Sunday, July 22, 2012

Zoo News Digest 16th - 22nd July 2012 (Zoo News 824)

Zoo News Digest 16th - 22nd July 2012 (Zoo News 824)

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Dear Colleagues,


White tigers new attraction at Karachi zoo
"Senior Director Culture, Sports and Recreation Rehan Khan while giving a briefing on this occasion said the white tigers were imported from South Africa which is the country of origin of this species. Karachi Zoo is the first zoo of the country where a pair of white tiger was inducted."

Perhaps a bit of confusion here because other newspaper reports relate to white lions. Really though it does not matter a jot because the aquistion of either puts Karachi Zoo squarely into the Dysfunctional Zoo slot.

Why oh why did they spend so much money to aquire a type of animal which is TOTALLY VALUELESS TO CONSERVATION? They are now exhibiting freaks and may as well keep an eye out to purchase a two headed goat. Which cruel and manipulative animal dealer persuaded them to part with 10 million Rupees (thats 106 thousand US Dollars) for animals which are effectively valueless. Who didn't do their homework? There are going to be heads rolling over this very soon....I know it.

Then there is story 'After four years, Delhi zoo begins breeding of white tigers' where some way down in the text it states "“Reproduction is important for animals once they attain maturity. We also need to increase numbers,”...I won't argue with the importance of reproduction but as to needing to increase numbers of inbred white tigers.....why? Please tell me why?

Sticking for a moment with the White theme. I was asked the other day if I had heard the rumour that someone plans to import White Tigers into Dubai? I hadn't but have little doubt that they are here already somewhere.

So the elephants are flying. It really defies all common sense and logic. Those animals are going into a risky environment but those who have worked so hard to make this happen simply do not care about the elephants. It may seem like they do but they don't. They are concerned about their own 'face' and status....nothing else. I have seen similar things happen a time or three in recent years. Gorillas from South Africa to the Cameroons, Orangutans from the UAE to Egypt to mention just two recent issues. Both of these have resulted in tragedy as without doubt will happen with the elephants. I wish the people with the clout would get real, be honest, forget the money and the politics and really really considered the elephants.

Those elephants should remain where they are till the properly managed AZA facility is ready and if it is then decided, by people who know what they are talking about, then they should move.

I had a couple of requests this week from people wanting to become friends with me on Facebook. No problems except that I note that they are friends too with the infamous 'Doc' Antle alias Mahamayavia Bhagavan Kevin http://911animalabuse.com/2011/09/11/antle-bhagavan-doc/  and whatever. Sorry, but if you are friends with this guy are you really sure you want to be friends with me? His basic principles and understanding of what a good zoo and conservation is about are so far removed from my own that he and his lot are placed squarely in the Dysfunctional Zoo (see link a little further down) slot.

Chicken Soup? Cooked Chicken? This is not the food of Cheetah.

"Plan to sell rhino horn: report - South African conservationists have unveiled a plan to sell rhino horns" Sorry....conservationists? Lets understand the difference here between Rhino farmers and conservationists. I am so very much against the idea of this legal trade idea, but if it were to go ahead then first of all they must destroy every last little stubby bit of horn that is presently stockpiled away. Ask yourself why it has been stockpiled in the first place. Precisely so this proposed plan can be moved forward so that some corrupt 'conservationist', the precise ones currently selling horn on living animals to China can make a big fat profit. Gosh it all smells so much, the stench of Rhino carcase.

The most stupid statement of the week? Here you go:

"We are the only ones who have lions. We have managed without interference until now," Gujarat's environment secretary, S.K. Nanda, said proudly from behind an enormous desk in an office complex decorated with lion posters reading: "Gujarat's pride; World's envy."
"Can we humans be arbiters of where these lions should live? Should we move the mountains and the rivers, too?" Nanda said. "If the lions want to move, let them move on their own."

If it seems like I have been picking on India and Pakistan this week, it is just the luck of the draw. Regular readers will know I just pick on who needs picking on.

Hello Giza Zoo....any news on the new Orangutan house yet? What of the evacuated chimps? The zoo world watches as you drag your feet. So very sad. Just how long will it take?

Still not a whisper about the baby Orangutan and Gibbon from Abu Dhabi (see past Digests). As the recognised world organisations that the collection belonged to knew that they had these you would think they would be just a little concerned as to where they went. It doesn't smell right to me.

I remain committed to the work of GOOD zoos, not DYSFUNCTIONAL zoos.

****

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White tigers new attraction at Karachi zoo
Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) Administrator Muhammad Hussain Syed said induction of new animals and birds to Karachi Zoo and Safari Park will continue and soon more zebra, rhino, giraffe and hippopotamus would arrive in these facilities.
He said this while talking to a large number of electronic and print media representatives on Tuesday on the handing over of a pair each of white tiger and Bengal tiger to the Karachi Zoo administration.
The Director General Technical Services Altaf G. Memon, Senior Director Culture, Sports and Recreation Muhammad Rehan Khan, Director Zoo Dr. Muhammad Kazim and citizens in good numbers were also present on this occasion.
The people especially kids expressed pleasure on seeing the newly arrived tigers through an acrylic glass enclosure and just in front of them.
Administrator Karachi calling it a refreshing addition to the zoo announced to hold a
http://www.brecorder.com/pakistan/general-news/68413-white-tigers-new-attraction-at-karachi-zoo-.html



Karachi Zoo: A threat to endangered animals?
The other day, my two-year old nephew would not let go of The Express Tribune. On the front page, there was a picture of a large white lion. While he didn’t understand the headline “South African white lions to land in Karachi”, he sat transfixed on the floor with the page and roared over and over again like he was the big bad Scar from The Lion King.
Unfortunately, I could not be as ecstatic about the picture as my nephew.
The Karachi Metropolitan Corporation imported these white lions at a price of Rs10 million. A glass enclosure is being built from a special material that is used for making airplane windows. Considering that the zoo’s entry fee is Rs5 for adults, it will be more than a few years before the zoo can actually break even on this new investment. I just hope that these lions are still alive by the time that happens.
I say this only because we’ve all heard stories of lions parading around in cages looking more emaciated than the top models of the country. Just last year, three cubs were found dead and one allegedly eaten by a lioness. With news of reptiles freezing to death, poorly designed enclosures and unqualified caretakers making the rounds, isn’t it time we close the doors to this establishment and return these animals to conservationists?
But the former director of the zoo Bashir Sadozai thought this was a completely justified and natural move. He said,
“White lions do not need special caretakers. The staff is well trained to handle the different kinds of lions. We have done all the assessments in this case.”
He’s right in one way – the white lion cannot survive in the wild and would be better off in a zoo. But wouldn’t you agree that even the wild has to be mild compared to the conditions of the Karachi zoo?
I checked online to see if a debate has started on the futility of caging these animals. But the debate was less thought-provoking and more comical.
“Abb tou sher bhee goray ayein gay” said one.
Another one read,
“They must have done something seriously wrong, why else would they be in Pakistan?”
My favourite was,
“Welcome lions to the land of the mullahs, lionesses, bring your burqas!”
None of us realise how special these cats are with their prophetic long, white beards. White lions were once regarded as ‘divine’ by locals and represented the good that is to be found in all creatures. Referred to as ‘the children of the sun god’, they are a genetic rarity and occur in only one region — Timbavati.
Shamans believe that killing a ‘lion sun god’ is blasphemous and the ultimate form of disrespect to nature. They also believe that the way humans treat the lion determines
http://blogs.tribune.com.pk/story/12811/karachi-zoo-a-threat-to-endangered-animals/



