Zoo News Digest 3rd June 2018 (ZooNews 997)
Peter Dickinson
elvinhow@gmail.com
Dear Colleague,
Once again this week I was accused of being 'Animal Rights'. To add insult to injury they suggested I may be some sort of Peta 'mole'. It is so easy to cast accusation if you disagree with someone (I have done it myself) but far better to do a little bit of research first. So why this latest outburst?
Same old thing....selfies with tigers. Honestly and truly I have no problems at all with anyone who has hand reared a tiger going in with it and playing with it if it is well cared for. I am more aware than most of the tremendous bond of love and affection that can exist....not so different as between any owner and their dog and cat....part of the family. It isn't wrong. It is wrong though if photos or film appears on social media because others want to do it too. Look at the comments that appear under such social media posts. People want and will do it too.
I don't give a damn about whatever good cause the 'person playing with tiger' photo/film is promoting. It may be one which I support or needs extra help....but it isn't helping tigers, it is causing immense harm. I fail to see how some people can't get to grip with understanding this.
Because this posing activity creates a demand for such photos more and more tiger cubs are produced. Their mothers are not given the chance to rear their cubs and are got pregnant again as fast as possible to produce more cubs
Same old thing....selfies with tigers. Honestly and truly I have no problems at all with anyone who has hand reared a tiger going in with it and playing with it if it is well cared for. I am more aware than most of the tremendous bond of love and affection that can exist....not so different as between any owner and their dog and cat....part of the family. It isn't wrong. It is wrong though if photos or film appears on social media because others want to do it too. Look at the comments that appear under such social media posts. People want and will do it too.
I don't give a damn about whatever good cause the 'person playing with tiger' photo/film is promoting. It may be one which I support or needs extra help....but it isn't helping tigers, it is causing immense harm. I fail to see how some people can't get to grip with understanding this.
Because this posing activity creates a demand for such photos more and more tiger cubs are produced. Their mothers are not given the chance to rear their cubs and are got pregnant again as fast as possible to produce more cubs
There is much more
of interest in the links below.
"good
zoos will not gain credibility from their critics until they condemn the bad
zoos wherever they are." Peter Dickinson
********
Did You Know?
ZooNews Digest has over 78,000 Followers on Facebook( and over 78,000 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,
********
*****
***
**
*
********
Did You Know?
ZooNews Digest has over 78,000 Followers on Facebook( and over 78,000 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,
********
*****
***
**
*
German zoo escape:
Lions, tigers and jaguar recaptured in Lünebach
Two lions, two
tigers and a jaguar that escaped their enclosures at a zoo in western Germany
have been recaptured.
The animals were
found inside the zoo compound in Lünebach after a search involving a drone,
officials told German media. Local residents had earlier been told to stay
indoors.
A bear also escaped
from the privately owned Eifel zoo, but was shot dead, a local official told
AFP.
The animals broke
out after flooding from a storm damaged their enclosures.
A massive search was
then launched involving police, firefighters and veterinarians.
Local authorities
did not give further details of the recapture but a spokesperson told AFP news
agency that the animals were "in their cages".
Wild Personalities:
Elephant Edition
One characteristic
that is really apparent with elephants—and with many other species—is that they
can exude a wide variety of personalities. They can be bold or shy, laid-back
or short-tempered, curious or afraid, and the list goes on. Behavior is the first
line of defense that wildlife use when they face a human threat, so
understanding how individuals respond to new situations is quite important when
considering how to approach conservation issues. These different personalities
can have real-word consequences for wildlife.
As conservation
challenges become more complex, we need creative solutions for people who live
in areas where human-elephant conflict may occur. Across Asia, elephant habitat
overlaps in areas where there is a dense human population and agriculture. Where
there are farms, there is food—and raiding crops can spell big trouble for
elephants and farmers alike. By knowing which elephants are more likely to be
bold and take risks, we can be more targeted in our conservation planning and
actions.
We are studying the
behavior of elephants who currently work in a logging camp but are potential
candidates for future release into the wild. If we can differentiate which
animals are more
National aquarium
dolphins are learning their biggest trick yet—traveling to a new home
There was something
about the big blue mat that on this particular morning Jade just didn't like.
It made no matter
that the 18-year-old bottlenose dolphin, one of seven owned by the National
Aquarium, had seen this identical pad many times before. Perhaps she was
spooked by the photographer at the edge of the pool holding a clicking black
box that obscured her face. Or the problem might have been the big green beach
umbrella that threw dark and unfamiliar circles of shade over the pool.
Whatever the reason,
when trainer April Martin knelt down at one end of the mat and positioned her
hand vertically with her fingers pointing skyward (a signal for Jade to propel
herself out of the water and land belly-first on the pad) the dolphin was having
none of it. She made a half-hearted little hop barely strong enough to push her
snout onto the mat and then immediately fell back into the pool.
Martin turned and
walked a few steps away from the bucket of fish with which the dolphins are
rewarded.
"Jade isn't
getting positive reinforcement," Kerry Diehl, the Aquarium's assistant
curator of the Dolphin Discovery exhibit observed. "But she'll get a
chance to try again."
During the next 30
months, Jade will have many opportunities to perform that maneuver—the first in
a series of skills that the trainers hope will culminate in the fall of 2020
with the seven dolphins riding in the back of a truck and then on a plane to their
new
Caring for corvids –
Providing enrichment for the world’s smartest birds
The Corvid’s
intelligence has been well documented over the years through many means [1].
Corvidae, or the crow family, consists of over 120 species and includes crows,
ravens, rooks, jackdaws, jays, magpies, treepies, choughs, and nutcrackers [2].
However, astonishing as their intelligence may be, it makes the task of
providing enrichment for these birds all the more difficult. As an animal care
professional, how do you properly provide for all their needs? (For the sake of
brevity, I won’t be going over training, social situations, or complete
nutritional needs).
Why is enrichment
important?
The Association of
Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Behavioural Advisory Group defines ‘enrichment’ as “A
process for improving or enhancing animal environments and care within the
context of their inhabitants’ behavioural biology and natural history. It is a
dynamic process in which changes to structures and husbandry practic
SUSTAINABLE MAGIC IN
WELLINGTON ZOO
Our guest blogger,
Camilla Carstensen, recently visited New Zealand’s Wellington Zoo, and was
impressed by the zoo’s sustainability efforts, including its commitment to FSC.
In this post, Camilla explains how the zoo’s approach to being green captured
her admiration, while the zoo’s lemurs captured her heart.
I am sitting at
home, but my thoughts are not here. I can still feel little hands in mine,
trying to spread my fingers to get hold of grapes and apples, I smell the nice,
warm smell of thick fur, and I hear the fluffy sound, when they jump around me.
The lemurs.
I have been to
Wellington Zoo.
