unusual
to find negative comments on travel websites from international visitors
dismayed at cramped enclosures and their listless occupants.
Toshio Tsubota is a
professor at Hokkaido University’s Laboratory of Wildlife Biology and Medicine,
the first university lab in Japan to specialize in wild animals.
“The standard in
Japanese zoos varies from great to terrible,” he says. “I would like to see
zoos move from being places merely for people’s entertainment to becoming
facilities for promot
Bong Su is dead,
broken by cramped and impoverished zoo conditions
Bong Su, Melbourne
Zoo's beloved bull elephant, is dead. His death is a tragedy: zoo veterinarians
euthanised him after an assessment that the pain he felt from
"arthritis" could not be relieved. While this may be the case, Bong
Su's pain was not natural. It was due to the conditions in which he was kept
for many years at Melbourne Zoo. In reality, Bong Su should have been in his
prime.
Captured from the
wild in Malaysia, Bong Su and a female elephant, Mek Kapah, were shipped to
Melbourne in 1977-78. They were young calves, no more than five years old.
BIAZA Education and Presenters Conference 2017
Are you having a
giraffe? Zoo will open in Redbridge in 2020
The Recorder can
reveal that Hainault Forest Country Park will be turned into a “regional
visitor attraction” complete with an upgraded visitors’ centre.
The funding
application was granted to the site at Romford Road, Hainault, to help preserve
and enhance the ancient forest’s biodiversity and Site of Special Scientific
Interest (SSSI).
Redbridge Council
will also invest an extra £1.25m into the project with a further £250,000 from
Vision bringing the total investment to £6m.
Council leader Cllr
Jas Athwal said he was very excited about the news and it would enable the
local authority to turn it into “almost a national park”.
“It will be great
for residents to go out and enjoy a day there,” he told the Recorder.
“Together with the
golf course and boating lake we will be creating a prospectus of all the good
things in Ilford North.”
Cllr Athwal said the
zoo was excellent news for the borough on top of launching a bid to become the
London Borough of Culture.
Moving Forward: A
Conversation with Marcy Dean, Director of the Potawatomi Zoo
The Potawatomi Zoo
is a 23-acre zoo in South Bend, Indiana and it has never had a more promising
future than it does now. It was privatized in 2014 when the City of South Bend
and the Zoological Society formed a public/private partnership. Since then Director
Marcy Dean has not looked back. The Potawatomi Zoo has begun an ambitious
master plan and fundraising campaign which has already resulted in bringing
okapi to the zoo. Marcy Dean clearly believes in the zoo and is determined to
make it the best it can be. Here is her story.
Conservationists
Sound Alarm on Plummeting Giraffe Numbers
Picture an animal
enrobed in a fiery, jigsaw-patterned coat. A creature of such majestic height
that it towers amongst the trees. As your eyes make their way up its long neck
that appears to defy gravity, you find crowned atop its head two Seussian, horn-like
protrusions framing dark, curious eyes fanned by lashes. In its truest sense,
the giraffe fits the description of a creature plucked from the pages of a
fantastical story. Even its species name, Giraffa camelopardalis, comes from
the ancient Greek belief that the giraffe is a peculiar camel wearing the coat
of a leopard. Meanwhile, the Japanese word for giraffe and unicorn are one and
the same.
Rare Hawaiian crows
released into native forests of Hawai’i Island
Five young ‘alala,
two females and three males, were released into Pu‘u Maka‘ala Natural Area
Reserve (NAR) on the Island of Hawai‘i on Wednesday, October 11. This second
group of birds joins a previous group that had been released into the forest at
the end of September. These eleven birds represent what conservationists hope
will be the beginning of a recovered population of the endangered crow species
on the island.
The ‘alala, or
Hawaiian crow, has been extinct in the wild since 2002, preserved only at the
Keauhou and Maui Bird Conservation Centers managed by San Diego Zoo Global’s
Hawaii Endangered Bird Conservation Program.
“Our efforts to
bring this species back from the brink of extinction have been tremendously
bolstered by our ability to protect a small population of ‘alala in a
conservation breeding program in Hawai‘i,” says Michelle Bogardus, U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service Geographic team leader for Maui Nui and the Hawai’i
Islands. “Now that we built up the population to more than 125 birds at the
Hawaiian Bird Center we can begin the long road to recovering this incredible
species in its native habitat.”
The first group of
‘alala released into the forests of Hawai‘i in late 2016 encountered predation
pressures from the native Hawaiian hawk, or `Io. Surviving birds from this
first group were brought back into aviaries while a team of co
http://www.kitv.com/story/36609266/rare-hawaiian-crows-released-into-native-forests-of-hawaii-island
BIAZA AUTUMN
NEWSLETTER 2017
International trade
in live elephants
In response to
considerable interest from members of the public and non-government
organizations, the CITES Secretariat offers this quick guide to CITES controls
on international trade in live elephants.
Elephants taken from
the wild
International trade
in live elephants, especially when it takes the animals out of their natural
range, is a very sensitive issue that generates expressions of public concern.
There are strict rules in CITES to regulate such trade, but the trade is not prohibited,
and some aspects of the trade are not covered by CITES rules.
The trade controls
applying to trade in live elephants from the wild depend on the country of
origin of the animals.
African elephants in
Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe are included in CITES Appendix II.
This means that CITES Parties have agreed that although the species is “not
necessarily now threatened with extinction” in these States, it may become so
unless international trade in specimens from these States is strictly regulated
in order to “avoid utilization incompatible with their survival”.
African elephants
from other States and all Asian elephants are consi
London Zoo sends
cheetahs, lemurs in return for Gir lions
This is possibly the
most valuable barter any Gujarat zoo has pulled off so far. In 2016, an
exclusive Gir Asiatic lion section was opened in the famed ZSL London Zoo and
Gujarat sent a pair of Asiatic lions from Sakkarbaug Zoo. In return, ZSL has
sent Gujarat a pair of cheetahs, two ring-tailed lemurs and two zebras.
Forest department
officials of Junagadh wildlife division said this will be the first time
Sakkarbaug Zoo will have zebras or ring-tailed lemurs. No zoos in the state
have these animals. Officials said the animals will arrive later this month and
will available for public viewing after 30 days of quarantine. Chief
conservator of forests, A P Singh, said, "
Animal exhibits –
Open kitchen concept to convey the message
As partner of
Lionhouse and architect working in the zoo sector I sometimes get the chance to
see the staff only areas of a zoo in use; a glimpse behind the scenes, hidden
for the ‘ordinary’ visitor.
A few months ago I
visited the facilities of Stichting AAP in Almere, The Netherlands. This
organisation provide care and shelter to exotic animals which have suffered
severe abuse or neglect.
Unlike zoos,
Stichting AAP are not a visitor attraction. Their main objectives are the basic
needs of the rescued animals. The holding quarters are therefore practical and
efficient, without any unnecessary frills to please the public.