Over the Top Bad news for big cats
Animals have a pretty rotten deal in Pakistan since the nation, by and large, can’t seem to stand the sight of the four-legged ones. Dogs are the worst off because man’s best friends from times immemorial are “paleed,” or untouchable. Watch the zealous ones in evasive action should, heaven forbid, a dog arrive. Short of an epileptic fit and frothing at the mouth, they will recoil in the same terror as women do when faced with a formidable mouse.
Our zoos-I find them more akin to slaughterhouses – are in horrific condition. The last priority of all administrators is the welfare of the inmates, because they have little or no use for these beautiful creations of God. As and when such good people as the famed Dr Toosi came upon the Lahore Zoo and the animals at long last had a real friend, circumstances were created that eventually forced that good and capable man to retreat both from the zoo and the country. The rest are third-class baboos with minds narrower than a needle and they like to keep their distance from those who have the misfortune of falling into their rotten corruption- and incompetence-ridden world. Zoos are a big no no and should be dispensed with. They have been around but the idea of imprisoning animals who are born to roam at will into a 10 foot by 10 foot cage is a criminal offence in my book – but zoos don’t read my ‘book,’ and so the animals suffer till they die often from diseases that are wholly preventable.
A so-called Safari Park has been built outside Lahore, but barring a few saving graces it is a forlorn, desolate and dusty land with the animals confined to an existence with few privileges. I think it will soon die a natural death, but by the time it does, the animals who reside here would have long died. I saw the place from close quarters and the sight of mangy big cats lying listlessly, completely bored and broken in spirit, was enough. I fled from this latest aberration and haven’t been back, but if it has improved I’ll walk barefoot to pay my respects to the Baboo-Kingdom.
They tell me that Karachi Zoo is even worse. It is no place for anyone, least of all an animal who cannot protest or put a shotgun to some official’s head and press the trigger. Now another scam, much in the same vein as was witnessed in Lahore some years ago. The Karachi Municipal Corporation, KMC, has taken upon itself to import four of the large cats-two magnificent Bengal tigers and two-what the officials blithely claim are “White Lions.” This scam was earlier pulled off in Lahore amidst much fanfare-but the White Lions are actually albinos, most likely the result of too much inbreeding. The KMC has considered it a waste of time to obtain an NOC from the Islamabad-based National Council for Conservation of Wildlife. (Do they mean by wildlife the ministers and the high-level generals, a species that is proliferating day and night?)
When the animals arrived after a gruelling two day travel-the Bengal tigers from Belgium and the albinos from South Africa – the KMC officials had done no paperwork in the case of the Bengal tigers, so they suffered for hours in their cages. The two pairs have set back the KMC by Rs17 million. As one correspondent said, at Rs5 a pop, it should take us into the next century to recover this amazing “investment.” Perhaps the KMC could have spent this money (aren’t they broke?) on improving sewerage, but then what good would that do? For one thing, the KMC administrator, the moving spirit behind (and I daresay in front of) this lark, wouldn’t be able to inaugurate the sewerage, whereas he has a whole song and dance routine planned for the big Inaugural, the Lord be praised.
The icing on this stinking cake is there is no NOC and no permission so far from the Sindh Wildlife Department. While those will be undoubtedly squeezed out, the KMC has simply gone ahead and done what it wanted to do – hang the rules. How this import was allowed without an NOC is not a mystery, as we all know. Worse is that the “importers” (read crooks who have been given the walloping contract) are defaulters already and are facing trial for a scam. The company masquerades under various identities and brought in lions, tigers, hippos, and what have you, in 2007. Case remains pending! Now this. Ye gods, is there no mercy? However palms will be greased and the gravy train will chug along happily.
I am not an expert on wildlife trade, but I believe that Pakistan is a signatory to CITES-the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. The Bengal tigers who are cut down to a little over 2,000 cannot be traded unless it is established that they are for breeding purposes and are assured of first-class conditions. The zoos at Karachi and Lahore-Islamabad too – are killing fields. What chance does an animal have? Breeding? They will be fighting to stay alive. The big cats in Lahore are herded into their suffocating cages by – guess what? Long bamboo poles with cloth doused in kerosene and a “trained” fire expert thrusting the pole at the terrified cats which scamper into their cages! Modern animal management.
The Lahore Zoo, which is rolling with money. has spent next to nothing on the animals. There are no X-ray facilities, no pharmacy, no vaccination program (TB is rampant), no medical record, qualified doctors or vets, no infirmary, operating arrangements and necessary qualified staff. God forbid, should an animal contract a disease, it would be dead sooner than later. The list of innocent ones sent to an early grave is a long and shameful one, and the blood of those innocents is on the heads of the heads at the zoos we have. The only “animal handlers” in Lahore are the security guards. You know why? Because they spend time with the animals, talk to them and give them treats. When the animals see the zoo director flanked by his scraping, bowing minions, they recoil in horror and retreat to the farthest corner. They know who their enemies are.
People like me have written reams without an iota of action. A group of us even begged the current chief minister to intervene, make the zoo autonomous and take it out of the clutches of the vile people, but many promises of executive action yielded zero results. Instead, his tacit approval led to two snow leopards ending up in cages in Lalazar, Nathiagali, where they live out their lives. More big cats have been added. Who looks after them? Your guess is as good as mine.
So my dear animal friends freshly
http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-9-122120-Over-the-Top-Bad-news-for-big-cats



Zoo worried over survival of cheetahs
After the death of two cubs of Maya, the African hunting cheetah, there are now concerns about the survival of three cubs. Though they are healthy yet the trio also visibly seems to be missing their mother Maya, who died six weeks back.
Speaking to TOI, zoo senior vet Dr Suresh Kumar said that after the death of Maya, they tried giving the cubs goat and cow milk. But, the cubs started developing indigestion. Hence, they are now being regularly fed with chicken soup, Kumar stated. As suggested by experts, authorities are giving the 16-week-old cubs rabbit meat once in a week and cooked chicken.
Expert vet Pampapathi, who runs a pet clinic in Bangalore, is visiting Mysore zoo on Sunday. Following back to back deaths of cheetahs, the authorities are seeking his suggestions on rearing the big cats in
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mysore/Zoo-worried-over-survival-of-cheetahs/articleshow/15067980.cms



Zoo sends SOS to SA facility
The first captive bred African hunting cheetah cubs in India are battling for survival. The death of four cheetahs - three cubs and an adult female-has left the zoo wringing its hands.
Now the Zoo Authority of Karnataka (ZAK) has sent an SOS to the South African facility from where the cheetahs were shipped to Mysore. Said M Nanjundaswamy, ZAK chairman, "We will bear the expenditure. There is no problem with that." ZAK has also asked expert vet Dr Pampapathi from Bangalore to visit
http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-07-20/bangalore/32763891_1_cheetah-cubs-three-cubs-zak-chairman



Zoos these days are a whole different animal (interesting photos and quips)
TODAY Melbourne Zoo prides itself as a conservation leader but a book released for its 150th birthday doesn't gloss over what modern readers might view as the horrors of its early years.
Although the book was commissioned by the zoo, in it you will find the story of Mollie the orang-utan, who for 20 years until her death in 1923 lived in a cramped cage, and was famous for smoking cigarettes.
For 40 years, Queenie the elephant gave rides to up to 800 children a day. Then in 1944, she accidentally squashed her keeper. She was retired and a year later was put down because she was too
http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/zoos-these-days-are-a-whole-different-animal-20120720-22fo5.html



Zoo crocodile escapes, hunt intensified
Rescue workers including experts from the Davao City-based Philippine Crocodile Rescue and Breeding Center, have intensified their hunt on the eight-foot crocodile that escaped from the city’s mini-zoo located at the Landmark, one of the tourist destinations here in the city.
Psalmer Bernalte of the Kidapawan City Emergency Response Unit (KidCeru) said they already sought the expertise of the crocodile breeders from the Philippine Crocodile Rescue and Breeding Center (PCRBC).
Their hunt started Friday night when the crocodile is expected to settle down after staying long in the river.
A team of seven crocodile experts will be organized to conduct the search operations.
The team has already secured ropes, high-powered flashlights, and other gadgets needed for the hunt and will be accompanied by soldiers and paramilitary men to secure them from other ‘unfriendly forces’.
Once recaptured, the city government said the crocodile
http://www.tempo.com.ph/2012/zoo-crocodile-escapes-hunt-intensified/



Former zoo director feared firing
Coker: Heat on Zoo staff fell on more than fired plaintiff Llizo
Former Topeka Zoo director Mike Coker said he saw the handwriting on the wall after two inspection reports in 2009 showed multiple violations at the zoo.
So he retired before the city could fire him.
Coker testified for nearly three hours Thursday in the federal discrimination lawsuit filed by Topeka Zoo veterinarian Shirley Yeo Llizo.
Randy Speaker, deputy city manager who was Coker's direct supervisor in 2009, said he had several concerns about Coker's abilities and confirmed that Coker would have been terminated had he not stepped down.
Speaker said he was concerned about Coker's "inability to lead the staff" and his inability "to address the USDA reports effectively."
Llizo is seeking $300,000 for emotional pain, suffering, inconvenience and mental anguish, along with attorney's fees and other costs.
Llizo was hired as the zoo's veterinarian in 2006 and was fired in 2009 after a U.S. Department of Agriculture review of the zoo found violations of USDA standards. The city gave Llizo her job back in August 2010.
Llizo's suit states she is a non-Caucasian female of Chinese ancestry who was born in the Republic of Singapore and is a naturalized citizen. It contends the city terminated her but not other American-born citizens of a different race and/or gender who also were considered responsible for USDA violations, including Coker.
Coker was the first witness called by the city of Topeka, which is being represented by Philip Gragson, a private attorney working under contract.
Gragson began asking Coker about his educational background and then asked where Coker is working now. Coker said he is a seasonal employee for Kaw Valley and also works as part of a night crew at Walmart.
Coker was named zoo director in 2001. He spent more than 30 years working at the zoo.
He told the eight-member jury he never considered Llizo's race or gender when hiring her or firing her. He also acknowledged he was aware of the city's no discrimination policy. Coker said Llizo "did very well" and gave her high marks on her first evaluation.
In August 2009, a USDA review of the zoo noted several violations, including expired drugs. The USDA did another review in September of that same year and noted there were incomplete animal records. Llizo earlier testified that a computer crash and an error by the city's IT department in backing up files caused the zoo to lose more than two years of animal records.
Gragson entered several emails between Coker and other city officials into evidence. The emails show Coker setting up a time to meet with USDA officials on Sept. 9, 2009.
"I felt it was appropriate to sit down and talk privately about some of the things they noted," Coker said.
He testified that during that meeting one of the two USDA inspectors questioned Llizo's lack of compassion for animals. One of the inspectors on Wednesday said she didn't make such a statement during the meeting.
Coker said he left the meeting "with concerns about the veterinarian program and Dr. Llizo."
Later Thursday, Eric Smith, a former city attorney, testified about a simi
http://cjonline.com/news/2012-07-19/former-zoo-director-feared-firing