Explain to me who’s
a Koalas Experts: Part-2
The Wollondilly
Shire Council is currently mapping and researching areas with known koala
populations in the region, as well as throughout the western part of the Sydney
catchment area near the Warragamba Dam. I recent wrote an article https://www.wollondillyadvertiser.com.au/story/5245433/rare-sighting-of-koala-in-silverdale/
on a young male koala who had found his way into the community of Silverdale
along the catchment area on Marsh road. He had reached his limit, finding
himself on the edge of urban development, meeting humans for the first time. I
could assess the reasons for this sighting, and the situation he was in. He was
the only sighting on the south-west of the Penrith region. On top of this,
there has been an increase of koala sightings more from the north west of
Penrith around Cranebrook, and a recent roadkill of a koala in Shanes Park
area.
Kolkata zoo in a fix
over tiger breeding
The Alipore zoo
authorities are having a hard time breeding tigers in captivity. In fact, they
haven’t tasted success since 2006, with even the last unsuccessful attempt
happening around four years ago. The reason, according to the zoo authorities,
is the inability, or in most cases, passivity of the male tigers. But while
breeding tigers in captivity seems like a tough proposition from what they told
us, their counterparts from the Nandankanan zoo in Bhubaneswar deem it a rather
easy process. In fact, Nandankanan’s tiger population rose to 26 recently after
two Royal Bengal cubs were born to a white tigress mated with a Royal Bengal
male. But the litany of failures at the Alipore zoo does have a reason,
according to the authorities.
Checking the mate
According to the zoo
authorities, they have left no stone unturned since 2015 to successfully breed
their tigers. “Mating is a natural need of any biological being and a necessity
for their healthy life,” said zoo direct
Tortoise, gibbon and
lemur stolen from Ontario zoo, police say
Elmvale zoo has
offered a reward for the safe return of the animals
Three animals were
stolen during an alleged break-and-enter at a central Ontario zoo, police said
Tuesday.
The Elmvale Jungle
Zoo said a tortoise, a gibbon and a black-and-white lemur were taken from the
facility, which opened for the season just a few weeks ago.
Call to cull dolphin
shows
Ban Animal Trading
South Africa (BAT) protested outside uShaka Marine World as part of a worldwide
protest against marine mammals in captivity recently.
BAT held its sixth
Empty the Tanks demonstration to urge members of the public not to attend
dolphin shows.
“We feel that
keeping marine mammals in captivity is cruel and unethical,” said Prathna Singh
of BAT.
Empty the Tanks
started in January 2013 after its founder, Rachel Carbary, witnessed dolphin
captures and slaughters in Taiji, Japan.
The organisation
creates awareness and educates the public about animal exploitation, and is
calling for an end to animal exploitation.
Soaring Success for
Wassenaar Zoo Library Sale at Bonhams
Highlights of the
sale included:
A world record of
£102,500 for a first edition of the five volume Birds of New Guinea and the
Adjacent Papuan Islands by John Gould and Richard Sharpe. This was Gould final work completed after his
death in 1881 by Sharpe and published between 1875-1888.
A first edition of
the seven-volume Birds of Australia (1840-1869), by John Gould. The result of
his own tour of the continent during which he named 30
Chester Zoo
celebrates its 100,000th member
Chester Zoo is
celebrating a momentous milestone – its 100,000th member.
This is an all-time
high for the zoo’s membership scheme, which provides vital funding for the
zoo’s conservation, science and education projects around the world.
In return, members
receive fabulous benefits including unlimited entry, invitations to special
talks and events, as well as added discounts in the zoo’s shops and cafes.
Memberships and
adoptions manager Karolyn Curwell said: “We’re absolutely delighted at the
success of our membership scheme.
“It reflects the
huge efforts of ev
Ugandan Elected to
Head Africa Zoo Body
The Executive
Director of Uganda Wildlife Conservation Education Centre James Musinguzi, has
been elected the next Chairperson of the Pan African Association of Zoos and
Aquaria (PAAZA).
This was during the
just concluded PAAZA conference 2018 in Cape Town, South Africa which was
running under the theme "Good Business for Good Conservation".
Speaking to Daily
monitor from South Africa, Mr Musinguzi confirmed the development saying,
"I have just be
How to Impregnate a
Rhino
Besides the usual
way
When Parker
Pennington first saw the embryo, she gasped—but very quietly.
At the time, as is
often the case for her these days, she had her arm fully inside the rectum of a
white rhino, and she didn’t want to alarm the animal by yelping excitedly.
In her immersed
hand, she held an ultrasound probe, which revealed that the rhino, who goes by
Victoria, had a tiny marble in her uterus. She was pregnant. If everything goes
well, the marble will grow into a baby, who will greet the world in the summer of
2019, and eventually become a two-ton, two-horned behemoth. But even as a
small, grainy orb on a black-and-white screen, its very existence felt
miraculous. It meant that Pennington’s very first attempt to artificially
inseminate Victoria, just 18 days earlier, had worked.
Chimpanzees on the
loose cause chaos at Sapporo zoo
Two chimpanzees that
had escaped from their enclosure forced Sapporo Maruyama Zoo to temporarily
close on the afternoon of May 28.
Female chimpanzee
Gacha, 52, and male chimpanzee Akki, 9, escaped from their enclosure into a
walkway area for workers through a door which a zookeeper forgot to lock,
according to the facility.
As the two
chimpanzees also broke a window and could have entered the area for visitors,
officials decided to have guests take shelter inside buildings for their safety
and locked down the zoo before 3 p.m.
An employee guided
the two chimpanzees back to their enclosure using apples and locked them up
about 25 minutes after they wen
UAE wildlife
conservation efforts make a difference around the globe
The UAE’s wildlife conservation efforts to
conserve species such as gazelles, houbara bustards, turtles and even some rare
plants and other living organisms are incredible and made a great difference
around the globe, a senior official said yesterday.
The late Shaikh
Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Founding Father of the UAE, was one of the world’s
greatest conservationists. His foresight and vision long preceded the
present-day global conservationists’ movement, Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak,
secretary-general of the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi, told a packed house at
the majlis of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of
Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces..
“The Environment
Agency–Abu Dhabi (EAD), which takes care of more than 50,000 animals throughout
the country, the Emirates Wildlife Society and other environmental
organisations are committed to helping our society to red
Captive Dolphins
Look Forward To Interacting With Caretakers, New Study Suggests
new study exploring
the behavior of captive dolphins has revealed the marine animals look forward
to interacting and playing with their caretakers more than with toys or among
themselves.
The work, conducted
by researchers from University of Paris’ animal behavior lab, looked at the
anticipatory nature of bottlenose dolphins in French theme park Parc Astérix.
Dolphin 'happiness'
measured by scientists in France
Scientists working
with dolphins at a marine park near Paris have attempted to measure how the
animals feel about aspects of their lives in captivity.
In what researchers
say is the first project to examine captivity "from the animals'
perspective", the team assessed what activities dolphins looked forward to
most.
They found that the
marine mammals most keenly anticipated interacting with a familiar human.
The results, they
say, show that "better human-animal bonds equals better welfare".
