Zoo News Digest Nov-Dec 2007

15Dec2007

Spanish company proposes game hunting park in Cambodian jungle
The Cambodian government is studying a Spanish company's proposal to
convert a huge tract of jungle in the country's wild northeast into a
game hunting park for big-spending tourists, a wildlife protection
official said Wednesday.
The Madrid-based NSOK Safaris company wants to use 100,000 hectares
(247,100 acres) in Rattanakiri province, which is home to an
abundance of wildlife, including several endangered species, as well
as several indigenous tribal minorities. The province is about 325
kilometers (200 miles) from the capital Phnom Penh.
The project envisages bungalows and luxury lodging built "for high-
class, VIP tourists...or professional hunters," said Dany Chheang,
deputy director of the Wildlife Protection Office of Cambodia's
Agriculture Ministry.
NSOK made the proposal more than two years ago, but it remains
unclear how much money it would invest in the project and when it
could launch, he said.
Tourism is now one of Cambodia's major
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/12/12/asia/AS-GEN-Cambodia-Safari-Park.php

Chimerism, or How a marmoset's sperm is really his brother's
Marmosets twins often exchange cells as embryos. As a result,
individuals can carry tissues that are genetically identical to their
siblings. And because these tissues include sperm, marmoset males
sometimes fertilise females with the genes of their brothers.
Imagine you are a man who has just learned, through a genetic test,
that your son carried your brother's genes instead of your own. You
might well have some stern words to exchange with your partner. But
if you were a marmoset, this would all be part and parcel of life.
In a striking new study, scientists from the University of Nebraska
have shown that marmosets inherit genes not only from their parents,
but from their monkey uncles and aunts too. Each individual is a
genetic chimera.
In Greek mythology, the chimera was a monstrous mixture of lion, goat
and dragon (see below). But in the world of genetics, the word has
much less grotesque overtones – it simply means an animal whose body
contains two or more groups of cells with distinct sets of genes.
Most species of marmoset give birth to non-identical twins. At first,
each embryo is surrounded by its own protective sac – the chorion –
but after the first month of development, these sacs fuse together.
Blood vessels connect the developing embryos and embryonic stem cells
can travel between them. These swapped stem cells can eventually set
up groups of cells in one twin that contain the other's genes. So the
majority of marmosets have tissues descended from the stem cells
http://notexactlyrocketscience.wordpress.com/2007/04/20/chimerism-or-how-a-marmoset%E2%80%99s-sperm-is-really-his-brother%E2%80%99s/

Arkansas Elephant birth! (former Circus Elephant)
http://bucklesw.blogspot.com/2007/12/amybets1.html

Mystery Beast Kills Animals in S.C.
An unknown predator mauled a pit bull and killed two puppies in
Brunswick County, and residents fear it's the same animal that killed
three dogs in September. No one has reported ever seeing the animal.
The county's animal control agency investigated the animal's tracks,
droppings and other clues but couldn't determine what attacked the
dogs. Locals call the unknown animal the Beast of Bolivia.
Some residents and experts said the predator
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iUVAndZ9e20fkolB1-YT82zFFCdwD8TG6FU00

Local zoo hammered
THE Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) is in the
process of compiling a report on the conditions in which animals are
kept at the Tygerberg Zoo.
This follows complaints by a local resident who describes the
conditions under which the animals are kept as atrocious.
Ms Helanne Malan contacted the SPCA shortly after she and her husband
took a friend of the United States to the zoo. She also e-mailed a
letter to the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism.
Malan said they wanted their friend to experience "Africa", but they
were shocked out of their minds.
In the letter, adressed directly to Mr Marthinus van Schalkwyk,
Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, Malan says the animals
are kept under circumstances too painful to describe.
"The grass and weeds are so long and dry, if a veldfire breaks out it
will be a disaster. There are no fire extinguishers to be seen.
"The animals are kept in cages
http://www.news24.com/Regional_Papers/Components/Category_Article_Text_Template/0,2430,407_2237375~A,00.html

$1.5 million donation will upgrade Hogle Zoo
A Salt Lake City-based charity will donate $1.5 million to Utah's
Hogle Zoo with the construction of an animal health center.
The new facility, which will be named in honor of ALSAM Foundation
founder L.S. SkaggsÂ, will include expanded diagnostic and treatment
areas, updated and upgraded surgical and quarantine elements, and
office space for two full-time veterinarians and their staff.
Zoo officials said the ALSAM gift will cover about half of the
construction costs of the medical facility.
Construction is scheduled to begin in early
http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_7698642

15th BSB brings medical care to zoo employees, families
One of the responsibilities the 15th Brigade Support Battalion has
taken on since coming to Iraq is the security of the Baghdad Zoo and
Zawra Park complex just outside the International Zone.
On a number of occasions, the support battalion from the 2nd Brigade
Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, has held cooperative medical
engagements in the park's old restaurant in order to give medical
care to employees of the zoo and their family members.
More than 120 people came to the one-day clinic in the park Dec. 4 to
be seen and treated during the last commitment
http://www.blackanthem.com/News/health/15th-BSB-brings-medical-care-to-zoo-employees-families12446.shtml

Zoos Can Do Better for Elephants and Educating the Public
Les Schobert is gaining national attention for his work on behalf of
elephants.
Schobert has worked in zoos since the 1960's when his father was a
zoo veterinarian. He served as the General Curator of the Los Angeles
Zoo and the North Carolina Zoo, specifically in elephant care. He
also was a professional member of the American Zoo and Aquarium
Association (AZA).
"My goal is to improve the quality of life for elephants," Schobert
said. "Zoos should pool their resources and build a series of
huge 'preserves' in the southern part of the country and move all
elephants to them. The elephant sanctuary in Tennessee could serve as
a model for a preserve."
When temperatures dip below 40 degrees, Schobert says you need to
worry about the elephants.
"Honestly, it makes no sense to have elephants in zoos in Chicago or
Buffalo, where the winters are harsh and having to lock them in a
tiny cage for weeks on end. Instead of having an elephant in every
zoo, elephants should be seen in herds on thousands of acres and
managed using the protected contact approach," Schobert
explained. "Zoos should be specific and deal with certain animals,
instead of having the department store approach with one of
everything. It's a misconception that everyone has to see everything
in every community including elephants."
Schobert has seen first hand what can happen with elephants who are
kept in
http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/viewArticle.asp?articleID=45093

NEW Zoo to purchase albino alligator with $10,000 donation (Peter's
Note: A waste of money?)
The NEW Zoo is going to buy one of only about 30 known albino
alligators in existence in the United States.
Zoo Director Neil Anderson said the alligator will be purchased from
the St. Augustine Alligator Farm in Florida and will be brought to
Wisconsin in March. An alligator that has been on loan to the zoo
from St. Augustine for the past couple years will be returned to
Florida at that time.
The purchase is being made with the $10,000 donation from
William "Red" Lewis, founder of PDQ
http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071207/GPG0101/712070694/1207/GPGnews

Zoo's up-close cage opens
THE largest "interactive" bird cage in Europe has finally opened its
doors at Edinburgh Zoo.
Visitors are able to get "up close and personal" with a flock of
rainbow lorikeets at the new £325,000 attraction.
The new Rainbow Landings enclosure
http://news.scotsman.com/scotland.cfm?id=1944972007

Berlin Zoo culls creator of the cult of Knut
For the past year visitors to Berlin Zoo have been waiting for the
moment that Knut, the celebrity polar bear, lost his cuddliness and
started to maul other animals or even his faithful keeper. Instead,
humans are turning on other humans. A fierce power struggle has
erupted in the management of the zoo about how to deal with Knut as a
global brand.
After a board meeting that turned into a shouting match, the zoo has
lost Gerald Uhlich, its finance director, who is credited with
turning Knut into the most famous polar bear in the world. The move
could mark the beginning of
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article3042791.ece

16 dead alligators found
Sixteen carcasses of alligators found under National Chambal Wildlife
Park (Rashtriya Chambal Pashu Vihar) on the intervening border of
Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh has put Uttar Pradesh forest
department on foot.
It all started with a single alligators found dead on the banks of
Chambal river near Barchauli village under Etawah range of National
Chambal Sanctuary, Project Agra, on Saturday. There was no sign of
injury on the animal's body and as per the postmortem
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Lucknow/16_dead_alligators_found/articleshow/2615997.cms

Elephant's semen stirs controversy for zoo
Is Toronto's big Rex to blame for demise of Hansa in Seattle?
A Canadian zoo is at the centre of a bizarre cross-border controversy
after animal-rights advocates in Washington state urged American
wildlife officials to halt a planned U.S.-bound shipment of semen
from a Canadian elephant suspected of having bad seed.
Biologists at Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle are seeking sperm from 39-
year-old Rex -- an Asian elephant at the African Lion Safari west of
Toronto -- to impregnate
http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/news/story.html?id=730f8832-5ca7-4f82-86f0-e0a8023c7eca&k=95707

Shark attacks surfing kangaroo in Australia
An Australian man's claim that he saw a kangaroo hop down a beach,
swim into the sea and get attacked by a 7ft long shark seemed wildly
implausible.
But Daniel Hurst is resolutely sticking by his story, dubbed by the
Australian media Jaws vs Skippy, and now a second witness has backed
up his extraordinary sighting.
Mr Hurst was walking along a beach near Torquay, Victoria, with his
girlfriend and dogs when the bizarre attack allegedly happened.
"We were just walking along the beach as a kangaroo came
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/12/13/wjaws113.xml

Zoological society films Mongolian jerboa
The Zoological Society of London has released the film in a bid to
highlight the plight of the long-eared jerboa, a mammal that lives in
the deserts of Mongolia and China.
The species is classified as endangered as a result of poor rainfall,
mining and agricultural sites in the desert, where the little water
that is available is often used for livestock, mining and to grow
crops.
ZSL researchers
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?xml=/earth/2007/12/10/eajerboa110.xml

Hundreds of dead turtles litter Orissa beach
A Hundreds of endangered Olive Ridley turtles were found dead over
the past one and half month in Orissa's Gahiramatha beach, a non-
governmental organisation in Kendrapada said on Thursday.
"We have been conducting survey of turtles on the 35 km shoreline
from Hukitola to Nasi Island of Gahirmatha, nearly 174 km from the
state capital Bhubaneswar, since Nov 1," said Bijay Kabi, director of
the NGO Action for Protection of Wild Animal (APOWA).
"We found carcasses of at least 400 turtles on the beach," he said,
adding, "Many of them might have been killed by fishing trawlers that
are operating illegally in the vicinity".
Gahirmatha is considered the world's largest nesting
http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?id=9814fe11-853f-43a5-ba3b-53cb07fec773&&Headline=Many+dead+turtles+litter+Gahiramatha