To The Arctic http://youtu.be/OEULvsNUWHY

3 Toronto Zoo elephants trained for California flight
Iringa, Toka and Thika set to fly south as early as Aug. 2
For elephants to fly, you have to do more than load trunks on a plane.
Pat Derby, co-founder of the Performing Animal Welfare Society, has been working for two years to get three 4,500-kilogram elephants in the air. The elephants are scheduled to take off on Aug. 2 in what could be a million-dollar move.
The African elephants, Iringa, 42, Toka, 41, and Thika, 31, are being retired from the Toronto Zoo and moved to PAWS' 930-hectare sanctuary in San Andreas.
To get the elephants ready to fly, the animals had to undergo crate and noise training. A Russian cargo jet and two fleets of trucks had to be rented; pilots, drivers and crews hired; crates built and fitted for each elephant; hydraulic gates reinstalled at the sanctuary; and barn space cleared.
The amount of red tape rivalled only the green involved, but former game show host and animal activist Bob Barker is paying the bill, expected to be between $750,000 and $1 million.
The Aug. 2 departure is being questioned by officials in Toronto, who said preparations to move the animals could still take weeks. A spokesman for Michelle Berardinetti, one of the Toronto councillors spearheading the move, said Tuesday that the elephants will most likely not be moved in August.
Zookeepers have been teaching the animals to walk in and out of their travel crates, finished in January. "We rattle the crates and make all kinds of sounds so they are used to noise," Derby said, because "there are no test flights."
Iringa and Toka do have past plane experience — they were flown to Toronto from Mozambique 37 years ago. Would an elephant forget?
"It would be the way we remember some gut feelings," Joyce Poole, an elephant behaviourist and co-founder of ElephantVoices, said in a phone interview from Norway. "They are used to going in and out of cages and being in small confined spaces. Otherwise, getting back into a truck could bring back some scary feelings. Obviously, they were captured and taken from their families and
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/story/2012/07/17/toronto-elephants-flying-california.html





www.zoolex.org in July 2012

~°v°~  ~°v°~  ~°v°~  ~°v°~  ~°v°~
Hello ZooLex Friend,
We have worked for your enjoyment!
              ~°v°~
NEW EXHIBIT PRESENTATION
The Elephant Exhibit at Heidelberg Zoo was designed and built for keeping bulls. The need for male holding facilities is high in many species that build social groups of females with one or few males only. The elephant bulls at Heidelberg Zoo enjoy a lot of choices in space and object use as well as training.
http://www.zoolex.org/zoolexcgi/view.py?id=1430
              ~°v°~
GERMAN ORIGINAL
We would like to thank Sandra Reichler, curator at Zoo Heidelberg, and Sabrina Linn, an intern at Zoo Heidelberg, for preparing the German presentation. The English translation was done by Hannah Gängler, our intern in summer 2012, and edited by the ZooLex editorial board.
Elefantenanlage
http://www.zoolex.org/zoolexcgi/view.py?id=1371
              ~°v°~
SPANISH TRANSLATION
Thanks to Eduardo Diaz Garcia we are able to offer Spanish
translations of two previously presented elephant exhibits:
El Bosque del Elefante Asiático
http://www.zoolex.org/zoolexcgi/view.py?id=933
Reino de Gigantes
http://www.zoolex.org/zoolexcgi/view.py?id=1330
              ~°v°~
We keep working on ZooLex ...

The ZooLex Zoo Design Organization is a non-profit organization
registered in Austria (ZVR-Zahl 933849053). ZooLex runs a professional
zoo design website and distributes this newsletter. More information and
contact: http://www.zoolex.org/about.html


Dolphins, elephants for Chickland
LOCALS may soon get a chance to see dolphins, elephants and other exotic animals close up once a zoo and nature park is set up in central Trinidad.
The zoo which was earmarked in 2007 by the then PNM administration, would occupy 40 acres of Sou Sou lands in Chickland.
However, a date has not been set for the project to begin nor has any money been allocated, Tourism Minister Stephen Cadiz said yesterday on a tour of the proposed reserve site. Accompanying the minister was Caroni MP and Minister of the People and Social Development Dr Glenn Ramadharsingh, and minister in the ministry Vernella Alleyne-Toppin.
Alongside the team were officials of the Zoological Society of TT (ZSTT), as well as officials of the Couva/ Tabaquite/Talparo Regional Corporation.
Speaking to reporters, Ramadharsingh said the Emperor Valley Zoo has severe limitations in terms of space and a natural environment. But the proposed zoo will allow for animals to be in their natural environment, said Ramadharsingh, a veterinarian by profession. He noted that persons have to travel to countries such as Africa , India and Australia to see exotic animals or learn about them on televison programmes.
“They are very loving creatures that can teach us a lot about nature,” the minister explained. He said people are excited when they journey to Miami to see dolphins.
Ramadharsingh said the zoo will be a boost for the country’s tourism.
“We will make Trinidad a unique destination for local tourists as well as regional and international tourists. When you look at the site you will see the natural beauty of central Trinidad and we want to capture this,” he said.
Ramadharsingh said the zoo will also stimulate economic activity in Central, which has been adversely affected since the closure of the sugar estates of Caroni Ltd.
“You do not have anything to drive the economy in these areas. You don’t have an ocean front or a port. You don’t have an airport nearby, you don’t have centres of economic activity that can drive employment and the local economy,” Ramadharsingh said.
In 2007, under the PNM, plans to build the zoo had been discussed by then tourism minister Howard Chin Lee.
Cadiz said as a tourism initiative the project will work extremely well.
“We all know the Emperor Valley Zoo is limited in size. And zoos all over the world are becoming more like nature centres. Now animals are free to roam in certain areas rather than being in cages and that would be brand new for Trinidad and Tobago and brand new for the region,” Cadiz said.
Plans have been discussed to set up institute to study local animals and to include animal care as part of the “rehabilitation” of persons.
“Animals have an effect on people. The issue of rehabilitation of certain people who might have found it difficult when growing up, if they work with animals they have a way of rehabilitating themselves, so there are all kinds of different sectors that would benefit from a project like
http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,163505.html



Genetic test could save Scottish wildcats from extinction
SCIENTISTS are hoping genetic testing could save one of Scotland’s most endangered animals from extinction.
The Scottish wildcat, of which less than 400 remain, has been given a lifeline by experts who hope a simple blood test could help preserve the species.
The genetic test, due to be launched at Christmas, will establish how many pure-bred wildcats remain, and take steps to protect them by introducing a breeding programme – the first of its kind.
The Scottish wildcat is amongst the most endangered species on the planet and experts warn that if interbreeding continues, the species could be wiped out within five years.
Steve Piper of the Scottish Wildcat Association said the official figures claiming 400 wildcats remain was too optimistic.
He said: “There are barely words to describe how desperate their plight is. There used to be tens of thousands of wildcats roaming Scotland. The last attempt to establish the numbers in 2004 estimated it was only about 400.
“Many conservationists put the figure at 100 and some think there may already be none left.
“They are disappearing so fast they are more in peril than pandas, tigers or polar bears.”
The 100,000 feral cats that roam the Scottish Highlands are largely to blame for the decline.
They breed with the wildcats and produce hybrids that are part domestic cat and part wild cat.
Mr Piper said: “These are different from wildcats, which have always been solitary, not taking birds and the likes and existing only on rabbits.
“The hybrids are seen as more of a pest and are targeted as such.”
A mixed breed will have a thicker coat and be bigger than a domestic cat.
Some can be easily identified, with others the extent of the breeding is such that its impossible to know if the creature is pure wildcat.
The genetic test will take blood samples and allow the true remaining wildcats to be identified, with steps taken to protect them.
Dr Paul O’Donoghue of Chester University, who is developing the test in partnership with the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland WildGenes Lab in Edinburgh, described the work so far as “incredibly encouraging”.
He said: “Initial results suggest a diagnostic wildcat test will be available.”
Mr Piper added: “Even some of the wildcats in captivity may be hybrids, no body knows.
“This test will allow Scottish wildcats in captivity to be identified, brought together from wherever they are in the UK and a breeding programme started.
“This is absolutely critical to the creature’s survival. Communities, even gamekeepers, are right behind supporting wildcats.
“If we can successfully breed them in captivity then we can start to address the problems in the wild.
“Everyone who seems them loves them but if we don’t act now then the Scottish wildcats could be gone in as little as a year.”
If enough true wildcats were discovered to breed from, Mr Piper would favour the creation of a “mainland island” for the
http://www.deadlinenews.co.uk/2012/07/22/genetic-test-could-save-scottish-wildcats-from-extinction/




Brookfield Zoo’s Bornean Orangutan Turns 51
Brookfield Zoo’s Bornean orangutan celebrated her 51th birthday Wednesday.
Maggie born in 1961 at the San Diego Zoo is the oldest of her kind living in a North American Zoo.
Maggie has had some memorable moments while in Brookfield Zoo. In 1996 she served as a surrogate mother to a male infant. Eight years later she underwent an extreme makeover losing 90 pounds after being diagnosed with a hypothyroid condition
http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/163046776.html



Inspectors visit Fairhope elephant sanctuary
An inspection team toured the International Conservation Center near Fairhope on Thursday, looking at everything — down to the flowers.
Dr. Barbara Baker, president and CEO of the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium, which owns the center, said the primary emphasis is on the quality of care of the animals. But the four inspectors, who are with the Association of Zoos & Aquariums, also look at finance, marketing, education and visitors' experience.
"Once every five years, the zoo and the ICC go through an accreditation inspection," Baker said. "It's like the Good Housekeeping seal of approval for the over 200 zoos in the country. Every aspect of the zoo affects the others — if marketing is not doing its job, we aren't getting visitors and then we aren't raising money. They spend a lot of time on animal care. At the Pittsburgh Zoo, we approach this as our chance to shine and showcase all the great work we are doing at the zoo and the ICC."
Ed Asper, chairman of the accreditation team, said he could not comment on specifics about the inspections. The zoo's inspection was earlier in the week. At the end of the inspection, if the inspectors have any concerns, they let the zoo know. The zoo then has the opportunity to address each concern. A written report is sent to the 15-member Accreditation Commission, which reviews the report and the zoo's response during a hearing that the zoo president attends. The Pittsburgh Zoo and ICC's hearing will be Sept. 10 in Phoenix.
"The AZA office chooses the teams that are specific to sites," Asper said. "There is someone who is an expert in administration, a veterinarian and a territorial expert, in this case someone who is an expert in elephants."
The territorial expert looks at the animals' living conditions. The team has three choices: to grant accreditation; to deny accreditation; or to table a decision for a year to give the zoo time to improve. Asper could not recall the last time a zoo was denied accreditation. Baker said the Pittsburgh zoo has always received it since the process began in 1986.
"We want to improve all aspects of the zoo," Baker said. "Every time the standards are changed, we improve to meet the standards. We want to exceed the visiting team's expectations."
The center has five elephants: Jackson, the bull from Pittsburgh; and four females: Bette, from the Philadelphia Zoo; and Seeni, Sukiri and Thandi, all rescued in Botswana, Africa. African painted dogs and springboks — a gazelle-like animal — will be brought from the zoo to the center sometime in the fall. Fencing is in place, Baker said, but a building is needed to house them during the winter.
There are six zoos with off-site breeding facilities
http://www.dailyamerican.com/news/somerset/da-ot-icc-undergoes-accreditation-inspection-20120719,0,7749179.story



