Den Use by Chinese Pandas
January 1, 2008 www.wildlifejournals.org
Ron Swaisgood from the Center for Research in Endangered Species and Chinese researchers studied the denning ecology of giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) in the Foping Nature Reserve, China. 17 used and 21 unused cavities of appropriate size to accommodate denning were examined and measured. Results indicated that maternal females preferred deeper cavities with a high interior-to-entrance ratio for height and width, suggesting a preference for narrow entrances and roomy chambers. Microhabitat features, including slope and distance to water, were also useful in predicting den use by maternal females. The availability of suitable dens may limit population size, especially in areas where tree dens have been eliminated by logging of old growth forests. The study is reported in the Journal of Wildlife Management 71(8):2694–2698; 2007
Jaguars in Brazil's Pantanal
January 1, 2008 www.nytimes.com By J. MADELEINE NASH
The jaguar, Panthera onca, is the largest cat in the Americas and the third largest in the world. It can still be found in the wildlife-rich Pantanal, a 74,000-square-mile mosaic of rivers, forests and seasonally flooded savannas that spill from Brazil into neighboring Bolivia and Paraguay. Convincing ranchers to end such killing has become a priority for conservationists in the region. Last year, Thomas Kaplan, executive chairman of the foundation Panthera, an emerging force in big cat conservation, finalized the purchase of two large ranches and signed an agreement to buy a third, creating a property that will soon total more than 400,000 acres. The ranches, which will be run by Panthera, are particularly important because they connect previously isolated wildlife preserves. Now, jaguars will be able to travel safely from one sanctuary to the other. Panthera was founded in 2006. Perhaps 15 percent of the world’s remaining population of jaguars live in the Panatal. Alan Rabinowitz, executive director of the science and exploration program at the Wildlife Conservation Society, believes ranching and jaguar conservation can co-exist. “Cattle open up the landscape,” Dr. Rabinowitz said, and enhance habitat for the jaguar’s wild prey. “If you were to take out the cattle and let large areas revert to scrubby vegetation, you’d have far fewer jaguars in the Pantanal than you do today.” Jaguars can also provide ranchers with an additional source of income. For example, several ranches in the Pantanal, San Francisco among them, run ecotourism operations that have turned a liability into a valuable asset. The IUCN (World Conservation Union) believes the total free-ranging population at fewer than 50,000 adults and classifies jaguars as near threatened. They may not yet be as endangered as Asian tigers, whose noncaptive breeding population has plummeted below 2,500, or African lions, of which there are perhaps only 20,000 to 30,000 left in the wild. But if conflicts with people and their livestock are not soon resolved, they could become endangered.
Animal Migration Book
January 1, 2008 www.nytimes.com By Carl Zimmer
But in his new book “No Way Home,” David Wilcove, a Princeton biologist, warns that “the phenomenon of migration is disappearing around the world.” Lots of bird species, elk, buffalo, salmon, dragonflies, zebras and leatherback turtles all migrate, but despite their huge numbers, they are particularly vulnerable to hunting, the destruction of wild habitat and climate change. Humans have already eradicated some of the world’s greatest migrations, and many others are now dwindling away. While many conservation biologists have observed the decline of individual migrations, Dr. Wilcove’s book combines them into an alarming synthesis. He argues that it is not just individual species that we should be conserving — we also need to protect the migratory way of life. In years to come, global warming may come to have a huge effect on migrations, by dismantling ecosystems and leaving migrating animals without the food they depend on.
Black Rhino Poaching in Zimbabwe
January 1, 2008 www.sciencedaily.com
Since 2000, 22 black rhinos have been shot in the Lowveld Conservancies in addition to 45-50 black rhinos that have been shot by poachers in other conservancies. “The declining economy in has fuelled the loss of jobs, particularly on commercial farms and created an environment that’s conducive to poaching,” believes Raoul du Toit, Project Executant, Lowveld Rhinoceros Project, WWF - Southern Africa Regional Programme Office. As well as targeted poaching of individual animals, there have been more than 66 cases of rhino caught in snares and sometimes fatally injured in the Lowveld conservancies since 2000. This is a marked increased since the initiation of Zimbabwe’s “fast-track” land resettlement programme Available records show that no black rhinos were poached in that area between 1993-2000. Since 2000, people have been allowed settle into conservancies and enforcement of anti-poaching controls has been relaxed. As a way to combat the poaching surge, WWF, in collaboration with the Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority, with funding provided by other partners and agencies, is now stepping up its drive to protect the country’s black rhinos. Currently, Lowveld boasts of 375 black rhinos – about 10 per cent of the world’s wild population.
Breeding Andean Condors at Buenos Aires Zoo
January 1, 2008 www.washingtonpost.com By Monty Reel
An endangered species, condors cannot reproduce until they are 8 to
12 years old. Even if they manage to survive to that age, they can lay
only one egg every three years, and many of those eggs turn out to be
infertile. For the past decade, a team of scientists and
volunteers at the Buenos Aires Zoo has been raising condor hatchlings
and releasing them throughout South America, helping restore
populations of the bird in places where it had long been considered
extinct. Since 1997 18 condor chicks have been hatched and nearly
60 adult condors have been rescued and nursed back to health , the
grown birds now fly in South American skies ranging from Venezuela in
the north to Tierra del Fuego at the continent's southern tip.
Estimating populations of condors is extremely difficult because their
nests are usually in mountainous locations that are difficult to reach,
and the birds regularly venture hundreds of miles from those bases. In
1965, the condor was declared extinct in Venezuela, and it was believed
to be on track for the same fate in Ecuador and Colombia, Jacome said.
On the coast of Argentina - the country that historically had the
largest condor population - the bird had also disappeared. But
today, about a dozen condors live in Venezuela, perhaps 100 inhabit
Colombia and Ecuador. Quite a few nest near Argentina's coast, where
the project has released several condors in recent years.
Chile and Argentina probably have the most condors
Luxury Safari-style Tents at Monarto Zoo
January 1, 2008 www.news.com.au By Jessica Hurt
ADELAIDE, Australia -- Monarto Zoo is investigating plans to build luxury accommodation to help boost South Australia's shortage of high-end regional accommodation. Accommodation in wildlife parks, such as the Madikwe Safari Lodge and Sir Richard Branson's Ulusaba Private Game Reserve, which borders the Kruger National Park, are big tourist draws in Africa. A National Tourism Investment Strategy research report in July, 2006, revealed regional South Australian centres lacked the upmarket accommodation to attract big tourism dollars. Since then, new properties have opened including Rawnsley Park's four new luxury eco-villas, the Murraylands' first five-star accommodation, Riverview Rise Retreats, and the re-development of the Barossa retreat, Peppers The Louise. The Port Lincoln Hotel will open on January 30 and the nature-based, Southern Ocean Lodge at Hanson Bay, Kangaroo Island, in March.
Aftermath of Tiger Escape : Lawyers & Exhibit Changes
January 2, 2008 www.sfgate.com By Jaxon Van Derbeken
Mark Geregos, the high-profile lawyer who defended Michael Jackson
and Scott Peterson has been retained by the Dhaliwal brothers to
represent their interests “which may include litigation against the
zoo” Geragos said the brothers have no idea why the animal
attacked. Meanwhile, a new 4- to-5-foot-tall glass wall is the most
likely addition to the tiger grotto. The barrier would rise on
the public side of the tiger grotto, adding to the 12 1/2-foot-tall
moat wall and increasing the height of the barrier to 16 1/2 feet. It
would be built of tempered, laminated glass, and a similar wall would
also be installed in the lion exhibit. In addition, surveillance
cameras and electrical "hot" wires are being considered for the tiger
grotto, zoo officials said. The barrier and other additions would
be built within 30 days under emergency plans authorized by the city's
Recreation and Park Department, which oversees the zoo. The final
design has not been approved and is subject to change. The zoo is
scheduled to reopen to the public on Thursday, although the lions and
tigers will not be on exhibit, either outdoors or in the Lion House.
Zoo officials have not decided whether to go ahead with a media tour
and inspection of the tiger grotto today.
ZSL’s Mountain Chicken Frog Breeding Program
January 2, 2008 www.timesonline.co.uk
Mountain chicken frogs from the island of Dominica are one of hundreds of amphibian species driven to the edge of extinction by the chytrid fungus. Conservationists from the Zoological Society of London began a rescue expedition last year but were able to track down only seven of the frogs, which are now kept in permanent quarantine at London Zoo. This group is one of only two from the island of Dominica that have been taken into captivity. The other population of 12 frogs is held by a private collector in the United States. Mountain chicken frogs are also found in Montserrat but have genetic differences from those in Dominica, where the inhabitants are so proud of the amphibian that it forms part of the coat of arms for the island. It was also the national dish until the fungus arrived. The frogs can weigh more than 2 lb and are one of the biggest frogs in the world. They breed by laying eggs in a foam-filled burrow and the mother stays near to feed the tadpoles with infertile eggs until they are ready to fend for themselves. About 500 zoos around the world are expected to take part in the Amphibian Ark campaign to save frogs, toads, salamanders, newts and caecilians. In the past two years at least a dozen species of amphibian have been taken from the wild to safeguard their future. An estimated 120 species of amphibian have become extinct since 1980 and 1,891 species are threatened. WAZA and WCU have declared 2008 the international year of the frog
Breeding Australia’s Corroboree Frog
January 2, 2008 bowral.yourguide.com.au By Rosslyn Beeby
MELBOURNE, Australia – The survival of at least 50 of Australia's 216 frog and toad species under threat from habitat loss, pesticides, disease, water pollution and climate change. For several years, the Amphibian Research Centre in Werribee, Melbourne, has been running a captive breeding program for the critically endangered southern corroboree frog (Pseudophryne corroboree). The frogs feed on ants and small beetles, and breed in the high-altitude sphagnum bogs of Kosciuszko National Park. But recent surveys suggest as few as 30 calling males may be left in the Snowy Mountains. The program has minimal funding. The centre's founder, Gerry Marantelli, says he's organized school tours, lectures in local libraries and even raffles to keep the program afloat. Despite Australia ranking among the world's top 10 nations for diversity of frog species, government funding for frog conservation remains well below $1million. 2008 has been declared the Year of the Frog and a global coalition of scientists is hoping to raise $70million as the first step in a $458million five-year plan to establish captive breeding programs for the world's 500 most-threatened frog and toad species. The Amphibian Ark's project leader is United States herpetologist Kevin Zippel. More about the campaign is at www.amphibianark.org
Pronghorns at the Queens Zoo
January 2, 2008 www.qgazette.com
The Wildlife Conservation Society's (WCS) Queens Zoo has announced the debut of three pronghorn antelopes, native to North America. The new fawns--one male, two females--come from two zoos in Kansas and North Dakota. Pronghorns are second only to Arctic caribou for long-distance migration in the Western Hemisphere. The pronghorns share the same exhibit as the zoo's bison herd, creating an authentic "Great Plains" experience for both the animals and visitors. In the wild, Pronghorns embark on the longest remaining overland migration in the continental United States, and for 6,000 years, this isolated population has traveled the same ground. According to WCS researchers, however, the pronghorn and its ancient migration route could vanish from an ecosystem that includes Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. Six of the eight antelope migration corridors in and out of the Yellowstone ecosystem have already been lost.
8 Bighorn Sheep Die in Colorado
January 2, 2008 www.thedailyjournal.com
GUNNISON, Colo. (AP) -- Eight Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep died in southwest Colorado last month, and all showed signs of pneumonia, state wildlife officers said Wednesday. The Division of Wildlife said seven bighorns were found dead and the eighth was so sick it had to be euthanized. Five were rams and three were ewes. The bighorns were part of the small Fossil Ridge herd near Gunnison, about 130 miles southwest of Denver. Because the herd had only about 50 bighorns before the deaths, the loss of eight animals is significant, officials said. Field examinations suggested pneumonia was the likely cause of death for at least some of them. Tests at the Division of Wildlife laboratory in Fort Collins found evidence of the disease in all eight. Wildlife officers are monitoring the survivors and evaluating treatment options, but they are limited. About 7,500 live in the state, compared with an estimated 275,000 elk and 600,000 deer. The state permits limited hunting of bighorns, with about 300 licenses issued each year.
S.F. Zoo Reopens Today
January 3, 2008 www.sfgate.com
Manuel Mollinedo, executive director of the zoo, said new "Protect the Animals" signs would ask patrons to leave the animals alone, and portable loudspeakers would remind visitors to leave promptly at the 5 p.m. closing time. A hard-wired notification system is also planned to alert visitors to any escapes by the creatures that live there. "Help make the zoo a safe environment," the signs state. "The magnificent animals in the zoo are wild and possess all their natural instincts. You are a guest in their home. Please remember they are sensitive and have feelings. PLEASE don't tap on glass, throw anything into exhibits, make excessive noise, tease or call out to them." At the news conference, Zoological Society Chairman Nick Podell lavishly praised the beleaguered Mollinedo, who took over at the zoo in February 2004 and was earning $314,038 a year plus $15,702 in benefits and a $9,548 expense account, according to zoo tax documents filed in November. The society operates the zoo, although the land and animals are owned by the city. Within the next 30 days the zoo will build a reinforced-glass barrier atop the tiger grotto's dry moat wall, bringing the height to at least 16.5 feet tall, the national standard. The Lion House, will be closed to the public, and screened fences and barriers will surround the outdoor grotto and Terrace Cafe, sites of the attacks. Patrons will be able to leave mementos and tributes at the main entrance to both Sousa and the 4-year-old Tatiana.
Florida Scrub Jay Population Declining
January 3, 2008 www.heraldtribune.com BY TOM PALMER
LAKE WALES – After monitoring the number of Florida scrub jays in 41 sites, the Nature Conservancy concludes that the species is declining -- even within preserves set aside for them, a new report has concluded. Florida scrub jays have been federally protected by the Endangered Species Act since 1987, and are found only in Florida. The Florida scrub jay's classification as threatened rather than endangered means it is not in imminent danger of extinction. But it has disappeared from parts of Florida in recent decades. FWS officials found declines of between 37.5 percent and 65 percent in major jay populations throughout Florida. The decline in reproduction noted in the report means there are fewer birds to replace their parents or other adult jays -- which live an average of five years -- and to help rear young. What is behind the decline? One potential factor mentioned in the report is inadequate habitat management. According to scientists, breeding populations of Florida scrub jays persist only where there are enough scrub oaks to provide an ample winter acorn supply, cover from predators and nesting sites in spring. However, when scrub oak stands become overgrown because of a lack of fire, jay populations decline because it is harder to move through the territory and spot predators, such as hawks. Sites with declining numbers of birds should be assessed to determine if they should be better managed, the report said. FWS officials recommends Florida adopt a scrub-jay management plan and that existing management plans for public lands be evaluated to determine how well they are working.
H5N1 bird flu found in Israel
January 3, 2008 www.ynetnews.com
BINYAMINIA, Israel -- The Israeli Health Ministry has made a positive ID of H5N1 bird flu virus in Binyamina kindergarten. All chicken coops and hatcheries within six-mile radius pending further testing. Earlier Thursday morning 18 of the 25 chickens in the kindergarten's petting zoo, were found dead. The kindergarten staff has been given preventive medicines and none of the children or their parents came in contact with the birds. Veterinarian Gilad Goldstein, said "It was obvious that some sort of epidemic hit the petting zoo, which made me suspect either NVD (Newcastle Disease Virus – a viral infection in birds) or the bird flu… knowing there was a bird flu alert in the area, I sent blood samples to the Health Ministry." The Health Ministry has opened a pubic hotline for information about the outbreak.
The AMNH’s Frozen Zoo
January 3, 2008 www.walrusmagazine.com by Megan Ogilvie
NEW YORK CITY -- This frozen tissue lab — more formally known as the Ambrose Monell Cryo Collection — is the newest research collection at the American Museum of Natural History. The five-year-old facility hopes to archive all of the fauna on the planet. “We want it to represent the whole extent of non-human biodiversity, from whales all the way to microbes,” says George Amato, the director of conservation genetics at the museum and the overseer of the lab. As more and more species become extinct, scientists are looking to cryogenics as a way of saving the genetic blueprints of animals. Other institutions freeze tissue, but few do it as well and as comprehensively as this museum.” Three of the eight stainless-steel vessels that line the cryostorage room are up and running. Nearly two metres tall and almost as wide, the custom-made vats are insulated like giant Thermoses and drink liquid nitrogen from snaking metal pipes. Temperatures inside the vats are kept below –150°C, cold enough to cryogenically preserve tissue samples in perpetuity. With all eight vats up and running, the lab will eventually accommodate more than half a million vials. (Only the lab’s focus on fauna makes even that remarkable capacity barely adequate to its task; preserving instances of all known fungi, for example, would require several times as much space.) Just 15,000 samples have been deep-frozen so far, but an already impressive variety of species populates the droning vats: amphibians from Madagascar, lizards from Arizona, bats from the Caribbean. Also dolphins and polar bears, cats and coyotes, wasps, fruit flies, endangered honey beetles, and several leech species new to science. Smaller creatures are frozen whole and placed in vials. A snippet of flesh is taken from larger animals; even a single cell contains an organism’s entire genome. To keep track of the samples and corresponding data such as where and how they were collected (frozen genetic material doesn’t have nearly as much meaning without such information), the lab hijacked grocery-store technology. Scan a bar-coded plastic vial and bleep, information about its contents pops onto the computer screen.
Science & Nature Evaluate Presidential Candidates
January 3, 2008 www.sciencemag.org
Both leading scientific journals, Science and Nature, have published overviews of the leading presidential candidates. Their views on global warming, energy, stem cell research, and space are summarized. Contact the Library if you would like a copy of the articles.