Elephants with sore feet fitted with custom-made boots
Two elephants at Singapore's Night Safari are celebrating the
holidays in giant, custom-made boots designed to ease pain from their
wounded feet, the facility said Thursday.
The pachyderms, Tun, 20, and Jamilah, 30, are now walking in boots
from Gore-tex, known for its tough outdoor apparel.
WL Gore and Associates, the brand's maker, made the $20,000 footwear
as a Christmas gift for the elephants on learning
http://www.kazakhstannews.net/story/308637

New zoos in U.P. soon
A proposal to set up three new zoos at Gorakhpur, Agra and Moradabad
has been sent to the Central Zoo Authority, Uttar Pradesh Minister
Fateh Bahadur Singh has said. Forest officials had been told to
pursue the matter vigorously said Mr. Singh, who reviewed functioning
of his Forest Department.
He asked officials to organise workshops in areas close to national
parks and wildlife sanctuaries to create awareness among locals about
the wildlife. The
http://www.hindu.com/2007/12/12/stories/2007121253530300.htm

10Dec2007

A Japanese aquarium is using electric eels to power its Christmas
tree lights this holiday season. Each time the electric eel at the
Aqua Toto Gifu aquarium touches a copper wire in its tank, it sends
power straight to the lights on a nearby tree. That's one
http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/life/story/7520421p-7420343c.html

Darjeeling zoo to release endangered Red Pandas in the wild
A zoo in Darjeeling, which has bred two Red Pandas in captivity,
plans to release the endangered mammal in the wild by early next year.
The Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park (PNHZP) has in the past
successfully bred and released the animal under the Project Red Panda
launched in 1986.
Buoyed by the success of the release of four female Red Pandas a few
years ago, park officials are once again
http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IEP20071209054708&Page=P&Headline=Darjeeling+zoo+to+release+endangered+Red+Pandas+in+the+wild&Title=Nation&Topic=0

Zoo death toll mounts
The death toll at the Karachi Zoo continues to rise since over the
past ten days, the facility has lost a Bengal tiger, two blue bulls,
a black buck, a red deer and a jackal, sources informed Dawn. The zoo
administration confirmed all the deaths except that of the jackal and
one of the blue bulls, and attributed at least some of the deaths to
a blood parasite.
The Bengal tiger, a female brought from Holland over 11 years ago,
was called Shateela and had reportedly been ill for some time. She
died on Sunday, the same day that sources said saw the deaths of the
jackal and the black buck. Two blue bulls and a red deer died last
week.
Over the past two months, the Karachi Zoo also lost 12 spotted deer
to an unknown disease.
Shateela was the fifth of the zoo's big cats to die within two years,
during which the facility also lost another female Bengal tiger
(killed by male Bengal tigers), a male leopard and a pair of pumas.
Three of these deaths took place in 2007 alone. Meanwhile
http://www.dawn.com/2007/12/08/local6.htm

Aquarium hails birth of stingrays
The offspring of captive tropical stingrays have bred for the first
time in the UK, a Cornish aquarium says.
Two southern stingrays were born in a tropical ocean display at the
Blue Reef Aquarium in Newquay.
The aquarium said the pair were 15cms (5.9ins) long at birth and had
been transferred
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cornwall/7134305.stm

The Plight of the Red Apes
ABC News Gets a Rare Glimpse at Borneo's Orangutan Rehab Project
The orangutan population is in danger and seriously on the decline
due to hunting, illegal trade and deforestation. Some say they may
become extinct within the next decade.
Hope for their survival rests in a safe haven in Borneo at a
sanctuary called Nyaru
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/Story?id=3969647&page=1

2008 Indianapolis Prize Finalists Named
The six finalists for the Indianapolis Prize have been selected and
include: Iain Douglas-Hamilton, Rodney Jackson, K. Ullas Karanth,
Laurie Marker, Roger Payne, and George Schaller. Nominated by their
peers, these heroes of animal conservation were chosen for their
outstanding achievements on behalf of endangered species across the
globe.
"The Indianapolis Prize recognizes animal conservationists who have
committed their lives to ensuring the survival of some of our
planet's most marvelous creatures," said Michael Crowther, CEO of the
Indianapolis Zoo, the organization that initiated the animal
conservation award. "These are people who are accomplishing real
conservation victories."
The Prize Jury will determine the
http://www.ewire.com/display.cfm/Wire_ID/4375

Buffalo Zoo defends care of polar bears after four deaths
The Buffalo Zoo's president responded Thursday to a critical federal
report documenting the deaths of four polar bears in 16 months by
releasing autopsy results pointing to natural causes.
"The important thing to remember is not when they died but why they
died," Donna Fernandes said. "Sometimes
http://www.syracuse.com/newsflash/state/index.ssf?/base/news-23/1196979289104700.xml&storylist=state

ZOO BACKS DECISION TO PUT DOWN APES
Paignton Zoo has supported colleagues in the same conservation family
who decided to put down two rare monkeys.Newquay Zoo, part of the
Whitley Wildlife Conservation Trust which also runs Paignton Zoo, has
come under fire for the decision to destroy two male Sulawesi black
crested macaques which were said to be fighting.
The same species is also kept and bred at Paignton and a spokesman
said: "We totally support the decision of Newquay Zoo in this matter,
which is in line with procedures laid down by the Ethics Committee of
the zoo's umbrella charity, the Whitley Wildlife Conservation Trust.
"It is hard to have to take decisions like this, but sometimes they
have to be taken.
"Anyone who has ever owned a pet
http://www.thisissouthdevon.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=135239&command=displayContent&sourceNode=135077&contentPK=19174066&folderPk=79060&pNodeId=134831

Giant spitting cobra species discovered
A new species of giant spitting cobra, measuring nearly nine feet and
possessing enough venom to kill at least 15 people, has been
discovered in Kenya, a conservation group said on Friday.
WildlifeDirect said the cobras were the world's largest and had been
identified as unique. The species has been named Naja Ashei after
James Ashe, who founded Bio-Ken snake farm on Kenya's tropical coast
where the gigantic serpents are found.
"A new species of giant spitting cobra is exciting and reinforces the
obvious – that there have to be many other unreported species but
hundreds are being lost as their habitats disappear under the
continued mismanagement
http://www.thestar.com/article/283551

San Diego Zoo Coordinates Antelope Repatriation
Two of Africa's largest antelope species, the addax and the scimitar-
horned oryx, face a silent extinction as catastrophic declines due to
unsustainable hunting, habitat loss and competition with livestock
have wiped out these North African species, but a coalition of zoos
is fighting back. This week the San Diego Zoo and European zoos moved
22 zoo-born animals for repatriation in
http://www.imperialvalleynews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=451&Itemid=1

Zoo gets $1M for lodge
Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo announced a $1-million contribution from the
Bank of America Charitable Foundation Wednesday to build a 17,000-
square-foot Safari Lodge.
Zoo officials hope the $4.5-million building, the cornerstone of
Lowry Park's 11-acre Safari Africa habitat, will attract business
meetings and conventions and
http://www.sptimes.com/2007/12/06/Hillsborough/Zoo_gets_1M_for_lodge.shtml

Indonesia announces national conservation programme for orangutans
Indonesia is preparing a conservation programme to protect orangutans
and their habitats in Borneo and Sumatra, Indonesia's President
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said Monday at the World Climate Conference
on Bali.
'The key understanding is to save the orangutans. For that we must
save the forest and by that we are doing our part to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions,' Yudhoyono said.
Urangutan habitat is decreasing as a result of rapid deforestation.
The great apes are then often shot by farmers as the animals seek
http://science.monstersandcritics.com/news/article_1379799.php/Indonesia_announces_national_conservation_programme_for_orangutans

Two chimpanzees run amok in zoo
Panic gripped visitors at the Alipur Zoological Garden here yesterday
after two chimpanzees broke open their cage and ran amok within the
zoo complex, injuring some visitors.
The two chimpanzees, Rani and Babu, chased several visitors who were
near their cage.
"We were sitting on the ground when we suddenly saw two chimpanzees
wildly rushing towards us. We tried to flee, but
http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=188514&version=1&template_id=40&parent_id=22

BURGLAR WITH A KNIFE FACES JAIL
A DALTON man who admitted burgling the owner of Dalton zoo while
carrying a knife has been warned he is likely to get a prison
sentence.
Richard Creary, 38, of Union Street, was yesterday remanded in
custody at Preston Crown Court pending background reports.
He pleaded guilty to an aggravated burglary on August 17 at Furness
View, Crossgates, Dalton, with intent to inflict grievous bodily harm
on David Gill.
The court had heard that at the time of the burglary
http://www.nwemail.co.uk/news/viewarticle.aspx?id=570380

Tiger Mauls Caretaker at Wildlife Sanctuary, Off Critical List
Tippi Hedren, who rose to fame after her role in Alfred Hitchcock's
The Birds, recently received bad news regarding the renowned exotic
animal sanctuary she's been running since 1972 after a caretaker was
mauled by a tiger. According to various reports, 40-year-old
caretaker Chris Orr, whose been working at the Shambala Preserve for
20 years, suffered a serious attack after being mauled by a 450-pound
Bengal Tiger named Alexander.
BBC reports that as Chris Orr was cleaning an enclosure at the
preserve Alexander pounced and bit his neck. Harlan Boll, publicist
for Tippi Hedren, issued a statement, revealing, " Chris was bitten
in the neck, and he had some scratch marks. He's in stable condition,
and we're waiting to see how he reacts to the antibiotics." As for
the reason why Alexander
http://www.thedeadbolt.com/news/102782/tippitiger_news.php

Rare Chinese tiger fights for survival... in South Africa
Poised and alert, the South China tiger creeps along the drenched
savannah - one of the world's rarest big cats who recently produced
new hope in a foreign land to save her dying species.
Shoulders hunched, Cathay bounds playfully towards another tiger
named Madonna, their burnt orange coats and sharp black stripes an
unusual sight in the African grasslands, now the scene of their fight
for survival.
On November 23, Cathay gave birth to the first cub of this
exceptionally endangered species born outside of China -- the product
of an ambitious and much-criticised project.
"The rain makes them playful. Tigers love water," says Li Quan, a
diminutive but feisty woman and the target of much of the venom for
transporting the rare specimens halfway across the world.
"This is definitely their last chance," she adds
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5gWHdMLfjPUqYhvXf_iCWm8XBjkQA