Desert life made sand cats a hardy lot – with one bad habit
For the most part, it looks like any domestic cat. And with its wide, flat face, big ears and perfectly oval eyes, it is almost cartoonishly cute.
But don't be fooled. When the Arabian sand cat spots a mouse, its demeanour changes. It flattens itself, slinking along the sand, capturing its prey in the blink of an eye.
"That is when you know it is a wildcat," says Rashed Al Qamzi, a supervisor at Al Ain Wildlife Park and Resort.
Al Ain's zoo has 31 Arabian sand cats - 16 males and 15 females. The smallest member of the cat family found in Arabian Peninsula, the sand cat also lives in North Africa and central Asia.
"You can't help but be mesmerised by the way the sand cat moves," says Mr Al Qamzi, an Emirati. "It is very light on its feet, almost flying about. And it can become flat like a cardboard cutout, so you don't see it against the sand.
"Their large ears are set low on the side, which makes them very sensitive to any sound."
The cat takes its Latin name, Felis margarita, from a French general, Jean Auguste Margueritte, who led an expedition to the Sahara in the 1850s. He captured one of the cats from the desert between Libya and Algeria.
Its coat is thick and pale, ranging from sandy brown to grey, while its belly, chest and lower muzzle are white. Its limb and tail have black markings. Standing 26 centimetres tall at the shoulder and weighing up to 3 kilograms, it is shorter and stockier than a domestic cat.
"They are quite tough," says Mr Al Qamzi. "They can take on and eat poisonous snakes, like the horned sand viper.
"But they also purr - not exactly like a house cat, a bit more subtle - and meow loudly like any other cat when it wants your attention."
Nocturnal, the
http://www.thenational.ae/news/uae-news/environment/desert-life-made-sand-cats-a-hardy-lot-with-one-bad-habit



Detroit Zoo Mourns Loss Of Rescued Polar Bear
She was a loving mother, a former big top performer, and a favorite of Detroit Zoo staff and visitors since her rescue a decade ago.
Bärle, a 27-year-old female polar bear rescued from a circus nearly 10 years ago, was euthanized Wednesday after an exam revealed multiple tumors in her abdomen.
Zookeepers reported changes in Bärle’s behavior over the past five days, including decreased appetite. Efforts were made to encourage her to eat – including providing her with favorite foods of cooked sweet potatoes and chicken – to no avail. During a veterinary exam Wednesday morning, the tumors were discovered and the difficult decision was made to hum
http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2012/07/18/detroit-zoo-mourns-loss-of-rescued-polar-bear/



Plan to sell rhino horn: report
South African conservationists have unveiled a plan to sell rhino horns legally and directly to Chinese pharmaceutical companies, The Star reported on Friday.
"Let's try it out for five years and see what impact it has," Ezemvelo KwaZulu-Natal Wildlife's former conservation planning chief Roger Porter said in Durban on Thursday, as the formal proposal was presented to the International Wildlife Management Congress.
He said the horns would be sold in the same way diamonds were sold by the De Beers corporation.
The Star reported the price would be controlled by a central selling organisation, with sales held at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg four times a year.
The money used from horn sales would be used to fund rhino conservation efforts.
More than 270 rhinos had been slaughtered for their horns so far this year. Rhino horn is used to make traditional medicine, which is mainly consumed in Asia.
Porter acknowledged the proposal was not a "silver bullet" to halt poaching.
"If it reduces poaching sig
http://www.timeslive.co.za/local/2012/07/13/plan-to-sell-rhino-horn-report



Extinction prompts conservation
The Taipei Zoo said it is working with global partners to prevent an endangered tortoise species from sharing the same fate as Lonesome George, the last of a subspecies of tortoise that died last week on June 24.
“Lonesome George is in the past now. The pressing issue is to prevent the tragedy from happening again to other tortoises threatened with extinction,” said Chang Ming-hsiung (張明雄), chief executive of the zoo’s Conservation and Research Center.
Lonesome George, a Pinta Island giant tortoise (Chelonoidis nigra abingdonii) that lived in the Galapagos Islands, died at the age of 100, prompting worldwide mourning over the beloved conservation icon.
The subspecies is believed to have become extinct because Lonesome George, which had been kept in captivity in Galapagos National Park since the 1970s, failed to leave any offspring.
Although it caused consternation among conservationists, the tortoise’s demise may help other species survive.
It has prompted the Taipei Zoo to reflect on its conservation strategy for the endangered Burmese star tortoise. The zoo has 19 of the turtles, which were found in the 1990s in Taiwan after being illegally smuggled into the country for the pet or medicine markets.
That is 6.3 percent of the estimated global population of 300 for a species ranked 11th in the Turtle Conservation Coalition’s report last year entitled Turtles In Trouble: The World’s Top 25+ Endangered Tortoises and Freshwater Turtles.
Speaking at an international workshop the zoo held last week to discuss ways of restoring tortoise populations, Donal Boyer, curator of herpetology at the Bronx Zoo in New York, said the case of Lonesome George pointed to the need for conservationists to work more closely together to establish captive breeding programs.
Chang agreed, saying that a successful partnership would mean frequent exchanges of information on details such as the reptile’s habits and behavior as well as new high-tech breeding methods.
Chang cited as an example the time when the Taipei Zoo contacted the Behler Chelonian Conservation Center in California with the help of the Bronx Zoo in 2006 for advice on lifting the hatchling survival rate of its Burmese star tortoises.
As a result of the partnership, the survival rate improved from under 10 percent to 70 percent.
Another benefit of a strong network is the exchange of robust genetic diversity to increase the group’s chances for survival, said Gerald Kuchling, a conservationist at the University of West Australia.
Chang said these multinational efforts are aimed at creating “recovery houses” for the tortoises, natural sanctuaries that imitate the animal’s original habitat.
He said the Taipei Zoo’s next step would be to work with the Bronx Zoo-based Wildlife Conservation Society to prepare its Burmese star tortoises for reintroduction into such recovery houses
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2012/07/05/2003537018




Indian state's grip on rare lions may be too tight
A peacock shrieks. A monkey scrambles higher into the fire-colored canopy of a kesudo tree. And an Asiatic lion - one of the last few hundred in the wild - pads across the dusty earth of a west Indian sanctuary that is its only refuge from the modern world.
Within the guarded confines of this dry forest in Gujarat state, the lions have been rescued from near-extinction. A century ago, fewer than 50 remained. Today, more than 400 fill the park and sometimes wander into surrounding villages and farmland.
But the lions' precarious return is in jeopardy. Experts warn their growing numbers could be their undoing. Crowded together, they are more vulnerable to disease and natural disaster. There is little new territory for young males to claim, increasing chances for inbreeding, territorial conflict or males killing the young.
Conservationists agree these lions need a second home fast, and far from Gir. Government-backed experts in the 1990s settled on a rugged and hilly sanctuary called Kuno, where lions historically roamed with tigers in the neighboring state of Madhya Pradesh. Millions were spent preparing the park. But Gujarat rejected the plan. And no lions were sent.
Now, the uncertain fate of the Asiatic lions - once dominant in forests from Morocco and Greece across the Middle East to eastern India - rests in the hands of bureaucrats, and the case has reached the Supreme Court.
"We are the only ones who have lions. We have managed without interference until now," Gujarat's environment secretary, S.K. Nanda, said proudly from behind an enormous desk in an office complex decorated with lion posters reading: "Gujarat's pride; World's envy."
"Can we humans be arbiters of where these lions should live? Sho
http://www.sfgate.com/science/article/Indian-state-s-grip-on-rare-lions-may-be-too-tight-3725702.php



Georgia Aquarium applies to bring 18 beluga whales to zoos and aquariums around the country
The application is part of a five-year, multimillion-dollar conservation program to improve the genetic diversity of captive belugas in the U.S. That would, in turn, make the beluga population more stable and would broaden the database of research on belugas’ needs and capabilities.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports (http://bit.ly/LZwilq ) that the whales would be housed in aquariums and zoological parks around the country.
Georgia Aquarium chief zoological officer William Hurley says there are 34 belugas in U.S. captivity. He said many of them are past prime calf-bearing age, and bringing more belugas into the pool could improve the success of breeding efforts.
Georgia Aquarium’s 17-year-old female beluga, Maris, gave birth in May, but the infant calf died just a few days later. The aquarium is still waiting on reports from the necropsy.
“When the calf didn’t make it, it was devastating to us,” Hurley said.
If the application is approved, the new belugas would come from the Sea of Okhotsk in eastern Russia, where there is a population of several thousand. Marine protection agencies there have overseen the collection by Russian scientists of the animals that would come to the U.S.
The Georgia Aquarium has taken significant steps to make sure the removal of those animals wouldn’t have negative effects on the whale population in that part of the ocean. The aquarium has spent about $2 million on research missions over the last five years to do population counts and epidemiological studies on the whales there.
It hasn’t been determined whether any of the new belugas would come to the Georgia Aquarium. That kind of decision is generally made by those coordinating nationwide conservation efforts.
Marilee Menard, executive director of the Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums, says the project is important.
“The beluga import is a seminal decision that is strongly supported by the marine mammal community,” she said. “The Alliance’s understanding is that the new animals are of the right ages and sexes to virtually ensure the goal of a long-term, sustainable population
http://chronicle.augusta.com/news/metro/2012-07-02/georgia-aquarium-applies-bring-18-beluga-whales-zoos-and-aquariums-around



After four years, Delhi zoo begins breeding of white tigers
After a gap of nearly five years, the Delhi Zoo now plans to begin breeding of one of its star attraction — the white tiger, officials said on Monday. The zoo also plans to begin breeding programmes of other carnivores such as Asiatic lions, jaguars, hyenas and wolves in the coming months, said R A Khan, curator of the National Zoological Park.
“We had not been able to breed the white tigers till now due to a shortage of space. But this year, the zoo has given away three of them to other zoos in the country and so we now plan to start breeding again. Wolf and hyena pairs were brought to the zoo recently and we plan to breed them as well, along with Asiatic lions,”said Khan.
The zoo currently has six white tigers — four females and two males. Three tigers have been given away in as part of exchange programmes with other zoos this year. One was was sent to Jaipur, Gwalior and Chandigarh zoos.
“The last breeding of white tigers took place about four-and-a-half years ago. The process has already
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/after-four-years-delhi-zoo-begins-breeding-of-white-tigers/969681/



S.F. Zoo turns to consultant for habitat vision
Terry Maple could sense that Jasper the hedgehog, whom he cradled in his arm while posing for a photo, was uncomfortable with his surroundings.
"I think his stomach is making noises - this could be trouble," he said.
Sure enough, the spiny creature urinated on his crisp blue dress shirt hardly a minute later.
It is Maple's knowledge of the environments animals need to thrive that led the San Francisco Zoo to hire him as its first professor-in-residence. Maple, a former zoo director on the East Coast with a doctorate degree in psychobiology, will advise the zoo on how to put its animals before people when redesigning some of the outdated animal h
http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/S-F-Zoo-turns-to-consultant-for-habitat-vision-3677807.php




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Sunday, July 15, 2012

Zoo News Digest 1st - 15th July 2012 (Zoo News 823)

Zoo News Digest 1st - 15th July 2012 (Zoo News 823)



Dear Colleagues,

Lots of Chimpanzee news this week. If you ever doubted the intelligence and strength of these wonderful animals then read through the stories.