They do, however,
try to involve the public in their work by offering guided tours behind the
scenes. My host led me along the offices, the quarantine building and
veterinary unit, the different animal houses and outdoor enclosures.
As he explained the
process of rehabilitation of the rescued animals and showed me the daily
routine of the staff – feeding, cleaning, observation etc. – it surprised me
how fascinated I always get by the unadorned truth of these ‘behind the
scene’-experiences, the authenticity of it.
Enclosure Design
Tool
The EDT is an
interactive, computer interface that gives zoos and sanctuaries the ability to
compare the behaviour of their chimpanzees and orangutans to the latest
research on wild populations. It helps them use that information to create
physically and mentally stimulating enclosures that mimic the physical and
mechanical challenges wild great apes face in the forest canopy.
The International
Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has predicted that all non-human great
apes (chimpanzees, orangutans, gorillas and bonobos) could be extinct in the
wild within a human generation. The ability of sanctuaries to reintroduce great
apes back into the wild, and of zoos to conserve the species while meeting
their welfare needs, relies on encouraging the apes to exhibit the behaviours
that are a vital part of the species’ ability to survive in the natural
environment. Our focus on replicating the mechanical challenges of forest life
is d
'Killer' toothaches
likely cause misery for captive orca
An international
research team has undertaken the first in-depth investigation of the teeth of
captive orca (killer whales) and have found them a sorry state, which raises
serious concerns for these majestic mammals' overall health and welfare.
Anyone with a
toothache knows how painful and distracting that can be - in orca which have
around 48 large teeth, a sore tooth is likely no less painful or debilitating
than for a person. Now, a new international study published in the journal
Archives of Oral Biology, found that every individual examined had damaged
teeth.
Study first author
Professor John Jett of Florida's Stetson University, an ex-orca trainer, says
the team investigated 29 orca owned by one company and held in the USA and
Spain.
"Every whale
had some form of damage to its teeth. We found that the more than 65 per cent
possessed moderate to extreme tooth wear in their lower jaws, mostly as a
result of chewing concrete and steel tank surfaces."
Additionally, the
researchers found that more than 61 per cent of the orca they studied have
"been to the dentist" to have their teeth drilled. Officially termed
a "modified pulpotomy", a hole is drilled into the tooth to extract
the soft pulpy tissue inside.
Study co-author Dr
Carolina Loch, a Faculty of Dentistry re
A killer whale of a
tale: when peer review sometimes fail.
When examining
claims in the scientific press one always tend to look to whether or not the
evidence that this is based on has been subject to peer review. Science journalism can be something of a
mixed bag and with the ever increasing need to produce headlines that will
generate attention (clickbait) and advertising revenue.
One such example is
a recent news report in the web based science news outlet Phys.Org entitled:
"Killer toothaches likely cause misery for captive orca". The article
relates to a paper published in the Archives of Oral Biology that claims that
tooth damage in captive killer whales is endemic and harmful to the animals.
However a closer look at the paper and its authors give some calls for concern.
Looking at what is
available in the original paper it seems that the assessments made were from
photographs taken by various individuals whilst visiting various
facilities. None of the authors appears
to have had direct access to physically examine the teeth of any of these
animals. Only one of the authors,
Carolina Loch, has any academic qualification in dentistry.
Moreover, the paper
does acknowledge the fact that tooth erosion is seen commonly in wild cetaceans
but it's not very clear on what kind of comparative analysis was used. Tooth
erosion in wild killer whales is well documented.
Further, four of the
authors have an opposition to the maintenance of killer whales in captivity:
Jeffrey Ventre and
John Jett are former SeaWorld trainers who both left this facility in 1995 -
with Ventre being dismissed for misconduct.
Water for Elephants
There is a crisis of elephantine proportions playing
out in the dry sandy Kalahari woodlands of eastern Botswana, and a determined
family of caring people is caught in the middle of the drama. A friend and I
spent a few days with them in September this year, and came away determined to
help. I hope that my story inspires you to do the same.
Thousands of thirsty
elephants utilise the tiny waterhole at Elephant Sands bush lodge and campsite,
because it is one of a few reliable sources of water in this vast arid
landscape – especially during the height of the dry season. The result is often
chaos as elephants arrive in their hundreds, exhausted, dehydrated and anxious
– with ensuing destruction of infrastructure and property and even injury to
younger elephants that get bullied by the massive bulls.
Beijing
Philanthropist Commits $1.5 Billion to Conservation
This Saturday, Oct.
14, in Monaco, He Qiaonv will announce the first step in a $1.5 billion plan
that may represent the largest-ever personal philanthropic commitment to
wildlife conservation.
The number isn’t the
only thing that’s surprising about the announcement. The source might equally
raise eyebrows: The donation isn’t coming from a known Western conservationist
like Paul Allen, but from a landscape planner-turned-environmental steward who’s
based in Beijing.
Finland's Ahtari zoo
paces up for receiving giant pandas from China
Surrounded by calm
lakes and thick woods, a spacious building has been erected in the Ahtari zoo
in central Finland to accommodate a pair of giant pandas, who will arrive
hopefully by the end of this year.
Ahtari zoo, the
largest wildlife zoo in Finland, has paced up the preparation for receiving the
newcomers. A ceremony was held on Friday to celebrate the completion of the
roof construction of the panda house.
The ceremony is a
typical Finnish tradition: The owner of a newly built house shall invite the
construction workers and relatives and friends to dinner when the house is
capped with a roof, said Mikko Savola, member of Finnish parliament and the
board director of Ahtari wildlife zoo company.
The ceremony also
means that eighty percent of the construction is finished, and the panda house
will be ready for use as of November,
Conservationists
take nine flights a year, despite knowing danger to environment, study shows
onservationists may
preach about the importance of going green to save the planet, but most have a
carbon footprint which is virtually no different to anyone else, a new study
has shown.
Scientists as
Cambridge University were keen to find out whether being fully informed about
global warming, plastic in the ocean or the environmental impact of eating
meat, triggers more ethical behaviour.
But when they
examined the lifestyles of conservation scientists they discovered most still
flew frequently – an average of nine flights a year – ate meat or fish
approximately five times a week and rarely purchased carbon offsets for their
own emissions.
Female dolphins
evolved protective vaginas to stop unwanted males mating with them
Female bottlenose
dolphins have evolved to the point where they are able to protect themselves
from fertilisation by some males.
Certain species of
marine animals have extensive vaginal folds that make penis entry more
difficult, effectively acting as a reproductive barrier, researchers have
found.
Male bottlenose
dolphins form strong bonds with two to four others to fend off competitors for
their females.
When a female
dolphin comes into contact with such a group, she has little choice about who
mates with her and may end up mating with each one.
A zoo near Antwerp
must close its doors immediately
The Flemish Minister
of Animal Welfare, Ben Weyts, has withdrawn the recognition of the Olmense Zoo.
