Zoo News Digest 19th May 2019 (ZooNews 1025)
First Tooth - Dublin Zoo
Naming competition http://www.sseairtricity.com/DublinZoo
elvinhow@gmail.com
Dear Colleague,
A lot of interesting reading below.
Following up on some correspondence this week. Did you know that the very worst place you should go to determine whether a zoo is GOOD is to the zoos own website. Common sense really because it is the zoo which produces the website. I am not saying it is all rubbish because there are some Good Zoos with good websites but equally there are some really BAD zoos with Fantastic websites. You need to dig deeper.
Love Your Zoo Week coming up soon.
"good zoos will not gain the credibility of their critics until they condemn the bad zoos wherever they are." Peter Dickinson
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Did You Know?
ZooNews Digest has over 110,400+ 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 110,400+ 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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Tragic
end for Phuket Zoo baby elephant ‘Dumbo’
The baby elephant, who was forced to perform
for tourists, was so weak that his back legs snapped, and died just a week
later.
Just last month, heartbreaking footage emerged
of a “skeletal” baby elephant being forced to ‘rave’ to music, ‘play’ musical
instruments, and perform tricks, at Thailand’s infamous Phuket Zoo.
DISSERTATION DATA COLLECTION AT THE ZOO; A
STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE.
A zoo is a great place for
your research project, and a really unique opportunity to conduct meaningful
research related to animal welfare, conservation, and health. Also, you can
basically just watch animals all day!? That’s the theory, in reality, its long
hours, repetitive, hearing visitors call penguins ducks and dealing with
undesirable weather.
Compassionate conservation is 'seriously flawed'
The idea that you cannot kill
any animal is "fatally flawed" as a conservation concept, scientists
argue.
Conservation measures should
concentrate on species or habitats rather than individual animals, they observe.
Invasive species, they argue,
often require mass culling of an animal in order to protect an endangered
species.
Under so called
"compassionate conservation", such an approach would not be allowed.
"The argument is that
conservation and sustainability needs a variety of approaches. You need to be
pluralistic about both the cultural and scientific approaches," explained
study co-author Prof Kartik Shanker from the Indian Institute of Science.
Emirates Park Zoo gives vital data on biodiversity
Data recorded by Emirates
Park Zoo in collaboration with other zoos and aquariums worldwide has been
featured on the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
The article confirmed that critical information, such as fertility and survival
rates, is missing from global data for more than 98 per cent of known species
of mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians.
Vancouver Aquarium suing city, park board for damages
after whale ban
The Vancouver Aquarium has
filed a lawsuit against the City of Vancouver as well as the park board over
the financial impact of the cetacean ban.
In a lawsuit filed on May 14,
Ocean Wise Conservation Authority – the parent company for the aquarium – says
it's suing for damages for breach of contract and costs.
https://bc.ctvnews.ca/vancouver-aquarium-suing-city-park-board-for-damages-after-whale-ban-1.4428175
China creates facial recognition app for pandas
Having trouble discerning one
furry panda from another? A facial recognition app will make it easy for you.
The app is developed by the
China Conservation and Research Center for Giant Pandas along with researchers
in Singapore Nanyang Technological university and Sichuan Normal University.
Brutally Battered Hyena Falls Into Coma, Wakes Up 8
Months Later to Find Its Life Changed
It warms our hearts whenever
we hear of stories about kindhearted humans going out of their way to rescue
animals in peril. Here’s one such heartwarming animal rescue story. One
dedicated Indian veterinary surgeon and his team did their utmost to save a
male striped hyena from the verge of death. Finally, their efforts paid off
when the wild animal woke up from an eight-month coma in June 2018.
Lahore
Zoo’s elephant cage destined to remain empty
Approximately two years since Suzi’s death, the
Lahore Zoo’s administration has not been able to procure another elephant for
the facility. A rising debate around the ‘elephant trade’ has made countries
around the world hesitant to participate in buying and selling the lovable
beasts.
A recent report has highlighted an elephant is
killed across the world every 15 minutes. Over the past 10 years, the
population of elephants has decreased by 62% as a consequence of poaching and
trophy hunting.
Slippery
challenge: can the European eel be saved from oblivion?
That one is definitely over five years old, it
could be eight to 10 years old,” shouts Dr Peter Walker, as a writhing 50cm
long eel is scooped out of the River Tone near Taunton in Somerset. “This year
or next I would expect this one to be on its merry way.”
