On with links:
CEO of the Wild Foundation Vance Martin comments on Save China's Tigers Rewilding and Reintroduction Project
Vance Martin is CEO of the Wild Foundation, and he comments on Save China's Tigers Rewilding and Reintroduction Project
Tigers in Africa seems a fanciful thought…but they are there! Though they do not roam completely free in the wilderness, the South China Tiger can be found in carefully managed, large wildland areas in South Africa, the subject of an ambitious effort to rescue it from extinction. The 33,000ha (82,000 acre) LaohuValley Reserve is the centerpiece of Save China’s Tigers experimental bid to breed the South China Tiger and eventually return it to its natural habitat.
This effort has generated significant controversy, so I went there in January to better understand what it is doing and to determine its role in the broad spectrum of conservation work occurring around the globe. I found a valid initiative, doing good work, and fighting two battles simultaneously: one to save a tiger (arguably a sub-species), and (as if that were not enough) another to defend itself against the (sometimes) seemingly endless internal sniping of the nature conservation world. Who needs enemies when fellow conservationists often serve that function?!
I encourage you to go to the SCT website to see details. They’re making progress. I’ll just briefly give my response to some of the “sniping” I’ve heard from other groups and conservationists.
1.Tigers don’t belong in Africa. Why start a breeding facility there, almost halfway around the world from their home range? – The historically-proven and commonsense strategy to save a very small remnant population is to create geographically-separated gene pools, or small groups of the survivors, in order to protect them from potential threats such as disease, human pressure, etc. If they breed successfully, and there are adequate wild reserves
http://english.savechinastigers.org/node/532
Springwatch presenter Chris Packham relives his enchanted childhood... and the awful moment he was told: no pet crocodile
Sorry, I don't have change for a ladybird,' said the ice-cream man, trying to coax the red beetle scuttling across the counter of his van back into the matchbox.
'Why don't you take these lollies and tell your mum she owes me a shilling?'
He smiled and I carefully placed the little box back in my pocket and set off for home, the rocket-shaped lolly dribbling down my Thunderbirds T-shirt
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/mailonsunday/article-1289859/Springwatch-presenter-Chris-Packham-relives-enchanted-childhood--awful-moment-told-pet-crocodile.html?ito=feeds-newsxml
Malaysia: Shooting of rare tiger defended
The head of Malaysia's volunteer security corps said Friday one of his men shot an endangered tiger to protect villagers and he would have done the same, despite criticism by wildlife activists.
Mohamad Sulong Che Ros shot the 3-year-old Malayan tiger after it was found foraging for food in his village in northern Perak state Tuesday. He is part of Malaysia's security corps, known by its Malay acronym RELA, whose members are allowed to carry firearms.
Conservationists have condemned the killing, and the Department of Wildlife and National Parks is investigating.
RELA Director General Zaidon Asmuni said
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10654462
PM's panda diplomacy fails to woo Auckland Zoo
Aucklanders are likely to lose out to Wellington in housing giant pandas at the zoo because Auckland Zoo turned up its nose at Prime Minister John Key's offer to broker a panda deal with China.
Auckland Zoo was offered first dibs on housing the two giant pandas Key hoped to rent from the Chinese government, but the zoo declined because "black and white pandas are not in our collection plan".
Key says long before Wellington mayor Kerry Prendergast's announcement last week that she wanted a pair of the endangered bears for Wellington Zoo, he had had the same idea, but was thinking of acquiring them for Auckland Zoo because the larger city had better odds of recouping the high cost of keeping the crowd-pleasing bears.
Visitor numbers at Adelaide Zoo in Australia have leapt by 70% in the six months since it acquired a pair of pandas.
But Key told the Sunday Star-Times that when Auckland Zoo was approached by the government, the response was lukewarm.
"There was some initial discussion with people, who didn't say no, but they certainly didn't say
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/3859300/PMs-panda-diplomacy-fails-to-woo-Auckland-Zoo/
Predator-prey relationships play large part in zoo’s setup
Asahiyama Zoo tackled the problem this April in its brand new, ¥70-million raptor display. Built to accommodate endangered Blakinston’s fish owls in the future, the house-size black metal cage currently holds three white-tailed eagles. It also features a small pond stocked with rainbow trout intended to supplement the eagles’ regular diet of dead fish supplied by their keepers.
Gen Bando, the zoo director, said that designing the exhibit was tricky.
“There is certainly the ability of the predator to chase its prey, but there is also the ability of the prey to escape its predator. If you put the prey into an environment where it can’t escape, there’s the possibility that it will simply become a cruel one-sided show,” he said. To avoid that situation, the pool in the raptor cage has been designed with nooks and crannies where the fish can escape the eagles.
A different kind of problem arises when it comes to feeding the snakes, said Bando.
“We feed mice to our snakes, and visitors don’t object. But if we fed the snake a rabbit, we’d have a bad scene on our hands. People will only watch if the prey is an animal that’s slightly disgusting to them,” he explained ” adding that
http://www.abilitiesnetworks.org/predator-prey-relationships-play-large-part-in-zoos-setup/
See subject above: I wrote on this very subject only a very short time ago. Please read:
Live Feeding To Zoo Animals
Sariska may see two more tigers this rainy season
Call them monsoon tigers, for this time round too the rainy season will mark the arrival of tigers in Sariska. As soon as the season's first showers lash the slopes of the mighty Aravallis, another pair of wild tigers would be shifted to Sariska Tiger Reserve from Ranthambhore National Park. The twosome—a male and a female—would join the group of one male and two females which have already made the Sariska woods their home since the first ever tiger re-location in the country two years ago.
“The temperature has to come down. We cannot release the tigers if the temperature is above 40 degrees C. The ideal situation to carry out the exercise is the rainy season,” says the Chief Wildlife Warden of Rajasthan, R. N. Mehrotra.
“Now that the Union Minister of State for Environment and Forests has given clearance for another round of re-location, we have started the preparations. It can happen some time in the first fortnight of July,” Mr. Mehrotra reveals.
