Friday, May 31, 2013

Zoo News Digest 29th - 31st May 2013 (ZooNews 852)



Zoo News Digest 29th - 31st May 2013 (ZooNews 852)








Dear Colleagues,

"One man and his tiger! Buddhist cuddles up to deadly big cat... one of a HUNDRED raised by the monks from cubs"
Sounds wonderful, looks delightful and so the Daily Mail in its unresearched ignorance has promoted this horrific cruel commercially exploitative place. It destroys much of the work of groups who try to expose the truth. Do you think the Daily Mail cares? I don't. As long as they sell more papers that's all they care.

There will be those who disagree of course, there always is. This week I have received eight criticisms of links I have posted or statements I have made......so nothing has changed. This week just like many others. One wonders what would happen if I wrote without convincing evidence about some of the things people tell me. I get a lot of emails. I am always fighting a backlog. People send rumours, stories and increasingly photos too. I see behind the scenes of many places without ever having to visit. My trouble is that I know that a photo can lie just as easily as it can tell the truth. We in the zoo world are only too aware of this because it is all too often used by the Animal Rights Cults.

Some of the things I have heard this week have been very disturbing especially as they are about people I know. Money, as always, appears to be the prime motivator and steps on and grinds the face of caring.


Follow the link for DIGITAL EYES and EARS FOR WILDLIFE PROTECTION
This important work needs your help today.


VERY IMPORTANT (I will repeat this several times over coming weeks as I know some people do not read every issue)- After several years my postal address has changed. It is now:

Peter Dickinson
Suite 201,
Westminster Chambers
7 Hunter Street
Chester
UK
CH1 2AR

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

****

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DIGITAL EYES and EARS FOR WILDLIFE PROTECTION
Project:

The Zoological Society of London (ZSL) will use next generation camera traps, equipped with automated sensors, to better protect threatened wildlife. Sensors will be able to instantaneously transmit alerts of gunfire, vehicle movement and human presence.
Impact:

Wildlife crime is one of the largest illegal trades in the world. Rhino poaching increased by over 40% from 2011-2012, posing a real threat to communities and tourism operations that depend on wildlife. Over two years, ZSL plans to reduce poaching incidents in a threatened Kenyan protected area by 50%, providing greater protection for endangered rhinos, elephants, and more. Ultimately, increased awareness of effective patrols will deter poachers, reduce threats and increase security for local community groups and wildlife rangers.

VISIT CHARITY: http://www.zsl.org






One man and his tiger! Buddhist cuddles up to deadly big cat... one of a HUNDRED raised by the monks from cubs
When temperatures reaching a stifling 37 degrees, even these well-adapted tigers need to find a way of escaping the heat.
The beautiful big cats are pictured at the controversial Tiger Temple in Kanchanaburi, Thailand, where around 100 live alongside Buddhist monks.
Many were brought to the reserve as cubs and have grown up around humans. But even so these pictures show just how remarkably close these fearsome creatures can get to their keepers.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2332820/Tiger-tiger-burning-Big-cats-Thai-temple-best-beat-stifling-heat.html







Why Efforts to Bring Extinct Species Back from the Dead Miss the Point
A project to revive long-gone species is a sideshow to the real extinction crisis

“We will get woolly mammoths back.” So vowed environmentalist Stewart Brand at the TED conference in Long Beach, Calif., in February in laying out his vision for reviving extinct species. The mammoth isn't the only vanished creature Brand and other proponents of “de-extinction” want to resurrect. The passenger pigeon, Caribbean monk seal and great auk are among the other candidates—all species that blinked out at least in part because of Homo sapiens. “Humans have made a huge hole in nature in the last 10,000 years,” Brand asserted. “We have the ability now—and maybe the moral obligation—to repair some of the damage.”

Just a few years ago such de-extinction was the purview of science fiction. Now it is so near at hand that in March, Brand's Long Now Foundation, along with TED and the National Geographic Society, convened an entire conference on the topic. Indeed, thanks to recent a
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=why-efforts-bring-extinct-species-back-from-dead-miss-point






DALTON ZOO MEMORIAL PLANNED FOR KEEPER KILLED BY TIGER
THE owner of South Lakes Wild Animal Park has said the attraction will create a memorial to the zookeeper who died after being attacked by atiger.

Related articles:

Dalton zoo tiger attack victim was carrying out duties
Thoughts with Dalton tiger attack victim’s family at difficult time
Barrow woman's family ‘devastated’ by tiger death tragedy at Dalton animal park
Killer tiger gained entry to staff section of Dalton zoo enclosure - Cumbria police
3,000 join Facebook page celebrating Dalton zookeeper's life
Dalton zoo owner: 'I tried to save Sarah'
Investigation into death at Dalton zoo continues
Barrow MP calls for greater security after tiger attack at Dalton zoo
Timeline: Previous incidents at Dalton zoo
Dalton zoo boss apologises 'sincerely' after Facebook comments
Sarah McClay, 24, died on Friday after being attacked by a Sumatran tiger as she worked in the enclosure at the zoo in Dalton.

Zoo owner David Gill has said staff will be allowed to attend her funeral, the details of which are yet to be arranged.

Mr Gill said he had missed the funeral of 14-year-old Lindal girl Bethany Crook – who died after being hit by a bus on May 1 – to allow more members of staff to attend.

He told the Evening Mail: “I will not have any hesitation to do something similar – I would rather everybody else has the opportunity to go. That is not out of disrespect.

“If people want to go I would hold the fort because that’s the way I am.”

Mr Gill also revealed the zoo’s management team had discussed a memorial to Miss McClay, of Dowie Close, Barrow, but said they would not be commenting until a decision was made on the most fitting tribute.

A statement from the management team at the animal park said: “The idea of a memorial or tribute for both Bethany Crook and Sarah McClay, both dearly loved staff members who recently lost their lives in tragic circumstances, has been discussed by the management team and unanimously agreed that it is a gesture we would like to make.

