RIP
So sorry
Gorilla killed after 4-year-old falls into zoo
enclosure
A holiday weekend
outing at Cincinnati's zoo turned doubly tragic Saturday when a 4-year-old boy
was hospitalized after falling into a gorilla enclosure - and zoo workers had
to kill the rare gorilla to protect the boy.
Cincinnati police
and emergency crews responded to a report of a child falling into the exhibit
at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden at about 4 p.m. Saturday. Police
confirmed the child was taken to Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
near the zoo, and was treated for serious, but non-life threatening injuries.
Cincinnati Zoo
President Thane Maynard said the boy crawled through a barrier and fell an
estimated 10 to 12 feet into the moat surrounding the habitat. He said the boy
was not seriously injured by the fall.
The Cincinnati Fire
Department reported in a press release that first responders "witnessed a
gorilla who was violently dragging and throwing the child."
Maynard said the
zoo's 17-year-old male western lowland gorilla, Harambe, grabbed the boy and
dragged him around. Two female gorillas were also in the enclosure.
The boy was with the
400-pound animal for about 10 minutes before the zoo's Dangerous Animal
Response Team deemed the situation "life-threatening," Maynard said.
"The choice was
made to put down, or shoot, Harambe, so he's gone," Maynard said.
"We've never had a situation like this at the Cincinnati Zoo where a
dangerous animal needed to be dispatched in an emergency situation."
The fire department
release said the boy was in between the
gorilla's legs at the time of the shot.
Maynard said the
Dangerous Animal Response Team followed procedures, which they practice in
drills. He said in the 38-year history of the zoo's gorilla exhibit that
they've never had anyone get into the enclosure.
After the gorilla
was shot, zoo employees unlock
Snack attack: Some zoo visitors don't understand why
cages exist
A lot of things can
happen when you put human beings and wild animals together in the same spot at
the same time — and most of them aren’t very pretty to watch.
Still, every year, a
handful of confused zoo visitors, for reasons known only to themselves, climb
into enclosures where they come face to face with lions, tigers, bears and
other captive critters with pointy teeth.
Last weekend, for
example, one of two men who broke into a zoo in Minot, N.D., had his hand
bitten by a brown bear after sticking his arm through the bars of the animal’s
enclosure.
Police said the two
men were (Surprise!) under the influence of alcohol at the time and are facing
felony trespassing charges.
"I think people
sometimes think that just because they are in captivity, they are somehow not a
wild animal, but they are wild animals," zoo director Becky Dewitz said.
In Santiago, Chile,
two lions had to be shot dead last Saturday after they mauled a man who
stripped naked and entered their enclosure in an apparent suicide attempt. At
last report, the man was in grave condition in hospital.
In Hyderabad, India,
meanwhile, a 35-year-old "drunken man" jumped into a lion enclosure
at Nehru Zoological Park Monday, reportedly to "shake hands with a
lion," but was rescued unhurt by the animal’s alert keeper.
You’d like to think
such stupidity was rare, but, tragically, these
Report concludes BREC Zoo not at fault in death of
giraffes
Inspectors from the
American Association of Zoos and Aquariums have concluded that BREC's Baton
Rouge Zoo was not at fault in the death of a pair of elderly giraffes earlier
this year.
The full results of
the site inspection report, requested by the Zoo, were released on Thursday.
The site survey
included a formal review of the circumstances surrounding the death of two of
the Zoo’s elderly giraffes in April.
The reports
conclusion includes the following statement:
“After careful
review of a number of cascading circumstances that resulted in the death of two
adult female giraffes, it is my professional opinion that the Baton Rouge Zoo
staff responded as an experienced and knowledgeable team faced with a
challenging circumstance for the Baton Rouge Zoo’s giraffe herd of four
animals. I commend the Baton Rouge Zoo for the long-term care of these
individual animals that resulted in their longevity. Their difficult decision
to humanely alleviate the suffering of Mopani and Hope was a sound professional
decision, in line with standard animal welfare practice. In my investigation, I
found no fault with the difficult decisions that were made under a set of
unfortunate circumstances that resulted in the death of two geriatric female
giraffes.”
The investigation
was carried out last month by staff and veterinarians with the AZA. It included
the review of staff incident reports, vet medical records and pathology
reports.
“We were very
pleased to hear our peers echo
Dolphin snot might play a crucial role in echolocation
You might think it's
funny, but it's snot! Okay, sorry. I'm really sorry. Please don't leave.