Environmentalists and tiger lovers are happy about the end to the impasse over tiger-shifting as after an unsavoury controversy over the wisdom of bringing together the tigers from the same gene pool the National Tiger Conservation Authority had started acting tough on the issue. Though still positive about the re-introduction of the tiger population in Sariska – after the reserve lost all its tigers some time
http://www.hindu.com/2010/06/27/stories/2010062757810100.htm
Zoo Negara to have more wildlife from Sabah
Zoo Negara visitors will soon be able to view more exotic wildlife from Sabah.
Malaysian Zoological Associ-ation president Datuk Ismail Hutson said efforts are being made to get animals from Sabah to be relocated at the zoo in Hulu Kelang.
“Preparations are underway to receive Borneo pygmy elephants, proboscis monkeys, orang utans and hornbills,” he said after witnessing the launch of the zoo’s rain harvesting system by Natural Resources and Environment Ministry deputy secretary-general Datuk Azmi Che Mat yesterday.
The harvested rain water process was carried out in collaboration with the Drainage and Irrigation Department.
It is an environmental friendly project which recycles rain water to be utilised for the zoo sewerage system and several
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/6/27/nation/6558458&sec=nation
Zoo told to make night houses for monkeys
A health advisory committee, a panel to advise zoo administration on the hygiene, nutrition, health and treatment of animals, examined the health and general upkeep of the animals in the Patna zoo on Saturday.
The committee also examined tiger Ram, tigress Sita and elephant Mala. According to zoo director Abhay Kumar, Ram has been suffering from posterior paresis for quite sometime and has also a wound for years now. The tiger has not been on display for last three months and has continuously been kept under treatment.
"All efforts are being made to improve the big cat’s health. We have also increased the size of the cubicle where it sleeps. A water channel has been constructed to provide a bigger space and better living conditions to it," said Kumar.
The zoo has currently one pair of yellow tiger and one white tigress, Sita. Sita, despite her old age, is maintaining a normal health.
"We are in talks with the Junagarh and Hyderabad zoos to bring a pair of tigers by the end of this year," said Kumar.
Mala has a wound at the left shoulder joint since long. Till a few years back, children have had the pleasure of a joyride on its back.
After the Central Zoo Authority (CZA)-New Delhi banned keeping elephants in the zoo, two elephants from the Patna zoo were sent to the Valmiki Tiger Reserve where they are used for patrolling purposes. However, the zoo administration intends to retain Mala due to her poor health, and a request to the effect has been sent to the CZA.
The health panel found the arrangements for handling possible health problems due to extreme summer conditions quite satisfactory. There has not been any casualty due to heat wave this year, the director said.
The committee, however, recommended increase in space and construction of night houses for rhinos, monkeys and gharials. Other suggestions include planting of elephant grass in the elephant enclosure, purchase of a new tranquilliser gun, construction
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/patna/Zoo-told-to-make-night-houses-for-monkeys/articleshow/6096755.cms
Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund has announced the 2010 recipients of nearly $1.5 million in grants to protect vulnerable wildlife and ecosystems around the world.
The funding enables nonprofit organizations to provide support for more than 45 species across the globe–from protecting the critically endangered Sumatran rhino in Indonesia, to tracking northern jaguars in the foothills of Mexico, to studying the threats of the endangered green sea turtle.
“As part of Disney’s longstanding commitment to the environment, the work supported through the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund is more important today than ever in helping preserve our planet’s most precious resources,” said Dr. Beth Stevens, senior vice president, Environmental Affairs, The Walt Disney Company. “We are proud to support these organizations that are truly making a difference around the world to aid in the protection of wildlife and the natural environments they depend on to flourish.”
Over the past decade, the DWCF—through support from The Walt Disney Company and Disney Guests—has provided more than $15 million in grants for the study of wildlife, protection of habitats, land management plans, community conservation and education. Along with a focus on support for species and habitat conservation science, the DWCF encourages programs that engage local residents and benefit both human and animal communities.
Below is a highlight of some of this year’s recipients:
· Wildlife Trust: Black Lion Tamarin Conservation through Research and Community Involvement - Wildlife Trust teaches communities about sustainable development alternatives, including tree nurseries and handicrafts, to protect the black lion tamarins living in Brazil’s Atlantic Forest.
· Northern Jaguar Project: Northern Jaguar Feline Photo Project - In an effort to reduce jaguar mortality and build conservation alliances with rural landowners, Northern Jaguar Project works directly with local ranch owners in Mexico to monitor and protect the species.
· Save the Elephants: Elephants and Bees - Save the Elephants minimizes human-wildlife conflict by studying and researching innovative strategies to reduce crop-raiding. By using beehives as a deterrent, community crops are left un-touched and families have a new source of income through honey production.
· University of Hawaii: Conserving the Green Sea Turtle in Hawaii - This program advances the understanding of the impact of pollution on endangered green sea turtles. Through further research, conservationists are able to work more effectively with local communities and governments to protect the turtles.
· International Rhino Foundation: Sumatran Rhino Conservation - The Sumatran rhino is considered the most endangered rhino species with numbers declining more than 70 percent in the past two decades. International Rhino Foundation is protecting the species through research and outreach programs in local communities.
To date the DWCF has accomplished the following milestones:
· More than $1 million to primate conservation efforts
· More than $900,000 to protect cats worldwide
· More than $850,000 to elephant conservation
· More than $850,000 to study and save sea turtles
· More than $625,000 to rhino conservation efforts
Since 1998, the DWCF has also awarded more than $575,000 in Rapid Response funds to assist with more than 120 environmental and animal emergencies. In the past year, the DWCF has provided more than $125,000 to support efforts worldwide including veterinary care and vaccinations for animals in the wake of the 7.0 magnitude earthquake in Haiti and rehabilitation
http://conservation.wdwpublicaffairs.com/ContentDrillDown.aspx?DisplayItem=958ea6c1-edeb-4ec6-9857-653d6761db9b
There's always someone who ruins a photo.....