“Staff, and families of both girls, are still coming to terms with their losses and it was felt a little time and thought should go into any tributes and therefore we have called for any ideas or suggestions to be put forward over the coming weeks from our staff. We would very much like the families of both girls to be involved in deciding any such tributes and will when the time is right.”

Meanwhile, animal c
http://www.nwemail.co.uk/news/dalton-zoo-memorial-planned-for-keeper-killed-by-tiger-1.1059158?referrerPath=news/





Zookeeping: An Introduction to the Science and Technology




Zookeepers are responsible for the care and welfare of animals in zoos and aquariums, and also serve as public ambassadors for the animals. As species extinction, environmental protection, animal rights, and workplace safety issues come to the fore, zoos and aquariums need keepers who have the technical expertise and scientific knowledge to keep animals healthy, educate the public, and create regional, national, and global conservation and management communities. This textbook offers a comprehensive and practical overview of the profession geared toward new animal keepers, and anyone who needs a foundational account of the topics most important to the day-to-day care of zoo and aquarium animals. The editors, all three experienced in zoo animal care and management, put together a cohesive and broad-ranging book that tackles each of its subjects carefully and thoroughly. The contributions cover professional zookeeping, evolution of zoos, workplace safety, animal management, taxa-specific animal husbandry, animal behavior, veterinary care, public education and outreach, and conservation science. Using the newest techniques and research gathered from around the world, Zookeeping is a progressive textbook that seeks to promote consistency and the highest standards within global zoo and aquarium operations.   


Order this book by clicking






New volunteer at Selamatkan Yaki!
Hello, my name is Jodie and I am Selamatkan Yaki’s fourth volunteer!
I joined the hard working and enthusiastic team 5 weeks ago, coming from England, where I work as a full time Zoo keeper at Drusillas Zoo park. There I work with an array of different species but I work very closely with the Sulawesi crested black macaques (Macaca nigra) which have become a key species during my career.
http://selamatkanyaki.com/






American helps deploy drones to nab rhino poachers in Africa
he exact location of the anti-poaching operation is secret, as is the number of rangers who will be on duty. Also confidential: where the drones will fly as they search out poachers intent on slaying rhinos for their horns – one killed every 11 hours in South Africa alone.

But over the next several days, Tom Snitch thinks that his project, at a private game farm adjoining South Africa’s famed Kruger National Park, will prove that unmanned aerial vehicles can end the scourge of rhinoceros poaching.

Demand for rhino horn has boomed in recent years, with criminal syndicates offering as much as $30,000 a pound for the horns. Poachers already have killed 350 rhinos in South Africa this year; last year, 668 endangered rhinos died for their horns. They’re sold in Asia, particularly in Vietnam, where ground-up horns are touted as a cure for hangovers, cancer and other ailments, and where rising incomes have made the horns accessible to more people and their possession a status sym
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2013/05/28/192207/american-helps-deploy-drones-to.html?storylink=addthis#.UaR339JHKVO





The role of trophy hunting in white rhino conservation, with special reference to BOP parks
role of trophy hunting in conservation. has trophy hunting been sustainable?
Approximately 820 white rhino have been hunted in South Africa since 1968, when white rhino hunting began in earnest. Table 1 shows that over this time, the numbers of white rhino in SA have increased from 1800 to over 6370. Table 2 shows how white rhino numbers on private land (where most hunting occurs) have also increased to well over 1000. The average rate of hunting as a percentage of all white rhino in SA, was about 0,93% per year up to 1987 (24,8 rhino/year); and has averaged 0,81 % of the population per year since then (43 rhino/year) - see table 1.
Out of private-owned animals prior to 1988 (see table 3), hunting rates were ca 10,5% per year however, rhino numbers in private hands were mainly being bought from the much larger pool of Natal Parks Board (NPB) animals at low, fixed prices. In 1989 rhino prices throughout SA reached a realistic market value when NPB, the major suppliers, began to auction their rhino. Since then, hunting rates out of privately owned animals have dropped to approximately 3% per year.
Bop Parks' hunting, which has been based on the original founder stock of 212 animals introduced in the early 1980's, has been conducted at an average yearly rate of about 3%. Figure 1 summarises the history of these animals, discussed more fully below. (Note: 248 rhino were obtained from NPB from 1978-82, but due to the country-wide drought and the poor physical condition of the rhino, 36 died shortly after release).
In conclusion, trophy hunting has been and still is highly sustainable.
Has white rhino trophy hunting benefited white rhino conservation?
Trophy hunting of white rhino has influenced their numbers and population performance in many direct and indirect ways:
1. As a population management tool, it eliminates 'surplus' males that would otherwise use grazing resources of breeding animals, or would fight and kill other rhino. Without removals (live and dead), rhino soon breed up to capacity, reducing the overall productivity of a population, especially on smaller reserves and ranches (< 5 000 - 20 000 ha).
Land capable of holding white rhino (ie. with game farming / tourism / conservation objectives; suitable grazing habitat, security and fencing), has had to be developed since the 1960's,
http://www.rhinoresourcecenter.com/index.php?s=1&act=refs&CODE=note_detail&id=1165242779