Aaron Thode, a
research scientist at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in San Diego,
believes he's uncovered the key to the high-pitched "clicks" that
make dolphin echolocation possible. And, well, it's snot.
It's thought that
dolphins create their high-pitched sounds —
such as signature whistles used to communicate and clicks used to
"see" the ocean via echolocation — by forcing air through nasal
passages beneath their blowholes. Their nasal passages contain the dorsal
bursae, lumps of tissue that smack together and vibrate to produce sound. But
the exact mechanics behind the diverse set of chirps and whistles a dolphin can
make remain murky.
[There’s something
fishy about that viral image of what dolphins ‘see’]
"It’s kind of a
mystery how you can make ultrasonic sound without metal, just using soft
tissue," said Thode, who presented his as-yet-unpublished research this
week at the 171st meeting of the Acoustical Society of America. He was noodling
around with ideas for the artificial production of these noises when he came up
with an idea for how to model the process.
Along with his
father, retired physicist Lester Thode — who was recruited because "he was
getting a little restless" — Thode adapted a simple co
Six months on, still no action on Montekristo zoo
No monkey business:
big cats at the illegal zoo hurt two young children in the space of five
months. Photo: Darrin Zammit Lupi
No monkey business:
big cats at the illegal zoo hurt two young children in the space of five
months. Photo: Darrin Zammit Lupi
No action has yet
been taken against the owners of the Montekristo Animal Park, six months after
the first violent incident involving big cats.
Prime Minister
Joseph Muscat had publicly called for action to be taken and an inquiry to be
launched into the park after a second incident, involving a young child, took
place within a matter of months.
Dr Muscat had
tweeted that it was “totally unacceptable that the illegal zoo was opened”,
after it had been ordered to close its doors following the first incident
there.
The contentious
animal park, owned by construction magnate Charles Polidano, first closed its
doors after a young girl was clawed by a tiger last year.
The big cat had been
“let out for a walk” by its handlers during visiting hours, and the girl had to
undergo surgical intervention after the tiger scratched her back and face.
The park was closed
immediately by its owners due to “unforeseen circumstances” and remained so
during a magisterial inquiry.
However, it was not
long before a second incident occurred.
This time it was the
hunters’ international fair, organised by the Hunters’ Federation last month,
which set the scene for a big cat attack.
While the park was
inexplicably opened, a child, this time a young boy, suffered scratches to his
neck and back from another animal, a juvenile lioness. Details of the incident
remain sketchy and investigations are yet to be concluded.
A spokesman for the
Off
More tigers to be moved from temple on Monday
The Department of
National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation intends to start relocating
more tigers from the famous Tiger Temple on Monday despite the objections of
temple officials. The date was...
Marineland's closure blow for sea life - critics
Marineland opened in
1965 and was a Napier icon for decades.
It housed several
species of native marine wildlife, including the common dolphin, the New
Zealand fur seal, California sea lions and otters.
Marineland has been
closed to the public since 2008, but continued to look after rescued sea
mammals such as sea lions and seals.
The final three
residents - New Zealand fur seals Mr Bojangles, Molly, and Pania - left
Marineland last night and are on their way to Australia, making way for the
demolition of the facility later this year.
Mr Bojangles and
Molly were heading to Gold Coast Seaworld, and Pania was going to Melbourne
Zoo.
A group that tried
to save the marine park, The Friends of Marineland, said many people did not
understand that Marineland was not just about seeing dolphins perform tricks.
Secretary of the
group, Sue MacDonald, said the facility also took care of injured or sick
marine mammals.
"The work that
it did in rehabilitating other sea creatures and releasing them was legendary.
People knew if they found a marine creature, Marineland would be able to look
after it.
"It means now
if any marine animal comes up on the beach it is more than likely to be either
euthanised or left to
PETA caught out in Australia Zoo cruelty claims
ONE of Australia’s
key animal welfare groups has been caught out spreading misinformation about
Australia Zoo’s care for its animals.
Officials from PETA
(People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) have acknowledged they made a
mistake when they claimed the zoo was putting the welfare of animals at risk by
taking them to America last week.
But they have blamed
the error on the zoo’s own publicity and have since failed to respond to
questions a
Zoo permit for Tiger Temple merits our disgust,
outrage
Wildlife trafficking
at Wat Pa Luangta Maha Bua in Kanchaburi has now received an official seal of
approval
The infamous Tiger
Temple in Kanchanaburi has been granted an official zoo permit by Thai
authorities, signed by the director-general of the Department of National
Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP).