(Many thanks to the anonymous photographer)
Emergency services have been called to a large blaze in Newchurch the Gazette can reveal
Fire crews were called just before six pm today Sunday (June 27) to Amazon World in Watery Lane in Newchurch
Staff at the zoo, which houses over 200 animal species, discovered the blaze in an outbuilding and raised the alarm.
Robert Westmore Amazon Zoo Manager said, “Staff tried to tackle the fire using a garden hose as it was feared that the fire might spread to the quarantine area of th
http://iwgazette.co.uk/index.php/fire-at-amazon-world-two-treated?5813
Giraffe is born at Miami Metrozoo
This is the 43rd giraffe to be born at the zoo, which will soon be renamed Zoo Miami.
http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/06/23/1696359/giraffe-is-born-at-miami-metrozoo.html
One of world's most endangered species, Guam kingfishers live on in zoos in struggle to survive
Chicago's Lincoln Park Zoo has two chicks being raised by different parents
A mated pair of Guam Micronesian kingfishers, one of the most severely endangered animal species in the world, laid two fertile eggs this spring deep inside a hollowed-out palm log in a special breeding room of the Lincoln Park Zoo bird house. Keepers promptly stole one of the eggs.
The parents incubated and hatched one egg in the hollow log June 3 and now rear the chick there. The other egg hatched June 5 inside an incubation machine in a lab, where the chick now lives, fed by keepers from tweezers protruding beneath the beak of an over-sized kingfisher hand puppet.
Taking the second egg is standard procedure in 20 American zoos that for 25 years have struggled to save the bird from extinction. Guam kingfisher pairs often lay two eggs. In nature the stronger of the two kingfisher
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-kingfisher-chicks-20100626,0,853170.story
Jerusalem to expand Biblical Zoo
The Jerusalem Planning Committee yesterday approved plans to expand the city's Biblical Zoo, Israel's most popular tourist destination for three years running.
In a unanimous decision, Jerusalem Municipal Planning Committee members yesterday approved plans to expand the city's Biblical Zoo, Israel's most popular tourist destination for three years in a row. The plan would increase the zoo's area from 250 to 400 dunams over the next few years. The decision was prompted by a survey which revealed the zoo had beat out the ancient ruins of Masada and Caesarea, and the hot springs of Hamat Gader, to become the country's top tourist attraction. In 2007 alone, 700,000
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/travel/jerusalem-to-expand-biblical-zoo-1.244030
Poachers doom rare Javan rhino
The International Rhino Foundation fears that the animal shot dead in Cat Tien National Park in late April may have been Viet Nam's last Javan rhino. Sai Gon Tiep thi (Sai Gon Marketing) spoke to park director Tran Van Thanh.
Was the dead rhino Viet Nam's last?
Park rangers searched for rhino traces after we found the bones of the dead animal. Previously, when we found indications of the rhino in the south of the park, we co-operated with World Wild Fund experts to search for more rhino but were unsuccessful.
It's possible that Viet Nam has no rhino; but that's just a theory drawn from experience.
So what will you do now?
We will comb the entire park for two or three weeks for traces of rhino and wait for the results of DNA verification due in July. We sent 60 samples of droppings taken from the dead rhino for DNA tests at Queen's University, Ontario. If they find the DNA matches that of the slaughtered rhino, it means there was just one Javan rhino in Viet Nam and it's dead.
Poachers killed the Javan rhino, so what was the responsibility of the park's rangers in its death? Will the animal's death influence WWF projects
http://vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn/Opinion/200986/Poachers-doom-rare-Javan-rhino.html
The last great cat of Yemen
Many years ago, when Arabia was connected to Africa, wild animals roamed the mountains of Yemen. According to the Greek writer Agatharhides of Cnidus who lived in the second century BC, the northwest of the country once abounded with lions, wolves and leopards. But now Arabian lions are believed to be extinct. Only a few of the great cats survive, and their existence is threatened with human settlement and the depletion of their natural prey.
In Yemen, the dark chocolate spotted Arabian leopard is thought to still live in the eastern and north western parts of the country. Its relatives have been shot by shepherds, killed for sport or for their skin, and caught for sale to private zoos. Weary of humans, it is believed to hunt in a large area including the governorates of Amran, Mahwit and Hajja.
Chances of seeing the leopard are reportedly similar to the chances of being struck by lightning, but one Sana’a-based organization continues to be determined to set up trail cameras to capture it on film. The organization is headed by David Stanton, formerly a teacher at the Sana’a International School, who two years ago became executive director of the Foundation for the Protection of the Arabian Leopard in Yemen. The conservationist, who is also adviser to the Minister for Water and the Environment on the conservation of the animal, spoke to Alice Hackman.
The Arabian leopard has been Yemen’s national animal since April 2008, says David Stanton, but so far its national status has not really been exploited, either to muster patriotism among Yemenis, or to put it at the center of a campaign to push for the protection of all the species in its food cycle.
Save something at the top of a food chain and you save everything underneath, he explains. To conserve Yemen’s leopard, the water resources should be pure, the ecosystem should be intact, and the vegetation should be adequate to support the prey species that the leopard eats.
But the animal at the top of this food chain, a ‘critically endangered’ animal on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN)’s red list, has not so far been the focus of a campaign run by the government’s “easily moveable
http://www.yementimes.com/defaultdet.aspx?SUB_ID=34244
Zoo 60 years old and going strong
At 60 years of age, the Hattiesburg Zoo has never looked better, thanks to the occasional facelift and improvements over the years. New animal habitats and landscaping have made the zoo more pleasant for animals and visitors alike, but even more is planned this year.
"What we want is for the visual appearance to pull off Hardy Street better," said Rick Taylor, executive director of the Hattiesburg Convention Commission, which now oversees the operation and promotion of the zoo. "With the animals, you have to provide some screening. We're looking at landscaping and asking how do we meet the needs of both animals and humans? We're looking nationally (at other zoos). One of the benefits we've brought to the zoo is the ability to ask questions as a guest. That lets us address things."