Fight over lion park
A decision over an application to put the Zion Wildlife Park into liquidation to pay for lost wages has been reserved.
Associate High Court Judge Jeremy Doogue reserved his decision into the application made by Tauranga business consultant Sam Bailey to liquidate Earth Crest Ltd (trading as Kingdom of Zion Ltd).
Sam, who represented himself in court, was employed by the owner and sole director of the park’s operating company - Suzanne Eisenhut - after Lion Man Craig Busch’s return to the park in February 2012.
He was employed as a business consultant to offer advice on decisions involved in getting the park back on its financial feet.
Sam filed high court proceedings against the operating company Earth Quest saying he is owed nearly $9000 in lost wages.
Under instruction, counsel for the defendant Nick Elsmore argued the action was filed outside the 30 day window.
The liquidation application was permitted to continue when it was found it was filed with a day to spare.
At the disputed facts hearing the defence argued against the application saying Sam was also trading under a company name.
The defendants also argued against the High Court application to liquidate Earth Crest Ltd, saying the case is more suited to the Employment Relations Authority, the Employment Court or District Court.
There was another technical argument over the address for service, and whether it should have been in Tauranga or Kamo, Whangarei. The application to liquidate has to be served at the company’s registered head office, which Nick says was filed after the company had moved head office to Kamo.
Sam rebutted the arguments.
The defendants also argued Sam owed them $10,000 for damage to a serval cage he allegedly caused doing work that wasn’t authorised by the owner, so they owe him nothing.
The defendant’s lawyer also queried the amount saying it is damages. Sam denied this claim.
Zion Wildlife Park gained international reputation after Lion Man Craig Busch starred in a television series about his wildlife park in Whangarei.
Troubles at the park began when Craig Busch was locked out of the park by his mother Patricia Busch in 2008. She managed it because, as a director, she was able to approve an application by Glen Holland to apply for the crucial operator licence in October 2008.
Craig was forced out of the park for three years, only returning after new owners, Tracey McVerry and Tauranga accountant Ian Stevenson, took charge and re-named it Zion Wildlife Kingdom in February 2012.
On 5 April, 2012 the facility was reopened as Kingdom of Zion. Day to day management of the facility is through Earth Crest Limited.
A wildlife park such as Zion requires two licences. The containment facility licence applies t
http://www.sunlive.co.nz/news/44657-fight-over-lion-park.html





India, Nepal zoo bodies agree to work together
India's Central Zoo Authority (CZA) and the National Trust for Nature Conservation (NTTC) in Nepal signed a memorandum of understanding on Monday to foster closer professional zoo relationship as well as to protect and conserve threatened wildlife and habitats. 

Under the MoU, the agencies will work to promote and co-ordinate staff exchanges to train them in technical and management aspects of zoos, including conservation and research. The CZA will sponsor two senior level NTNC personnel each year while NTNC will annually sponsor one senior level CZA personnel to participate in workshops, trainings and exposure visits. CZA will also annually sponsor veterinarians, biologists, educators and zoo keepers from NTNC to participate in trainings and workshops at Indian zoos. 

"Both parties have agreed to promote the exchange of zoo animal specimens to improve genetic diversity, ensure sustainable captive breeding, enhance species existence in captivity and highlight species diversity. They will undertake joint 





Edinburgh Zoo Ultrasound - RZSS Veterinary Team - Love Your Zoo Week




In defense of dolphins
Diana Reiss' research changed the way we look at dolphins, but dolphin advocacy is her priority
In the fall of 1985, a giant humpback whale named Humphrey attracted international fame when he lost his way while migrating southward to breed. He ended up swimming into the San Francisco Bay instead. For two weeks rescuers from The Marine Mammal Center in California and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration desperately tried to lead him back to sea but had little success. Finally, they called in Diana Reiss, a renowned dolphin researcher, to help. By then Humphrey was already 80 miles inland and his beautiful coat was decaying due to extended exposure to fresh water.

Reiss temporarily abandoned her dolphin research at Marine World and joined the flotilla that was trying to herd Humphrey back to the ocean. It was there that fellow marine biologist Kenneth Norris introduced Reiss and the rescue team to the oikomi technique – the Japanese method of creating a sound barrier to herd marine mammals. Together with Norris and other marine experts, Reiss banged metal pipes off the sides of their boats. The sound formed an acoustic barrier that coaxed Humphrey to swim south, out of the bay.

“Norris was the first to tell me about the technique,” says Reiss, sitting in her cramped office at Hunter College in New York City, where she is a full-time professor. Little did she know that the same method they used to save Humphrey was being used to slaughter dolphins in Japan. This would become a key issue of her advocacy work years later.

But Reiss didn’t start out as a marine biologist or as an activist. Her first inclinations were towards the arts. After attending an all-women’s college, she went on to a Master of Fine Arts program in stage design. She then began working at an independent and experimental Philadelphia theater. But a few years in, she realized that her heart was not completely in it, so she began taking courses in animal behavior at Temple University in Philadelphia. That’s whe







Zoo director receives national award
The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) announced today that Jim Anderson, Director of the Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo, has been named AZA Inspector of the Year.

Anderson serves as an Inspector for zoos seeking accreditation through the AZA.   He has served as Director of the Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo since 1994.  He first joined the staff as a train driver while on summer break from college in 1976.

“Accreditation is one of the most important components of the AZA, and we rely on our inspectors to ensure that zoos and aquariums meet the highest standards,” said AZA President and CEO Jim Maddy. “Jim’s leadership, dedication, and extensive experience make him a valuable member of the AZA inspection team.”

Anderson has conducted 20 inspections at zoos around the country and is currently vice-chair of the AZA Accreditation Commission.  He also serves as a mentor for zoos seeking accreditation and on a variety of boards and committees with AZA.

"I have the privilege of working with Jim Anderson on an almost daily basis,” said Chuck Surack, President of Sweetwater, who serves as President of the Fort Wayne Zoological Society Board of Directors.  “He is a real treasure for the Fort Wayne community, and it's great to see him recognized nationally for his leadership in the zoo profession. He has accomplished remarkable things at our zoo, a






Rare Asiatic Golden Cats are World-First Test Tube Babies
A pair of Asiatic golden cats have been bred using artificial insemination for the first time in an effort to ensure the future of this rare and beautiful species.

Asiatic golden cats (Pardofelis temminckii) are small, nocturnal cats that live in the tropical rainforests of southeast Asia, their range stretching from China, Nepal and India to Burma, Thailand and Malaysia. They’re about two or three times the size of a house cat, the females growing to around 66 cm long (minus the tail) and 9 kg in weight, and the males are much larger at 105 cm long and 16 kg. They are shy animals that live solitary lives, fiercely maintaining large territories and only coming together briefly to mate.

