Zoo News Digest 22nd April 2018 (ZooNews 990)
Peter Dickinson
elvinhow@gmail.com
Dear Colleague,
Happy Earth Day to
all. I only hope the Earth becomes happier this year. Right now it’s a bloody
mess.
I reckon the biggest
news of the past few days is the movement of the Spix’s macaws from Al Wabra.
Read all about this below. A well thought out and very important move. I am
however a little concerned about the other animals in the collection.
I note David Gill is
in the news again. He can't stay away. Judging by the comments on the articles
I have seen he won't be forgiven.
Every month I get
two or three dealer lists by email. I have never subscribed so I am none too
sure where they got my email. The lists are of academic interest and so I skim
through and delete them. I never pass them on so please don't ask. This week I
came across the three items grouped together below. They, I thought
demonstrated so much of what is wrong of much of the zoo world today.
Siberian Tigers
3,200 Euros
White Tigers 7,500
Euros
Tabby Tigers 22,000
Euros
Siberian Tigers were
the cheapest and they the only true tiger subspecies of the three. The only
ones of actual real value to conservation? Probably not because they appear on
a dealer list and so it is extremely unlikely they are in any managed breeding
programme.
Tabby Tigers! Well what can I say? The biggest freaks cost the most money. What are the zoos which exhibit these going to say? Good zoos do not exhibit freaks and especially those deliberately genetically engineered by man. Freak - definition - a person, animal, or plant with an unusual physical abnormality.
For Your Interest
The Tiger Subspecies
Revised, 2017So, how many different tiger subspecies are there, 8? 7? 6? Err...... 2?
https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/tetrapod-zoology/the-tiger-subspecies-revised-2017/
My health? Slowly getting there. More hospital visits to come but I am well on the road to recovery.
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,
********
*****
***
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BIG NEWS!!!
Today we remember
the passing of the late Sheikh Saoud bin Mohammed bin Ali Al Thani who left us
prematurely in November 2014, as we make this announcement.
Al Wabra has been
actively working with other organizations in conservation projects since its
inception some 20 years ago. But our flagship species and project has to be the
Spix’s macaw. Much controversy arose with the arrival of 2 large collections on
the Qatari shores (starting in 2002), but Al Wabra and Sheikh Saoud proved all
their critics wrong by placing these Spix’s in state of the art facilities,
with specialists from around the world. His dedication to the project and
saving the species brought new life to the waning program of old. The amazing
research opportunities that have been afforded to this species is remarkable
and unheard of in other species conservation projects. All thanks to the
private generosity of Sheikh Saoud and his family. Over the last few years the
Spix’s program has moved in leaps and bounds bringing us to the brink of making
history and seeing these birds back in the wild again. With our Spix’s macaw
program partners including the likes of the Brazil government (and their
partners in Brazil), Parrots International, Wildlife parks Singapore, Parrots
Reproduction Consulting, and Cornell Universities Genomics Core Lab in Qatar,
we have come so far.
One partner that has
stepped up time and time again to help us reach our goals, is the Association
for the Conservation of Threatened Parrots (ACTP). We have an excellent working
relationship with this organization, and again they have come to the party to
help us secure this species for the final stages to the release. After the
death of Sheikh Saoud there were many concerns, and we are happy to say that
his Heirs with Sheikh Hamad and Sheikha Sara and the helm, to their credit kept
Sheikh Saoud’s dream alive. Now they will push on with decisions in the program
and their land in Brazil for the next stage of this project.
Al Wabra’s owners
have grave concerns with the current and prolonged blockade on Qatar by its
unscrupulous neighbors, with threats that bring this region into serious
political turmoil. Although the Leader of Qatar has done a fantastic job to
shield his country from these threats, our owners are no longer willing to keep
such an important collection of animals here, due to the time issues to get
them out if it escalates. In short Al Wabra is sending all it’s important
species out of Qatar, the Spix’s and Lear’s macaws have arrived at ACTP in
Germany, where they are being housed in state of the art facilities, while the
new facilities are built on our land in Brazil. As soon as the facilities are
finished (expected before the end of 2018), plans will be put in place to very
quickly move a large number of the birds to the Brazil facility. Sheikh Hamad
and Sheikha Sara, are convinced that this is the right thing to do, and feel by
securing these birds they are able to secure their fathers dream and legacy.
All the equipment related to the birds will follow them so as not to waste it,
and also decrease additional costs in buying new equipment, costs that could be
spent on other necessary and useful aspects of the project. Al Wabra will be
retaining ownership of the birds and thus still playing an active decision
making role in the project to safeguard their Sheikh Saoud’s legacy. Dr
Cromwell Purchase and his Blue Macaw Assistant Donovan De Boer will be
following the birds and joining the ACTP team in Germany.
We would like to
thank ACTP for their help in making this happen, as the costs of expanding
their facilities with specially setup quarantine areas and new veterinary
hospital to ensure the sectional quarantining of their facilities to best
protect from any outbreaks, and section specific staff is huge and their
investment in this, has shown us how dedicated they are to conservation. The
German, Brazil and Qatar governments and CITES departments have worked together
very well to make this happen, and we thank them all for their support and
efforts. It was a mammoth tasking putting all the transfers together for 120
Spix’s macaws, but we are happy to say it was a successful move with no
injuries or losses. We would like to thank all our supporters for their years
of support, and we look forward to sharing more successes with you.
EXCLUSIVE: Zoo boss
David Gill breaks his silence about new company and the future of the park
HE is nothing if not
controversial and throughout his life David Gill has continued to hit the
headlines. Now, for the first time since a series of scandals hit the zoo he
built up from scratch, the 56-year-old has given a 'no holds barred' interview
to reporter AMY FENTON.
WHETHER you love him
or hate him few people in Furness will fail to have an opinion about
self-confessed controversy courter David Gill.
In today's,
Saturday's and Monday's Mail we are running a series of articles in which the
man who was once dubbed Dalton's Dr Dolittle looks back candidly at his life
and opens up about what really happened during some of his more infamous
moments.
Today's feature sets
the scene with Gill looking back at how his zoological empire came about; from
the humble beginnings of his animal rescue centre in the back garden of his
Romney Avenue home to becoming a hugely-popular attraction welcoming 100,000 visitors
by only its second year.
David Gill on safety
concerns at the zoo and his life-long dispute with the council
Second in a
three-part series sees zoo founder defend his rebellious attitude
IF there was one
iconic song you could choose to reflect David Gill's colourful zoological
career then Frank Sinatra's My Way wouldn't be a bad choice.
Some might say he
pushed boundaries and brought something new to the traditional zoo experience
while others might say his radical and sometimes rebellious way of working was
a step too far.
One of the issues
highlighted by inspectors amid a raft of concerns about South Lakes Safari Zoo
related to the free-roaming animals allowed to wander around areas of the park.
While this was a
feature much-loved by many visitors, particularly youngsters, inspectors
appointed by licensing authority Barrow Borough Council weren't impressed.
A number of
incidents involving members of the public being nipped by naughty lemurs led to
the zoo's lemur and squirrel monkey population being cut and public access
restricted.
David Gill speaks
out about animal deaths at Dalton zoo
FOR years before he
left, and well before a series of shocking animal welfare scandals hit South
Lakes Safari Zoo, David Gill knew his time at the helm was up. He spoke to AMY
FENTON about his departure and the much-reported autopsy report detailing the deaths
of hundreds of animals.
IN February 2017 a
report was published charting the official cause of death for hundreds of
animals at South Lakes Safari Zoo during the previous four years. Some died of
hypothermia, emaciation and infighting due to overstocked enclosures.
Mr Gill accepts it
was his head on the line and that the blame had to ultimately lie with him.
"I absolutely
know that responsibility has to lie with me," he says.
African leaders
gather in London for illegal wildlife talks
African leaders
gather in London to discuss ambitious proposals to protect endangered species
across Africa.
The Duke of
Cambridge, the Foreign Secretary and leaders of African Commonwealth countries
met on Friday 20 April for high level talks on tackling the illegal wildlife
trade in advance of the next international conference in London later this
year.
Ambitious proposals
to tackle the crime were discussed and debated, including opportunities to
boost cross-border law enforcement so that more elephants and other animals can
move more freely and safely in Africa.
Foreign Secretary
Boris Johnson said:
“Many African
countries are already working together and taking robust action to protect and
preserve their precious wildlife but this is a serious problem driven by
international criminal syndicates.
“It is only through
ambitious African-led initiatives that we will stop this deplorable crime for
good, and we are ready to help. Here in the UK we are taking forward our own
plans for a ban on domestic ivory sales, and in October I will co-host an international
Danish zoo director
advises against wolf 'panic measures'
Suggestions by
politicians that Denmark’s wild wolf population could be fenced inside special
reserves is a “panic measure” with no basis in common sense, according to
Copenhagen Zoo’s scientific director.
Bengt Holst, who is
also chair of the Danish Animal Ethics Council (Det Dyreetiske Råd), said that
wolves were the target of a ‘smear campaign’.
“There has
unfortunately been a smear campaign against wolves, which is not a very
constructive way in which to deal with the wolves,” Holst said.