We at the Wildlife
Friends Foundation Thailand (WFFT) are shocked and disgusted by this latest
development of an ongoing sickening drama that has continued for so many years.
Since 2001, Wat Pa
Luangta Maha Bua has faced numerous allegations of animal abuse and illegal
wildlife trafficking, with substantial evidence presented on several occasions
by both non-governmental organisations and former volunteers and staff at the
temple. Last year authorities acting on information received conducted several
raids on the temple and discovered evidence that illegal po
Wildlife Crime Report
“We are very proud:” Racine Zoo’s white-handed gibbon
reaches important milestone
The Racine Zoo is
excited to announce that on Saturday, May 28, Yule, the white-handed gibbon and
the oldest living gibbon in North America, turns 50 years old.
Racine Zoo’s
white-handed gibbon reaches important milestoneWhite-handed gibbons typically
live approximately 25 years in the wild and about 40 to 50 years under human
care, according to a press release.
To celebrate this
historical event, the Zoo is hosting an informal birthday party on Satur
The truth about volunteering with lions
I had been an animal
lover – more specifically a cat lover – since I was little. So when I finished
school, it seemed only logical to sign up for an animal-focused volunteering
trip.
I found Real Gap, a
company centred around sending students abroad. Amongst their top trips was the
‘Live with Lion Cubs’ experience at Ukutula – a fortnight in South Africa with
hands-on experience helping to rehabilitate lions, all in the name of conservation.
The two-week experience cost £1,118 (ZAR25,689 at current exchange rate)
excluding flights, but it seemed like such a good cause that I didn’t mind
putting all my savings towards it.
Prior to the trip I
was not at all clued up about the canned hunting business. I knew all about
poachers and trophy hunting, but that didn’t strike me as being related to what
I was about to do. I posted a tweet expressing my excitement about the trip, and
received a message from a girl urging me to avoid Ukutula and that the reserve
was affiliated with canned hunting. I was distraught but managed to convince
myself that it was an online troll. The idea played on my mind, however, and I
sent a message to a representative at Real Gap querying the reserve, but their
response was just what I needed to ease my mind – they were disgusted at the
very idea of canned hunting and assured me that the trip was solely for the
sake of conservation.
On arriving at the
reserve in July 2014, I was more excited than I had ever been. The reserve
itself was beautiful, located in Brits, just outside of Johannesburg. We were
shown to our room, which was in the ‘Devils’ enclosure – a small hut surrounded
by the 26 three to six-month-old lion cubs.
There were eight
volunteers in my group, who had all booked through the same company, along with
another 25 volunteers, some of which had been to Ukutula before. On the reserve
at the time were four young cubs, which we cared for on cub duty. The environment
seemed welcoming enough, but the staff were incredibly rude sometimes and any
questions regard
Adelaide Zoo closes indefinitely after would-be
thieves target gift shop ATM
Adelaide Zoo has
been forced to close indefinitely after would-be thieves blew up an ATM at the
gift shop.
Police said an alarm
was activated at the ATM on Plane Tree Drive about 3:30am.
A security patrol
responded and found the front of the machine had been badly damaged.
Police said the
culprits fled empty handed.
Explosives experts
from SA police will examine the machine and police are seeking anyone who may
have seen or heard anything.
Students were
staying at the zoo overnight but police said they did not hear the explosion.
Sergeant Phil Clague
said the ATM, which is on the wall of the zoo's gift shop, withstood the blast
despite the use of a substance which is normally used with hardened plastics.
"ATMs are
basically a safe with a computer on the front so they are built to withstand a
significant attempt to gain entry to them," he said.
"I've been told
this is the first time that this
Tender, loving care for dolphins at RWS Dolphin Island
Long before the
doors open daily at 10.30am at Dolphin Island at Resorts World Sentosa, 27
Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins from the Solomon Islands are already splashing
about in the 11 large interconnecting lagoons.
At the crack of
dawn, a team of marine veterinarians, specialists and animal husbandry
professionals, together with 35 trainers from more than 10 countries, gathe
Soaring With Condors (Part I): Shell Game
Did you know that
the Los Angeles Zoo has been an integral part of California condor conservation
efforts since the inception of the California Condor Recovery Program (CCRP) in
1982? Were you aware that the Zoo has housed this iconic species since 1967,
when the legendary Topatopa (who went on to sire more than 20 chicks) was
brought to the Zoo as a malnourished fledgling?