The latest addition to the landscaping is a waterfall and koi pond at the entrance to the train depot, sponsored by Mike Keith of Waterflow Productions.
"We're going to have to monitor the koi carefully because, despite
http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/article/20100627/NEWS07/6270334
Rhino horn man Mark Rowland jailed
A man caught selling banned rhino horns on eBay has been jailed.
Mark Rowland, 24, tried to sell a tusk for £2,000 to a buyer in the US, Norwich Crown Court heard.
Just two years earlier, Rowland, of Swaffham, Norfolk, was convicted of dealing in rare stuffed animals, including a buzzard and black bear, on the website.
He was jailed for nine months and banned
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2010/06/27/rhino-horn-man-jailed-115875-22363812/
Not yet released. Pre-order and save money
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Today is the 10-year anniversary of the Treasure oil spill in South Africa. After 556,000 grueling hours of labor by 12,500 volunteers, 95% of the 38,000 affected penguins were returned to the wild. I was a Penguin Aquarist at the time, and worked as a rehabilitation manager during this historic event.
King of the swimmers: How orangutan Suryia loves a summer dip with his trainer
When people talk about getting an all-over tan for summer, they're not usually talking about getting an all-over orangutan.
But 30-year-old Moksha Bybee has the most unusual of swimming partners - a seven-year-old urangutan who clings to her as she dives beneath the surface.
The jungle-dwelling creatures are not known for their love of the water, but Suryia appears to have permanently swapped tree trunks for swimming trunks.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1289536/King-swimmers-How-orangutan-Suryia-loves-summer-dip-trainer.html
See above: Something else which I have written on recently. Please see:
It May Be Clever But Is It Right?
Suit: Stop funding zoo's 'cruel' elephant treatment
Two women have sued the city of Seattle in an effort to stop their tax dollars from funding what they call "cruel, inhumane and unlawful" treatment of elephants at the Woodland Park Zoo.
For years, Mary Sebek and Nancy Farnam have been a part of a growing movement of people who believe zoo elephants do not thrive in captivity and should be released to sanctuaries.
In 2006, local advocates filed a lawsuit accusing Woodland Park Zoo of violating federal laws in its treatment of Bamboo, a female Asian elephant. That complaint was dismissed. In 2007, advocates again complained vociferously about the zoo, after the beloved baby elephant Hansa died of herpes.
This time, plaintiffs have the backing of the California-based Animal Legal Defense Fund. Filed Tuesday in King County Superior Court, the complaint alleges that the three elephants currently at the zoo -- Bamboo, Watoto and Chai -- suffer from painful foot and joint injuries, psychological distress and abusive breeding practices.
In addition to the usual allegations that the zoo is violating animal-cruelty laws, the plaintiffs want the city to stop funding the zoo.
"The injuries suffered by the Zoo elephants constitute waste of public property," the complaint says.
Or, in the words of Farnam, a longtime elephant activist from Edmonds:
"I shop frequently in Seattle. I pay sales taxes. I'm very concerned, because the city of Seattle has been put on notice on the condition of these animals. It hasn't made any difference. We're very much afraid these elephants are going to die."
Like many elephant advocates, she wants the animals released to an elephant sanctuary in Tennessee.
Spokespeople at the zoo and the City Attorney's office had no comment Tuesday on the complaint, citing a policy of not publicly discussing lawsuits.
The complaint alleges the elephants suffer from a plethora of painful foot injuries caused by zoo conditions, including hard concrete floors and lack of space for natural roaming and foraging behavior.
Based on publicly disclosed medical records, the lawsuit says the elephants suffer from ostereoarthritis, abscesses, infections, lesions and cracks, and that Chai, a female 31-year-old Thai elephant, was treated more than 80 times in 2008 for abscesses, infections and lesions.
The complaint also says the elephants exhibit behavior consistent with psychological distress, including rocking and pacing.
Plaintiffs also condemn the zoo's breeding program, in which they say the zoo has used artificial insemination to try to impregnate Chai more than 57 times. None of the attempts have worked, and Chai has suffered from multiple miscarriages, the plaintiffs said. (Chai gave birth to Hansa in 2000, after impregnated by a bull elephant at another zoo).
The complaint also alleges that a fourth Woodland Park elephant, Sri, suffered a stillbirth, after being impregnated while on loan to the St. Louis Zoo.
"Sri has been carrying the deceased, slowly mummifying fetus in her birth canal for more than four years," the complaint said.
In 2006, when elephant advocates accused the zoo of creating conditions that led to Bamboo's difficult, aggressive behavior, zoo officials bragged about its elephant care.
"We are proud of the world-class care and treatment afforded all our zoo's animals, including Bamboo and our other elephants that reside and socialize in our award-winnin
http://www.seattlepi.com/local/422581_elephants29.html
What The Elephants Know
On the morning of November 30, at around 7:45, three keepers entered the elephant enclosure at the Toronto Zoo to begin their daily routine. The elephants live on a dusty one-hectare tract of land with huge umbrellas for shade and three simulated termite mounds. During winter, they spend their nights in a concrete building with a corrugated roof, a poured rubber floor and metal bars as thick as tree trunks. That morning, the keepers were greeted with an alarming sight. Tara, the 41-year-old matriarch of the group, was on her side, unable to get up.
Most elephants can’t lie on their sides for extended periods of time—their sheer mass puts too much pressure on their internal organs—so zoo staff immediately began trying to raise her. Getting into the pen with an elephant is dangerous work—one elephant gored a keeper in 1993. But there wasn’t much time, and the team was desperate.
The eight staff who tend to the elephants had agreed that they wanted to be called in if one of their charges ever went down, and soon off-duty keepers were rushing down to the enclosure to help out or, more likely, to say goodbye. The African animal supervisor, Eric Cole, a 30-year zoo veteran with short-cropped hair and the remnants of an Irish brogue, had had some success coaxing fallen elephants back to their feet in the past. At first, Tara swiped angrily at the keepers with her trunk. She eventually calmed down, allowing Cole and his team to get straps underneath her. Using a winch, they raised the 3,800-kilogram animal to her sternum. Tara struggled. She managed to lift her hind legs but wasn’t able to pull her front legs under her. Keepers tried a few more times to raise her, but she wouldn’t budge. At around 11 that morning, Tara died. “She didn’t appear to have the will,” recalled Maria Franke, curator of mammals. “It’s like she decided to let go.”