“I think we’re going
to end up acting out of panic and I think this proposal [to create fenced
reserves, ed.] is a sign of that. Politicians should have a bit more ice in
their veins and rather make use of a major information campaign,” he continued.
Politicians from the
three largest parties in the Danish parliament – the Social Democrats, Danish
People’s Party and Liberal – all said on Friday they approved of reserves in
which Danish wolves would be contained.
The idea has emerged
in the wake of intense debate over control of the animals following the arrest
and subsequent charging of a m
Process to restore
sturgeon in Lake Erie started
Officials at an Ohio
zoo have begun the process of restoring a fish species in Lake Erie that’s
nearly extinct.
The Blade reports
the Toledo Zoo will raise about 1,500 young lake sturgeon this summer. The zoo
recently received tanks to for the fish.
Zoo conservation
director Kent Bekker says eggs to raise the hatchlings will arrive in June and
fish will be released into the Maumee River in August or September. The Maum
http://www.morningjournal.com/general-news/20180421/process-to-restore-sturgeon-in-lake-erie-started
Bees aren’t the only
pollinators with problems
Think of a
pollinator and you’ll almost certainly think of a bee. Maybe a butterfly, but
probably not: bees are bona-fide pollination celebrities, their importance
recognized and predicaments lamented. It’s quite unlikely that you’ll think of
a bird, much less a bat or a lizard — yet they too transport pollen and help
landscapes bloom, and are experiencing declines both troubling and overlooked.
“While much
scholarly and media attention has been focused on insect pollinators,” write
researchers led by ecologist Fabrizia Ratto
Who Cares If They're
Cute? This Zoologist Accepts Animals On Their Own Terms
Zoologist Lucy Cooke
says humans have got it all wrong about sloths. "People think that because
the animal is slow that it's somehow useless and redundant," she says. But
in fact, "they are incredibly successful creatures."
Cooke is the founder
of the Sloth Appreciation Society and the author of a new book called The Truth
About Animals: Stoned Sloths, Lovelorn Hippos, and Other Tales from the Wild
Side of Wildlife. The book aims to set the record straight on some long-held
misconceptions about the animal world.
"The sloth is
not the only animal that's being misunderstood in this way," she says.
"I thought it was time that we rebranded the animal kingdom according to
fact and not sentimentality – because we have a habit of viewing the animal
kingdom through the prism of our own rather narrow existence and judging
animals on our terms."
The book discusses
creatures big and small, furry and slippery: eels, bats, hippos, frogs, storks,
and more. "I wanted to showcase a range of stories," Cooke says.
"I wanted to show misunderstandings that date all the way from Aristotle
to Disney."
She sat down to talk
with us about h
Chinese government
fly ‘high quality panda semen’ 5000 miles to Scotland in cub bid
Semen from male
panda Yang Guang has been replaced after “high quality panda semen” was flown
5,000 to the Scots zoo.
Plans to use the deposit this summer were
scrapped after animal rights protesters put pressure on bosses.
The unused semen is
being stored at the zoo after it was announced last month the breeding
programme had been cancelled.
Zoo chiefs released
a statement stating they would use the year to assess the breeding process and
the panda enclosure.
Chair of trustees of
the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland said: “The female panda will shortly
come into season.
Coming to the Rescue
of the Endangered Philippine Eagle
“At least one
Philippine eagle is killed every year because of shooting,” laments Jayson
Ibañez, research and conservation director of the Philippine Eagle Foundation
(PEF), a non-government organization based in Davao City in southern
Phillippine. Ibañez says that deforestation due to timber poaching and
slash-and-burn farming also significantly endanger this rarest of eagles.
Only an estimated
400 pairs of Philippine eagles remain in the wild, landing the raptor on the
“critically endangered” list of the International Union for the Conservation of
Nature.
Preventing the
Philippine eagle population from dwindling further remains a tough battle, with
pessimists decades ago disparaging its conservation as a “lost cause.”
This formidable
challenge gave birth to the Philippine Eagle Center, a volunteer and
donor-dependent organization formed by the foundation 30 years ago. The center
is dedicated solely to the conservation of the majestic bird with a seven-foot
wingspan — and the only blue-eyed raptor on Earth.
The eight-hectare
center, on the outskirts of Davao City, made history in 1992 when it
successfully hatched Pag-asa, the first captive-bred Philippine eagle.
True to her name,
Pag-asa — which means “hope” in Filipino — gave the center's personnel the
courage and inspiration to continue pur
Crocodiles Alter
Skin Color in Response to Environmental Color Conditions
Many species alter
skin color to varying degrees and by different mechanisms. Here, we show that
some crocodylians modify skin coloration in response to changing light and
environmental conditions. Within the Family, Crocodylidae, all members of the
genus Crocodylus lightened substantially when transitioned from dark enclosure
to white enclosures, whereas Mecistops and Osteolaemus showed little/no change.
The two members of the Family Gavialidae showed an opposite response,
lightening under darker conditions, while all member of the Family
Alligatoridae showed no changes. Observed color changes were rapid and
reversible, occurring wi
Emperor penguin
behaviour is not black and white, say New Zealand scientists
Little is known
about adult birds’ behaviour when they leave breeding colonies, but new
research has shed some light on their foraging habits
Found only in
Antarctica, they’re also the tallest and heaviest penguin species on Earth,
growing up to 122cm high, and weighing between 22 and 45kg.
Five years ago,
National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research scientist Dr Kim Goetz’s
research tagged of them and remotely observed them travelling between 273
kilometres and nearly 9000 kilometres, while completing dives that ranged up to
a record-breaking 32.2 minutes.
But it was finding
the penguins in the first place that was most intriguing.
“Our original goal
was to tag breeding penguins at Cape Colbeck after their annual moult at the
end of January. But because the voyage was delayed we didn’t get there until
early March,” Goetz said.
“We didn’t expect
penguins to still be there and thought we would have to locate them on the pack
ice which was going to be more difficult.”
To their surprise,
some adult emperor penguins had stayed at Cape Colbeck, and were quickly
tagged.
When they did
eventually l
Zoo, aquarium
research shows high output
Zoos and aquariums
have contributed at least 5,175 peer-reviewed articles to conservation, zoology
and veterinary journals over past 20 years.
Most people think of
zoos and aquariums as tourist destinations: educational but fun diversions for
animal lovers. However, according to a new study from the University of
Illinois, modern zoos and aquariums are increasingly contributing to the
knowledge base on biodiversity conservation and other scientific topics.
Through an analysis
of scientific literature, the study's authors determined that researchers at
zoos and aquariums have contributed at least 5,175 peer-reviewed articles to
conservation, zoology and veterina
Association of Zoos
and Aquariums Statement on Michigan’s Large Carnivore Act
On Tuesday, April
10, Michigan House Bill 5778 was introduced to make changes to Michigan’s Large
Carnivore Act. Due to a drafting error in the original law, since its enactment
in 2000, it has been a violation of the law to breed large carnivores in the
state of Michigan. In response to H.B. 5778, the Association of Zoos and
Aquariums (AZA) issued the following statement:
AZA applauds the
time and thought that has gone into drafting changes to Michigan’s Large
Carnivore Act. It has taken far too long to get a simple error corrected, so
that AZA-accredited zoos can do what they are recognized globally for doing:
scientifically and ethically managing their animals while leading efforts to
save animals from extinction.
We urge the Michigan
legislature to enact the simplest fix that will correct the original drafting
errors and allow AZA-accredited facilities to legally breed large carnivores in
Michigan. AZA's accreditation standards are nationally and internationally recognized
as the zoological profession’s “Gold Standard," and assure the health,
safety and welfare of
Mammals on the EDGE:
Conservation Priorities Based on Threat and Phylogeny
Conservation
priority setting based on phylogenetic diversity has frequently been proposed
but rarely implemented. Here, we define a simple index that measures the
contribution made by different species to phylogenetic diversity and show how
the index might contribute towards species-based conservation priorities. We
describe procedures to control for missing species, incomplete phylogenetic
resolution and uncertainty in node ages that make it possible to apply the
method in poorly known clades. We also show that the index is independent of
clade size in phylogenies of more than 100 species, indicating that scores from
unrelated taxonomic groups are likely to be comparable. Similar scores are
returned under two different species concepts, suggesting that the index is
robust to taxonomic changes. The approach is applied to a near-complete
species-level phylogeny of the Mammalia to generate a global priority list
incorporating both phylogenetic diversity and extinction risk. The 100
highest-ranking species represent a high proportion of total mammalian
diversity and include many species not usually recognised as conservation
priorities. Many species that are both evolutionarily distinct and globally
endangered (EDGE species) do not benefit from existing conservation projects or
protected areas. The results suggest that global conservation priorities may
have to be reassessed in order to prevent a disproportionately large amount of
mammalian evolutionary history becoming extinct in the near future.