My comments on the importance of the AZA was judged by some to be an attack on other organisations. It wasn't directly and I intend, when I get a little time, to explain why I believe what I believe in greater detail.

This week saw an unprecedented response to vacancies posted on the Zoo News Digest 'Zoo Jobs' site. Advertising here really works. I can often spot huge interest within minutes of the ad appearing, some being much more popular than others. I am extremely grateful for the donations received which keep this up and running.

"We donate tigers to reputable zoos around the world" - What is wrong with this statement? The answer is there are no reputable zoos which need to have tigers donated. Reputable zoos are members of official breeding programmes......and there can be only ONE of these programmes per tiger subspecies (though broken down into regions). In reputable zoos the tigers belong to the breeding programme for the well being and preservation of the species as a whole. There are no 'reputable zoos' in Asia which need tigers donating to them.


Hello Giza Zoo....any news on the new Orangutan house yet? What of the evacuated chimps? The zoo world watches as you drag your feet. So very sad. Just how long will it take?

Still not a whisper about the baby Orangutan and Gibbon from Abu Dhabi (see past Digests). As the recognised world organisations that the collection belonged to knew that they had these you would think they would be just a little concerned as to where they went. It doesn't smell right to me.

I remain committed to the work of GOOD zoos, not DYSFUNCTIONAL zoos.

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Palm-oil boom raises conservation concerns
Palm oil was once touted as a social and environmental panacea — a sustainable food crop, a biofuel that could help to cut greenhouse-gas emissions and a route out of poverty for small-scale farmers. In recent years, however, a growing body of research has questioned those credentials, presenting evidence that palm-oil farming can cause damaging deforestation and reduce biodiversity, and that the oil’s use as a biofuel offers only marginal benefits for mitigating climate change.
But even as the environmental case against it grows stronger, the palm-oil business is booming as never before. “Oil palm is such a lucrative crop that there is almost no way to stop it,” says William Laurance, a forest-conservation scientist at James Cook University in Cairns, Australia. Indonesia, the world’s largest grower of oil palms (see ‘Palm sprouts’), is expected to double production by 2030. And on 28 June, the Malaysian palm-oil company Felda Global Ventures (FGV) earned US$3.2 billion in the second-largest initial public offering (IPO) this year after Facebook, which will enable the company to bring thousands of extra hectares into production.
Sabri Ahmad, group president of FGV, told reporters last week that the company planned to expand its operations eightfold in eight years. To do so, it will have to look beyond Malaysia to countries such as Cambodia and Indonesia. Although Malaysia is now the world’s second-largest producer of palm oil, it is running out of viable land for new oil-palm plantations, according to the US Department of Agriculture.
Such expansion is driven by the steadily rising demand for palm oil, mainly from the food sector, which uses it in a vast array of products, including margarine and biscuits. But the emerging biodiesel market is also thirsty for the oil.
In principle, biodiesel made from palm oil could be environmentally friendly, because the carbon dioxide released when it is burned is roughly the same as that absorbed as the plant grows. But vast swathes of forest have been cut down to make way for the crop, often in carbon-rich peatlands, where tree burning and soil degradation release extra stores of the global-warming gas. A recent life-cycle assessment suggested that it could take up to 220 years for a plantation to become carbon neutral (W. M. J. Achten and L. V. Verchot Ecol. Soc. 16, 14; 2011).
In January, after the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) found that palm-oil fuels emitted only 11–17% less greenhouse gas than diesel over their entire life cycle, it suggested that the oil should not be classified as a renewable fuel. Although a public consultation on the matter concluded in April, the EPA has not set a date to issue its final ruling. But the European Union (EU) continues to encourage the use of fuels based on palm oil. The EU has a binding target to raise the share of biofuels used in road transport to 10% by 2020, and most of that is expected to be met by blending biofuels such as palm
http://www.nature.com/news/palm-oil-boom-raises-conservation-concerns-1.10936



Panda Politics: Tokyo’s Outspoken Governor Puts His Paw in it Again
When a giant panda gets pregnant, it’s news. Especially in Japan, a country that has waited decades for a baby panda to be born. But the good news that Shin Shin, a giant panda at Tokyo’s Ueno Zoo on loan from China, appears to be with child, has quickly been turned into bad news by Tokyo’s outspoken governor.
Gov. Shintaro Ishihara suggested Shin Shin’s potential newborn be named Sen Sen or Kaku Kaku, a word play on the disputed islands known as the Senkaku in Japan and the Diaoyu in China. Mr. Ishihara, laughing, proposed the names at the end of a press conference in Tokyo on Thursday in response to a question asking his thoughts on Shin Shin’s possible pregnancy. “This will give China control [of the Senkakus] when the baby pandas return to China,” he said.
Beijing fired back on Friday.  ”Ishihara’s scheme to undermine China-Japan relations is a clumsy performance. It will only tarnish the image of Japan and Tokyo,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said at a
http://blogs.wsj.com/japanrealtime/2012/07/01/panda-politics-tokyos-outspoken-governor-puts-his-paw-in-it-again/


South Africa's Chimp Eden maulers escape death penalty
Two chimpanzees which mauled an American student in South Africa will not be put down, a government investigator says.
They were defending their territory and there was no evidence of negligence by their keepers, said Dries Pienaar.
Andrew Oberle was studying at a sanctuary in north-eastern South Africa when he was attacked last Thursday.
The chimps tore off some of his fingers, a testicle and mauled his head.
Mr Pienaar, a conservationist who is leading the investigation into the attack said the animals were defending their territory.
He said Mr Oberle, a Masters student in anthropology and primatology at the University of Texas
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-18702968

It is very one sided but worth a watch: A Fall From Freedom http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTtBHiNjc74



Chimpanzees vs. Humans: Sizing Up Their Strength
The mauling of Texas graduate student Andrew Oberle by two chimpanzees at the Jane Goodall Institute Chimpanzee Eden in South Africa Thursday was a reminder that in strength, size might not matter.
Chimpanzees are considered the closest living relative of humans, sharing 95 to 98 percent of the same DNA, according to the Jane Goodall Institute in Washington, D.C., a separate entity from the facility in South Africa.
But in no way do humans compare with a chimps' sheer strength and the few percentage points in which the two differ are extreme, many experts say.
"It's the closest thing we know to human warfare" when a chimp is provoked, said Steve Ross, director of the Lester E. Fisher Center for the Study of Conservation of Apes at Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago.
"Chimps are incredibly strong and fast so humans are easily overpowered."
Indeed, chimpanzees have been shown to be about four times as strong as humans comparable in size, according to evolutionary biologist Alan Walker, formerly of Pennsylvania State University.
Research suggests the difference in strength between the two lies in the muscle performance.
In chimps, the muscle fibers closest to the bones -- those deemed to be the source of strength of both chimps and humans – are much longer and more dense, so a chimp is able to generate more power using the same range of motion, Ross of the Lester Fisher Cente
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Wellness/chimpanzees-humans-sizing-strength/story?id=16696826



Penguin caretaker one cool customer
So what's black and white and red all over?
A penguin with mosquito bites.
"You'd be proven wrong if you thought heat is our penguins' biggest enemy during summer," said Jin Jun, a penguin keeper at the Shanghai Zoo.
"Mosquitoes are."
She said that unlike the Emperor Penguin, which can only be found in cold climates - and only a few species live that far south - African penguins adapt better to the hot summer temperatures.
"But the strange thing is I kept finding these tiny red spots that looked like sties on each penguin's upper eyelids almost every summer and I couldn't figure out what they were," Jin said.
"That kept puzzling me until one day I was driven crazy by the annoying mosquitoes in the zoo - and I suddenly realized my little flightless fellows were covered with feathers from head to toe except their eyelids!"
The 43-year-old has since used a liquid mosquito killer to keep the insects at bay.
After 10 years working with the penguins at the zoo, Jin knows the personalities of the 33 birds in the penguin building and can recall where the ancestors of each came from - zoos in Japan and the Netherlands - despite the fact they're African penguins.
Yet even in the partially enclosed environment that is equipped with a cool pool, air conditioning is still necessary for the penguins in the 34 C summer.
"We hide three air conditioners under the rocks so that zoo-goers won't see them," Jin said, pointing to one and adding that they're the penguins' favorite spots during summer.
Adult African penguins usually grow to 70 centimeters tall and weigh between 2 and 5 kilograms, Jin said. They have a black stripe and black spots on their chests, and the pattern is unique for every penguin, like human fingerprints.
"It's the cutesy-cutesy," said Jin, who has the wholesome, patient, competent-in-the-wild style every mother would want for her child's camp counselor.
"People say, 'Ohhh, they look like they're wearing little tuxedos.' As an animal person, I don't care for it. I would rather see respect for the animal. They look the way they do for a particular reason. When they swim in the ocean, for the predators, looking up, white is hard to see. Looking down from above, the black is camouflage."
According to Jin, penguins are social animals, and when she opens the door to the enclosure a young penguin rubs its head against her leg.
"They're like a dog or cat that needs patting from its owner. Once I pat them, they'll make a funny bray," she said.
African penguins are also known as "jackass" penguins for their donkey-like bray.
Before feeding them, Jin prepares hearty little fish by shoving a vitamin tablet into their gills. For penguins with less appetite, Jin has to open their beaks and ease the fish down their gullets.
"You've got no idea how picky these penguins are. They'd only eat the best part of the best fish," said Jin, who was once a handler for sea lions.
Jin arrives every morning at 7:30 and often works a nine-hour day, washing the enclosure, thawing the fish and caring for the birds. But one less-frequent duty for Jin is to play matchmaker.
"But I'm a bad one," joked Jin, adding she couldn't stand the sight of a lonely penguin in the corner.
"It doesn't matter how hard I tried by leaving two penguins in the same room or creating opportunities for them. I could never get them to successfully fall in love - penguins are birds that believe in free love."
Jin's connection with animals is not limited to penguins. She's also close to the tigers and lions in the zoo because her husband, Zhang Zhixin, works in Shanghai as their keeper.
"I knew Jin from work but both of us were keepers for herbivores back 15 years ago," Zhang said.
Now the handler for meat-lovers, Zhang is in charge of six South China tigers and four lions with his colleague.
"We don't have direct contact with tigers and lions if you're talking about touching them or patting them. No, that's forbidden, especially after the accident
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2012-07/07/content_15556761.htm