The keepers were devastated. “It was pretty shattering,” Cole told me. “Everyone was just drained; the staff was all crying.” They brought Tara’s body out to the paddock so that the other elephants, Thika, Toka and Iringa, could mourn her. Elephants are highly social animals, and females live in tight-knit groups their entire lives. When an elephant, particularly the matriarch, dies in the wild, the loss can reverberate for months or even years. There are stories of elephants returning to the bones of a family member years after the death, rubbing their trunks along the teeth of the skull’s lower jaw in the same way they greet one another in life.
Tara had to be autopsied, so mourning could last only a few hours. The zoo’s remaining elephants—animals who lived with Tara for decades—straddled her and stroked her skin. They used their trunks to throw dirt on her. At the end of the day, keepers transported Tara and brought the rest of the elephants back inside for the night. Because the elephants don’t always get along, they are often kept in separate pens and spend the night apart. When keepers arrived the next morning, however, they found all the elephant dung piled close to the connecting corners of their respective pens. The three elephants—the final members of a haphazardly formed family group that had once been eight—had spent that night huddled together, as close to one another as possible.
Two days later, the Toronto Zoo was quiet, empty save for a few groups of teenagers playing hooky and a handful of daycare kids who toddled past the simulated Serengeti bush camp toward the empty Africa Restaurant (a Harvey’s and a Pizza Pizza outlet in a jungle-themed pavilion). It was a bright, unseasonably warm day, and most of the animals were in their outdoor display areas: tigers stretching out in the sunny section of their Indo-Malaya enclosure, muddy-looking polar bears in the new Tundra Trek area, a group of impalas and kudu blinking in a broad pasture, indifferent to the intruding raccoon and flock of Canada geese that compromised the verisimilitude of their savannah habitat.
At the African elephant exhibit, the mood was sombre. A young zookeeper in gumboots and khakis told me that she’d had an emotional few days. “We look after these animals eight hours a day,” she said. “We become close.” Since Tara’s death, the elephants had been unusually subdued, keeping near to one another, acting tentative. Thika, a 30-year-old female, stood motionless under one of the large wooden umbrellas, one foot cocked at the ankle. In the stillness, you could hear the swish of her trunk as she rubbed it over her rough body, over her head, over her ears, over her
http://www.torontolife.com/daily/informer/from-print-edition-informer/2010/06/29/what-the-elephants-know/
World first for vultures facing extinction
Globally extinct within 10 years: that has been the worst prediction for three species of vulture which have disappeared from huge swathes of southern Asia. But the latest exciting news from a conservation partnership in India reveals that all three species have now successfully reared young in a captive breeding centre, providing some long-term hope for these three Critically Endangered species, especially as the ultimate aspiration will be to return birds to the wild.
Reportedly, before their population crash, Asia's vulture population extended to tens of millions of birds, but now the combined population of all three species numbers is believed to be well below 60,000 individuals. And with the population of at least one species almost halving each year, the success of captive breeding may give some hope that these magnificent birds will be prevented from reaching oblivion.
The centre reports that 10 vulture chicks have fledged this year, with three Indian Vulture Gyps indicus chicks fledging in captivity for the first time ever. These chicks were complemented by the fledging of three Slender-billed Vultures G. tenuirostris and four White-rumped Vultures G. bengalensis.
The population crash of Asia's vultures was first noted in the late 1990s, since then their rate of decline has been steeper than many other species, including the infamous extinction of the dodo. The vultures' catastrophic decline has been driven by the veterinary use of diclofenac. A vulture will die of acute kidney
http://www.birdlife.org/news/news/2010/06/vulture-breeding-success.html
Drugged tigers do not a zoo make
THERE have been a lot of news reports on private zoos and resorts management of wildlife over the past few months. Many of these reports have focused on either how zoos are used as fronts for the laundering of wildlife or the exploitation of wildlife for profit. One establishment rents (yes, rents) tigers to companies for photographic opportunities and to bring the companies luck. One instance was the footage captured by a member of the public, shown on YouTube on the allegedly drugged tiger at a zoo in a resort. These reports were not only published locally but also broadcast by international television stations watched by millions.
Granted that these establishments were given special permits and licences to display wildlife as exhibits but some have gone to the extent of claiming that this is their conservation effort to save wildlife. I am having a difficult time accepting this. How does having tigers photographed for a fee or renting them add to conservation value?
The manager of the resort, when asked whether the tiger in the video was drugged for the keeper to manipulate for that perfect photo, explained that since the animal is sleepy in the day and well-fed, the keeper needed to coax it to perform as the dutiful tiger. Seriously? When I first read this, I could not believe that the public would be so ignorant as to believe this excuse. So, I was glad to see the public responding in anger to the treatment of the tiger, and demanding that these animals be treated with respect and in a humane manner. The public is not swallowing the excuses these establishments give to justify their treatment of wildlife as playthings.
My main contention is why are these "zoos" touting themselves as promoting conservation, and calling themselves zoos. The purpose of a zoo, when displaying captive wildlife, should primarily be for the conservation of the species, education and research. Entertainment of visitors should always be secondary. This means that to function within the definition and purpose of a zoo, it should do one or a few of the following: conduct research on the wildlife it is keeping; study the animals behaviour and publish the findings to contribute
http://www.thesundaily.com/article.cfm?id=48723
Thousands of Sea Turtle Eggs To Be Moved Out of Oil's Way
For the tens of thousands of sea turtle eggs incubating in the sands of the northern Gulf of Mexico—and dangerously near the oil—it's come to this: Officials are planning to dig up the approximately 700 nests on Alabama and the Florida panhandle beaches, pack the eggs in Styrofoam boxes, and fly them to a facility in eastern Florida where they can mature. Once the eggs have hatched, the young turtles will be released in darkness on Florida's Atlantic beaches into oil-free water. Translocation of nests on this scale has never been attempted before.