Though the Zoo does
not exhibit California condors to the public—unless you are fortunate enough to
be here on a day when Dolly, the first outreach ambassador for her species, is
making an appearance—condor care at the Zoo takes place every day, 365 days a
year. Seasonally, L.A. Zoo staff collaborate with other agencies in the CCRP to
share data and provide veterinary care for the birds, as well as check on the
health of eggs, chicks, and adult condors in the wild.
This blog takes you
behind the scenes and out into the
Trainee Keeper Blog: Having my cake and wolfing it
I don’t really
remember how it started, or where it really came from, but my fascination with
wolves has grown into something of an obsession over the years. I had always
dreamt I would work with them and my experiences at the UK Wolf Conservation
Trust only fanned the flames.
I was thrilled to
help Jasper, the Park’s Education Officer, with Wolf Awareness Week when I
first started and I jumped at the chance to talk to people about these amazing
animals and try to dispel some of the myths. To be honest, I take the chance to
Hanako the elephant died Thursday afternoon at the
Inokashira Park Zoo
According to Tokyo
officials, the aging elephant was found lying on the floor of her cage at
around 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, and zoo workers tried to get her on her feet to
prevent her from dying of suffocation. However, they were unsuccessful in
saving Hanako, and she was pronounced dead at 3 p.m.
While the cause of
her death was not immediately known, Kiyoshi Naga, the head of the zoo, said
Hanako the elephant died peacefully and without suffering. Reportedly, an
autopsy has been scheduled for Friday to attempt to find the cause of death.
“I wanted her to
live a little longer. I really want to thank all the people who have loved
Hanako all these years,” Nagai said.
However, while
Hanako’s passing is sad, she apparently outlived the normal life expectations
for Asian elephants. Reportedly, the pachyderms can live up to the age of 60 in
the wil
Cambodia plans world-class aquarium to also act as
fish farm
The Cambodian
government has revealed plans for a US$23.5m (€30.7m, £23.5m) saltwater
aquarium, which will begin construction in Sihanoukville in the southwest of
the country later this year.
Norwegian company
Vitamar is behind the project, which Ministry secretary of state, Nao Thouk,
said was the first such investment from a foreign company into aquariums.
The aquarium will be
unique in that it will operate both as a traditional tourist attraction and as
a breeding ground, using the comparatively-mild Cambodian climate to rear
ocean-faring fish such as red snapper, grouper, seabass and Pompano for
consumption and export.
“[Vitamar] are now
waiting for the approval, as they are already preparing everything such as a
budget and human resources,” said Thouk, speaking to Cambodian paper Khmer
Times. He added that the move
How Technology Can Support Wildlife Conservation and
Help Protect the Future of Our Natural World
As global wildlife
populations have declined by 52% in just 40 years, our planet needs all the
help it can get in turning this terrible decline around and ensuring wildlife
is conserved for generations to come.
The threats are
serious, and many: habitat destruction, climate change, illegal wildlife trade,
to name just a few. But advances in technology can give conservationists the
edge, meaning the difference between survival and extinction of some of the
world's most threatened species.
As an international
conservation charity, the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) is working to
develop technological tools that can enable us (and other conservationists
around the world) to better understand animals, their habitats and the threats
they face so we can protect our precious wildlife.
From
satellite-enabled cameras, to new software for the reporting of illegal
wildlife trade, technology can help protect th
FNC discusses draft law on banning exotic animal
ownership
Abu Dhabi: The
Federal National Council on Tuesday discussed a draft law which would stop
individuals from owning wild and other domesticated but dangerous animals such
as lions, tigers, apes and monkeys, as well as pit bulls, mastiffs and Japanese
tosa dogs.
The law is designed
to stop people from unlicensed dealing and ownership of all types of wild and
other domesticated but dangerous animals, according to the draft law, which
requires to be finally approved by President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin
Zayed Al Nahyan before it takes effect.
The draft law
includes penalties for offenders of up to life imprisonment and/or a Dh1
million fine.
Those who use an
animal to attack people and the assault causes death will face life
imprisonment. In the event the attack causes a disability, a prison term of up
to seven years will be imposed. If other minor injuries are inflicted, a prison
term of not more than a year and a fine of up to Dh10,000 will be give