Zoos, owners of dangerous animals subject to a few new rules
Local zoos should have no problem complying with new state
requirements for owners of potentially dangerous animals.
The rules, adopted Thursday by the Florida Fish and Wildlife
Conservation Commission, will require owners of venomous snakes and
other dangerous animals such as lions, tigers and bears, to keep a
list of names and addresses for all contiguous landowners and
neighbors. Animal owners also must have a disaster plan, describing
what they will do if a hurricane, flood or fire occurs.
"This is one added measure that the licensee will know who their
neighbors are and reach out to them and explain to them what the
requirements are," said Capt. John West, an investigator for the
FWC's
http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2007/dec/06/zoos_owners_dangerous_animals_subject_few_new_rule/?breaking_news

Group says elephants at St. Louis Zoo at risk for herpes
Upon the death of an Asian elephant at the zoo in Springfield,
Missouri, from a herpes virus, an animal protection group is
identifying the St. Louis Zoo as being at risk.
According to the group, In Defense of Animals, the virus called
Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpesvirus is responsible for 20% of Asian
elephant deaths in North America in the past 25 years.
Suzanne Roy with IDA says the St. Louis Zoo is at a high risk for an
outbreak.
"Because three elephants at the zoo have spent time at zoos that have
known to be contaminated, including the Dickerson Park Zoo in
Springfield," said Roy.
Over the weekend, a 16 month-old Asian elephant named Nisha, died
from EEHV at the Dickerson Park Zoo.
Dr. Eric Miller with the St. Louis
http://publicbroadcasting.net/kwmu/news.newsmain?action=article&ARTICLE_ID=1194301&sectionID=1

SW Mo. zoo says slephant breeding is in limbo for now
Elephant breeding at Springfield's Dickerson Park Zoo is on hold for
now.
Zoo director Mike Crocker said the suspension is not related to
criticism from an animal rights group after an elephant calf died
from a virus.
Instead, the zoo is without a reliable male breeding elephant after
the Cincinnati Zoo took back its bull elephant several weeks ago.
Dickerson Zoo has four breeding females.
Crocker said the future of the breeding program will be decided in
conjunction with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums through its
species survival plan.
The zoo has been recognized for pioneering
http://www.bnd.com/336/story/196851.html

World's oldest fertile gorilla and orang-utan turn 50
The world's oldest fertile gorilla and orang-utan in captivity, Matze
and Charly, jointly celebrated their 50th birthdays with a cake each
at Frankfurt Zoo on Thursday.
Matze the gorilla was born in central Africa in 1957 and spent the
first years of his life with a troupe of showmen before arriving in
Frankfurt in 1962, the zoo said. Charly, born in northern Sumatra,
has been at Frankfurt Zoo since 1978.
"Each received a cake made with pastry and mandarin with cream on
top -- but with no sugar," zoo spokeswoman Caroline Liefke said.
Both are great grandfathers, Matze
http://africa.reuters.com/odd/news/usnL06886396.html

Yangtze turtle that time almost forgot
UNNOTICED and unappreciated for five decades, a large female turtle
with a stained, leathery shell is now a precious commodity in this
city's decaying zoo. She is fed a special diet of raw meat. Her small
pool has been encased with bulletproof glass. A surveillance camera
monitors her movements. A guard is posted at night.
The agenda is simple: the turtle must not die.
Earlier this year, scientists concluded that she was the planet's
last known female giant Yangtze soft-shell turtle. She is about 80
years old and weighs almost 45 kilograms. As it happens, the planet
also has only one undisputed known male. He lives at a zoo in the
city of Suzhou. He is 100 years old and weighs about 90 kilograms.
They are the last hope of saving a species believed to be the largest
freshwater turtles in the world.
"It's a very dire situation," said Peter Pritchard, a prominent
turtle expert in the US who has been involved in efforts to save the
species. "This one is so big and it has such
http://www.smh.com.au/news/environment/yangtze-turtle-that-time-almost-forgot/2007/12/06/1196812919925.html

HCMC zoo welcomes two white rhinos (Peter's comment - couple of
things. First, thank heavens they did not go to Hanoi and secondly
are these for Saigon zoo? or are they for the new place in the
suburbs?)
The first two white rhinos ever to come to Ho Chi Minh City arrived
yesterday after traveling over 6,500 miles from South Africa.
HCMC's new 18-month-old male and female residents are being cared for
by the Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens.
The white rhino is one of five species
http://www.thanhniennews.com/entertaiments/?catid=6&newsid=33911

Injured tiger dies in Lucknow zoo, spurs debate
A seriously injured Royal Bengal tiger that was rescued by forest
officials from a roadside in Bahraich district has died here in
Lucknow zoo amid controversy whether it died due to delay in
treatment.
The tiger had multiple fractures on its back. Officials said the
beast sustained
http://sify.com/news/fullstory.php?id=14572109

Rescued apes get smuggled bananas
Customs officers who seized 2.7 million cigarettes have given the
bananas they were hidden among to a Dorset monkey charity as an early
Christmas present.
The discovery was made at Poole ferry port early on Saturday.
The contraband was found with several hundred boxes of fruit, which
has been given to Monkey World, near Wareham, where it will be fed to
the animals.
The cigarettes, which were hidden to avoid £472,000 of duty, were
found in a lorry arriving from Cherbourg.
Banana headache
Bob Gaiger, HM Revenue
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/dorset/7127580.stm

2Dec2007

Cameroon welcomes home "Taiping Four" gorillas
Cameroon has welcomed home four endangered western lowland gorillas
known as the "Taiping Four", following an international campaign that
won their return from Malaysia, where they were illegally smuggled
five years ago.
The four, a male and three females, were flown to Douala airport late
on Friday from South Africa, where they had been kept at the National
Zoological Garden in Pretoria after the Malaysian government sent
them back to Africa in 2004.
Malaysia' Taiping Zoo had acquired the apes after they were trapped
as infants in Cameroon's forests in 2002 and illegally smuggled out
of the central African country.
DNA tests established they came from Cameroon, whose government
launched an intense diplomatic lobbying campaign for their return,
backed by international conservation groups that seek to protect
endangered primates.
"This is a victory for our diplomacy
http://africa.reuters.com/top/news/usnBAN142292.html

Gorillas snatched by poachers returned to wild (Peter's comment -
Wild?)
A five-year international row over the fate of a group of gorillas
snatched from the wild by poachers has finally ended.
The four Western Lowland gorillas - a male and three females - were
flown in separate wooden crates from Johannesburg to their native
Cameroon.
It was the final chapter of a long-running battle by wildlife
campaigners to prevent the gorillas spending the rest of their lives
in a zoo.
The saga began in 2002 when they arrived at the Taiping Zoo, 150
miles north of Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, having allegedly come from a
captive breeding programme in Nigeria.
But it was quickly established that gorillas, then juveniles aged
between 14 and 33 months, had been born in the wild, probably in
Cameroon, and were almost certainly orphaned and smuggled to Nigeria
after their families were slaughtered by bushmeat traders.
A campaign was launched to have the primates, who became known as the
Taiping Four, returned to their homeland.
In 2004, they were seized by embarrassed Malaysian authorities and
sent to the South African National Zoological Gardens in
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?xml=/earth/2007/11/30/eagorilla130.xml

I'm a Celebrity evictee to buy zoo
Despite some terrifying encounters with wild animals in the
Australian jungle, Anna Ryder Richardson is set to buy a zoo.
The I'm A Celebrity ... Get Me Out Of Here! contestant is about to
complete on the purchase of the 45-acre Manor House Wild Animal Park
at St Florence, near Tenby, west Wales.
The married, 43-year-old mother-of-two is set to move her family from
their current home in Glasgow to live at the zoo, which is also home
to a collection of zebras, camels, antelope, reindeer, American bison
and wallabies.
Earlier this week Ryder Richardson was the sixth person to be voted
off the prime-time ITV1 show hosted by Ant and Dec.
One of her trials on the show saw her and fellow contestant
Christopher Biggins spend 12 hours in a pit teeming with an estimated
200 rats.
Her unusual property move is set to be documented for a television
programme according to the former Changing Rooms
http://ukpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5hNjc3NPzIJmQU9FgjgiyMyLBOJRg

Tax rebates for zoo 'adoptions'
Taxpayers who 'adopt' animals in a zoo in the eastern Indian state of
Bhubaneshwar are to be given rebates.
People will be entitled to the tax breaks if they donate anything
between the equivalent of 20 cents up to $25,640 to Nandan Kanan zoo.
The zoo's annual costs amount to some 10
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/7120551.stm

Apes killed after zoo could not house them
A British zoo that prides itself on protecting endangered species has
come under fire for putting down two rare apes that it had problems
rehousing.
Newquay Zoo in Cornwall destroyed a pair of Sulawesi black crested
Macaque which were causing problems by continually fighting.
But rather than rehome the irritable males, they were put down,
prompting charity Animal Aid to claim the zoo had treated the apes
like "commodities".
In its defence, the zoo said it had no other option after making
inquiries to find an alternative home for them.
Newquay Zoo director Stewart Muir said there is a "desperate need for
space for breeding groups" and that the animals could not continue to
be separated
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?xml=/earth/2007/11/29/eaape129.xml

Donations trickling in for new zoo for Accra
Two organizations on Wednesday made donations towards the
reconstruction of the Accra Zoo.
The Multichoice Ghana presented 100 bags of cement whilst Toyota
Ghana Limited presented five million cedis through Friends of the
National Zoo (FONZ) an NGO.
Mesdames Anne Sackey, Public Relations and Publicity Officer,
Multichoice and Gytha Nuno, Executive Secretary, FONZ presented the
donations to the management of the Accra Zoo at a ceremony at the new
site located in the Achimota Forest in Accra.
Receiving the presentations, Mr. Andrew Adjei Yeboah, Deputy Minister
of Lands, Forestry and Mines said government appreciated the
contribution of individuals towards the reconstruction of the Zoo in
Accra.
"The President is interested in what is being done here
http://www.myjoyonline.com/news/200711/10860.asp

Rescued gorillas become wild parents
Conservationists celebrated the birth of the first baby born to
reintroduced Western gorillas in Gabon with the release of a
photograph of the infant.
Wildlife conservation charity the Aspinall Foundation released the
photograph of the healthy two-month-old baby, Okeli, which means
stream or little river in the local Bateke language, and her mother,
10-year-old Lekedi.
Okeli's mother and father, 12-year-old Marco, were was both born in
the wild of the central African country but orphaned after their
family were massacred by hunters in the bush meat trade.
http://www.scenta.co.uk/Nature/1710440/rescued-gorillas-become-wild-parents.htm

Denver Zoo picks new president
Denver Zoo executive Craig Piper has been named president/CEO of the
zoo following the death of longtime zoo leader Clayton Freiheit,
officials announced Thursday.
Piper, previously executive vice president/chief operating officer,
managed the 80-acre zoo during Freiheit's illness preceding his death
from cancer Oct. 29. Freiheit led the zoo for 37 years.
The Denver Zoological Foundation's board, which oversees the zoo,
unanimously approved Piper's promotion at its
http://denver.bizjournals.com/denver/stories/2007/11/26/daily35.html