The European eel makes an extraordinary
6,000km (3,728-mile) journey to the Sargasso Sea in the north Atlantic to
spawn, from where its larvae travel all the way back. Now scientists hope a new
project may shed light on this still mysterious part of eels’ lifecycle, which
could provide crucial help in protecting the species.
Once plentiful, European eel numbers have
plummeted in recent decades and it is now critically endangered, making it more
at risk of extinction than giant pandas or elephants.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/may/18/slippery-challenge-can-the-european-eel-be-saved-from-oblivion
James F. Gesualdi Receives Distinguished Animal Law Award
New York City, May 3, 2019 – James F. Gesualdi, an
attorney in Islip, New York and author of EXCELLENCE
BEYOND COMPLIANCE: Enhancing Animal Welfare Through the Constructive Use of the
Animal Welfare Act, was named the 2019 recipient of the American Bar
Association, Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section, Animal Law Committee
Excellence in the Advancement of Animal Law Award.
The annual award, which
“recognizes exceptional work by an Animal Law Committee member who, through
commitment and leadership, has advanced the humane treatment of animals through
the law”, was presented to Gesualdi on May 3, 2019 at a reception held in his
honor during the ABA TIPS Section Conference in New York City.
As Animal Law Committee Chair,
Jane McBride notes, "Besides exceeding all of the criteria for the award,
Jim is absolutely dedicated to civility and professionalism. He is the nicest
guy in the world. I owe him an incredible debt of gratitude for his role as
"mentor in chief" with [the Committee] . . . He is a fantastic
mentor, always conscious of the personal as well as the professional development
and evolution of a young attorney, and he mindfully and very kindly works to
guide and support the person as an individual.
Another remarkable aspect of Jim's
career is his constant striving to find common ground among interests
represented in the various fields of animal law -- for the benefit of the
animals themselves and toward the enhancement of animal welfare
standards."
Gesualdi, a sole practitioner,
works extensively with the U.S. Animal Welfare Act, and champions ways to
improve its administration and enforcement. He has dedicated himself to his
work on legal, regulatory and strategic matters regarding animal welfare and
wildlife conservation. He has authored numerous articles on Animal Law
professional development and writes a column for the San Diego Zoo Global
Academy e-Newsletter (Getting Better All
the Time) on continuous improvement in animal welfare.
He earned his B.A. degree from St.
Lawrence University where he graduated magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, with
highest honors in Government; M.A. in Political Science (Public Affairs) from
the State University of New York at Stony Brook; J.D. degree from the Hofstra
University School of Law from which he graduated with Distinction and served as
a Notes and Comments Editor for the Hofstra Law Review.
His past and present leadership
experience includes New York State Bar Association Committee on Animals and the
Law (founding member/past chair/current member); Suffolk County Bar Association
Animal Law Committee (founding co-chair); American Bar Association Tort Trial
and Insurance Practice Section Animal Law Committee (current
vice-chair/member); past special professor of law at Hofstra University School
of Law, where he taught Animal Law; previously on the faculty of the
Association of Zoos and Aquariums “Zoo School” for zoological professionals,
where he taught courses on ethical considerations relating to animals;
and has lectured extensively on constructive approaches to building
consensus, and fostering transformative, sustainable change to better serve animals,
their interests and well-being. He was the inaugural recipient in 2018 of the
New York State Bar Association Committee on Animals & the Law’s Exemplary
Service Award.
Happy
hippos in 'heaven'
When the curtain fell on Dusit Zoo last year,
many questioned where the menagerie of wild and exotic animals at Thailand's
oldest and most popular zoo would be sent.
PA
set to regularise illegal zoo against €10,000 fine
Planning Commissions indicates it will
regularise illegally developed Serengeti zoo in Rabat after it imposes a fine
TERESA
KOK TRIGGERED BY SINGAPORE ZOO CLAIMING PALM OIL KILLS ORANG UTANS. HOW TRUE IS
IT?
She said that the displays had spoiled the
maruah of palm oil despite the work put in to make palm oil sustainable, and
called for ASEAN to support one another, particularly on breaking the stigma
against palm oil.
Loveland
Living Planet Aquarium receives highest accreditation
The Loveland Living Planet Aquarium recently
received accreditation by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, an honor only
given to zoos and aquariums meeting the highest standards of animal care,
species conservation, guest experience and education programs.