The most common colouring of an Asiatic golden cat is a golden brown or fox-red, but they can also be a dark brown, grey or pale cinnamon. There is also a spotted, ocelot-like morph that is more common in China than the usual colouring, and numerous melanistic, or black, individuals have been found, particularly in Nepal. There’s even a tiny area in Sikkim, which is a small mountainous state in the Eastern Himalayan region, where melanistic Asiatic golden cats are far more common than any other morph.
Because of their striking colour, in some parts of Thailand Asiatic golden cats are called “Seua fai”, meaning ‘fire tiger’, and local legend states that the burning of its fur or the eating of its flesh can drive tigers away. The Karen people of Thailand and Burma believe that carrying a single Asiatic golden cat hair will have the same effect.

Habitat destruction and a relentless fur trade over the past few decades has seen the global population of the Asiatic golden cat dwindle to the point where we don’t know how many are left in the wild, and there are just 51 individuals in captivity in Europe and Asia. Captive breeding programs are essential to the survival of the species, but because we still know very little about their reproductive biology, and because they can be extremely aggressive towards each other, breeding them can be a very difficult and dangerous exercise, all the way from courtship to birth.

A 1997 study in the International Zoo Yearbook by zoo keeper Mike Brocklehurst from the Royal Melbourne Zoological Gardens describes the extraordinary measures the zoo’s staff had to go through to breed their Asiatic golden cats, even with almost 30 years of experience. Since 1968, when the Melbourne Zoo acquired their first five Asiatic golden cats from Europe and the US, they’ve had two deaths because of male on male and female on female fights; one death during a male and female introduction; and another within an established mating pair. Brocklehurst also reports two instances of a male killing a young fe







Tiger lair ‘open’
A TIGER was allowed to roam free and kill zookeeper Sarah McClay after its enclosure was left unlocked, it was revealed yesterday.
Bosses at South Lakes Wild Animal Park said the 24-year-old Scot’s death was the result of “human error” — because checks were NOT made to ensure the den doors were closed.
And they claimed Sarah, of Glasgow, failed to follow security protocol before she was dragged from a workers’ pen by the Sumatran tiger on Friday.
A zoo statement said: “Sarah was in the keeper work area at the time







Beaver kills man trying to pose for photo
It was the most serious in a string of beaver attacks on humans in Belarus, as the rodents have turned increasingly aggressive when confronted by humans after wandering near homes, shops and schools.
The fisherman wanted his photo shot with a beaver. The beaver had other ideas: It attacked the 60-year-old man with razor-sharp teeth, slicing an artery and causing him to bleed to death.
It was the most serious in a string of beaver attacks on humans in Belarus, as the rodents have turned increasingly aggressive when confronted by humans after wandering near homes, shops and schools.
“The character of the wound was totally shocking for us medical professionals,” recalled village doctor Leonty Sulim. “We had never run into anything like this before.”
Once hunted nearly to extinction in Europe, beavers have made a comeback as hunting was banned or restricted and new populations were introduced. In Belarus, a former Soviet nation between Russia and Poland, the beaver population has tripled in the past decade to an estimated 80,000, according t




Singapore Zoo: Opening of Frozen Tundra



Could SeaWorld's concept art for Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin have set up visitors for disappointment?
SeaWorld Orlando's largest-ever theme park investment, Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin has opened to huge crowds (with wait times typically exceeding two hours)… and mediocre reviews. Some fans have lauded the ride for its advanced ride system and intricate set detail. But others have ripped it [see comments] for lacking an engaging story and not delivering enough on-ride views of the attraction's stars -- SeaWorld's penguins.
SeaWorld promoted the attraction aggressively, as one would expect given the size of its investment, which park president Terry Prather has called the largest in company history. In addition to the predictable media outreach, SeaWorld tried to appeal directly to fans through social media, including a YouTube series called "Behind the Freeze," in which SeaWorld Creative Director Brian Morrow updated fans on the progress of the new attraction in the months leading to its opening last week.

But could some of SeaWorld's early marketing efforts set the stage for public disappointment in its new ride? Many fans complained the Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin did not meet their e









In pictures: Yorkshire Wildlife Park to open £1.2m conference space
Yorkshire Wildlife Park is to open The Monkey Playhouse - a £1.2m complex with two conference suites - in June 2013.
The Monkey Playhouse houses a 600m2 play area and café with two conference suites.

The first floor Gallery Suite backs onto a huge glass viewing window that overlooks an outdoor enclosure with 17 baboons. This space can be used for a wide range of meetings, conferences and team building events, catering up to 100 delegates. 

The larger of the two spaces – The Outlook Suite – is equipped with an AV system and caters for up to 140 guests.

The venue also has outdoor break-out spaces with panoramic views of Yorkshire’s very own African Plains and Lemur Woods.

Both suites can be boo






Safety at safari park paramount
Blair Drummond Safari Park has re-assured visitors that safety remains paramount at the attraction after a woman was knocked over by a llama.
Jackie MacDonald (61) was at the park with her 10-year-old grand-daughter Eve last Friday when she was jostled by a llama said to have been “spooked” after a pig had entered the pen they were in.
Mrs MacDonald, from Dumbarton, was there with keen animal-lover Eve, who had received the park’s `junior keeper for the day’ experience ticket as a special treat, when the incident happened.
The grandmother said that they were enjoying their day when one of the llamas charged into her, knocking her to the ground and leaving her with pain to her head and hip. Mrs MacDonald, who sa



New Koala Exhibit Debuts at San Diego Zoo




The Untold Story Of Sun Bears And Their Contribution To The Forest
From dispersing fruit seeds to carving out narrow holes on trees, later used by hornbills and squirrels to nest, the Malayan Sun Bear contributes to a thriving forest habitat.

The smallest of the world's bears serve as forest doctors, engineers and planters and by foraging for termites and other insects, help mix nutrients in the soil.

Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre (BSBCC) founder and chief executive officer Wong Siew Te said the species that lives in the tropical forests of Southeast Asia also play an important role in the ecosystem.

Describing the Sun Bear's task as a forest doctor, Wong said the species uses its claws to scrape off and destroy termite nests around tree barks, and this in turn saves the host tree from dying due to termite infestation.

"Sun Bears do this to get termites and their larvae, an important food source for these bears. If they do not do this, the termites will eventually kill the host tree by feeding on the wood fiber from the inside.

"Uncontrolled termite populations could lead to the death of many trees," he said in a statement issued by the BSBCC to create awareness on the Sun Bear which is listed as "Vulnerable" on The IUCN Red List and at risk of becoming endangered unless circumstances threatening their survival improve.

Threats including habitat loss, poaching and t






New plan to protect elephants
Scientists, NGOs and the public to help Wildlife and National Parks Department improve conservation and management techniques, and curb poaching and illegal trading of wildlife parts, writes Nuradilla Noorazam
 PERHILITAN has  confirmed that a new  initiative, called the  National Elephant Conservation Action Plan (NECAP),  which is based on collaborative efforts by the department and the Wildlife Conservation Society Malaysia since last year, is expected to be unveiled  this year.
A Perhilitan spokesman said NECAP would be more comprehensive than previous plans and was designed to encourage holistic management for elephant conservation, requiring paramount commitment from stakeholders, government agencies, non-governmental organisations and the public to address the threats and constraints in conservation endeavours.
NECAP will also feature a more extensive scientific-based approach in dealing with the challenges in ensuring the continuous survival of elephant species in the peninsula. The plan encourages academicians and scientists to conduct more research on wildlife conservation and management techniques, as well as new te







Penguin theft? I've seen it all at Dublin Zoo
HE was a Rose of Tralee escort and even auditioned for Big Brother, but Dublin zookeeper Brendan Walsh is most at ease around animals.
The zoo is part of our national psyche and, at over 180 years old, is one of the oldest and perhaps most progressive zoological gardens in the world.

Mind you, it did come very close to the brink in the early 1990s – but a significant grant and additional allocated park land meant the facilities for animals have been vastly improved.

Gone are the days of elephant rides and the monkeys' tea party.

In fact, chimps Betty and Wendy, now aged 51, are in a 'retirement home' of sorts within the zoo itself, which is still open to the public.

Staff are now driving the message of education, conservation and the welfare of the animals themselves. Crucial to th



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ZOO BIOLOGY
The Zoo Biology Group is concerned with all disciplines involved in the running of a Zoological Garden. Captive breeding, husbandry,cage design and construction, diets, enrichment, man management,record keeping, etc etc

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The 34th annual Elephant Managers Conference






The 34th annual Elephant Managers Conference


Hosted by the Dallas Zoo
October 6th - 9th  2013

Post conference trip to the Oklahoma City Zoo on October 10.

For further information



Thursday, May 30, 2013

DIGITAL EYES & EARS FOR WILDLIFE PROTECTION




DIGITAL EYES and EARS FOR WILDLIFE PROTECTION

Go Here To Vote Now!!!

https://globalimpactchallenge.withgoogle.com/#/zsl


Project:

The Zoological Society of London (ZSL) will use next generation camera traps, equipped with automated sensors, to better protect threatened wildlife. Sensors will be able to instantaneously transmit alerts of gunfire, vehicle movement and human presence.
Impact:

Wildlife crime is one of the largest illegal trades in the world. Rhino poaching increased by over 40% from 2011-2012, posing a real threat to communities and tourism operations that depend on wildlife. Over two years, ZSL plans to reduce poaching incidents in a threatened Kenyan protected area by 50%, providing greater protection for endangered rhinos, elephants, and more. Ultimately, increased awareness of effective patrols will deter poachers, reduce threats and increase security for local community groups and wildlife rangers.

VISIT CHARITY: http://www.zsl.org

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Zoo News Digest 28th May 2013 (ZooNews 851)



Zoo News Digest 28th May 2013 (ZooNews 851)








Dear Colleagues,

If it is not Rhinos that some African farmers are farming for their horns it is Lions for their bones. They are a sick bunch.

Speculation continues about the tragic accident at the South Lakes Wild Animal Park. I hope we learn the truth. Please take a look at the first link.


In Memory - Sarah McClay







VERY IMPORTANT (I will repeat this several times over coming weeks as I know some people do not read every issue)- After several years my postal address has changed. It is now:

Peter Dickinson
Suite 201,
Westminster Chambers
7 Hunter Street
Chester
UK
CH1 2AR

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

****

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Wild lynx to be brought back to British countryside
Wild lynx could be allowed to roam the British countryside for the first time in almost 1,000 years under plans by a group of leading wildlife experts.
Senior biologists and cat specialists are this week due to apply for a license to reintroduce the cats, which can grow up to four feet in length, into an area of forest on the west coast of Scotland.
Under the plans, which have been backed by officials from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), two pairs of Eurasian lynx would be brought to this country from northern Europe.
A new charity, the Lynx UK Trust, has now been set up by the biologists to oversee the project. They are to submit an official application for a permit to Scottish Natural Heritage, which regulates species reintroduction in Scotland.
The initial reintroduction would act as trial to see whether lynx could then be reintroduced to other areas of the country including parts of Wales and northern England.
The plan, however, is expected to be controversial with farmers and some land owners, who will see the lynx a
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/wildlife/10080527/Wild-lynx-to-be-brought-back-to-British-countryside.html






Santa Cruz Island foxes back from the brink of extinction (Photos)
Nestled among California's Channel Islands you'll find Santa Cruz Island, home to pristine chaparral, sea caves and the island fox: a small, fuzzy relative of the gray fox found only on the Channel Islands. But just 15 years ago you'd have a hard time tracking one down — fewer  than 100 foxes lived on the island in 2000.