Deaths of zoo polar bears stir emotions
The Buffalo Zoo, stung by criticism over the deaths of four polar
bears, is just the latest zoo to find itself caught in a storm over
animal deaths.
The Buffalo blowup follows similar controversies in Washington, D.C.,
and Chicago. It's a sign of the public's passion for animals,
particularly high-profile mammals such as polar bears.
"The public becomes very emotionally attached to animals. They
probably worry more about the four polar bear deaths than they would
about a cluster of human deaths that might be due to environmental
factors," said R. Michael Roberts, a professor of animal science at
the University of Missouri, who led a probe into animal deaths at the
National Zoo in Washington.
Nonetheless, Roberts believes the Buffalo Zoo should begin its own
investigation into why six polar bears have died there since 2001.
Polar bears are a popular attraction at zoos across the country
http://www.buffalonews.com/cityregion/buffaloerie/story/219498.html

DEATH AT THE GEORGIA AQUARIUM: Latest loss leaves staffers in tears
Marina, the Georgia Aquarium's ailing beluga whale, died before
daylight Saturday, surrounded by people who had worked around-the-
clock to save her. She was the second beluga and the fourth star
attraction to die at the facility this year.
The 25-year-old whale died quietly just after 2 a.m., said Jeff
Swanagan, the aquarium's president and CEO. With her were 16 people
in wet suits who had been helping the disoriented whale swim. She
slowed, stopped swimming, stopped breathing.
Aquarium employees and volunteers paused to say
http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/printedition/2007/12/02/belugaside1202.html

Desert cats will fascinate children
Al Ain A group of Meerkats, the African mongoose, is the latest
collection of animals at Al Ain Zoo and are sure to become a
favourite with visitors, especially children, said the zoo director.
"They are very active and appealing. At the moment, they are
adjusting to their new surroundings in an area designed to look like
their natural habitat, the Kalahari Desert," said managing director
Majid Al Mansouri.
Kalahari inhabitants
Meerkat is Afrikaans for marsh cats, but they are actually
inhabitants of the deserts in Botswana
http://www.gulf-news.com/nation/Environment/10171777.html

Rare Sumatran rhino sighting in Malaysia
A Sumatran rhinoceros has been photographed in peninsular Malaysia in
the first sighting for more than a decade, raising hopes the animal
can avoid extinction, a report said Sunday.
The New Straits Times said the image, captured by a camera trap,
snapped just a small part of the rhino but experts declared the
wrinkly and folded thigh was unmistakable.
Rhino footprints were last found in southern Johor state in 2001 but
it was only in 1994, when a stray animal wandered out of a forest in
northern Perak, that the animal
http://www.afp.com/english/news/stories/071202053535.vyz4ig9f.html

28Nov2007

White Rhino On Route To Al Ain Zoo (Peter's Note - Incorrect. I can
think of at least three other white rhino previously imported to the
UAE)
Animal lovers in the UAE will soon be able to see the rare white
rhino. Known to be the most gentle among the rhino species, the
animals will be shipped from South Africa to Al Ain Zoo soon, a zoo
spokesperson said.
"These will be the first rhinos to be imported to the UAE," the
spokesperson said, without giving the exact dates of the animals'
arrival or the number of rhinos which will be included in the
shipment.
The rhinos, which weigh between 2,300kg and 3,600kg each, will not be
ready to be viewed by the public for about a week after their
arrival.
"They will be accompanied by a team from South Africa
http://www.xpress4me.com/news/uae/dubai/20004319.html

Circus lions 'no worse off' than zoo animals
A report looking into the possibility of banning the use of lions and
tigers as circus entertainment has found "little evidence" in support
of outlawing the practice.
The independent paper, prepared for the Department for Environment,
Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), examined whether wild animals should
be excluded from circus acts in Britain.
The report said there were currently 47 wild animals being used in
UK "big top" circuses, of which 11 were big game cats.
But the publication's authors found the animals used by circuses were
neither "better or worse" off than animals kept in other captive
environments such as zoos.
The report said: "There appears to be little evidence to demonstrate
that the welfare of animals kept in travelling circuses is any better
or worse than that of animals kept in other captive environments.
"It is concluded that ... ministers do not have before them
scientific evidence sufficient to demonstrate that travelling
circuses are not compatible with meeting the welfare needs of any
type of non-domesticated animal presently being used in the United
Kingdom."
The paper, entitled Wild Animals in Travelling Circuses, was chaired
by Dr Mike Radford, a reader in animal welfare law from the
University of Aberdeen.
It was commissioned after debates on the animal welfare bill in which
concerns were expressed
http://www.guardian.co.uk/animalrights/story/0,,2214113,00.html

'Taiping Four' gorillas head home
The 'Taiping Four' gorillas will be back in Cameroon on Friday, the
National Zoological Gardens of SA and the International Fund for
Animal Welfare said on Wednesday.
"The full repatriation team has gathered and is on standby," they
said in a joint statement. The gorillas would board a plane late on
Thursday and arrive back in Cameroon early on Friday.
The western lowland gorillas were sent to the Pretoria Zoo in 2004 at
the request of Malaysia, which confiscated them in 2002 after
discovering they had been illegally imported to its Taiping Zoo from
Nigeria.
Cameroon asked that the animals be returned to their country of
origin. The three females and a male are known as Izan, Abbey, Tinu
and Oyin, and are aged between six and nine.
Trade in endangered species and violation of the Convention on the
International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES
http://iafrica.com/news/sa/692815.htm

Bubble wrap aquarium for Docklands
Looking like it is encased in bubble wrap, these are the first images
of a new landmark building planned for London.
The aquarium, designed by architect Sir Terry Farrell, is the
centrepiece of Silvertown Quays, a proposed £1.5billion housing
development in the Royal Docks.
Newham council has granted outline planning permission.
The translucent roof of the aquarium is made from the same material
as the Eden Project. It will allow daylight into the building, which
will contain plants, birds, reptiles and sea creatures.
The development involves the
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23423287-details/Bubble+wrap+aquarium+for+Docklands/article.do

Quadruplet ligers born in S China wildlife park (Peter's comment -
"How awful!!")
Four ligers, a rare lion-tiger hybrid, were born several weeks ago in
a wildlife park in China's southernmost island province of Hainan, a
park official said Wednesday.
The cubs were born in the Tropical Wildlife Park of Hainan on Sept.
15, but one died of "genetic defects" a week later, according to Liu
Mingjiang, director of the park's Animal Breeding Department.
"The other three are in good condition. They were allowed to be
visited by tourists starting Tuesday," Liu said.
The newborns are the offspring of mother Huan Huan, a seven-year-old
Northeast China tigress, and father Xiao Er Hei, a six-year-old
African lion.
"Our staff members have not gone close to them for reasons of their
health and safety, so we're not clear about their weight right now,"
Liu said.
The newborns have not been named
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-11/21/content_7122400.htm

Starving tigers eat each other at zoo
Four starving Siberian tigers killed and ate a fifth member of their
group at a cash-strapped wildlife park in north-eastern China's
Shenyang city, state media said on Monday.
The four tigers attacked their companion, which had lived with them
for five years, at the privately run Shenyang Glacier Zoo over the
weekend, the official Xinhua news agency said. The tigers tore a hind
leg and ear off their 12-year-old companion, the agency quoted staff
and visitors as saying.
"When the keeper arrived, the four tigers were still eating the dead
body on the ground," said
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=126&art_id=nw20071119150520199C453984

Bear Attacks Woman At Fayette County Zoo
2 People Injured
A bear attack is under investigation at Fayette County Zoo.
A black bear attacked two people during a tour of the Woodland Zoo
and More in Farmington on Saturday, according to the Tribune Review.
A woman had to be flown to Ruby Memorial Hospital. Her name and
condition have not been released.
A man who tried to help her was treated for minor injuries. His name
and condition is unknown.
According to the zoo owners, the bear will not be
http://www.wpxi.com/news/14641194/detail.html

Zoo bosses in a flap as new exhibit stays shut
A MAJOR new attraction at Edinburgh Zoo cannot be opened, despite
being finished for more than two weeks.
Edinburgh City Council has not yet issued a building completion
certificate for the £325,000 Rainbow Landings exhibit, leaving zoo
bosses baffled and frustrated.
A major advertising campaign ahead of the planned opening saw giant
posters put up on buses around the city, in a bid to attract large
crowds in the first few weeks of the attraction being opened.
Council staff were on-site at the zoo last week to carry out further
inspections of the new building, created as part of the zoo's £58
million masterplan.
There was no indication given of when the completion certificate
would be issued, however, and the zoo insisted it had not been
informed about any outstanding work still to be done.
David Windmill, chief executive of the Royal Zoological Society of
Edinburgh (RZSS), which owns Edinburgh Zoo, said: "We are extremely
disappointed that we have been unable to open Rainbow Landings to the
public.
"It has been finished now for
http://news.scotsman.com/scotland.cfm?id=1824832007

Researchers discover new species of legless amphibian
Zoologists claimed to have discovered a new species of legless
amphibian in northern Karnataka which vacates its marshy habitat at
the slightest hint of pollution.
Two independent researchers who teamed up with scientists from the
Zoological Survey of India came across the unique species at the
Mahadayi Wildlife Sanctuary which falls in the biodiversity-rich
Western Ghats region.
"It is commonly known as a two-headed snake but a closer look brings
out the ringed nature of the amphibian creature," Gopalkrishna
Bhatta, an independent researcher, told PTI from Shimoga in
Karnataka.
Besides Bhatta, K P Dinesh of the Zoological Survey of India, P
Prashanth of the Agumbe Rain forest Research Station
http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/008200711251140.htm

Woman testing 'big cat' traces
A Devon woman who believes she spotted a big cat in her garden has
sent away samples of the animal's hair for tests.
Paula Ebanks of Silverton near Exeter awoke early on Saturday after
hearing twigs snap in her garden and looked out her window to see a
large white animal.
She said: "I leapt out of bed thinking it was an intruder. It got to
a corner and sprung, two big springs across and it was out of sight."
She said the 3ft-long
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/devon/7106373.stm

Zoo will sell land to house-builders for regeneration funds
BOSSES at Edinburgh Zoo are to press ahead with plans to sell off
part of the site for housing to help fund a multi-million pound
redevelopment of the attraction.
The zoo had expected to secure the go-ahead last month to allow up to
100 new homes to be built on the
http://news.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=1859022007