The Ark and Beyond: The Evolution of Zoo and Aquarium
Conservation (Convening Science: Discovery at the Marine Biological Laboratory)
Zookeeper
Achievement Trophies That Should Exist In Real Life
Here at Zookeeper
Gear we know our profession can often be a thankless one. Sure, you may get the
occasional (sincere) “nice job” from your supervisor or sometimes even an
appreciative zoo visitor that is wowed by your Keeper Chat. But unfortunately,
some of the most important aspects of what we do go unnoticed more often than
not.
But today we say “No
More!” to this injustice. It’s time someone finally acknowledged that which we
zookeepers do best.
Anyone who’s ever
played any sort of video game, whether it be Playstation 4 or Candy Crush on
iPhone, knows just how damn satisfying it is when you get that little surprise
“ba-ling” sound with the on-screen pop-up each time you earn a special
achievement trophy. Therefore we propose the concept of zookeeper achievement
trophies, each issued for only the most defining skills in our collective
repertoire.
Presenting, in no
particular order:
Immersive
Choreography: A Conversation with John Gwynne, Retired Director of the Wildlife
Conservation Society's Exhibits, Graphics, and Arts Department (EGAD)
It could be argued
there has never been a more talented and influential zoo designer than John
Gwynne. During his tenure as Head of Design at the Exhibits, Graphics and Arts
Department at the Wildlife Conservation Society, he designed many of the most
immersive, detailed and compelling habitats ever built, particularly at the
Bronx Zoo. Along with his team, including Walter Deichmann and his mentees Lee
Ehmke and Sue Chin, and in close collaboration with Director Bill Conway and
General Curator Jim Doherty, Gwynne propelled a movement for zoo design that
told stories, recreated specific ecosystems and gave guests a strong
conservation message. Here is his story.
AZA-Accredited Zoos
and Aquariums Assist with Radiated Tortoise Rescue in Madagascar
Turtle Survival
Alliance Launches Rescue Mission to Nearly 11,000 Critically Endangered
Radiated Tortoises Discovered in Massive Poaching Bust
Animal Experts from
AZA-Accredited Zoos and Aquariums Dispatched to Madagascar to Conduct the
Rescue
On Tuesday, April
10, more than 10,000 critically endangered radiated tortoises (Astrochelys
radiata) were discovered by local police in a non-descript private residence in
Toliara, Madagascar. The floors of virtually every room in the house were
covered with tortoises that had no access to food or water. As of Friday, April
13, hundreds had died from dehydration and illness. Experts from several zoos
and aquariums have been dispatched with medical supplies, and will administer
medical care for the sick or injured tortoises and general animal care.
It is not known how
long the tortoises have been in the home and some arrests have been made. The
local police in partnership with
Swimming with
SeaWorld’s Captive Dolphins
Some years ago, I
took a boyfriend to SeaWorld in San Diego. He had few wants in life and
swimming with dolphins was on his bucket list, so I booked us an extravagant
SeaWorld experience and we drove down from Los Angeles.
Keep in mind, this
was before the release of Blackfish. It was back when everyone felt the way
about SeaWorld that they do about zoos; you hate that the animals are trapped
in these small spaces but you justify pushing aside that sick feeling because
it’s a “learning and conservation center” or because you just really want to
see those spectacular creatures up close regardless of their cages.
I had swam with wild
dolphins a number of times and spent most of my life in the ocean so I was
excited to watch my boyfriend experience the magic these animals had
consistently shared with me. He was nervous.
When we first
entered the dolphin swim center, we went through a brief class. The instructor
told us not to make any sudden movements, not to touch the dolphins until
prompted, and not to keep our heads underwater. Then, we changed into some
spiffy used
Best of Both Worlds:
A Conversation with Joe Smith, Director of Animal Programs at Fort Wayne
Children's Zoo
Since it opened in
1965, the Fort Wayne Children's Zoo has blossomed into one of the best
medium-sized zoos in the nation. Few understand the zoo's power to connect its
community with wildlife than Dr. Joe Smith, Director of Animal Programs. Smith
was promoted to the position after serving as Veterinarian at the Fort Wayne
Children's Zoo for several years. Outside of his responsibilities at the zoo,
Smith has a passion for orangutan conservation and serves as an Advisor on
Veterinary Issues for the Orangutan Species Survival Plan. Here is his story.
Zoos of the US and Canada courtesy of Nayer Youakim.
Follow link below for clickable map
14 griffons
successful released in Sardinia to restock the threatened local population
More than 150
volunteers, vulture enthusiasts, members of the public, local officials,
journalists and staff from project partners have gathered this weekend in the
Parco Naturale di Porto di Conte to listen to a day of talks and presentations
on the latest progress on the conservation of the griffon vulture in Sardinia,
and to release 14 griffons vultures – 12 brought from rehabilitation centres in
Spain by the VCF, and two captive bred in Artis Amsterdam Zoo – into the wild,
to help restock the small Sardinian population.
Eight of these birds
were equipped with GPS tags by VCF staff and colleagues from the university of
Sassari, that will allow us to track the individuals, determine their foraging
areas, check their survival and eventually identify mortality causes. All griffons
were also colour ringed and some of their feathers decoloured to allow for
identification in the field – a technique which is not harmful to the birds and
far less intrusive that the wing tags sometimes used in this species.
Sardinia once had
healthy populations of three vulture species – bearded, cinereous and griffon
vultures, but
Etihad Cargo and
conservation fund transport endangered birds
Etihad Cargo and the
International Fund for Houbara Conservation (IFHC), one of the world’s leading
conservation programmes, have recently transported a shipment of more than 100
vulnerable Houbara bustards for release into their natural habitats.
In the past three
years, the partnership between the two organisations has led to the successful
relocation and integration into the wild of more than 3,000 Houbara across the
world, said a press release issued by Etihad and IFHC on Wednesday.
The venture, which
is part of the Shaikh Khalifa Houbara Reintroduction Programme, began in 2014,
when the two organisations signed a partnership agreement. In 2017 alone, more
than 2,000 birds were transported safely to countries in Asia and North Africa,
which have more hospitable environments, thereby increasing the birds’
long-term survival.
The Houbara birds
are bred in centres in Abu Dhabi, managed by IFHC, and then released into their
natural habitats in countries across the world.
Justin Carr,
vice-president of Etihad
A new sea sanctuary
for dolphins
Thrilled to see
Virgin Holidays teaming up with the National Aquarium in Baltimore to support North America’s first dolphin sea
sanctuary. Once it is up and running in a few years’ time, this pioneering
project will offer a natural and much larger home for the National Aquarium’s
captive population of seven bottlenose dolphins – and hopefully set a wonderful
example for both marine entertainment and tourism operators who have faced
increasing pressure over the welfare of whales and dolphins, collectively known
as cetaceans.
Rodent
Thermoregulation: Getting into the 'Comfort Zone'
Research studies
have documented variable data outcomes based primarily upon the environmental
temperatures at which rodents are maintained during study. Indeed, by
increasing rodent housing temperatures from those typically used in
conventional laboratory animal facilities, rodent models of obesity,
atherosclerosis, tumor development, and microbiome manipulation show increased
cohesion with comparable human disorders.
To better understand
why human-similar physiological outcomes are blunted, if not lost, under
standard rodent housing temperatures, researchers and laboratory animal
personnel should be aware that rodent body temperature is a critical
determinant of translational medicine.
Keepers at Dallas
Zoo concentrate on feeding, nutrition
When it comes to
feeding and caring for a newborn, if a new mother can't — or won't — do it on
her own, keepers at the Dallas Zoo are more than ready to step in and lend a
hand.
In fact, as soon as
zoo staff confirm that an animal is pregnant, they start planning to do so. Of
course, the animal experts prefer to leave it all up to the parents, but
occasionally it's a necessity, they say.
The Dallas Morning
News reports sometimes hand-rearing means preparing bottles and formula, and
other times it means chopping up mice to feed to baby birds.
Zoo Animals: Husbandry, Welfare and Public Interactions
Retail Price: $195.0010% Online Discount
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$175.50
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Editors: Maja Berger and Sarah Corbett
Book Description:
Zoo Animals: Breeding, Welfare and Public Interactions begins by suggesting that maintaining biologically functional and compatible social groups is a primary welfare concern for zoo-housed animals. An overview of the welfare impact of social groupings of a number of zoo-housed animals is presented, and the extent to which zoos are able to cater for individual species needs is discussed. The opening chapter concludes by outlining areas for further research into factors that may affect the social compatibility of zoo-housed animals, and discusses the potential long-term implications for housing socially complex animals. Next, the authors explore the evidence surrounding the use of ambassador animals in zoo education programmes. The reported impact of ambassador animal programmes on zoo visitors in terms of visitor learning, attitude, and behaviours are reviewed, and areas for further research are highlighted. The subsequent chapter covers how quality of life can be measured and evaluated in the zoo. It will also discuss aspects of welfare compromise, and how research into species’ behaviour allows us to rectify issues that may cause a poorer quality of life. The use of natural history information (e.g. behavioural ecology, evolutionary adaptations, and life history strategy) to the planning, design and implementation of husbandry protocols is explained and reviewed. Later, the authors suggest that if zoos are to improve their effectiveness at conservation they should consider the application of cognitive enrichment, a type of occupational enrichment where significant cognitive challenge is provisioned over a protracted timeframe to ensure cognitive enrichment remains. Learning is considered the key to improving both individual welfare and species or population conservation. Afterwards, several key examples of folklore husbandry that may currently be impacting captive management in zoos are examined, focusing particularly on the provision of environmental parameters and elements of exhibit design. These keeping practices are interpreted and evaluated in light of current biological and captive management studies to identify and address areas of husbandry that can be improved upon. In the closing chapter, the authors suggest that if zoo managers know little about the biology and ecology of a species, it is unlikely they are able to provide them with captive conditions that represent optimal welfare. Although zoos are now more committed to research than they were in the past, the research they have undertaken so far has mostly been focussed on a few taxa, which represents a small proportion of the diverse collection of species kept by them. (Nova)
https://www.novapublishers.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=64453
SCBI Scientists Find
Elephant Poaching Crisis in Myanmar
Smithsonian
Conservation Biology Institute scientists and Clemson University scientists are
tracking elephants via satellite collars in Myanmar, where their efforts to
understand how Asian elephants use their habitat has revealed a troubling rise
in poaching. These elephants are being poached for their skin, not ivory. That
means males, females and calves are all victims of poaching. Their work on the
ground to detect and prevent poaching and reaching out to the local community
is helping save this critically endangered species.