Today there are more than 1,300 foxes roaming Santa Cruz Island. KPCC's Kevin Ferguson reports on the animal’s comeback.

On a Monday morning, a dozen reporters and I boarded a boat headed for Santa Cruz Island. The Nature Conservancy and National Park Service — the island's two landowners — were taking a victory lap celebrating the conservancy's five-year effort to bring back the tiny island fox.

The island — just 20 miles off the coast — is the largest of California's Channel Islands, roughly three times the size of Manhattan. Although it's largely uninhabited today, that wasn't always the case. In fact, as recently as 1984, the island was home to several farms and ranches. Today it’s home to a few rangers, researchers and the occasional hiking group.

Christie Boser, a biologist for Santa Cruz Island with the Nature Conservancy, is guiding us to demonstrate what's becom
http://www.scpr.org/programs/offramp/2013/05/24/31940/santa-cruz-island-foxes-back-from-the-brink-of-ext/





Cheetah owners in UAE can help save species from extinction
Cheetahs kept by private collectors could help efforts to save the species from extinction, according to a leading conservationist.
Several wildlife centres in the UAE already participate in international captive breeding programmes. However, Dr Laurie Marker, one of the world's top experts on cheetahs, says individuals with one or two animals also have a part to play.
Dr Marker, who lives in Namibia, is the founder and executive director of the Cheetah Conservation Fund, which operates a number of initiatives to protect the animals.
She is the keeper of the international cheetah stud book that is used to plan captive breeding programmes. Animals from different collections around the world are brought together to mate, according to a schedule designed to maximise the genetic viability of the total captive population.
"We've helped the world to develop a cooperative programme to manage the animals properly, to care for them properly and communicate about their animals," said Dr Marker. "Thi
http://www.thenational.ae/news/uae-news/cheetah-owners-in-uae-can-help-save-species-from-extinction







SA farmers fingered in lion smuggling
South African lion breeders are alleged to be part of an illegal network smuggling lion and cheetah cubs from Botswana to stock their farms.
At least five South African lion farmers have been fingered in investigations in which lionesses are killed in Botswana and their cubs smuggled to lion farms in South Africa, where a multimillion rand industry caters to the international trophy-hunting market.

"I don't want to say lion breeders as a whole are involved but there are definitely five or six people that I know of," said conservationist Sarel van der Merwe, chairman of the African Lion Working Group.

About 700 lions are killed in trophy hunts in South Africa each year, with the average price for a lion hunt being R360000, said Adri Kitshoff of the Professional Hunters' Association of SA.

There are about 160 lion-breeding farms in South Africa in which up to 5000 animals are held in captivity, according to Fiona Miles, of international rescue organisation Four Paws.

The hunting of captive-bred lions and the extremely lucrative trade in lion bones with Southeast Asia is legal in South Africa, despite mounting pressure for both activities to be banned. Wildlife experts believe that the canned hunting industry fuels the illegal cross-border trade in lions.

Botswana is known for its strict conservation policies. President Ian Khama, a keen conservationist, has decreed a total ban on hunting from January.

According to a report in the Botswana daily newspaper Mmegi, the trade in lion involves live animals, skins, trophies and game meat. Big cats from Botswana are fed into the "canned hunting" industry in South Africa.

"Everybody knows what is going on," said Van der Merwe.

"The guys in the Problem Animal Control Group (a government body thatdeals with "problem" predators in Botswana) all have cellphones. Instead of reporting problem animals to their superiors, they call farmers in South Africa."

If the problem animal is a liones
http://www.timeslive.co.za/thetimes/2013/05/27/sa-farmers-fingered-in-lion-smuggling





Secrets of the bone trade told
On the farm of Nico Roux in Heilbron in the Free State lies a magnificent eight-year-old white lion male - with piercing blue eyes and light-golden mane.
He is one of about 5000 captive-bred lions in South Africa but, partly because of his colour, and, partly because of the plans of his owner, he will hopefully never end up in the sights of a hunter.

He is probably worth more alive and as a tourist attraction than as a target for trophy-hunting.

"The hunter wants the wild lion," said a hunting expert who asked not to be named.

The hunting of animals bred in captivity is controversial, but as one lion farmer described it, to farmers, the keeping and breeding of lion to sell for hunting purposes are the same as breeding sheep.

"If it pays it stays," said another.

On a more frequent basis, lion bones are exported to Southeast Asian countries, to be processed into cocktails like "lion bone wine", which is used to heal aches and pains like rheumatism, and increase virility.

On the roof of a shed next to his ho
http://www.timeslive.co.za/thetimes/2013/05/27/secrets-of-the-bone-trade-told







Four ‘white lions’ arrive at Safari Niagara; Contest to name them launches Monday
afari Niagara introduced four white lions this weekend – two males and two females – ranging from five to seven months old.

They were captive born from a facility in South Africa, arriving April 17 and will be a permanent exhibit at the zoo.

White Lions are extremely rare and have not been seen in the wild in more th
http://www.bulletnewsniagara.ca/2013/05/26/four-white-lions-arrive-at-safari-niagara-contest-to-name-them-launches-monday/







South Africa: Zuma-lion bone advert contested by Avaaz
A campaign group has taken court action in South Africa over the removal of an advertisement urging President Jacob Zuma to ban the trade in lion bones.

The advert, showing a lioness looking down the barrel of a gun with Mr Zuma in the background, was removed from the main airport in Johannesburg last year.

Campaign group Avaaz said airport authorities violated freedom of expression by pulling down its advert.

Asia is a lucrative market for lion bones, used in traditional medicines.

Official statistics show that South Africa increased its export of lion bones by 250% between 2008 and 2010, Avaaz says.