Zoo looks to Glasgow after council snub
BOSSES at Edinburgh Zoo today warned they could direct future
investment to a new development in Glasgow instead of the Capital.
They have been involved for some time in talks about a new animal
attraction close to the site in Glasgow's East End due to be
developed for the Commonwealth Games.
And following the city council's decision to oppose the zoo's plan to
sell off land on Corstorphine Hill for housing, they said they had to
consider where it was best to invest their limited resources.
David Windmill, chief executive of the Royal Zoological Society
http://news.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=1833232007

Only 90 CHOGM delegates visited zoo
The Uganda Wildlife Education Centre is disappointed that only 90 out
of the over 4,000 delegates who attended the Commonwealth summit
visited the facility.
The officials accused the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of frustrating
their efforts to earn from the event by reneging on an agreement to
have the delegates visit the centre.
According to Andrew Sseguya, the director, they prepared for the
summit following an agreement with the ministry that the centre would
showcase Uganda.
"We had prepared the centre as a showcase because it represents what
the country has in its national parks. It is unfortunate that even
after submitting our plans to the CHOGM organisers, the programme was
mishandled," he told journalists on Monday.
Sseguya added that the agreement was meant to promote tourism in the
country as they had a chance of hosting people of different
countries."
Sseguya said the visitors who turned
http://www.newvision.co.ug/D/8/13/599373

Buffalo Zoo under scrutiny over deaths of three polar bears
Agriculture Dept. raises concerns about care; PETA wants national
accreditation revoked
A recent report by the federal Department of Agriculture raises
concerns about animal care and conditions at the Buffalo Zoo after
three polar bears died there in the last 16 months.
Care at the Buffalo Zoo is so dangerously poor that the Association
of Zoos and Aquariums should immediately revoke the zoo's
accreditation, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals argued
in a letter to the association.
"The zoo's most recent [department] inspection reports reveal an
appalling pattern of carelessness, negligence and incompetence," PETA
spokeswoman Lisa Wathne wrote.
This is the first
http://www.buffalonews.com/home/story/211505.html?imw=Y

Buffalo Zoo Defends Animal Care
Speaking to members of the press, with the Chair of the Zoo Board and
top Zoo personnel at her side or in the audience, Doctor Fernandes
accused the U-S-D-A and the animal rights group, PETA,
of ambushing her facility without knowledge of all the facts that
contributed to the death of the four polar bears and a hyena.
"You can image our shock when we were suddenly confronted with, and
frankly ambushed by a radical group who's basic message is all zoos
are always bad," Fernandes said.
Fernandes pointed to autopsies that concluded that all of the polar
bears died of natural causes; none, she said, died because they ate
or swallowed garbage.
"The preliminary report is
http://publicbroadcasting.net/wned/news.newsmain?action=article&ARTICLE_ID=1188932&sectionID=1

Monkey World's new battlefront
FOR more than 20 years, Monkey World has been reaching out to
endangered primates around the globe from their Purbeck base.
Now the world-renowned sanctuary is branching out by setting up a new
home in the Far East.
Work has started on the Endangered Primate Species Centre (EPSC) on
Tien Island in Cat Tien National Park, Vietnam.The centre is to be a
joint collaboration between Monkey World, the Pingtung Rescue Centre
in Taiwan and Cat Tien
http://www.thisisdorset.net/display.var.1860775.0.monkey_worlds_new_battlefront.php

Animal park building bond with Tajik zoo
Nearly 7,000 miles separate Noble County's Black Pine Animal Park
from the Dushanbe Zoo in the Central Asian country of Tajikistan, but
the common link – animals – is enough to foster a friendship.
The Albion park received a $75,000 grant from the American
Association of Museums to create a cultural exchange program that
will allow Black Pine to share its knowledge with the zoo, which
suffers from low funding and outdated habitats.
The relationship between the two parks was initiated by students at
three Fort Wayne-area schools that have had a pen-pal program with
Dushanbe students for several years.
Last year, a Tajik pen pal was injured by a bear while visiting the
Dushanbe Zoo, and the students took action by creating a program to
promote zoo safety, education and animal care, applying for aid
through the Museums and Community Collaborations Abroad program, a
statement from the American Association of Museums said.
Roger Kovacs, leader of the student
http://www.journalgazette.net/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071125/LOCAL/711250433/-1/LOCAL07

Last night's TV
Wouldn't it be fun to own a zoo? That's what Ben thought. So he
bought one, just like that
This is a story about a man, called Ben, who buys a zoo. With no
previous experience of animal husbandry. Without checking the
licences or paperwork required to keep more than 200 animals of
varying ferocity on the edge of Dartmoor. Or arranging the £500,000
loan he needs to do it up and turn it into a viable business. I'm
exhausted already, aren't you? So we have to sit and watch while he
scrabbles around for funding, knocks down buildings without knowing
where the next cheque is coming from, realises with horror that his
Dangerous Animals licence expires in about 10 minutes, and nods
blankly at his solicitor while she explains to him gently what a
total tit he's been for not asking to see a spot of documentation
beforehand. It's like Property Ladder with animal suffering.
Ben, of course, intends to build a veritable Eden for his beasts.
Larger living accommodation, more stimulating enclosures, Ben is
champing at the bit to fulfil their every need. He bounds round his
domain gesturing at tatty fields and announcing five-year plans
involving giraffes as only the hopelessly optimistic can. Before
then, however, he has to get an escaped jaguar out of the tiger
enclosure, recapture Parker the wolf and - above all - persuade
somebody, somewhere to give him half a million quid.
The most maddening part of the programme was watching him overrule
the decision to put down Spa, the aged, arthritic, suppurating sore-
covered Siberian tiger. His minder, Kelly, in the way of all those
who truly love an animal, had agreed with the decision and made
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2007/nov/22/television?gusrc=rss&feed=media

Cheetah Escapes from Zoo, Baffles Officials
A one-year-old cheetah in the St. Louis Zoo escaped from its exhibit
Monday, stumping zoo officials the day after as to how it was able to
do so.
According to zoo staff, the cheetah must have managed to go over a
wall at least 10 foot in height, before arriving at a rocky area that
served as a separator between people and animals at the River's Edge
exhibit.
Jack Grisham, vice president of the zoo's animal collection,
expressed his confusion as to how the cub managed to scale the wall.
"We have no idea how the cat got up there," the Associated Press
quoted Grisham . "We have a million theories. It could have been the
cats playing with one another and it made the lucky jump - or unlucky
jump."
Grisham told the AP that the situation began when a visitor notified
a zoo worker of the
http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7009227119

Rare eagle owl hatched in Bacolod
A rare Philippine Eagle Owl egg was hatched last week at the Negros
Forests and Ecological Foundation's Biodiversity Conservation Center
(NFEFI-BCC) by the Negros Occidental Provincial Lagoon in Bacolod
City.
This is the third successful hatching of an owlet (Bubo p.
philippensis) at the center.
NFEFI-BCC curator Dr. DJ Darwin Bandoy in a press statement said that
NFEFI-BCC holds the world record for the first successful captive
breeding of a Philippine Eagle Owl named `Bubo' in 2005.
"The latest owlet hatched after 35 days of incubation. The bird's
parents, named Mahinhin and Hinahon, are currently the species' only
breeding pair in the world," Bandoy said.
He said they are in Bacolod as part of a breeding loan program run in
association with the Avilon Montalban Zoological Park and Protected
Areas and Wildlife Bureau Wildlife Rescue Centre (PAWB – WRC) with
the support of Flora and Fauna International and the World Owl Trust.
"We are thrilled to see another
http://www.bayanihan.org/html/article.php/20071126181112110

Three Addax fly by TAP to Johannesburg
Three female Addax – a mammal of the Bovidae family – on loan from
the Lisbon Zoological Garden to Pretoria Zoo in South Africa, arrived
on November 15 on flight TP283, destination Johannesburg. The Addax
is a species threatened with extinction as its natural habitat has
practically wiped out.
According to IUCN – World Conservation Union, which declared the
species as critically threatened in 2000 (the highest threat level
immediately prior to extinction), estimated that only around 200
animals remain in the wild.
The Addax reproduction in captivity program primarily aims to create
a viable population, ensuring the necessary
http://www.easier.com/view/Travel/Flights/TAP/article-149670.html

Monclova Township scientist saving at-risk species 1 byte at a time
Computer software serves as match-maker for animals
For a certain self-important species of mammals, the notion of
computer dating took hold a decade ago with the hissing sounds of
modems and chirps of "you've got mail."
Yet several years before humankind evolved to nurturing its lonely
hearts in chat rooms, there was computer dating in the animal kingdom.
Since the later half of the 1980s, animal caretakers have been able
to search other zoos around the world for ideal mates for their
animals using the International Species Information System. The
recipe for a perfect animal pairing often runs counter to the advice
of an entire canon of well-meaning dating literature: It's all about
physical attributes and pedigree.
Robert Lacy, a conservation scientist and population geneticist who
lives in Monclova Township, might seem an unlikely professional match-
maker, with his doctorate in evolutionary biology and authorship of
more than 100 scientific papers. But it was Mr. Lacy who designed the
original software in the mid-1980s to help rare and endangered
animals find the right mate.
He is one of 29 animal conservationists nominated to receive the 2008
Indianapolis Prize, a top international award given biennially to an
individual who has made significant strides in animal conservation
efforts.
The prize comes with $100,000 and is presented by the Indianapolis
Zoo. It was first given in 2006.
Mr. Lacy, who is 52, was nominated for his work creating computer
software for determining the probability of a species extinction. A
prize committee will whittle the field to six finalists next month
and the winner will be announced by the summer.
Mr. Lacy, who is married to Anne Baker, executive director of the
Toledo Zoo, sat for an interview last week in the living room of
their three-story, high-ceilinged house overlooking the Maumee River
along North River Road. Colorful illustrations of exotic animals hung
from the walls, and the couple's African Gray Parrot, Papageno,
perched in a nearby cage.
Mr. Lacy is employed by the Chicago Zoological Society at its
Brookfield Zoo in suburban Chicago. He is also chairman of the
Conservation Breeding Specialist Group, a global network with a
mission to save threatened species. Additionally, Mr. Lacy is
http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071126/NEWS34/711260394

18Nov2007

Nandankanan Zoo breeds Indian pangolin (Peter's note - Great news!
Does anyone know how long they have held the parents?)
In a major breakthrough, Nandankanan Zoo successfully bred an Indian
pangolin in captivity recently. This has made Nandankanan Zoo the first
in the country to achieve this success.
The breeding was made possible with the help of a specially designed
breeding enclosure with appropriate structures which met the biological
needs of the animal. The Central Zoo Authority (CZA) had given funds to
develop a conservation breeding centre. The prototype of this in-house
design would be used to develop the centre. The effort was highly
appreciated at the International Conference for Environment Enrichment
held at Vienna Zoo in August 2007, said Mr Ajit Patnaik, director of the
zoo.
Indian pangolin (Manis crassicaudata ) is a scaled mammal. It is
nocturnal and spends most of the time in their burrows throughout the
day. It lives alone most of the time. International
http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?clid=9&theme=&usrsess=1&id=176741