"This is really a worst-case scenario," says Michael Ziccardi, a University of California, Davis, veterinarian and oil-spill veteran who is leading the government's response efforts for marine mammals and sea turtles. "We hoped we wouldn't get to this point."
Sea turtles that hatch in the Northern Gulf of Mexico typically spend a few months near the coast, and many eventually enter the Loop Current to make their way into the Atlantic. This year, that path would put them right in the oil spill. Federal officials in charge of response "believe that most, if not all, of the 2010 Northern Gulf hatchling cohort would be at high risk of encountering oil during this period," according to the written translocation plan, developed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Marine Fisheries Service, and the
http://news.sciencemag.org/scienceinsider/2010/06/thousands-of-sea-turtle-eggs-to-.html?etoc
"Metamorphoses of the Zoo marshals a unique compendium of critical interventions that envision novel modes of authentic encounter that cultivate humanity's biophilic tendencies without abusing or degrading other animals. These take the form of radical restructurings of what were formerly zoos or map out entirely new, post-zoo sites or experiences. The result is a volume that contributes to moral progress on the inter-species front and eco-psychological health for a humankind whose habitats are now mostly citified or urbanizing."
This book is not available till September but it can be pre-ordered by clicking
Pride of lions spotted roaming S.African village
South African authorities on Wednesday said they were searching for four lions believed to have escaped from a wildlife park which have been spotted roaming villages in the northwest.
"A search party of rangers has been out since last week but they have not managed to capture the four lions," said Joshua Kwapa, a spokesman for Limpopo province.
Kwapa said villagers in Giyane, which lies close to the Kruger National Park, north of the country have spotted the lions on numerous occasions.
"They are three adults and a calf. We suspect they might have escaped from one of the parks in the Kruger National Park area," said Kwapa.
"The lions pose danger to both humans and domestic animals," he added.
But officials in the Kruger Park denied suggestions
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5isoF9bDfjAK0SjX_TiX6g7fKeHNg
Conservationists hail arrival of India vulture chicks
Three species of rare vultures in India have been successfully bred in captivity, conservationists say.
Most of the birds were reared in the Indian state of Haryana, but also in the state of West Bengal.
Among the 10 chicks that have fledged this year are four oriental white-backed vultures.
Experts say this species - once found all over India - has been declining at a "rate quicker than the dodo before it became extinct".
Population crash
The birds have been bred by a partnership of British and Indian conservation groups including BirdLife International, Bombay Natural History Society, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), UK International Centre for Birds of Prey (ICBP), and the Zoological Society of London
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/10448564.stm
Elephant hurts keeper at Toledo Zoo
An elephant keeper was injured by an elephant at the Toledo, Ohio, Zoo on Thursday afternoon, according to officials.
Don RedFox, the keeper, was taken to the University of Toledo Medical Center, said zoo spokesman Andi Norman. RedFox's injuries are not life threatening, according to the zoo. RedFox is the elephant manager and has been employed at the zoo for more than 30 years, mostly working with elephants.
The elephant involved in the incident is a 7-year-old named "Louie." "He was born at the zoo in 2003 and had been under the keeper's care since then," Norman said.
The incident between the keeper and the elephant occurred at 3:45 p.m. ET Thursday, said Norman. "A zoo
http://edition.cnn.com/2010/US/07/01/ohio.zookeeper.injured/?fbid=3xTD6bq2tsH
'New' giant ape found in DR Congo
Scientists believe they have discovered a new group of giant apes in the jungles of central Africa.
The animals, with characteristics of both gorillas and chimpanzees, have been sighted in the north of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
According to local villagers, the apes are ferocious, and even capable of killing lions.
A report about the mysterious creatures is published in this week's edition of the UK magazine New Scientist.
If they are a new species of primate, it could be one of the most important wildlife discoveries in decades.
The discovery of these apes "reveals just how much we still have to learn about our closest living relatives," New
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/3730574.stm
Giant pandas make group debut at park
Fourteen giant pandas made a public group debut at Shanghai Wild Animal Park on Wednesday, marking the opening of the zoo's giant panda pavilion, China News Service reports.
The giant panda group consisted of four old park residents, including a bear that was born in 1983 and three pandas that have a chance of being sent to Taiwan. The other 10 were World Expo pandas born after the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, which had been relocated to the park two days ago from another part of Shanghai.
A 10,000-square-meter bamboo forest had been prepared for the pandas featuring a variety of bamboo plants. The Expo Giant Panda Pavilion inside the forest was built to resemble the natural living environment of the giant pandas.
Breeders say that the 10 Expo pandas have been in good health since they were moved to Shanghai from their hometown Wolong in Sichuan Province in January. Although their recent move has affected their eating and sleeping habits, the pandas
http://www.china.org.cn/2010-07/01/content_20394151.htm
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Released lynxes have cubs
The seven Iberian lynxes (four females and three males) released in December 2009 in Guadalmellato, Cordoba are breeding successfully. Three cubs have been born to one mother, and two other females are believed to be pregnant.
The seven animals were the first to be released from the lynx captive breeding programme with the aim of establishing new territories across Spain. In this first case, an area close to the main lynx stronghold of Andújar was chosen. To make their adaptation easier, supplementary food in the form of penned rabbits has been provided – the lynxes can get in, but the rabbit can’t get out. The animals have also been fitted with radio-trackers.
The biologists in charge of the project are delighted not only with the news of the cubs, but also because no lynxes have so far died – three to four were expected to do so as they succumbed to the ordeal of adapting to their new territory. One animal has also come into contact with lynxes from Andújar which bodes well
How should Micke Grove Zoo be operated?
Micke Grove Zoo’s future may be at a crossroads. The 5-acre zoo hasn’t been accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums since 2006, and a San Joaquin County supervisor has candidly stated that the zoo is bereft with problems.