Too many animal
welfare violations were detected in the zoo in Balen, in the province of
Antwerp.
The Olmense Zoo
houses about 1,000 animals including elephants, zebras, lions and monkeys. 250
animal species in total. But it turns out that things often go wrong regarding
the housing. "Animals are often housed in rooms that are poorly ventilated
or not well-cleaned", says Minister Weyts. "In addition, some animals
have no shelter from the rain during their stay and there are far too many
animals for the room available.”
The problems with
the Olmense Zoo have actually been going on for a while. "We have
therefore proposed various pathways to improve the situation", the
Minister said, "but they have never led to a structural solution. That is
why the zoo must now immediately close its doors. It must be clear that we take
animal welfare seriously."
The management of
the Olmense Zoo has badly reacted . "I'm surprised," says Wim
Verheyen, "because I thought we had a good relation with the Animal
Welfare depart
Experts worry over
fate of world's 2nd smallest fish
The world’s second
smallest fish, Paedocypris micromegethes, found only in highly acidic black
water peat swamps in Terengganu, Johor, Perak and Sarawak, is under threat of
extinction following the draining of these areas for oil palm plantation.
Ichthyologists are
concerned that the fish sensitive to changes in its water parameters, may not
survive the destruction of its habitat, which is also home for some aquatic
species unique to peat swamp already under the International Union for
Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list of endangered species.
Measuring just 11
millimetres, Paedocypris micromegethes, is also being collected for the
aquarium trade and despite its status as a rare and endangered species, it is
sold for as cheap as RM3.30 per fish.
Ichthyologist Dr
Zahar Azuar Zakaria who found the latest specimen of Paedocypris micromegethes
in a peat swamp area in Sibu recently voiced his concern that the development
of oil palm plantations in the area may soon wipe out the species.
“I have seen another
Paedocypris species, the P. carbunculus traded as ruby rasbora in Singapore. I
believe two other species like the P. micromegentes (Malaysia) and P.
progenitica (Indonesia) are also being sold in the aquarium trade.
“These are delicate
species and are being threatened by habitat loss. We may just read about this
species in journals in the near future,” said Dr Zahar Azuar, who is on a
mission to record all freshwater fish in Malaysia.
He said the fish was
first discover
Elephant rampage, 4
years later Springfield zookeeper's shocking death still felt by many
Four years ago this
week, an elephant attacked and killed a Springfield zookeeper. For the first
time we are seeing where it happened and talking with his family.
At one time being an
elephant keeper was seen as one of the most dangerous occupations in the world.
"They're big,
intelligent animals. When you're with them, you're exposed and whatever they
decide to do, you're not going to be able to stop that in many cases,"
said Dickerson Park Zoo Director, Mike Crocker.
Nobody knew that
better than John Bradford. He worked with Springfield's elephants for 30 years.
"Not a day goes
by that we don't think about him," said John's brother, Phil Bradford Jr.
Phil says those
elephants were his life's work and his biggest passion.
"He had a real
connection with those animals. He worked side by side with them and was with
them every day.
Because elephants
can be so dangerous zoos already have an extensive safety system.
But it wasn't enough
for Patience. She is the elephant that attacked and killed John Bradford four
years ago.
Elephant deaths are
rare these days. So ra
Two Palm Beach Zoo
bush dogs presumed dead after habitat floods
Two bush dogs at the
Palm Beach Zoo are presumed dead after their habitat flooded last weekend.
Bush dogs are a
threatened species found in Suriname, Guyana and Peru. They are known for their
soft, long fur, bushy tails and short legs. Adults are about 2 feet long and 1
foot high.
The discovery was
made early Monday when keepers were checking on the animals, known as Lily and
Carino, at the zoo, in Dreher Park in West Palm Beach.
“They are one of a
few mammal species at the zoo that burrows, and when water started rising in
their home, they likely went underground w
Safari West owner
had ‘a thousand souls’ to save from Tubbs fire
Peter Lang had a
heart-wrenching choice — save his house in the fire-ravaged hills above Santa
Rosa or protect the more than 1,000 animals trapped at his wildlife preserve,
Safari West.
The 77-year-old
owner of the 400-acre facility on Porter Creek Road didn’t give it much
thought.
As the flames
approached, Lang ushered his wife, employees and 30 overnight guests off the
hill, grabbed a garden hose and began dousing hot spots threatening his
collection of primarily African species, including cheetahs, giraffes and
rhinoceroses.
When dawn broke,
they were all alive but Lang’s home was destroyed.
“I did not lose a
single animal,” he said Tuesday as he walked the grounds, dense smoke still
shrouding pens and other outbuildings. “It is amazing.”
Safari West emerged
as an anomaly in the Mark West Springs area directly in the path of the inferno
that roared into Santa Rosa from Calistoga early Monday. It has burned 27,000
acres and is blamed for at least 11 deaths.
Japan’s anime-loving
penguin Grape-kun passes away at Tobu Zoo
The cardboard
cut-out he fell in love with was moved from the enclosure to be with the
penguin as he passed away.
In April this year,
a Humboldt penguin called Grape-kun stole our hearts when he appeared to
develop feelings for a cardboard cut-out of an anthropomorphic penguin from the
Japanese hit anime Kemono Friends.
The character,
called Hululu, was placed in the penguin enclosure at Tobu Zoo in Saitama
Prefecture as part of a limited-time promotion for the anime, which saw other
anthropomorphised animal characters from the series scattered throughout other
areas of the zoo as well.
While the other
animals paid no attention to the cardboard cutouts in their midst, Grape-kun
became so enamoured by his 2-D visitor that he couldn’t tear his eyes away from
her, and it wasn’t long before photos began surfacing online, showing the
penguin staring up at her for hours at a time and refusing to leave her side.
Age 59 Chimp Named
“Mama” Is So Sick She Refuses to Eat. But Watch When She Recognizes Old Friend
At age 59, the sun
was setting on the life of a chimpanzee named Mama. Too weak to eat or drink,
Mama wanted nothing more than to be left alone, to pass in peace.
Born in the wild
around 1957, Mama was brought to the Netherlands from Germany in 1971. She
lived at the Royal Burgers’ Zoo in Arnhem, Netherlands.
According to her
caregivers and zoologists, Mama was a force to be reckoned with. She quickly
established herself as the dominant matriarch in her chimp colony; she was
easily the most famous chimp at the zoo.
Penguin disaster as
only two chicks survive from colony of 40,000
A colony of about
40,000 Adélie penguins in Antarctica has suffered a “catastrophic breeding
event” – all but two chicks have died of starvation this year. It is the second
time in just four years that such devastation – not previously seen in more
than 50 years of observation – has been wrought on the population.
The finding has
prompted urgent calls for the establishment of a marine protected area in East
Antarctica, at next week’s meeting of 24 nations and the European Union at the
Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR)
in Hobart.