The study, published
in the journal Applied Animal Behaviour Science, was part of a three-year
project to measure dolphin welfare in a captive setting.
Lead researcher Dr
Isabella Clegg worked at Parc Astérix, a theme park with one of France's
largest dolphinariums.
With colleagues at
the University of Paris animal behaviour lab, she designed experiments to
decode dolphin behaviour - essentially looking for physical postures that
indicate how the animals were feeling.
DON’T BE FOOLED BY
EMOTIVE ANTI-ELEPHANT TOURISM #PROPAGANDA – #PHAJAAN OR #CRUSH
There are
organisations and people out there that want you to believe there are 100’s of
#crush #phajaan #torture #training videos representing the #cruel way in which
ALL #elephants are trained in Thailand (wild and domesticated). I spent 3 days
actually viewing many of them (it was difficult) but what I found was the SAME
footage used in ALL those different videos. The footage is filmed in the remote
highlands of northern Thailand, west of the village Mae Jaem. Journos,
filmmakers, photographers and possibly PeTA, WFFT and other interested parties
were invited to witness this so called brutal centuries old ritual called
‘crush’ or ‘phajaan’. This was organised by ENP (named Elephant Heaven at the
time) early 2002. How this was organised and planned in the first place should
make one wonder. PeTA state they obtained the video in June 2002 and released
it publicly in October 2002. Around the same time Jennifer Hile’s Vanishing
Giants documentary was released.
A young female and a
young male captured from the wild were put through this inhumane practice on
separate days while the Westerners looked on documenting, photographing, and
filming it – ENP & PeTA’s emotive campaign to s
Dolphin liberation
in Korea
"Dolphin
liberation in South Korea has raised awareness towards the welfare of marine
animals and has resulted in the strengthening of animal protection policies and
the level of welfare."
An engineering
student, affiliated with UNIST has recently carried out a scientific
investigation on dolphin liberation in South Korea. The paper presents the
overall analysis of the social impact of the first case of dolphin
rehabilitation in Asia, which occurred in 2013.
This study has been
carried out by Sejoon Kim in the School of Energy and Chemical Engineering in
collaboration wit Professor Bradley Tatar in the Division of General Studies at
UNIST. Their findings have been published in the April issue of the journal,
Coastal Management and will be published online, this month.
"After the
release of captive dolphins from South Korean marine parks, there has been a
growing environmental movement towards the conservation and management of
marine and coastal ecosystems," says Sejoon. "Although such movement
relies on a single-species conservation focus an
Tasmania Zoo
founder, Dick Warren, dies
Founder of Tasmania
Zoo, Dick Warren, has died.
Tasmania Zoo paid
tribute to Mr Warren on its Facebook page.
“Dick was a
passionate wildlife conservationist who dedicated his life and his love to
create a place where he could share and educate the community,” the post said.
“He will be
remembered f
What a difference a
year makes: Zoo workforce's delight following hugely-positive inspection report
STAFF at South Lakes
Safari Zoo are calling on the public to visit to the attraction after
inspectors gave the attraction a bill of clean health since new bosses took
over.
A team of three
council-appointed inspectors, two of which visited the zoo a year ago when the
new company was first awarded a licence to run the attraction, carried out a
comprehensive audit last month.
As well as
inspecting every aspect of the zoo, including a full day spent visiting all
areas, talking to staff and observing visitors, the inspectors examined all the
paperwork, feeding regimes and administrative processes.
When Cumbria Zoo
Company was awarded its licence last May licensing bosses at Barrow Borough
Council imposed a raft of strict conditions after an inspe
The Books That Made
Us Who We Are!
Going through the
social media sites many questions come in regarding what books others have or
read to extend their behavioural knowledge. I concider myself an animal
training addict and have read quite some books. Lately my focus slowly goes to
further psychology in people because a lot of that we can reflect to animals.
Over my career I did read quite some articles and books and I still don’t feel
I read enough. I love the training stories that people have on the internet
with their great successes. Here is a list of my so far all-time favourites:
Nipah scare :
Kolkata zoo authorities caution visitors against
In the wake of the
Nipah virus (NiV) scare in different corners of the country, the city zoo
authority has cautioned visitors against feeding animals by plucking leaves and
fruits from trees in its garden.
"We have many
visitors who pick leaves and fruits from the garden and feed the animals. With
the Nipah virus alert, we are not willing to take any chances and have hence
issued this notification. This is basically a precautionary measure," Alipore
Zoo director Ashish Samanta said.
The city zoo has
good number of fruit bats, considered one of the carriers of the Nipah virus,
he added.
Several boards
displaying the notice against feeding animals have been put up at different
points of the zoo to attract the visitors' att
Humans fail to
escape from ape enclosure
The phone rang at
the Edge Rock Gym on Philips Highway.
It was someone from
the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens with an unusual request: Would some of the
gym’s best climbers try to escape from a new ape enclosure?
The zoo is replacing
the popular but outdated Great Apes Loop with the African Forest exhibit. The
$9 million project covering about 3 acres is scheduled to open about Labor Day.
Right now it’s under construction. Workers in hard hats — some who built Volcano
Bay at Universal Orlando — are busy with their latest project, highlighted by a
48-foot concrete tree.
But on a recent
morning, a few workers stopped what they were doing to check out what was
happening in the area that will be home to gorillas, colobus monkeys and
possibly mandrills.
Peter Dyszel, a
28-year-old male human, and Hunter Geer, a 30-year-old male human, were trying
to find a way out of a large enclosure surrounded by walls of 12 feet and
higher. No ropes. Just hands and chalk, feet and climbing shoes, plus a couple
of mats to cushion the falls.
“It’s become pretty
much a zoo standard, es
5 Giant Salamander
Species Identified—And They're All in Danger
A new study shows
that there are more species of Chinese giant salamander than previously
thought, but most of those could go extinct in the near future.
The Chinese giant
salamander does not fit the traditional definition of “cute.” Growing to nearly
six feet long and weighing roughly 140 pounds, the flabby creatures are the
largest amphibians in the world. Their beady, lidless eyes peer out from broad,
flat heads with blunt snouts, and their mud-colored bodies have short limbs and
long tails. The species’ slimy skin is not pleasant to pet, either.
With these
characteristics, the amphibians are certainly not as charismatic as pandas and
other fluffy mammals, but they’re just as crucial to a healthy ecosystem. In
two studies published last week, scientists found that instead of one
species—as previously thought—there are actually roughly half a dozen species
of Chinese giant salamander.
“We weren’t
surprised to find two or three [species],” says Bob Murphy, senior curator of
herpetology at the Royal Ontario Museum’s Centre for Biodiversity and
Conservation Biology, and corresponding a
Iriomote Cat killed
in traffic accident on Iriomote island for third time this year
An Iriomote cat, one
of Japan’s protected species, was found dead on prefectural route 215 in
Taketomi town on Iriomote Island around 6:00 AM on May 4. The cause of death is
thought to be by traffic accident, and it is the third case its kind reported
this since April 26 this year.