“I don’t want to be negative, but this zoo is all screwed up,” Supervisor Larry Ruhstaller said during last week’s budget hearings by the Board of Supervisors.
Ruhstaller said in a follow-up interview last week that a personality clash lies between members of the Micke Grove Zoological Society and zoo director Ken Nieland. Additionally, the Board of Supervisors should stop being passive about zoo operations, Ruhstaller said.
“We need to exercise our authority and say, ‘OK, how do we make this work?’” Ruhstaller said. “Otherwise, in six months or a year, we don’t have a zoo. I think we need to play hardball with (the zoo).”
Nieland responded, “I have never had a conversation about the zoo with Larry Ruhstaller.”
Zoological Society members differ on what their role and influence should be. Outgoing society President Bob Westwood and new President Wayne Diede have greatly different perspectives.
“Why should the county fund what the public doesn’t want?” said Westwood, who applauds the county’s trimming of the zoo budget. “(The public) doesn’t want just monkeys and birds.”
The public has been surveyed several times, and they want a variety of animals — ones who are active, run around, and stare at people as people stare at t
‘We’re out of it,’ says zoo boss in council rift
ZOO boss David Gill says he will sell the attraction after his expansion plans were delayed by the council’s request for more information.
‘This is an example of rip off Britain at its worst’
‘We have had objections from several consultees’
Mr Gill said he has axed the £3.6m expansion after Barrow Borough Council delayed the development, saying he must provide them with more information.
Now Mr Gill has jetted off to his home in America, to escape what he calls “Broken Britain”, saying his future lies away from the Dalton zoo.
In a letter to the council (see opposite page) Mr Gill said he was scrapping plans to expand the park, which would have seen the construction of a new car park, entrance and animal enclosures, because of the money and time he has lost as a result of the latest setback.
Speaking to the Evening Mail, Mr Gill said: “We’ve been let down so much by Barrow Borough Council on this, to the point where I am distraught.
“How can we possibly move forward when you don’t know what is round the corner.
“They have changed the goalposts and I don’t know when it will stop.
“They stated to us exactly what they wanted and now they’ve changed it.
“I told my staff a while ago, that if they (the council) come on again and if it is going to cost us any more money and we have any more delays – we’re eight months behind as it is – we can’t do it.
“I’m not going to take the personal risk, put my family’s life and everything else on the line, not knowing what is round the corner from the people on Barrow Borough Council.
“We’re out of it.
“The sad part is, we were going to create a lot more jobs and something very spectacular for the area.
“I’m going away now for five or six weeks and I’m going to make a new life for myself.
“I’m glad to be out of it, glad to be out of the area and glad that I’ve made this decision because at the end of the day, what I created has never been fully appreciated by the council. Yes, I’ll try and keep the company going, but it will certainly be with management that is not me.
“As far as I’m concerned, all I want to do is get out and get my health back because
‘This is an example of rip off Britain at its worst’
Dear Mr Phillips,
In the light of your letter and the ridiculous and unnecessary cost and serious and valuable time lost in this process, I will not be developing the site and will be cancelling the whole project forthwith and by copying this letter to the Evening Mail announcing the withdrawal to the wider world.
With a recession deepening and the Council showing no encouragement to my company and with more expensive reports being asked for this is an example of rip off Britain at its worst.
There is no incentive nor consideration of very tight budgets in the onerous and over the top wishes of consultees and the Council. Private enterprise is ripped off and stifled by red tape.
The jobs will be lost at the existing park and the future of the park uncertain. I cannot believe the way this planning system has changed in the past 15 years, it has reached new heights of insane protectionism at the expense of jobs!
Barrow is a dead town and will continue
‘We have had objections from several consultees’
Dear Sir,
Planning Application for Extension to Wildlife Park.
I am writing to inform you that the Authority has received formal notice of a Holding Direction issued by the Highways Agency. This prevents us from making any determination until at least August 10th whilst the Agency examines the transport proposals in more detail, although that date could change.
The Agency also has the options of either asking for additional work to be carried out or they could also direct us to refuse the application.
In addition to this we have had objections from several consultees stating that the material submitted is inadequate for them to comment constructively and further work is required. However, as there are cost implications in providing this extra information, it may be prudent for you to wait until the Agency finalise their view on the application, but this must remain your decision. The Authority cannot accept liability for the costs of any work that you subsequently commission prior to the Highways Agency issuing their response.
A number of consultee responses are still outstanding at the time of writing but I have summarised the received responses below. If necessary I can provide copies of the correspondence.
Contamination; The Council’s Environmental Protection team has identified that the ground investigation report is inadequate and fails to provide a suitable phase 1 study. PPS23 states that contamination can occur on green field sites as well as previously developed ones, and that it is the responsibility of the developer to prove that no contamination linkages exist.
Air Quality; due to the size of the car park, an air quality assessment will be necessary, in order to take account of emissions from associated traffic flows on adjacent roads and from within the car park itself. The team suggest that the methodology for this study is agreed beforehand.
Archaeology; Planning Policy Statement 5 outlines the planning policies relating to the conservation of historic assets with suitable information required prior to any determination. The County archaeologist recommends “this information should be obtained by a suitably qualified archaeologist undertaking an archaeological desk-based assessment and walkover survey of the site. The results should include a full consideration of the heritage assets on the site and how they will be affected by the proposed development”
Ecology; The County Ecologist, Natural England, and Cumbria Wildlife Trust all state that proper surveys of species and habitats should be carried out by suitably qualified persons in accordance with best practises. There is case law stating that ecology is a material consideration in the deterination of planning applications and Authorities should have all information available prior to taking the decision.
I am still waiting for a response from the Councils EP team in respect of noise, from the Council's licensing section in respect of the zoo licence, the County Council in respect of the wider strategic issues, from
To order or learn more please click
Jeremy and Amy: The Extraordinary Story of One Man and His Orang-utan
Product Description
Scarred by his traumatic childhood, Jeremy Keeling found solace working with exotic animals. Now, in his enchanting and touching book, he reveals how he became a mother to an abandoned baby orang-utan called Amy - and how she healed his broken heart..