Penguins starving to death is a sign that
something’s very wrong in the Antarctic
In the colony of
about 18,000 breeding penguin pairs on Petrels Island, French scientists
discovered just two surviving chicks at the start of the year. Thousands of
starved chicks and unhatched eggs were found across the island in the region
called Adélie Land (“Terre Adélie”).
The colony had
experienced a similar event in 2013, when no chicks survived. In a paper about
that event, a group of researchers, led by Yan Ropert-Coudert from France’s
National Centre for Scientific Research, said
Philippines mull
sending eagles abroad to ensure species survival
Wildlife
conservation officials have proposed sending some of the endemic Philippine
Eagles abroad to ensure their survival in the event of an avian flu outbreak.
“This may be
necessary to ensure the survival of our eagles in the event of an epidemic,”
Dennis Salvador, president of the Philippine Eagle Foundation was quoted in
reports as saying as officials mull what steps to take to save the raptor,
which is endemic to the country’s forests.
The recent outbreak
of avian flu in Central Luzon in the northern portion of the country has
prompted officials like Salvador to think of ways to ensure that the species
would not be wiped out in the event of an epidemic.
Currently, a
considerable number of the estimated 400 surviving Philippine Eagles are under
the care of the Philippine Eagle Foundations’ aviary in Malagos, Davao City.
Having some of the captive eagles taken to other countries would mean that in
the event on an outbreak, not every bird from this particular gene pool would
be susceptible to an epidemic suc
Dibbler populations
bolstered
Endangered
marsupial released on the south coast to assist with long-term conservation
efforts
Animals from a
successful captive breeding program
A total of 69
dibblers have been reintroduced into bushland on the State's south coast as
part of efforts to strengthen populations to assist with the long-term recovery
of the endangered species.
Successful release
of the small carnivorous marsupials was due to a partnership between the Perth
Zoo and the Parks and Wildlife team under the new Department of Biodiversity,
Conservation and Attractions.
The department bred
the dibblers before releasing them into an area that borders Peniup Creek near
Jerramungup.
Before the release,
fox baiting was carried out at the site and this will continue in addition to
feral cat trapping, under the department's Western Shield wildlife conservation
program, to give the species a greater chance of survival against two of their
biggest threats.
Since 2001, nearly
250 captive bred dibblers have been released at various sites throughout the
south coast.
Earlier this year,
six zoo-bred dibblers and their pouch young were released onto Gunton Island
near Esperance to expand the small population established there, and ongoing
camera monitoring has provided encou
Can the Zoo change
its stripes?
If you want to
glimpse the future of the Oregon Zoo, head for the new education center, a $17
million LEED Gold, net zero energy wood structure. Inside, you will find a
giant touch screen park locator, a species conservation laboratory, colorful
kid-friendly information exhibits and peppy teen volunteers ready to give the
low down on conservation research.
What you won’t see
on this hot August morning are many animals, or, for that matter, people.
To see them, animals
and Homo sapiens, venture down to the elephant exhibit. Crowds press against a
nearby bridge and embankments, smartphones at the ready. All eyes and screens
are on Lily, a five-year-old juvenile and one of the newest additions to the
herd. She saunters to
Scientists begin
bold conservation effort to save the vaquita porpoise from extinction
An international
team of experts has gathered in San Felipe, Mexico at the request of the
Mexican government (SEMARNAT) and has begun a bold, compassionate plan known as
VaquitaCPR to save the endangered vaquita porpoise from extinction. The vaquita
porpoise, also known as the 'panda of the sea,' is the most endangered marine
mammal in the world. Latest estimates by scientists who have been monitoring
the vaquita for decades show there are fewer than 30 vaquitas left in the wild. The vaquita only lives in the upper Gulf of
California.
Do Animals Have
Menopause?
Human women
typically go through menopause between ages 45 and 55, when they undergo
hormonal changes that cause them to stop being able to reproduce. But they're
not the only ones in the animal kingdom who live beyond their reproductive
years.
Scientists have long
known that animals' fertility and reproductive success slowly decline with
increasing age — a phenomenon called reproductive senescence. But, for the most
part, reproduction in animals seems to continue up to old age and death, though
at a diminished capacity.
In a recent review
of primate species, researchers found that humans are the only primates that
don't die within a few years of "fertility cessation." And this is
true even when modern medicine and health care are taken out of the equation,
as the study included data from the hunter-gatherer !Kung tribe in the Kalahari
Desert.
In the past couple
of decades, however, numerous studies have claimed that menopause, or
"post-reproductive life spans" — a phrase that most often refers to
the age of last reproduction, since changes in ovulation and hormones related
to menopause are difficult to measure in wild animal populations — occurs in a
wide range of species. Guppies, for instance, appear to go through a fish
version of menopause, according to one study, which found that the fish spend
an average of 13.6 percent of their total life spans in a post-reproductive
stage.
In fact, such
"menopause" appear
Cleveland Metroparks
Zoo Invites Proposals for Asian Conservation, Research Projects
The Cleveland
Metroparks Zoo is accepting proposals for its the Asia Seed Grants Program,
which provides funds to support field conservation and research projects in
Asia.
Grants of up to
$3,500 will be awarded to support conservation and research initiatives as well
as educational or cultural activities that involve or impact wildlife and their
habitats. Priority will be given to projects that have clear and direct conservation
impact, positively affect local people, and create opportunities for capacity
building in country.
Projects focusing on
the following areas of special interest to the zoo are strongly encouraged,
including wildlife protection (law enforcement, illegal wildlife trade issues,
etc.); human wildlife conflict mitigation; development and promotion of sustainable
environmental practices; habitat protection and restoration (terrestrial and
freshwater ecosystems); capacity building, education/training, community-based
conservation and development; and conservation biology, ecology, and
Considered
ecologically extinct in the wild, Burmese star tortoise population has grown to
more than 14,000 individuals
The Burmese star
tortoise (Geochelone platynota), a medium-sized tortoise found only in
Myanmar's central dry zone, has been brought back from the brink of extinction
thanks to an aggressive captive-breeding effort spearheaded by a team of
conservationists and government partners.
Breeding Endangered
Species and Educating People About the Diversity of Life: A Conversation with
Ed Maruska, Retired Director of the Cincinnati Zoo
Ed Maruska has one been regarded as one of
the classic silverback directors of the zoo field. In a career that spanned
nearly four decades, he led the Cincinnati Zoo to being one of the premier
institutions in the country and helped establish breeding programs for
endangered species within zoos. Maruska made several innovations during his
tenure including opening the first insect exhibit at an American zoo and
integrating gorillas in family groups. Although he has been retired since 2001,
he remains a legend in the field. Here is his story.
Positive Behavior: A
Conversation with Otto Fad, Behavior and Welfare Specialist at Precision
Behavior Animal Consulting
Animal behavior is
the backbone of the modern zoo and no one knows this better than Otto Fad,
Behavior and Welfare Specialist at Precision Behavior Animal Consulting.