Bighorn Sheep Transfer
January 3, 2008 origin.sltrib.com By Tom Wharton
ANTELOPE ISLAND, Utah – In 1997 biologists brought the first group
of California bighorn sheep to Antelope Island, a 28,022-acre
Great Salt Lake Island. They hoped the herd would not only
provide a special wildlife viewing experience for visitors but create a
nursery to raise sheep that could be transplanted to other parts of the
state. Now 55 of the estimated 200 sheep on the island to the
Stansbury Mountain Range about 12 miles away as the crow flies and
another 20 to the Newfoundland Mountains. After being trapped,
the animals were loaded into secure nets and flown three at a time by
helicopters pilots to a staging area near White Rock Bay where they
were fitted with a radio collar and ear tags. Vital statistics
were taken and antibiotics administered before they were moved to
trailers for eventual release. "There is no sedation used," said
Steve Bates, the wildlife biologist for Antelope Island State Park.
"They are handled as calmly and quickly as possible and then released.
When we don't sedate them, they do much better." The Foundation
for North American Wild Sheep, a nonprofit hunting group that has
raised millions to improve habitat for the sheep, provided much of the
approximately $30,000 that will be spent moving the bighorns this week.
Australian Scientists Save Quolls
January 4, 2008 www.nzherald.co.nz By Nick Squires
Rangers and Aborigines collected an initial batch of quolls in 2003 from around Darwin and Kakadu National Park. The carnivorous marsupials were fitted with radio collars and released on the uninhabited Pobassoo and Astell islands. Five years later, the population is now more than 5000. The quolls were relocated in a A$300,000 operation dubbed "Island Ark" because they were dying after preying on cane toads. The toads have poisonous glands on their backs and have caused the deaths of millions of crocodiles, lizards, birds and other creatures. Quolls normally eat frogs as part of their natural diet and quickly began targeting the introduced toads, with disastrous results. Within hours, or even minutes, of killing and eating a cane toad, quolls expire from massive heart failure caused by the amphibian's poison. Northern Territory senior scientist Tony Griffiths said “They're healthy and they're living longer than quolls on the mainland. The conditions are ideal and there are no predators." One of four species of quoll in Australia, northern quolls favour rocky habitat and eat everything from insects and lizards to skinks and small mammals. "They breed once a year and have up to eight young, so the population can increase fairly quickly," said scientist Dr Brooke Rankmore. "We're waiting to see how big the population grows before it starts to self-regulate and plateau out."
New Species From Central America
January 4, 2008 www.timesonline.co.uk By Lewis Smith
Eleven previously unknown animal and plant species have been discovered by scientists in a remote forest region of Central America. Three salamanders with ballistic tongues, two frogs and six plant species, including a mistletoe with a “spectacular flower”, were among the finds never before seen by scientists. In addition to the new species, the researchers also found 5,300 previously catalogued species in the cloud forest in La Amistad National Park in Costa Rica. The remoteness of the park and the lack of human interference there have allowed it to flourish as one of the most ecologically valuable ecosystems in the world. Alex Munro, of the Natural History Museum, led the expedition that is part of the Darwin Initiative, funded by the British Government, which aims to provide information about the species, types and numbers in the national park, which covers 400,000 hectares (990,000 acres) in Costa Rica and Panama. Researchers from the Natural History Museum, London, are working in collaboration with scientists from Costa Rica’s national biodiversity institute, INBio, the University of Costa Rica, the University of Panama and Panama’s national parks authority. La Amistad is a Unesco World Heritage Site and it is thought that it is host to at least 250 species of reptile and amphibian, 600 species of bird, 215 species of mammal and 14,000 species of plant.
Albino Alligators Stolen from Brazilian Zoo
January 4, 2008 news.bbc.co.uk By Gary Duffy
Seven rare albino alligators have been stolen from a university zoo in the western state of Mato Grosso. The animals, said by officials to be worth around $10,000. Police say there was no sign of a break-in at the zoo which contains more than 800 animals spread across 11 hectares (27 acres) hectares of parkland. The alligators were said to be young with an average age of around two years, and only one albino alligator is now left at the zoo. Animal rights activists say Brazil accounts for 10% of the world's illegal trade in animals, mainly parrots and other birds, which are often sold in Europe and the United States.
New Salisbury Zoo Director
January 4, 2008 wjz.com
SALISBURY, Md. (AP) ― Lisa Tate, 43, who served in several positions at Zoo Boise, will succeed Jim Rapp as director of Maryland’s Salisbury Zoo. The director's job pays $66,400 a year; the director oversees a staff of 14 full-time employees and an annual budget of $955,750. Tate has 18 years of experience in zoo operations. At Zoo Boise, she served as zookeeper, exhibit designer, construction manager, collection planner and manager and interim assistant zoo manager. She also had worked as director of a primate and avian conservation center in Boise. She is now taking correspondence classes at the University of California-Davis to obtain a master's degree in nonprofit management and ethics. When she arrives on January 28 she will begin working on the Zoo’s accreditation.
Owl Butterfly Naming Rights Auctioned
January 4, 2008 www.enn.com
Florida Museum of Natural History researchers George Austin and Andrew Warren discovered a new butterfly from Mexico's Sonoran Desert earlier this year, and describe it in a recent issue of the Bulletin of the Allyn Museum, published by the Florida Museum's McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity. The species' new common name is the Minerva owl butterfly and its scientific name is Opsiphanes blythekitzmillerae, is in honor of Margery Minerva Blythe Kitzmiller of Ohio on behalf of her five grandchildren. Naming rights were obtained in a public auction that ended Nov. 2. The winning bid was $40,800. “The gift will allow us to continue research with our colleagues in Mexico," said Warren, "Over the next two years we plan to name several additional new species of Mexican butterflies and conduct fieldwork in poorly known and threatened habitats throughout the country."
Laysan Teal Conservation Program
January 4, 2008 www.ens-newswire.com
MIDWAY ATOLL, Hawaii -- The endangered Laysan duck, Anas laysanesis, occurs only within the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands' Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument established June 15, 2006. The ducks were once widespread across the Hawaiian Islands, but, by 1860, they ceased to exist anywhere except Laysan Island. This is only the third year since the 42 teal were trapped in the wild and transported by ship to re-establish a second population on Midway Atoll at a rat-free refuge that was once part of its historic range. Biologists with the U.S. Geological Survey and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service say the total tally of adult and fledgling Laysan ducks on Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge rose from 42 to about 200 birds over the past three years. "Now Laysan ducks are found on three rat-free islands for the first time in hundreds of years and are flying between islands at Midway Atoll” said USGS wildlife researcher Michelle Reynolds, who coordinated the project.
Disease Kills 67 Gharial in India this Month
January 4, 2008 news.bbc.co.uk
The number of gharials that have died this month in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh has risen to 67. They have succumbed to an unknown disease in the Chambal River sanctuary. One or two are washing up every day on the river banks, causing concern among wildlife officials and organizations. Forest officials have collected water samples and conducted post-mortems on some of the reptiles and a team of international veterinarians is expected in the country soon. Last month one official said cirrhosis of the liver was the cause of the deaths. There are only about 1,500 gharials left in the wild in India. In the 1970s, the reptile was on the brink of extinction and recently the species was reclassified, from being 'endangered' to 'critically endangered' by the World Conservation Union.
OSU gets $1 Million for Whale Research
January 4, 2008 www.gazettetimes.com By KYLE ODEGARD
Terri Irwin, the widow of “Crocodile Hunter” Steve Irwin, is giving Oregon State University more than $1 million to tag, track and research endangered whales through new studies scheduled to begin this year. Bruce Mate is director of OSU’s Marine Mammal Institute and an internationally recognized expert in whale migration and behavior. The research will span several oceans in both the northern and southern hemisphere, and should continue into 2009, Mate said. Researchers will identify the migratory routes, range and critical habitat of humpback whales and blue whales, which will be the primary species studied. Terri Irwin was raised in Eugene and her family operated a cougar rescue. Her husband, the late Steve Irwin, was killed in September 2006, but months before his death, he had chartered a vessel as part of preparation for filming a special in the Antarctic. Terri Irwin gave the use of that charter to OSU. “It was (worth) probably $80,000 or more ... We got to go tag humpback whales off the Antarctic Peninsula in February. We named a whale after Steve,” Mate said. The “Steve” humpback ended up traveling farther than any other humpback whale tracked. And when Terri Irwin was presented with an “adopt-a-whale” certificate given to donors, Mate learned that the date the whale was tagged was Steve Irwin’s birthday.
Albany Birds Killed by Virus
January 4, 2008 www.nytimes.com
NEW YORK -- A virus killed hundreds of crows across the state in the last week, according to the State Department of Environmental Conservation. Officials said concentrations of dead crows were spotted in Orange, Dutchess, Albany, Jefferson, Montgomery and Steuben Counties. Ward Stone, a state wildlife pathologist, said the strain of avian “reovirus” attacks the birds’ intestinal system and is spread through fecal matter. Winter facilitates the spread, with crows gathering in large roosts. The strain is not likely to be contracted by humans.
Circus Elephant Kills Trainer
January 4, 2008 www.shortnews.com
AUSTRALIA -- Ray Williams, a 57-year-old trainer, died as a result of a broken back and a ruptured aorta inflicted by Arna, a circus elephant from the Stardust Circus. The Stardust Circus animal handler was tending to two elephants in an exercise enclosure at the Yamba showground when he was killed. Nobody witnessed the incident but a post-mortem examination in Lismore yesterday showed the man died as a result of a broken back and a ruptured aorta after a severe blunt trauma. Animal liberation groups have called for the elephant to be moved, saying that elephants that kill once often do so again.
Grizzly Bear Status Review
January 4, 2008 www.missoulian.com By JOHN CRAMER
Chris Servheen is the grizzly bear coordinator for the Fish and Wildlife Service, said the federal agency is on track for completing its review by the end of 2008. Endangered status is determined by threats to a species' habitat and population, the strength of regulatory protections and other factors. The grizzlies' genetics, movements, population trends, mortality rates, the number of females with cubs and other factors, including looking at whether and how often the bears move between established recovery zones will all be evaluated. When Yellowstone's grizzlies were removed from the endangered species list in April, the Fish and Wildlife Service said it would determine by the end of 2008 whether other grizzly bears in the Lower 48 states should be treated as separate populations or grouped together. Currently, grizzly populations in the five recovery zones in the northwest United States and Canada are considered distinct. An estimated 1,200 grizzlies live in the five recovery ecosystems in Washington, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming, most of them in the Northern Continental Divide and Yellowstone areas. Federal and state officials hope to reconnect large blocks of public land in the northern Rockies to create corridors for grizzlies to move between recovery ecosystems, from the Selkirk/Cabinet-Yaak on the Canadian border to Yellowstone.
Cars Hit More Animals on Roads
December 22, 2007 www.nytimes.com By JIM ROBBINS
Each year, about 200 people are killed in as many as two million wildlife-related crashes at a cost of more than $8 billion, according to a report from the National Academies of Science. 90% of the accidents occur on rural two-lane roads, and the most common animal involved is a deer. The human death toll has risen from 111 in 1995 to around 200 in 2005, the most recent year for which figures are available. The Montana institute that prepared the report said the number of wildlife crashes was far greater than federal statistics suggested — about 300,000 crashes involving wildlife are reported to the authorities a year — because many of the accidents are reported only to insurance companies. In recent years, the institute estimates the number of crashes ranged from one million to two million. Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada, has been a large laboratory for studying measures to prevent such collisions, which had been frequent on a four-lane highway that runs through the park. Officials there have built 24 underpasses and overpasses, and the changes have reduced collisions by more than 80 percent. The report prepared for Congress found that vehicle collisions were a major source of mortality for 21 federally endangered or threatened species, like the red wolf, kit fox, Key deer and Florida panther. Seven grizzlies were killed this year on Montana roads. In November, a truck driver plowed through a herd of bighorn sheep on Highway 200 near Thompson Falls, Mont. The sheep often congregate there because they eat a salty de-icer the highway department sprays on a treacherous stretch of road. More than 350 wild sheep have been killed there since 1985.
Utah: Cholera Suspected in Bird Deaths
January 5, 2008 www.nytimes.com
About 1,500 dead birds recently washed up on the southern shore of the Great Salt Lake. The dead grebes, ducks and gulls were sent to the National Wildlife Health Center of the USGS in Madison, Wis., for examination. Disease expert, Tom Aldrich of the State Division of Wildlife Resources, said “I would bet it was cholera.” The disease, which poisons the blood, spreads when birds are overcrowded and food supplies are short. It does not affect humans.
When Animals Go AWOL, Zoos Tame PR
January 5, 2008 online.wsj.com By JUSTIN SCHECK and BEN WORTHEN
When an escaped tiger killed a San Francisco zoo visitor on Christmas, it was the biggest blow yet to an industry that has been working hard to improve its reputation. In 2007, at least 10 animal escapes from U.S. zoos generated press coverage. The nation's largest zoos are in the midst of a public-relations campaign led by the AZA to counter recent accusations by animal-rights groups that captive creatures are mistreated. They're launching educational campaigns about the animal aging process to show that when an animal dies it is often due to natural causes. They're also talking publicly about incidents, including escapes, that they might not have disclosed in the past. The AZA has also beefed up its crisis-management system. Crisis-management courses are now taught at the AZA's training program in Wheeling, W. Va. Ironically, many image-rattling events can be partly traced to zoos' past attempts to improve their images. Pressured by animal-rights activists, zoos shifted over the past few decades to naturalistic habitats that are seen as more humane. Sparsely furnished cages were replaced with vegetated outdoor areas featuring few barriers beyond a trench at the perimeter. Fewer fetters means more opportunity to flap, climb or jump away. It also tends to mean higher insurance premiums.
Golden Snub-nosed Monkey Population Increases
January 6, 2008 www.china.org.cn
A Guizhou Golden Snub-nosed Monkey eats a pumpkin in its enclosure in Fanjing Mountain in southwest China's Guizhou Province, January 6, 2008. It is one of the three types of Golden Snub-nosed monkeys, a protected species only found in China. Its population has increased to 800 from 350 in the past 20 years. Photos of the monkeys in enclosures in Fanjing Mountain in southwest China's Guizhou Province http://www.china.org.cn/english/environment/238535.htm
ULTIMATE Recycling
January 6, 2008 www.coopamerica.org
1. Appliances: Goodwill accepts working appliances, www.goodwill.org , or you can contact the Steel Recycling Institute: 800/YES-1-CAN, www.recycle-steel.org .
2. Batteries: Rechargeables and single-use: Battery Solutions, 734/467-9110, www.batteryrecycling.com .
3. Cardboard boxes:
Offer to your local Freecycle.org listserv or on Craigslist.org for
others who may need them for moving or storage. If your workplace
collects at least 100 boxes each month, UsedCardboardBoxes.com accepts
them for resale.
4. CDs/DVDs/Game Disks: Send
scratched music or computer CDs, DVDs, and PlayStation or Nintendo
video game disks to AuralTech for refinishing, and they’ll work like
new: 888/454-3223, www.auraltech.com .
5. Clothes:
Wearable clothes can go to your local Goodwill outlet or shelter.
Donate wearable women’s business clothing to Dress for Success, which
gives them to low-income women as they search for jobs, 212/532-1922, www.dressforsuccess.org . Offer unwearable clothes and towels to local animal boarding and shelter facilities, which often use them as pet bedding.
6. Compact fluorescent bulbs: Take them to your local IKEA store for recycling: www.ikea.com
7. Compostable bio-plastics: You probably won’t be able to compost these in your home compost bin or pile. Find a municipal composter to take them to at www.findacomposter.com .
8. Computers and electronics: Find the most responsible recyclers, local and national, at www.ban.org/pledge/Locations.html .
9. Exercise videos: Swap them with others at www.videofitness.com .
10. Eyeglasses: Your local Lion’s Club or eye care chain may collect these. Lenses are reground and given to people in need.
11. Foam packing:
Your local pack-and-ship store will likely accept foam peanuts for
reuse. Or, call the Plastic Loose Fill Producers Council to find a
drop-off site: 800/828-2214. For places to drop off foam blocks for
recycling, contact the Alliance of Foam Packaging Recyclers,
410/451-8340, www.epspackaging.org/info.html
12. Ink/toner cartridges: Recycleplace.com pays $1/each.
13. Miscellaneous: Get your unwanted items into the hands of people who
can use them. Offer them up on your local Freecycle.org or
Craigslist.org listserv, or try giving them away at Throwplace.com or
giving or selling them at iReuse.com. iReuse.com will also help you
find a recycler, if possible, when your items have reached the end of
their useful lifecycle.
14. Oil: Find Used Motor Oil Hotlines for each state: 202/682-8000, www.recycleoil.org .
15. Phones:
Donate cell phones: Collective Good will refurbish your phone and sell
Cellphoneit to someone in a developing country: 770/856-9021, www.collectivegood.com . Call to Protect reprograms cell phones to dial 911 and gives them to domestic violence victims: www.donateaphone.com . Recycle single-line phones: Reclamere, 814/386-2927, www.reclamere.com .
16. Sports equipment: Resell or trade it at your local Play It Again Sports outlet, 800/476-9249, www.playitagainsports.com .
17. “Technotrash”:
Project KOPEG offers an e-waste recycling program that can help you
raise funds for your organization. Use Project KOPEG to recycle iPods,
MP3 players, cell phones and chargers, digital cameras, PDAs, palm
pilots, and more. Also, easily recycle all of your CDs, jewel cases,
DVDs, audio and video tapes, pagers, rechargeable and single-use
batteries, PDAs, and ink/toner cartridges with GreenDisk’s Technotrash
program. For $30, GreenDisk will send you a cardboard box in which you
can ship them up to 70 pounds of any of the above. Your fee covers the
box as well as shipping and recycling fees. 800/305-GREENDISK, www.greendisk.com .