According to the Ministry of the Environment’s
Iriomote Wildlife Conservation Center, the Iriomote cat was female. The body
was 77 centimeters long and weighed 3.2 kilograms. The cat was found on a road
with multiple wounds and broken bones. The ranger at the center, Shota
Sugimoto, commented, “The damage could have only been
1899 turtles seized, 4 held
Turtles in crates
being ferried along with fish were seized from a truck and two men arrested
near Dhulagarh early on Saturday.
Forest officials
said the crates had 1,799 turtles, the highest rescued so far in a single day
in the past five years.
Earlier in the day,
forest officials seized 100 turtles from Birati and arrested two men.
Turtle meat is a
delicacy and many people eat it despite a legal ban on killing the animal, a
forest official said.
A turtle is sold at
Rs 700-1,500 depending on the demand.
"The rescued
turtles were Indian softshell turtles that are protected under Schedule I of
the wildlife protection act," Subhendu Sinha, a range officer of the state
forest department, said.
Sinha was part of
the team that raided the truck. "Killing, hunting or selling turtles is
illegal. Those found guilty of doing so can be jailed for a minimum of five
years," he said.
The International
Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists Indian softshell turtle as
"vulnerable" in its Red
Yerevan Zoo opens
doors after renovation
After major
renovations all parts of the Yerevan Zoo are again open to visitors. The event was attended by Mayor Taron
Margaryan with his family.
As the Yerevan
municipality reports, this year one of the most beloved recreation zones of
townspeople meets its visitors in completely new, comfortable and modern
conditions and facilities.
Accompanied by the
director Yerevan Mayor walked in the park, familiarized himself with the
activities carried out in the zoo within the frames of the second stage of
improvement and development program which was already completed.
It should be noted
that as a result of the work carried out in 2016-2018 two new cages with
passages for wolves and bears were put into operation Total area of the cages
is 5550 sq m which is 5 times bigger than previously. 2 observation decks were
constructed which can place 30 visitors at the same time. The program also
involved construction of a new cage for lions with the surface of 2950 sq m,
400 sq m of which are winter shelters for the animals. 2 more observation decks
were constructed here which can give a place for 80 people at the same time. A
zone for direct communication with animals which is of 1200 sq m was
constructed too.
Besides, animals
quarantine zone was constru
ZOOS AND AQUARIUMS
LOOK TO REDUCE PLASTIC WASTE
Looking to reduce
their usage of plastics in day-to-day operations, zoos and aquariums across
Australia have been assessing how they have been using plastics - finding
biodegradable alternatives or removed the items altogether.
Taronga Zoo in
Sydney have paid particular attention to their hospitality services, removing
over 320,000 single-use sauce packets per year, along with 350,000 single-use
food trays. In addition they have an innovative initiative in which compostable
coffee cups, cutlery and food packaging is diverted for composting and turned
into electricity and fertiliser pellets.
New maroon bins
around the Zoo indicate a waste stream for compostables.
Zoos Victoria has
also already started the changeover of plastic cutlery at Melbourne Zoo to
compostable wares. These are composted on site in their in-vessel composter,
greatly minimising greenhouse gas emissions.
Healesville
Sanctuary and Werribee Open Range Zoo will follow this initiative by July 2019.
Plan to give
Bangkok’s monkeys new home, instead of evacuating them
The Bang Khun Thian
district in Bangkok has drawn up ambitious plans to turn a 13-rai landlocked
plot into a paradise for 600 to 700 long-tailed macaques instead of evacuating
them to Phuket.
Prasert Chawee-in,
director of the Bang Khun Thian district authority, said they did not agree
with the proposal by a committee of the National Legislative Assembly to catch
the monkeys and release them to Phuket’s uninhabited islands. Prasert said his
was the only district in Bangkok that had five groups of monkeys of long-tailed
macaques. He said the largest group lived near the Khun Kala Monument, which is
known as “Monkey Monument” on the frontage road on the southern part of the
western ring road in Tha Kham subdistrict.
Prasert said the
district already owned a land-locked plot of 13 rai near Klong Chalermchai
Pattana, just 500 metres from the monument and the district adm
Cockroach milk is
packed full of nutrients, tastes like cow's milk, experts say
The latest superfood
trend?
Cockroach milk.
Yes, you read that
right!
Experts say a rare
milk crystal produced by cockroaches contains human health benefits and boasts
four times as much protein as cow's milk, according to the Institute for Stem
Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine in India.
But what does it
taste like?
A researcher told
NPR he tried the milk and it tasted similar to cow's milk.
According to 2016
research, milk found from the Australian native Pacific beetle cockroach was
found to contain protein sequences packed with essential amino acids, proteins,
fats, and sugars.
Where can you get
your hands on this special beverage?
South African
company Gourmet Grubb reportedly sells Entomilk, a milk that comes from
sustainably farmed insects.
They also make ice
cream with insect milk in case you're looking for something a little more
sweet.
Recently, Canada's
largest grocer, Loblaw Companies Ltd., started picking up cricket powder at
local grocery stores.
Jarrod Goldin,
president of Entomo Farms in Ontario, told Global News his business can't keep
up with demand, calling the ingredients "versatile."
According to Global
News, Goldin ventured into the insect market after the Food and Agriculture
Organization of the United Nation announ
Couple take pride in
Brunei
A Thai team of
animal trainers at the private zoo of the Sultan of Brunei have made a name for
themselves as well as for their home country and are happy and proud of their
job there. Chawallak Sathansap,...
RESEARCHING THE
SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR OF AFRICAN PAINTED DOGS
Rhiannon Bolton,
student from the University of Liverpool, tells us more about her work at
Chester Zoo below:
“The only thing I
thought I was ever going to do was work in animal wellbeing and
conservation. I completed a Masters
degree in conservation related veterinary science and endocrinology (the study
of hormones) and I was then lucky enough to become a Chester Zoo Conservation
Scholar. My PhD combines all my
favourite things which are animal wellbeing, conservation and endocrinology;
and will hopefully enable me to make a difference!
“My main focus is on
cooperatively breeding mammals, a breeding system whereby other individuals in
addition to the parents help to raise the offspring. Often, only one alpha female and one alpha
male will reproduce but other family members are expected and needed to help
with raising the next generation. This
phenomenon only occurs in about 3% of mammal species, making them absolutely
fascinating. Unfortunately, many of
these incredible mammal species are t
Critics blast
outsourcing federal animal inspections
Federal officials
came here to get public feedback on an idea to outsource some inspections of
zoos, animal breeders and research laboratories.
The response from
the majority of those who showed up to Thursday’s meeting at the Renaissance
Tampa International Plaza Hotel: Don’t do it.
A parade of speakers
stepped up to the lectern and said using information from private, third-party
groups to confirm facilities are complying with federal law would effectively
allow foxes to guard the henhouses.
"This misguided
proposal is not the answer," said Michigan State University College of Law
professor Carney Anne Nasser, who is director of the Animal Welfare Clinic
there.
