Zoo News Digest 30th April 2018 (ZooNews 991)
Peter Dickinson
elvinhow@gmail.com
Dear Colleague,
The first link refers to canned hunting though it will never be referred to as such. Shooting Arabian Oryx for the pot would have been the last thing people could have imagined back in the 1970's when myself and colleagues worked on genetically managing small herds by moving males around. So does canned hunting signal success? It probably does with Oryx. After all it's been going on in Texas for years. Don't get me wrong, it's not something I am in favour of but it's either that or culling. The breeding programme has, and continues to be a huge success. The Arabian Oryx is often mentioned as a success story in the light of animals being rescued, taken to the US and then brought back and released into the deserts of Oman. Yes, it was wonderful. It has been suggested that without this they would have become extinct. Sorry but this is just not true. In the 1970's there were private herds hidden away in Kuwait, Saudi, Bahrain, Qatar and the UAE. These were not small numbers they probably numbered in the high 100's. Now the UAE alone has over 5000 Oryx and none of these are descended from US born animals.
I reckon the David Gill story has run its course now. I never saw a sympathetic comment anywhere.
I reckon the David Gill story has run its course now. I never saw a sympathetic comment anywhere.
Did you know that advertising your vacancy or product on ZooNews Digest can potentially reach 77,000 + people?
Lots of interest follows.
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Did You Know?
ZooNews Digest has over 77,000 Followers on Facebook( and over 77,000 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,
********
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Did You Know?
ZooNews Digest has over 77,000 Followers on Facebook( and over 77,000 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,
********
*****
***
**
*
The UAE's only wild
hunting resort says visitor numbers are growing
The roar of wild
animals, iced drinks under the stars and rifles jacked up against backpacks –
it sounds like a passage from Ernest Hemingway’s classic safari journal Green
Hills of Africa, but only a few miles from the capital in the deserts of Al
Ain, hunters from across the globe are legally hunting for trophy game such as
Arabian oryx and gazelle.
Telal Hunting opened
in 2015 and is based at the Telal Resort in Al Ain. The 80 square kilometre
complex also offers safari trips where guests can see these indigenous Middle
Eastern animals in the wild. It's the only place in the UAE where these animals
can be hunted legally in their natural environment.
Hans Enslin is the
hunting manager. “In our boundaries it’s legal to hunt,” he said at the Arabian
Travel Market on Monday.
The operation is
fully licensed by Abu Dhabi and the numbers visiting are growing. The season
runs from October to March and from just 25 paying hunters in 2015, at least 95
came this season – seventy of which are from the GCC and Emirati. Guests also
come from traditional hunting communities in Europe, Russia, the US, South
America and Mexico.
People do not need
shooting experience, but most do and many have a military background. Every
hunting guest, no matter what their expertise, is still taken to a shooting
range under Mr
A Court Has Rejected
the 'Monkey Selfie' Lawsuit Seeking Animal Rights to Photographs
A U.S. appeals court
on Monday favored humans over animals in a novel copyright lawsuit filed over a
series of entertaining selfies taken by a monkey with a toothy grin.
U.S. copyright law
does not allow lawsuits that seek to give animals the rights to photographs or
other original work, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled.
Copyright
infringement can only be claimed on behalf of humans, the court said.
The unanimous,
three-judge panel upheld a lower court ruling that dismissed the lawsuit by the
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals against a photographer whose camera
was used by a crested macaque to take the photos in 2011.
PETA’s 2015 suit
against wildlife photographer Da
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
BANS THE SALE OF DOLPHINS FOR ENTERTAINMENT
The Dominican
Republic has passed legislation that prohibits the sale of dolphins, Ric
O’Barry’s Dolphin Project reported. The new legislation, published by the
Dominican Republic’s Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, is said to
cover a period of five years. During this time, dolphins cannot be purchased or
sold within the Caribbean nation.
While the ruling
does not ban the captivity of dolphins at current facilities, Dolphin Project,
the longest-running anti-captivity dolphin organization in the world, believes
the legislation will still have an impact. The organization commented that the ruling
will make it “more difficult, if not impossible” to open new dolphinariums.
Dolphin Project
said: “We applaud the Ministry for taking this action, as this is an important
advance for local activists who have been working hard to defend the free
Why zoos should be
considered social enterprises
What goes through
your head when you hear the word ‘zoo’? Is it that they are modern day
conservation powerhouses? If not, it should be.
With over 700
million visitors a year, zoos and aquariums are the third biggest contributor
to field conservation worldwide. We are in a prime position to influence the
relationships between people and nature.
Zoos are true social
enterprises, contributing to our understanding of animals and their habitats,
their care and threats, and are integral to the values of connecting people
with animals - particularly in our increasingly urbanized world.
But zoos have their
detractors, and I can understand these sentiments. It would be great if we had
a healthy happy planet, where all beings live good lives in healthy untouched
habitats with optimal biodiversity. This is not the reality.
There is no
environment on earth left untouched by humans. We only need to look at footage
of the plastic rubbish patches in oceans around the world to see the effect our
everyday lives are having on the habitats of wild animals. Those detractors who
state ‘let
Signoff on rhino
sperm transfer between Indonesia, Malaysia expected mid-May: Official
Indonesia has taken
the first concrete step to advancing a long-anticipated cross-border program
that will attempt to fertilize the last female Sumatran rhino in Malaysia with
sperm from a proven breeder living at a facility in Indonesia.
The Indonesian
government on April 12 sent a memorandum of understanding to its Malaysian
counterpart regarding the transfer of genetic material, a senior official
confirmed to Mongabay on April 26.
“We’re expecting the
Malaysian government to sign off on the MoU sometime mid-May,” Herry Subagiadi,
the secretary to the conservation director at the Indonesian Ministry of
Environment and Forestry, said on the sidelines of a media briefing in Jakarta.
The news comes amid
increasing concern ab
Animal appeal: The
zookeeper
There is something
with animals that gets Johnny “Kuya Johnny” Culasito enthusiastic and pumped
up.
“Despite my love for
animals, I admit that it was really a hair-raising job at the beginning. But
you know, if you really care for them, everything will be easy,” the
47-year-old Kuya Johnny told the Manila Bulletin.
A zoo caretaker at
the Malabon Zoo for two decades, he describes animals as his “first love.”
Hazards of the trade
In 1990, he recalled
a somewhat terrifying close encounter with an adult lion.
He narrated an
experience that a lion charged at him while he was cleaning the beast’s pen.
“I was scared
because the lion was so
Two bears freed from
20 years of cage life in Vietnam
Ninh Binh Bear
Rescue Center is 10 hectares large with two bear farms and four semi-natural
areas. The center is home to many bears rescued from Vietnam's bear bile
industry. Vietnam banned commercial bear bile extraction in 2005, but bile
farming remains a problem after more than a decade. Vietnam's government signed
an agreement last July to work with animal activists to shut down all bear bile
farms and free the remaining 1,000 bears stuck in captivity by 2020.
https://e.vnexpress.net/news/news/two-bears-freed-from-20-years-of-cage-life-in-vietnam-3742658.html
Orca Morgan, the
oblivious martyr?
Morgan is a female
killer whale or orca (Orcinus orca) that currently resides at Loro Parque,
Tenerife located at the Canary Islands. She was rescued by “Dolfinarium
Harderwijk’, a Dutch Marine park on June 23 2010 after being found alone and
extremely malnourished in the waters of the Wadden Sea.
About a week before
her rescue the first reports came in of “a large cetacean” spotted in the
waters around Lauwersoog in the Netherlands. Sightings of orcas in Dutch waters
are not unheard of but quite a rare occasion as opposed to the more native
species of marine mammal found in that specific area. Not long after that the
first footage of Morgan appeared, recorded by a boat of the Dutch state.
Finally she was confirmed to be an orca and the Dolfinarium in Harderwijk was
contacted to set up a rescue plan for the animal as they had the experience a
Healthy population
of Tasmanian devils discovered in state's remote south west
A healthy population
of Tasmanian devils has been discovered in the state's remote south-west as
part of a program to save the animals from extinction.
In a major
breakthrough for the Save the Tasmanian Devil Program, the 14 devils were found
to be free of the deadly Devil Facial Tumour Disease.
The disease has
devastated the iconic species in recent years, with more than 80 per cent of
the population wiped out in the last two decades.
Devils immunised
with a vaccine against the virus have been released in the north of the state.
But there have been
problems with the healthy devils bred in captivity being killed on
Tigers are
endangered in Asia, but in Texas they’re backyard pets
By some estimates, a
couple of thousand tigers live in Texas, many in backyards and most not
registered with the state, which is believed to be the second-largest tiger
population in the world behind India.
Texas allows
ownership of exotic pets and requires owners to register their animals with the
state, but as of February only 50 tigers were recorded, said Chris Van Deusen,
spokesman for the Texas Department of State Health Services.
Animal rights
advocates say many tigers go unregistered because county enforcement of the
registration rules is often lax.
Most Texas counties
have banned tiger ownership, but the state doesn’t track which counties allow
tigers and which don’t, making it difficult, if not impossible to track
unregistered tigers in the state, said Skip Trimble, advisory director of the
Texas Humane Legislation Network.
“The tragedy here is
that we do have laws, but the laws are not effective in any reasonable manner,”
Trimble said. “It’s really very, very sickening to us, when we worked as hard
as we did to get the (tiger registration) law passed, now after 15 years to
know … it’s just not happening.”
Trimble said when
the state does
World’s first test
tube elephant ‘Gabi’ celebrates 13th birthday at Turkey’s Gaziantep Zoo
abi, the world's
first elephant conceived through in-vitro fertilization (IVF), celebrated her
13th birthday Monday with 50,000 visitors at the Gaziantep Zoo in southeastern
Turkey.
Entrance to the zoo
was free on Monday, due to the National Sovereignty and Children's Day
celebrated each year on April 23.
Guests fed Gabi
special treats, including a heart-shaped "cake" of fruits and
vegetables.
The Elephant Man: A
Conversation with Mike Keele, Retired Deputy Director and Curator of Elephant
Habitats at the Oregon Zoo
Since the birth of Packy in 1962, the Oregon
Zoo and Asian elephants have been synonymous. The zoo's herd has long held
celebrity status in the community, several elephants have been successfully
born and the zoo has significantly contributed to the zoo world's understanding
of the magnificent creatures. Over the years, the zoo has become a leader in
elephant conservation in Asia. Much of the program's success is due to Mike
Keele, who worked at the zoo for 42 years. He served as world studbook keeper
and SSP coordinator of Asian elephants for decades. Additionally, Keele served
as the zoo's Deputy Director during the tenure of Tony Vecchio and helped the
broader zoo grow and evolve to what it is today. Here is his story.