18. Tennis shoes: Nike’s Reuse-a-Shoe program turns old shoes into playground and athletic flooring. www.nikereuseashoe.com . One World Running will send still-wearable shoes to athletes in need in Africa, Latin America, and Haiti. www.oneworldrunning.com .
19. Toothbrushes and razors:
Buy a recycled plastic toothbrush or razor from ToothbrushRecycline,
and the company will take it back to be recycled again into plastic
lumber. Recycline products are made from used Stonyfield Farms’ yogurt
cups. 888/354-7296, www.recycline.com .
20. Tyvek envelopes:
Quantities less than 25: Send to Shirley Cimburke, Tyvek Recycling
Specialist, 5401 Jefferson Davis Hwy., Spot 197, Room 231, Richmond, VA
23234. Quantities larger than 25, call 866/33-TYVEK.
21. Stuff you just can’t recycle: When practical, send
such items back to the manufacturer and tell them they need to
manufacture products that close the waste loop responsibly.
Cincinnati Zoo Indian Rhino Delivers Stillborn Calf
January 7, 2008 news.enquirer.com BY JIM KNIPPENBERG
Late Saturday night, Nikki, the Cincinnati Zoo's 3,600-pound Indian rhinoceros, delivered a stillborn female calf. Zoo vet Dr. Mark Campbell worked 20 minutes performing emergency resuscitation, but the calf never responded. Sixteen-year-old Nikki was 492 days into a 470- to 500-day gestation. Physiologist Dr. Monica Stoops had spent five years developing the A.I. technique that made the calf the world's first rhino produced by artificial insemination using frozen and thawed sperm. It represented a major breakthrough in the breeding of endangered species. “Up until late Saturday, the baby was kicking and moving, so we know the death occurred during delivery. We just don't know why. But it's not unusual for first-time mothers - Indian rhinos more than the four other rhino species - to deliver stillborn." Said Dr. Terri Roth, the zoo's vice president of Conservation & Science and director of the Center for the Research of Endangered Wildlife. Nikki was on exhibit outdoors Sunday and fine. Researchers Roth and Stoops are saddened by the development, but say it won't interrupt the rhino breeding program.
India’s High-Altitude Zoos Popular with Tourists
January 7, 2008 www.dailyindia.com By Asheesh Goyal
NAINTAL, Uttarakhand -- The Bharat Ratna Pt. Govind Ballabh Pant High Altitude Zoo in Nainital, is situated at 2,075 meters above the sea-level. Zoo authorities, have utilized the available topography and geography, developing facilities for Himalayan Black Bears, snow leopards, Siberian Tigers, Tibetan wolf and different types of pheasants and other birds on the hilly sides of the location 4.693 hectare location. "The Nainital zoo is one of the three high altitude zoos in India. The other two zoos are in Darjeeling and Shimla. The animals which are found particularly in higher altitudes, are not found in the zoos situated in plain regions. The authorities here have also planned to begin breeding of snow leopards. In Darjeeling, breeding of snow leopards has already started in the 'Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park (PNHZP)', which has been active and successful in breeding endangered snow leopards.
Nepal Boosts Vulture Numbers with Drug-free Cattle
January 7, 2008 www.enn.com By Gopal Sharma
KATHMANDU -- The poisoning of vultures eating dead cattle treated with the anti-inflammatory drug, diclofenac, has been a problem in South Asia. The use of diclofenac is not allowed in Nepal but conservationists say the ban is largely ignored. Now the number of White-rumped and Slender-billed vultures at one of Nepal's few conservation sites has nearly doubled after a special feeding facility started serving drug-free, safe carcasses to the birds. Bird Conservation Nepal opened what it calls a "restaurant" for the birds last year in Nawalparasi district providing the birds with old cattle that have not treated with diclofenac. The nesting pairs of vultures in Nawalparasi reached 32 in 2007 from a mere 17 in 2005. The group's conservation officer Dev Ghimire said his group is planning to open more such feeding centers in Rupandehi, Kapilvastu and Dang districts, further west of Nawalparasi. The population of vultures in mountainous Nepal is estimated to have dipped to only about 500 nesting pairs, down from about 50,000 in 1990.
2008 Year of the Polar Bear
January 7, 2008 newswire.ascribe.org
WINNIPEG, Manitoba -- Polar Bears International (PBI) and the Oregon
Zoo kicked off a campaign to raise people's awareness of the polar
bear’s disappearing habitat. (See www.polarbearsinternational.org)
More than 35 zoos and institutions plan to become education centers on
Arctic conservation. PBI hopes to enlist the younger generation as
advocates for polar bears ecome ambassadors for their own futures-and
for that of the world's polar bears." PBI’s program includes:
- Conferencing Classroom, where
leading scientists conduct live Webcasts from the tundra.
- Leadership Camp/Adventure
Learning Program, where high school students, nominated and selected by
schools and zoos, spend nearly two weeks on the tundra
- Zoo Visitor Enhancement, which
provides every participating zoo with a polar bear interpretive cart
and presentation materials.
- Local TV Broadcasts with leading
polar bear and arctic researchers for local TV stations
- National Teen Contest, to encourage teens to act on polar conservation issues
- Online Game, that immerses players into the arctic.
- Churchill, Manitoba, Canada
Tour, where representatives of participating zoos will experience the
Tundra Buggy(R) Lodge during peak polar bear season.
Polar Bear Listing Postponed
January 7, 2008 www.nytimes.com By A.P.
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) -- Federal officials said Monday that they will need a few more weeks to decide whether polar bears need protection under the Endangered Species Act because of global warming. The deadline was Wednesday, but the USFWS said it now hopes to provide a recommendation to Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne in time for a decision by him within the next month. The Biological Diversity Center, along with Greenpeace and the Natural Resources Defense Council, filed a petition more than two years ago claiming that global warming was eroding sea ice, the polar bear's primary habitat. In September, the U.S. Geological Survey issued a report concluding that two-thirds of the world's polar bears, including the entire population in Alaska, will be killed off by 2050 because of thinning sea ice from global warming in the Arctic. USFW-Alaska, polar bear discussion: http://alaska.fws.gov/fisheries/mmm/polarbear/issues.htm
Wild Animal Park Safety Concerns Answered
January 7, 2008 www.signonsandiego.com
A recent letter to the San Diego Union Tribune (Dec. 30) questioned the safety of “two female attendants roaming through the park” walking a cheetah and companion dog on a leash. Lisa McDonald of Fallbrook answers those concerns by noting:
Lisa notes that “the value of being able to observe such an endangered animal up close…is far more effective at helping children see his value…than any amount of watching nature shows or looking at pictures in books.”
USDA to Amend Temperature Regulations for Animal Transport
January 7, 2008 www.aphis.usda.gov
WASHINGTON – The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service seeks comments on a proposal to amend the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) regulations for transportation of live animals excluding marine mammals. The goal of the proposed rule is to remove the current ambient temperature requirements for various stages in the transportation of regulated animals. If accepted, this proposed rule would replace those requirements with a single performance standard under which the animals would be transported under climatic and environment conditions that are appropriate for their welfare making acclimation certificates for live animals other than marine mammals unnecessary. This proposal also would require transport compartments on aircraft to be opened during prolonged layovers, as well as the use of ground equipment to maintain appropriate conditions in the cargo hold during the layover. Finally, the proposed rule, if finalized, would eliminate the requirement for acclimation certificates for animals other than marine mammals. Comments received on or before March 4 will be considered. Send an original and two copies of postal mail or commercial delivery comments to Docket No. 99-014-2, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 3A-03.8, 4700 River Road, Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-1238. If you wish to submit a comment using the Internet go to the Federal eRulemaking portal at: http://www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic/ This will also allow you to view public comments and related materials available electronically. Comments are posted on the Reglations.gov Web site.
Listing the Pygmy Rabbit (Brachylagus idahoensis)
January 8, 2008
epa.gov
The USFWS announces that a petition to list the pygmy rabbit (Brachylagus idahoensis) as threatened or endangered has merit, and plans to initiate a status review to determine if listing and the designation of critical habitat for the species is warranted. Please submit any scientific data, comments, and information concerning this species on or before March 10, 2008. Submit by U.S. mail or hand-delivery: to Public Comments Processing, Attn: FWS-R8-ES-2007-0022; Division of Policy and Directives Management; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, Suite 222; Arlington, VA 22203. Or to the Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov We will not accept e-mail or faxes. We will post all comments on http://www.regulations.gov For more information contact: Robert D. Williams, Field Supervisor, Nevada Fish and Wildlife Office by mail, by telephone (775-861-6300), or by facsimile (775-861-6301).
Public Information Solicited:
(1) Information
regarding the species' historical and current population status,
distribution, and trends; its biology and ecology; and habitat
selection;
(2) information on the effects of potential threat
factors that are the basis for a listing determination under section 4
(a) of the Act, which are:
(a) present or threatened destruction, modification, or curtailment
of the species' habitat or range;
(b) overutilization for commercial, recreational, scientific, or
educational purposes (in relation to the pygmy rabbit, this includes
hunting and research);
(c) disease or predation;
(d) the inadequacy of existing regulatory mechanisms; or
(e) other natural or manmade factors affecting its continued
existence; or
(3) information on management programs for the conservation of the pygmy rabbit.
For more information on the biology, habitat, and range of the pygmy rabbit, please refer to the ``Species Information'' section in our previous 90-day finding published in the Federal Register on May 20, 2005 (70 FR 29253).
All-Terrain Vehicles Imperil Wildlife
January 8, 2008 www.nytimes.com
Nearly 40 years ago, President Richard Nixon issued an executive order to protect wildlife by restricting off-road vehicles to carefully designated trails. President Jimmy Carter gave the interior secretary the authority to ban such vehicles from sensitive lands. But there are now nine million off-road vehicles and dirt bikes (snowmobiles are a separate category). And their owners, with little resistance from the authorities, are transforming some of America’s most sensitive public lands by going “off trail” with grave consequences for animal habitat, fragile desert soils and historical artifacts. The real problem is that the important decisions about where off-road vehicles can go are not being made by the federal Bureau of Land Management, which is supposed to protect these lands and regulate these vehicles, but by the owners, user associations and rural county officials who are under their thumb. In Utah, the bureau is presently drafting six new land-use plans that would allow about 15,000 miles of designated trails. The Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, an environmental group, points out that many of these routes have been lifted straight from maps provided by the off-road vehicle associations and have not been independently surveyed to assess their potential damage to the soil, animal habitat and archaeological sites. Worse, some of the trails crisscross about 2.5 million acres of land that the Clinton administration thought worthy of permanent wilderness protection. Once these trails are in regular use, and enshrined on federal maps, the land would almost surely be ineligible for wilderness designation, which is typically reserved for roadless areas.
Illegal Road Building in Sumatra
January 8, 2008 www.enn.com
Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) and its partners have cleared an estimated 20,000 hectares of natural forest in the Bukit Tigapuluh landscape, with some clearing appearing to be in violation of Indonesian law. An investigation by WWF Indonesia and other scientific and conservation groups have found that the construction of a “legally questionable” highway for logging trucks is dissecting habitat for indigenous people, elephants, tigers and orangutans in central Sumatra. Also under threat is the crucial Bukit Tigapuluh Forest Landscape. The forest is one of the last large forests in Sumatra, boasts some of the richest biodiversity on earth and is one of Indonesia’s most important habitats for numerous species. It is the location of a successful conservation project to reintroduce orangutans, which now reside in a part of the landscape that is proposed for protected status but is already being cleared by APP-affiliated companies. Part of the area being cleared is in a proposed Specific Protected Area that serves as habitat for about 90 Sumatran orangutans recently introduced into the area for the first time in more than 150 years. Unplanned and illegal road building is especially devastating to such areas, opening them up to poaching, illegal settlement and plantation activities and undermining the viability of indigenous communities. The investigation report was released in Indonesia in January by WWF Indonesia and partners, KKI WARSI, Zoological Society of London, Frankfurt Zoological Society and Yayasan Program Konservasi Harimau Sumatera (PKHS).
Studies Published on Monarch Butterfly Migration
January 8, 2008 www.enn.com
Each year, millions of eastern North American monarch butterflies fly a few thousand miles to reach a 70 square-mile-cluster of pine groves in central Mexico. The spectacular migration is driven by an intricate molecular mechanism in a tiny cluster of cells in the butterfly brain. In previous research, University of Massachusetts Medical School Professor and Chair of Neurobiology Steven M. Reppert, MD, has demonstrated that the butterflies use a time-compensated sun compass and daylight cues to help them navigate to the pine groves. His studies have shown that time compensation is provided by the butterfly's circadian clock, which allows the monarch to continually correct its flight direction to maintain a fixed flight bearing even as the sun moves across the sky. Two papers will be published this week in two journals of the open-access publisher Public Library of Science (PLoS), describing in detail the monarch butterfly circadian clock for the first time, and identify and characterize an entirely new clock gene that provides insight into not only the biology of the butterfly and its migration, but also the evolution of circadian clocks in general. Concurrent with their studies of the monarch clock and relevant to the identification of CRY2, Reppert and colleagues have been working to create a butterfly genomics resource.
Florida Manatee Deaths Decrease in 2007
January 8, 2008 www.enn.com By Jim Loney
MIAMI (Reuters) - The number of endangered manatees that died in Florida waters last year dropped by 24 percent, according to preliminary report on Monday from the state's Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. 317 manatees died in 2007 compared to 417 in 2006, the highest death toll on record. An annual census found 2,817 manatees in state waters last year, down from 3,113 the previous year. The number of deaths blamed on boats also dropped significantly, from 92 in 2006 to 73 in 2007, the report said. Manatee death counts can swing wildly from year to year and the wildlife commission cautioned not to read too much into the decline. The commission decided last month to delay a decision on a recommendation from its research staff to reclassify the manatee to "threatened" because it no longer met the criteria for "endangered" status. Although they have no natural enemies, manatees are routinely crushed or drowned in canal locks, run over by speeding boats or hurt by fishing line and hooks. They are vulnerable to cold water in winter and to deadly blooms of "red tide" algae.
Polar Bear Cubs at the Nuremberg Zoo
January 8, 2008 www.telegraph.co.uk By Tom Chivers
Vilma, a female polar bear delivered 2 cubs in November. Vera, delivered 1 cub in December. "Polar bears are very sensitive and normally reject the cubs as soon as they are disturbed," said Dr. Helmut Magdefrau, the deputy head of Nuremberg Zoo. The German zoo has announced that it would be bottle-feeding Vera’s infant after Vilma apparently ate her two cubs. "The safety of the young animal is the first priority," said deputy zoo director Helmut Maegdefrau of the decision to separate the cub from its mother. Vera's behavior was concerning her keepers. Although she has not tried to harm the infant, it has been taken away as a precaution after she was seen carrying it out of her cave dwelling and trying to hide it elsewhere in the compound, said Maegdefrau, who described her as "nervous". Although no attempts have been made to enter the caves and no cameras were installed Vilma’s missing cubs were probably killed and eaten by her because they were sick.
Decline of Hector’s Dolphin Population
January 8, 2008 www.nzherald.co.nz
The hector's dolphin is the world's rarest dolphin. About 7000 remain, down from about 26,000 in the 1970s, when set nets began to be widely used. Set nets are banned or heavily restricted in many countries worldwide, including Australia, the UK and USA. Despite the ban, the number of hector's dolphins dying increased by two thirds in 2007. The New Zealand Department of Conservation figures showed 25 hector's dolphins, which are an endangered species, were found dead in 2007, up from 15 in 2006.
Aye Aye Born at Bristol Zoo
January 8, 2008 news.bbc.co.uk
Two-month-old Raz, an aye aye and the second of the species to be born in Britain, is being hand-raised at the Bristol Zoo. Four keepers are feeding him every 2 hours. Caroline Brown, said: "We made the decision to hand- rear this infant in advance of his birth because his mother has not had much success rearing her babies. "So far he is gaining weight and seems strong. Aye ayes are quite slow- developing babies and require an intensive feeding regime." The first aye aye born in captivity was also at Bristol Zoo Gardens in 2005, when keepers hand-reared a female called Kintana. Once thought to be extinct, the aye aye is classified as endangered. Experts say there could be as few as 1,000 left.
Oversight of S.F. Zoo Questioned
January 8, 2008 www.sfgate.com Wyatt Buchanan
San Francisco leaders are considering changes to the 15-year-old agreement that turned over control of the city's zoo to a nonprofit group, relinquishing the city's direct oversight of an institution that was facing the loss of its accreditation because of its deplorable condition. The agreement is up for renewal this year. As the agreement is now written, the city acts as the zoo's landlord by maintaining ownership of the animals and the property. The city gives a yearly $4.1 million "administrative fee" to the Zoological Society, which runs day-to-day zoo operations. The Zoological Society's 60 board directors meet and make decisions in private. Becoming one of those directors requires an annual donation of $10,000 plus a one-time, $50,000 payment to the zoo. The major function of the board is raising money for the zoo. After the Zoological Society took over, city voters passed a $49 million bond issue in 1997, and the society board raised another $35 million in private donations for zoo improvements. Zoo Director Manuel Mollinedo - who earns about $330,000 a year in salary and benefits - said a city takeover would cost taxpayers an additional $12 million to $15 million per year. Private donors and foundations are much more likely to donate to a nonprofit organization than a city-operated zoo, he said.