Monkey News: Rare
monkeys airlifted to Britain after being rescued from smugglers
TWO rare monkeys
have been airlifted to Britain after being rescued from the horrors of the
black market trade in endangered creatures. The white-throated guenons were
seized as they were being smuggled out of Africa to the Middle East where they
would likely have become fashionable pets.
https://www.express.co.uk/news/nature/966988/monkeys-black-market-rescued-smugglers-africa-benny-nia
Dolphin Echolocation
Discovery Could Improve Ultrasound Technology
The recent discovery
that when using echolocation, dolphins actually emit two intertwined ultrasound
beams at different frequencies at slightly different times, could allow
scientists to develop new ultrasound and sonar equipment.
Researchers from
Lund University used a mathematical algorithm to successfully disentangled and
read the overlapping signals, a discovery that could inspire sharper image
quality on ultrasound technology to measure the thickness of organ membranes
deeper inside the body than is currently possible.
“It works almost
like a magic formula! Suddenly we can see things that remained hidden with
traditional methods,” Josefin Starkhammar, a researcher in biomedical
engineering at Lund University, said in a statement.
German zoo escape:
Lions, tigers and jaguar recaptured in Lünebach
Two lions, two
tigers and a jaguar that escaped their enclosures at a zoo in western Germany
have been recaptured.
The animals were
found inside the zoo compound in Lünebach after a search involving a drone,
officials told German media. Local residents had earlier been told to stay
indoors.
A bear also escaped
from the privately owned Eifel zoo, but was shot dead, a local official told
AFP.
The animals broke
out after flooding from a storm damaged their enclosures.
A massive search was
then launched involving police, firefighters and veterinarians.
Local authorities
did not give further details of the recapture but a spokesperson told AFP news
agency that the animals were "in their cages".
Wild Personalities:
Elephant Edition
One characteristic
that is really apparent with elephants—and with many other species—is that they
can exude a wide variety of personalities. They can be bold or shy, laid-back
or short-tempered, curious or afraid, and the list goes on. Behavior is the first
line of defense that wildlife use when they face a human threat, so
understanding how individuals respond to new situations is quite important when
considering how to approach conservation issues. These different personalities
can have real-word consequences for wildlife.
As conservation
challenges become more complex, we need creative solutions for people who live
in areas where human-elephant conflict may occur. Across Asia, elephant habitat
overlaps in areas where there is a dense human population and agriculture. Where
there are farms, there is food—and raiding crops can spell big trouble for
elephants and farmers alike. By knowing which elephants are more likely to be
bold and take risks, we can be more targeted in our conservation planning and
actions.
We are studying the
behavior of elephants who currently work in a logging camp but are potential
candidates for future release into the wild. If we can differentiate which
animals are more
National aquarium
dolphins are learning their biggest trick yet—traveling to a new home
There was something
about the big blue mat that on this particular morning Jade just didn't like.
It made no matter
that the 18-year-old bottlenose dolphin, one of seven owned by the National
Aquarium, had seen this identical pad many times before. Perhaps she was
spooked by the photographer at the edge of the pool holding a clicking black
box that obscured her face. Or the problem might have been the big green beach
umbrella that threw dark and unfamiliar circles of shade over the pool.
Whatever the reason,
when trainer April Martin knelt down at one end of the mat and positioned her
hand vertically with her fingers pointing skyward (a signal for Jade to propel
herself out of the water and land belly-first on the pad) the dolphin was having
none of it. She made a half-hearted little hop barely strong enough to push her
snout onto the mat and then immediately fell back into the pool.
Martin turned and
walked a few steps away from the bucket of fish with which the dolphins are
rewarded.
"Jade isn't
getting positive reinforcement," Kerry Diehl, the Aquarium's assistant
curator of the Dolphin Discovery exhibit observed. "But she'll get a
chance to try again."
During the next 30
months, Jade will have many opportunities to perform that maneuver—the first in
a series of skills that the trainers hope will culminate in the fall of 2020
with the seven dolphins riding in the back of a truck and then on a plane to their
new
Caring for corvids –
Providing enrichment for the world’s smartest birds
The Corvid’s
intelligence has been well documented over the years through many means [1].
Corvidae, or the crow family, consists of over 120 species and includes crows,
ravens, rooks, jackdaws, jays, magpies, treepies, choughs, and nutcrackers [2].
However, astonishing as their intelligence may be, it makes the task of
providing enrichment for these birds all the more difficult. As an animal care
professional, how do you properly provide for all their needs? (For the sake of
brevity, I won’t be going over training, social situations, or complete
nutritional needs).
Why is enrichment
important?
The Association of
Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Behavioural Advisory Group defines ‘enrichment’ as “A
process for improving or enhancing animal environments and care within the
context of their inhabitants’ behavioural biology and natural history. It is a
dynamic process in which changes to structures and husbandry practic
SUSTAINABLE MAGIC IN
WELLINGTON ZOO
Our guest blogger,
Camilla Carstensen, recently visited New Zealand’s Wellington Zoo, and was
impressed by the zoo’s sustainability efforts, including its commitment to FSC.
In this post, Camilla explains how the zoo’s approach to being green captured
her admiration, while the zoo’s lemurs captured her heart.
I am sitting at
home, but my thoughts are not here. I can still feel little hands in mine,
trying to spread my fingers to get hold of grapes and apples, I smell the nice,
warm smell of thick fur, and I hear the fluffy sound, when they jump around me.
The lemurs.
I have been to
Wellington Zoo.
Explain to me who’s
a Koalas Experts: Part-2
The Wollondilly
Shire Council is currently mapping and researching areas with known koala
populations in the region, as well as throughout the western part of the Sydney
catchment area near the Warragamba Dam. I recent wrote an article https://www.wollondillyadvertiser.com.au/story/5245433/rare-sighting-of-koala-in-silverdale/
on a young male koala who had found his way into the community of Silverdale
along the catchment area on Marsh road. He had reached his limit, finding
himself on the edge of urban development, meeting humans for the first time. I
could assess the reasons for this sighting, and the situation he was in. He was
the only sighting on the south-west of the Penrith region. On top of this,
there has been an increase of koala sightings more from the north west of
Penrith around Cranebrook, and a recent roadkill of a koala in Shanes Park
area.
Kolkata zoo in a fix
over tiger breeding
The Alipore zoo
authorities are having a hard time breeding tigers in captivity. In fact, they
haven’t tasted success since 2006, with even the last unsuccessful attempt
happening around four years ago. The reason, according to the zoo authorities,
is the inability, or in most cases, passivity of the male tigers. But while
breeding tigers in captivity seems like a tough proposition from what they told
us, their counterparts from the Nandankanan zoo in Bhubaneswar deem it a rather
easy process. In fact, Nandankanan’s tiger population rose to 26 recently after
two Royal Bengal cubs were born to a white tigress mated with a Royal Bengal
male. But the litany of failures at the Alipore zoo does have a reason,
according to the authorities.
