Zoo News Digest 30th June 2019 (ZooNews 1035)
elvinhow@gmail.com
Dear Colleague,
Fascinating week for zoo news, all sorts of things happening and the animal rights anarchists really putting the boot in when and where they can. They, and the bad zoos out there have more of an ear for the press which I believe is very bad. Good work can so easily be undone by sensationalist rubbish.
Very interested to see Legoland owner Merlin Entertainments agrees £4.8bn offer. Some may remember that when Lego arrived in Windsor that the Safari Park went by the way. My friend and colleague John Dineley makes an interesting observation on this takeover " I wonder what they're accountants will make of vanity projects like the beluga sanctuary when it starts costing them too much money? Having experienced working for groups like the Tussauds group under venture capitalists (like Blackstone) the accountant's will certainly want to be in control. ". I wonder too.
I watched an interesting video this week on Tiger exploitation. All very relevant stuff and put over extremely well....why oh why though did the speaker have to finish off with a picture of himself in a tiger selfie. This is 90% of the problem. He is not alone though. On Facebook daily you will see these promotional selfies for the Tiger/Primate trade by people who should know a lot better.
Lots of discussion still going on on the Facebook Page. Lets hope somebody learns something.
"good zoos will not gain the credibility of their critics until they condemn the bad zoos wherever they are." Peter Dickinson
Lots of interest follows
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Did You Know?
ZooNews Digest has over 110,500+ Followers on Facebook( and over 110,500 likes) and has a monthly reach often exceeding over 1000,000 people? That ZooNews Digest has subscribers in over 900 Zoos in 155+ 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 110,500+ Followers on Facebook( and over 110,500 likes) and has a monthly reach often exceeding over 1000,000 people? That ZooNews Digest has subscribers in over 900 Zoos in 155+ 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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Violations impose 13-year-delay, escalate costs for Saigon safari park
Numerous violations including poor investor choice have delayed an eco-tourism park in HCMC for 30 years and caused loss of $4.33 million.
The $500 million Sai Gon Safari Park in Cu Chi District, 50 kilometers from the city center, was planned to span over 456 hectares as Vietnam's largest ecotourism park that can be on par with Southeast Asian destinations in terms of wildlife perservation.
Chimelong Ocean Kingdom has announced the birth of the three Pacific white-sided dolphins
Legoland owner Merlin
Entertainments agrees £4.8bn offer
The Danish billionaire family
that controls the Lego toy firm, with other investors, is paying £4.8bn for
Merlin.
Kirkbi Invest says it has the
money and experience to "realise the company's potential to grow".
Merlin also owns the London
Eye, Alton Towers and Chessington Adventures.
Kirkbi already owns almost a
third of the shares in Merlin Entertainments, and says it does not expect the
deal to lead to any significant changes.
All existing Merlin
attractions in the UK will remain open and it has no plans to sell any part of
the business, it said.
Charity calls for total
ban on 'tethering' birds of prey
Zoos around the country are
routinely only allowing birds of prey to fly for a few minutes a day and
keeping them in cages smaller than their wingspans, an investigation has found.
A report by the
anti-captivity charity Freedom for Animals, seen by the Guardian, details wild
birds such as owls and falcons being tied to the ground on short leashes for
long periods.
Government guidance on
tethering applies only to owls and vultures.
Some of the birds can be seen
continuously attempting to fly away before being pulled back down by their
tether and chewing at their leg straps in footage recorded by animal welfare
campaigners at bird of prey zoos.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jun/28/charity-calls-for-total-ban-on-tethering-birds-of-prey
Zoos starve birds of prey to make them perform
circus-style tricks, investigation finds
Birds of prey are effectively starved to force
them to obey human commands at zoos across the UK, investigators have found.
To train them to perform tricks for
entertainment, food is withheld from the birds, such as falcons, hawks and
eagles, which are naturally frightened of people, until their hunger outweighs
their fear, a report says.
Kerala to build centre to rehabilitate aged
tigers that can’t hunt prey in the wild
Three months ago, Pulpally, a small town in
Wayanad district of Kerala was on alert for some days owing to multiple tiger
attacks on domestic animals that were reported in the area. Fears escalated
when a forest watcher also came under the wild cat’s attack. However, when the
tiger was finally caught, it came to light that it lacked a canine tooth and
had injuries on its claw and eye. Officials pointed out that the tiger could
not hunt down prey and that might be why it had scaled down to human
habitations in search of food.