Bear species: six of eight face extinction
Six of the eight species of bear in the world are now officially
classed as
facing extinction.
The smallest, the sun bear, is the latest to be classified as
vulnerable on
the Red List of Threatened Species.
Of the other species four - Asiatic black bear, Sloth bear, Andean bear
and Polar bear - are also listed as vulnerable.
The giant panda is facing the greatest threat and remains in the
endangered category.
There is least concern over the European brown bear and the American
black bear.
The sun bear found in Souteast Asia, Sumatra and Borneo, will be
included in the 2007 Red List drawn up by the World Conservation Union
(IUCN).
Previously it was known as 'Data Defficient' meaning not enough was
known about it to give it a classification.
Rob Steinmetz, co-chair of the IUCN Bear Specialist Group's sun bear
expert team, said: "Although we still have lot to learn about the
biology
and ecology of this species, we are quite certain that it is in trouble.
"We estimate that sun bears have declined by at least 30 per cent over
the past 30 years (three bear generations), and continue to decline at
this rate.
"Deforestation has reduced both the area and quality of their habitat.
Where habitat is now protected, commercial poaching remains a
significant threat.
"We are working with governments, protected area managers,
conservation groups and local people to prevent extinction of the many
small, isolated sun bear populations that remain in many parts of
Southeast Asia."
Bear hunting is illegal throughout Southern Asia, but they suffer heavy
losses from poachers, who risk the small chance of being caught
against lucrative gains from selling parts.
Bile from the bear's gall bladder is used in traditional Chinese
medicine
and their paws are consumed as a delicacy.
Additionally, bears are often killed
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?xml=/earth/2007/11/12/eabears112.xml

Poachers kill 2 rhinos near Harare as meat shortages persist
Three Black rhinos were yesterday killed at Imire Game Park located in
Marondera, an hour's drive from Harare, amid concerns from
conservationists who fear for the endangered species.
A source at Imire said the suspected poachers were seen within the
park rangers' compound but since they were dressed in what looked like
Zimbabwean army uniform no one had the courage to ask for reasons
for their presence.
"It was around 9 pm that we saw three men dressed in army uniforms
in the compound. I'm not aware of how they managed to sneak out to
the protected area where the rhinos are kept. They proceeded to beat
up the rangers on guard and tying them up before they shot the rhinos,"
said the source.
Since the rhinos were de-horned the poachers managed to take one
stump of rhino horn before vanishing into the night. They left a
suckling
two-week old calf belonging to one of the slaughtered rhinos.
This comes in the wake of another poaching incident in which four
rhinos were killed at Tetford Farm owned by business mogul John
Bredenkemp in Mazowe a few months ago.
The Parks and Wildlife Management Authority was quoted, then, as
expressing shock at the incident insisting that it was the first time
poaching had occurred in areas near cities.
Conservationists have always said the authority which was formerly a
department in the government does not have the sufficient resources to
manage the country's wildlife. With the government too concerned with
the economy languishing on its belly the scarce foreign currency goes to
tear gas and food imports.
Coupled with the shortages of basic goods a considerable number of
Zimbabwe's populace survives on poaching as the market for meat is
now large .
The Worldwide Fund for Nature earlier this year revealed that at least
13 rhinos are poached around the country every year since 2001.
Conservationists earlier this year raised concerns
http://www.zimdaily.com/news2/zimbabwe_national_news/166.html

Zimbabwe: Suspected Soldiers Slaughter Endangered Black Rhinos
In a tragic incident that occurred last Wednesday night, a gang of
poachers armed with AK 47 rifles and dressed in camouflage, shot and
killed 3 black rhinos, one of the world's most endangered species. The
slaughtered group included a pregnant female, two weeks away from
giving birth. A four-week-old calf was spared.
The black rhinos were part of an important project that hopes to
provide a gene pool for this highly threatened species. It is
believed the
slaughter was meant to intimidate the farm owners into vacating their
property, to make way for a top military official who wants the farm.
Black rhinos are normally killed for their horns, but this group had
been
dehorned to discourage poaching. Johnny Rodrigues, chairman of the
Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force, linked the shootings to the ongoing
illegal eviction of commercial white farmers. Speaking in his personal
capacity he said: "As far as I am concerned it is some greedy officer in
the army or air force that actually wants that property and that's one
way of trying to get the people off."
As we have reported most of the recent evictions of white farmers have
been carried out by armed soldiers and youth on behalf of military
officials who want the farms. Rodrigues said the rhino incident fits
this
pattern.
The shootings took place at Imire Game Farm in Wedza, outside the
town of Marondera. This conservancy belongs to John and Judy Travers,
whose family has headed special breeding programmes to increase the
population of other animals, including lions, hyenas, elephants and
impala.
The animals are protected by security guards around the clock.
Rodrigues said the gang approached the homestead and forced the staff
to reveal where the security guards were located. They then disarmed
the guards and assaulted them before going to the secured area where
they shot the rhinos in their pens.
The government's chaotic land reform programme has not only
destroyed agriculture and created food shortages, but much damage
has been done to the environment as well, with military and
government officials now aiming for the few remaining Conservancies.
The rare species protected in these areas are being brought even closer
to extinction.
Only 4 orphaned rhinos remain at Imire now, including the young calf.
The owners are offering a reward to anyone
http://allafrica.com/stories/200711130834.html

"As KwaZulu-Natal celebrated the release last week of 11 black rhinos
on to community-owned land, a highly-successful project in Zimbabwe
involving the critically endangered animals was on Wednesday night
dealt a death blow. John and Judy Travers of Imire Game Farm in
Wedza, near Marondera, have for many years been heading an
extensive black rhino breeding programme funded by the Zimbabwe
government. The progeny are released into the Zambezi Valley in a
successful attempt to build up the herds of the endangered species in
the wild. Imire has been in the family since World War 2. At the core of
the project are four breeding rhinos which have been supplying the new
blood. It was these animals which were shot at 9.30pm on Wednesday.
Each rhino was tended by an armed guard. According to family member
Nicola Roche, members of the Zimbabwe Army, dressed in camouflage
uniforms and carrying AK-47 rifles, arrived at the lodge, where they
beat up a maid and tied her up. They then forced someone to lead them
to the rhino pens, where they badly beat up the guards protecting the
animals and tied them up, said Roche. The men then killed the rhinos,
leaving a one-month-old calf as the sole survivor. Roche said there
appeared to be no motivation for this "senseless, heinous slaughter", as
all the rhino had been dehorned."

Rumors of rhino escaping from zoo prove false
Reports of a rhino strolling down Marsalis Avenue after a car hit a
fence
at the Dallas Zoo turned out to be wrong late Saturday night,
authorities
said. But it took about 30 tense minutes for the authorities to be sure.
"It was a false alarm," said Dallas police Sgt. Benny Handley. "No
animals from the zoo escaped. All animals are accounted for."
The incident began shortly after 6 p.m. on Marsalis Avenue near
Interstate 35E.
Marvin Barnes, who said he witnessed the accident, said a car came
around the corner, hit the median, went airborne, flew across oncoming
lanes of traffic and crashed through the chain link fence onto the
property of the Dallas Zoo.
"He [the driver] was airborne for about four seconds," Mr. Barnes
said. "He was lucky no other cars were coming. I haven't never seen a
car do that."
Mr. Barnes said he and several
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/DN-zoo_11met.ART.State.Edition1.42b946c.html

Brevard Zoo Awarded $500,000 Grant
Brevard Zoo recently received a $500,000 grant from Harris
Corporation's Donor Advised Charitable Fund in the Community
Foundation of Brevard. The grant will support the new Paws On: The
Nature Discovery Zone set to open next summer at the Zoo.
"We are deeply grateful to Harris Corporation and the Community
Foundation of Brevard for this wonderful act of generosity and
community leadership. The new Paws On is the first of a number of
significant projects that will dramatically increase the educational and
recreational impact of Brevard Zoo," said zoo president Julie Harrison.
The original Paws On children's play area was one of the first exhibits
completed and opened to the public when Brevard Zoo opened its doors
in 1994. The renovation of Paws On was the first major project
identified in the Zoo's 10 year business plan that includes
renovation of
many of the Zoo's existing exhibits and the addition of new exhibits and
animals in the future. The plan was approved by the Zoo's Board
http://www.myfoxorlando.com/myfox/pages/News/Detail?contentId=4900847&version=1&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=3.2.1

Jacksonville Zoo plans $40M addition
The Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens will begin building a $40 million Asian
bamboo garden and exhibit next year in an effort to draw more visitors
and revenue from the region.
Officials hope improvements will generate enough revenue to offset
reductions in city funding. The zoo spent $37 million on upgrades and
expansions in the past six years as it tried to become more educational
and family-friendly.
"The zoo has finally reached a point where, fundamentally, people can
see a value in this place," Executive Director Dennis Pate said.
The zoo has also been targeting more corporate and
http://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/stories/2007/11/19/story1.html

Werribee zoo wins hippo award
A JOURNEY through Australia's diverse flora and a high-tech waterhole
for hippos have won major prizes in the Australian Institute of
Landscape Architects' awards.
The first stage of the Australian garden at Cranbourne, an adjunct to
Melbourne's Royal Botanic Gardens, has won the Victorian award for
landscape architecture.
The 11-hectare garden, the work of landscape architects Taylor Cullity
Lethlean and designer Paul Thompson, opened in May last year and is a
treasury of local and indigenous plants. A highlight is the sand garden,
an expanse of red sand contrasting dramatically with grey foliage.
For gardens director Philip Moors, the most rewarding factor has been
creating a new public garden in Victoria. The last time
http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/werribee-zoo-wins-hippo-award/2007/11/16/1194766965842.html

Seeking sanctuary for orangutans at the zoo
Move over, sharks, penguins and meerkats, it's showtime for the great
apes of Asia.
And the endangered orangutans deserve the attention, according to
Lynn Killam, Houston Zoo primate supervisor.
Animal Planet's new Friday night series, Orangutan Island, focuses on
35 orphans given a second chance on an island sanctuary in Borneo.
Killam says the series, which spotlights the animals' personalities and
struggles, complements conservationists' efforts to build concern for
orangutans.
"It's important for people to understand how endangered they are,"
Killam said. " 'No tree, no me' is true of orangutans."
About 5,000 orangutans die every year in the wild, Killam said, as the
apes' habitat is burned and cleared. Mothers with offspring are usually
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/features/5305731.html