Checking the mate
According to the zoo
authorities, they have left no stone unturned since 2015 to successfully breed
their tigers. “Mating is a natural need of any biological being and a necessity
for their healthy life,” said zoo direct
Tortoise, gibbon and
lemur stolen from Ontario zoo, police say
Elmvale zoo has
offered a reward for the safe return of the animals
Three animals were
stolen during an alleged break-and-enter at a central Ontario zoo, police said
Tuesday.
The Elmvale Jungle
Zoo said a tortoise, a gibbon and a black-and-white lemur were taken from the
facility, which opened for the season just a few weeks ago.
Call to cull dolphin
shows
Ban Animal Trading
South Africa (BAT) protested outside uShaka Marine World as part of a worldwide
protest against marine mammals in captivity recently.
BAT held its sixth
Empty the Tanks demonstration to urge members of the public not to attend
dolphin shows.
“We feel that
keeping marine mammals in captivity is cruel and unethical,” said Prathna Singh
of BAT.
Empty the Tanks
started in January 2013 after its founder, Rachel Carbary, witnessed dolphin
captures and slaughters in Taiji, Japan.
The organisation
creates awareness and educates the public about animal exploitation, and is
calling for an end to animal exploitation.
Soaring Success for
Wassenaar Zoo Library Sale at Bonhams
Highlights of the
sale included:
A world record of
£102,500 for a first edition of the five volume Birds of New Guinea and the
Adjacent Papuan Islands by John Gould and Richard Sharpe. This was Gould final work completed after his
death in 1881 by Sharpe and published between 1875-1888.
A first edition of
the seven-volume Birds of Australia (1840-1869), by John Gould. The result of
his own tour of the continent during which he named 30
Chester Zoo
celebrates its 100,000th member
Chester Zoo is
celebrating a momentous milestone – its 100,000th member.
This is an all-time
high for the zoo’s membership scheme, which provides vital funding for the
zoo’s conservation, science and education projects around the world.
In return, members
receive fabulous benefits including unlimited entry, invitations to special
talks and events, as well as added discounts in the zoo’s shops and cafes.
Memberships and
adoptions manager Karolyn Curwell said: “We’re absolutely delighted at the
success of our membership scheme.
“It reflects the
huge efforts of ev
Ugandan Elected to
Head Africa Zoo Body
The Executive
Director of Uganda Wildlife Conservation Education Centre James Musinguzi, has
been elected the next Chairperson of the Pan African Association of Zoos and
Aquaria (PAAZA).
This was during the
just concluded PAAZA conference 2018 in Cape Town, South Africa which was
running under the theme "Good Business for Good Conservation".
Speaking to Daily
monitor from South Africa, Mr Musinguzi confirmed the development saying,
"I have just be
How to Impregnate a
Rhino
Besides the usual
way
When Parker
Pennington first saw the embryo, she gasped—but very quietly.
At the time, as is
often the case for her these days, she had her arm fully inside the rectum of a
white rhino, and she didn’t want to alarm the animal by yelping excitedly.
In her immersed
hand, she held an ultrasound probe, which revealed that the rhino, who goes by
Victoria, had a tiny marble in her uterus. She was pregnant. If everything goes
well, the marble will grow into a baby, who will greet the world in the summer of
2019, and eventually become a two-ton, two-horned behemoth. But even as a
small, grainy orb on a black-and-white screen, its very existence felt
miraculous. It meant that Pennington’s very first attempt to artificially
inseminate Victoria, just 18 days earlier, had worked.
Chimpanzees on the
loose cause chaos at Sapporo zoo
Two chimpanzees that
had escaped from their enclosure forced Sapporo Maruyama Zoo to temporarily
close on the afternoon of May 28.
Female chimpanzee
Gacha, 52, and male chimpanzee Akki, 9, escaped from their enclosure into a
walkway area for workers through a door which a zookeeper forgot to lock,
according to the facility.
As the two
chimpanzees also broke a window and could have entered the area for visitors,
officials decided to have guests take shelter inside buildings for their safety
and locked down the zoo before 3 p.m.
An employee guided
the two chimpanzees back to their enclosure using apples and locked them up
about 25 minutes after they wen
UAE wildlife
conservation efforts make a difference around the globe
The UAE’s wildlife conservation efforts to
conserve species such as gazelles, houbara bustards, turtles and even some rare
plants and other living organisms are incredible and made a great difference
around the globe, a senior official said yesterday.
The late Shaikh
Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Founding Father of the UAE, was one of the world’s
greatest conservationists. His foresight and vision long preceded the
present-day global conservationists’ movement, Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak,
secretary-general of the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi, told a packed house at
the majlis of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of
Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces..
“The Environment
Agency–Abu Dhabi (EAD), which takes care of more than 50,000 animals throughout
the country, the Emirates Wildlife Society and other environmental
organisations are committed to helping our society to red
Captive Dolphins
Look Forward To Interacting With Caretakers, New Study Suggests
new study exploring
the behavior of captive dolphins has revealed the marine animals look forward
to interacting and playing with their caretakers more than with toys or among
themselves.
The work, conducted
by researchers from University of Paris’ animal behavior lab, looked at the
anticipatory nature of bottlenose dolphins in French theme park Parc Astérix.
Dolphin 'happiness'
measured by scientists in France
Scientists working
with dolphins at a marine park near Paris have attempted to measure how the
animals feel about aspects of their lives in captivity.
In what researchers
say is the first project to examine captivity "from the animals'
perspective", the team assessed what activities dolphins looked forward to
most.
They found that the
marine mammals most keenly anticipated interacting with a familiar human.
The results, they
say, show that "better human-animal bonds equals better welfare".
The study, published
in the journal Applied Animal Behaviour Science, was part of a three-year
project to measure dolphin welfare in a captive setting.
Lead researcher Dr
Isabella Clegg worked at Parc Astérix, a theme park with one of France's
largest dolphinariums.
With colleagues at
the University of Paris animal behaviour lab, she designed experiments to
decode dolphin behaviour - essentially looking for physical postures that
indicate how the animals were feeling.
DON’T BE FOOLED BY
EMOTIVE ANTI-ELEPHANT TOURISM #PROPAGANDA – #PHAJAAN OR #CRUSH
There are
organisations and people out there that want you to believe there are 100’s of
#crush #phajaan #torture #training videos representing the #cruel way in which
ALL #elephants are trained in Thailand (wild and domesticated). I spent 3 days
actually viewing many of them (it was difficult) but what I found was the SAME
footage used in ALL those different videos. The footage is filmed in the remote
highlands of northern Thailand, west of the village Mae Jaem. Journos,
filmmakers, photographers and possibly PeTA, WFFT and other interested parties
were invited to witness this so called brutal centuries old ritual called
‘crush’ or ‘phajaan’. This was organised by ENP (named Elephant Heaven at the
time) early 2002. How this was organised and planned in the first place should
make one wonder. PeTA state they obtained the video in June 2002 and released
it publicly in October 2002. Around the same time Jennifer Hile’s Vanishing
Giants documentary was released.