Beneficial Soil Ingestion in Chimpanzees
January 8, 2008 www.eurekalert.org
The deliberate ingestion of soil, or ‘geophagy’, has important health benefits for chimpanzees, according to Sabrina Krief and her colleagues from the Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle in Paris, France. Far from being a dysfunctional behavior, geophagy has evolved as a practice for maintaining health. In this particular study (1), to be published online this week in Springer’s journal Naturwissenschaften, geophagy increases the potency of ingested plants with anti-malarial properties. Although geophagy is widespread throughout the animal kingdom, in humans it is perceived as an aberration. The paper looks at the consequences of soil ingestion on the health status of chimpanzees in the Kibale National Park in Uganda. These chimpanzees have been observed to ingest soil shortly before or after consuming plant parts, such as the leaves of Trichilia rubescens, which have anti-malarial properties in the laboratory.
Zoo Inseminates Elephant Chai Again
January 8, 2008 seattlepi.nwsource.com By KATHY MULADY
Woodland Park Zoo officials artificially inseminated Asian elephant, Chai over the weekend, ignoring concerns by animal rights activists that another baby could fall victim to the herpes virus that killed her first offspring, Hansa, last year. It is the fifth insemination attempt on Chai since Hansa was born in November 2000. Elephant keepers expect to know by spring if Chai, 29, is pregnant. If the insemination takes, a baby elephant could be born in 22 months, the average gestation time. The semen came from a bull elephant who lives at the Tulsa Zoo and Living Museum in Oklahoma. "The sperm in the semen sample were very healthy and robust, and the timing was excellent, giving Chai a very good chance at conception," said Nancy Hawkes, Woodland Park Zoo's general curator. The 20-minute procedure was done while Chai was awake, munching on cantaloupe, apples and carrots to keep her occupied. A fourth Woodland Park Zoo elephant, Sri, went to the St. Louis Zoo in 2002 on a 10-year loan for breeding. Sri became pregnant, but the baby died before it was born, and she still carries the unborn body two years later. Zoo officials there say that isn't unusual for elephants. Six-year-old Hansa, the first elephant born at Woodland Park Zoo, died in June from a previously unidentified strain of the herpes virus.
Revised Critical Habitat for Monterey Spineflower
January 9, 2008
www.epa.gov
The USFWS is designating revised critical habitat for the threatened Monterey spineflower (Chorizanthe pungens var. pungens). In total, approximately 11,055 acres (ac) (4,475 hectares (ha)) fall within the boundaries of this revised critical habitat designation. The revised critical habitat is located in Santa Cruz and Monterey counties, California. The rule becomes effective on February 8, 2008.
Zoo’s Support Elephant Conservation
January 9, 2008 www.aza.org
The International Elephant Foundation (IEF) and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) today announced their support for 15 new elephant conservation projects for 2008, marking a record level of support. IEF is a non-profit organization that supports and operates elephant conservation and education programs both in managed facilities and in the wild, with emphasis on management, protection and scientific research. IEF receives the majority of its funding from members of the AZA. For 2008, IEF will support the following elephant conservation projects:
HABITAT PROTECTION:
Kalama Community Wildlife Conservancy: Community Conservation of Elephants in Northern Kenya
Prey Proseth Elephant Conservation Community, Cambodia
ANTI-POACHING
Enforcement of Poaching Control and Bush Meat Trade In and Around WAZA National Park, Cameroon
Lake George Marine Ranger Station: the Waterways Project, Uganda
REDUCTION OF HUMAN-ELEPHANT CONFLICT
Movement, Population Distribution and Social Dynamics of African Elephants in Kunene and Omusati Region of Namibia
Support for the core activities of Save The Elephants
Mahouts and Their Elephants Working as Conservation Response Units in Sumatra
Saving Elephants By Helping People, Sri Lanka
Building Capacities for Mitigating HEC in Buxa-Jaldapara Landscape, Northern West Bengal, India
ECOTOURISM/ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION
Children and Elephants of Boromo Region, Burkina Faso
Direct Action Education: Cambodian Wild Elephant Conservation Materials, Cambodia
Support for GAJAH the publication of the IUCN/SSC Asian Elephant Specialist Group (AsESG)
VETERINARY MEDICINE
Lao Elephant Care and Management Program, Laos
Ultrasonographic and Endocrinological Characterization of Luteogenesis in Pregnant and Non-Pregnant Asian Elephants
Study to reduce elephant deaths caused by Endotheliotropic Elephant Herpes Virus (EEHV)
National Zoo Sells Ringtones
January 9, 2008 dcist.com
Friends Of the National Zoo (FONZ) has sent out a press release announcing the sale of National Zoo Animal Vocalization Ringtones. Oh, the zoomanity. There are 25 animal vocalizations available for download, each for $2.99. All three of the Zoo's pandas are on offer, as well as the Sumatran tiger cub Soyono and other zoo animals like an African lion, cheetah, giant anteater, white-cheeked gibbon, golden lion tamarin, Grevy’s zebra, and an Asian small-clawed otter. Other wildlife ringtones are available by animals not featured at the Zoo courtesy of Conservation Calling, plus D.C.’s official bird, the wood thrush, and the state birds of Maryland (Baltimore oriole) and Virginia (Northern cardinal).
Cultural Differences in Chimpanzee Colonies
January 9, 2008 www.eurekalert.org
A team at primatologists at the University of Liverpool has now discovered that variations in behavior can be attributed to chimpanzees migrating to other colonies, proving that they build their ‘cultures’ in a similar way to humans. Dr Stephen Lycett, said “We knew there were behavioral differences between chimpanzee colonies, but it was assumed that young chimpanzees developed certain behavioral characteristics from the genes passed down from their parents. It was also thought that because behavior was dictated by biology, chimpanzees did not have a ‘culture’ in the same way that humans do.” By looking at how chimpanzees prepare their food, the research team discovered that one colony used stone tools to crack nuts, whereas another colony used wooden tools as well as stone. They found these methods of preparing food have spread 4000km from East to West Africa over the more than 100,000 years. The team also found this true of other techniques, such as grooming. The research suggests that behavioural variety is due to how chimpanzees socialise rather than genetics as previously thought. To investigate the theory further researchers built an evolutionary tree of chimpanzee behaviour in East and West Africa as well as a genetic family tree. They had expected to find that those with similar genetic patterns also shared behavioural similarities. Instead, they found that some chimpanzees shared behavioural similarities with those that were genetically different from them.
Siberian Jay’s Communication Study
January 9, 2008 www.eurekalert.org
Uppsala University Researcher, Michael Griesser recently published the results of a study on Siberian Jays in the journal Current Biology. His study demonstrates that the Siberian Jays have different alarm calls for hawks that are sitting, searching for prey, or attacking. With the help of a playback experiment in which he played the various alarm calls for Siberian jays, he was able to demonstrate that the alarm call is sufficient to get Siberian jays to evince a situation-specific fleeing behavior. Upon hearing the call that is given for sitting hawks, they fly up to the tops of trees and look for the hawk. The attack call prompts them to flee to the closest refuge as quickly as possible and then to start to look for the hawk. Playing the call that is given for hawks searching for prey gets the jays to flee to the nearest refuge and stay there without moving, for several minutes, to avoid being discovered by the hawk. “These findings show for the first time that animals can assess and communicate about the behavior of their predators, and that not only mammals but also birds have developed advanced communication systems.” said Griesser.
How High Can Tigers Jump?
January 9, 2008 www.signonsandiego.com By Adam Goldman, A.P.
The AZA may adjust its 16.4-foot wall-height recommendation for tigers once it learns fully what happened in San Francisco, according to spokesperson Steve Feldman. Animal experts say they aren't aware of any hard numbers about the precise leaping ability of tigers. They said it depends on the animal and whether it has been taunted, as may have happened in the San Francisco tragedy. In an incident at a national park in Nepal in 1974, an enraged Bengal tiger protecting her cubs mauled a researcher who had climbed into a tree. The tiger managed to climb onto a 15-foot-high limb. “She just went right up and she didn't have much to hold onto. She clearly made that jump without much problem,” said Melvin Sunquist, professor of wildlife ecology at the University of Florida and a tiger expert. Dale Miquelle, director of the Wildlife Conservation Society's program in Russia, said he has seen tigers do many unusual things, such as climbing to the top of large trees when incensed – something tigers don't normally do. “What animals normally do, and what they can do, are often very different things,” Miquelle said. The AZA said it has 216 accredited members with 258 tigers among them. Only five of them were born in the wild, and tigers in captivity generally cannot jump as high as those that are in top condition from hunting in the wild. Louis Dorfman, an animal behaviorist and chairman of the International Exotic Animal Sanctuary in Texas, oversees 24 tigers at his sanctuary, including an 11-year-old Bengal-Siberian tiger that weighs about 550 pounds and extends about 11 feet paw-to-paw when it stretches like a housecat. Dorfman said his tigers have never tried to scale their fences, but warned: “With provocation, they're capable of unbelievable aggression and power. Zoo visitors running back and forth can resemble prey to a tiger. Throwing objects at a tiger or dangling something can also trigger its predatory instincts.
Restoring California Fisher Populations
January 10, 2008 www.eurekalert.org
ARCATA, Calif.—U.S. Forest Service and U.C. Santa Barbara scientists believe they have identified the habitat needs for Pacific fishers, a rare California mammal that is a candidate for reintroduction efforts and listing under the Endangered Species Act. Their findings were published in the current edition of Ecological Applications and focused on the state’s two remaining fisher populations. Fishers are weasel-like mammals weighing 4 to 13 pounds that have declined the past 150 years because of trapping, logging and fires. They were once found in much of the West, but now only live in parts of California, Oregon, Idaho and Montana. Remnant populations in the southern Sierra Nevada Mountains live more than 250 miles from the nearest populations in northwestern California. Dr. Frank Davis of U.C. Santa Barbara led the research, which compared where fishers now live in California and the environmental factors influencing their distribution. The information is critical because California Department of Fish and Game managers are considering reintroducing the secretive carnivore to parts of the state.
2 Barbary Lions Born at Belfast Zoo
January 10, 2008 news.bbc.co.uk
Two male Barbary lion cubs were recently born at the Belfast Zoo. Barbary lions are extinct in the wild and there are only about 40 in various zoos in Europe. Fewer than 100 reside in zoos around the world. The cubs' parents, Qays and Fidda, arrived at Belfast Zoo in July 2005 and the this is their second litter. Last June, Lily was born but was rejected by her mother and had to be hand-reared. She now shares an enclosure with a dog to encourage her to abandon her bond with humans. It is hoped she can join the lion enclosure later this year. The last confirmed Barbary Lion was shot in Morocco in 1921.
Mojave Fringe-Toed Lizard Finding
January 10, 2008 www.epa.gov
The USFWS announces that a petition to list the Amargosa River population of the Mojave fringe-toed lizard (Uma scoparia) in the State of California as threatened or endangered presents substantial scientific or commercial information indicating that listing this population may be warranted. Therefore, we are initiating a status review of the Amargosa River population of the Mojave fringe-toed lizard, and we will issue a 12-month finding on our determination as to if the petitioned action is warranted. To be considered in the 12-month finding for this petition, comments and information must reach us by March 10, 2008. You may submit comments via the Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov By U.S. mail or hand-delivery to : Public Comments Processing, Attn: RIN 1018-AV02; Division of Policy and Directives Management; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, Suite 222; Arlington, VA 22203. E-mail or faxes will not be accepted. All comments will be posted on: http://www.regulations.gov
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Diane Noda, Field Supervisor, Ventura Fish and Wildlife Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 2493 Portola Road, Suite B, Ventura, CA 93003; telephone 805-644-1766 ext. 319; facsimile 805-644-3958. Persons who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 800-877-8339.
Philadelphia Researchers Study Guam’s Kingfishers
January 10, 2008 www.pacificnewscenter.com
Philadelphia Zoo researchers are now on Guam to study endangered species on the island. Lead researcher, Mary Jane Mabuti said they hope to educate Guam's school children about endangered species. The researchers are particularly interested in helping the wild kingfishers. In the 1980s, the Philadelphia Zoo took part in an emergency rescue operation to save the last 29 wild kingfishers from extinction on Guam.
“Mutualism” Study in the African Ecosystem
January 10, 2008 www.eurekalert.org
Acacias, common across the sub-Saharan African savannah, have swollen thorns that serve as nests for three species of biting ants. Healthy trees have hundreds of the thorns, and more than 100,000 ants per tree. Both the ants and the trees benefit from their close cohabitation – a phenomenon known as mutualism. The ants get the thorny shelters, as well as nectar they collect from the bases of Acacia leaves. Because the ants swarm in defense against herbivores, the trees get protection from browsing animals like giraffes and elephants. A recent study in the journal Science by Todd Palmer of the U of Florida found that certain Acacias in central Kenya, which had been fenced off from wild herbivores, looked sickly compared with their unfenced counterparts. He also noticed that the sickly trees appeared to have fewer thorn nests, so he began measuring the differences of trees in six experimentally fenced plots and six open plots. The observations confirmed the fenced trees had fewer swollen thorns. The research also revealed that the fenced trees had fewer active “nectaries” at the base of leaves where the ants sip the trees’ nectar. Ants inhabiting the fenced trees were far less defensive than their counterparts on the unfenced trees. Without mammals around to eat the trees, sheltering fewer, less aggressive ants would not present a cost to the trees. To the contrary, the trees would seem to be better off, because they would not need to use their resources to support the ants. But the research revealed that the fewer colonies of weakened ants become less able to defend their territory from another species of ant that, unlike the others, does not have a mutually beneficial relationship with Acacias. Instead, this fourth ant species feeds away from the tree and does not protect it from attackers – in fact, it actually encourages a destructive, wood-boring beetle whose cavities then serve as this ant’s home.
Famous Santa Barbara Giraffe Dies
January 10, 2008 www.knbc.com
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. -- Gemina the "crooked-necked giraffe," one of
the Santa Barbara Zoo's most recognizable and beloved animals, was
euthanized Wednesday. "We observed a decline in her appetite over the
past two weeks and she had stopped eating all together," said Alan
Varsik, the Zoo's Director of Animal Programs and Conservation. A
necropsy has been performed, though the results will not be available
for several weeks, zoo officials said in a statement.
Click here to
find out more! It is believed that her final ailment was not
related to her neck condition, officials said. "Though a few giraffes
in captivity have been known to live into their late-20s, reaching age
21 is considered an achievement," said Rich Block, zoo CEO and
director. "She was a great animal ambassador, showing that differences
can be accepted and even celebrated. She will be missed." Gemina
was born July 16, 1986, at the San Diego Wild Animal Park to Ginger and Black Jack, who were both born at the San Diego Zoo.
She has lived at the Santa Barbara Zoo since she was approximately 1
year old, zoo officials said in a statement. Her condition began around
age 3 and has developed over the years, though the cause is
unknown. A humorous, zoo-produced video about Gemina was created
at that time and can be viewed on the Zoo's Web site, SBZOO.org.
The Web site also has a place for the public to post remembrances about
Gemina and to make donations in her memory.
Mangrove Removal from San Diego Wildlife Preserve
January 10, 2008 www.signonsandiego.com By Mike Lee
Non-native mangrove plants were thought to have been eradicated nearly a decade ago from a Mission Bay salt marsh, but on Saturday, volunteers will be attempting to get rid of them again. Many of the city's natural spaces, are filled with “invasives” such as arundo donax, pampas grass and other species. Cities nationwide, because of their highly disturbed landscapes offer abundant footholds for imported plants, and San Diego’s mild climate, allows almost anything to grow. The result is less available habitat for native birds and other animals. In San Diego, the Sierra Club's Canyons Campaign has helped connect residents and volunteers to more than two dozen open spaces in the city. One of its primary activities is arresting the advance of invasives, some of which are considered ornamental plants by residents. Eric Bowlby, leader of the Canyons program says “It can be a rather futile effort if it's not done as part of a comprehensive plan for restoration in a given region.” One ongoing theme for the Sierra Club and others is educating gardeners about plants to avoid – including ice plant, a succulent that commonly escapes from cultivated areas and spreads rapidly. “We'll always be pulling weeds if we don't get rid of the seed sources,” Bowlby said. Isabelle Kay, manager of the University of California San Diego's habitat reserves, figured the mangroves were gone from the Mission Bay salt marsh years ago. But thousands of the plants have since taken root in the soft soils of the city-owned Northern Wildlife Preserve near the university's natural area and Campland on the Bay. The infestation “changes the ecosystem in a lot of different ways,” Kay said. “Instead of having a wetland meadow with grasses . . . we now have a little forest.” One problem is that mangrove bushes create attractive but dangerous nesting spots for an endangered bird, the light-footed clapper rail. Nests built in mangroves get caught in the branches when the tide rises, instead of floating freely up and down on native grasses. UCSD’s latest attack on the mangroves is powered by a $21,600 grant from the Southern California Wetlands Recovery Project, and help from Audubon Society volunteers and Aquatic Adventures, a science education group.
10 Worst Zoos For Elephants
January 11, 2008 www.newspapertree.com
The International Defense of Animals claims to be an international animal rescue and advocacy organization based in San Rafael, CA. Each year they publish a “Top Ten Worst Zoos for Elephants” list. This is the first year it has been compiled with public input through internet voting, Of seven elephants who died at AZA-accredited zoos in 2007, at least four suffered from arthritis and chronic foot disorders, caused by lack of space and inadequate, unnatural zoo exhibits. Among the worst cases: Clara at the St. Louis Zoo and Carol at the San Diego Wild Animal Park. Both elephants were euthanized after becoming crippled and debilitated by excruciating foot and joint disease. A deadly infectious disease that is spreading through the U.S. zoo population claimed the lives of two more young elephants in zoos in 2007. The deaths of Hansa (age 6) at Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle and Nisha (age 16 months) at the Dickerson Park Zoo in Missouri prompted IDA to demand that zoos stop breeding Asian elephants and adopt strict limits on transfers between zoos. The list is at http://www.idausa.org/news/currentnews/nr_080109.html
NYC Plans to Clone Historic Trees
January 11, 2008 www.nytimes.com
Agriculture students from a Queens high school are sending 6- to 12-inch sections of new growth, from the upper branches of historic Central Park trees to a scientific tree nursery in eastern Oregon. If all goes well, the genetic-match saplings will return in two years to be replanted as part of the ''Million Trees NYC'' project announced last year. The target trees, five in each of New York's five boroughs, include nine different species. All were selected by borough foresters as historical for having existed for at least a century -- either as fixtures of the urban landscape or as having special significance to local communities. Among them is what may be the city's oldest tree, the St. Nicholas elm in upper Manhattan, which George Washington is said to have walked under 230 years ago during the American Revolution. Partners in the cloning effort include the Central Park Conservancy, a private group that manages the 840-acre park; Bartlett Tree Experts, a Connecticut-based company that has tree care contracts in New York, 25 other states, Canada, England and Ireland; the nonprofit Tree Fund and the Coleman Co., a camping equipment maker whose coolers will be used to ship the cuttings to Oregon.