Pittsburgh Zoo responds to PETA demands for investigation
The Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG aquarium responded this morning to an
animal rights group's request Wednesday for an immediate federal
investigation of the Nov. 9 incident in which polar bears at the
Pittsburgh
Zoo & PPG Aquarium attacked a young white-tailed deer that jumped
into the polar bear exhibit's pool. Zoo staff eventually separated the
buck from the bears, but the deer was later euthanized because of its
injuries.
Pittsburgh Zoo officials say they are not aware of the investigation
requested by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, which wants
the U.S. Department of Agriculture to determine whether the zoo is
violating the Animal
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/breaking/s_538136.html

What's the zoo to us? $125M
Four months before appealing to voters for renewal of its tax levy, the
Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden on Thursday released an economic
impact study showing it pumped nearly $125 million into the local
economy.
That's almost as much as the area's 18 fine arts organizations
combined (in 2005) and about 3½ times more than the National
Underground Railroad Freedom Center, according to previous studies by
the same group.
"That's pretty substantial," said George Vredeveld, director of the
http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071115/NEWS01/311150057

Zoo director hiring will stretch into next year
Six months into the hunt for a new Salisbury Zoo director, city
officials
now say the top position won't be filled until next year.
At 30 applicants thus far, interest hasn't been lacking for the maximum
$66,400-a-year position. But job seekers rebuffed two offers from the
city, causing the search committee to reopen its cutoff date for
http://www.delmarvanow.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071114/NEWS01/711140362/1002

10Nov2007

Wild Deer Wrestles With Polar Bears After Jumping Into Zoo's Exhibit
A bizarre incident happened at the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium on
Friday, involving a wild deer and two polar bears.
The polar bears were playing in the water when the deer decided to
jump in, too.
Zoo administrato
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21713027/

Int'l team prepares for release of endangered horse in W China
Three members of a six-strong international team on Thursday began a
study to prepare for the release of captive-bred endangered
Przewalski's horses back to their native habitat in western China's
Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.
The team comprises specialists from the United States, Germany and
the Netherlands, including Dr Peter Leimgruber, director of Conservation
GIS Laboratory of the Smithsonian Institution National Zoological Park,
and Joep van de Vlasakker, of the Large Herbivore Foundation.
Leimgruber said he would focus on preparations for wintering of the
horses, such as food and water.
The team would also select a pastoral, ethnic Khazak family in the
Karamay State Nature Reserve to assist the Xinjiang Przewalski's
Horses Propagation Research Center in tracing and monitoring the
released horses.
If they were successful, more herders will be trained
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-11/08/content_7035293.htm

City zoo attack charges dropped
Three teenagers who were accused of attacking dozens of animals at a
Dundee wildlife centre have had the charges against them dropped.
The enclosure at Camperdown Wildlife Centre was broken into in July.
A pair of terrapins died in the incident, a deer suffered slash
wounds to
its hind legs and
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/tayside_and_central/70848
70.stm

Minnesota Zoo audit reveals some failings
The zoo needs to improve some of its contractual practices and do a
better job tracking commission revenues from vendors, the financial
review found.
The Minnesota Zoo overpaid a food service vendor by nearly $30,000,
didn't adequately verify that vendors were paying the proper
commissions and improperly had the same employee handling receipts
and deposits, according to a state audit released Thursday.
The financial review, conducted by Legislative Auditor James Nobles and
covering the period from July 2003 through December
http://www.startribune.com/south/story/1537624.html

Sadness as zoo's elephant is put down
ONE of Colchester Zoo's favourite elephants has been put down after
suffering from serious health problems.
Rosa had been part of a circus but came to the zoo in 1998 where she
quickly became popular with both staff and visitors.
The African elephant gave birth to Jambo in 2004 but since then showed
signs of severe discomfort.
A team of experts carried out a series of investigations into her
condition, but concluded surgery was
http://www.eadt.co.uk/content/eadt/news/story.aspx?brand=EADOnline&category=News&tBrand=EADOnline&tCategory=news&itemid=IPED07%20Nov%202007%2017%3A04%3A15%3A297

Zoocheck Slams Two Central Alberta Zoos
Animal advocates are coming down hard on the provincial government
for what they say is a lack of action to protect animals and the public.
They want two controversial zoos shut down if they can't meet the
province's new regulations.
At the centre of the controversy are two facilities, Guzoo animal
farm in
Three Hills and Discovery Wildlife Park in Innisfail.
Zoocheck Canada's Julie Woodyer says they went to provincial
enforcement staff with over 150 documented
http://www.770chqr.com/news/news_local.cfm?cat=7428327912&rem=78849&red=80132723aPBIny&wids=410&gi=1&gm=news_local.cfm

CIRCUS TIGER RETIRES TO ZOO (My comment: What a strange
move...Peter)
Rambo, an 11-year-old former circus tiger, is now settling in at his new
home, the IW Zoo, after being transferred safely from a Florida animal
refuge.
The transfer of the transatlantic tiger, who was born in Britain, was
overseen by Charlotte Corney, animal manager at the zoo, and her
team.
Charlotte said: "Rambo coped well with the long flight, remaining
remarkably calm and in good spirits throughout.
"He is now adjusting well to the different climate and food and getting
used to his keepers as well as his fellow animals, who are interested in
the smell and sound of a new arrival."
The award-winning zoo and tiger sanctuary
http://www.iwcp.co.uk/News/CIRCUS_TIGER_RETIRES_TO_ZOO.aspx

Lone doctor treats over 1,800 animals in Dhaka Zoo
The authorities of Dhaka Zoo, situated in the west of Bangladesh's
capital, have to depend on its lone veterinary surgeon for the treatment
of over 1,800 animals if they ever fall sick and need medical
assistance.
 From the very beginning of its establishment in 1974, this very popular
recreational hub of the country has only one sanctioned post of
veterinary surgeon, two assistants and only one attendant to look after
the ailing animals.
Animal population at the zoo has increased over the years, but the
allocation for doctors remained the same, local newspaper The Daily
Star reported Wednesday.
At present the zoo has 1,823 animals and birds from a variety of 165
species that bring joy to thousands of visitors every day.
The zoo gets only 100,000 taka (about
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-11/07/content_7026586.htm

NSW zoo rears five male white lion cubs (My comment: Aaaaghhh!
White! Why? Why? Why? Peter)
A zoo in NSW has become the first in the world to successfully rear a
pride of five male white lion cubs.
White lion adults Tim and Snow have been part of a captive breeding
program at the Mogo Zoo, on the NSW south coast.
The program proved its success with the arrival of the five cubs on
February 7.
Revealing the births on Wednesday, Mogo Zoo owner Shelly Padey says
producing a litter of five male white lion cubs is unique.
Zookeepers wanted to keep the births under wraps until the cubs,
affectionately dubbed the "gangsters", were older.
"We didn't release it because we wanted
http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/NSW-zoo-rears-five-male-white-lion-cubs/2007/11/07/1194329311976.html

Tiger troupe lives within its own socialist society
As many as 70 Siberian tigers from the Breeding Center for Felines in
Hengdaohezi, Heilongjiang, must earn their keep outside the center by
putting on shows for tourists.
"They earn as much as 2 million yuan ($267,000) a year, which is
enough to raise the living standards of the other tigers at the center,"
Wang Ligang, the center's manager, said. "Without this income, our
center would almost be unable to afford food for the other tigers."
The number of tigers bred at the center has increased
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2007-10/29/content_6212998.htm

Services next week for zoo director Freiheit
A public memorial service for longtime Denver Zoo President Clayton
Freiheit will be held next week at Denver University.
Freiheit, who ran the zoo for 37 years, died of cancer on Oct. 28, at
the
age of 69.
The service will be held at 10 a.m., Friday, Nov. 16, at DU's Newman
Center for the Performing Arts, at East Iliff Avenue and University
Boulevard.
The zoo will be closed that day in honor of Freiheit. Following the
public
service, the family will host a private ceremony at the zoo.
The family said that Freiheit asked that in lieu of flowers or other
gifts
that donors make a contribution to the zoo in support of building Asian
Tr
http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_7395095

6Nov2007

San Diego Zoo Panda Leaves for China
A male panda born four years ago at the San Diego Zoo left for China
on Monday to join that country's breeding program.
Mei Sheng, which translates as "Born in the USA," was sent to the
Wolong Nature Reserve for Giant Pandas as part of a loan agreement
requiring all pandas born outside China to be returned there after
the animals mature, zoo officials said.
"Mei Sheng will be missed ... but his role in the conservation of his
species involves a move to China," said Ron Swaisgood of the zoo's
Giant Panda Conservation Unit.
"As a critically endangered species, it is vital that Mei Sheng is in
a place where he will be around other pandas, and the Wolong Nature
Reserve is a great home," Swaisgood said.
Only about 1,600 giant pandas remain in the
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5htcB9TX_GibfomfmKnkKBYUhsbKAD8SNT9M80

The face of a doomed species
Tigers driven to edge of extinction by poachers and loss of habitat
The disastrous impact of poaching and the destruction of the natural
habitat of one of the planet's most threatened animals will be made
clear tomorrow when the Indian government is told that its remaining
tiger population could be as low as 1,300.
The Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, will be told that drastic action
has to be taken against the two forces threatening the big cat's
chance of survival.
"That size of a population is scientifically not viable," said Valmik
Thapar, a tiger expert and member of the National Board of Wildlife,
which is due to convene in Delhi for a meeting chaired by Mr
Singh. "But in the real world you have to try as hard as you can."
Along with the polar bear, the tiger symbolises perhaps more than any
other large creature the majesty and power of the natural world. At
the same time the tawdry story of the tiger's decline – not just in
India but in other countries where it clings on desperately – is a
stark indictment of mankind's apparent inability to preserve the
natural habitats on which it depends.
No one knows precisely how many tigers are left in India, home to
perhaps 80 per cent of the world's remaining animals and which, at
the turn of the 20th century, was estimated to have up to 100,000
animals. It is believed there were about 5,000 at the start of the
decade.
The most recent census, conducted in 2001 and 2002, put the figure at
3,642. But many experts questioned the way in which that count was
handled and a new census was carried out by the government-run
Wildlife Institute of India using a more scientifically robust
method. While the findings will not be formally announced until the
end of the year, preliminary results of the new count have put the
population at between 1,300 and 1,500.
"The new figures and facts came as no surprise to conservationists,
although the government is still recovering from the shock," said
Belinda Wright, executive director of the Wildlife Protection Society
of India, which has several tiger programmes. "In Madhya Pradesh –
which is known as the Tiger State – the study has shown a loss of 61
per cent on the figures of the previous tiger census. The state of
Maharashtra has shown a loss of 57 per cent."
She added: "In the past census... many tigers were found outside the
tiger reserves. The new study shows virtually no tigers outside the
tiger reserves."
Experts say the reasons for the decline of the tiger are simple. Not
enough is being done to halt the continued poaching of the animals,
which are highly prized in China and other parts of east Asia for
their pelts and body parts. A tiger skin can fetch up to £5,300 while
tiger penises – traditionally believed to have near-magical
properties – can fetch £14,000 per kilo.
The tiger has suffered from a loss of its habitat as a result of
large-scale mining
http://environment.independent.co.uk/nature/article3112841.ece