A young female and a
young male captured from the wild were put through this inhumane practice on
separate days while the Westerners looked on documenting, photographing, and
filming it – ENP & PeTA’s emotive campaign to s
Dolphin liberation
in Korea
"Dolphin
liberation in South Korea has raised awareness towards the welfare of marine
animals and has resulted in the strengthening of animal protection policies and
the level of welfare."
An engineering
student, affiliated with UNIST has recently carried out a scientific
investigation on dolphin liberation in South Korea. The paper presents the
overall analysis of the social impact of the first case of dolphin
rehabilitation in Asia, which occurred in 2013.
This study has been
carried out by Sejoon Kim in the School of Energy and Chemical Engineering in
collaboration wit Professor Bradley Tatar in the Division of General Studies at
UNIST. Their findings have been published in the April issue of the journal,
Coastal Management and will be published online, this month.
"After the
release of captive dolphins from South Korean marine parks, there has been a
growing environmental movement towards the conservation and management of
marine and coastal ecosystems," says Sejoon. "Although such movement
relies on a single-species conservation focus an
Tasmania Zoo
founder, Dick Warren, dies
Founder of Tasmania
Zoo, Dick Warren, has died.
Tasmania Zoo paid
tribute to Mr Warren on its Facebook page.
“Dick was a
passionate wildlife conservationist who dedicated his life and his love to
create a place where he could share and educate the community,” the post said.
“He will be
remembered f
What a difference a
year makes: Zoo workforce's delight following hugely-positive inspection report
STAFF at South Lakes
Safari Zoo are calling on the public to visit to the attraction after
inspectors gave the attraction a bill of clean health since new bosses took
over.
A team of three
council-appointed inspectors, two of which visited the zoo a year ago when the
new company was first awarded a licence to run the attraction, carried out a
comprehensive audit last month.
As well as
inspecting every aspect of the zoo, including a full day spent visiting all
areas, talking to staff and observing visitors, the inspectors examined all the
paperwork, feeding regimes and administrative processes.
When Cumbria Zoo
Company was awarded its licence last May licensing bosses at Barrow Borough
Council imposed a raft of strict conditions after an inspe
The Books That Made
Us Who We Are!
Going through the
social media sites many questions come in regarding what books others have or
read to extend their behavioural knowledge. I concider myself an animal
training addict and have read quite some books. Lately my focus slowly goes to
further psychology in people because a lot of that we can reflect to animals.
Over my career I did read quite some articles and books and I still don’t feel
I read enough. I love the training stories that people have on the internet
with their great successes. Here is a list of my so far all-time favourites:
Nipah scare :
Kolkata zoo authorities caution visitors against
In the wake of the
Nipah virus (NiV) scare in different corners of the country, the city zoo
authority has cautioned visitors against feeding animals by plucking leaves and
fruits from trees in its garden.
"We have many
visitors who pick leaves and fruits from the garden and feed the animals. With
the Nipah virus alert, we are not willing to take any chances and have hence
issued this notification. This is basically a precautionary measure," Alipore
Zoo director Ashish Samanta said.
The city zoo has
good number of fruit bats, considered one of the carriers of the Nipah virus,
he added.
Several boards
displaying the notice against feeding animals have been put up at different
points of the zoo to attract the visitors' att
Humans fail to
escape from ape enclosure
The phone rang at
the Edge Rock Gym on Philips Highway.
It was someone from
the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens with an unusual request: Would some of the
gym’s best climbers try to escape from a new ape enclosure?
The zoo is replacing
the popular but outdated Great Apes Loop with the African Forest exhibit. The
$9 million project covering about 3 acres is scheduled to open about Labor Day.
Right now it’s under construction. Workers in hard hats — some who built Volcano
Bay at Universal Orlando — are busy with their latest project, highlighted by a
48-foot concrete tree.
But on a recent
morning, a few workers stopped what they were doing to check out what was
happening in the area that will be home to gorillas, colobus monkeys and
possibly mandrills.
Peter Dyszel, a
28-year-old male human, and Hunter Geer, a 30-year-old male human, were trying
to find a way out of a large enclosure surrounded by walls of 12 feet and
higher. No ropes. Just hands and chalk, feet and climbing shoes, plus a couple
of mats to cushion the falls.
“It’s become pretty
much a zoo standard, es
5 Giant Salamander
Species Identified—And They're All in Danger
A new study shows
that there are more species of Chinese giant salamander than previously
thought, but most of those could go extinct in the near future.
The Chinese giant
salamander does not fit the traditional definition of “cute.” Growing to nearly
six feet long and weighing roughly 140 pounds, the flabby creatures are the
largest amphibians in the world. Their beady, lidless eyes peer out from broad,
flat heads with blunt snouts, and their mud-colored bodies have short limbs and
long tails. The species’ slimy skin is not pleasant to pet, either.
With these
characteristics, the amphibians are certainly not as charismatic as pandas and
other fluffy mammals, but they’re just as crucial to a healthy ecosystem. In
two studies published last week, scientists found that instead of one
species—as previously thought—there are actually roughly half a dozen species
of Chinese giant salamander.
“We weren’t
surprised to find two or three [species],” says Bob Murphy, senior curator of
herpetology at the Royal Ontario Museum’s Centre for Biodiversity and
Conservation Biology, and corresponding a
Iriomote Cat killed
in traffic accident on Iriomote island for third time this year
An Iriomote cat, one
of Japan’s protected species, was found dead on prefectural route 215 in
Taketomi town on Iriomote Island around 6:00 AM on May 4. The cause of death is
thought to be by traffic accident, and it is the third case its kind reported
this since April 26 this year.
According to the Ministry of the Environment’s
Iriomote Wildlife Conservation Center, the Iriomote cat was female. The body
was 77 centimeters long and weighed 3.2 kilograms. The cat was found on a road
with multiple wounds and broken bones. The ranger at the center, Shota
Sugimoto, commented, “The damage could have only been
1899 turtles seized, 4 held
Turtles in crates
being ferried along with fish were seized from a truck and two men arrested
near Dhulagarh early on Saturday.
Forest officials
said the crates had 1,799 turtles, the highest rescued so far in a single day
in the past five years.
Earlier in the day,
forest officials seized 100 turtles from Birati and arrested two men.
Turtle meat is a
delicacy and many people eat it despite a legal ban on killing the animal, a
forest official said.
A turtle is sold at
Rs 700-1,500 depending on the demand.
"The rescued
turtles were Indian softshell turtles that are protected under Schedule I of
the wildlife protection act," Subhendu Sinha, a range officer of the state
forest department, said.
Sinha was part of
the team that raided the truck. "Killing, hunting or selling turtles is
illegal. Those found guilty of doing so can be jailed for a minimum of five
years," he said.