Proposed Endangered Status for Black Abalone
January 11, 2008
www.epa.gov
The NMFS, have completed a review of the status of black abalone (Haliotis cracherodii)
and have concluded that the species is in danger of extinction
throughout all of its range and are proposing to list the species as
endangered under the ESA. This proposal is based on information
indicating that: the disease known as withering syndrome has spread to
areas throughout the range of the species, has been responsible for the
local extirpation of populations
throughout a large part of the species' range, and threatens remaining
black abalone populations; low adult densities below the critical
threshold density required for successful fertilization exist
throughout a large part of the species' range; and, a number of
interacting factors (e.g., suboptimal water temperatures, reduced
genetic diversity, and illegal harvest) may further hamper natural
recovery of the species. A critical habitat designation is being
considered and may be proposed in a subsequent Federal Register notice.
If the proposed listing is finalized, a recovery plan will be prepared
and implemented. Comments on this proposal must be received by
April 10, 2008. You may submit comments, identified by [RIN 0648-AW32]
via the Federal eRulemaking Portal http://www.regulations.gov
Facsimile (fax): 562-980-4027, Attn: Melissa Neuman. Or mail to:
Chief, Protected Resources Division, Southwest Region, National Marine
Fisheries Service, 501 West Ocean Blvd., Suite 4200, Long Beach, CA
90802-4213. All comments received are a part of the public record and
will generally be posted to http://www.regulations.gov
We will accept anonymous comments. Attachments to electronic
comments will be accepted in Microsoft Word, Excel, WordPerfect, or
Adobe PDF file formats only. A draft black abalone status
review report and other reference materials regarding this
determination can be obtained via the Internet at: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov
S.F. Braces for ‘Circus’ at Public Hearing on Tiger Attack
January 11, 2008 www.sfgate.com By Steve Rubenstein and John Coté
San Francisco is holding a public meeting today at City Hall on the fatal Christmas Day tiger mauling. After hearing from zoo supporters and critics the Park Commissioners and Joint Zoo Committee will confer with their lawyers to try to figure out what to do about the biggest crisis in the zoo's 79-year-history. Meanwhile, across the street, attorneys for the city, the zoo and the two tiger-attack survivors will fight over potential evidence that might help explain why the Siberian tiger jumped out of her outdoor exhibit, killing a 17-year-old San Jose boy and injuring two of his friends. The San Francisco city attorney has asked that the survivors - Paul Dhaliwal, 19, and his 23-year-old brother, Kulbir - agree to an inspection of their cell phones and the car they took to the zoo. A Superior Court commissioner has ordered that the evidence be kept by police at least until today's hearing.
Near-escapes of Snow Leopard and Polar Bear at San Francisco Zoo
January 11, 2008 www.sfgate.com
The safety of visitors and workers at the San Francisco Zoo continues to be called into question, as new information surfaces today that a polar bear and snow leopard came close to escaping from their enclosures over the past week. Several zookeepers have told The Chronicle that a female polar bear scaled the wall of her enclosure on Jan. 3, nearly escaping and prompting the zoo to raise the height of the exhibit wall the next day. A week later on Thursday, a snow leopard chewed through a temporary enclosure, according to a zoo spokesman. Zoo officials today disputed the keepers' characterization of the incidents, saying the wild animals were acting normally and that neither posed a threat to zookeepers or the public. Several zookeepers told The Chronicle today that the latest incidents made them fearful for their safety and called into question whether visitors are safe. Zoo spokesman Sam Singer confirmed this morning that a 100-pound male snow leopard named Ghurka ripped a 4-inch hole in a mesh cage Thursday and stuck its paw and part of its head through the gash. The incident occurred as a zookeeper was attempting to move the 7-year-old animal, which was born at the zoo, from one enclosure to another. Singer said the snow leopard never posed a serious threat to the zookeeper or any threat to the public. More frightening perhaps was the near-escape of a female polar bear named Ulu, according to sources. Ulu is the zoo's only wild-born polar bear and is considered too unpredictable to be kept with the zoo's two other polar bears. Separate zookeepers have told The Chronicle that the animal, which weighs more than 600 pounds, nearly climbed over a wall of her exhibit after zoo officials pelted her with empty tranquilizer darts in a misguided effort to harass her into a night enclosure. The incident happened around 9 p.m. the night before last week's major storm. The bear's keepers were not called in to help, the sources said. Ulu was forced back down the exhibit wall by officials who turned a fire hose on her, the sources said. She had never scaled the wall before, the sources said. Reached by phone this morning, Singer denied that the polar bear had attempted to escape. He attributed the story to normal wild animal behavior.
Baby Orangutan Reunites with Mother at Como Zoo
January 11, 2008 www.twincities.com BY RICHARD CHIN
Markisa, a 20-year-old orangutan at the Como Zoo, gave birth Dec. 13 via Caesarean section, the first primate C-section at the zoo and one of only a handful of orangutan C-sections worldwide. Markisa's water broke after 8½ months of pregnancy. When she didn't deliver in the normal four hours of an orangutan labor, she was taken to the University of Minnesota Veterinary Medical Center, where U vets performed the C-section with the assistance of OB-GYN doctors from the U Children's Hospital. The male baby had fluid in his lungs and stopped breathing shortly after birth but was successfully resuscitated, and responded to treatment that would be used on a human infant. Veterinarians also used human medicine to keep Markisa lactating so she could breastfeed her infant after she recovered. Three days after birth, the baby was brought back to the zoo where Zookeepers took 3-hour shifts to hold the new baby 24 hours a day for 11 days. They wore orange, furry vests so the new baby could cling to them, and did not talk or sing to him, which was the hardest part of the job. Gradually, the baby was reintroduced to Markisa, and on Christmas Day, she successfully began to nurse him. Zookeepers said they believe the reintroduction of the baby to its mother after a C-section was done in record time. They said that in the eight other known orangutan C-section births worldwide, the reintroduction process has taken up to several months. Zoo officials believe the transition went well because Markisa - who had a stillbirth in 2005 - was herself raised by orangutan parents. And eight years ago, she saw another orangutan at the zoo give birth and raise an offspring.
Spinal Surgery for Woodland Park Baby Gorilla
January 11, 2008 www.bellinghamherald.com
SEATTLE -- Surgeons from Children's Hospital helped veterinarians at the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle remove an infected cyst near the spine of a baby gorilla. Doctors found the 3-month-old gorilla has mild spina bifida, but that is not expected to be a concern as she grows older. The Children's Hospital experts donated their time, and the Integra Life Sciences company donated nearly $60,000 worth of medical instruments. Her recovery is expected to take up to two weeks. After the hour-long operation the baby, who has not been named, was returned to her mother, Amanda, and began nursing. Zookeepers painted Amanda's nails red so she would be distracted and pick her nails instead of the baby's incision.
Protection for Mojave Fringe-toed Lizard
January 11, 2008 www.lvrj.com By KEITH ROGERS
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and a conservation group, the Center for Biological Diversity, made separate announcements Thursday stating the Amargosa River population of the Mojave fringe-toed lizard will undergo an in-depth review for listing under the act as called for in a petition filed by the center. The population of interest exists in the Amargosa River area of San Bernardino County, Calif. The river originates in Nye County, Nev. Federal wildlife biologists also found that the center's assertion of the lizard's Amargosa River population being "a distinct and separate population" may be warranted, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service states. The Center for Biological Diversity blamed the lizard's demise on off-road vehicle traffic allowed by the Bureau of Land Management in a pair of sand dunes that comprise 98 percent of its range. The dunes are popular among off-roaders in the Southwest. The smooth-skinned lizard, with a body up to 4 inches long and a tail the same length, lives in three dunes in and adjacent to Death Valley National Park. Its largest habitat is Dumont Dunes, which along with Ibex Dune comprise most of its range. The center's statement quotes University of Toronto zoology professor Robert W. Murphy as saying the discovery of the lizard's Amargosa River population "as genetically very distinct was completely unanticipated."
Biomimicry
January 11, 2008 online.wsj.com By June Fletcher
An offshoot of the fashionable green movement, ‘Biomimicry’, as an industry and scientific discipline is so new that analysts don't cover it and universities are just beginning to teach it. Interdisciplinary university programs are springing up here and abroad -- from six in the U.S. two years ago to 19 today, according to the Biomimicry Institute, a Missoula, Mont.-based nonprofit educational group. "It's a place for biologists, chemists, engineers and architects to learn to talk to one another -- and they normally don't," says biology professor Jeannette Yen, who directs the Center for Biologically Inspired Design at Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta. Her colleagues and students are looking into making decorative panels that can change color like an octopus and robots that can sense nearby objects without touching them, much like fish swimming in schools. Applications under development in other universities and private labs range from pipes with interiors that replicate shark skin, so water will flow faster, to superstrong tape that copies the action of a gecko, which clings to surfaces through the molecular attraction of the tiny hairs on its feet. Much of this activity was inspired by the Biomimicry Institute's founder, natural-history writer Janine Benyus, who conducts seminars with manufacturers and trade groups. Ms. Benyus christened the movement in 1997 with the publication of her book "Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature." A year later, she founded the institute as well as the Biomimicry Guild, a consulting firm that takes product designers and biologists to Central and South American jungles to observe how nature solves problems. Over billions of years, she says, organisms have evolved elegant solutions to challenges similar to ones designers face. "The answers are all around us," she says.
The San Diego Zoo Measures Tiger Fencing
January 12, 2008 www.signonsandiego.com By Jeanette Steele
One zoo industry guideline for tiger fencing is 16.4 feet. At the San Diego Zoo, officials want to make sure Tiger River fences are 16 feet high. Even then, they would be just shy of what the guideline calls for. Over the next few weeks, workers at the Balboa Park zoo and the zoo's Wild Animal Park will measure the fences. The zoo's Tiger River attraction is believed to have wire fences that go 12 feet straight up, topped by a 4-foot section that angles inward. Another part of the exhibit has a 20-foot sheer cement wall. At the WAP, the tiger fencing is supposed to be at least 13 feet tall, with a five-foot angled top section. The San Diego Zoo says it meets national standards for animal safety. But it has become clear since the San Francisco incident that those benchmarks include few hard numbers. The Wild Animal Park endured its own tiger escape in 1992, when heavy rain created a gully under Bali the tiger's fence. The Sumatran tiger scrambled out and was about 100 feet from the park's back gate when two workers shot him dead. After that, the park shored up the enclosure with extra concrete to prevent future washouts
Columbus Zoo Buys Python for $35,000
January 12, 2008 www.signonsandiego.com
The Columbus Zoo paid $35,000 to a snake breeder in Oklahoma to keep a 24 foot reticulated python named Fluffy, on permanent display. Billed as the longest snake in captivity, last year the python helped draw 1.53 million visitors, just under the zoo's attendance record of 1.56 million set in 2006, said Pete Fluffy is about as thick as a telephone pole and is on display in a 25-foot enclosure with a pool and a few plants. She eats two 10-pound rabbits each week. Bob Clark, a breeder from Oklahoma City raised her from a hatchling and claims she is quite tame. The largest known reticulated python, was 32 feet, 9 1/2 inches when killed in 1912 in Indonesia.
Conserving India’s Hoolock Gibbon
January 12, 2008 www.thedailystar.net
BANGLADESH -- The IUCN Red Data Book identifies eight of the 10 species of primates in Bangladesh as endangered and the hoolock gibbon, locally known as ulluk, is considered critically endangered. A seminar entitled 'Hoolock Gibbon Conservation in Bangladesh' was organized by the Wildlife Trust of Bangladesh to urge the government to formulate a national hoolock gibbon conservation policy. Speakers said there are now less than 300 hoolock gibbons in the country and special action is needed to conserve the species by protecting their habitats. A team of US wildlife researchers led by Dr Eliot Haymof with the support of Wildlife Trust of Bangladesh (WTB) recently made a documentary on the endangered species of hoolock gibbon at Lawachhara Reserve Forest in Moulvibazar district. The researchers found that there are 57 Hoolock Gibbons in the forest, living in 14 separate groups. Sources in WTB said there are 282 Hoolock Gibbons in the country, whereas the number was more than 3000 just 20 years ago. Today, Hoolock Gibbons are found in only four countries, Bangladesh, India, Malaysia and China, with only 500 of the species surviving, they added.
Public Hearing Calls for SF Zoo Review
January 12, 2008 www.sfgate.com By Wyatt Buchanan
A public hearing called by S.F. Mayor Gavin Newsom provided a chance for scores of people, many of them zoo volunteers, to express their thoughts on the tiger incident December 25th, and to discuss possible changes in zoo management. The commission passed a motion calling for a review of previous zoo audits and for the city controller to conduct a financial and performance review of the zoo. The motion also called for zoo administrators to be more involved with the management of the Recreation and Parks Department, to create an emergency plan with police and fire officials and to create a plan for increasing lighting and cameras at the zoo. The zoo's administration was also charged with improving relationships with employees. Nick Podell, the president of the Zoological Society, defended the zoo and Mollinedo.
Florida Teaching Zoo Helps Puerto Rican Primates
January 12, 2008 www.thevillagesdailysun.com By PATRICIA STEELE
BUSHNELL — The Florida Teaching Zoo, based in Bushnell, is the new home to 30 patas monkeys. Veterinarian Mark Wilson, who operates the zoo said “We’ve been working with the National Zoo in Mayaquez, Puerto Rico, for years, developing a breeding program to protect and expand the gene pool.” Patas monkeys are threatened in their native Africa where they are hunted for food, but they have been “introduced” to Puerto Rico where, their population has exploded, causing major problems for agriculture. The monkeys are very social and live and travel in groups as large as 50. They live in the mountains, but cross main highways and raid the fields of pineapples, plantains or whatever crop is convenient, and farmers are calling for their extermination. Wilson plans to develop three groups of monkeys in his teaching zoo. He wants to have different ages and social levels represented so the animals will learn from one another. His goal is to have a facility open to the public, which will feature the patas monkeys, elephants, black jaguars, and several other big cats and a variety of birds. The facility will be similar to the Marion Nature Park, which he operated for several years. “I am limiting the facility to about eight species of exotic or endangered animals and birds,” Wilson said. Wilson would like to bring at least 300 patas monkeys to his facility so he can find new homes for them, but it will take time.
Update on S.F. Zoo Tiger, Tatiana
January 12, 2008 www.mercurynews.com By Linda Goldston
Tatiana, a Siberian tiger and two littermates were born at the Denver Zoo in 2003. Tatiana was the smallest of the litter but the dominant cub. Tatiana's parents and her brother are still at the Denver Zoo, while her sister, Mariette, is at Henry Villas Zoo in Madison, Wisconsin. Daily logs from Denver were released this week as part of a public records request - Tatiana's first recorded weight was 9 lbs 9 oz; she was highly intelligent and was trained to stay calm during vaccinations. She was also trained to respond to "down," "sit" and "up." One of only 147 Siberian tigers in North American accredited zoos, she was moved to the San Francisco Zoo on December 15, 2005 to breed with 15-year-old Tony. Although they had mated several times, there were no cubs produced. Her necropsy report indicated three bullet wounds and a weight of 243 pounds. There are only 300-400 Siberian tigers left in the wild, according to the most recent census, said Ron Tilson, who runs AZA’s tiger breeding program. After Tatiana was killed by police, the zoo started receiving e-mails, letters and donations from around the world; some to remember their favorite tiger, some to honor an endangered species or volunteer at the zoo in her memory. The zoo's "Adopt An Animal" fundraising program already had 200 Siberian tiger "zoo parents," but several more asked to join after Tatiana's death.
Houston Zoo Hosts Texas Wildlife Diversity Conference
January 13, 2008 www.jaspernewsboy.com
The 2008 Texas Wildlife Diversity Conference will focus on implementation of the Texas Wildlife Action Plan and the status of non-game research. A unique session on Texas Plant Communities dedicated to developing a process to expand the Texas Native Plant Conservation Plan, which currently exists as only an outline. Scheduled for Jan.17 through Jan. 19, 2008, the former Nature Conservancy of Texas Director and incoming Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Executive Director Carter Smith will both attend.
Nuremberg Zoo’s Baby Polar Bear Update
January 14, 2008 abcnews.go.com By CHRISTEL KUCHARZ
PASSAU, Germany -- More than 15,000 e-mails arrived at the Nuremberg zoo this weekend with suggestions for a name for the tiny polar bear cub that is being hand-reared there. Zoo officials had initially determined not to interfere with the upbringing, but decided last week to separate the 5-week-old polar bear cub from its mother amid concern that the mother bear might harm or even kill the cub. Two cubs of another polar bear in the same zoo had been killed by their mother earlier last week and the zoo had come under a barrage of criticism for not preventing that from happening. The cub now weighs about 85.5 ounces, she's getting a mix of sweet corn syrup and milk and it looks like she's adapting remarkedly well. Mother Vera also seems to have calmed down and is doing better, overcoming the separation from her cub. The city of Nuremberg, which owns the zoo, published two links www.tiergarten.nuernberg.de and www.eisbaer.nuernberg.de — and more than 1.1 million people have visited them this weekend. Animal rights activist Juergen Ortmuller has filed a complaint with legal authorities claiming the zoo has violated European animal welfare laws because, he says, hand-rearing a polar bear cub interferes with Mother Nature.