Jeremy Keeling first met Amy, an orang-utan, when he was looking after the private menagerie of rock n roll music producer Gordon Mills. A friendship was forged that would become the defining relationship of both their lives. One day, when Jeremy was driving along with one-year-old Amy sitting beside him in the passenger seat, he fell asleep at the wheel and caused a horrific car crash. The first policeman on the scene crawled into the wreckage of the upturned car where he was staggered to see a hairy, non-human hand cradling Jeremy s head amid the glass and twisted metal: having been saved by Jeremy, Amy now refused to let him go. For Jeremy, it was to be a long convalescence, but he was able to repay his debt to Amy when he joined forces with Jim Cronin, a tough-talking primate-lover from the Bronx, who shared his vision of creating a sanctuary for abused and abandoned monkeys. Pooling their meagre resources, the two men took on a derelict pig farm in Dorset and, over the next twenty years transformed it into a 65-acre, cage-less sanctuary for beleaguered primates, rescued all over the world. Monkey World is now internationally famous and attracts some 800,000 visitors a year.
Jeremy and Amy is a story of high-wire adventure, of grit and determination and at its heart an inspiring and life-changing relationship between one man and his ape.
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Mating Call Song Helps Endangered Birds At Bronx Zoo
The Bronx Zoo's Waldrapp ibis population just got bigger. Apparently the feathered flock hadn't been reproducing for the past seven years, but now zookeepers have found the magic formula to get the endangered birds to mate. According to the Daily News, mating calls recorded halfway around the world were played on an iPod in their space, and since then they've hatched six new offspring.
The zoo's ornithologist, Mark Hofling, says the entire species is at risk, and "they had pretty much stopped courtship behavior," and don't usually reproduce in captivity. Recordings of the mating calls had been made before, but all from zoos; this time around they went to visit a semiwild flock in Austria
£150,000 zoo pad offers latest arrivals a taste of home in Capital
BOASTING an indoor pool, 30ft climbing tree and a waterfall, it seems the ultimate in quirky city pads.
Affordable at £150,000 and with council tax exemption, it's surely enough to send Edinburgh's property market into a bidding frenzy.
The only downside? Your flatmates are two Cambodian bears.
Edinburgh Zoo custodians are bracing themselves for two
A zoo of extinct animals; 'Jurassic Park'-style
A zoo similar to that of Hollywood sci-fi 'Jurassic Park' may become real as scientists are working on a project to create dinosaur and other extinct animals in laboratory with the help of their frozen cells.
Researchers at the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California, and San Diego Zoo have collaborated in an attempt to bring endangered species back from the brink of extinction,The Telegraph reported citing the New Scientist.
Experiments are on to develop stem cells from the skin cells of a dead drill monkey, an endangered monkey native to Equatorial Guinea, Nigeria and Cameroon.
The experts hope that the 'induced pluripotent stem' (iPS) cells thus created can then be bio-chemically persuaded into becoming sperm and egg cells. They can then be implanted into the womb of another monkey, and will hopefully form a viable foetus.
San Diego Zoo's Frozen Zoo project has taken samples from 8,400 individuals of more than 800 species. It is hoped that these samples can be used in in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) to improve captive breeding projects/
'You could actually breed from animals that are dead,' Jeane Loring, one of the Scripps researchers, was quoted as saying by the paper.
While the process is being used on endangered species, it would be technically possible to use it for extinct animals, using surrogate mothers from other species.
Last year, for the first time, an extinct
O.C. Register columnist to spend three days in zoo cage
For reasons that remain a little unclear, Orange County Register columnist Frank Mickadeit has decided to spend the next three days in a cage in the Santa Ana Zoo.
Who says print journalism is dead?
Mickadeit entered his new temporary domicile Tuesday and quickly met his new neighbors. "About 30 feet away is a crested capuchin monkey that (Zoo Director) Kent Yamaguchi claims is the most dangerous animal at the zoo. He'll rip your heart out. (The monkey, not Kent)," Mickadeit wrote.
"The most commonly asked question I get (after why are you doing this) is how will you go to the bathroom, usually followed by someone saying they hope you don't fling poo," he wrote.
And in case you wanted in on the action, there's even a streaming
Peoria Zoo giraffe dies in front of crowd
One of the two young male giraffes in the Peoria Zoo’s Africa! exhibit died in its outdoor enclosure in a strange accident Tuesday afternoon in front of a large crowd of summer visitors, including lots of children.
He was three. The exhibit has been open to the public a little more than one year.
“We’re devastated,” said Bonnie Noble, executive director of the Peoria Park District that oversees zoo operations. “That a lot of people were around to witness makes it even more devastating.”
The giraffe was eating leaves from a tree on the other side of an internal four-foot fence in the enclosure about 1 p.m. when its head and neck got caught in the fork of the tree. The animal struggled some but couldn’t dislodge its head. Somehow the movements of the 15-foot-tall giraffe flipped its body onto the opposite side of the fence with its head still stuck in the tree, according to zoo director Yvonne Strode.
A visitor alerted a nearby concessionaire with concern about the stuck giraffe. The concessionaire alerted zoo staff members who converged on the enclosure. The zoo veterinarian was coincidentally on his way to the zoo for his regular rounds, and was on the scene of the accident
Tiger reserves to be formed in Highlands
Five tiger reserves will be established in the Central Highlands and southern provinces under a national programme to preserve and expand the country's tiger population.
The development of tiger conservation areas is the first step in the national programme, said Hoang Thanh Nhan, an official from the Biodiversification Conservation Department under the Vietnam Environment Agency (NEA).
The programme, designed by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in co-operation with foreign experts, was in response to the Global Tiger Initiative launched by the World Bank to protect the Asian tiger from extinction by 2020.
The five areas will be established in the Central Highland provinces of Dak Lak, Kon Tum and Dak Nong, the southern province of Binh Phuoc and the central province of Quang Nam.
York Don National Park in Dak Lak will be a key area in the programme and will be developed in close co-ordination between forest protection staff, border
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