The International
Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists Indian softshell turtle as
"vulnerable" in its Red
Yerevan Zoo opens
doors after renovation
After major
renovations all parts of the Yerevan Zoo are again open to visitors. The event was attended by Mayor Taron
Margaryan with his family.
As the Yerevan
municipality reports, this year one of the most beloved recreation zones of
townspeople meets its visitors in completely new, comfortable and modern
conditions and facilities.
Accompanied by the
director Yerevan Mayor walked in the park, familiarized himself with the
activities carried out in the zoo within the frames of the second stage of
improvement and development program which was already completed.
It should be noted
that as a result of the work carried out in 2016-2018 two new cages with
passages for wolves and bears were put into operation Total area of the cages
is 5550 sq m which is 5 times bigger than previously. 2 observation decks were
constructed which can place 30 visitors at the same time. The program also
involved construction of a new cage for lions with the surface of 2950 sq m,
400 sq m of which are winter shelters for the animals. 2 more observation decks
were constructed here which can give a place for 80 people at the same time. A
zone for direct communication with animals which is of 1200 sq m was
constructed too.
Besides, animals
quarantine zone was constru
ZOOS AND AQUARIUMS
LOOK TO REDUCE PLASTIC WASTE
Looking to reduce
their usage of plastics in day-to-day operations, zoos and aquariums across
Australia have been assessing how they have been using plastics - finding
biodegradable alternatives or removed the items altogether.
Taronga Zoo in
Sydney have paid particular attention to their hospitality services, removing
over 320,000 single-use sauce packets per year, along with 350,000 single-use
food trays. In addition they have an innovative initiative in which compostable
coffee cups, cutlery and food packaging is diverted for composting and turned
into electricity and fertiliser pellets.
New maroon bins
around the Zoo indicate a waste stream for compostables.
Zoos Victoria has
also already started the changeover of plastic cutlery at Melbourne Zoo to
compostable wares. These are composted on site in their in-vessel composter,
greatly minimising greenhouse gas emissions.
Healesville
Sanctuary and Werribee Open Range Zoo will follow this initiative by July 2019.
Plan to give
Bangkok’s monkeys new home, instead of evacuating them
The Bang Khun Thian
district in Bangkok has drawn up ambitious plans to turn a 13-rai landlocked
plot into a paradise for 600 to 700 long-tailed macaques instead of evacuating
them to Phuket.
Prasert Chawee-in,
director of the Bang Khun Thian district authority, said they did not agree
with the proposal by a committee of the National Legislative Assembly to catch
the monkeys and release them to Phuket’s uninhabited islands. Prasert said his
was the only district in Bangkok that had five groups of monkeys of long-tailed
macaques. He said the largest group lived near the Khun Kala Monument, which is
known as “Monkey Monument” on the frontage road on the southern part of the
western ring road in Tha Kham subdistrict.
Prasert said the
district already owned a land-locked plot of 13 rai near Klong Chalermchai
Pattana, just 500 metres from the monument and the district adm
Cockroach milk is
packed full of nutrients, tastes like cow's milk, experts say
The latest superfood
trend?
Cockroach milk.
Yes, you read that
right!
Experts say a rare
milk crystal produced by cockroaches contains human health benefits and boasts
four times as much protein as cow's milk, according to the Institute for Stem
Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine in India.
But what does it
taste like?
A researcher told
NPR he tried the milk and it tasted similar to cow's milk.
According to 2016
research, milk found from the Australian native Pacific beetle cockroach was
found to contain protein sequences packed with essential amino acids, proteins,
fats, and sugars.
Where can you get
your hands on this special beverage?
South African
company Gourmet Grubb reportedly sells Entomilk, a milk that comes from
sustainably farmed insects.
They also make ice
cream with insect milk in case you're looking for something a little more
sweet.
Recently, Canada's
largest grocer, Loblaw Companies Ltd., started picking up cricket powder at
local grocery stores.
Jarrod Goldin,
president of Entomo Farms in Ontario, told Global News his business can't keep
up with demand, calling the ingredients "versatile."
According to Global
News, Goldin ventured into the insect market after the Food and Agriculture
Organization of the United Nation announ
Couple take pride in
Brunei
A Thai team of
animal trainers at the private zoo of the Sultan of Brunei have made a name for
themselves as well as for their home country and are happy and proud of their
job there. Chawallak Sathansap,...
RESEARCHING THE
SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR OF AFRICAN PAINTED DOGS
Rhiannon Bolton,
student from the University of Liverpool, tells us more about her work at
Chester Zoo below:
“The only thing I
thought I was ever going to do was work in animal wellbeing and
conservation. I completed a Masters
degree in conservation related veterinary science and endocrinology (the study
of hormones) and I was then lucky enough to become a Chester Zoo Conservation
Scholar. My PhD combines all my
favourite things which are animal wellbeing, conservation and endocrinology;
and will hopefully enable me to make a difference!
“My main focus is on
cooperatively breeding mammals, a breeding system whereby other individuals in
addition to the parents help to raise the offspring. Often, only one alpha female and one alpha
male will reproduce but other family members are expected and needed to help
with raising the next generation. This
phenomenon only occurs in about 3% of mammal species, making them absolutely
fascinating. Unfortunately, many of
these incredible mammal species are t
Critics blast
outsourcing federal animal inspections
Federal officials
came here to get public feedback on an idea to outsource some inspections of
zoos, animal breeders and research laboratories.
The response from
the majority of those who showed up to Thursday’s meeting at the Renaissance
Tampa International Plaza Hotel: Don’t do it.
A parade of speakers
stepped up to the lectern and said using information from private, third-party
groups to confirm facilities are complying with federal law would effectively
allow foxes to guard the henhouses.
"This misguided
proposal is not the answer," said Michigan State University College of Law
professor Carney Anne Nasser, who is director of the Animal Welfare Clinic
there.
Monkey News: Rare
monkeys airlifted to Britain after being rescued from smugglers
TWO rare monkeys
have been airlifted to Britain after being rescued from the horrors of the
black market trade in endangered creatures. The white-throated guenons were
seized as they were being smuggled out of Africa to the Middle East where they
would likely have become fashionable pets.
https://www.express.co.uk/news/nature/966988/monkeys-black-market-rescued-smugglers-africa-benny-nia
Dolphin Echolocation
Discovery Could Improve Ultrasound Technology
The recent discovery
that when using echolocation, dolphins actually emit two intertwined ultrasound
beams at different frequencies at slightly different times, could allow
scientists to develop new ultrasound and sonar equipment.
Researchers from
Lund University used a mathematical algorithm to successfully disentangled and
read the overlapping signals, a discovery that could inspire sharper image
quality on ultrasound technology to measure the thickness of organ membranes
deeper inside the body than is currently possible.
“It works almost
like a magic formula! Suddenly we can see things that remained hidden with
traditional methods,” Josefin Starkhammar, a researcher in biomedical
engineering at Lund University, said in a statement.
*****************************************************
*****************************************************
** ***
** **
***
*
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
|
No comments:
Post a Comment