Dolphin Dies at Brookfield Zoo
January 14, 2008 www.chicagotribune.com
Micco, a 6-year-old Atlantic bottlenose dolphin at Brookfield Zoo, died Sunday, apparently of complications from a respiratory infection. When he stopped eating normally in December, he was put on antibiotics and other medicine. Although his appetite seemed to improve, he became worse this weekend died as trainers and animal-care staff examined him to determine the cause of his illness. Trainers administered CPR and heart stimulants but could not revive the dolphin. The initial postmortem report indicated a severe infection in his trachea. Respiratory ailments are the No. 1 cause of death in dolphins, both in captivity and in the wild. "We suspect that it was a fungus," said Kim Smith, vice president of animal care. Micco was one of Brookfield's eight dolphins, a group that includes Micco's mother, Kaylee, 14, and grandmother, Tapeko, 25.
Tourism or Hunting in Kenya
January 14, 2008 www.economist.com
Although Kenya has a number of nature reserves, most of its wildlife lives on privately owned land, where killing or exporting these animals has been banned since 1977. The International Livestock Research Institute estimates that the African wildlife hunting industry might be worth some $600m annually. Landowners currently make around $5 per hectare per year from their wildlife. Some rent an area for wildlife-viewing to a single tour company, and may average $10 per hectare. In the Mara area, rents can be as much as $50 per hectare. However, in 95% of the land where wildlife is found, it nets landowners no money at all. While tourism is popular in Kenya, there are few incentives for people to protect wildlife rather than turn their land over to agriculture. [Example: If one owned a goat, but was not allowed to use it in any way: no slaughter, no milk, meat or skin; if breaking these laws meant risking death or imprisonment; and if the only way of making money out of the goat would be if a passing bus with a load of tourists happened to drive past and photograph it, not many people would keep goats. It is no wonder that despite millions spent to conserve Kenya’s wildlife, stock has declined by 70% since 1977. More than half of the most productive rangelands in Kenya, which used to hold most of the country’s wildlife, have been converted to agricultural production. Rich-country conservationists need to be less squeamish about killing animals. They ought to support developing countries’ efforts to create incentives for their landowners to protect wildlife.
UPS Foundation Funds Louisville Zoo Education
January 14, 2008 www.bizjournals.com
The Louisville Zoo has received a $100,000 grant from The UPS Foundation, the philanthropic arm of package shipper United Parcel Service Inc. The funding will be used to support School at the Zoo, a week-long educational program for middle school students that uses the zoo as a classroom. More than 5,600 students have participated in School at the Zoo since it began in 1999. The program covers curriculum such as animal behavior, life cycles, classification, ecosystems, food webs and organisms. The UPS Foundation has been supporting the Louisville Zoo since 1992 and School at the Zoo since 2003, the release said.
Permits for Sea Turtle Research
January 14, 2008
www.epa.gov
The NMFS has completed a draft Programmatic Environmental Assessment (PEA) on the Issuance of Endangered Species Act Permits for Scientific Research on Endangered and Threatened Sea Turtles in the North Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, and Gulf of Mexico. The PEA is available for review upon at http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/permits/esa_review.htm Written comments should be mailed to the Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education Division, F/PR1, NMFS, 1315 East-West Highway, Room 13705, Silver Spring, MD 20910. Comments may also be submitted by facsimile at (301)427-2521, provided the facsimile is confirmed by hard copy submitted by mail and postmarked no later than the closing date of the comment period. Comments may also be submitted by e-mail to: NMFS.Pr1Comments@noaa.gov Include in the subject line of the e-mail comment the following document identifier: Sea Turtle Programmatic EA. For further information contact: Patrick Opay, Amy Hapeman, or Kate Swails, (301)713-2289. Comments must be received on or before February 13, 2008.
Study on the “Ecology” of Parasite Infection
January 15, 2008 www.eurekalert.org
Research published today (15 January) in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences shows that the same community ecology principles that determine how different animal species affect each other’s population sizes through competition and predation also affect parasite species interacting within the microcosm of a single host. The research has important implications for treating many human and animal infections, including malaria and viruses. These infections rarely occur singularly and the research at the University of Edinburgh suggests that a range of drugs used to treat infection by parasitic worms may alter the effectiveness of anti-malarial and anti-viral treatments by affecting the level of competition among parasite species. The research, conducted by Dr Andrea Graham, a BBSRC David Phillips Fellow at the University of Edinburgh, examined data from a large number of animal studies of coinfection. A microparasite infection such as malaria often occurs in people already suffering from other parasites, such as worms. The research shows that these multiple infections affect each other by competing for host nutrients or by generating an impaired immune system response. The effect is the same as if a large herd of wildebeest started to eat all the available food in an area of the Serengeti. Analogously, the study found that if a host was suffering from a worm infection that caused a reduction in a nutrient needed by another parasite in the body at the same time, the second parasite would be reduced in number. Conversely, if a worm infection suppressed the immune response, other parasites would explode in numbers, just as zebras would rapidly breed in the absence of lions.
White House Honors Brookfield Zoo
January 15, 2008 www.chicagotribune.com
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Brookfield Zoo was among 10 institutions presented Monday with the National Medal for Museum and Library Service by First Lady Laura Bush at the White House. The annual awards, given by the Institute of Museum and Library Services in Washington, D.C., honor institutions for their collections and community involvement, and include a $10,000 award. The Chicago Zoological Society, which operates the Brookfield Zoo, was honored for programs such as Zoo Adventure Passport, which provides free field trips to low-income families.
Rwanda’s First National Conservation Park
January 15, 2008 www.greatapetrust.org
DES MOINES, Iowa, USA – January 14, 2008 – The Rwandan government,
Great Ape Trust of Iowa and Earthpark have announced that the Gishwati
Forest Reserve is the future site of the Rwanda National Conservation
Park. The Gishwati Forest, in Rwanda’s Western Province, was
deforested in the 1980s by agricultural development and in the 1990s
during the resettlement of people following the civil war and
genocide. Human encroachment, deforestation, grazing and the
introduction of small-scale farming resulted in extensive soil erosion,
flooding, landslides and reduced water quality – as well as the
isolation of a small population of chimpanzees. Following meetings with
MINITERE, REMA, NAFA, the Rwanda office for Tourism and National Parks
(ORTPN), the National University of Rwanda, the Wildlife Conservation
Society and Great Ape Trust, four goals were established for the
Gishwati project:
* Create Rwanda National
Conservation Park, defined as conservation of biodiversity in an
extensively degraded landscape, populated with low-income small-scale
agriculturalists.
* Restore ecosystem services in the form of improved
water quality, reduced soil erosion and flooding, fewer landslides and
increased sequestration of carbon.
* Restore natural biodiversity with special emphasis on chimpanzees as a keystone and flagship species.
* Generate income through ecotourism, investment opportunity and local employment.
Once the second-largest indigenous forest in Rwanda, Gishwati extended
1,0002 km (100,000 hectares or 250,000 acres) in the early 1900s.
By the late 1980s, Gishwati was about one-fourth its original size.
Resettlement by refugees following the 1994 genocide reduced the forest
to about 62 km (600 hectares or 1,500 acres). Reforestation efforts
during the past several years have increased Gishwati’s forest to
approximately 102 km (1,000 hectares or 2,500 acres).
Monkey Malaria Found in Humans
January 15, 2008 www.eurekalert.org
A study published today in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases, confirms that a potentially fatal species of malaria is being commonly misdiagnosed as a more benign form of the disease, thereby putting lives at risk. Funded by the Wellcome Trust and the University Malaysia Sarawak, researchers in Malaysia studied more than 1,000 samples from malaria patients across the country using DNA-based technology. They found that more than one in four patients in Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo, were infected with Plasmodium knowlesi, a malaria parasite of macaque monkeys. Infections were most often misdiagnosed as the normally uncomplicated human malaria caused by P. malariae. Until recently, P. knowlesi, was thought to infect only monkeys, in particular long-tailed macaques found in the rainforests of South East Asia. P. knowlesi is unprecedented among the malaria parasites of humans and non-human primates as it reproduces every 24 hours, and one of the features of fatal P. knowlesi infections is the high number of infected red blood cells in these patients. Therefore, even a short delay in accurate diagnosis and treatment could lead to the rapid onset of complications, including liver and kidney failure, and death.
Hogle Zoo Gets $3M for Polar Bear Exhibit
January 15, 2008 www.sltrib.com By Matthew D. LaPlante
Utah's Hogle Zoo has announced receipt of a $3 million grant from the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation toward a new Arctic exhibit. The four-acre project "will depict the Arctic's physical, cultural and social landscapes, and dramatically illustrate how humans impact the region.” The Zoo hopes to put a $65 million bond before the voters of Salt Lake County this year to pay for the $20 million polar exhibit and other large-scale capital projects. The Arctic project is a "priority component" of the zoo's master plan, which also includes a new animal hospital for which the zoo announced a $1.5 million donation from the Utah-based ALSAM Foundation last month. Polar bears have not been at the Hogle Zoo since 2003, when the zoo's last polar bear, Andy, died after ingesting a fleece glove dropped into the bear's exhibit by a visitor.
PGAV Architects Will Design KC Zoo Polar Bear Exhibit
January 15, 2008 www.kansascity.com By MATT CAMPBELL
The firm of PGAV Architects was chosen Tuesday to design a new polar bear exhibit at the Kansas City Zoo — for the second time. The previous park board in December 2006 approved a zoo request to waive competitive bidding and award the contract to PGAV because the company was set to design the zoo’s new entrance and had performed well for the city. But the park board appointed in spring 2007 instructed staff to go back and seek bids. PGAV and one other firm responded. The bidding set the project back about three months, but under the new process, PGAV’s bid projected higher minority and women enterprise participation. Another consideration in awarding PGAV the $1,025,000 contract is that the firm has experience in designing polar bear exhibits. Zoo director Randy Wisthoff said that was important in the wake of the recent tiger escape at the San Francisco Zoo. A completion date is scheduled for 2009.
Sea Otter Feeding Study
January 15, 2008 www.enn.com
SANTA CRUZ, CA-- U.C. Santa Cruz research biologists Tinker, Estes and Bentall have published a sea otter feeding study that introduces a new level of complexity to the dynamics of food webs. For wildlife managers, it means that each animal has to be considered as an individual and may not be representative of the whole population. When you look at a population as a whole, you may see a diversification of the diet in response to limited food resources. But when you look at individuals, you see dietary specialization. One implication of this dietary specialization for California sea otters is that some otters may be exposed to certain food-borne pathogens much more frequently than otters with different diets. "A lot of sea otters in the Central Coast population are dying from infectious diseases, and this could help us to better understand that disease mortality by allowing us to pinpoint the specific vectors of disease transmission," Tinker said. The study compared sea otters on the Central Coast, which has the largest population of southern sea otters, to those in a much smaller population around San Nicolas Island off the coast of Southern California. The San Nicolas population is the result of an effort by the USFWS to reduce the vulnerability of California sea otters to oil spills by establishing a separate population in the late 1980s. About 140 sea otters were relocated to San Nicolas Island, but most of them soon returned to the mainland. The few that remained have prospered. With plenty of food to go around, the San Nicolas otters are in better shape than their mainland counterparts, and their population is now growing much faster. The mainland population’s diet as a whole is much more diversified than at San Nicolas, but individual diets are more specialized. It is not surprising that animals are highly individual in the way they feed, but the link between individual specialization and resource availability is new. The paper appears in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Vaquita Porpoises Critically Endangered
January 15, 2008 www.enn.com By NOAA
A recent study published in Conservation Biology estimates the population of vaquita, a porpoise found in the Gulf of California, to be only 150 individuals - 2 years away from irreversible extinction level. The research team was led by Armando Jaramillo, Instituto Nacional de Ecologa, Mexico, and included researchers Barbara Taylor, NOAA's Fisheries Service, and Randy Reeves Reeves, Chair of the Cestacean Specialist Group, IUCN , the World Conservation Union. The group assessed the number of vaquita based on past estimates of abundance and deaths in fishing nets together with current fishing effort. Approximately 30 vaquita drown each year in the Gulf of California when they become entangled in nets set for fish and shrimp. They are found only in a small area of productive, shallow water in the northernmost Gulf of California and are listed as endangered species by the U.S. and Mexico and critically endangered by the World Conservation Union (IUCN)
India Confirms H5N1 Outbreak
January 15, 2008 www.enn.com By Krittivas Mukherjee
MUMBAI (Reuters) - The Indian government has confirmed that the latest outbreak of bird flu in poultry in the country's east was of the virulent H5N1 strain. It is the fourth outbreak of the strain in Indian poultry since 2006. More than 35,000 chickens and other poultry have died in and around Margram village in West Bengal state's Birbhum district over the last couple of weeks, officials have said. A second outbreak has been detected in the district of South Dinajpur, also in West Bengal but not neighboring the other outbreak, said Anisur Rahaman, state minister for animal resources. West Bengal borders Bangladesh which is fighting to contain bird flu in almost a third of its 64 districts. It has killed more than 300,000 chickens in Bangladesh since last year. A Reuters photographer in Margram saw shirtless villagers carrying dead chickens with bare hands to a government health centre to claim compensation. Dead chickens and even a few crows and owls were strewn across the landscape, according to health officials and television news pictures. Officials said culling of about 400,000 chickens within 3 km (2 miles) of the affected areas would begin on Wednesday. "We will quarantine anyone we find with flu-like symptoms," said federal Health Secretary Naresh Dayal, adding that the government had adequate stock of the drug Tamiflu. In previous outbreaks, the virus killed birds in the western state of Maharashtra on two occasions and broke out again in Manipur state in the northeast last August. Although the strain can infect and kill humans, India has not reported any human cases so far. The disease has killed more than 200 people worldwide since 2003. Around a fifth of humanity could fall ill should there be another flu pandemic, according to estimates cited by the World Health Organization, with catastrophic effects on the global economy.
Computer Used to Study Animal Communication
January 15, 2008 www.springer-sbm.com
Computer programs may be the most accurate tool for studying acoustic communications amongst animals, according to Csaba Molnár from Eötvös Loránd University in Hungary and his research team. Their paper, published in the journal Animal Cognition this week, tested a computer algorithm’s ability to identify and differentiate the acoustic features of dog barks, and classify them according to different contexts and individual dogs. The software analyzed more than 6000 barks from 14 Hungarian sheepdogs (Mudi breed) in six different situations: ‘stranger’, ‘fight’, ‘walk’, ‘alone’, ‘ball’ and ‘play’. The barks were recorded with a tape recorder before being transferred to the computer, where they were digitalized and individual bark sounds were coded, classified and evaluated. In the first experiment looking at classification of barks into different situations, the software correctly classified the barks in 43 percent of cases. The best recognition rates were achieved for ‘fight’ and ‘stranger’ contexts, and the poorest rate was achieved when categorizing ‘play’ barks. These findings suggest that the different motivational states of dogs in aggressive, friendly or submissive contexts may result in acoustically different barks.
Nepal Opens Vulture Breeding Center
January 15, 2008 www.enn.com
KATHMANDU - Nepal will open its first vulture breeding centre to try to save its endangered vultures. Of the eight species of vultures found in Nepal, the white-rumped and slender-billed vultures are categorized as critically endangered.The plan is to capture at least 10 breeding pairs of each critically endangered species and keep them initially in two aviaries at Kasara in Chitwan National Park, said Dev Ghimire, an official with Bird Conservation Nepal. The park, located 80 km (50 miles) southwest of Katmandu, is popular for its rare Asian rhinoceroses. "This is just a beginning and more pairs will be subsequently trapped and released," Ghimire said. The number of vultures in Nepal have dropped to about 500 nesting pairs from 50,000 in 1990, primarily from eating dead cattle treated with diclofenac. Bird Conservation Nepal set up a separate feeding centre west of Chitwan for white-rumped and slender-billed vultures last year offering them chemical-free carcasses.
Zebra Found Dead at SF Zoo
January 16, 2008 www.sfgate.com By Tanya Schevitz
SAN FRANCISCO - A 9-year-old [10 next month] zebra named Lisa was found dead in a stall Tuesday, two days after zoo veterinarians began giving her medication. The normal life expectancy of a zebra in captivity is 20 years and about 18 in the wild, officials said. The zebra had been seen salivating while out in the African Savanna exhibit and was put in her stall and given a common equine medication for inflammation. Karen Eggert, a spokeswoman for the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, said that the death would not trigger an automatic investigation by the agency. She said investigators only go in after an animal death if there is an indication that there was a violation of the Animal Welfare Act in terms of the animal's environment, treatment, care and feeding.
Melbourne Zoo Breeds Cairns Birdwing
January 16, 2008 www.abc.net.au
The Cairns Birdwing is the largest type of butterfly in Australia and the Melbourne Zoo just celebrated the birth of a half-a-million butterflies since its breeding program began 22 years ago. Patrick Honan of Melbourne Zoo said "We bring in about 25,000 butterflies to the butterfly house a year." Caterpillars are housed in the zoo's special breeding room before shedding its skin to reveal its pupa. After its wings expand, it can fly and then is taken to a new home in Melbourne Zoo's butterfly house where it stays a warm 30-degrees celcius all day long.