“Everyone who works around animals should have an understanding of behavioral
fundamentals because whether they are aware of it or not, they are constantly
impacting and changing the behavior of animals in their care,” he explained.
“Behavior is dynamic, always changing. So the choice is you can train and teach
animals in an informed, intentional and enlightened manner or you can leave
their behavior to chance.” Fad rose to prominence as Elephant Manager at Busch
Gardens, a position he maintained from 2004 to April 2017. Here is his story.
Are you having a
giraffe? Zoo will open in Redbridge in 2020
The Recorder can
reveal that Hainault Forest Country Park will be turned into a “regional
visitor attraction” complete with an upgraded visitors’ centre.
The funding
application was granted to the site at Romford Road, Hainault, to help preserve
and enhance the ancient forest’s biodiversity and Site of Special Scientific
Interest (SSSI).
Redbridge Council
will also invest an extra £1.25m into the project with a further £250,000 from
Vision bringing the total investment to £6m.
Council leader Cllr
Jas Athwal said he was very excited about the news and it would enable the
local authority to turn it into “almost a national park”.
“It will be great
for residents to go out and enjoy a day there,” he told the Recorder.
“Together with the
golf course and boating lake we will be creating a prospectus of all the good
things in Ilford North.”
Cllr Athwal said the
zoo was excellent news for the borough on top of launching a bid to become the
London Borough of Culture.
Moving Forward: A
Conversation with Marcy Dean, Director of the Potawatomi Zoo
The Potawatomi Zoo
is a 23-acre zoo in South Bend, Indiana and it has never had a more promising
future than it does now. It was privatized in 2014 when the City of South Bend
and the Zoological Society formed a public/private partnership. Since then Director
Marcy Dean has not looked back. The Potawatomi Zoo has begun an ambitious
master plan and fundraising campaign which has already resulted in bringing
okapi to the zoo. Marcy Dean clearly believes in the zoo and is determined to
make it the best it can be. Here is her story.
Conservationists
Sound Alarm on Plummeting Giraffe Numbers
Picture an animal
enrobed in a fiery, jigsaw-patterned coat. A creature of such majestic height
that it towers amongst the trees. As your eyes make their way up its long neck
that appears to defy gravity, you find crowned atop its head two Seussian, horn-like
protrusions framing dark, curious eyes fanned by lashes. In its truest sense,
the giraffe fits the description of a creature plucked from the pages of a
fantastical story. Even its species name, Giraffa camelopardalis, comes from
the ancient Greek belief that the giraffe is a peculiar camel wearing the coat
of a leopard. Meanwhile, the Japanese word for giraffe and unicorn are one and
the same.
Rare Hawaiian crows
released into native forests of Hawai’i Island
Five young ‘alala,
two females and three males, were released into Pu‘u Maka‘ala Natural Area
Reserve (NAR) on the Island of Hawai‘i on Wednesday, October 11. This second
group of birds joins a previous group that had been released into the forest at
the end of September. These eleven birds represent what conservationists hope
will be the beginning of a recovered population of the endangered crow species
on the island.
The ‘alala, or
Hawaiian crow, has been extinct in the wild since 2002, preserved only at the
Keauhou and Maui Bird Conservation Centers managed by San Diego Zoo Global’s
Hawaii Endangered Bird Conservation Program.
“Our efforts to
bring this species back from the brink of extinction have been tremendously
bolstered by our ability to protect a small population of ‘alala in a
conservation breeding program in Hawai‘i,” says Michelle Bogardus, U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service Geographic team leader for Maui Nui and the Hawai’i
Islands. “Now that we built up the population to more than 125 birds at the
Hawaiian Bird Center we can begin the long road to recovering this incredible
species in its native habitat.”
The first group of
‘alala released into the forests of Hawai‘i in late 2016 encountered predation
pressures from the native Hawaiian hawk, or `Io. Surviving birds from this
first group were brought back into aviaries while a team of co
http://www.kitv.com/story/36609266/rare-hawaiian-crows-released-into-native-forests-of-hawaii-island
BIAZA AUTUMN
NEWSLETTER 2017
International trade
in live elephants
In response to
considerable interest from members of the public and non-government
organizations, the CITES Secretariat offers this quick guide to CITES controls
on international trade in live elephants.
Elephants taken from
the wild
International trade
in live elephants, especially when it takes the animals out of their natural
range, is a very sensitive issue that generates expressions of public concern.
There are strict rules in CITES to regulate such trade, but the trade is not prohibited,
and some aspects of the trade are not covered by CITES rules.
The trade controls
applying to trade in live elephants from the wild depend on the country of
origin of the animals.
African elephants in
Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe are included in CITES Appendix II.
This means that CITES Parties have agreed that although the species is “not
necessarily now threatened with extinction” in these States, it may become so
unless international trade in specimens from these States is strictly regulated
in order to “avoid utilization incompatible with their survival”.
African elephants
from other States and all Asian elephants are consi
London Zoo sends
cheetahs, lemurs in return for Gir lions
This is possibly the
most valuable barter any Gujarat zoo has pulled off so far. In 2016, an
exclusive Gir Asiatic lion section was opened in the famed ZSL London Zoo and
Gujarat sent a pair of Asiatic lions from Sakkarbaug Zoo. In return, ZSL has
sent Gujarat a pair of cheetahs, two ring-tailed lemurs and two zebras.
Forest department
officials of Junagadh wildlife division said this will be the first time
Sakkarbaug Zoo will have zebras or ring-tailed lemurs. No zoos in the state
have these animals. Officials said the animals will arrive later this month and
will available for public viewing after 30 days of quarantine. Chief
conservator of forests, A P Singh, said, "
Animal exhibits –
Open kitchen concept to convey the message
As partner of
Lionhouse and architect working in the zoo sector I sometimes get the chance to
see the staff only areas of a zoo in use; a glimpse behind the scenes, hidden
for the ‘ordinary’ visitor.
A few months ago I
visited the facilities of Stichting AAP in Almere, The Netherlands. This
organisation provide care and shelter to exotic animals which have suffered
severe abuse or neglect.
Unlike zoos,
Stichting AAP are not a visitor attraction. Their main objectives are the basic
needs of the rescued animals. The holding quarters are therefore practical and
efficient, without any unnecessary frills to please the public.
They do, however,
try to involve the public in their work by offering guided tours behind the
scenes. My host led me along the offices, the quarantine building and
veterinary unit, the different animal houses and outdoor enclosures.
As he explained the
process of rehabilitation of the rescued animals and showed me the daily
routine of the staff – feeding, cleaning, observation etc. – it surprised me
how fascinated I always get by the unadorned truth of these ‘behind the
scene’-experiences, the authenticity of it.