Antarctic moss eats 8,000-year-old penguin poop
Earlier this year, a slightly horrifying factoid made its way around the internet: Penguins poop so much that piles of their poop can be seen from space. But take heart, people who don’t like thinking about mountains of bird guano: It turns out that today’s penguin dung heap could be tomorrow’s source of nutrition for beautiful, fuzzy moss.
A team of Australian researchers were looking into the source of nutrients for these Antarctic plants, the BBC explains, and had narrowed it down to “nitrogen that’s gone through algae, krill and fish.” That food chain leads to seabirds — penguins — but the researchers were puzzled:
Since no penguins live on the elevated lakeside site in East Antarctica, the researchers had to work out where the mysterious seabird poo came from.
They realized that their moss beds were growing on the site of an ancient penguin colony.
“Between 3,000 and 8,000 years ago, on the site where the moss is now growing, there used to be [Adelie] penguins,” said Prof Robinson.
The moss growing on the penguin poop creates a tiny Antarctic jungle of lush green, which creates a habitat for insects and other tiny animals that can deal with cold. There is, however, a lot of this moss, which means that at one point there was a LOT of penguin poop lying around. Like, tons. Try not to think about that
http://grist.org/list/antarctic-moss-eats-8000-year-old-penguin-poop/


Threatened specie, Western Tragopan pheasant breeds again
They say all the nine pairs of the western tragopan which were hit by a serious bacterial infection in 2010 have not only recuperated but have also multiplied after a gap of two years.
“Seven chicks have been born. They are now three weeks old and shaping up well,” said Principal Chief Conservator (Wildlife) RK Sood.
He said almost all the birds at the Saharan pheasantry, located 160 km from Shimla, have recovered from the infection.
They were hit by E. coli bacteria in May 2010, leading to the death of three.
Since then, there have been doubts about the future of the Central Zoo Authority-supported conservation breeding project at Saharan, the only breeding programme of pheasants in the country. The wildlife authorities were forced to abort their breeding for the time being.
Sood said a total of 40 eggs were laid by the birds in six clutches this season.
“From one clutch, three chicks hatched. The remaining four chicks produced from two clutches – two from each clutch. Their success in breeding indicated that the birds have fully recovered from the infection,” he added.
Officials said three females are still involved in brooding.
Unlike the past, the caretakers have not used broody hens
http://hillpost.in/2012/07/04/threatened-specie-western-tragopan-pheasant-breeds-again/46476/photo-news/hp_bureau




The June 2012 issue of ZOO’s PRINT Magazine (Vol. XXVII, No. 6) is online at <www.zoosprint.org> in a format that permits you to turn pages like a regular magazine.

If you wish to download the full magazine or certain articles click on <www.zoosprint.org showmagazine.asp="">


ISSN 0973-2543 (online)

June 2012 | Vol. XXVII | No. 6 | Date of Publication 7 July 2012

CONTENTS

Editorial: Dhaka Zoo, 12 Years Observation and a Personal Rant by ...,
-- Sally Walker, Pp. 1-3

South Africa: Rhinos and Lions ... Hippos and Zebras ... Giraffes and Kudus ... Hyenas striped and spotted ...Oh My!
-- Sarah Pappin, Pp. 4-6

Dhaka Zoo Improvement Initiative -- a Bangladeshi Professor’s outlook during the first Dhaka Zoo Advisory Committee
Pp. 7-8

Dhaka Zoo ... now Bangladesh National Zoo ... a casual inspection
-- Sally Walker, Pp. 9-11

Nepal Zoo Network - Mini Zoos, Deer Parks, Breeding Centres to Communicate, Cooperate, and Collaborate for better Zoo Conservation
-- Sally Walker and Sarita Jnawali, Pp. 12-13

Kathmandu Zoo - National Trust for Nature Conservation / Central Zoo getting a makeover
Pp. 14-16

Captive Wild Animal Facilities in Nepal: Some details
-- Sarita Jnawali, Pp. 17-20

Central Zoo takes the Lead
-- Sally Walker, Pp. 21-22

Cologne’s Elephant Park
-- Gunther Nogge, Pp. 23-27

‘Thousand Leggers’
-- B.A. Daniel, P. 28

Sighting of Lesser Adjutant Leptoptilos javanicus at Haripura Reservoir in Uttarakhand, India
-- Anushree Bhattacharjee, P. 29

Save the Knifetooth Sawfish (Anoxypristis cuspidata) (Latham, 1794)
P. 30
Announcement: The 4th International Congress on Zoo Keeping, Singapore
P. 30

Leaping Ahead of Amphibian Extinction….a celebration of good news for amphibians in 2012
-- Complied by R. Marimuthu, Pp. 31-36

Announcement: 2012 International Aquarium Congress (IAC), South Africa, Cover Page
P. 40



Lemurs sliding towards extinction
A new survey shows lemurs are far more threatened than previously thought.
A group of specialists is in Madagascar - the only place where lemurs are found in the wild - to systematically assess the animals and decide where they sit on the Red List of Threatened Species.
More than 90% of the 103 species should be on the Red List, they say.
Since a coup in 2009, conservation groups have repeatedly found evidence of illegal logging, and hunting of lemurs has emerged as a new threat.
The assessment, conducted by the Primate Specialist Group of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), concludes that 23 lemurs qualify as Critically Endangered - the highest class of threat.
Fifty-two are in the Endangered classification, and a further
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-18825901



Chimps bust out of Germany's Hannover Zoo, child hurt
Five chimpanzees broke out of their enclosure at Germany's Hannover Experience Zoo on Wednesday, terrorizing patrons and injuring a 5-year-old girl.
Five chimpanzees broke out of their enclosure at Germany's Hannover Experience Zoo on Wednesday, terrorizing patrons and injuring a 5-year-old girl.
How exactly the chimps escaped from their enclosure is under investigation, according to the Hannover Allgemeine Zeitung.
The chimps may have used wood that had fallen into their area during gardening work to scale the wall of their pen, AFP reported. A zoo spokesperson told Die Welt Online that the apes utilized a tree that had fallen over in a recent storm to climb out.
About 2,500 people were visiting at the zoo at the time, and were evacuated once officials realized the apes were on the loose.
A 5-year-old girl was knocked over by one of the apes as it tore through the grounds of the zoo. The child escaped the encounter with cuts on her face, and was taken to the hospital for observation, according to Die Welt Online, where
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/chimps-bust-germany-hannover-zoo-child-hurt-article-1.1113725



Shooting of chimp in Las Vegas a reminder that primates aren't pets, expert says
Poker pro Lee Watkinson put up the money and girlfriend Timmi De Rosa gave her heart to an effort to rescue two adult chimpanzees that had outgrown their youthful cuteness in a northwest Las Vegas neighborhood.
"We wanted to build a sanctuary," Watkinson said Friday. "We found them in a bad situation. People have them and play with them for five years and then someone has to come and rescue them. That's what we tried to do. We failed."
On Thursday, after three straight days of stifling 110-degree days, the chimps burst through one door of their outdoor pen, opened a secondary door with two dead bolt latches, and escaped.
For 30 minutes they rumbled through yards and climbed into and out of at least one unoccupied vehicle. The male, Buddy, dented fenders and jumped atop a police car before veering toward a gathering crowd of people. A Las Vegas police officer killed him with three shotgun blasts.
Buddy and the female, named C.J., had become unmanageable for their former owner, who signed part ownership of the animals over to a nonprofit that De Rosa heads, called the Cortland Brandenberg Foundation.
The couple spent $100,000 of Watkinson's winnings from the 2006 World Series of Poker on a sturdy double-fenced enclosure of 800 square feet, about the size of two big-rig trailers, this in the backyard of a home in a horsey neighborhood in unincorporated Clark County. Building codes in the area and Nevada state law allow people to keep exotic animals as pets.
Officer Marcus Martin, a Las Vegas police spokesman, said the veteran officer who shot Buddy thought he was the last defense between the rampaging animal and people gathering to watch. Martin recalled a 2009 attack on a woman who was blinded and disfigured by a chimp at a friend's home in Stamford, Conn.
A U.S. student also suffered critical injuries including head wounds and the loss of a testicle and fingers when he was attacked by two adult chimpanzees after he entered their enclosure last month at a primate sanctuary in South Africa.
Animal control officers tranquilized C.J. twice before she succumbed about an hour later beneath a shade tree in neighbor Tony Paolone's backyard. She was returned to her enclosure before she regained consciousness.
"Typical story. Primates just don't make good pets," said Toby Goldman, a veterinarian who previously examined both chimps and was summoned to the scene to help tranquilize C.J.
"They're cute when they're young. But they become big and aggressive," he said. "Thankfully, nobody was hurt."
Goldman on Friday stored Buddy's body — 4-feet-7 and 150 pounds with a 43-inch chest — at his nearby Island Pet Hospital. Goldman believes Buddy was about 13 years old. Chimps can live 40 years or more. C.J. wasn't as tall or heavy as Buddy.
"I look at it as he was an angry young adult, full of testosterone," the veterinarian said. "It was a hot day. That adds another dimension. Everybody gets just that much more agitated."
Goldman noted the damaged inner door on the chimps' enclosure, with mangled bolts and broken cinderblocks. But he said he thought the secondary
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2012/07/shooting_of_chimp_in_las_vegas.html