The
call for 2020-2022 EDGE Fellowship applications is now OPEN
One of the most effective ways ZSL’s EDGE of
Existence programme is working to secure the future of EDGE species is by
awarding two year Fellowships to future conservation leaders (“EDGE Fellows”)
working on poorly-known EDGE bird, mammal, amphibian, reptile, shark or ray
species.
Saving
Asian Elephants
China
Takes Back Giant Pandas From San Diego Zoo Amid Bitter Trade War
President Donald Trump’s escalating trade war
with China has just caused a new damage that can’t be measured in dollar terms.
Amid a new round of tariff battles between the
U.S. and China on each other’s exports, China has recalled two cute giant
pandas from the San Diego Zoo in California, British tabloid Mirror first
reported on Friday.
Paradise
Lost: Global Wildlife Center draws fire from ex-employees, visitors for animal
injuries, alleged neglect
The Global Wildlife Center near Folsom seems
like an animal paradise — deer, giraffes, zebras and camels wander freely over
900 acres as visitors hand-feed exotic creatures from wagons that crisscross
the park on daily tours.
Not only do the close animal encounters draw
visitors, they're a large draw for people seeking to work at t
Scientists
propose rethinking 'endangered species' definition to save slow-breeding giants
"Critical thresholds in so-called vital
rates—such as mortality and fertility rates among males and females of various
ages—can signal an approaching population collapse long before numbers drop
below a point of no return," says lead author Dr. Shermin de Silva, President
& Founder of Asian elephant conservation charity Trunks & Leaves.
"We propose that conservation efforts for Asian elephants and other
slow-breeding megafauna be aimed at maintaining their 'demographic safe space':
that is, the combination of key vital rates that supports a non-negative growth
rate."
No,
koalas are not ‘functionally extinct’, but they are in trouble
Who has said koalas are “functionally
extinct”?
The Australian Koala Foundation, which lobbies
for the animals’ protection, has put out a press release stating that it
“believes koalas may be functionally extinct in the entire landscape of
Australia”. The release triggered a flurry of worried headlines.
So are they?
No, although many populations of koalas are
falling sharply due to habitat loss and global warming.
Could they go extinct?
There is no danger of koalas going extinct in
Australia overall, says biologist Christine Adams-Hosking of the University of
Queensland, who has studied the marsupials’ plight. “But at the rate of habitat
clearing that is going on, we are going to see increased local population
extinctions,” she says.
Understanding
the true value of China's panda diaspora
Wang Wang and Funi came to Australia from
China a decade ago. Their relationship is best described as complicated.
Despite considerable medical assistance, they have never managed to produce offspring.
It has put a big question mark over whether they will be permitted to remain in
Australia.
The fate of the two giant pandas may now
depend on the outcome of the federal election on May 18. Keeping the couple at
Adelaide Zoo includes paying about A$1 million a year to the Chinese
government.
Elephants
pay the price for politics
Are Southern African governments allowing
resentment against perceived Western finger-wagging to cloud their judgement?
If Botswana’s elephants could sniff the
political atmosphere in the country, they would be getting skittish about the
threat posed to them by the bitter duel between President Mokgweetsi Masisi and
his predecessor Ian Khama. And not only in Botswana, but across Southern
Africa.
Khama was an enthusiastic conservationist. In
2014 he became the only Southern African leader to introduce a complete ban on
elephant trophy hunting. He was also the only regional leader to support the
ban on ivory trade imposed by CITES, the global Convention on International
Trade in Endangered Species. East African nations, especially Kenya, back the
ban and have publicly burnt stockpiles to help stigmatise hunting.
Insights
from assessing the welfare of captive dolphins
Since its inception, animal welfare science
has continuously led to improvements in captive animal welfare and helped to
clarify our legislation and ethical standpoints around the issues. The spread
of welfare science from farms and laboratories to zoos has led to an
exponential increase in welfare research on one of the most debated animal
groups currently in captivity: dolphins.
Dangerous
wild animals in your neighborhood? There are 156 registered in Texas
Tyson the tiger is now living a happy, healthy
life at a ranch in North Texas, a far cry from where police found him back in
February abandoned in a southeast Houston home.
Dangerous animals are legal to own in the
state of Texas unless they're not registered. But as state and local agencies
show us, Tyson has a few fierce, yet furry, friends nearby.
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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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