2-year-old boy dies after contracting E. coli
visiting petting zoo at San Diego County Fair
A 2-year-old child has died after contracting
E. coli at a petting zoo that was part of the San Diego County Fair.
The young boy was one of four children who
contacted E. coli from the fair, according to the County of San Diego Health
and Human Services Agency.
Commentary: How SeaWorld provides
extraordinary animal care
I’ve heard the recent claims made by PETA
about our dolphins and I can say unequivocally that they are false and
misleading. I’ve been caring for and studying marine animals, including
dolphins, for nearly 20 years. There’s no one more qualified to care for
dolphins and other marine mammals than the more than 1,000 veterinarians and
animal experts at SeaWorld. We would never do anything that is harmful to
animals.
Study explains exactly why captivity is bad
for orcas
A comprehensive interdisciplinary paper
removes any doubt that orcas don't belong in marine parks and zoos.
Researchers present a detailed catalogue of
the hardships captive orcas face and the damage done to them.
The study draws parallels between known human
chronic stresses and entertainment and research facility conditions.
The evidence offers a damning response to
perplexed apologies offered by proprietors of such parks, aquariums, and zoos
when an orca dies.
Marler: The Legal Implications of E. coli
Outbreaks at Petting Zoos and County Fairs
William “Bill” Marler is an American personal
injury lawyer and food safety advocate. He is the managing partner of Marler
Clark, a Seattle, Washington, based law firm that specializes in foodborne
illness cases.
This morning I read that San Diego County
health officials announced late Friday night that a 2-year-old child has died
and three other children between 2 and 13 years old have become ill after
having contact with animals at the San Diego County Fair. The County of San
Diego Health and Human Services Agency reported four confirmed pediatric cases
of Shiga-toxin-producing E. coli linked to contact with the animals.
Dilemmas for Natural Living Concepts of Zoo
Animal Welfare
This ethical discourse specifically deals with
dilemmas encountered within zoological institutions, namely for the concept of
natural living, and a new term—wilding. Wilding refers to extrapolation of the
natural living concept to treating an animal as wild, residing in a wild
habitat. The problems associated with wilding are detailed. Complexities of
natural living versus natural aesthetics as judged by humans, as well as the
possibility of innate preference for naturalness within animals are examined.
It is argued that unintended and unavoidable genetic and epigenetic drift
favouring adaptations for life in a captive environment may still occur,
despite zoos best efforts to prevent this from occurring. This article further
discusses the blurred lines between natural and unnatural behaviours, and the
overlaps with more important highly-motivated behaviours, which may be better
predictors of positive affective states in captive animals, and thus, better
predictors of positive well-being and welfare. Finally, as we are now in the
Anthropocene era, it is suggested that human-animal interactions could actually
be considered natural in a way, and notwithstanding, be very important to
animals that initiate these interactions, especially for “a life worth living”.
Pride 2019: London Zoo gay
penguins join LGBT event
Penguins in same-sex
relationships at London Zoo have had their beach transformed as they prepare to
celebrate Pride next week.
Banners reading "some
penguins are gay, get over it" have been propped up at the beach, home to
the zoo's most famous gay couple, Ronnie and Reggie.
The pair in 2015 famously
adopted a chick abandoned by another couple.
London Pride-inspired Zoo
Nights will start on 5 July.
The signage honouring
Stonewall's Get Over It campaign will be erected at the 93-strong penguins'
beach in Regent's Park.
Fatal Lion Attack Nets 3
‘Serious’ Violations for Center
North Carolina labor
officials have cited an animal sanctuary for safety violations after a lion
fatally mauled a 22-year old intern last December.
The state Occupational Safety
and Health Division issued a citation Thursday for three “serious” violations
to the Conservator’s Center.
Because Alexandra Black was
an unpaid intern, the division could not issue a direct citation for her death,
according to an emailed statement from the state labor department. Officials
issued a citation after determining that other employees were exposed to
hazards.
No good or bad zoos, says
Animal Party Cyprus
Voicing support for a protest
being organised by Animal Liberation Cyprus outside Limassol Zoo on Sunday,
Animal Party Cyprus said it would be joining the protest as it disagrees with
the caging of wild animals.
Such actions, it said, are
tantamount to animal abuse. All animals should live in their natural habitat
and it is a myth that zoos serve as a way of raising environment awareness and
protecting animals in danger of extinction.