Zoo kangaroo killed
by rock-throwing tourists in China
One kangaroo was
killed and another injured at a Southeast China zoo last month because tourists
won't stop throwing rocks at the marsupials to make them hop.
Employees at Fujian
Province's Fuzhou Zoo said the 12-year-old female died in March after she was
struck multiple times by stupid tourists throwing sharp rocks, media reported
Thursday.
One of them
shattered her left toe, said a zoo employee surnamed Chen, while another
ruptured her kidney. This proved to be fatal.
Days later,
zookeepers spotted visitors throwing rocks at a 5-year-old male. Thankfully, he
only suffered a few scratches.
It was not reported
if charges were pressed against the tourists.
Employees said they
have for years been trying to stop tourists from throwing rocks in order to get
kangaroos to hop around.
Despite efforts to
remove stones in the area and surveillance cameras at the park, the problem
still persists.
"These adults
see a kangaroo sleeping and go pick up rocks to hit it with," said a
zookeeper surnamed Zhang. "We've cleared out all the rocks from the
habitat area, and the
HOW PLAYING WITH
SLOTHS TAUGHT ME ABOUT SEXUAL CONSENT
My partner, fellow
writer Cinnamon Maxxine, had agreed to travel up from the Bay Area through
Oregon, to Olympia, Washington, and back in a week's time for these book
signings. After long days of rainy driving, I searched online for something to
brighten up our trip and came across the Zoological Wildlife Conservation
Center and Sloth Center, a small wildlife conservation enterprise in Rainier,
Oregon, that holds occasional educational tours and sloth sleepover parties.
Sex of polar bear
cub at Highland zoo is revealed
The sex of the first
polar bear to be born in the UK for 25 years has finally been revealed. Staff
at the Highland Wildlife Park discovered the cub is male during his first
routine health check this morning. Members of the public will be asked to help
choose a name for the cub. Una Richardson, head keeper responsible for
carnivores, at Kincraig near Kingussie, said, “It was very exciting to find out
we have a little boy.
Panda health fears
over housing plan near Edinburgh Zoo
A planning
application for homes near Edinburgh Zoo could be called in by ministers amid
concern it could disturb the zoo's pandas.
Concerns have been
raised that it could affect the animals during construction.
Scottish ministers
have asked the council to notify the government if permission is granted for
the 78-home redevelopment of Corstorphine Hospital.
Ministers could
decide to take the decision from the council by calling in the application.
Horrifying moment
giraffe accidentally kills itself in a zoo after getting its neck stuck in a
branch while trying to scratch an itch
Visitors to the
attraction, in Yunnan Province, were horrified to see the large animal's neck
lodged between thick branches.
Worried zoo staff
used a ladder to reach Hairong's head but turned to sawing one of the branches
off when they could not push the animal's neck out of the gap.
Video provided by a
bystander showed the giant collapsing to the ground in its enclosure after one
of the branches was removed and its neck was finally freed.
The animal then
accidentally smashes a zoo employee on the head while on the way down.
Ocean World
Adventure Park Achieves Humane Certification for Animal Welfare
First Facility in
The Caribbean to Earn Certification through Worldwide American Humane
Conservation Program
Ocean World
Adventure Park in Puerto Plata, the Dominican Republic, has achieved
certification through the global American Humane Conservation program for the
welfare and humane treatment of the animals under its care. Ocean World passed
a rigorous third-party audit to become the first institution in the Caribbean
to earn the prestigious Humane Certified™ seal of approval.
COLLABORATION ON
ANIMAL WELFARE WITH TAMAN SAFARI INDONESIA
In early March 2018,
Wild Welfare teamed up with our old friend and partner, the Akademie für
Zoo-und Wildtierschutz e.V. and in collaboration with the Welfare and Ethics
committee of South-East Asian Zoo Association (SEAZA), responded to an
invitation from Taman Safari Indonesia to visit their Safari Parks in Bogor and
Prigen in Java respectively, and a third on the island of Bali.
Presentations were
made to the entire staff bodies of all three facilities – totalling nearly 600
people altogether – starting with a guide to the Five Domains of Animal Welfare
Compromise by Mr. Willem Manansang, Chairman of the Welfare and Ethics Committee
of SEAZA, followed by an introduction to the principles of the welfare of wild
animals in zoos by our own Field Director, Dave Morgan.
Baboons used
55-gallon barrel to escape from San Antonio research facility, officials say
Texas Biomedical
Research Institute officials are making changes to their enclosure after four
baboons briefly escaped from the facility on Saturday.
The animal care team
determined the baboons rolled a 55-gallon barrel upright near a wall of their
open-air enclosure, then climbed it, which allowed them to escape.
The enclosure was
built nearly 40 years ago, according to a news release from the facility.
Human and animal
conflict of the nation's menagerie
Giving birth
standing up, a mother giraffe collapsed with its legs stretched out straight in
opposite directions. Somehow, with great difficulty, it managed to stand up
again only to collapse again in the same fashion.
About 40
veterinarians, biologists and staff members could only watch in helpless horror
as the poor giraffe, in unspeakable agony, struggled to hold on to life and
died a few hours later.
“We were all at a
loss as to what to do. Fortunately, the baby survived,” recalled Indonesia
Safari Park director Jansen Manangsang of his heartbreaking, harrowing hours of
waiting. He blamed himself for being unprepared to face such an unexpectedly
difficult delivery.
As the director of
the country’s top zoo that also doubles as a conservation institution, Jansen
is concerned not only for the animals inside the park, but also for the endemic
species found elsewhere across the archipelago.
In the Peleonan
Forest on Siberut, the largest of the Mentawai islands, Jansen pointed out,
there were four endemic primate species: the Mentawai gibbon, also known as
bilou; the Siberut macaque; Mentawai langur, also known as joja; and pig-tailed
langur, also kno
The Real Ivory Game
China’s new domestic
ban on the ivory trade presents all the makings of an excellent global
public-relations exercise. But it is a meaningless move in a country where
enforcement against wildlife crimes is often just another exercise in
window-dressing and lip service.
One morning in
December, I woke up to a news item on television featuring another Donald Trump
Twitter statement — this time saying that China had been caught red-handed
sidestepping the United Nations embargo on North Korea with ship-to-ship
transfers of oil products on the high seas. It felt like déjà vu — certainly in
the context of the rules and regulations associated with the Convention on
International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), also a UN body meant to
control illegal international trade.
FIRST EVER AFRICAN
WILD DOG INTRODUCTION TO GORONGOSA NATIONAL PARK, MOZAMBIQUE
Partnerships
continue to drive endangered species conservation success as endangered African
Wild Dogs are reintroduced to Gorongosa National Park in Mozambique after
decades of absence
In a monumental
initiative driven by the South African Wild Dog Advisory Group (SAWAG), a
founding pack of 15 African Wild Dogs has been translocated from KwaZulu-Natal,
South Africa, to Mozambique for reintroduction into Gorongosa National Park,
marking the return of this species to the Park after an absence of more than 25
years, and signifying the first ever wild dog introduction into Mozambique.
Using cute animals
in pop culture makes public think they're not endangered – study
Animals such as
elephants, tigers, lions and panda bears are everywhere in movies, books and
toy stores. But their wide pop culture presence skews public perception of how
endangered these animals really are, researchers say.
Online surveys, zoo
websites, animated films and school questionnaires were scoured by US and
French researchers for the study, published in journal PLOS Biology.
Horses – Same
Techniques But Different
As human beings we
like to discriminate animals due to their states in our lives. We like to say
because the dog is in my house he should understand who is the boss. We like to
show everybody how much we love our animals without knowing if they actually like
or love us if we can make this statement. We consider a horse a noble animal,
ok pretty fair because a horse has done a lot for us in the history of mankind.