Vast survey finds
far more gorillas in Africa than previously believed — and some bad news, too
The largest-ever
survey of two primate populations in Africa found vastly more western lowland
gorillas, as well as higher numbers of central chimpanzees, than were
previously believed to exist. But that hopeful finding is imperiled because of
the gorillas’ alarming rate of decline, according to a study.
Western lowland
gorillas are the primary and most widespread subspecies of gorilla, and central
chimpanzees are the second-most populous chimp, outnumbered only by the eastern
chimpanzee. Both species are found mainly in the Congo and Gabon.
The study, published
Wednesday in the journal Science Advances, estimates that there were 361,900
gorillas and 128,700 chimpanzees as of 2013. That’s about one-third more
gorillas and one-tenth more chimpanzees than previous surveys estimated, though
those calculations were done differently and were not designed to count the
animals across their entire range.
That is the good
news. Now the bad: Researchers found that gorilla populations are dropping
faster than they believed, at a rate of nearly
Wraxall zoo welcomes
African elephant bull
Shaka has arrived at
Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm, in Clevedon Road, from Vienna in a transfer organised by
the European Endangered Species Programme (EEP).
Dr Harald Schwammer,
vice director at Vienna Zoo, said: “Shaka is a calm and playful elephant who
loves his food.
“We are very happy
to be working with Noah’s Ark again, which has one of the biggest elephant
facilities available in the EEP.”
Shaka, who is 26
years old, is joining two young bulls, nine-year-old M’Changa and Janu, aged
12, in the facility.
Male elephants will
naturally group together with other solitary males to form bachelor groups.
Sandra de Rek, head
elephant keeper at the zoo, said: “It will be great for the public to witness
the natural and playful behaviou
Tigers being bred in
Gauteng backyards for petting and bone export
South Africa is one
the world’s biggest exporters of endangered tigers, almost all of which end up
as floor mats, wall hangings or skeletons submerged in vats of Asian tiger-bone
wine. The trade is so lucrative that city householders in Gauteng are breeding
them in their backyards.
Because they’re not
an indigenous species, trade in tigers is unregulated and flying below the
radar of the DEA (Department of Environmental Affairs). When asked about it by
Ban Animal Trading and the EMS Foundation, the DEA response was that tigers
weren’t the department’s responsibility because they’re “exotics”. In reply to
a request for information on tiger breeding facilities, Limpopo DEA wildlife
director Sam Makhubele said the department had never been approached and he
seemed surprised that they even existed.
However, 2015 a
TRAFFIC/Wildcru report, Bones of Contention, estimated there were at the time
280 tigers in 44 facilities in South Africa. Today there are undoubtedly far
more, but because tiger breeding doesn’t have to be reported, numbers are hard
to establish.
A shock report by
Ban Animal Trading and the EMS Foundation – sent to the UN wildlife trade
organisation CITES – lists over 60 unlicensed tiger breeders, many of which
market Bengal and Siberian tiger cubs, skins and bones worldwide. The report
says South Af
Critically
endangered Javan Rhino dies in Indonesia
A Javan rhino has
died in Indonesia, the environment ministry said Thursday, bringing the
critically endangered mammals closer to extinction with just 60 believed to be
still living in the wild.
The body of the male
rhino was found inside West Java's Ujung Kulon national park, the creature's
last remaining habitat.
Its death was
believed to be from old age rather than poaching.
The animal has been
driven to the brink of extinction as their horns are highly valued in
traditional Chinese and Korean medicine, although most countries in the region
have banned the trade.
"We found it on
(Monday) and are now performing an autopsy," said environment ministry
spokesman Djati Witjaksono Hadi.
Zoo Suit
Memphis Zoo
officials admit some things, deny a bunch of things, and are ready for court.
The Memphis Zoo
denies that a former female employee "was discriminated or retaliated
against" because of her gender.
Kimberly Terrell, a
female conservation biologist, sued the zoo in December. She claimed she was
fired from her job as the zoo's director of research and conservation based on
gender discrimination.
Her attorneys are
suing the zoo for damages in excess of $75,000, including back pay, lost
benefits, employment reinstatement, punitive damages, and all court fees.
J. Mark Griffee, the
attorney for the zoo, responded to Terrell's original lawsuit in mid-March,
saying her claims of discrimination were unfounded.
In that original
suit, Terrell painted a picture of an ongoing tension that grew between her and
zoo president Chuck Brady. She said she'd built a "strong record of
success at the zoo," but Brady increasingly attacked her performance and
she felt it was because she was female.
Promiscuous Monkeys
Create Hybrids By Mating With Other Species, Research Says
In a zoo at Gombe
National Park in Tanzania, Africa, new species of monkeys have been discovered.
The new species comes from two distinct sets of monkeys and according to the
findings, it appears that they have been mating for hundreds or even thousands of
years.
The guenon monkeys
lineage was discovered by Dr. Kate Detwiler, an anthropology professor at the
Florida Atlantic University. Detwiler stated that she discovered this
interesting information by studying the feces of the primates.
Detwiler continued
that in the feces of the monkeys, she found two strands of DNA from two
genetically different sets. The hybrid species comes from the red-tail and blue
monkeys who were thought to have been picky about their mating process.
The professor
collected the DNA from about 144 monkeys and out of those 144 monkeys, about 15
percent were the offspring of the red-tails
This is why you
aren’t allowed inside Vizag Zoo on Mondays
The Indira Gandhi
Zoological Park that’s usually bustling with tourists wore a desserted look on
Monday morning. As the team of 20 animal attendents and some daily wage
labourers strive to clean up the zoo enclosures, the animals are seen relaxing,
relishing the rare privacy gained, away from prying eyes of noisy visitors.
Our eyes fall on
this handsome hunk of a crocodile, who seemed to be lounging around without a
care in the world, while the cleaners drained the water from his enclosure and
scrubbed the muck and moss. Krishna — that’s his name, we were told. Surprised
at how unperturbed Krishna seemed even with 10 workers surrounding him, we
wondered if he’s really tha
Farewell, Inuka: Zoo
staff surround polar bear to comfort him during his last moments as the animal
passes away in Singapore
Inuka, born at
Singapore Zoo, reached the age of 27 - into his 70s in human years
But the polar bear,
the first born in the tropics, suffered a rapid decline in health
Pictures show zoo
staff comforting the animal moments before he was put down
His keepers had
earlier said 'it would not have been fair to prolong his suffering'
Ex-SeaWorld CEO
eligible for $6.6 million in cash when he left
SeaWorld CEO Joel
Manby, who left the struggling company in February, was eligible to receive
$6.6 million in cash as well as stock valued as much as nearly $2 million as
part of a separation package, according to a new filing.
SeaWorld disclosed
Manby’s exit compensation in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange
Commission on Wednesday afternoon that detailed, among other items,
compensation for executives.
In 2017, Manby’s
annual salary was $1 million although he also received stock awards that added
about $7 million in compensation, bringing his total to about $8.2 million, the
filing said. Manby’s $1 million salary last year remained the same as in 2016.
A SeaWorld spokesman
was not immediately available for comment.
Five species
Cambridge-based Fauna & Flora International is working to protect
Fauna & Flora
International (FFI), based in the David Attenborough Building in Cambridge, is
a leading international charity fighting to preserve biodiversity across the
world.
A recent public
lecture and panel discussion at the building, entitled ‘Setting a new post-2020
biodiversity agenda – the communications challenge’, heard from Sir David
Attenborough about the conservation challenges we face. “The problems are
enormous and they’re also varied – and there is no single solution,” said Sir
David, who is vice-president of FFI. “Every country and every community will
have their own problems and their own solutions.”
Here we focus on
five of the species that FFI is working to protect.
Amazing members part
2 – orangutans, gorillas and the golden lion tamarin
On the road again
As I am in the midst
of my 2018 spring travel to for Species360 Board of Trustees meeting, and to
attend conferences for both EAZA and ZAA (Australasia), I realize I still have
a few Species360 member visit experiences to share. Days 3 and 4 of my road trip to the ZACC
conference were all about primates, big and small – orangutans, gorillas, and
more! If you missed my recap of Days 1-2, you can catch up here.
‘Shocking and
startling facts’ revealed about the Delhi Zoo in a govt report
Mysterious deaths,
no post-mortems, illegal capturing and housing of animals, manipulation of
records and criminal conspiracy — these are some of the charges levelled
against Delhi zoo officials by an inquiry panel appointed by the environment
ministry.
In its report, the
committee constituted under the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) in August 2017 has
indicted six officers and employees of the National Zoological Park (NZP), the
official name of the Delhi zoo, for “misconduct and criminal offences”.
The report submitted
on 18 April has also suggested that a special investigation team (SIT) be
constituted or the case be handed over to a central investigative agency to
probe the alleged criminal actions committed at the zoo, a popular hangout in
the capital.
The examination of
records available with the co
M. Simmons – Release
Is Not the Answer
A couple years ago I
had the chance to meet Mark Simmons, a well-respected advocate for the Zoo and
Aquarium Community. Talking with him made me realize how important it is for us
to make sure that our Zoo’s and Aquariums do not get extinct. In 2016 he did a
presentation about Keiko’s Story and our position in today’s Zoological world.
Inspiring trainers and keepers around the world M. Simmons is making a change
for the community. M. Simmons was one of the trainer’s to be working in the
Keiko project. He wrot
How illegal bird
hunting in the Arab world could drive species to extinction
Almost a quarter of
the world’s migratory birds are at risk and could eventually face extinction, a
new report has revealed.
And mankind is to
blame, according the State of the World’s Birds survey, which points the finger
at illegal hunting, loss of vital feeding and breeding grounds to agriculture,
pesticides and poor environmental practices.
Illegal hunting
takes the lives of between 12 and 38 million birds every year.
The major culprits
were Italy, Egypt, Syria and Lebanon, where over 15 million birds are estimated
to be killed annually.