Man Killed by Tigers at Copenhagen Zoo
Earlier this week, a man was killed by tigers at the Copenhagen Zoo after he climbed a fence and went across a moat to access the enclosure. The victim has been identified as a 20-year-old of Afghan descent. He was living in Copenhagen at the time of his death, which occurred when he was savaged by three tigers after breaking into the zoo in the early hours of the morning.
The man was found deceased, surrounded by the tigers, when the zoo staff arrived for work in the morning. Police have yet to rule out suicide as a reason why the man entered the tiger enclosure. The man lived by himself in a flat near his family and was preparing to finish high school.
‘We have cried all day’, a family member said.
‘I’m absolutely shattered’, a friend said. ‘He was a really, really nice guy.’
The man was bitten by the tigers on his chest, thigh, throat and face, according to Superintendent Lars Borg. Borg said, ‘We received an emergency call at about 7.30am that a person had been found lying in the tiger pen and that three tigers were surrounding that person. The tigers attacked him and killed him. It is likely that a bite to the throat was the primary reason for his death. He has been in the water and the animals must have seen that and attacked him.’
Detectives working the case are sifting through video footage to figure out how the man entered the tiger enclosure. Psychologists were called in to talk to staff members who found the body, according to the zoo’s chief executive, Steffen Straede. The zoo is 152 years old and Straede said that this is the first incident of its kind. He also said that he is not planning to review the security of the zoo because of the incident. ‘If a
http://www.jdjournal.com/2012/07/13/man-killed-by-tigers-at-copenhagen-zoo/



Edinburgh Zoo plans for £750,000 penguin colony pool
Edinburgh Zoo is planning to house its penguin colony in a new £750,000 enclosure.
Over the past 100 years it has gained a reputation for its breeding success but the colony was split up earlier this year when their pool sprang a leak.
Many of the 160 birds went to other zoos in Belfast, Denmark and England, with some remaining in Edinburgh.
The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland is now campaigning to raise the last £100,000 for the new pool.
Plans include diving boards, water slides and a beach for the penguins, with a better view for visitors.
Meanwhile, interim chief executive Hugh Roberts has told BBC Scotland he believes the zoo is on a much firmer footing than before it secured its two pandas, Tian Tian and Yang Guang.
Mr Roberts said: "The real problem here was perhaps that people had lost trust and for me it was about rebuilding and regaining that trust."
He added: "The fundamental thing about the pandas was never really in doubt, the Chinese don't enter into long-term arrangements and then throw them overboard just because one or two things are not going so well.
"The UK government, the Scottish government weren't going to let that all happen, we certainly
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-18805272


Theme park wars!
Ocean Park and Disneyland have been in a battle for business for seven years. With each launching major new attractions a day apart this fortnight, Andrea Yu dodges corn dogs and coasters to get into the middle of the fracas
Once upon a time, Ocean Park ruled the Hong Kong amusement park landscape alone. When it opened in 1977, it was the city’s grand darling of theme parks with its quirky array of marine life, thrilling spills and, yes, a cable car. But then one day in 2005, along came another theme park player, busting out Ocean Park from its near 30-year comfort zone. Hong Kong Disneyland had arrived – and the battle for business began in earnest.
Over the course of their short joint history, the competition between Disneyland and Ocean Park has, on the surface, increased exponentially. Just months after the arrival of Disneyland, Ocean Park launched a six-year Master Redevelopment Plan, which has seen the Wong Chuk Hang park add the Ocean Express funicular railway, open the theme areas Thrill Mountain and The Rainforest, and unveil an epic Frank Gehry-designed aquarium. In turn, Disneyland has swelled with Tomorrowland, the iconic Disney boat ride It’s a Small World and, just late last year, Toy Story Land. The expansions have been regular and significant, each adding fuel to the comparative fire. But, arguably, this rivalry has never been greater than it will be in the coming weeks, when both parks unveil major new attractions.
On July 13, Ocean Park launches Polar Adventure, a new Arctic and sub-Antarctic themed area home to penguins, walruses, seals and a rollercoaster. A day later, Disneyland returns fire, launching Grizzly Gulch, a new ‘land’ featuring rides based on the story of the 19th century gold rush, combining its latest coaster with the water-based Geyser Gulch and a themed show.
Like a theme park arms race, both Disneyland and Ocean Park are equipping themselves with more high-powered attractions. But when you consider the changing face of Hong Kong and Chinese amusement parks, it’s hardly a surprise. Apart from their own intra-SAR duel, two new players north of the border are soon to join the game – Shanghai Disney in 2015 and a new ocean-themed amusement park juggernaut opening in Zhuhai by the end of next year. It seems the grab for the ever-increasing Mainland tourist pie has never been more competitive.
So is there a major rivalry between Ocean Park and Disneyland? “I suppose it occurs in a healthy manner,” says Poly U School of Hotel and Tourism Management Professor John Ap. “It’s not as though they’re competing for exactly the same market. There are going to be differences.” Ap highlights the fact that Disneyland offers a ‘magical experience’, based on a strong tradition of storytelling, whereas Ocean Park is more about ‘offering an educational, nature-based experience’.
Indeed, the laws of theme park economics are also rather unique. The fact that both parks are growing rapidly and, to a certain extent, competing with each other, just means that the quality of the theme park experience is improving for those who visit them. It also means the magnetism of Hong Kong as a theme park destination city becomes stronger. “When we see these situations with multiple parks in a market, there’s a little bit of competitive cannibalisation but what also happens is that the total pie gets bigger,” says Chris Yoshii, global director of Asia for AECOM, which publishes the most authoritative worldwide amusement park rankings.
A simple look at the pre and post-Disneyland visitor numbers tells a similar story. Since 2004, Ocean Park has seen its visitors increase from three million per year to just under seven million. Disneyland struck just under six million last year. Ocean Park chief executive Tom Mehrmann is well aware of this growth in tandem. “In seven years, we went from three million people going to the theme parks to 13 million people going to them,” he says. “That tells an awful lot about how the parks have changed the market.”
But there’s one eager group of tourists that these two parks couldn’t have lived long or prospered together without – Mainlanders. Sure, they’re a magnet for people griping about queuing and manners (you know how it goes…) but they’ve obviously played the most significant part in the success that both parks have enjoyed. According to the Hong Kong Tourism Board, 67 percent of visitor arrivals to the city were
http://www.timeout.com.hk/around-town/features/51911/theme-park-wars.html



Colchester Zoo fined for exposing employees to asbestos
Colchester Zoo has been fined for exposing workers to one of the most dangerous types of asbestos.
The zoo also did not follow the correct procedures for removing the substance and did not bring in specialist contractors.
A court heard the zoo is taking civil action over a report it commissioned from experts on asbestos.
The zoo admitted 12 charges brought by Colchester Council over asbestos at a hay barn and was fined £35,000 and £3,398 costs.
After the hearing, zoo director Anthony Tropeano said it was the result of a genuine error.
He said: “Based on the level of fines imposed, it’s clear to us the court acknowledged this as being the case.
“Colchester Zoo deeply regrets on this one occasion, as a result of an administrative oversight, proper procedures were not followed.
“Procedures were immediately reviewed and Colchester Zoo is confident this situation could not arise
http://www.essexcountystandard.co.uk/news/9817017.Colchester_Zoo_fined_for_exposing_employees_to_asbestos/



Humboldt Penguins In Chile: Threatened By Rats, These Animals Could Face Extinction
A 3-week-old Humboldt Penguin gazes plaintively from the opening of its nest, waiting for its parents to return with food. They may be out hunting for fish. But if they take much longer, they might not have a chick to provide for.
Invading rats with bodies up to 8 inches (20 centimeters) long have begun eating eggs and chicks, and some experts fear that unless the rats are eradicated, they could tip the Humboldt penguin toward extinction.
These penguins with distinctive black bands across their chests also are threatened by changing sea currents, fierce gulls and nesting pelicans whose relatively heavy bodies collapse their shallow earthen caves. And the biggest peril has been the nets of fishing boats that trap and suffocate the adults, at least until now.
"The cause of the decline in the penguin population is man," said bird veterinarian Paula Arce. "And of its eggs ... That could be the rats."
The Humboldt population has dropped from hundreds of thousands decades ago to below 45,000, said Alejandro Simeone, who directs the Ecology and Biodiversity Department at Andres Bello University in Santiago, Chile's capital.
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/11/humboldt-penguins-chile-rats-extinction_n_1665472.html?utm_hp_ref=green


Biggest Aquarium in Asia to Open in JejuA new aquarium in Seogwipo,
Jeju held a free open house period for two days on Friday and Saturday prior to the official opening this coming Friday. Aqua Planet Jeju is the largest in Asia, bigger even than the 10,400-ton Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium in Japan.
The main tank is 23 m wide and 8.5 m high, about four times larger than a normal cinema screen. The acryl window gives the effect of watching an IMAX screen.
The operators said it took two weeks just to fill up the 5,000-ton water tank with seawater. The specially made acryl window is 60 cm thick and was installed by engineers from the U.S. It cost W10 billion.
The volume of all water tanks
http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2012/07/09/2012070901343.html




Celebrating Plants and the Planet:
                                      

A scientist ought to retain some childish curiosity and the ability to be wowed. And science’s continuing discoveries can be a stimulus for our own childish curiosity and leave us saying Wow. July’s links at www.zooplantman.com (NEWS/Botanical News) are just cool:
                                                                            
·       Plants employ a variety of techniques to enlist animals into their seed dispersal process: wrapping seeds in tasty fruit, making seeds stick to fur, occasionally making seeds appear as tasty fruit and cheating the disperser. But here is a plant that uses chemicals to make the seed disperser vomit. Botany for adolescents.
·       Many plants rely on ants to protect them from other insects that eat leaves or fruit. Some ant species are better at it than others because they are so aggressive. So what’s a plant to do if it has attracted a slacker ant colony? Get them hopped up on nectar so they develop a lust for meat.
·       You have to love tropical pitcher plants (Nepenthes species). They have come up with the most creative ways to get their dose of protein. Researchers have just noticed that one species uses rain drops to catapult insects down into the pitchers.
·       One of my first botanical News emails over six years ago shared a report on the forest-killing invasive weed, garlic mustard. New research reveals that over time, native plants are developing resistance to this pest, offering hope that Nature will find its equilibrium even with invasive species.
·       I hope you are sitting down for this one: ice cream may be in short supply this summer all because of hydrofracking.