I would say in 90% of historical stories horses play a vital role. There are
plenty of cultures we have where we play a dominant role in the animals life
and well-being. There are believes out there that we should be the Alpha in the
group. There are believes out there that the animal should know the line. I can
keep going like this but it’s not what we do I want to talk about. The reason I
mention all those points is because I want to talk about outcomes through
consequences of behavior and the potential feelings “what we are guessing at
all times”.
Zoo Denies Claim of
Gender Discrimination
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.
“Memphis Zoo denies
Dr. Terrell was discriminated against or retaliated against on account of her
gender,” Griffee wrote in
Endangered wild
cattle face multiple threats
A study has found
that the endangered Bornean banteng (wild cattle) is highly threatened by
habitat loss, fragmentation and heavy poaching.
Dr Penny Gardner,
lead author and programme manager of banteng research at Danau Girang Field
Centre (DGFC), said logging and high temperatures affect the banteng by
limiting their activity and influencing how they use the habitat.
“We monitored
locations created by timber harvesting, such as abandoned roads and dense
forest in reserves that were logged six, 17 and 23 years ago,” she explained.
Dr Gardner said the
study showed that recently-logged forests were hotter for longer than forests
that had regenerated for more years.
https://www.thestar.com.my/metro/metro-news/2018/04/17/endangered-wild-cattle-face-multiple-threats/
Zoo trains
professionals on great ape cardiac monitoring
KeraJaan, lovingly
referred to as KJ, raised his long arms and pressed his chest against the cage
while a Cameron Park Zoo primate keeper used a small machine to check his
heart.
When Laura Klutts
turned to explain the process of monitoring and improving cardio health in
great apes, the orangutan let Klutts know he was not amused her attention had
strayed from him. KJ adjusted his position and offered a few growl-like noises,
causing the room full of zoo professionals to laugh.
Klutts said,
“chest,” prompting KJ to once again raise his arms and press his chest against
the cage, allowing the primate keeper to continue the echocardiogram.
Then, to his
delight, KJ received a spoonful of his favorit
BIG NEWS!!!
Today we remember
the passing of the late Sheikh Saoud bin Mohammed bin Ali Al Thani who left us
prematurely in November 2014, as we make this announcement.
Al Wabra has been
actively working with other organizations in conservation projects since its
inception some 20 years ago. But our flagship species and project has to be the
Spix’s macaw. Much controversy arose with the arrival of 2 large collections on
the Qatari shores (starting in 2002), but Al Wabra and Sheikh Saoud proved all
their critics wrong by placing these Spix’s in state of the art facilities,
with specialists from around the world. His dedication to the project and
saving the species brought new life to the waning program of old. The amazing
research opportunities that have been afforded to this species is remarkable
and unheard of in other species conservation projects. All thanks to the
private generosity of Sheikh Saoud and his family. Over the last few years the
Spix’s program has moved in leaps and bounds bringing us to the brink of making
history and seeing these birds back in the wild again. With our Spix’s macaw
program partners including the likes of the Brazil government (and their
partners in Brazil), Parrots International, Wildlife parks Singapore, Parrots
Reproduction Consulting, and Cornell Universities Genomics Core Lab in Qatar,
we have come so far.
One partner that has
stepped up time and time again to help us reach our goals, is the Association
for the Conservation of Threatened Parrots (ACTP). We have an excellent working
relationship with this organization, and again they have come to the party to
help us secure this species for the final stages to the release. After the
death of Sheikh Saoud there were many concerns, and we are happy to say that
his Heirs with Sheikh Hamad and Sheikha Sara and the helm, to their credit kept
Sheikh Saoud’s dream alive. Now they will push on with decisions in the program
and their land in Brazil for the next stage of this project.
Al Wabra’s owners
have grave concerns with the current and prolonged blockade on Qatar by its
unscrupulous neighbors, with threats that bring this region into serious
political turmoil. Although the Leader of Qatar has done a fantastic job to
shield his country from these threats, our owners are no longer willing to keep
such an important collection of animals here, due to the time issues to get
them out if it escalates. In short Al Wabra is sending all it’s important
species out of Qatar, the Spix’s and Lear’s macaws have arrived at ACTP in
Germany, where they are being housed in state of the art facilities, while the
new facilities are built on our land in Brazil. As soon as the facilities are
finished (expected before the end of 2018), plans will be put in place to very
quickly move a large number of the birds to the Brazil facility. Sheikh Hamad
and Sheikha Sara, are convinced that this is the right thing to do, and feel by
securing these birds they are able to secure their fathers dream and legacy.
All the equipment related to the birds will follow them so as not to waste it,
and also decrease additional costs in buying new equipment, costs that could be
spent on other necessary and useful aspects of the project. Al Wabra will be
retaining ownership of the birds and thus still playing an active decision
making role in the project to safeguard their Sheikh Saoud’s legacy. Dr
Cromwell Purchase and his Blue Macaw Assistant Donovan De Boer will be
following the birds and joining the ACTP team in Germany.
We would like to
thank ACTP for their help in making this happen, as the costs of expanding
their facilities with specially setup quarantine areas and new veterinary
hospital to ensure the sectional quarantining of their facilities to best
protect from any outbreaks, and section specific staff is huge and their
investment in this, has shown us how dedicated they are to conservation. The
German, Brazil and Qatar governments and CITES departments have worked together
very well to make this happen, and we thank them all for their support and
efforts. It was a mammoth tasking putting all the transfers together for 120
Spix’s macaws, but we are happy to say it was a successful move with no
injuries or losses. We would like to thank all our supporters for their years
of support, and we look forward to sharing more successes with you.
EXCLUSIVE: Zoo boss
David Gill breaks his silence about new company and the future of the park
HE is nothing if not
controversial and throughout his life David Gill has continued to hit the
headlines. Now, for the first time since a series of scandals hit the zoo he
built up from scratch, the 56-year-old has given a 'no holds barred' interview
to reporter AMY FENTON.
WHETHER you love him
or hate him few people in Furness will fail to have an opinion about
self-confessed controversy courter David Gill.
In today's,
Saturday's and Monday's Mail we are running a series of articles in which the
man who was once dubbed Dalton's Dr Dolittle looks back candidly at his life
and opens up about what really happened during some of his more infamous
moments.
Today's feature sets
the scene with Gill looking back at how his zoological empire came about; from
the humble beginnings of his animal rescue centre in the back garden of his
Romney Avenue home to becoming a hugely-popular attraction welcoming 100,000 visitors
by only its second year.
David Gill on safety
concerns at the zoo and his life-long dispute with the council
Second in a
three-part series sees zoo founder defend his rebellious attitude
IF there was one
iconic song you could choose to reflect David Gill's colourful zoological
career then Frank Sinatra's My Way wouldn't be a bad choice.
Some might say he
pushed boundaries and brought something new to the traditional zoo experience
while others might say his radical and sometimes rebellious way of working was
a step too far.
One of the issues
highlighted by inspectors amid a raft of concerns about South Lakes Safari Zoo
related to the free-roaming animals allowed to wander around areas of the park.
While this was a
feature much-loved by many visitors, particularly youngsters, inspectors
appointed by licensing authority Barrow Borough Council weren't impressed.
A number of
incidents involving members of the public being nipped by naughty lemurs led to
the zoo's lemur and squirrel monkey population being cut and public access
restricted.
David Gill speaks
out about animal deaths at Dalton zoo
FOR years before he
left, and well before a series of shocking animal welfare scandals hit South
Lakes Safari Zoo, David Gill knew his time at the helm was up. He spoke to AMY
FENTON about his departure and the much-reported autopsy report detailing the deaths
of hundreds of animals.
IN February 2017 a
report was published charting the official cause of death for hundreds of
animals at South Lakes Safari Zoo during the previous four years. Some died of
hypothermia, emaciation and infighting due to overstocked enclosures.
Mr Gill accepts it
was his head on the line and that the blame had to ultimately lie with him.
"I absolutely
know that responsibility has to lie with me," he says.
African leaders
gather in London for illegal wildlife talks
African leaders
gather in London to discuss ambitious proposals to protect endangered species
across Africa.
The Duke of
Cambridge, the Foreign Secretary and leaders of African Commonwealth countries
met on Friday 20 April for high level talks on tackling the illegal wildlife
trade in advance of the next international conference in London later this
year.
Ambitious proposals
to tackle the crime were discussed and debated, including opportunities to
boost cross-border law enforcement so that more elephants and other animals can
move more freely and safely in Africa.
Foreign Secretary
Boris Johnson said:
“Many African
countries are already working together and taking robust action to protect and
preserve their precious wildlife but this is a serious problem driven by
international criminal syndicates.
“It is only through
ambitious African-led initiatives that we will stop this deplorable crime for
good, and we are ready to help. Here in the UK we are taking forward our own
plans for a ban on domestic ivory sales, and in October I will co-host an international
Danish zoo director
advises against wolf 'panic measures'
Suggestions by
politicians that Denmark’s wild wolf population could be fenced inside special
reserves is a “panic measure” with no basis in common sense, according to
Copenhagen Zoo’s scientific director.