“The magic of birds
has been astounding humanity over hundreds of years,” said Patricia Zurita, the
chief executive of BirdLife International, which commissioned th
Brookfield Zoo vets
take first-ever CT scan of live rhino as part of lifesaving treatment
Treating a sinus
infection is usually a simple affair in a human, but it's a life-threatening
condition for black rhinos like 7-year-old Layla, forcing the Brookfield Zoo's
veterinarians to pioneer new methods to save the endangered animal's life.
Rhinos breathe
primarily through their nose, so when Layla’s keepers saw her drooling and
struggling for air, they knew something was wrong. Medication wasn’t helping
enough with the sinus infection, so doctors drilled holes through the thick
bone in her skull to clear the infection this past
Chimp sanctuary
helps illegal wildlife trade ’refugees’
Poco, a 38-year-old
chimpanzee at a conservancy in Laikipia County, is bubbly. He can stand, walk
and even strut with a bipedal swagger just like a human being.
And just like 35
other apes being hosted at Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary at Ol Pejeta
Conservancy, Poco is a refugee. He is a victim of illegal wildlife trade. Poco
is learning to live a life in the wild once again.
Even though things
are looking up for Poco, his past is sad. He was confined in a small cage in
Bujumbura, Burundi, for nine years. His captors used him to attract visitors.
NEW ADVICE ISSUED TO
PREVENT PALYTOXIN POISONING
OATA has joined
forces with key public health officials to produce guidance to help marine
aquarium hobbyists who keep corals protect themselves against palytoxin
poisoning.
Health Protection
Scotland approached OATA with a request to help produce the advice after a
small number of incidents involving palytoxin were reported across the UK.
Palytoxin is
produced by species of Palythoa and Zoanthus soft corals with Palythoa species
generally considered to be more toxic than Zoanthus species. However, as many
hobbyists may not be able to distinguish between them, the collective term of
‘zoantharians’ is used.
The greatest risk of
palytoxin poisoning comes from exposing the slime coating produced by
zoantharians to air. Wherever possible, marine animals should be handled
underwater and fully submerged. They should not be lifted out of the aquarium
unnecessarily. If hobbyists do need to transfer them, the advice is to do so
using submerged plastic bags, containers or buckets.
“Thankfully
instances of palytoxin poisoning are rare occurrences
Captive cheetahs are
key to keeping the species alive
IT IS extremely
concerning that there is a trend in contributors to social and published media
recently to tar all animal facilities that keep cheetahs for breeding and
public awareness with the same brush
They use
attention-grabbing headlines, sweeping statements and selected scientific
peer-reviewed research references (or none), regardless of authenticity.
While as in any
other industry there are indeed some less ethical players, there are also a
number of passionate organisations in the zoo community dedicated to the
long-term well-being and conservation of the cheetah as a species.
“Ambassador
cheetahs” have played a pivotal role in curriculum-linked education and
awareness programmes, locally and worldwide.
Their welfare is of
great concern to the various facilities which are ethical and responsible
regarding the husbandry, care and welfare of the cheetahs in their
custodianship.
Modern zoos serving
as Noah’s ark for endangered species
The perennial
question that still revolves around the concept of zoos or zoological garden is
whether it is moral and acceptable for humans to confine animals in cages for
entertainment or education or awareness or captive breeding. Several respected
and dedicated animal right activists around the planet have been demanding
complete closure of zoos; and to set the animals back into their natural
ecosystem and habitats or advocating for more progressive animal rights. On one
end of this spectrum are conservationists, foresters, and ecologists who
sincerely believe that zoos have an important role to play in educating the
public and making them aware of the spectacular biodiversity of the plant so
that the public become more caring and responsible towards conserving natural
ecosystems and environment.
While the other
extreme ends calls for freedom for animals and advocating for the animals to
live and thrive in their own natural ecosystems and habitats; free from any
confinement or cage or enclosure. They insist that no matter how progressive
and animal friendly modern zoos are in their basic philosophies; and no matter
how great the zoo infrastructure is for mimicking natural ecosystems; they can
never be equal or anywhere near the quality of wild natural habitats. Hence any
confinement in the zoos actually violates the right of a helpless and
defenceless animal as an individual species co inhabiting the planet with us;
and must be returned to the wild. The debate will continue as is expected in
any democratic society; however, honestly speaking we could not possibly
undermine the role of modern zoos in education and awareness of the public.
Furth
Zoos release eggs to
help corroboree frogs leap out of extinction
Until recent
decades, there were hundreds of thousands of southern corroboree frogs
clambering around snow gum trees and wallowing in the frigid waters of the
Australian Alps.
Now, less than 50 of
the vividly-coloured, poisonous little frogs are left in the wild.
But those numbers
are set to swell this week with the release of about 1000 captive-bred southern
corroboree frog eggs into Kosciuszko National Park.
The pygmy hog: to
the brink of extinction and back
The smallest member
of the pig family, the pygmy hog (porcula salvania), is a critically endangered
species. Once found along a narrow strip of tall and wet grassland plains on
the Himalayan foothills – from Uttar Pradesh to Assam, through Nepal’s terai areas
and Bengal’s duars – it was thought to have become extinct in the 1960s. But in
1971 it was “re-discovered” with a small population in the Barnadi Wildlife
Sanctuary.
Even then the
numbers have kept declining. They are estimated to be less than 200 pygmy hogs,
half of what was estimated in the mid 1990s. The only viable population of the
pygmy hog in the wild is in the Manas Tiger Reserve in Assam. A two-decade long
effort to conserve this 25-cm tall animal has however turned the tide – the
110th captive-bred Pygmy Hog was recently reintroduce
Zoo general curator
Brandi Clark loves her job
“It’s so exciting,”
said Clark during an interview this past week, adding, “It’s pretty amazing,
that’s for sure.”
Clark, of Minot, has
been with the zoo since 1992. “I got lucky enough to be hired on as a
zookeeper,” Clark said, reminiscing about her years at North Dakota’s oldest
zoo.
Clark worked as a
zookeeper for about six years before becoming general curator. When she applied
for the zookeeper job she said she didn’t think she would be hired because she
didn’t go to school for that type of work. With a degree in veterinary technology,
she was working as a veterinary technician at a veterinary clinic. She applied
for the zookeeper position, was interviewed and got the job.
She was hired a
month after Ron Merritt, now director of Minot Parks. Initially, both were
hired as zookeepers. Later Merritt became zoo director and then park director.
Now Clark is the longest serving Roosevelt Park Zoo staff member.
As general curator,
Clark oversees animal tr
Tamaraw population
up in Mindoro national park
The population of
tamaraw (Bubalus mindorensis) at Mt. Iglit-Baco National Park on Mindoro Island
has increased to 523, according to the latest count done by the Department of
Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and conservation groups from April 17
to 21.
The tamaraw is one
of the Philippines’ most endangered species and is endemic to Mindoro.
Don Geoff Tabaranza,
wildlife biologist and project development and resource manager of Mindoro
Biodiversity Conservation Foundation, said the figure meant an increase of 122
tamaraw to last year’s count of 401. In 2016, the tamaraw population was 4
-----------------------------
www.zoolex.org in April 2018
~°v°~ ~°v°~ ~°v°~ ~°v°~ ~°v°~
Hello ZooLex Friend,
We have worked for your enjoyment!
~°v°~
NEW EXHIBIT PRESENTATION
Goitered gazelles are kept and bred at Naturschutz-Tierpark Görlitz in
Germany. These jumpy animals are adapted to open landscapes and can
easily break their legs when trying to escape. The animal park managers
therefore designed the fences and a catching system particularly for
this species.
Here is the German original:
We would like to thank Catrin and Sven Hammer for sharing information on
this exhibit and Jonas Homburg for preparing the presentation.
~°v°~
SPANISH TRANSLATION
Thanks to Eduardo Díaz García we are able to offer the Spanish
translation of the previously published presentation of "Himalayan
Mountains - Red Panda" at Zoo Karlsruhe in Germany.
~°v°~
We keep working on ZooLex ...
The ZooLex Zoo Design Organization is a non-profit organization
registered in Austria (ZVR-Zahl 933849053). ZooLex runs a professional
zoo design website and distributes this newsletter. More information and
contact: http://www.zoolex.org/about.html
Young giraffe makes
brief escape at Fort Wayne zoo
Workers at an
Indiana zoo needed a couple of hours to corral a young giraffe that escaped
from her enclosure.
The 7-month-old
female got loose Monday from the African Journey exhibit at the Fort Wayne
Children's Zoo. Zoo spokeswoman Bonnie Kemp says the giraffe, Thabisa, never
left the property.
It wasn't
immediately clear how the youngest in the zoo's herd of nine giraffes escaped.
Staffers were able
to trap the giraffe in a fenced parking lot in a non-public area of the zoo.
Zookeepers calmed her down before returning her to the enclosure.
The zoo just opened
to the public for the season on
David Gill talks
about his departure from Dalton zoo and the new regime
Zoo's founder
reveals he is looking at selling the park to one of two interested parties
IN the final
installment of a three-part series of interviews with South Lakes Safari Zoo's
founder David Gill the controversial character speaks to AMY FENTON about the
end of his reign.
"IN 24 years so
much has happened," says David Gill, as he reflects on his almost quarter
of a century at the helm of South Lakes Safari Zoo.
"Although I had
planned to retire for a few years before I left I never expected it would be
like this."
Having faced
relentless criticism and calls for him to step down following a series of
scandals, the under-fire zoo boss handed over the reigns in January 2017,
giving control of the park to a new company headed up by Karen Brewer.
Commentary: Want to
Save the Earth? Start With Your Local Zoo.
The death last month
of the world’s last remaining male northern white rhinoceros was a red flag for
the conservation movement and animal lovers everywhere. It was just the latest
reminder of the precarious state of major fauna around the world: There are
roughly 1,700 species of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, or fish that are
critically endangered.
Today is Earth Day,
which raises awareness about how human actions such as pollution and
overdevelopment threaten biodiversity. It presents an opportunity to reflect on
the extinction of majestic creatures with whom we once shared the Earth and
consider ideas to prevent further species loss.
Earth Day 2018 is
focused on ending plastic pollution, particularly the single-use plastics that
often end up in our oceans and waterways. The plastic threat to wildlife has
been driven home by a recent viral video, viewed over 21 million times, of a
straw being removed from the nose of a sea turtle. (This video is graphic and
contains explicit language.) It’s difficult to watch and not re
The UK's largest
indoor elephant house opens at Blackpool Zoo
Blackpool Zoo has
opened up its new multi-million pound Project Elephant Base Camp.