And in this spirit of Wonder, enjoy these monkey portraits by photographer Jill Greenberg: http://clampart.com/2012/04/monkey-portraits/#/1

Please share these stories with associates, staff, docents and – most importantly – visitors! Follow on Twitter: http://twitter.com/PlantWorldNews  – a new story every day as well as hundreds of stories from the past few years.

Rob



Franklin Zoo to close after keeper's death
The zoo where an elephant crushed a woman to death has announced it will close.
Franklin Zoo, near Auckland, said this afternoon it will shut its doors permanently in the wake of the death of zoo keeper Dr Helen Schofield.
In a statement released today, a spokesperson said it has been a difficult few months trying to find someone to take from Schofield, who had also acted as a vet and mentor at the zoo.
“Helen is irreplaceable and this is why the Trustees have now had to make the incredibly difficult decision to close Franklin Zoo.”
The future of Mila, the elephant who killed Schofield, is still uncertain.
“Helen dedicated her life to animals, and her greatest dream was for Mila to be moved to another facility where she could live out the rest of her days with other elephants.
“We will not give up on Helen's dream, and we believe that the best way to honour this is to focus resources into our goal of working towards Mila’s relocation to a facility overseas so that we can try to secure her future.”
The spokesperson said the zoo would work closely in the coming weeks with the Australasian Zoo & Aquarium Association and the Ministry for Primary Industries to find homes for its animals.
Auckland and Hamilton zoo staff will continue to assist in the day-to-day care of Mila, and preparing her for her relocation overseas.
The zoo has been in financial dire straits since Schofield died.
A recent zoo newsletter said Schofield was paid just $29,731 for her work in the last six and a half years.
"She even objected to this amount, saying she was paid too much and
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/7282098/Franklin-Zoo-to-close-after-keepers-death



CCTV cameras go missing at Delhi zoo
Two CCTV infrared cameras - each worth about Rs. 25,000 - have gone missing from the Himalayan Bear enclosure at the National Zoological Park. The cameras were installed inside the bear enclosure to document pregnancies and subsequent delivery of the species. This is because the female bear tends to go deep inside its cave-like enclosure during delivery, and comes out only after the baby bear is about 12 to 15 days old.
"It was found that one of the cameras had been damaged, possibly after one of the bears hit it. The two equipment were pulled down and kept for repair. However, someone moved the two cameras from there," said AK Agnihotri, the zoo's director.
The cameras were installed last year following a 'female bear gone missing during pregnancy' controversy in 2007.
The zoo administration had since then installed infrared cameras to monitor the would-be mother's movements and the birth of the baby at its enclosure at beat number 5.
"Although the zoo administration has no clue on who could have done it, the needle of suspicion pointed towards our electrical workers. So, our staff approached the police," said
http://www.hindustantimes.com/News-Feed/Chunk-HT-UI-IndiaSectionPage-North/CCTV-cameras-go-missing-at-Delhi-zoo/Article1-889194.aspx



Views clash on what’s best for Manila’s lone elephant
While an animal rights watchdog contends that Manila zoo’s lone elephant is suffering physically and psychologically, her “best friend” has come out to air sentiments to the contrary.
The first has managed to internationalize the issue by gaining expressions of support from British rock star Morrisey, American pachyderm expert Henry Richardson, and, just last week, Nobel Prize-winning novelist J.M. Coetzee.
The other owns the hand that has patiently fed and pampered “Mali” for more than a decade.
Mali may be alone but not unloved, according to veteran advertising photographer John Chua, who has served as the animal’s volunteer caretaker since 2001.
Chua is almost single-handedly challenging the views of the group People’s Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) concerning its campaign to have Mali transferred to a nature sanctuary in northern Thailand.
“Don’t tell me she’s sick or that she’ll die if she’s not moved. I’ve taken care of her for 10 years. That’s no joke,” Chua said in a recent interview, when he spent yet another morning at the zoo to feed and play with  Mali.
Chua has become known to zoo visitors and administrators as Mali’s pro bono keeper, often the only person capable of approaching Mali without any difficulty. He treats her almost every day to her favorite food like mangoes, bananas, even orange-flavored popsicles.
He gives her a shower and a soothing spray on her massive feet, and puts her through what he called an “enrichment program” that includes “coconut football” or a lazy dip in a puddle.
But for someone who shares the same objective as Mali’s avowed protectors, Chua is not exactly on the same page as Peta. “I really have no problems with having her transferred … but I’m questioning [Peta’s] sincerity,” he said quite bluntly.
“What is Peta’s objective? Why are they doing this? To raise funds? If that is so, then just leave us alone. If they really care for her, care for her now. Because I do,” he said.
(Chua’s advocacy also includes encouraging parents of children with autism to let the kids explore the world through photography. He has also organized field trips to the zoo for visually impaired children to encourage them to conquer their fears and discover new thrills by touching some of the animals, including Mali.)
He started attending to Mali in support of his daughter’s stint as a zoo volunteer in 2001. He has since donated a water pump for Mali’s enclosure, found private sponsors for other improvements at the site, and even trained how to handle such an animal in Singapore and at the Pinnawala elephant orphanage in Sri Lanka where Mali came from—all to “make her life better.”
It was therefore no surprise that when local Peta members brought Richardson to the country in May, Chua, along with the zoo veterinarians, was there to show them Mali.
Richardson, a California-based elephant specialist for 40 years, later released a report on Mali’s condition, which he said was based on his visual inspection of the 38-year-old behemoth.
“My major concern is that Mali is alone,” Richardson said in his report, which Peta cited in a campaign statement. “Mali’s social and psychological needs are being neglected at Manila Zoo. Even the best intentions of … her keepers, who all clearly care about her well-being, cannot replace these needs, which can only be met by the companionship of other elephants.”
Chief zoo veterinarian Donald Manalastas said the zoo administration had agreed to train Mali to be more cooperative during foot care procedures, as suggested by Richardson. He said they were also heeding the veterinarian’s advice that they add more soil and greenery in the enclosure.
But for Manalastas, Mali, who arrived in the zoo in 1980 when she was only three years old, cannot survive in the wild because she was bred in captivity.
Chua agreed that something needed to be done about Mali being alone. He challenged Peta, however, to come up with a solid plan for her transfer and long-term care in a sanctuary. In the meantime, he said, they must help make her living conditions at the zoo better.
Chua noted that Peta’s protests against Mali’s stay in the zoo seem to be a recurring theme every year. “Last year they made a call for donations for Mali on their website,” he recalled.
But for Peta-Asia campaigns manager Rochelle Regodon, “the obvious problem with the zoo is that Mali is alone. Her mental suffering cannot be understated.”
“The simple fact is that Mali will have a much better life in a sanctuary,” she said, adding that a sanctuary in northern Thailand, which was highly recommended by experts, had agreed to accept Mali.
Peta will shoulder all expenses for Mali’s transfer, including her preparation for travel, Regodon said. “The sanctuary currently houses 14 other elephants
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/228887/views-clash-on-what%E2%80%99s-best-for-manila%E2%80%99s-lone-elephant



Manila Zoo



No Disney ending for woodrat breeding program
Ten years ago, in a desperate move to save one of Florida's most endangered species, U.S. Fish and Wildlife officials approved capturing a few of the animals and taking them to Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo for captive breeding.
The endangered species in question was not the Florida panther, the manatee or any of the other license-plate icons that call the Sunshine State home. It was the Key Largo woodrat, a small rodent with smooth fur and bulging black eyes.
Federal officials figured they could save the species from extinction by spending $12,000 a year breeding the rats and then turning them loose in the wild.
At first the breeding program seemed to be a big success.
At Lowry Park and, later, Disney's Animal Kingdom, the endangered rats bred like, well, rats. But then the project ran into big problems, demonstrating why captive breeding is a tricky strategy that's used only as a last resort, said Larry Williams, South Florida field supervisor for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The rat project ended this spring, he said.
The shutdown "was a little disheartening for us," said Anne Savage, senior conservation biologist for Disney's Animal Kingdom. Perhaps it is no surprise, given the role of a cartoon mouse in Disney lore, that Animal Kingdom won a national award for its success in breeding
http://www.keysnet.com/2012/07/14/462852/no-disney-ending-for-woodrat-breeding.html


Bear shot dead, another on run in S. Korea: report
South Korean police shot dead one bear and another was on the run after the pair of female six-year-olds escaped from a farm on the outskirts of Seoul on Saturday, a report said.
The duo broke out of their pen in Yongin, about 40 kilometres (25 miles) from Seoul, the Yonhap news agency said, quoting police.
About 20 police hunters and 10 dogs went after the bears, and one of them was shot dead about
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/asia/302474/bear-shot-dead-another-on-run-in-s-korea-report




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