Bengt Holst, who is
also chair of the Danish Animal Ethics Council (Det Dyreetiske Råd), said that
wolves were the target of a ‘smear campaign’.
“There has
unfortunately been a smear campaign against wolves, which is not a very
constructive way in which to deal with the wolves,” Holst said.
“I think we’re going
to end up acting out of panic and I think this proposal [to create fenced
reserves, ed.] is a sign of that. Politicians should have a bit more ice in
their veins and rather make use of a major information campaign,” he continued.
Politicians from the
three largest parties in the Danish parliament – the Social Democrats, Danish
People’s Party and Liberal – all said on Friday they approved of reserves in
which Danish wolves would be contained.
The idea has emerged
in the wake of intense debate over control of the animals following the arrest
and subsequent charging of a m
Process to restore
sturgeon in Lake Erie started
Officials at an Ohio
zoo have begun the process of restoring a fish species in Lake Erie that’s
nearly extinct.
The Blade reports
the Toledo Zoo will raise about 1,500 young lake sturgeon this summer. The zoo
recently received tanks to for the fish.
Zoo conservation
director Kent Bekker says eggs to raise the hatchlings will arrive in June and
fish will be released into the Maumee River in August or September. The Maum
http://www.morningjournal.com/general-news/20180421/process-to-restore-sturgeon-in-lake-erie-started
Bees aren’t the only
pollinators with problems
Think of a
pollinator and you’ll almost certainly think of a bee. Maybe a butterfly, but
probably not: bees are bona-fide pollination celebrities, their importance
recognized and predicaments lamented. It’s quite unlikely that you’ll think of
a bird, much less a bat or a lizard — yet they too transport pollen and help
landscapes bloom, and are experiencing declines both troubling and overlooked.
“While much
scholarly and media attention has been focused on insect pollinators,” write
researchers led by ecologist Fabrizia Ratto
Who Cares If They're
Cute? This Zoologist Accepts Animals On Their Own Terms
Zoologist Lucy Cooke
says humans have got it all wrong about sloths. "People think that because
the animal is slow that it's somehow useless and redundant," she says. But
in fact, "they are incredibly successful creatures."
Cooke is the founder
of the Sloth Appreciation Society and the author of a new book called The Truth
About Animals: Stoned Sloths, Lovelorn Hippos, and Other Tales from the Wild
Side of Wildlife. The book aims to set the record straight on some long-held
misconceptions about the animal world.
"The sloth is
not the only animal that's being misunderstood in this way," she says.
"I thought it was time that we rebranded the animal kingdom according to
fact and not sentimentality – because we have a habit of viewing the animal
kingdom through the prism of our own rather narrow existence and judging
animals on our terms."
The book discusses
creatures big and small, furry and slippery: eels, bats, hippos, frogs, storks,
and more. "I wanted to showcase a range of stories," Cooke says.
"I wanted to show misunderstandings that date all the way from Aristotle
to Disney."
She sat down to talk
with us about h
Chinese government
fly ‘high quality panda semen’ 5000 miles to Scotland in cub bid
Semen from male
panda Yang Guang has been replaced after “high quality panda semen” was flown
5,000 to the Scots zoo.
Plans to use the deposit this summer were
scrapped after animal rights protesters put pressure on bosses.
The unused semen is
being stored at the zoo after it was announced last month the breeding
programme had been cancelled.
Zoo chiefs released
a statement stating they would use the year to assess the breeding process and
the panda enclosure.
Chair of trustees of
the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland said: “The female panda will shortly
come into season.
Coming to the Rescue
of the Endangered Philippine Eagle
“At least one
Philippine eagle is killed every year because of shooting,” laments Jayson
Ibañez, research and conservation director of the Philippine Eagle Foundation
(PEF), a non-government organization based in Davao City in southern
Phillippine. Ibañez says that deforestation due to timber poaching and
slash-and-burn farming also significantly endanger this rarest of eagles.
Only an estimated
400 pairs of Philippine eagles remain in the wild, landing the raptor on the
“critically endangered” list of the International Union for the Conservation of
Nature.
Preventing the
Philippine eagle population from dwindling further remains a tough battle, with
pessimists decades ago disparaging its conservation as a “lost cause.”
This formidable
challenge gave birth to the Philippine Eagle Center, a volunteer and
donor-dependent organization formed by the foundation 30 years ago. The center
is dedicated solely to the conservation of the majestic bird with a seven-foot
wingspan — and the only blue-eyed raptor on Earth.
The eight-hectare
center, on the outskirts of Davao City, made history in 1992 when it
successfully hatched Pag-asa, the first captive-bred Philippine eagle.
True to her name,
Pag-asa — which means “hope” in Filipino — gave the center's personnel the
courage and inspiration to continue pur
Crocodiles Alter
Skin Color in Response to Environmental Color Conditions
Many species alter
skin color to varying degrees and by different mechanisms. Here, we show that
some crocodylians modify skin coloration in response to changing light and
environmental conditions. Within the Family, Crocodylidae, all members of the
genus Crocodylus lightened substantially when transitioned from dark enclosure
to white enclosures, whereas Mecistops and Osteolaemus showed little/no change.
The two members of the Family Gavialidae showed an opposite response,
lightening under darker conditions, while all member of the Family
Alligatoridae showed no changes. Observed color changes were rapid and
reversible, occurring wi
Emperor penguin
behaviour is not black and white, say New Zealand scientists
Little is known
about adult birds’ behaviour when they leave breeding colonies, but new
research has shed some light on their foraging habits
Found only in
Antarctica, they’re also the tallest and heaviest penguin species on Earth,
growing up to 122cm high, and weighing between 22 and 45kg.
Five years ago,
National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research scientist Dr Kim Goetz’s
research tagged of them and remotely observed them travelling between 273
kilometres and nearly 9000 kilometres, while completing dives that ranged up to
a record-breaking 32.2 minutes.
But it was finding
the penguins in the first place that was most intriguing.
“Our original goal
was to tag breeding penguins at Cape Colbeck after their annual moult at the
end of January. But because the voyage was delayed we didn’t get there until
early March,” Goetz said.
“We didn’t expect
penguins to still be there and thought we would have to locate them on the pack
ice which was going to be more difficult.”
To their surprise,
some adult emperor penguins had stayed at Cape Colbeck, and were quickly
tagged.
When they did
eventually l
Zoo, aquarium
research shows high output
Zoos and aquariums
have contributed at least 5,175 peer-reviewed articles to conservation, zoology
and veterinary journals over past 20 years.
Most people think of
zoos and aquariums as tourist destinations: educational but fun diversions for
animal lovers. However, according to a new study from the University of
Illinois, modern zoos and aquariums are increasingly contributing to the
knowledge base on biodiversity conservation and other scientific topics.
Through an analysis
of scientific literature, the study's authors determined that researchers at
zoos and aquariums have contributed at least 5,175 peer-reviewed articles to
conservation, zoology and veterina
Association of Zoos
and Aquariums Statement on Michigan’s Large Carnivore Act
On Tuesday, April
10, Michigan House Bill 5778 was introduced to make changes to Michigan’s Large
Carnivore Act. Due to a drafting error in the original law, since its enactment
in 2000, it has been a violation of the law to breed large carnivores in the
state of Michigan. In response to H.B. 5778, the Association of Zoos and
Aquariums (AZA) issued the following statement:
AZA applauds the
time and thought that has gone into drafting changes to Michigan’s Large
Carnivore Act. It has taken far too long to get a simple error corrected, so
that AZA-accredited zoos can do what they are recognized globally for doing:
scientifically and ethically managing their animals while leading efforts to
save animals from extinction.
We urge the Michigan
legislature to enact the simplest fix that will correct the original drafting
errors and allow AZA-accredited facilities to legally breed large carnivores in
Michigan. AZA's accreditation standards are nationally and internationally recognized
as the zoological profession’s “Gold Standard," and assure the health,
safety and welfare of
Mammals on the EDGE:
Conservation Priorities Based on Threat and Phylogeny
Conservation
priority setting based on phylogenetic diversity has frequently been proposed
but rarely implemented. Here, we define a simple index that measures the
contribution made by different species to phylogenetic diversity and show how
the index might contribute towards species-based conservation priorities. We
describe procedures to control for missing species, incomplete phylogenetic
resolution and uncertainty in node ages that make it possible to apply the
method in poorly known clades. We also show that the index is independent of
clade size in phylogenies of more than 100 species, indicating that scores from
unrelated taxonomic groups are likely to be comparable. Similar scores are
returned under two different species concepts, suggesting that the index is
robust to taxonomic changes. The approach is applied to a near-complete
species-level phylogeny of the Mammalia to generate a global priority list
incorporating both phylogenetic diversity and extinction risk. The 100
highest-ranking species represent a high proportion of total mammalian
diversity and include many species not usually recognised as conservation
priorities. Many species that are both evolutionarily distinct and globally
endangered (EDGE species) do not benefit from existing conservation projects or
protected areas. The results suggest that global conservation priorities may
have to be reassessed in order to prevent a disproportionately large amount of
mammalian evolutionary history becoming extinct in the near future.