Six Foreign Birds as Endangered
January 16, 2008 www.epa.gov
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), determine endangered status for six avian species—the black stilt (Himantopus novaezelandiae), caerulean paradise-flycatcher (Eutrichomyias rowleyi), giant ibis (Pseudibis gigantea), Gurney's pitta (Pitta gurneyi), long-legged thicketbird (Trichocichla rufa), and Socorro mockingbird (Mimus graysoni)--under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). This rule implements the protection of the Act for these six species. This final rule is effective February 15, 2008. for further information contact Dr. Patricia De Angelis, at Suite 110, 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, Arlington, Virginia 22203 ; by fax to 703-358-2276; by e-mail:ScientificAuthority@fws.gov or by telephone, 703-358-1708.
Hand-Rearing Pied Tamarins at Paignton Zoo
January 16, 2008 news.bbc.co.uk
DEVON, U.K. -- Two pied tamarin babies born on New Year's Eve and abandoned by their mother are being hand-raised at Paignton Zoo. The baby's mother, Leia, came to Paignton Zoo from Belfast Zoo. Their father, Jedi, came from Apenheul Primate Park in the Netherlands. At birth, the male, Chewie, weighed 53g and the female, Padme, 41g. They were fed initially on glucose solution, then moved on to diluted baby formula, building up to near normal strength after five days. They are currently spending all day in sight, smell and hearing of the adults, clinging to a small piece of carpet inside the incubator. They are being fed every two to four hours - primarily by primate keeper Andrew Fry- while colleagues are sharing the task of taking the babies home at night. It is hoped that they will be reintroduced to an enclosure after six weeks. Night feeds would then stop, but they would still need milk feeds from the keepers for another few months, the zoo said. Pied tamarins are the most endangered of all Amazon primates, and listed as critically endangered by the IUCN.
Giant Rodent Fossil Identified
January 16, 2008 news.nationalgeographic.com
Scientists in Uruguay have uncovered fossil evidence of the largest species of rodent ever found. Living in wooded areas of South America about 4 million years ago, it was an herbivore and possibly prey, of saber-toothed cats. Its huge skull, more than 20 inches long, suggests it was more than eight feet long and weighed between 1,700 and 3,000 pounds. Named Josephoartigasia monesi, it is believed to be more closely related to a guinea pig or porcupine than mice or rats. An artist's rendering showed a creature that looked like a cross between a hippopotamus and guinea pig. The fossil was found in 1987 about 65 miles west of the capital of Montevideo, near the vast River Plate estuary and an Argentine fossil collector donated the skull to Uruguay's National History and Anthropology Museum nearly two decades ago. It was recently rediscovered by curator Andres Rinderknecht, who enlisted the help of fellow researcher Ernesto Blanco to study it. Rinderknecht said ''Possibly it had a behavior similar to other water-faring rodents that exist today, such as beavers, which split their time between land and water.'' But he said the rodent appears to have had no tail. The research by Rinderknecht and Blanco was published Wednesday in this week's issue of biological research journal, Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
S.F. Zoo Zebra Dies of Intestinal Blockage
January 17, 2008 www.sfgate.com by Nanette Asimov
SAN FRANCISCO – The necropsy report on the Zebra that died recently at the San Francisco Zoo showed that she had been suffering from a complete obstruction of her intestinal tract due to a pair of stones measuring about 6 1/2 inches in diameter. The resulting infection killed her. "Intestinal stones are a common cause of disease and sudden death in domestic horses," said Jacqueline Jencek, the zoo's chief of veterinary services. "The UC Davis Pathology Department reported that her teeth, hooves and body condition were very good with no other signs of illness or diseases noted." A former equine surgeon at UC Davis said such illness can be prevented, but only when caught in time. "It's probably related to the water, minerals and soil," and can be discovered if the animal passes small stones, said Diana Hassel, who now teaches equine emergency surgery at Colorado State University. Hassel said the disease has become less common as animal-care experts have understood that alfalfa can contribute to the potentially deadly illness. "There's probably some genetic thing," she said, adding that two animals could eat the same diet for the same period of time, yet only one might get sick. A histopathology, will show what else may have been going on with the zebra's major organs, and that report will take about a month.
NYC Zoos Cut Greenhouse Gas Emissions
January 17, 2008 www.nydailynews.com By Bob Kappstatter
NEW YORK (AP) - The Wildlife Conservation Society is taking steps to make its carbon footprint smaller. "We can't be a leader in global conservation if we don't also live it at home," said President Steven E. Sanderson as he announced plans for a 30-percent cut in its greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. The organization's efforts include installing a water-saving system at the Bronx Zoo's sea lion exhibit and working to upgrade its co-generation power plants from dual fuel-burning to natural gas, planning ecologically "green" buildings and using alternative fuel vehicles at its zoos and aquarium. An outside consultant team calculated that the WCS's operations emit about 34,000 metric tons of greenhouse gases annually. That includes direct emissions from heating and power generation at the five facilities and WCS-owned vehicles; emissions for purchased electricity by parks, and emissions from organization activities - travel by air, car and train; and even paper consumption. "Our goal was to look at our largest institutions at home to begin this process. We now have a baseline to compare future carbon mitigation strategies," he said in a statement. "The process of assessing our footprint is now ongoing and will help generate ideas and strategies to reduce consumption and improve efficiency." The restoration of the Bronx Zoo's Lion House into the Madagascar exhibit, which opens next June, and the Jose E. Serrano Center for Global Conservation, scheduled to open next spring there will include a large number of green initiatives.
Critical Habitat for the Quino Checkerspot Butterfly
January 17, 2008
www.epa.gov
The Quino checkerspot butterfly was historically distributed throughout the coastal portion of southern California (Los Angeles, Orange, western Riverside, San Diego, and southwestern San Bernardino Counties), and northern Baja California, Mexico. The USFWS proposes to revise currently designated critical habitat for the Quino checkerspot butterfly (Euphydryas editha quino). In total, approximately 98,487 acres fall within the boundaries of the proposed revised critical habitat designation: 23,494 ac are federally owned; 7,756 ac are owned by the State of California; 4,359 ac are Tribal lands; 7,739 ac are owned by city or county governments; and 55,139 ac are privately owned. Of these 98,487 ac we are considering excluding 1,684 ac (681 ha) of land within the San Diego County Multiple Species Conservation Plan's City of Chula Vista Subarea Plan, and 37,245 ac (of non-Federal land within the Western Riverside County Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan (MSHCP) area. Areas included in the proposed revision are in Riverside and San Diego Counties, California. You may submit your comments and materials via the Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov or U.S. mail or hand-delivery: Public Comments Processing, Attn: 1018-AV23; Division of Policy and Directives Management; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, Suite 222; Arlington, VA 22203. We will not accept e-mail or faxes. We will accept comments from all interested parties until March 17, 2008. For further information contact: Jim Bartel, Field Supervisor, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Carlsbad Fish and Wildlife Office, 6010 Hidden Valley Road, Carlsbad, CA 92011; telephone 760-431-9440; facsimile 760-431-5901.
Predator-Prey Ecology Study
January 17, 2008 www.eurekalert.org
RIVERSIDE, Calif. – The direct effect predators have on their prey is to kill them. The evolutionary changes that can result from this direct effect include prey that are younger at maturity and that produce more offspring. Indirect effects are rarely characterized or measured – such as a decline in the number of surviving prey, resulting, in more food available to survivors. UC Riverside biologists Matthew Walsh and David Reznick studied life history traits between Trinidadian fish communities impacted by the presence of predators and offer a novel way of quantifying these indirect effects by showing that prey adapt to food availability as well as the presence of predators. They warn that “The reintroduction of predators, which is an ongoing practice, such as in the reintroduction of wolves in the United States, demands more caution than is currently practiced since the prey will have adapted to a new environment in the time that predators were absent and will be ill prepared in more ways than had been imagined for the reintroduction. The study appears in the Jan. 15 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. “Likewise, the crash that we have seen in the populations of many commercially exploited species of fish, and their failure to recover when fishing pressure is reduced, has been attributed to such indirect restructuring of the ecosystem.
USFWS Determines Jaguar Status
January 17, 2008 news.fws.gov By Elizabeth Slown
The USFWS has determined that a U.S. recovery plan for the endangered jaguar would not advance the conservation of the big cat. The vast majority of jaguars and jaguar habitat lay south of the United States. Jaguars occur from southern South America to the U.S.-Mexico border area. The United States contains one percent of jaguar habitat. Four male jaguars, thought to originate from a core population 130 miles south of the border, are known to have crossed into New Mexico and Arizona since 1996. Too few jaguars and too little habitat in the United States signify that a recovery plan would have little influence on protecting the jaguar population. The Service continues to protect jaguars within its borders, and works cooperatively with other Latin America countries to conduct research, protect habitat and reduce the killing of jaguars. The Service has funded jaguar work in Belize, Argentina and Brazil and will continue to fund research in northern Mexico to improve knowledge of jaguar conservation. It supports the Borderlands Jaguar Detection Project to monitor occurrences in Arizona. The Jaguar Conservation Team, an Arizona-led effort, has summarized the current knowledge of U.S.-Mexico borderland jaguars and identified actions to facilitate the presence of jaguars in the U.S. and help them persist here and in Mexico. Various levels of protection and conservation plans for the jaguar are in place in many of the 20 countries through the cat's core range.
Human Activities Contribute to California Warming
January 17, 2008 publicaffairs.llnl.gov
LIVERMORE, Calif. – Recent research by scientists at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, the University of California, Merced and the National Center for Atmospheric Research shows that California temperatures have jumped statewide by more than 2.1 degrees Fahrenheit between 1915 and 2000. This warming is likely related to human activities. Using data from up to eight different observational records, the team found the warming has been fastest in late winter and early spring. California is not alone when it comes to warming trends. Late winter and springtime temperatures have increased in nearly all of western North America. They have been associated with a large change in atmospheric circulation in the northern Pacific, likely resulting from greenhouse gas-induced warming. An increase in California temperatures could have dire consequences for the state’s water system. The research, funded by the California Energy Commission, and including contributions from Livermore scientists Thomas Phillips and Charles Doutriaux, appears in the Dec. 19 online edition of the journal Climatic Change. The research also was included in the “Report to the Governor and Legislature on Climate Change.” California temperature trends also are discussed in a recent article in the American Geophysical journal, Eos, written by Duffy, Bonfils and Lobell.
Servheen Receives Conservation Award
January 17, 2008 www.missoulian.com
BROOKFIELD, Illinois - Chris Servheen, mammalogist and wildlife biologist at the University of Montana and grizzly bear recovery coordinator for the USFWS, will receive the 2008 George B. Rabb Conservation Award Jan. 29 from the Chicago Zoological Society. Servheen has worked for grizzly bear conservation for 30 years, primarily in the Misson Mountains and northwestern Montana wilderness areas. His research is directly applicable to the recovery of the grizzly and all large carnivore populations requiring large areas of natural habitat in regions where those areas have significantly dwindled. Servheen has organized interagency grizzly bear sub-committees for federal, state, and private participants, as well as conferences on private landowner initiatives in conserving bear habitat, and served as an advisor to many state and federal land management agencies. He has advised many private and public sector conservation initiatives, agencies and conservation groups including Vital Ground and The Nature Conservancy. He was recently recognized with the Department of the Interior’s Meritorious Service Award, the second-highest award presented by the department. The George B. Rabb Conservation Award was created in 2005 by the board of trustees of CZS to honor the lifelong legacy of animal welfare and worldwide conservation leadership of Rabb, president emeritus of the Chicago Zoological Society.
New Species of Palm Discovered in Madagascar
January 17, 2008 www.timesonline.co.uk By Lewis Smith
A new palm species has been discovered in a small area of the west side of Madagascar. Tahini spectabilis soars 60ft (18m) as it puts out a spectacular “candelabra” structure upon which millions of flowers appear. These drip with nectar, attracting birds and insects, but requires such an expenditure of energy, that the palm then dies. Despite its size, the palm escaped detection until Xavier Metz, a plantation owner, took his family for a picnic and brought back a picture. The new species, announced today in the Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, has 16 ft diameter leaves which are among the largest seen in flowering plants. Only about 100 of the palms are believed to exist. Taxonomy experts at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, have discovered that it is not just a new species but represents a genus never seen on Madagascar before.
Whale Sharks at Risk
January 17, 2008 news.nationalgeographic.com By Stefan Lovgren
Whale sharks are the world's largest living fish species, growing up to 40 feet (12 meters) long. They move near the surface, feeding on the plankton and krill that mass in these waters during the winter months. Shark populations have declined dramatically in recent years, mainly due to overfishing. Most at risk are migratory sharks, including whale sharks, which are known to travel more than 8,000 miles (12,875 kilometers) across the Pacific Ocean, from Mexico to the Tonga Islands, according to Zeb Hogan, a fisheries biologist with the University of Reno in Nevada. . Hogan leads the Megafishes Project, a three-year effort funded by the National Geographic Society to document the 20-plus species of freshwater fish that measure at least 6.5 feet (2 meters) in length or 220 pounds (100 kilograms) in weight. Of the more than 1,000 species of sharks and rays, 145 are known to be migratory. Eighteen percent of these thousand species are threatened with extinction, according to Hogan, compared to 45 percent of the migratory sharks and rays. At a UN-sponsored conference on migratory sharks held in the Seychelles last month, three species—whale sharks, basking sharks, and great white sharks—were singled out as being in urgent need of protection.
Polar Bear Decision by USFWS Suspicious
January 17, 2008 www.time.com By BRYAN WALSH
Two years ago, green groups sued the federal government to declare the polar bear “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act. On Jan. 9, a day before the deadline, the USFWS announced that it would need another month to decide, due to the complexity of the bear's situation. This is the situation: As temperatures warm, the Arctic sea ice that supports the polar bear shrinks, leaving the animals to drown as they are forced to swim long distances between the ice, or simply starve to death. The summer of 2007 saw record melting of Arctic sea ice, and NASA scientists now predict that the Arctic could be ice-free as soon as the summer of 2013. "Without the sea ice, there is no polar bear," says Andrew Wetzler, director of the Natural Resource Defense Council's endangered species project. A 2007 USGS study projected that the polar bear population — currently around 25,000 — could decline two-thirds by 2050. But the bears face another threat. On Feb. 6 — three days before USFWS's new deadline — the Minerals Management Service (MMS), also part of the Interior Department, plans to lease 30 million acres for oil and gas drilling in the Chukchi Sea bordering Alaska, where one-fifth of the world's remaining polar bears live. Drilling — with the risk of spills and seismic damage — could further jeopardize the polar bear, and environmentalists consider it suspicious that USFWS decided to delay its decision until after the lease sale.
Tiger was Taunted
January 18, 2008 www.mercurynews.com
One of three San Jose youths mauled by a tiger at San Francisco Zoo told the father of the boy killed that they had been yelling and waving at the animal while standing on the railing outside its grotto. The interview - and the account by the father of Carlos Sousa Jr. of San Jose - were part of the affidavit San Francisco police used to obtain a search warrant for the car and cell phones of the 2 survivors. Police also removed a bloodied sign and post from the tiger exhibit as potential evidence during their investigation the day after the attack. Sam Singer, spokesman for the zoo, told the Mercury News that the sign had been about 18 inches in from the middle of the railing around the tiger exhibit, in an area "where the public is prohibited to go." Police also found a partial shoe print on top of the railing that matched a shoe worn by one of the boys. The Chronicle said police seized synthetic urine meant to beat a drug test, a small amount of marijuana and a partially filled bottle of Grey Goose vodka from the car. Paul Dhaliwal's blood-alcohol level was 0.16 percent, twice the legal level for drunkenness, while Kulbir Dhaliwal's was 0.04 percent and Sousa's was 0.02 percent. According to the newspaper, police said no incriminating messages or images were recovered. Any evidence that the youths provoked the tiger's attack could limit the zoo's and city's liability in a civil case.
Rescued Leopard Cubs Go to Lucknow Zoo
January 18, 2008 economictimes.indiatimes.com
LUCKNOW, India: Two ten-day old leopard cubs abandoned by their mother have been rescued by forest guards and taken to the zoo in Lucknow. Runa Singh, Director, Lucknow zoo said the 2 females from the Tiger Reserve are being bottle fed goat's milk and zoo authorities are taking every care to nurture the young cats back to health. With the increasing demand for animal hides in the international market, the leopard and tiger population of India is under constant threat from poachers. According to an estimate made several years ago, the population was 10,000 animals.
Namibia’s Wild Dog Population
January 18, 2008 allafrica.com
The African wild dog is the most endangered large mammal in southern Africa. Namibia's national wild dog population is around 300 individuals, 95 per cent of which live unprotected in communal and commercial farming areas in northeastern Namibia. The African wild dog, whose scientific name is Lycaon pictus, is the last remaining species in the genus Lycaon. Prejudice and misunderstanding of the wild dog has led to its extermination and near-extinction. The animals are regularly and incorrectly blamed for livestock losses. The African wild dog is actually important to farmers as they keep smaller predators in check. Without the wild dog, jackals are almost impossible to contain, says Robine Lines of the Wild Dog Project.
Bronx Zoo $50 Million Renovation
January 18, 2008 www.wateronline.com By Drew L. Wilson
BRONX, NY – The 265 acre Bronx Zoo began in 1895 with the establishment of the New York Zoological Society (renamed Wildlife Conservation Society in 1993), with the purpose of advancing the study of zoology, protecting wildlife around the world and educating the public. Now the WCS is managing a $50 million renovation that will transform part of the zoo into the Island of Madagascar. Additionally, the project will carry the distinction of being the first landmarked building in New York City to be certified “green” by the U.S. Green Building Counsel (UGBC). The Bronx Zoo’s Lion House will be reopened after a decade of non use in the spring of 2007 as the new Madagascar exhibit. Constructed in 1903 and has been designated a National Historic District by the New York City Landmarks Commission. This heavily ornamented building was part of a group of buildings built between 1899 and 1920 that epitomized the Daniel Burnhham’s City Beautiful Movement. The design of the new exhibit will preserve the architectural craftsmanship of the original building while incorporating the latest construction technologies and green building practices available. Its high density polyethylene (HDPE) piping system will circulate large volumes of water throughout the exhibit. It is also being used for the five 1,500 foot deep geothermal wells for heating and cooling. The geothermal systems will be relied upon to create the environmental temperatures found in a tropical rainforest. Shelby Heritage of ISCO Industries, which inspired the concept of HDPE pipe for the project.