The new facility
combines the UK's largest indoor elephant house with a huge outdoor habitat and
an immersive themed visitor experience 'through Asia'.
Visitors will find
themselves at eye level with the herd of elephants, which currently consists of
Kate, who has lived in Blackpool for 46 years, Tara, who came from Twycross Zoo
in January and Minbu, who arrived from the same zoo in March.
Brookfield Zoo vets
take first-ever CT scan of live rhino as part of lifesaving treatment
Treating a sinus
infection is usually a simple affair in a human, but it's a life-threatening
condition for black rhinos like 7-year-old Layla, forcing the Brookfield Zoo's
veterinarians to pioneer new methods to save the endangered animal's life.
Rhinos breathe
primarily through their nose, so when Layla’s keepers saw her drooling and
struggling for air, they knew something was wrong. Medication wasn’t helping
enough with the sinus infection, so doctors drilled holes through the thick
bone in her skull to clear the infection this past January. Think of it as a
temporary blowhole to help Layla breathe and recover.
"Had we not
done that surgery, I’m confident Layla would no longer be with us,”said Dr.
Mike Adkesson, VP of Clinical Medicine at the Brookfield Zoo.
Experts said her
condition is still "not survivable in the wild," so they turned to
something that's never been done: Taking a CAT scan on a live rhino. It's a
Sumatran rhinos
nearing extinction due to farming, hunting
Sumatran
rhinoceroses once inhabited a vast expanse of land in mainland East Asia,
according to a new study by University professors. Today, they are located
primarily in Sumatra, Indonesia.
Due to hunting,
expansion of the human population and increased agriculture, the area occupied
by these rhinos has shrunk significantly ever since the start of human
development in the first millennium B.C. Now, hunting and agriculture practices
still continue to drive down the number of Sumatran rhinos, raising concerns
that they will become extinct.
Previous research
suggested that “the Sumatran rhino was doomed to die out, and that you could
see it in the DNA sequence,” said Brian Lander, assistant professor of history
and environment and society.
But DNA does not
provide sufficient ability to predict the extinction of living rhinos, Lander
said. Current Sumatran rhinos have been separated from the rhinos that existed
on mainland China 9,000 years ago, he said. “So their DNA does not tell us
anything about the whole population (of those in Indonesia),” he
Unemployment drives
young poaching gangs
Efforts to curb
rhino poaching in the Kruger National Park are facing the threat of being
deemed futile by the high unemployment rates in the communities surrounding one
of the country's national treasures.
This is seen as the
root cause of the sprouting poaching syndicates.
The park’s chief
ranger, Ben Maggs, said unemployment in the surrounding communities needed to
be addressed.
“People are driven
to desperation,” Maggs warned, saying residents from these communities could
start blocking tourists travelling to the park in order to send a message.
“That’s going to
have a big impact. Why? Because they are not getting service delivery.
A JOURNEY WITH
ELEPHANTS BY GREG VOGT – CONSERVATION GUARDIANS
Thandora – Final
Chapter
Anthropomorphism
Readers of this blog
will probably ask 100 questions and offer as many possible answers as to why
the girls did not accept Thandora.
During my hours with
her in the reserve I challenged every scenario possible. All I can say is that
Thandora was happy on her own. The day after the famous meeting described in
videos and pictures in the previous blog, we meandered to a dam I called our ‘secret
dam’. The water was clear and for some reason there were no traces of elephant
spoor at this Dam. I assumed the other elephants did not come to this dam very
often for whatever reason.
I was mesmerised in
t
New gadgets help
reveal the collective behavior of wild animals
An international
team of scientists led by Swansea University biologists describe how novel
technologies are transforming our understanding of why wild animals form
different groups.
Combining animal
tracking data with environmental data from satellites or drones means that
scientists can begin to study whole groups and their interactions in the real,
changing environments in which they live and have evolved.
Researchers now have
access to gadgets such as bio-loggers, which are electronic tracking devices
that attach to animals, recording GPS position and animal motion.
For example, swarms,
shoals, flocks, herds and troops are just some of the typ
David Gill on
zookeeper's death: 'People thought I was cold but my head wasn't in the right
place'
THE day of May 24,
2013, will be etched in the minds and hearts of all those who worked at South
Lakes Safari Zoo on that fateful day.
Well-liked and
committed-conservationist Sarah McClay was carrying out her routine zookeeper
tasks in the corridor of the tiger house when tragedy struck.
Sumatran tiger
Padang entered the area of the enclosure where the 24-year-old was working and
attacked her in full view of horrified zoo visitors.
Despite the efforts
of her colleagues and the emergency services the former Dowdales School pupil
died of her injuries and the incident later resulted in South Lakes Safari Zoo
being fined almost £450,000 after admitting to health and safety failings.
David Gill will be
the first to admit, in hindsight, that his interviews with national media
immediately after Miss McClay's death did little to enamour him to Miss
McClay's family, friends and fellow zookeepers.
World’s newest great
ape threatened by Chinese dam
The discovery of the
Tapanuli orangutan has not stopped a Chinese state-run company from clearing
forest for a planned dam. Conservationists fear this will be the beginning of
the end for a species only known for six months
Last November
scientists made a jaw-dropping announcement: they’d discovered a new great ape
hiding in plain sight, only the eighth inhabiting our planet.
The Tapanuli
orangutan survives in northern Sumatra and it is already the most endangered
great ape in the world; researchers estimate less than 800 individuals survive.
But the discovery hasn’t stopped a Chinese state-run company, Sinohydro, from
moving ahead with clearing forest for a large dam project smack in the middle
of the orangutan population. According to several orangutan experts,
Sinohyrdo’s dam represents an immediate and existential threat to the Tapanuli
orangutan.
“Building the dam
means chopping the orangutan population in half,” Erik Meijaard, the director
of Borneo Futures and one of the experts to describe Pongo tapanuliensis, said.
“You end up with two smaller populations, and these will have much reduced chances
of survival, because a small population is more likely to go extinct than a
large one.”
One in eight bird
species is threatened with extinction, global study finds
One in eight bird
species is threatened with global extinction, and once widespread creatures
such as the puffin, snowy owl and turtle dove are plummeting towards oblivion,
according to the definitive study of global bird populations.
The State of the
World’s Birds, a five-year compendium of population data from the best-studied
group of animals on the planet, reveals a biodiversity crisis driven by the
expansion and intensification of agriculture.
In all, 74% of 1,469
globally threatened birds are affected primarily by farming. Logging, invasive
species and hunting are the other main threats.
“Each time we
undertake this assessment we see slightly more species at risk of extinction –
the situation is deteriorating and the trends are intensifying,” said Tris
Allinson, senior global scienc
The terrible things
that would happen if all the coral reefs died off
We're currently
facing the worst bleaching of coral reefs ever known in history, but what would
happen if all the coral reefs died off? We've already lost 50% of the world's
coral, and we're at risk of losing even more. If the world lost all its coral
reefs, the results would be dire. Following is a transcript of the video.
What would happen if
all the coral reefs died off?
Coral reefs are
filled with colorful ocean life. But they're in danger of dying off.
The planet has
already lost 50% of its coral in the last 30 years. If the rest go, the
consequences would be dire.
Sea life has the
most to lose. Coral reefs cover less than 1% of the ocean floor. But, they
provide an essential ecosystem for a quarter of all marine life.
The Disney
Conservation Fund Awards 2018 Conservation Grants
The Disney
Conservation Fund (DCF) is providing grants totaling more than $8 million to
support the work of 80 nonprofit organizations this year, The Walt Disney
Company announced today. The grants are
part of Disney’s “Reverse the Decline” initiative, which pairs the company’s
philanthropic dollars with professional expertise from Disney’s Animals,
Science, and Environment team and other employees to maximize the impact of
conservation efforts to protect wildlife and wild places. Including these new grants, DCF has awarded
more than $70 million to date to support conservation efforts around the world.
DCF actively
supports the world’s leading conservation organizations with funds and
professional resources to save wildlife and habitats, inspire action, and
protect the planet. This commitment is
reflected through the fund’s comprehensive focus on stabilizing and increasing
the populations of 10 different at-risk species including apes, butterflies,
coral reefs, cranes, elephants, monkeys, rhinos, sea turtles, sharks and rays,
and tigers. DCF also provides grants to
support conservation programs that engage communities in comprehensive
solutions that serve people, wildlife and habitats.
“Each program we support through th
TIMELINE: Key events
in the history of Dalton zoo
1983: David Gill
reveals his vision to open a wild animal park at his home.
1993: David Gill
buys 14 acres of land off Broughton Road in Dalton.
1994: South Lakes
Wild Animal Park opens to the public on May 27.
1996: The zoo
attracts a record number of 100,000 visitors.
1996: The zoo
features on Michaela Strachan's The Really Wild Show.
1997: Zimba the
white rhino escapes from its compound and is shot and killed.
2000: David Gill
buys land in Australia to open Mareeba Zoo.
2004: After just
four years Mareeba Zoo in Australia is closed after regulatory breaches
including one in which he was fined for chasing down a cheetah on a motorbike.
2007: Dalton zoo's
reports record post-tax profits of £350,000.
2007: David Gill is
attacked by love rival Richard Creary after the zoo boss started seeing
Creary's estranged wife.
2008: The zoo is
criticised by licensing officers over the escape of lemurs.
2013: The zoo is hit
by tragedy with the death of zookeeper Sarah McClay.
2016: In June the
zoo is fined after admitting safety failings relating to Miss McClay's death.
2016: Cumbria Zoo
Company Limited is established to take over running of the zoo.
2017: Government
announces it is considering an overhaul of zoo legislation and licensing.
David Gill on
proposed changes to zoo legislation
Zoo founder agrees
there should be national regulatory body
SINCE South Lakes
Safari Zoo was hit by a series of scandals, including the death of a zookeeper
and a report detailing the deaths of hundreds of animals, there have been calls
for a national regulator to be created to monitor and inspect zoos across the
UK.
Under current
legislation the licensing of zoos falls to individual local authorities such as
Barrow Borough Council which is responsible for inspecting and licensing zoos
such as that at Dalton.
Perhaps
surprisingly, given his traditional defiant streak and as someone who is known
to battle against the establishment, David Gill agrees.
"No disrespect
to Barrow Borough Council but I absolutely agree there needs to be a national
regulator so that the rules and regulations are interpreted and enforced
consistently across the nation," he says.