The Ark and Beyond: The Evolution of Zoo and Aquarium
Conservation (Convening Science: Discovery at the Marine Biological Laboratory)
Zookeeper
Achievement Trophies That Should Exist In Real Life
Here at Zookeeper
Gear we know our profession can often be a thankless one. Sure, you may get the
occasional (sincere) “nice job” from your supervisor or sometimes even an
appreciative zoo visitor that is wowed by your Keeper Chat. But unfortunately,
some of the most important aspects of what we do go unnoticed more often than
not.
But today we say “No
More!” to this injustice. It’s time someone finally acknowledged that which we
zookeepers do best.
Anyone who’s ever
played any sort of video game, whether it be Playstation 4 or Candy Crush on
iPhone, knows just how damn satisfying it is when you get that little surprise
“ba-ling” sound with the on-screen pop-up each time you earn a special
achievement trophy. Therefore we propose the concept of zookeeper achievement
trophies, each issued for only the most defining skills in our collective
repertoire.
Presenting, in no
particular order:
Immersive
Choreography: A Conversation with John Gwynne, Retired Director of the Wildlife
Conservation Society's Exhibits, Graphics, and Arts Department (EGAD)
It could be argued
there has never been a more talented and influential zoo designer than John
Gwynne. During his tenure as Head of Design at the Exhibits, Graphics and Arts
Department at the Wildlife Conservation Society, he designed many of the most
immersive, detailed and compelling habitats ever built, particularly at the
Bronx Zoo. Along with his team, including Walter Deichmann and his mentees Lee
Ehmke and Sue Chin, and in close collaboration with Director Bill Conway and
General Curator Jim Doherty, Gwynne propelled a movement for zoo design that
told stories, recreated specific ecosystems and gave guests a strong
conservation message. Here is his story.
AZA-Accredited Zoos
and Aquariums Assist with Radiated Tortoise Rescue in Madagascar
Turtle Survival
Alliance Launches Rescue Mission to Nearly 11,000 Critically Endangered
Radiated Tortoises Discovered in Massive Poaching Bust
Animal Experts from
AZA-Accredited Zoos and Aquariums Dispatched to Madagascar to Conduct the
Rescue
On Tuesday, April
10, more than 10,000 critically endangered radiated tortoises (Astrochelys
radiata) were discovered by local police in a non-descript private residence in
Toliara, Madagascar. The floors of virtually every room in the house were
covered with tortoises that had no access to food or water. As of Friday, April
13, hundreds had died from dehydration and illness. Experts from several zoos
and aquariums have been dispatched with medical supplies, and will administer
medical care for the sick or injured tortoises and general animal care.
It is not known how
long the tortoises have been in the home and some arrests have been made. The
local police in partnership with
Swimming with
SeaWorld’s Captive Dolphins
Some years ago, I
took a boyfriend to SeaWorld in San Diego. He had few wants in life and
swimming with dolphins was on his bucket list, so I booked us an extravagant
SeaWorld experience and we drove down from Los Angeles.
Keep in mind, this
was before the release of Blackfish. It was back when everyone felt the way
about SeaWorld that they do about zoos; you hate that the animals are trapped
in these small spaces but you justify pushing aside that sick feeling because
it’s a “learning and conservation center” or because you just really want to
see those spectacular creatures up close regardless of their cages.
I had swam with wild
dolphins a number of times and spent most of my life in the ocean so I was
excited to watch my boyfriend experience the magic these animals had
consistently shared with me. He was nervous.
When we first
entered the dolphin swim center, we went through a brief class. The instructor
told us not to make any sudden movements, not to touch the dolphins until
prompted, and not to keep our heads underwater. Then, we changed into some
spiffy used
Best of Both Worlds:
A Conversation with Joe Smith, Director of Animal Programs at Fort Wayne
Children's Zoo
Since it opened in
1965, the Fort Wayne Children's Zoo has blossomed into one of the best
medium-sized zoos in the nation. Few understand the zoo's power to connect its
community with wildlife than Dr. Joe Smith, Director of Animal Programs. Smith
was promoted to the position after serving as Veterinarian at the Fort Wayne
Children's Zoo for several years. Outside of his responsibilities at the zoo,
Smith has a passion for orangutan conservation and serves as an Advisor on
Veterinary Issues for the Orangutan Species Survival Plan. Here is his story.
Zoos of the US and Canada courtesy of Nayer Youakim.
Follow link below for clickable map
14 griffons
successful released in Sardinia to restock the threatened local population
More than 150
volunteers, vulture enthusiasts, members of the public, local officials,
journalists and staff from project partners have gathered this weekend in the
Parco Naturale di Porto di Conte to listen to a day of talks and presentations
on the latest progress on the conservation of the griffon vulture in Sardinia,
and to release 14 griffons vultures – 12 brought from rehabilitation centres in
Spain by the VCF, and two captive bred in Artis Amsterdam Zoo – into the wild,
to help restock the small Sardinian population.
Eight of these birds
were equipped with GPS tags by VCF staff and colleagues from the university of
Sassari, that will allow us to track the individuals, determine their foraging
areas, check their survival and eventually identify mortality causes. All griffons
were also colour ringed and some of their feathers decoloured to allow for
identification in the field – a technique which is not harmful to the birds and
far less intrusive that the wing tags sometimes used in this species.
Sardinia once had
healthy populations of three vulture species – bearded, cinereous and griffon
vultures, but
Etihad Cargo and
conservation fund transport endangered birds
Etihad Cargo and the
International Fund for Houbara Conservation (IFHC), one of the world’s leading
conservation programmes, have recently transported a shipment of more than 100
vulnerable Houbara bustards for release into their natural habitats.
In the past three
years, the partnership between the two organisations has led to the successful
relocation and integration into the wild of more than 3,000 Houbara across the
world, said a press release issued by Etihad and IFHC on Wednesday.
The venture, which
is part of the Shaikh Khalifa Houbara Reintroduction Programme, began in 2014,
when the two organisations signed a partnership agreement. In 2017 alone, more
than 2,000 birds were transported safely to countries in Asia and North Africa,
which have more hospitable environments, thereby increasing the birds’
long-term survival.
The Houbara birds
are bred in centres in Abu Dhabi, managed by IFHC, and then released into their
natural habitats in countries across the world.
Justin Carr,
vice-president of Etihad
A new sea sanctuary
for dolphins
Thrilled to see
Virgin Holidays teaming up with the National Aquarium in Baltimore to support North America’s first dolphin sea
sanctuary. Once it is up and running in a few years’ time, this pioneering
project will offer a natural and much larger home for the National Aquarium’s
captive population of seven bottlenose dolphins – and hopefully set a wonderful
example for both marine entertainment and tourism operators who have faced
increasing pressure over the welfare of whales and dolphins, collectively known
as cetaceans.
Rodent
Thermoregulation: Getting into the 'Comfort Zone'
Research studies
have documented variable data outcomes based primarily upon the environmental
temperatures at which rodents are maintained during study. Indeed, by
increasing rodent housing temperatures from those typically used in
conventional laboratory animal facilities, rodent models of obesity,
atherosclerosis, tumor development, and microbiome manipulation show increased
cohesion with comparable human disorders.
To better understand
why human-similar physiological outcomes are blunted, if not lost, under
standard rodent housing temperatures, researchers and laboratory animal
personnel should be aware that rodent body temperature is a critical
determinant of translational medicine.
Keepers at Dallas
Zoo concentrate on feeding, nutrition
When it comes to
feeding and caring for a newborn, if a new mother can't — or won't — do it on
her own, keepers at the Dallas Zoo are more than ready to step in and lend a
hand.
In fact, as soon as
zoo staff confirm that an animal is pregnant, they start planning to do so. Of
course, the animal experts prefer to leave it all up to the parents, but
occasionally it's a necessity, they say.
The Dallas Morning
News reports sometimes hand-rearing means preparing bottles and formula, and
other times it means chopping up mice to feed to baby birds.
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SCBI Scientists Find
Elephant Poaching Crisis in Myanmar
Smithsonian
Conservation Biology Institute scientists and Clemson University scientists are
tracking elephants via satellite collars in Myanmar, where their efforts to
understand how Asian elephants use their habitat has revealed a troubling rise
in poaching. These elephants are being poached for their skin, not ivory. That
means males, females and calves are all victims of poaching. Their work on the
ground to detect and prevent poaching and reaching out to the local community
is helping save this critically endangered species.
Zoo kangaroo killed
by rock-throwing tourists in China
One kangaroo was
killed and another injured at a Southeast China zoo last month because tourists
won't stop throwing rocks at the marsupials to make them hop.
Employees at Fujian
Province's Fuzhou Zoo said the 12-year-old female died in March after she was
struck multiple times by stupid tourists throwing sharp rocks, media reported
Thursday.
One of them
shattered her left toe, said a zoo employee surnamed Chen, while another
ruptured her kidney. This proved to be fatal.
Days later,
zookeepers spotted visitors throwing rocks at a 5-year-old male. Thankfully, he
only suffered a few scratches.
It was not reported
if charges were pressed against the tourists.