Exotics rarely fit the
definition of ‘pet’
When the illustrative term
“wild” precedes the word animal, it is tough to find any gray area. The
discipline and restraint of domestication are absent, and the inherent danger
with anything wild should be obvious.
But as we observe in a
frightening conga line of nightmarish cases, people continue to swim in the
illusion that wild animals can be kept as pets. In the rare cases where safety
as an issue is minimized and the arrangement might make some sense for the
owner, the “pet” is usually sentenced to a life devoid of anything close to a
comfortable environment, a
‘World’s biggest wildlife
crime’ in history: 15 million endangered creatures seized
There has been a 50 percent
increase in the number of those arrested for smuggling European eels, with 153
arrests in this year alone, Europol has said, describing it at the “world’s
greatest, yet least know, crime”. Despite a decline in eel smuggling over the
years, the trade continues to remain high due to increasing demand. Eels are
highly popular in Chinese and Japanese cuisine, costing as much as £500 per
kilogram. According to Europol, more than 300 million European eels are
illegally smuggled every year from Europe to Asia - with a quarter of them are
juvenile glass eels.
Russia releases first
whales held in 'jail'
A number of whales and orcas captured to
perform in aquariums and held in cramped pens have been released into the wild,
but experts warned the mammals may not survive after being held in captivity
for months.
The release of six beluga and two killer
whales into the Sea of Okhotsk in Russia's far east came after a huge
international outcry over the holding in captivity of nearly 100 of the marine
mammals.
Russia criticised for 'dumping' trapped whales
at sea
Russia’s long-awaited operation to release the
first batch of whales held in cramped enclosures in the country’s far-east region
was dangerously flawed, environmentalists have said.
The animals – 11 orcas and 87 beluga whales –
have been held in captivity in a bay near the port city of Nakhodka since last
year. They were due to be sold to Chinese oceanariums, before images of the
animals languishing in the “whale prison” caused an international outcry.
Vladimir Putin last week hailed Russia’s moves
to return the whales to the wild. However, Greenpeace Russia said the two orcas
and six beluga whales were simply dumped into the Sea of Okhotsk on Thursday
Freedom. But at what cost?
I am sure by now that you have all seen the
videos taken earlier on in the year of the Russian ‘whale jail’. If you have
been living under a rock for the last six months and need some time to go do a
Google search, fetch yourself a cup of tea and a biscuit (preferably a custard
cream) while you’re at it, this is about to get heavy.
Now, I am sure we are all 100% in agreement
that none of these animals should ever have been captured from the wild in the
first place. However, the harsh reality is that, while animal rights activists
waste their time and money trying to shut down accredited zoos and aquariums
which provide stellar care for their animals, wild captures in Eastern Europe
and Asia have continued to slide under the radar.
How did elephants evolve such a large brain?
Climate change is part of the answer
Elephants have long captivated our attention,
partly because of their sheer size and majesty. But we're also struck by their
complex behaviour. In some ways, we're fascinated because this behaviour echoes
our most humane feelings. For instance, elephants have repeatedly been observed
using tools and grieving their dead.
As Chester Zoo's monorail is axed, plans are
under way for a major new attraction
Chester Zoo announced this week that they are
axing the popular monorail after 28 years, but plans are under way to expand
the zoo beyond visitors' wildest dreams.
Three decades after the transportation system
first opened to allow vantage points to the zoo from different angles, the
tourist attraction has developed so much that the monorail doesn't even cover
half of it.
So when it is removed at the end of the
summer, it will be making room for something that's on a much, much bigger
scale.
Construction of Elephant Conservation Center
in Laos Held Up Over Land Dispute
The construction of an elephant conservation
and breeding center in Laos has been delayed due to an ongoing land dispute
with villagers living on the proposed site.
Announced in September 2017 by the Chinese
state-owned Sino-Lao Tourism Investment and Development Company, the elephant
conservation center is planned for a 100-hectare plot of land near the city of
Xayaburi in the country’s northwestern Xayaburi province.
According to a Xayaburi province official, the
projected has been delayed by a multi-faceted dispute.
“There are many reasons. First, the
compensation [to residents who would be displaced] is not 100% complete,” said
the official on June 14 in an interview with RFA’s Lao Service.
The secret footpath which leads right past
elephants at Howletts Wildlife Park
Though the path is quite overgrown the
challenge is one worth accepting as it puts you just 20 foot from elephants
More than 620 toads released by Denver Zoo in
southwestern Utah
More than 620 toads, raised and hatched by the
Denver Zoo, were released earlier this month into the wild in a remote area of
southwestern Utah.