"The zoos and
their staff, along with the councils and inspe
Contact and
Discovery: A Conversation with John Chapo, Executive Director of the Lincoln
Children's Zoo
John Chapo has
directed the Lincoln Children's Zoo for over thirty years. During this time, he
has brought the zoo back to its roots of providing guests lots of encounters
and contact with animals. At the moment, the Lincoln Children's Zoo is in the
process of doubling in size and adding several new animals such as giraffes,
tigers and spider monkeys. Here is his story.
The largest zoo in
northern central region
Le Thanh Than,
chairman of Muong Thanh Group which manages the safari park, said that the idea
for the area originated from his 100-hectare land plot in Dien Lam Commune,
Dien Chau District. Initially, only a few animals were raised there. After
that, he decided to develop it into a tourist attraction.
The UAE's only wild
hunting resort says visitor numbers are growing
The roar of wild
animals, iced drinks under the stars and rifles jacked up against backpacks –
it sounds like a passage from Ernest Hemingway’s classic safari journal Green
Hills of Africa, but only a few miles from the capital in the deserts of Al
Ain, hunters from across the globe are legally hunting for trophy game such as
Arabian oryx and gazelle.
Telal Hunting opened
in 2015 and is based at the Telal Resort in Al Ain. The 80 square kilometre
complex also offers safari trips where guests can see these indigenous Middle
Eastern animals in the wild. It's the only place in the UAE where these animals
can be hunted legally in their natural environment.
Hans Enslin is the
hunting manager. “In our boundaries it’s legal to hunt,” he said at the Arabian
Travel Market on Monday.
The operation is
fully licensed by Abu Dhabi and the numbers visiting are growing. The season
runs from October to March and from just 25 paying hunters in 2015, at least 95
came this season – seventy of which are from the GCC and Emirati. Guests also
come from traditional hunting communities in Europe, Russia, the US, South
America and Mexico.
People do not need
shooting experience, but most do and many have a military background. Every
hunting guest, no matter what their expertise, is still taken to a shooting
range under Mr
A Court Has Rejected
the 'Monkey Selfie' Lawsuit Seeking Animal Rights to Photographs
A U.S. appeals court
on Monday favored humans over animals in a novel copyright lawsuit filed over a
series of entertaining selfies taken by a monkey with a toothy grin.
U.S. copyright law
does not allow lawsuits that seek to give animals the rights to photographs or
other original work, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled.
Copyright
infringement can only be claimed on behalf of humans, the court said.
The unanimous,
three-judge panel upheld a lower court ruling that dismissed the lawsuit by the
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals against a photographer whose camera
was used by a crested macaque to take the photos in 2011.
PETA’s 2015 suit
against wildlife photographer Da
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
BANS THE SALE OF DOLPHINS FOR ENTERTAINMENT
The Dominican
Republic has passed legislation that prohibits the sale of dolphins, Ric
O’Barry’s Dolphin Project reported. The new legislation, published by the
Dominican Republic’s Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, is said to
cover a period of five years. During this time, dolphins cannot be purchased or
sold within the Caribbean nation.
While the ruling
does not ban the captivity of dolphins at current facilities, Dolphin Project,
the longest-running anti-captivity dolphin organization in the world, believes
the legislation will still have an impact. The organization commented that the ruling
will make it “more difficult, if not impossible” to open new dolphinariums.
Dolphin Project
said: “We applaud the Ministry for taking this action, as this is an important
advance for local activists who have been working hard to defend the free
Why zoos should be
considered social enterprises
What goes through
your head when you hear the word ‘zoo’? Is it that they are modern day
conservation powerhouses? If not, it should be.
With over 700
million visitors a year, zoos and aquariums are the third biggest contributor
to field conservation worldwide. We are in a prime position to influence the
relationships between people and nature.
Zoos are true social
enterprises, contributing to our understanding of animals and their habitats,
their care and threats, and are integral to the values of connecting people
with animals - particularly in our increasingly urbanized world.
But zoos have their
detractors, and I can understand these sentiments. It would be great if we had
a healthy happy planet, where all beings live good lives in healthy untouched
habitats with optimal biodiversity. This is not the reality.
There is no
environment on earth left untouched by humans. We only need to look at footage
of the plastic rubbish patches in oceans around the world to see the effect our
everyday lives are having on the habitats of wild animals. Those detractors who
state ‘let
Signoff on rhino
sperm transfer between Indonesia, Malaysia expected mid-May: Official
Indonesia has taken
the first concrete step to advancing a long-anticipated cross-border program
that will attempt to fertilize the last female Sumatran rhino in Malaysia with
sperm from a proven breeder living at a facility in Indonesia.
The Indonesian
government on April 12 sent a memorandum of understanding to its Malaysian
counterpart regarding the transfer of genetic material, a senior official
confirmed to Mongabay on April 26.
“We’re expecting the
Malaysian government to sign off on the MoU sometime mid-May,” Herry Subagiadi,
the secretary to the conservation director at the Indonesian Ministry of
Environment and Forestry, said on the sidelines of a media briefing in Jakarta.
The news comes amid
increasing concern ab
Animal appeal: The
zookeeper
There is something
with animals that gets Johnny “Kuya Johnny” Culasito enthusiastic and pumped
up.
“Despite my love for
animals, I admit that it was really a hair-raising job at the beginning. But
you know, if you really care for them, everything will be easy,” the
47-year-old Kuya Johnny told the Manila Bulletin.
A zoo caretaker at
the Malabon Zoo for two decades, he describes animals as his “first love.”
Hazards of the trade
In 1990, he recalled
a somewhat terrifying close encounter with an adult lion.
He narrated an
experience that a lion charged at him while he was cleaning the beast’s pen.
“I was scared
because the lion was so
Two bears freed from
20 years of cage life in Vietnam
Ninh Binh Bear
Rescue Center is 10 hectares large with two bear farms and four semi-natural
areas. The center is home to many bears rescued from Vietnam's bear bile
industry. Vietnam banned commercial bear bile extraction in 2005, but bile
farming remains a problem after more than a decade. Vietnam's government signed
an agreement last July to work with animal activists to shut down all bear bile
farms and free the remaining 1,000 bears stuck in captivity by 2020.
https://e.vnexpress.net/news/news/two-bears-freed-from-20-years-of-cage-life-in-vietnam-3742658.html
Orca Morgan, the
oblivious martyr?
Morgan is a female
killer whale or orca (Orcinus orca) that currently resides at Loro Parque,
Tenerife located at the Canary Islands. She was rescued by “Dolfinarium
Harderwijk’, a Dutch Marine park on June 23 2010 after being found alone and
extremely malnourished in the waters of the Wadden Sea.
About a week before
her rescue the first reports came in of “a large cetacean” spotted in the
waters around Lauwersoog in the Netherlands. Sightings of orcas in Dutch waters
are not unheard of but quite a rare occasion as opposed to the more native
species of marine mammal found in that specific area. Not long after that the
first footage of Morgan appeared, recorded by a boat of the Dutch state.
Finally she was confirmed to be an orca and the Dolfinarium in Harderwijk was
contacted to set up a rescue plan for the animal as they had the experience a
Healthy population
of Tasmanian devils discovered in state's remote south west
A healthy population
of Tasmanian devils has been discovered in the state's remote south-west as
part of a program to save the animals from extinction.
In a major
breakthrough for the Save the Tasmanian Devil Program, the 14 devils were found
to be free of the deadly Devil Facial Tumour Disease.
The disease has
devastated the iconic species in recent years, with more than 80 per cent of
the population wiped out in the last two decades.
Devils immunised
with a vaccine against the virus have been released in the north of the state.
But there have been
problems with the healthy devils bred in captivity being killed on
Tigers are
endangered in Asia, but in Texas they’re backyard pets
By some estimates, a
couple of thousand tigers live in Texas, many in backyards and most not
registered with the state, which is believed to be the second-largest tiger
population in the world behind India.
Texas allows
ownership of exotic pets and requires owners to register their animals with the
state, but as of February only 50 tigers were recorded, said Chris Van Deusen,
spokesman for the Texas Department of State Health Services.
Animal rights
advocates say many tigers go unregistered because county enforcement of the
registration rules is often lax.
Most Texas counties
have banned tiger ownership, but the state doesn’t track which counties allow
tigers and which don’t, making it difficult, if not impossible to track
unregistered tigers in the state, said Skip Trimble, advisory director of the
Texas Humane Legislation Network.
“The tragedy here is
that we do have laws, but the laws are not effective in any reasonable manner,”
Trimble said. “It’s really very, very sickening to us, when we worked as hard
as we did to get the (tiger registration) law passed, now after 15 years to
know … it’s just not happening.”
Trimble said when
the state does
World’s first test
tube elephant ‘Gabi’ celebrates 13th birthday at Turkey’s Gaziantep Zoo
abi, the world's
first elephant conceived through in-vitro fertilization (IVF), celebrated her
13th birthday Monday with 50,000 visitors at the Gaziantep Zoo in southeastern
Turkey.
Entrance to the zoo
was free on Monday, due to the National Sovereignty and Children's Day
celebrated each year on April 23.
Guests fed Gabi
special treats, including a heart-shaped "cake" of fruits and
vegetables.
The Elephant Man: A
Conversation with Mike Keele, Retired Deputy Director and Curator of Elephant
Habitats at the Oregon Zoo
Since the birth of Packy in 1962, the Oregon
Zoo and Asian elephants have been synonymous. The zoo's herd has long held
celebrity status in the community, several elephants have been successfully
born and the zoo has significantly contributed to the zoo world's understanding
of the magnificent creatures. Over the years, the zoo has become a leader in
elephant conservation in Asia. Much of the program's success is due to Mike
Keele, who worked at the zoo for 42 years. He served as world studbook keeper
and SSP coordinator of Asian elephants for decades. Additionally, Keele served
as the zoo's Deputy Director during the tenure of Tony Vecchio and helped the
broader zoo grow and evolve to what it is today. Here is his story.
Vast survey finds
far more gorillas in Africa than previously believed — and some bad news, too
The largest-ever
survey of two primate populations in Africa found vastly more western lowland
gorillas, as well as higher numbers of central chimpanzees, than were
previously believed to exist. But that hopeful finding is imperiled because of
the gorillas’ alarming rate of decline, according to a study.
Western lowland
gorillas are the primary and most widespread subspecies of gorilla, and central
chimpanzees are the second-most populous chimp, outnumbered only by the eastern
chimpanzee. Both species are found mainly in the Congo and Gabon.