It placed the advert at
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-22680606






African elephants to reproduce in Beijing
Female African elephant Zhouzhou prepares for her trip to Beijing to mate with the male elephant Zhuangzhuang, at the Nanning Zoo, Nanning, South China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, on May 24, 2013. Two 18-year-old female elephants, Feifei and Zhouzhou from the Nanning Zoo, both weighing 2,000 kilograms, will be moved to the Beijing Zoo to mate with Zhuangzhuang. Zhouzhou will travel from Nanning in a 13-meter "wedding cage" and Feifei will travel from Liuzhou, South China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region. Zoo employees hope the reproduction of elephants can add to the population of the endangered African species.
http://usa.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2013-05/27/content_16536842.htm





Zoo challenged over keeper’s death as police say tiger had escaped
A woman who died after she was mauled by a Sumatran tiger in a zoo in Cumbria could have been dragged by the animal into a pen, police have said.

Sarah McClay, 24, died on Friday when she was attacked by a tiger at South Lakes Wild Animal Park in Cumbria.

The news appears to contradict the zoo's version of events which sparked an angry reaction from Ms McClay's family over the weekend as they rejected suggestions from the park owner she had died from an "error of judgement".

Cumbria Constabulary said the tiger escaped from its pen and attacked the 24-year-old zoo worker in the staff area which animals are not supposed to enter, adding there was no suggestion of "foul play or any issue of suicide or self-harm".

David Gill, the park owner, had said there was "no reason" for Ms McClay to be in the big cat enclosure and that she died from a "sad error of judgement and breach of protocols."

The incident could raise questions about keeping dangerous animals in captivity. Proponents argue zoos are necessary to preserve endangered species and raise awareness
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/zoo-challenged-over-keepers-death-as-police-say-tiger-had-escaped-8633623.html





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Monday, May 27, 2013

Zoo News Digest 25th - 27th May 2013 (ZooNews 850)



Zoo News Digest 25th - 27th May 2013 (ZooNews 850)



Photo by: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tim_uk/384642607/





Dear Colleagues,

Latest on the tragedy at South Lakes.




VERY IMPORTANT (I will repeat this several times over coming weeks as I know some people do not read every issue)- After several years my postal address has changed. It is now:

Peter Dickinson
Suite 201,
Westminster Chambers
7 Hunter Street
Chester
UK
CH1 2AR

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

****

Please Think About This
Take two minutes to make a small annual donation to ensure the continuation of Zoo News Digest. Click HERE or on the donate button at the top of the Blog page. Quick easy and simple to do. Donations of any size, small to large are appreciated. In return you will recieve more than 400 important or interesting zoo related postings per year plus notification of vacancies and meetings and symposia.

Looking for a job?
Several new vacancies online
Check out
Got one to advertise? email me

This blog has readers from 154+ countries: Afghanistan, Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cayman Islands, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cote D’Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Eire, England, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, French Guiana, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guam, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Lapland, Lao, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Montenegro, Montserrat, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Northern Ireland, Northern Mariana Islands, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palestinian Territories, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Reunion, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saudi Arabia, Scotland, Senegal, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United States, Uruguay, US Virgin Islands, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Wales, Yemen, Zambia.

Is your meeting/conference/symposium listed here?
http://zoosymposia.blogspot.com/
If not why not? You want people to attend, don't you? ZooNews Digest is read by more zoo people than any other similar publication. I will advertise up till the event.

Please visit the
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****************************************************************************


Tiger that killed zoo worker 'dragged her into its enclosure'
Police contradict idea that keeper went into tiger's pen, and do not believe there was a risk of animals escaping to public areas
A zookeeper mauled to death by a tiger was attacked while carrying out routine duties, police have said.

It has emerged that Sarah McClay, 24, was in the staff section of the big cat enclosure building at South Lakes Wild Animal Park, Dalton-in-Furness, Cumbria, when the rare Sumatran tiger confronted her.

Animals are supposedly prevented from entering the staff area and officers are investigating how it got in.

Detective Chief Inspector Bob Qazi said: "We are still trying to establish exactly how and why the tiger has been able to get from the pen into the staff area and at the moment believe this to be because of a human or system error, or mechanical failing, or a combination."

The owner and founder of South Lakes Wild Animal Park, David Gill, had previously claimed that McClay "inexplicably" broke health and safety rules and was actually inside the animal's enclosure when she was attacked on Friday.

He had said: "After investigation by the authorities here and the police, it does seem that she just basically failed to follow the correct procedures.

"For some unknown reason, an inexplicable reason, because there is no reason for why she did it, she open
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2013/may/27/tiger-attack-zoo-worker-cumbria






DALTON ZOO OWNER: 'I TRIED TO SAVE SARAH'
STRUGGLING to hold back the tears, South Lakes Wild Animal Park owner David Gill has described the harrowing moment he shot at two of his endangered tigers as they viciously attacked one of his zookeepers.
Within 30 seconds of Sarah McClay entering the tiger enclosure, Mr Gill was on the scene, but as he told the Evening Mail, there was little anyone could do after the attack by Alisha and Padang, the zoo’s two 11-year-old Sumatran tigers.

“I was first on the scene, within half a minute,” he said.

“I shot at them, I tried to kill them... but I couldn’t get a clean shot because I was so frightened of shooting her as well. It was horrible. I couldn’t do what I knew I had to do.”

Mr Gill explained how Padang, the male Sumatran, had instigated the attack - something which would be considered “normal” in the wild.

“The male is the dominant cat, he will always attack first,” he said. “The males are twice the size of the females and Padang had taken control.”

Despite Mr Gill’s bond with t
http://www.nwemail.co.uk/home/dalton-zoo-owner-i-tried-to-save-sarah-1.1058236?referrerPath=home





Zoo takes terrible toll on animals
Melani the Sumatran tiger heaves herself painfully to her feet, walks to the fence and is hand-fed a few pieces of chicken cut into small chunks. She's skin and bone, but she eats less than a child might before returning to chew, like a sick domestic cat, on the grass.

There are less than 400 of Melani's kind still roaming the dwindling forests of Sumatra, and soon this zoo-bound specimen will also be dead, after spending most of her life in squalor in Surabaya Zoo.