Employees said they
have for years been trying to stop tourists from throwing rocks in order to get
kangaroos to hop around.
Despite efforts to
remove stones in the area and surveillance cameras at the park, the problem
still persists.
"These adults
see a kangaroo sleeping and go pick up rocks to hit it with," said a
zookeeper surnamed Zhang. "We've cleared out all the rocks from the
habitat area, and the
HOW PLAYING WITH
SLOTHS TAUGHT ME ABOUT SEXUAL CONSENT
My partner, fellow
writer Cinnamon Maxxine, had agreed to travel up from the Bay Area through
Oregon, to Olympia, Washington, and back in a week's time for these book
signings. After long days of rainy driving, I searched online for something to
brighten up our trip and came across the Zoological Wildlife Conservation
Center and Sloth Center, a small wildlife conservation enterprise in Rainier,
Oregon, that holds occasional educational tours and sloth sleepover parties.
Sex of polar bear
cub at Highland zoo is revealed
The sex of the first
polar bear to be born in the UK for 25 years has finally been revealed. Staff
at the Highland Wildlife Park discovered the cub is male during his first
routine health check this morning. Members of the public will be asked to help
choose a name for the cub. Una Richardson, head keeper responsible for
carnivores, at Kincraig near Kingussie, said, “It was very exciting to find out
we have a little boy.
Panda health fears
over housing plan near Edinburgh Zoo
A planning
application for homes near Edinburgh Zoo could be called in by ministers amid
concern it could disturb the zoo's pandas.
Concerns have been
raised that it could affect the animals during construction.
Scottish ministers
have asked the council to notify the government if permission is granted for
the 78-home redevelopment of Corstorphine Hospital.
Ministers could
decide to take the decision from the council by calling in the application.
Horrifying moment
giraffe accidentally kills itself in a zoo after getting its neck stuck in a
branch while trying to scratch an itch
Visitors to the
attraction, in Yunnan Province, were horrified to see the large animal's neck
lodged between thick branches.
Worried zoo staff
used a ladder to reach Hairong's head but turned to sawing one of the branches
off when they could not push the animal's neck out of the gap.
Video provided by a
bystander showed the giant collapsing to the ground in its enclosure after one
of the branches was removed and its neck was finally freed.
The animal then
accidentally smashes a zoo employee on the head while on the way down.
Ocean World
Adventure Park Achieves Humane Certification for Animal Welfare
First Facility in
The Caribbean to Earn Certification through Worldwide American Humane
Conservation Program
Ocean World
Adventure Park in Puerto Plata, the Dominican Republic, has achieved
certification through the global American Humane Conservation program for the
welfare and humane treatment of the animals under its care. Ocean World passed
a rigorous third-party audit to become the first institution in the Caribbean
to earn the prestigious Humane Certified™ seal of approval.
COLLABORATION ON
ANIMAL WELFARE WITH TAMAN SAFARI INDONESIA
In early March 2018,
Wild Welfare teamed up with our old friend and partner, the Akademie für
Zoo-und Wildtierschutz e.V. and in collaboration with the Welfare and Ethics
committee of South-East Asian Zoo Association (SEAZA), responded to an
invitation from Taman Safari Indonesia to visit their Safari Parks in Bogor and
Prigen in Java respectively, and a third on the island of Bali.
Presentations were
made to the entire staff bodies of all three facilities – totalling nearly 600
people altogether – starting with a guide to the Five Domains of Animal Welfare
Compromise by Mr. Willem Manansang, Chairman of the Welfare and Ethics Committee
of SEAZA, followed by an introduction to the principles of the welfare of wild
animals in zoos by our own Field Director, Dave Morgan.
Baboons used
55-gallon barrel to escape from San Antonio research facility, officials say
Texas Biomedical
Research Institute officials are making changes to their enclosure after four
baboons briefly escaped from the facility on Saturday.
The animal care team
determined the baboons rolled a 55-gallon barrel upright near a wall of their
open-air enclosure, then climbed it, which allowed them to escape.
The enclosure was
built nearly 40 years ago, according to a news release from the facility.
Human and animal
conflict of the nation's menagerie
Giving birth
standing up, a mother giraffe collapsed with its legs stretched out straight in
opposite directions. Somehow, with great difficulty, it managed to stand up
again only to collapse again in the same fashion.
About 40
veterinarians, biologists and staff members could only watch in helpless horror
as the poor giraffe, in unspeakable agony, struggled to hold on to life and
died a few hours later.
“We were all at a
loss as to what to do. Fortunately, the baby survived,” recalled Indonesia
Safari Park director Jansen Manangsang of his heartbreaking, harrowing hours of
waiting. He blamed himself for being unprepared to face such an unexpectedly
difficult delivery.
As the director of
the country’s top zoo that also doubles as a conservation institution, Jansen
is concerned not only for the animals inside the park, but also for the endemic
species found elsewhere across the archipelago.
In the Peleonan
Forest on Siberut, the largest of the Mentawai islands, Jansen pointed out,
there were four endemic primate species: the Mentawai gibbon, also known as
bilou; the Siberut macaque; Mentawai langur, also known as joja; and pig-tailed
langur, also kno
The Real Ivory Game
China’s new domestic
ban on the ivory trade presents all the makings of an excellent global
public-relations exercise. But it is a meaningless move in a country where
enforcement against wildlife crimes is often just another exercise in
window-dressing and lip service.
One morning in
December, I woke up to a news item on television featuring another Donald Trump
Twitter statement — this time saying that China had been caught red-handed
sidestepping the United Nations embargo on North Korea with ship-to-ship
transfers of oil products on the high seas. It felt like déjà vu — certainly in
the context of the rules and regulations associated with the Convention on
International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), also a UN body meant to
control illegal international trade.
FIRST EVER AFRICAN
WILD DOG INTRODUCTION TO GORONGOSA NATIONAL PARK, MOZAMBIQUE
Partnerships
continue to drive endangered species conservation success as endangered African
Wild Dogs are reintroduced to Gorongosa National Park in Mozambique after
decades of absence
In a monumental
initiative driven by the South African Wild Dog Advisory Group (SAWAG), a
founding pack of 15 African Wild Dogs has been translocated from KwaZulu-Natal,
South Africa, to Mozambique for reintroduction into Gorongosa National Park,
marking the return of this species to the Park after an absence of more than 25
years, and signifying the first ever wild dog introduction into Mozambique.
Using cute animals
in pop culture makes public think they're not endangered – study
Animals such as
elephants, tigers, lions and panda bears are everywhere in movies, books and
toy stores. But their wide pop culture presence skews public perception of how
endangered these animals really are, researchers say.
Online surveys, zoo
websites, animated films and school questionnaires were scoured by US and
French researchers for the study, published in journal PLOS Biology.
Horses – Same
Techniques But Different
As human beings we
like to discriminate animals due to their states in our lives. We like to say
because the dog is in my house he should understand who is the boss. We like to
show everybody how much we love our animals without knowing if they actually like
or love us if we can make this statement. We consider a horse a noble animal,
ok pretty fair because a horse has done a lot for us in the history of mankind.
I would say in 90% of historical stories horses play a vital role. There are
plenty of cultures we have where we play a dominant role in the animals life
and well-being. There are believes out there that we should be the Alpha in the
group. There are believes out there that the animal should know the line. I can
keep going like this but it’s not what we do I want to talk about. The reason I
mention all those points is because I want to talk about outcomes through
consequences of behavior and the potential feelings “what we are guessing at
all times”.
Zoo Denies Claim of
Gender Discrimination
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.
“Memphis Zoo denies
Dr. Terrell was discriminated against or retaliated against on account of her
gender,” Griffee wrote in
Endangered wild
cattle face multiple threats
A study has found
that the endangered Bornean banteng (wild cattle) is highly threatened by
habitat loss, fragmentation and heavy poaching.
Dr Penny Gardner,
lead author and programme manager of banteng research at Danau Girang Field
Centre (DGFC), said logging and high temperatures affect the banteng by
limiting their activity and influencing how they use the habitat.
“We monitored
locations created by timber harvesting, such as abandoned roads and dense
forest in reserves that were logged six, 17 and 23 years ago,” she explained.
Dr Gardner said the
study showed that recently-logged forests were hotter for longer than forests
that had regenerated for more years.
https://www.thestar.com.my/metro/metro-news/2018/04/17/endangered-wild-cattle-face-multiple-threats/
Zoo trains
professionals on great ape cardiac monitoring
KeraJaan, lovingly
referred to as KJ, raised his long arms and pressed his chest against the cage
while a Cameron Park Zoo primate keeper used a small machine to check his
heart.
When Laura Klutts
turned to explain the process of monitoring and improving cardio health in
great apes, the orangutan let Klutts know he was not amused her attention had
strayed from him. KJ adjusted his position and offered a few growl-like noises,
causing the room full of zoo professionals to laugh.
Klutts said,
“chest,” prompting KJ to once again raise his arms and press his chest against
the cage, allowing the primate keeper to continue the echocardiogram.
Then, to his
delight, KJ received a spoonful of his favorit
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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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