The Denver ZooBoreal toads
The boreal toad, which is found in habitats
between 7,000 and 12,000 feet in elevation in the southern Rocky Mountains, is
endangered in Colorado and New Mexico, and is protected in Wyoming, according
to a Denver Zoo news release.
The politics behind the elephant transfer
drama
Though the Assam government has temporarily
reversed the idea of sending the elephants to Gujarat, the government is still
keen to go ahead with the decision. A source in the forest & environment
department, talking to G Plus, informed that the elephants will surely be sent
eventually but for the time being the matter is being kept in abeyance as the
Veterinary Experts Committee, in a report submitted on Wednesday, said that
there is “every possibility of the elephants suffering from heat stroke” if
transported - by any means of transport for that matter.
But why is the government so eager to send the
elephants to Gujarat?
Black rhino, Zambezi, dies while being flown
from UK reserve to Tanzania
A black rhino has died while being flown from
a UK nature reserve to Tanzania.
Zambezi, the male rhino, was being kept at the
Port Lympne Reserve in Kent ahead of his transfer back to the wild as part of a
programme to repopulate the Serengeti.
He was travelling with a team from the Grumeti
Fund Reserve, alongside one of his dedicated keepers and a vet from Africa.
An investigation into his cause of death will
be carried out "as soon as possible", according to the Aspinall
Foundation - a British charity working to promote wildlife conservation.
Marineland partners with Sea Research
Foundation
Marineland and Connecticut-based Sea Research
Foundation have announced a 10-year partnership focused on beluga whale
research, conservation and education.
The long-term relationship is part of an
international effort to assist marine scientists gain further knowledge and
understanding of beluga whales with the goal of improving the health and
survivability of the endangered population in the St. Lawrence Seaway.
Using data findings and analysis from the work
at Marineland, researchers will develop real-time solutions to conservation
management of belugas in the wild.
Egypt’s Endangered Species: A Current
Assessment of the Native Wildlife
Although Egypt has a very rich wildlife, in
recent years, more and more indigenous animals have become endangered, as is
the case with many countries across the world.
There are several reasons for this; to begin
with, the National Geographic defines an endangered species as one that “is
threatened by extinction.” There are currently 41,415 species across the world
under the threat, according to IUCN Red List.
Scientists reveal sexual ‘secrets’ of elephants whose penises turn green in mating season
Scientists have revealed why male members of an elephant species with penises which turn green during mating season become more attractive as they get older.
An international team led by Oxford University found that female African savanna elephants tend to prefer mating with bulls of a certain age, rather than younger animals.
The dirty old beasts go into a kind of frenzy when baby-making time comes around, expending much more energy on finding a mate than their incelephant younger competitors.
ASSESSING DOLPHIN WELFARE: MAKING THE DEBATE ETHICAL
Dr Isabella Clegg is a marine biologist and welfare scientist, and founder of the organisation Animal Welfare Expertise (AWE). Isabella discovered that while animal welfare science continued to progress, the transfer of knowledge into the various animal industries was lagging behind. She founded AWE to help fill the gap and offer simple, innovative tools to evaluate animal welfare and ensure quality of life for captive and wild animals. In this blog Isabella explores the latest scientific and ethical questions around captive marine mammals.
The evidence base for zoo animal welfare has increased exponentially in recent years, and dolphin welfare is no exception. The first few indicators of dolphin welfare have now been identified, their level of optimism has been tested in captivity, and comprehensive assessments are being developed and applied in situ.
All 14 monkeys escape from zoo in Okinawa
Fourteen Yakushima macaques were found to have escaped from their enclosure at Okinawa Zoo & Museum in the city of Okinawa on June 27, zoo officials said.
Female chimpanzee’s arrival revives hopes of breeding Africa ..
For some time now, authorities at the Mysuru Zoo have been k ..
Understanding what makes captive gorilla hearts tick
We've known for some time that heart disease is prevalent in captive gorilla populations and is a leading cause of death. This is why, in 2010, the Great Ape Heart Project based at Zoo Atlanta (www.greatapeheartproject.org) was formed. The project provides a network of clinical, pathologic and research strategies to aid in the understanding and treating of cardiac disease in all the ape species.
I’ll fight like a lion to keep my cubs in back garden
AN ANIMAL rescuer has angered his neighbours by asking for permission to keep two lions in his back garden.
Reece Oliver saved seven-month-old cubs Rocky and Rora from a circus in the Czech Republic in February, and they live on his farm with two-year-old puma, Rogue.