Enclosure Design
Tool
The EDT is an
interactive, computer interface that gives zoos and sanctuaries the ability to
compare the behaviour of their chimpanzees and orangutans to the latest
research on wild populations. It helps them use that information to create
physically and mentally stimulating enclosures that mimic the physical and
mechanical challenges wild great apes face in the forest canopy.
The International
Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has predicted that all non-human great
apes (chimpanzees, orangutans, gorillas and bonobos) could be extinct in the
wild within a human generation. The ability of sanctuaries to reintroduce great
apes back into the wild, and of zoos to conserve the species while meeting
their welfare needs, relies on encouraging the apes to exhibit the behaviours
that are a vital part of the species’ ability to survive in the natural
environment. Our focus on replicating the mechanical challenges of forest life
is d
'Killer' toothaches
likely cause misery for captive orca
An international
research team has undertaken the first in-depth investigation of the teeth of
captive orca (killer whales) and have found them a sorry state, which raises
serious concerns for these majestic mammals' overall health and welfare.
Anyone with a
toothache knows how painful and distracting that can be - in orca which have
around 48 large teeth, a sore tooth is likely no less painful or debilitating
than for a person. Now, a new international study published in the journal
Archives of Oral Biology, found that every individual examined had damaged
teeth.
Study first author
Professor John Jett of Florida's Stetson University, an ex-orca trainer, says
the team investigated 29 orca owned by one company and held in the USA and
Spain.
"Every whale
had some form of damage to its teeth. We found that the more than 65 per cent
possessed moderate to extreme tooth wear in their lower jaws, mostly as a
result of chewing concrete and steel tank surfaces."
Additionally, the
researchers found that more than 61 per cent of the orca they studied have
"been to the dentist" to have their teeth drilled. Officially termed
a "modified pulpotomy", a hole is drilled into the tooth to extract
the soft pulpy tissue inside.
Study co-author Dr
Carolina Loch, a Faculty of Dentistry re
A killer whale of a
tale: when peer review sometimes fail.
When examining
claims in the scientific press one always tend to look to whether or not the
evidence that this is based on has been subject to peer review. Science journalism can be something of a
mixed bag and with the ever increasing need to produce headlines that will
generate attention (clickbait) and advertising revenue.
One such example is
a recent news report in the web based science news outlet Phys.Org entitled:
"Killer toothaches likely cause misery for captive orca". The article
relates to a paper published in the Archives of Oral Biology that claims that
tooth damage in captive killer whales is endemic and harmful to the animals.
However a closer look at the paper and its authors give some calls for concern.
Looking at what is
available in the original paper it seems that the assessments made were from
photographs taken by various individuals whilst visiting various
facilities. None of the authors appears
to have had direct access to physically examine the teeth of any of these
animals. Only one of the authors,
Carolina Loch, has any academic qualification in dentistry.
Moreover, the paper
does acknowledge the fact that tooth erosion is seen commonly in wild cetaceans
but it's not very clear on what kind of comparative analysis was used. Tooth
erosion in wild killer whales is well documented.
Further, four of the
authors have an opposition to the maintenance of killer whales in captivity:
Jeffrey Ventre and
John Jett are former SeaWorld trainers who both left this facility in 1995 -
with Ventre being dismissed for misconduct.
Water for Elephants
There is a crisis of elephantine proportions playing
out in the dry sandy Kalahari woodlands of eastern Botswana, and a determined
family of caring people is caught in the middle of the drama. A friend and I
spent a few days with them in September this year, and came away determined to
help. I hope that my story inspires you to do the same.
Thousands of thirsty
elephants utilise the tiny waterhole at Elephant Sands bush lodge and campsite,
because it is one of a few reliable sources of water in this vast arid
landscape – especially during the height of the dry season. The result is often
chaos as elephants arrive in their hundreds, exhausted, dehydrated and anxious
– with ensuing destruction of infrastructure and property and even injury to
younger elephants that get bullied by the massive bulls.
Beijing
Philanthropist Commits $1.5 Billion to Conservation
This Saturday, Oct.
14, in Monaco, He Qiaonv will announce the first step in a $1.5 billion plan
that may represent the largest-ever personal philanthropic commitment to
wildlife conservation.
The number isn’t the
only thing that’s surprising about the announcement. The source might equally
raise eyebrows: The donation isn’t coming from a known Western conservationist
like Paul Allen, but from a landscape planner-turned-environmental steward who’s
based in Beijing.
Finland's Ahtari zoo
paces up for receiving giant pandas from China
Surrounded by calm
lakes and thick woods, a spacious building has been erected in the Ahtari zoo
in central Finland to accommodate a pair of giant pandas, who will arrive
hopefully by the end of this year.
Ahtari zoo, the
largest wildlife zoo in Finland, has paced up the preparation for receiving the
newcomers. A ceremony was held on Friday to celebrate the completion of the
roof construction of the panda house.
The ceremony is a
typical Finnish tradition: The owner of a newly built house shall invite the
construction workers and relatives and friends to dinner when the house is
capped with a roof, said Mikko Savola, member of Finnish parliament and the
board director of Ahtari wildlife zoo company.
The ceremony also
means that eighty percent of the construction is finished, and the panda house
will be ready for use as of November,
Conservationists
take nine flights a year, despite knowing danger to environment, study shows
onservationists may
preach about the importance of going green to save the planet, but most have a
carbon footprint which is virtually no different to anyone else, a new study
has shown.
Scientists as
Cambridge University were keen to find out whether being fully informed about
global warming, plastic in the ocean or the environmental impact of eating
meat, triggers more ethical behaviour.
But when they
examined the lifestyles of conservation scientists they discovered most still
flew frequently – an average of nine flights a year – ate meat or fish
approximately five times a week and rarely purchased carbon offsets for their
own emissions.
Female dolphins
evolved protective vaginas to stop unwanted males mating with them
Female bottlenose
dolphins have evolved to the point where they are able to protect themselves
from fertilisation by some males.
Certain species of
marine animals have extensive vaginal folds that make penis entry more
difficult, effectively acting as a reproductive barrier, researchers have
found.
Male bottlenose
dolphins form strong bonds with two to four others to fend off competitors for
their females.
When a female
dolphin comes into contact with such a group, she has little choice about who
mates with her and may end up mating with each one.
A zoo near Antwerp
must close its doors immediately
The Flemish Minister
of Animal Welfare, Ben Weyts, has withdrawn the recognition of the Olmense Zoo.
Too many animal
welfare violations were detected in the zoo in Balen, in the province of
Antwerp.
The Olmense Zoo
houses about 1,000 animals including elephants, zebras, lions and monkeys. 250
animal species in total. But it turns out that things often go wrong regarding
the housing. "Animals are often housed in rooms that are poorly ventilated
or not well-cleaned", says Minister Weyts. "In addition, some animals
have no shelter from the rain during their stay and there are far too many
animals for the room available.”