The study, published
Wednesday in the journal Science Advances, estimates that there were 361,900
gorillas and 128,700 chimpanzees as of 2013. That’s about one-third more
gorillas and one-tenth more chimpanzees than previous surveys estimated, though
those calculations were done differently and were not designed to count the
animals across their entire range.
That is the good
news. Now the bad: Researchers found that gorilla populations are dropping
faster than they believed, at a rate of nearly
Wraxall zoo welcomes
African elephant bull
Shaka has arrived at
Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm, in Clevedon Road, from Vienna in a transfer organised by
the European Endangered Species Programme (EEP).
Dr Harald Schwammer,
vice director at Vienna Zoo, said: “Shaka is a calm and playful elephant who
loves his food.
“We are very happy
to be working with Noah’s Ark again, which has one of the biggest elephant
facilities available in the EEP.”
Shaka, who is 26
years old, is joining two young bulls, nine-year-old M’Changa and Janu, aged
12, in the facility.
Male elephants will
naturally group together with other solitary males to form bachelor groups.
Sandra de Rek, head
elephant keeper at the zoo, said: “It will be great for the public to witness
the natural and playful behaviou
Tigers being bred in
Gauteng backyards for petting and bone export
South Africa is one
the world’s biggest exporters of endangered tigers, almost all of which end up
as floor mats, wall hangings or skeletons submerged in vats of Asian tiger-bone
wine. The trade is so lucrative that city householders in Gauteng are breeding
them in their backyards.
Because they’re not
an indigenous species, trade in tigers is unregulated and flying below the
radar of the DEA (Department of Environmental Affairs). When asked about it by
Ban Animal Trading and the EMS Foundation, the DEA response was that tigers
weren’t the department’s responsibility because they’re “exotics”. In reply to
a request for information on tiger breeding facilities, Limpopo DEA wildlife
director Sam Makhubele said the department had never been approached and he
seemed surprised that they even existed.
However, 2015 a
TRAFFIC/Wildcru report, Bones of Contention, estimated there were at the time
280 tigers in 44 facilities in South Africa. Today there are undoubtedly far
more, but because tiger breeding doesn’t have to be reported, numbers are hard
to establish.
A shock report by
Ban Animal Trading and the EMS Foundation – sent to the UN wildlife trade
organisation CITES – lists over 60 unlicensed tiger breeders, many of which
market Bengal and Siberian tiger cubs, skins and bones worldwide. The report
says South Af
Critically
endangered Javan Rhino dies in Indonesia
A Javan rhino has
died in Indonesia, the environment ministry said Thursday, bringing the
critically endangered mammals closer to extinction with just 60 believed to be
still living in the wild.
The body of the male
rhino was found inside West Java's Ujung Kulon national park, the creature's
last remaining habitat.
Its death was
believed to be from old age rather than poaching.
The animal has been
driven to the brink of extinction as their horns are highly valued in
traditional Chinese and Korean medicine, although most countries in the region
have banned the trade.
"We found it on
(Monday) and are now performing an autopsy," said environment ministry
spokesman Djati Witjaksono Hadi.
Zoo Suit
Memphis Zoo
officials admit some things, deny a bunch of things, and are ready for court.
The Memphis Zoo
denies that a former female employee "was discriminated or retaliated
against" because of her gender.
Kimberly Terrell, a
female conservation biologist, sued the zoo in December. She claimed she was
fired from her job as the zoo's director of research and conservation based on
gender discrimination.
Her attorneys are
suing the zoo for damages in excess of $75,000, including back pay, lost
benefits, employment reinstatement, punitive damages, and all court fees.
J. Mark Griffee, the
attorney for the zoo, responded to Terrell's original lawsuit in mid-March,
saying her claims of discrimination were unfounded.
In that original
suit, Terrell painted a picture of an ongoing tension that grew between her and
zoo president Chuck Brady. She said she'd built a "strong record of
success at the zoo," but Brady increasingly attacked her performance and
she felt it was because she was female.
Promiscuous Monkeys
Create Hybrids By Mating With Other Species, Research Says
In a zoo at Gombe
National Park in Tanzania, Africa, new species of monkeys have been discovered.
The new species comes from two distinct sets of monkeys and according to the
findings, it appears that they have been mating for hundreds or even thousands of
years.
The guenon monkeys
lineage was discovered by Dr. Kate Detwiler, an anthropology professor at the
Florida Atlantic University. Detwiler stated that she discovered this
interesting information by studying the feces of the primates.
Detwiler continued
that in the feces of the monkeys, she found two strands of DNA from two
genetically different sets. The hybrid species comes from the red-tail and blue
monkeys who were thought to have been picky about their mating process.
The professor
collected the DNA from about 144 monkeys and out of those 144 monkeys, about 15
percent were the offspring of the red-tails
This is why you
aren’t allowed inside Vizag Zoo on Mondays
The Indira Gandhi
Zoological Park that’s usually bustling with tourists wore a desserted look on
Monday morning. As the team of 20 animal attendents and some daily wage
labourers strive to clean up the zoo enclosures, the animals are seen relaxing,
relishing the rare privacy gained, away from prying eyes of noisy visitors.
Our eyes fall on
this handsome hunk of a crocodile, who seemed to be lounging around without a
care in the world, while the cleaners drained the water from his enclosure and
scrubbed the muck and moss. Krishna — that’s his name, we were told. Surprised
at how unperturbed Krishna seemed even with 10 workers surrounding him, we
wondered if he’s really tha
Farewell, Inuka: Zoo
staff surround polar bear to comfort him during his last moments as the animal
passes away in Singapore
Inuka, born at
Singapore Zoo, reached the age of 27 - into his 70s in human years
But the polar bear,
the first born in the tropics, suffered a rapid decline in health
Pictures show zoo
staff comforting the animal moments before he was put down
His keepers had
earlier said 'it would not have been fair to prolong his suffering'
Ex-SeaWorld CEO
eligible for $6.6 million in cash when he left
SeaWorld CEO Joel
Manby, who left the struggling company in February, was eligible to receive
$6.6 million in cash as well as stock valued as much as nearly $2 million as
part of a separation package, according to a new filing.
SeaWorld disclosed
Manby’s exit compensation in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange
Commission on Wednesday afternoon that detailed, among other items,
compensation for executives.
In 2017, Manby’s
annual salary was $1 million although he also received stock awards that added
about $7 million in compensation, bringing his total to about $8.2 million, the
filing said. Manby’s $1 million salary last year remained the same as in 2016.
A SeaWorld spokesman
was not immediately available for comment.
Five species
Cambridge-based Fauna & Flora International is working to protect
Fauna & Flora
International (FFI), based in the David Attenborough Building in Cambridge, is
a leading international charity fighting to preserve biodiversity across the
world.
A recent public
lecture and panel discussion at the building, entitled ‘Setting a new post-2020
biodiversity agenda – the communications challenge’, heard from Sir David
Attenborough about the conservation challenges we face. “The problems are
enormous and they’re also varied – and there is no single solution,” said Sir
David, who is vice-president of FFI. “Every country and every community will
have their own problems and their own solutions.”
Here we focus on
five of the species that FFI is working to protect.
Amazing members part
2 – orangutans, gorillas and the golden lion tamarin
On the road again
As I am in the midst
of my 2018 spring travel to for Species360 Board of Trustees meeting, and to
attend conferences for both EAZA and ZAA (Australasia), I realize I still have
a few Species360 member visit experiences to share. Days 3 and 4 of my road trip to the ZACC
conference were all about primates, big and small – orangutans, gorillas, and
more! If you missed my recap of Days 1-2, you can catch up here.
‘Shocking and
startling facts’ revealed about the Delhi Zoo in a govt report
Mysterious deaths,
no post-mortems, illegal capturing and housing of animals, manipulation of
records and criminal conspiracy — these are some of the charges levelled
against Delhi zoo officials by an inquiry panel appointed by the environment
ministry.
In its report, the
committee constituted under the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) in August 2017 has
indicted six officers and employees of the National Zoological Park (NZP), the
official name of the Delhi zoo, for “misconduct and criminal offences”.
The report submitted
on 18 April has also suggested that a special investigation team (SIT) be
constituted or the case be handed over to a central investigative agency to
probe the alleged criminal actions committed at the zoo, a popular hangout in
the capital.
The examination of
records available with the co
M. Simmons – Release
Is Not the Answer
A couple years ago I
had the chance to meet Mark Simmons, a well-respected advocate for the Zoo and
Aquarium Community. Talking with him made me realize how important it is for us
to make sure that our Zoo’s and Aquariums do not get extinct. In 2016 he did a
presentation about Keiko’s Story and our position in today’s Zoological world.
Inspiring trainers and keepers around the world M. Simmons is making a change
for the community. M. Simmons was one of the trainer’s to be working in the
Keiko project. He wrot
How illegal bird
hunting in the Arab world could drive species to extinction
Almost a quarter of
the world’s migratory birds are at risk and could eventually face extinction, a
new report has revealed.
And mankind is to
blame, according the State of the World’s Birds survey, which points the finger
at illegal hunting, loss of vital feeding and breeding grounds to agriculture,
pesticides and poor environmental practices.
Illegal hunting
takes the lives of between 12 and 38 million birds every year.
The major culprits
were Italy, Egypt, Syria and Lebanon, where over 15 million birds are estimated
to be killed annually.
“The magic of birds
has been astounding humanity over hundreds of years,” said Patricia Zurita, the
chief executive of BirdLife International, which commissioned th
Brookfield Zoo vets
take first-ever CT scan of live rhino as part of lifesaving treatment
Treating a sinus
infection is usually a simple affair in a human, but it's a life-threatening
condition for black rhinos like 7-year-old Layla, forcing the Brookfield Zoo's
veterinarians to pioneer new methods to save the endangered animal's life.
Rhinos breathe
primarily through their nose, so when Layla’s keepers saw her drooling and
struggling for air, they knew something was wrong. Medication wasn’t helping
enough with the sinus infection, so doctors drilled holes through the thick
bone in her skull to clear the infection this past
Chimp sanctuary
helps illegal wildlife trade ’refugees’
Poco, a 38-year-old
chimpanzee at a conservancy in Laikipia County, is bubbly. He can stand, walk
and even strut with a bipedal swagger just like a human being.