But his specialised enclosure for the big cats in Strelley, Nottinghamshire, has been recommended for rejection after 14 people objected.
Future of key Pakistan Zoo at stake in court case
Islamabad: The High Court has warned officials in Pakistan’s capital amid concerns over the welfare of wild animals, some of them rare species, at the Islamabad Zoo.
Islamabad Zoo is a 33-hectare facility in the Islamabad Capital Territory.
The Islamabad High Court has ordered a report from the Ministry of Climate Change, detailing whether the Municipal Corporation of Islamabad (MCI) is competent to run the affairs of the zoo.
Lions and tigers and land: The $795,000 Kiwi zoo that didn't sell
There are many things people look for when purchasing their dream home - lighting, space, location.
What about four-legged live-ins?
Complete with lions named Aslan and Asha, white tiger Kala, exotic monkeys, Sharon the ostrich, emus, peacocks, a goat named Creamy, and donkeys named Jack and Jill, Pouakai Zoo is sure to be someone's dream purchase.
Moreno taps animal welfare groups to help revive Manila Zoo
Incoming Manila Mayor Isko Moreno has tapped animal welfare organizations to help the local government improve and revive the city-run Manila Zoo.
How Snakes Swallow
Wayward pythons are not uncommon in the Australian bush. Still, one camp manager was quite surprised when a python she relocated began to cough up its last meal: an even larger python. A snake’s ability to swallow enormous prey has long been the stuff of nightmares and fascination, but just how do they do it?
Florida zoo cited after worker injured by white rhino
A Florida zoo has been fined more than $14,500 after a worker was injured by a 4,000-pound (1,800-kilogram) white rhinoceros earlier this year.
The Florida Times-Union reported Tuesday that the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited the Jacksonville Zoo with failing to protect workers from recognized hazards when they train and feed the rhinos. It says the zoo also didn’t follow the rules of notifying the federal agency within 24 hours of the employee’s hospitalization.
Zoo officials say they’re appealing the citations and fine.
Animal rights advocates question why elephants are still in captivity after incident
African Lion Safari, a wildlife attraction outside of Toronto, is facing a stampede of criticism after one of its trainers was attacked by an elephant.
Animal lover angers his neighbours by asking permission to keep two LIONS in an enclosure in his back garden after rescuing them from a circus in the Czech Republic
An animal lover has outraged his neighbours by asking permission to keep two lions in an enclosure in his back garden.
Reece Oliver, 28, from Strelley, a village in Nottinghamshire, has owned seven-month-old lion cubs Rocky and Rora since February after he rescued them from a circus in the Czech Republic.
The African lions live in the specialised wild animal enclosure at the rear of the property, along with two-year-old puma, Rogue.
Islamabad court unhappy over poor arrangements for marsh crocodile
The Islamabad Wildlife Management Board drew the attention of the court to the poor conditions under which a marsh crocodile is being kept at a zoo in Islamabad.
It based its argument on a report submitted by the WWF-Pakistan which states that the crocodile has been kept under deplorable conditions at the Marghazar Zoo.
The report also reads that if not given proper care, the crocodile may not survive.
The Islamabad High Court has given three days to the zoo’s management to take necessary steps to prevent any further harm to the crocodile.
Conservation efforts for giant South American river turtles have protected 147,000 females
By analyzing records in countries of the Amazon and Orinoco basins--which include Brazil, Venezuela, Colombia, Bolivia, Peru and Ecuador--a paper published today in Oryx--The International Journal of Conservation, categorized 85 past and present initiatives or projects that work to preserve the South American River Turtle, or charapa (Podocnemis expansa), a critically endangered species. These projects are protecting more than 147,000 female turtles across the basin, an unprecedented figure.
The paper "On the future of the giant South American river turtle, Podocnemis expansa" was drafted by 29 Latin American researchers and scientists, including WCS's German Forero Medina, Camila R. Ferrara, and Camila K. Fagundes, Ruben Cu
It takes a lot of green to buy greens for manatees. Here's how the Cincinnati Zoo spends your money
The insects and worms feed the lizards, amphibians and some of the other 500 species of animals at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden.
The money comes from the zoo levy property tax approved by Hamilton County property owners in 2018. For a homeowner with a $100,000 home, that's $10.23 a year.
The Hamilton County Board of Commissioners in May approved the agreement for how the zoo will spend the $7 million in annual expected proceeds from the property tax through 2022 when the levy expires.