The problems with
the Olmense Zoo have actually been going on for a while. "We have
therefore proposed various pathways to improve the situation", the
Minister said, "but they have never led to a structural solution. That is
why the zoo must now immediately close its doors. It must be clear that we take
animal welfare seriously."
The management of
the Olmense Zoo has badly reacted . "I'm surprised," says Wim
Verheyen, "because I thought we had a good relation with the Animal
Welfare depart
Experts worry over
fate of world's 2nd smallest fish
The world’s second
smallest fish, Paedocypris micromegethes, found only in highly acidic black
water peat swamps in Terengganu, Johor, Perak and Sarawak, is under threat of
extinction following the draining of these areas for oil palm plantation.
Ichthyologists are
concerned that the fish sensitive to changes in its water parameters, may not
survive the destruction of its habitat, which is also home for some aquatic
species unique to peat swamp already under the International Union for
Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list of endangered species.
Measuring just 11
millimetres, Paedocypris micromegethes, is also being collected for the
aquarium trade and despite its status as a rare and endangered species, it is
sold for as cheap as RM3.30 per fish.
Ichthyologist Dr
Zahar Azuar Zakaria who found the latest specimen of Paedocypris micromegethes
in a peat swamp area in Sibu recently voiced his concern that the development
of oil palm plantations in the area may soon wipe out the species.
“I have seen another
Paedocypris species, the P. carbunculus traded as ruby rasbora in Singapore. I
believe two other species like the P. micromegentes (Malaysia) and P.
progenitica (Indonesia) are also being sold in the aquarium trade.
“These are delicate
species and are being threatened by habitat loss. We may just read about this
species in journals in the near future,” said Dr Zahar Azuar, who is on a
mission to record all freshwater fish in Malaysia.
He said the fish was
first discover
Elephant rampage, 4
years later Springfield zookeeper's shocking death still felt by many
Four years ago this
week, an elephant attacked and killed a Springfield zookeeper. For the first
time we are seeing where it happened and talking with his family.
At one time being an
elephant keeper was seen as one of the most dangerous occupations in the world.
"They're big,
intelligent animals. When you're with them, you're exposed and whatever they
decide to do, you're not going to be able to stop that in many cases,"
said Dickerson Park Zoo Director, Mike Crocker.
Nobody knew that
better than John Bradford. He worked with Springfield's elephants for 30 years.
"Not a day goes
by that we don't think about him," said John's brother, Phil Bradford Jr.
Phil says those
elephants were his life's work and his biggest passion.
"He had a real
connection with those animals. He worked side by side with them and was with
them every day.
Because elephants
can be so dangerous zoos already have an extensive safety system.
But it wasn't enough
for Patience. She is the elephant that attacked and killed John Bradford four
years ago.
Elephant deaths are
rare these days. So ra
Two Palm Beach Zoo
bush dogs presumed dead after habitat floods
Two bush dogs at the
Palm Beach Zoo are presumed dead after their habitat flooded last weekend.
Bush dogs are a
threatened species found in Suriname, Guyana and Peru. They are known for their
soft, long fur, bushy tails and short legs. Adults are about 2 feet long and 1
foot high.
The discovery was
made early Monday when keepers were checking on the animals, known as Lily and
Carino, at the zoo, in Dreher Park in West Palm Beach.
“They are one of a
few mammal species at the zoo that burrows, and when water started rising in
their home, they likely went underground w
Safari West owner
had ‘a thousand souls’ to save from Tubbs fire
Peter Lang had a
heart-wrenching choice — save his house in the fire-ravaged hills above Santa
Rosa or protect the more than 1,000 animals trapped at his wildlife preserve,
Safari West.
The 77-year-old
owner of the 400-acre facility on Porter Creek Road didn’t give it much
thought.
As the flames
approached, Lang ushered his wife, employees and 30 overnight guests off the
hill, grabbed a garden hose and began dousing hot spots threatening his
collection of primarily African species, including cheetahs, giraffes and
rhinoceroses.
When dawn broke,
they were all alive but Lang’s home was destroyed.
“I did not lose a
single animal,” he said Tuesday as he walked the grounds, dense smoke still
shrouding pens and other outbuildings. “It is amazing.”
Safari West emerged
as an anomaly in the Mark West Springs area directly in the path of the inferno
that roared into Santa Rosa from Calistoga early Monday. It has burned 27,000
acres and is blamed for at least 11 deaths.
Japan’s anime-loving
penguin Grape-kun passes away at Tobu Zoo
The cardboard
cut-out he fell in love with was moved from the enclosure to be with the
penguin as he passed away.
In April this year,
a Humboldt penguin called Grape-kun stole our hearts when he appeared to
develop feelings for a cardboard cut-out of an anthropomorphic penguin from the
Japanese hit anime Kemono Friends.
The character,
called Hululu, was placed in the penguin enclosure at Tobu Zoo in Saitama
Prefecture as part of a limited-time promotion for the anime, which saw other
anthropomorphised animal characters from the series scattered throughout other
areas of the zoo as well.
While the other
animals paid no attention to the cardboard cutouts in their midst, Grape-kun
became so enamoured by his 2-D visitor that he couldn’t tear his eyes away from
her, and it wasn’t long before photos began surfacing online, showing the
penguin staring up at her for hours at a time and refusing to leave her side.
Age 59 Chimp Named
“Mama” Is So Sick She Refuses to Eat. But Watch When She Recognizes Old Friend
At age 59, the sun
was setting on the life of a chimpanzee named Mama. Too weak to eat or drink,
Mama wanted nothing more than to be left alone, to pass in peace.
Born in the wild
around 1957, Mama was brought to the Netherlands from Germany in 1971. She
lived at the Royal Burgers’ Zoo in Arnhem, Netherlands.
According to her
caregivers and zoologists, Mama was a force to be reckoned with. She quickly
established herself as the dominant matriarch in her chimp colony; she was
easily the most famous chimp at the zoo.
Penguin disaster as
only two chicks survive from colony of 40,000
A colony of about
40,000 Adélie penguins in Antarctica has suffered a “catastrophic breeding
event” – all but two chicks have died of starvation this year. It is the second
time in just four years that such devastation – not previously seen in more
than 50 years of observation – has been wrought on the population.
The finding has
prompted urgent calls for the establishment of a marine protected area in East
Antarctica, at next week’s meeting of 24 nations and the European Union at the
Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR)
in Hobart.
Penguins starving to death is a sign that
something’s very wrong in the Antarctic
In the colony of
about 18,000 breeding penguin pairs on Petrels Island, French scientists
discovered just two surviving chicks at the start of the year. Thousands of
starved chicks and unhatched eggs were found across the island in the region
called Adélie Land (“Terre Adélie”).
The colony had
experienced a similar event in 2013, when no chicks survived. In a paper about
that event, a group of researchers, led by Yan Ropert-Coudert from France’s
National Centre for Scientific Research, said
Philippines mull
sending eagles abroad to ensure species survival
Wildlife
conservation officials have proposed sending some of the endemic Philippine
Eagles abroad to ensure their survival in the event of an avian flu outbreak.