She suffers from an unidentified wasting disease which means her food, even when it's minced, passes through her, almost entirely undigested.

She's the latest casualty in a zoo that's become infamous for killing its occupants. International expert Ian Singleton believes it and almost all other zoos in Indonesia should be closed down ''or at very least forced to upgrade dramatically'' under strictly enforced deadlines.

Last year the world was alerted to the problems at the zoo in Indonesia's second-largest city when a giraffe died and was found to have a 20-kilogram ball of plastic in its stomach.

Last month, Rezak, another Sumatran tiger, died. He was old but also had lung disease contracted in a tiny, permanently damp, cage.

''The holding facilities were shocking, wet all the time,'' says Tony Sumampau, the head of the Indonesian Zoological Parks Assoc
http://www.theherald.com.au/story/1528391/zoo-takes-terrible-toll-on-animals/?cs=5






Second chance for rare turtles
One hundred rare turtle hatchlings have been released into the Mekong River in Cambodia as part of conservation efforts, after receiving a traditional Buddhist blessing from monks.

Listed as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List and found mainly in Southeast Asia, the critically endangered Cantor's giant soft-shelled turtle was believed to be extinct in Cambodia until it was rediscovered in the Mekong River in northeastern Kratie province in 2007.

Since that rediscovery, Conservation International (CI), a US-based environmental NGO, has made inroads into protecting the species and ensuring its continued survival
http://www.bangkokpost.com/breakingnews/351776/rare-cambodian-turtles-get-second-chance






UAE reaffirms resolve to fight wildlife crimes
Nation’s commitment to protect flora and fauna evident in intervention to stop illegal shipment of tusks
The timely interception by Dubai Customs authorities, to prevent the illegal shipment of elephant tusks, signifies that countries opposed to smuggling and selling of endangered species of animals or their body parts, are escalating their operations against poachers.
The mass slaughter of elephants for ivory is resulting not only in endangering the species and lowering their numbers, but also in promoting the ivory trade, which is illegal in most countries. It is believed that a staggering 50,000 elephants may have been killed for their ivory last year. This leads to a waning of numbers. The UAE is a proactive player in regulating and controlling international trade in wild flora and fauna. Stringent federal laws have been set up to thwart the ambitions of those who indulge in such activity. Punitive measures are also set in place.
More than the laws that are formulated, however, it is also up to individuals or customers who must play their part in curbing this illicit activity. Awareness is crucial. Think before you buy works m
http://gulfnews.com/opinions/editorials/uae-reaffirms-resolve-to-fight-wildlife-crimes-1.1187940






Zookeeper Sarah McClay dies after being mauled by tiger at Cumbria animal park
24-year-old woman was taken by ambulance to Preston Royal Infirmary
A 24-year-old woman has died after she was attacked by a tiger inside an enclosure at a zoo in Cumbria.

Police said Sarah McClay was attacked at the South Lakes Wild Animal Park, near Dalton in Furness. She was taken by air ambulance to Royal Preston Hospital following the attack, where she later died.

Police and Barrow Borough Council are investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Ms McClay's family were "very shocked and distressed" and had requested privacy to grieve, police said.

Cumbria Police said the animal was later securely locked in its enclosure and there had not been any risk to the public.

The wildlife park closed early following the attack, as officials from Cumbria police and Barrow Borough Council arrived to investigate the circumstances leading to the incident.

David Gill, the o
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/zookeeper-sarah-mcclay-dies-after-being-mauled-by-tiger-at-cumbria-animal-park-8631583.html





Endangered Species: Egypt's gazelles
Egypt’s gazelle population has decreased consistently and drastically for the past four decades mainly due to two factors: unregulated hunting practices and habitat destruction.

Three species of gazelle used to live across Egypt. The Arabian gazelle is thought to have completely disappeared, as the most recent footprints of this mammal were found in the 1930s in Wadi al-Arish at the border with Israel.

The slender-horned gazelle’s population is difficult to estimate, but according to Omar Attum, professor of biology at Indiana University Southeast who closely studies Egypt’s gazelles, the number of slender-horned gazelles is likely no higher than a hundred.

“Slender-horned gazelles have low population densities. There have been some records of them in Siwa recently, but I really worry as the revolution in Libya has made weapons more widely available in a very large and porous border area,” he explains, stressing that whenever there is an armed conflict anywhere in the world, wildlife is threatened.

Richard Hoath, British naturalist and author of the book, “A Field Guide to the Mammals of Egypt,” explains that the population of slender-horned gazelles is limited to an area southwest of Fayoum. “This gazelle is strictly a desert species; it is able to survive without drinking water its entire life, provided it can feed on desert shrubs and bushes,” he explains animatedly.

The most common gazelle in Egypt today is the Dorcas gazelle, which lives in stony deserts and coastal plains with vegetation. Gazelles in desert areas play an important role of keeping the ecosystem balanced, as some
http://www.egyptindependent.com/news/endangered-species-egypts-gazelles





Animals escape from Alberta zoo; staff say holes cut in fences
RCMP are investigating after workers at a private zoo in Alberta say pen fences were deliberately damaged this weekend, allowing a number of exotic animals to escape.
According to GuZoo Animal Farm staff members, more than 11 holes were cut in pen fences sometime between late Saturday evening and early Sunday morning. A number of animals, including yaks, buffalo, Barbados Blackbelly sheep, coyotes, ostriches and a sika deer escaped.
Staff members say the perimeter fence of the family-owned zoo was not damaged and workers were able to corral the animals and return them to t
http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/animals-escape-from-alberta-zoo-staff-say-holes-cut-in-fences-1.1297830




*******************************************************************************
ZOO BIOLOGY
The Zoo Biology Group is concerned with all disciplines involved in the running of a Zoological Garden. Captive breeding, husbandry,cage design and construction, diets, enrichment, man management,record keeping, etc etc

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