This Popular Canadian Aquarium Will Stop Holding Whales & Dolphins Captive After Signing New 35-Year Lease
Over the past several years, there has been talk about banning the captivity of whales and dolphins. Action has finally been taken and due to a recently passed bill in Canada, aquariums will no longer be allowed to keep this time of marine life in captivity. Because of this, the Vancouver Aquarium will stop holding whales and dolphins captive after signing a new 35-year lease.
Just two weeks ago, the Canadian government officially banned whale and dolphin captivity after years of delay. The bill was first introduced in the Senate in 2015 and known as the Ending the Captivity of Whales and Dolphins Acts. According to the BC SPCA, this bill was more than four years in the making and underwent more studies than any other bill in recent history.
Keepers spent months hugging five rhinos to prepare them for journey from Europe to Rwanda
Rhino keepers who successfully delivered five endangered black rhinos to Rwanda spent months hugging and coddling them inside their transport boxes to prepare them for the journey, a rhino handler told Reuters as the animals were freed on Monday.
The two male and three female eastern black rhinoceroses were flown from Safari Park Dour Kralove zoo in the Czech Republic, where they had been getting to know each other after arriving from separate European parks.
"The preparation process took several months. It started in autumn last y
Condemned World Aquarium Draws Protest Over Fate of Displaced Animals
Two weeks ago, the city condemned the World Aquarium (810 North Third Street), citing unsafe facilities and a failure to receive the proper building permits. Now People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is raising concerns about the future of the animals who have been housed there.
Parents sue Austin Aquarium claiming lemur bit their daughter
The parents of a 10-year-old girl have sued the Austin Aquarium, claiming its staff failed to prevent a lemur from biting their daughter and gave conflicting information about whether it had been vaccinated.
The suit, filed by Vikas and Sarah Dumra, said that their daughter had gone to the northwest Austin facility for an educational experience when the bite happened.
Conservation Matters
with Errol A. Gatumbato
OPINIONS
Species conservation planning
Negros Occidental will host the first ever species conservation action planning involving five highly-threatened species that are restricted only in the West Visayas Faunal Region.
The Talarak Foundation, along with other conservation organizations, national agencies, local government units, and indigenous people groups, leads the organizing of this planning workshop, which shall be facilitated by global wildlife experts from the International Union for the Conservation of Nature – Species Survival Commission and Conservation Planning Specialists Group.
The event opens today and will culminate on June 27 at Sugarland Hotel in Bacolod City.
The species subject for this planning are the Visayan warty pig, Visayan or Philippine spotted deer, Rufous-headed hornbill, Tarictic hornbill, and Negros bleeding-heart pigeon. The population of these species is known to occur only in the West Visayas Faunal Region, or West Visayas Biogeographic Zone, comprising the islands of Negros, Panay, Cebu, Masbate, Guimaras, and their satellite islands.
'Hippie Chimps' Had Sex with Mysterious 'Ghost Ape' Hundreds of Thousands of Years Ago
Mysterious "ghost apes" may have interbred with the great apes known as bonobos just as modern humans repeatedly had sex with now-extinct human lineages, a new study finds.
Bonobos are, with chimpanzees, humanity's closest living relatives. Together, bonobos and chimps are part of the group Pan, just as modern humans and extinct lineages of humans make up the group Homo.
Recently, geneticists discovered that ancestors of modern humans often interbred with extinct human lineages such as Neanderthals and Denisovans. The DNA from such trysts continues to influence modern humans, from potential immune boosts to incre
Four Different Strategies to Condition Duration
Whether you’re working on a voluntary mouth open, an ultrasound, or perhaps conditioning a blood sample with the tiger or rectal exam with elephants. All of these behaviours have one thing in common, and that is the duration of the behaviour. We have all trained many different animals, all with a different goal, one of the biggest challenges trainers encounter is to teach the animal duration. There are a few techniques one can use to teach an animal duration, whether stationary or in a behaviour.
Mahout: Changing Reigns
The rural northeast of Thailand is home to the fabled Gwi people, an ancient tribe of elephant keepers known as Mahouts. The film Mahout: Changing Reigns explores the cultural history and evolution of Gwi Mahouts as well as their legendary relationships with elephants.
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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/Hubpages http://hubpages.com/profile/Peter+Dickinson
Peter earns his living as an independent international zoo consultant, critic and writer. Until recently 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 storyteller, 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"
"These are the best days of my life"
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