“This may be
necessary to ensure the survival of our eagles in the event of an epidemic,”
Dennis Salvador, president of the Philippine Eagle Foundation was quoted in
reports as saying as officials mull what steps to take to save the raptor,
which is endemic to the country’s forests.
The recent outbreak
of avian flu in Central Luzon in the northern portion of the country has
prompted officials like Salvador to think of ways to ensure that the species
would not be wiped out in the event of an epidemic.
Currently, a
considerable number of the estimated 400 surviving Philippine Eagles are under
the care of the Philippine Eagle Foundations’ aviary in Malagos, Davao City.
Having some of the captive eagles taken to other countries would mean that in
the event on an outbreak, not every bird from this particular gene pool would
be susceptible to an epidemic suc
Dibbler populations
bolstered
Endangered
marsupial released on the south coast to assist with long-term conservation
efforts
Animals from a
successful captive breeding program
A total of 69
dibblers have been reintroduced into bushland on the State's south coast as
part of efforts to strengthen populations to assist with the long-term recovery
of the endangered species.
Successful release
of the small carnivorous marsupials was due to a partnership between the Perth
Zoo and the Parks and Wildlife team under the new Department of Biodiversity,
Conservation and Attractions.
The department bred
the dibblers before releasing them into an area that borders Peniup Creek near
Jerramungup.
Before the release,
fox baiting was carried out at the site and this will continue in addition to
feral cat trapping, under the department's Western Shield wildlife conservation
program, to give the species a greater chance of survival against two of their
biggest threats.
Since 2001, nearly
250 captive bred dibblers have been released at various sites throughout the
south coast.
Earlier this year,
six zoo-bred dibblers and their pouch young were released onto Gunton Island
near Esperance to expand the small population established there, and ongoing
camera monitoring has provided encou
Can the Zoo change
its stripes?
If you want to
glimpse the future of the Oregon Zoo, head for the new education center, a $17
million LEED Gold, net zero energy wood structure. Inside, you will find a
giant touch screen park locator, a species conservation laboratory, colorful
kid-friendly information exhibits and peppy teen volunteers ready to give the
low down on conservation research.
What you won’t see
on this hot August morning are many animals, or, for that matter, people.
To see them, animals
and Homo sapiens, venture down to the elephant exhibit. Crowds press against a
nearby bridge and embankments, smartphones at the ready. All eyes and screens
are on Lily, a five-year-old juvenile and one of the newest additions to the
herd. She saunters to
Scientists begin
bold conservation effort to save the vaquita porpoise from extinction
An international
team of experts has gathered in San Felipe, Mexico at the request of the
Mexican government (SEMARNAT) and has begun a bold, compassionate plan known as
VaquitaCPR to save the endangered vaquita porpoise from extinction. The vaquita
porpoise, also known as the 'panda of the sea,' is the most endangered marine
mammal in the world. Latest estimates by scientists who have been monitoring
the vaquita for decades show there are fewer than 30 vaquitas left in the wild. The vaquita only lives in the upper Gulf of
California.
Do Animals Have
Menopause?
Human women
typically go through menopause between ages 45 and 55, when they undergo
hormonal changes that cause them to stop being able to reproduce. But they're
not the only ones in the animal kingdom who live beyond their reproductive
years.
Scientists have long
known that animals' fertility and reproductive success slowly decline with
increasing age — a phenomenon called reproductive senescence. But, for the most
part, reproduction in animals seems to continue up to old age and death, though
at a diminished capacity.
In a recent review
of primate species, researchers found that humans are the only primates that
don't die within a few years of "fertility cessation." And this is
true even when modern medicine and health care are taken out of the equation,
as the study included data from the hunter-gatherer !Kung tribe in the Kalahari
Desert.
In the past couple
of decades, however, numerous studies have claimed that menopause, or
"post-reproductive life spans" — a phrase that most often refers to
the age of last reproduction, since changes in ovulation and hormones related
to menopause are difficult to measure in wild animal populations — occurs in a
wide range of species. Guppies, for instance, appear to go through a fish
version of menopause, according to one study, which found that the fish spend
an average of 13.6 percent of their total life spans in a post-reproductive
stage.
In fact, such
"menopause" appear
Cleveland Metroparks
Zoo Invites Proposals for Asian Conservation, Research Projects
The Cleveland
Metroparks Zoo is accepting proposals for its the Asia Seed Grants Program,
which provides funds to support field conservation and research projects in
Asia.
Grants of up to
$3,500 will be awarded to support conservation and research initiatives as well
as educational or cultural activities that involve or impact wildlife and their
habitats. Priority will be given to projects that have clear and direct conservation
impact, positively affect local people, and create opportunities for capacity
building in country.
Projects focusing on
the following areas of special interest to the zoo are strongly encouraged,
including wildlife protection (law enforcement, illegal wildlife trade issues,
etc.); human wildlife conflict mitigation; development and promotion of sustainable
environmental practices; habitat protection and restoration (terrestrial and
freshwater ecosystems); capacity building, education/training, community-based
conservation and development; and conservation biology, ecology, and
Considered
ecologically extinct in the wild, Burmese star tortoise population has grown to
more than 14,000 individuals
The Burmese star
tortoise (Geochelone platynota), a medium-sized tortoise found only in
Myanmar's central dry zone, has been brought back from the brink of extinction
thanks to an aggressive captive-breeding effort spearheaded by a team of
conservationists and government partners.
Breeding Endangered
Species and Educating People About the Diversity of Life: A Conversation with
Ed Maruska, Retired Director of the Cincinnati Zoo
Ed Maruska has one been regarded as one of
the classic silverback directors of the zoo field. In a career that spanned
nearly four decades, he led the Cincinnati Zoo to being one of the premier
institutions in the country and helped establish breeding programs for
endangered species within zoos. Maruska made several innovations during his
tenure including opening the first insect exhibit at an American zoo and
integrating gorillas in family groups. Although he has been retired since 2001,
he remains a legend in the field. Here is his story.
Positive Behavior: A
Conversation with Otto Fad, Behavior and Welfare Specialist at Precision
Behavior Animal Consulting
Animal behavior is
the backbone of the modern zoo and no one knows this better than Otto Fad,
Behavior and Welfare Specialist at Precision Behavior Animal Consulting.
“Everyone who works around animals should have an understanding of behavioral
fundamentals because whether they are aware of it or not, they are constantly
impacting and changing the behavior of animals in their care,” he explained.
“Behavior is dynamic, always changing. So the choice is you can train and teach
animals in an informed, intentional and enlightened manner or you can leave
their behavior to chance.” Fad rose to prominence as Elephant Manager at Busch
Gardens, a position he maintained from 2004 to April 2017. Here is his story.
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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 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
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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