And just like 35
other apes being hosted at Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary at Ol Pejeta
Conservancy, Poco is a refugee. He is a victim of illegal wildlife trade. Poco
is learning to live a life in the wild once again.
Even though things
are looking up for Poco, his past is sad. He was confined in a small cage in
Bujumbura, Burundi, for nine years. His captors used him to attract visitors.
NEW ADVICE ISSUED TO
PREVENT PALYTOXIN POISONING
OATA has joined
forces with key public health officials to produce guidance to help marine
aquarium hobbyists who keep corals protect themselves against palytoxin
poisoning.
Health Protection
Scotland approached OATA with a request to help produce the advice after a
small number of incidents involving palytoxin were reported across the UK.
Palytoxin is
produced by species of Palythoa and Zoanthus soft corals with Palythoa species
generally considered to be more toxic than Zoanthus species. However, as many
hobbyists may not be able to distinguish between them, the collective term of
‘zoantharians’ is used.
The greatest risk of
palytoxin poisoning comes from exposing the slime coating produced by
zoantharians to air. Wherever possible, marine animals should be handled
underwater and fully submerged. They should not be lifted out of the aquarium
unnecessarily. If hobbyists do need to transfer them, the advice is to do so
using submerged plastic bags, containers or buckets.
“Thankfully
instances of palytoxin poisoning are rare occurrences
Captive cheetahs are
key to keeping the species alive
IT IS extremely
concerning that there is a trend in contributors to social and published media
recently to tar all animal facilities that keep cheetahs for breeding and
public awareness with the same brush
They use
attention-grabbing headlines, sweeping statements and selected scientific
peer-reviewed research references (or none), regardless of authenticity.
While as in any
other industry there are indeed some less ethical players, there are also a
number of passionate organisations in the zoo community dedicated to the
long-term well-being and conservation of the cheetah as a species.
“Ambassador
cheetahs” have played a pivotal role in curriculum-linked education and
awareness programmes, locally and worldwide.
Their welfare is of
great concern to the various facilities which are ethical and responsible
regarding the husbandry, care and welfare of the cheetahs in their
custodianship.
Modern zoos serving
as Noah’s ark for endangered species
The perennial
question that still revolves around the concept of zoos or zoological garden is
whether it is moral and acceptable for humans to confine animals in cages for
entertainment or education or awareness or captive breeding. Several respected
and dedicated animal right activists around the planet have been demanding
complete closure of zoos; and to set the animals back into their natural
ecosystem and habitats or advocating for more progressive animal rights. On one
end of this spectrum are conservationists, foresters, and ecologists who
sincerely believe that zoos have an important role to play in educating the
public and making them aware of the spectacular biodiversity of the plant so
that the public become more caring and responsible towards conserving natural
ecosystems and environment.
While the other
extreme ends calls for freedom for animals and advocating for the animals to
live and thrive in their own natural ecosystems and habitats; free from any
confinement or cage or enclosure. They insist that no matter how progressive
and animal friendly modern zoos are in their basic philosophies; and no matter
how great the zoo infrastructure is for mimicking natural ecosystems; they can
never be equal or anywhere near the quality of wild natural habitats. Hence any
confinement in the zoos actually violates the right of a helpless and
defenceless animal as an individual species co inhabiting the planet with us;
and must be returned to the wild. The debate will continue as is expected in
any democratic society; however, honestly speaking we could not possibly
undermine the role of modern zoos in education and awareness of the public.
Furth
Zoos release eggs to
help corroboree frogs leap out of extinction
Until recent
decades, there were hundreds of thousands of southern corroboree frogs
clambering around snow gum trees and wallowing in the frigid waters of the
Australian Alps.
Now, less than 50 of
the vividly-coloured, poisonous little frogs are left in the wild.
But those numbers
are set to swell this week with the release of about 1000 captive-bred southern
corroboree frog eggs into Kosciuszko National Park.
The pygmy hog: to
the brink of extinction and back
The smallest member
of the pig family, the pygmy hog (porcula salvania), is a critically endangered
species. Once found along a narrow strip of tall and wet grassland plains on
the Himalayan foothills – from Uttar Pradesh to Assam, through Nepal’s terai areas
and Bengal’s duars – it was thought to have become extinct in the 1960s. But in
1971 it was “re-discovered” with a small population in the Barnadi Wildlife
Sanctuary.
Even then the
numbers have kept declining. They are estimated to be less than 200 pygmy hogs,
half of what was estimated in the mid 1990s. The only viable population of the
pygmy hog in the wild is in the Manas Tiger Reserve in Assam. A two-decade long
effort to conserve this 25-cm tall animal has however turned the tide – the
110th captive-bred Pygmy Hog was recently reintroduce
Zoo general curator
Brandi Clark loves her job
“It’s so exciting,”
said Clark during an interview this past week, adding, “It’s pretty amazing,
that’s for sure.”
Clark, of Minot, has
been with the zoo since 1992. “I got lucky enough to be hired on as a
zookeeper,” Clark said, reminiscing about her years at North Dakota’s oldest
zoo.
Clark worked as a
zookeeper for about six years before becoming general curator. When she applied
for the zookeeper job she said she didn’t think she would be hired because she
didn’t go to school for that type of work. With a degree in veterinary technology,
she was working as a veterinary technician at a veterinary clinic. She applied
for the zookeeper position, was interviewed and got the job.
She was hired a
month after Ron Merritt, now director of Minot Parks. Initially, both were
hired as zookeepers. Later Merritt became zoo director and then park director.
Now Clark is the longest serving Roosevelt Park Zoo staff member.
As general curator,
Clark oversees animal tr
Tamaraw population
up in Mindoro national park
The population of
tamaraw (Bubalus mindorensis) at Mt. Iglit-Baco National Park on Mindoro Island
has increased to 523, according to the latest count done by the Department of
Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and conservation groups from April 17
to 21.
The tamaraw is one
of the Philippines’ most endangered species and is endemic to Mindoro.
Don Geoff Tabaranza,
wildlife biologist and project development and resource manager of Mindoro
Biodiversity Conservation Foundation, said the figure meant an increase of 122
tamaraw to last year’s count of 401. In 2016, the tamaraw population was 4
-----------------------------
www.zoolex.org in April 2018
~°v°~ ~°v°~ ~°v°~ ~°v°~ ~°v°~
Hello ZooLex Friend,
We have worked for your enjoyment!
~°v°~
NEW EXHIBIT PRESENTATION
Goitered gazelles are kept and bred at Naturschutz-Tierpark Görlitz in
Germany. These jumpy animals are adapted to open landscapes and can
easily break their legs when trying to escape. The animal park managers
therefore designed the fences and a catching system particularly for
this species.
Here is the German original:
We would like to thank Catrin and Sven Hammer for sharing information on
this exhibit and Jonas Homburg for preparing the presentation.
~°v°~
SPANISH TRANSLATION
Thanks to Eduardo Díaz García we are able to offer the Spanish
translation of the previously published presentation of "Himalayan
Mountains - Red Panda" at Zoo Karlsruhe in Germany.
~°v°~
We keep working on ZooLex ...
The ZooLex Zoo Design Organization is a non-profit organization
registered in Austria (ZVR-Zahl 933849053). ZooLex runs a professional
zoo design website and distributes this newsletter. More information and
contact: http://www.zoolex.org/about.html
Young giraffe makes
brief escape at Fort Wayne zoo
Workers at an
Indiana zoo needed a couple of hours to corral a young giraffe that escaped
from her enclosure.
The 7-month-old
female got loose Monday from the African Journey exhibit at the Fort Wayne
Children's Zoo. Zoo spokeswoman Bonnie Kemp says the giraffe, Thabisa, never
left the property.
It wasn't
immediately clear how the youngest in the zoo's herd of nine giraffes escaped.
Staffers were able
to trap the giraffe in a fenced parking lot in a non-public area of the zoo.
Zookeepers calmed her down before returning her to the enclosure.
The zoo just opened
to the public for the season on
David Gill talks
about his departure from Dalton zoo and the new regime
Zoo's founder
reveals he is looking at selling the park to one of two interested parties
IN the final
installment of a three-part series of interviews with South Lakes Safari Zoo's
founder David Gill the controversial character speaks to AMY FENTON about the
end of his reign.
"IN 24 years so
much has happened," says David Gill, as he reflects on his almost quarter
of a century at the helm of South Lakes Safari Zoo.
"Although I had
planned to retire for a few years before I left I never expected it would be
like this."
Having faced
relentless criticism and calls for him to step down following a series of
scandals, the under-fire zoo boss handed over the reigns in January 2017,
giving control of the park to a new company headed up by Karen Brewer.
Commentary: Want to
Save the Earth? Start With Your Local Zoo.
The death last month
of the world’s last remaining male northern white rhinoceros was a red flag for
the conservation movement and animal lovers everywhere. It was just the latest
reminder of the precarious state of major fauna around the world: There are
roughly 1,700 species of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, or fish that are
critically endangered.
Today is Earth Day,
which raises awareness about how human actions such as pollution and
overdevelopment threaten biodiversity. It presents an opportunity to reflect on
the extinction of majestic creatures with whom we once shared the Earth and
consider ideas to prevent further species loss.
Earth Day 2018 is
focused on ending plastic pollution, particularly the single-use plastics that
often end up in our oceans and waterways. The plastic threat to wildlife has
been driven home by a recent viral video, viewed over 21 million times, of a
straw being removed from the nose of a sea turtle. (This video is graphic and
contains explicit language.) It’s difficult to watch and not re
The UK's largest
indoor elephant house opens at Blackpool Zoo
Blackpool Zoo has
opened up its new multi-million pound Project Elephant Base Camp.
The new facility
combines the UK's largest indoor elephant house with a huge outdoor habitat and
an immersive themed visitor experience 'through Asia'.
Visitors will find
themselves at eye level with the herd of elephants, which currently consists of
Kate, who has lived in Blackpool for 46 years, Tara, who came from Twycross Zoo
in January and Minbu, who arrived from the same zoo in March.
Brookfield Zoo vets
take first-ever CT scan of live rhino as part of lifesaving treatment
Treating a sinus
infection is usually a simple affair in a human, but it's a life-threatening
condition for black rhinos like 7-year-old Layla, forcing the Brookfield Zoo's
veterinarians to pioneer new methods to save the endangered animal's life.