Zoo chiefs dismiss reports of move to Glasgow
EDINBURGH ZOO bosses today announced the attraction will stay in
Corstorphine, dismissing reports they were considering moving it to
Glasgow.
The future of the zoo has been the subject of speculation since the
city council's planning committee overturned the authority's previous
support for housing on part of the Corstorphine Hill site.
This was a major blow to the zoo, which had hoped to sell off the
land to raise up to £20 million to help fund its 20-year masterplan
This was a major blow to the zoo, which had hoped to sell off the
land to raise up to £20 million to help fund its 20-year masterplan

Justin Timberlake gives $100,000 to Irwin zoo
US pop star Justin Timberlake has kicked off the Australian leg of
his world tour at Brisbane's Boondall Entertainment Centre by making
a $100,000 donation to the Irwin family's Australia
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,22661124-2,00.html?
from=public_rss

CULP FIGHTS ELEPHANT PLANS AT L.A. ZOO
I SPY star ROBERT CULP has been given the go-ahead to sue Los Angeles
Zoo officials over what he claims is the mistreatment of elephants.
The animal-loving actor, 77, and a real estate agent pal are keen to
prove that zoo bosses have withheld medical care from elephants and
treat the creatures so badly, they should be banned from keeping
pachyderms altogether. Culp's lawsuit opposes the
http://www.contactmusic.com/news.nsf/article/culp%20fights%20elephant%
20plans%20at%20la%20zoo_1048284

U.S., Canadian zoo officials left wondering after hippo dies in
transit
Zoo officials on both sides of the border are trying to understand
how a female hippo's death could have been prevented in a 28-hour
transfer between zoos.
Six-year-old Hazina was loaded onto a transport truck Thursday
morning in Denver and arrived at the Calgary Zoo on Friday afternoon.
She was dead less than
http://www.mytelus.com/ncp_news/article.en.do?
pn=canada&articleID=2790030

Zoo worker injured by antelope
A zoo worker in Jacksonville, Fla., was recovering in a hospital
Thursday after she was rammed by a horned antelope.
Jacksonville Zoo Director Dennis Pate said Amanda Brown sustained a
serious gash in her leg that required surgery after Abe, a 2-year-
old, 600-pound antelope, fought back against her while she was trying
to force him into a barn Wednesday morning, the Jacksonville Times-
Union reported Thursday.
Pate said Abe has displayed aggressive tendencies but isn't normally
dangerous. He said the animal won't be punished for the attack
because he was following his natural instincts during th
http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Top_News/2007/11/01/zoo_worker_injured_by
_antelope/6412/

Zoo gets three more elephants
he North Carolina Zoo has received three more African elephants,
bringing its total to seven.
The three elephants -- Artie, Tonga and Batir -- traveled to Asheboro
via truck from Riddle's Elephant and Wildlife Sanctuary, an elephant
facility near Greenbrier, Ark.
The move was part of the zoo's goal to promote long-term preservation
of elephants and its elephant breeding program. The three new
arrivals are now in a $2.5 million, 12,000-square-foot elephant
holding barn within the "Watani Grasslands Reserve." The zoo also
expanded its outdoor elephant enclosure to seven acres for the new
animals.
The upgrades are part of an $8.5 million renovation an
http://www.bizjournals.com/triad/stories/2007/10/29/daily10.html

Pachyderm PCS: Elephant finds new home courtesy of Air Force
ELMENDORF AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska (AFPN) -- As the sun crested over
the foothills of San Andreas, Calif., and the compound's gate opened,
she knew she was home.
Maggie, the Alaska Zoo's only elephant, arrived at the Performing
Animals Welfare Society's ARK 2000 Wildlife Sanctuary Nov. 2, exiting
her crate some 15 hours after leaving Elmendorf.
Air Force officials agreed to assist in moving the 25-year-old
pachyderm, since no commercial airlift was available.
"We contacted local authorities in Anchorage and began the lengthy
process of requesting an Air Force flight for Maggie," said Pat
Derby, PAWS co-founder and president, who agreed to reimburse the Air
Force. "After several weeks of negotiating, we secured permission
from the Air Force to fly Maggie for a price -- between $215,000 and
$300,000."
All the while, the logistics for the move were being planned. It took
several agencies in the Air Force, as well as officials from the
Alaska Zoo and PAWS, to ensure the 8,000-pound African elephant would
be safely relocated from the Alaska to California.
"She may not have been able to get out (of Alaska) at all if it
wasn't for the Air Force," said Ed Stewart, PAWS co-founder and
director. "It wasn't just doing it, but the way they did it. They
were so thoughtful of her. They made sure they didn't rattle the
chains when binding her down. The climb out of Elmendorf was a
certain pitch so as not to tip Maggie and it was probably a good
training mission for sensitive cargo like that. It could not have
been better."
A C-17 Globemaster III assigned to the 517th Airlift Squadron at
Elmendorf was selected as Maggie's aerial transport. The crews tasked
to fly the live cargo to Travis Air Force Base, Calif., were a mix of
active-duty and Alaska Air National Guard Airmen.
The pilots who planned the flight took into
http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123074559

The life spans of aquarium dolphins are similar to that of wild
dolphins
It was inevitable. Recently we experienced the loss of Cobie, one of
our Atlantic bottlenose dolphins. Cobie had developed pneumonia over
the summer, which was aggravated by a disease that caused excessive
and improper storage of iron throughout the body, a disease his
mother also had. Had Cobie lived in the wild, he likely would have
had a far shorter life.
In any event, our staff and many in this community were saddened by
the loss.
The inevitable part of this story was the opinion piece in
Wednesday's Caller-Times with a provocative and patently false
headline.
The column by Jo
http://www.caller.com/news/2007/nov/02/the-life-spans-of-aquarium-dolphins-are-similar/unNgu?ich?ts?ngl?ifreewebtown.com/gaigoitanbinh/index.html

Zoo director discusses his great job, unique on-the-job injuries
John Tobias walked into his career as a zoo director through the side
door.
He was working at a tire plant when he decided nature photography
would be more to his liking. He became enthralled with zoos during
visits to take pictures of animals at a facility in Topeka, Kan.,
where he lived at the time.
He eventually was hired to work at a zoo in Denver. He transferred to
the Minneapolis State Zoo in Apple Valley, designed his own college
major in zoo management, graduated and worked at zoos in Indianapolis
and elsewhere. He moved to the Twin Cities to become director of
Miller Park Zoo in Bloomington in 1991.
It's been a great life, said Tobias, 64. But it's one that has its
own unique on-the-job hazards.
"I've been swatted by an elephant and kicked by a camel," said the
soft-spoken Tobias, a grin appearing on his bearded face.
No elephants or camels live at the Miller Park Zoo. They're just too
expensive to house, he said. But the zoo is home to leopards, tigers
and bears, oh my! Lemurs, red wolves and wallabies live there, too.
Sea lions and a pair of river otters play in the ponds, and various
creatures slither, flutter, bellow and bark at the park on the city's
near southwest side.
Tobias still finds time to take nature photos. Several are displayed
at zoo exhibits, and two were used to create an Amazon landscape on
the wall of the Rainforest, a year-round, indoor exhibit where
visitors can watch colorful birds fly through thick green foliage.
Zoo attendance soared in 2007. Credit goes to a mild spring and
summer and a drama involving the zoo's two resident eagles and a wild
eagle that paid a visit
http://www.pantagraph.com/articles/2007/11/05/go/doc472f7b7b5640c20800
6710.txt

Armenia: Who says our zoo is bad?
Armenian authorities yesterday said the lack of awareness led to
protests in Sri Lanka over the gift of the elephant Asokamala to an
Armenian Zoo. Armenian ambassador Dr. Ashot Kocharian based in New
Delhi said a 10-year-old Armenian elephant was keenly awaiting the
arrival of Asokamala.
The Sri Lanka Supreme Court recently issued an order restraining the
Wildlife Director from sending the female elephant to the Yerezoo in
Armenia until November 21. The order was a sequel to an application
by wildlife activists who complained that the poor conditions at the
Zoo where an elephant had earlier died of malnutrition and the cold
would in no way be congenial for the tropical animal. "Unfortunately,
the lack of awareness resulted in distorted information relating to
the
http://www.dailymirror.lk/2007/11/06/news/9.asp

Zoo in mourning for 50-year-old grandmother gorilla
BETSY, the oldest western lowland gorilla at Melbourne Zoo, died
today aged 50.
Members of her family group were each given the chance to see her
body before it was taken away for post-mortem examination, Melbourne
Zoo said today.
Betsy played a major role in an international gorilla breeding
program for her endangered species.
She was a mother of two sons, who now live in Germany and Jersey, US,
and a
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,22713643-2,00.html?
from=public_rss

600 Acres Burned At Wild Animal Park
The San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park reopens to the public Friday
after several days of closures due to the recent wildfires.
Despite the fact that more than 600 acres of the Wild Animal Park's
1,800-acre property succumbed to flames, the park suffered minimal
losses.
Of the more than 3,500 animals that reside at the park, unfortunately
two animals, an endangered
http://www.10news.com/wildfires/14433164/detail.html

AND You have got to laugh:

U.S. Doctors Separate Conjoined Twin Pygmy Elephants
http://www.thespoof.com/news/spoof.cfm?headline=s5i26403

AND then I really start to wonder if this next article was serious:

Gwalior zoo successful in increasing alligator population
Gwalior zoo has become a success model for increasing alligator
population, courtesy zoo officials' sincere endeavours and
perseverance.
Officials at the Gwalior zoo are buoyant that they have been
successful in increasing the number of alligators.
"At present, we have seven adult alligators-six females and one male.
Two months ago, 13 to 14 baby alligators were born and they all are
in healthy condition," said S.K.Mittal, veterinary doctor at the
Gwalior Zoo.
looking after them till they are hatched and helping them to grow
till they are reasonably strong. This has been done to prevent them
being harmed by other animals.
Alligator lovers from around the world are lending their
http://www.dailyindia.com/show/188689.php/Gwalior-zoo-successful-in-
increasing-alligator-population

American Association of Zoo Veterinarians, 581705 White Oak Road, Yulee, FL 32097; Telephone: (904)225-3275