Rhinos breathe
primarily through their nose, so when Layla’s keepers saw her drooling and
struggling for air, they knew something was wrong. Medication wasn’t helping
enough with the sinus infection, so doctors drilled holes through the thick
bone in her skull to clear the infection this past January. Think of it as a
temporary blowhole to help Layla breathe and recover.
"Had we not
done that surgery, I’m confident Layla would no longer be with us,”said Dr.
Mike Adkesson, VP of Clinical Medicine at the Brookfield Zoo.
Experts said her
condition is still "not survivable in the wild," so they turned to
something that's never been done: Taking a CAT scan on a live rhino. It's a
Sumatran rhinos
nearing extinction due to farming, hunting
Sumatran
rhinoceroses once inhabited a vast expanse of land in mainland East Asia,
according to a new study by University professors. Today, they are located
primarily in Sumatra, Indonesia.
Due to hunting,
expansion of the human population and increased agriculture, the area occupied
by these rhinos has shrunk significantly ever since the start of human
development in the first millennium B.C. Now, hunting and agriculture practices
still continue to drive down the number of Sumatran rhinos, raising concerns
that they will become extinct.
Previous research
suggested that “the Sumatran rhino was doomed to die out, and that you could
see it in the DNA sequence,” said Brian Lander, assistant professor of history
and environment and society.
But DNA does not
provide sufficient ability to predict the extinction of living rhinos, Lander
said. Current Sumatran rhinos have been separated from the rhinos that existed
on mainland China 9,000 years ago, he said. “So their DNA does not tell us
anything about the whole population (of those in Indonesia),” he
Unemployment drives
young poaching gangs
Efforts to curb
rhino poaching in the Kruger National Park are facing the threat of being
deemed futile by the high unemployment rates in the communities surrounding one
of the country's national treasures.
This is seen as the
root cause of the sprouting poaching syndicates.
The park’s chief
ranger, Ben Maggs, said unemployment in the surrounding communities needed to
be addressed.
“People are driven
to desperation,” Maggs warned, saying residents from these communities could
start blocking tourists travelling to the park in order to send a message.
“That’s going to
have a big impact. Why? Because they are not getting service delivery.
A JOURNEY WITH
ELEPHANTS BY GREG VOGT – CONSERVATION GUARDIANS
Thandora – Final
Chapter
Anthropomorphism
Readers of this blog
will probably ask 100 questions and offer as many possible answers as to why
the girls did not accept Thandora.
During my hours with
her in the reserve I challenged every scenario possible. All I can say is that
Thandora was happy on her own. The day after the famous meeting described in
videos and pictures in the previous blog, we meandered to a dam I called our ‘secret
dam’. The water was clear and for some reason there were no traces of elephant
spoor at this Dam. I assumed the other elephants did not come to this dam very
often for whatever reason.
I was mesmerised in
t
New gadgets help
reveal the collective behavior of wild animals
An international
team of scientists led by Swansea University biologists describe how novel
technologies are transforming our understanding of why wild animals form
different groups.
Combining animal
tracking data with environmental data from satellites or drones means that
scientists can begin to study whole groups and their interactions in the real,
changing environments in which they live and have evolved.
Researchers now have
access to gadgets such as bio-loggers, which are electronic tracking devices
that attach to animals, recording GPS position and animal motion.
For example, swarms,
shoals, flocks, herds and troops are just some of the typ
David Gill on
zookeeper's death: 'People thought I was cold but my head wasn't in the right
place'
THE day of May 24,
2013, will be etched in the minds and hearts of all those who worked at South
Lakes Safari Zoo on that fateful day.
Well-liked and
committed-conservationist Sarah McClay was carrying out her routine zookeeper
tasks in the corridor of the tiger house when tragedy struck.
Sumatran tiger
Padang entered the area of the enclosure where the 24-year-old was working and
attacked her in full view of horrified zoo visitors.
Despite the efforts
of her colleagues and the emergency services the former Dowdales School pupil
died of her injuries and the incident later resulted in South Lakes Safari Zoo
being fined almost £450,000 after admitting to health and safety failings.
David Gill will be
the first to admit, in hindsight, that his interviews with national media
immediately after Miss McClay's death did little to enamour him to Miss
McClay's family, friends and fellow zookeepers.
World’s newest great
ape threatened by Chinese dam
The discovery of the
Tapanuli orangutan has not stopped a Chinese state-run company from clearing
forest for a planned dam. Conservationists fear this will be the beginning of
the end for a species only known for six months
Last November
scientists made a jaw-dropping announcement: they’d discovered a new great ape
hiding in plain sight, only the eighth inhabiting our planet.
The Tapanuli
orangutan survives in northern Sumatra and it is already the most endangered
great ape in the world; researchers estimate less than 800 individuals survive.
But the discovery hasn’t stopped a Chinese state-run company, Sinohydro, from
moving ahead with clearing forest for a large dam project smack in the middle
of the orangutan population. According to several orangutan experts,
Sinohyrdo’s dam represents an immediate and existential threat to the Tapanuli
orangutan.
“Building the dam
means chopping the orangutan population in half,” Erik Meijaard, the director
of Borneo Futures and one of the experts to describe Pongo tapanuliensis, said.
“You end up with two smaller populations, and these will have much reduced chances
of survival, because a small population is more likely to go extinct than a
large one.”
One in eight bird
species is threatened with extinction, global study finds
One in eight bird
species is threatened with global extinction, and once widespread creatures
such as the puffin, snowy owl and turtle dove are plummeting towards oblivion,
according to the definitive study of global bird populations.
The State of the
World’s Birds, a five-year compendium of population data from the best-studied
group of animals on the planet, reveals a biodiversity crisis driven by the
expansion and intensification of agriculture.
In all, 74% of 1,469
globally threatened birds are affected primarily by farming. Logging, invasive
species and hunting are the other main threats.
“Each time we
undertake this assessment we see slightly more species at risk of extinction –
the situation is deteriorating and the trends are intensifying,” said Tris
Allinson, senior global scienc
The terrible things
that would happen if all the coral reefs died off
We're currently
facing the worst bleaching of coral reefs ever known in history, but what would
happen if all the coral reefs died off? We've already lost 50% of the world's
coral, and we're at risk of losing even more. If the world lost all its coral
reefs, the results would be dire. Following is a transcript of the video.
What would happen if
all the coral reefs died off?
Coral reefs are
filled with colorful ocean life. But they're in danger of dying off.
The planet has
already lost 50% of its coral in the last 30 years. If the rest go, the
consequences would be dire.
Sea life has the
most to lose. Coral reefs cover less than 1% of the ocean floor. But, they
provide an essential ecosystem for a quarter of all marine life.
The Disney
Conservation Fund Awards 2018 Conservation Grants
The Disney
Conservation Fund (DCF) is providing grants totaling more than $8 million to
support the work of 80 nonprofit organizations this year, The Walt Disney
Company announced today. The grants are
part of Disney’s “Reverse the Decline” initiative, which pairs the company’s
philanthropic dollars with professional expertise from Disney’s Animals,
Science, and Environment team and other employees to maximize the impact of
conservation efforts to protect wildlife and wild places. Including these new grants, DCF has awarded
more than $70 million to date to support conservation efforts around the world.
DCF actively
supports the world’s leading conservation organizations with funds and
professional resources to save wildlife and habitats, inspire action, and
protect the planet. This commitment is
reflected through the fund’s comprehensive focus on stabilizing and increasing
the populations of 10 different at-risk species including apes, butterflies,
coral reefs, cranes, elephants, monkeys, rhinos, sea turtles, sharks and rays,
and tigers. DCF also provides grants to
support conservation programs that engage communities in comprehensive
solutions that serve people, wildlife and habitats.
“Each program we support through th
TIMELINE: Key events
in the history of Dalton zoo
1983: David Gill
reveals his vision to open a wild animal park at his home.
1993: David Gill
buys 14 acres of land off Broughton Road in Dalton.
1994: South Lakes
Wild Animal Park opens to the public on May 27.
1996: The zoo
attracts a record number of 100,000 visitors.
1996: The zoo
features on Michaela Strachan's The Really Wild Show.
1997: Zimba the
white rhino escapes from its compound and is shot and killed.
2000: David Gill
buys land in Australia to open Mareeba Zoo.
2004: After just
four years Mareeba Zoo in Australia is closed after regulatory breaches
including one in which he was fined for chasing down a cheetah on a motorbike.
2007: Dalton zoo's
reports record post-tax profits of £350,000.
2007: David Gill is
attacked by love rival Richard Creary after the zoo boss started seeing
Creary's estranged wife.
2008: The zoo is
criticised by licensing officers over the escape of lemurs.
2013: The zoo is hit
by tragedy with the death of zookeeper Sarah McClay.
2016: In June the
zoo is fined after admitting safety failings relating to Miss McClay's death.
2016: Cumbria Zoo
Company Limited is established to take over running of the zoo.
2017: Government
announces it is considering an overhaul of zoo legislation and licensing.
David Gill on
proposed changes to zoo legislation
Zoo founder agrees
there should be national regulatory body
SINCE South Lakes
Safari Zoo was hit by a series of scandals, including the death of a zookeeper
and a report detailing the deaths of hundreds of animals, there have been calls
for a national regulator to be created to monitor and inspect zoos across the
UK.
Under current
legislation the licensing of zoos falls to individual local authorities such as
Barrow Borough Council which is responsible for inspecting and licensing zoos
such as that at Dalton.
Perhaps
surprisingly, given his traditional defiant streak and as someone who is known
to battle against the establishment, David Gill agrees.
"No disrespect
to Barrow Borough Council but I absolutely agree there needs to be a national
regulator so that the rules and regulations are interpreted and enforced
consistently across the nation," he says.
"The zoos and
their staff, along with the councils and inspe
Contact and
Discovery: A Conversation with John Chapo, Executive Director of the Lincoln
Children's Zoo
John Chapo has
directed the Lincoln Children's Zoo for over thirty years. During this time, he
has brought the zoo back to its roots of providing guests lots of encounters
and contact with animals. At the moment, the Lincoln Children's Zoo is in the
process of doubling in size and adding several new animals such as giraffes,
tigers and spider monkeys. Here is his story.
The largest zoo in
northern central region
Le Thanh Than,
chairman of Muong Thanh Group which manages the safari park, said that the idea
for the area originated from his 100-hectare land plot in Dien Lam Commune,
Dien Chau District. Initially, only a few animals were raised there. After
that, he decided to develop it into a tourist attraction.
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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 50 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 50 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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