Translocated Laysen Ducks Thrive on Midway Atoll
January 18, 2008 www.birdlife.org
The Critically Endangered Laysan Duck (Anas laysanensis) occurs only within the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands’ Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument established in 2006. Once widespread across the Hawaiian Islands, by 1860, they were extirpated from all but Laysan Island, a low lying island (10 meters above sea level). In 2004 and 2005, 42 of the ducks were translocated to Midway Atoll NWR, managed by the USFWS, to increase their geographic distribution and reduce its risk of extinction. With the translocated population more than quadrupling in only three years, the total number of adults and fledglings on the Midway Atoll has now risen to about 200 individuals. “These island ducks could not co-exist with rats, migrate, or disperse away from Laysan Island, so we have translocated birds to restore the species to a larger range”, explained USGS wildlife researcher Dr. Michelle Reynolds, USGS coordinator for the project. “Now Laysan Ducks are found on three rat-free islands for the first time in hundreds of years and are flying between islands at Midway Atoll.”
Four New Gecko Species Discovered in Vietnam
January 18, 2008 www.physorg.com
Herpetologists discovered four new species of geckos in isolated
mountains and islands in the Mekong Delta in Vietnam. Lee Grismer with
La Sierra University in the United States and Ngo Van Tri from
Vietnam's Institute of Tropical Biology published their 2007 findings
in the journal Herpetologica. The reptiles are of the genus
Cnemaspis and have the species names caudanivea, auranticopes,
nuicamensis and tucdupensis. The geckos' length ranges from about
4-6 inches from head to tail. The first gecko of this species in
Vietnam was discovered in 1887 and the new find bring the total number
of Cnemaspis species in the nation to five.
Request for Lethal Removal Authority of California Sea Lions
January 18, 2008
www.epa.gov
The National Marine Fisheries Service announces the availability of a Draft Environmental Assessment that analyzes impacts on the environment from the potential authorization to the States of Oregon, Idaho, and Washington (states) to lethally removal certain California sea lions that are feeding on at-risk salmon and steelhead stocks below Bonneville dam on the Columbia River. The states have requested authorization to lethally remove individually identifiable California sea lions having a significant negative impact on the decline or recovery of several populations of salmon and steelhead listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Written comments on the draft EA must be received at the appropriate address, email address, or fax number (see ADDRESSES) no later than 5 p.m. Pacific standard time on February 19, 2008. Written comments and requests for copies of the draft EAshould be addressed to Garth Griffin, Protected Resources Division, 1201 NE Lloyd Boulevard, suite 1100, Portland, OR, 97232, or faxed to (503) 230-5441. Comments on this draft EA may be submitted by e-mail. The mailbox address for providing e-mail comments is sea.lion.comments@noaa.gov Include in the subject line the following document identifier: "California Sea Lion Lethal Removal''. The documents are also available on the Internet at http://www.nwr.noaa.gov/Marine-Mammals/Seals-and-Sea-Lions/Sec-120-draft-EA.cfm For further information contact: Garth Griffin, Portland, OR, at phone (503) 231-2005 or e-mail: garth.griffin@noaa.gov
Recovering from a Mass Extinction
January 18, 2008 www.bristol.ac.uk
The full recovery of ecological systems, following the most devastating extinction event of all time, took at least 30 million years, according to new research from the University of Bristol. About 250 million years ago, at the end of the Permian, a major extinction event killed over 90 per cent of life on earth, including insects, plants, marine animals, amphibians, and reptiles. Ecosystems were destroyed worldwide, communities were restructured and organisms were left struggling to recover. This was the nearest life ever came to being completely wiped out. The most recent research, conducted by Sarda Sahney and Professor Michael Benton at the University of Bristol and published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B this week, indicates that specialized animals forming complex ecosystems, with high biodiversity, complex food webs and a variety of niches, took much longer to recover. The Permian extinctions occurred in 3 waves, the largest being at the boundary between the Permian and Triassic periods, 251 million years ago. This was the most devastating ecological event of all time, thought to be caused by large-scale volcanism in Russia which produced the ‘Siberian Traps’, covering over 77,000 square miles in lava.
Google's Philanthropic Initiatives
January 18, 2008 www.nytimes.com By HARRIET RUBIN
When it went public nearly 4 years ago, Google pledged to reserve 1 percent of its profit and equity to “make the world a better place.” So far, the beneficiaries of Google’s money range from groups that are fighting disease to those developing a commercial plug-in car. The company’s philanthropy — Google.org, or DotOrg plans to spend up to $175 million in its first round of grants and investments over the next three years. Larry Brilliant, a medical doctor became director of Google.org 18 months ago. Grants for the first of its initiatives, characterized as “predict and prevent” focuses on strengthening early warning systems in countries around the world to detect a disease before it becomes pandemic, or a drought before it becomes a famine. To attain that, DotOrg has made a grant of $5 million to a nonprofit group that Dr. Brilliant helped to set up, though it is independent from DotOrg. Called Instedd, for Innovative Support to Emergencies, Diseases and Disasters, the group seeks to improve data and communication networks. An additional $2.5 million has been awarded to the Global Health and Security Initiative to respond to biological threats in Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and China’s Yunnan Province. “In recent years,” Dr. Brilliant said, “39 new communicable diseases with a potential to become pandemic have jumped species,” including SARS, or severe acute respiratory syndrome; monkey pox and bird flu. The second initiative, called “the missing middle,” refers to the missing middle class in Africa and South Asia and the missing middle level of financing between microcredits and hedge funds. DotOrg has awarded $3 million to TechnoServe to find worthy entrepreneurs and help them build credit records and get access to larger markets. The third initiative, “information for all,” is aimed at helping developing countries provide better government services by making information available on their efforts to improve health care, roads and electrification. DotOrg has awarded $2 million to support the Annual Status of Education report in India to assess the quality of education; $765,000 to create a Budget Information Service to improve district-level planning, and $660,000 to build communities of researchers and policy makers to deliver information. Google.org’s fourth initiative supports the development of renewable energy sources that are cleaner and cheaper than coal. DotOrg has invested $10 million in eSolar, a company in Pasadena, Calif., that specializes in solar thermal power. The philanthropy is also working to accelerate the commercialization of plug-in vehicles. Mark Dowie, author of the book “American Foundations,” said DotOrg is part of “a new mode of philanthropy that is very similar to venture capitalism, holding those they fund responsible in ways never seen before.” The danger, he said, “is that a lot of philanthropic work is not quantifiable. How do you qualify arts grant making, for example.”
Border Fence Plan Blocks Jaguar Protection
January 18, 2008 www.enn.com
In June 2007, more than 500 members of the American Society of Mammalogists met in Albuquerque and unanimously passed a resolution calling for USFWS to develop a recovery plan for the jaguar. The resolution concluded that "Habitats for the jaguar in the United States, including Arizona and New Mexico, are vital to the long-term resilience and survival of the species, especially in response to ongoing climate change." On January 17th, the service announced that it will not prepare a recovery plan for the endangered jaguar and will not attempt to recover the species in the United States or throughout its range in North and South America. "This is a jaguar death sentence," said Michael Robinson of the Center for Biological Diversity. "If the U.S. can work across borders to develop an international recovery plan for the whooping crane, why can't it do so for the jaguar? Perhaps its because the Bush administration is dead set on walling off the U.S.-Mexico border."
NIH Archives Published Research
January 18, 2008 www.sciencemag.org
Last week NIH informed its grantees that, to comply with a new law, they must begin sending copies of their accepted, peer-reviewed manuscripts to NIH for posting in a free online archive. Failure to do so could delay a grant or jeopardize current research funding. The full text of the articles will be posted to PubMed Central (PMC). Many journals retain copyright of the manuscripts they publish, so authors must obtain permission to post a copy on the NIH site.
New Monkey Species in North-Western Amazon
January 19, 2008 www.newscientist.com
A uacari monkey living in north-western Amazonia, belongs to a species unknown to science until recently but is now named Cacajao ayresii
in honour of Brazilian biologist Marcio Ayres, who pioneered field
studies on uacaris. Uacaris are traditionally associated with
flooded forests on the margins of lowland rivers, but this one turned
up in a mountainous area of the Pico de Neblina region on the
Brazil-Venezuela border, a long way from its relatives. The new species
has a very restricted distribution, says Jean-Philippe Boubli of the
University of Auckland, New Zealand, who describes it in a forthcoming
issue of the International Journal of Primatology. Since it lives
outside any protected area and is hunted by local people, Boubli says
it should immediately be considered endangered.
Melbourne Zoo Charged with Animal Abuse
January 19, 2008 www.theage.com.au By Royce Millar and Cameron Houston
The 146-year-old Melbourne Zoo has been accused of abuse and neglect of animals by senior zoo experts, staff and the RSPCA. Incidents include: 1. An animal trainer stabbed a 13-year-old elephant named Dokkoon more than a dozen times with a sharp metal spike. 2. An escape in October by a binturong after staff warned that its enclosure was insecure. 3. Four seals have suffered partial blindness after being moved to a small swimming pool — out of public view and possibly for up to three years — while the new $20 million Stories of the Sea exhibit is built. The eye problems have been caused by chlorine in the pool. 4. The eyelids of a Malayan tapir were sewn together, also because of eye trouble. Lack of tree cover and over-exposure to the sun is believed to have contributed to the animal's eye damage. 5. Male gorilla Rigo was kept in isolation from other gorillas for 16 years in an antiquated enclosure because of his aggressive tendencies. He was finally reintegrated into a group last year without problems. 6. Zoo management has also proposed an attraction known as the Cage of Death, similar to a shark cage, which would allow close-up viewing of four male lions at feeding time. Zoo director Matt Vincent acknowledged the zoo had made mistakes, but said valuable lessons had been learned from such incidents. He said the zoo had recently received accreditation after a comprehensive audit by the Australasian Regional Association of Zoological Parks and Aquaria.
San Diego Ecologists, Baja Fishermen Save Sea Turtles
January 19, 2008 www.signonsandiego.com By Terry Rodgers
Loggerhead Sea Turtles hatch on sandy beaches in Japan and swim 7,500 miles across the Pacific to forage and grow to maturity along the Mexican coastline. Longline fishing vessels typically deploy several thousand baited hooks that can extend for miles, targeting sharks, tuna and swordfish. Sea turtles, which must surface periodically to breathe, can drown after consuming the bait and getting hooked. Hoyt Peckham, a member of Pro Peninsula, a San Diego-based conservation group went to Magdalena Bay 6 years ago to study the turtles movements and feeding habits and was able to show that a cooperative of about 80 fishermen using hand lines and small skiffs called pangas was killing almost 1,000 turtles every year – slightly more than the death toll caused by larger fishing vessels in the entire North Pacific. The group worked with the Mexican fishermen and convinced a village leader to give up his lucrative longline gear to reduce loggerhead deaths. A landmark turtle conservation accord was signed last fall between Groupo Tortuguero, a Mexican environmental group overseen by Pro Peninsula, and a fishing cooperative near Magdalena Bay on Baja's Pacific coast. The cooperative's members agreed to give up their longline fishing gear. In return, Pro Peninsula and the Ocean Conservancy raised $10,000 for them to buy less harmful gear, such as traps and surface nets. To reinforce the work by Peckham and other members of Pro Peninsula, the Ocean Conservancy plans on Tuesday to launch a program called SEE Turtles, which is aimed at building an eco-tourism market for loggerheads. The conservancy hopes to give fishermen an economic incentive to continue safeguarding loggerheads.
New Frog Species Found in Kerala
January 20, 2008 www.hindu.com By Divya Gandhi
BANGALORE, India -- A new species of shrub frog from the Western Ghats has been named Philautus ochlandrae. It was discovered living in bamboo hollows in the evergreen forests of the Kakkayam Reserve Forest in Kerala. 2.5 cm in length it has a short rounded snout and protruding eyes with striking golden yellow markings. This shrub frog belongs to a group in which an unusual phenomenon called “direct development” takes place. “Skipping the tadpole stage, froglets directly emerge from the eggs that are laid in the inner walls of the bamboo,” said Dr. K.V. Gururaja. With this adaptation, the frogs do not need water to breed. This makes the 25th new frog species discovered in the last seven years in India. The discovery was published in the international journal Zootaxa in October 2007. K.V. Gururaja, doctoral fellow at the Centre for Ecological Sciences (CES), Indian Institute of Science (IISc), is one of the five authors of the paper.
Reintroduction Problems for Captive Carnivores
January 20, 2008 www.eurekalert.org
A study published in 'Biological Conservation' addresses the problems of reintroducing animals to the wild. This study reviewed 45 case studies, involving 17 carnivore species, and found that only 30% of captive animals released survived. Over half the deaths were caused by humans in incidents such as shootings and car accidents. The animals were also more susceptible to starvation and disease than their wild counterparts and less able to form successful social groups. The research team from the University of Exeter was led by Kristen Jule and highlights the need for these projects to be reassessed so that animals are better prepared for living in their natural environment. This could include reducing contact with humans, creating opportunities for hunting and encouraging the formation of natural social groups, while the animals are still in captivity. The research also raised the need for long-term monitoring of released animals, so that success could be measured over several years. In addition, the paper points to the need for engagement with local communities before any reintroduction, especially as most carnivore extinctions were originally caused through conflict between animals and humans.
Center for Conservation Research Raises Mountain Yellow-legged Frogs
January 20, 2008 www.upi.com
SAN DIEGO, Jan. 20 (UPI) -- Scientists at the San Diego Zoo are raising 65 mountain yellow-legged frogs, in an effort to stave off extinction for the dwindling species. There are only about 150 to 200 of the frogs left in the wild, and with the creeks that serve as their habitat ravaged by drought and fire, that number is likely to decrease, The Riverside (Calif.) Press-Enterprise reported Sunday. The scientists working on the effort at the zoo's Center for Conservation and Research -- the first ever to raise the frogs from tadpoles in captivity -- hope they will be able to release the frogs into the wild once their habitat has stabilized to become more hospitable, the newspaper said. The World Association of Zoos and Aquariums and three other international groups have designated 2008 the year of the frog, and conservationists worldwide will be working to protect the one-third of the planet's 6,000 amphibian species that face extinction. Inland frogs fighting for species' survival
Breeding Mountain Yellow-legged Frogs at CRES
January 21, 2008 www.pe.co By JENNIFER BOWLES
Scientists at the San Diego Zoo's center for Conservation and Research for Endangered Species have raised 65 mountain yellow-legged frogs from tadpoles, hoping they grow to breeding age so their offspring can be returned to the Inland mountains. With only 150 to 200 mountain yellow-legged frogs left in the wild, the 65 living in a San Diego conservation facility could be the species' best chance for survival. No one's ever really kept them or bred them in captivity, so it's all kind of brand new, it's what we're going for," said Jeff Lemm, research coordinator. The research facility beside the zoo's Wild Animal Park is known for its frozen zoo of animal cells, forensic pathology lab and efforts to conserve endangered species in the wild. It doesn't normally harbor animals larger than insects or the eggs of lizards and birds that are incubated there, said Allison Alberts, the zoo's director of conservation and research. But, she said, federal and state scientists who scooped the frogs up as tiny tadpoles from a creek north of Idyllwild in the San Jacinto Mountains 16 months ago asked CRES officials to care for them because the amphibians faced certain death.
The World Association of Zoos and Aquariums and three other international groups have issued a declaration that 2008 is the year of the frog and the World Conservation Union (IUCN) as part of the declaration, has identified four frogs in the U.S. as the most critically endangered, including the mountain yellow-legged frog and the California red-legged frog, the amphibian made famous by Mark Twain's "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County." The declaration came in response to last year's launch of the Amphibian Ark, an unprecedented effort to save an entire class of animals, said Jeffrey Bonner, president of the St. Louis Zoo in Missouri and chairman of the ark initiative. Zoos plan to take into protective custody 500 members of 500 species of frogs, toads and salamanders worldwide that are nearing extinction and breed them to ensure they survive into the future. At least one-third of the world's estimated 6,000 amphibian species, which have been on the planet for 400 million years, are threatened with extinction, according to the World Conservation Union. Activities at zoos around the world, including the Living Desert in Palm Desert, will occur on Feb. 29, which happens to be Leap Day.
L.A. Zoo Rescues Blind Seal
January 21, 2008 ap.google.com By Associated Press
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A blind harbor seal named Alfred was rescued off the coast of New Jersey nearly a year ago and, after a long search by the Marine Mammal Stranding Center, the L.A. Zoo took him in October. After a period of quarantine he was placed with four female seals at the Sea Life Cliffs habitat near the zoo's entrance. "He is displaying all the behaviors that we would see in a mating ritual," said zoo trainer Lauren Whittemore. Alfred is missing one eye and is blind in the other. He uses the sensitive nerve endings in his whiskers to find his way around his new home. His weight has doubled since he was found last February.
National Zoo Asian Elephant A.I.
January 21, 2008 dcist.com
The zoo conducted two artificial insemination procedures on Shanthi the elephant this week. They'll be monitoring her hormones for the next ten weeks to see if it worked. The zoo tried unsuccessfully to impregnate Shanthi in April. The last Asian elephant birth at the zoo was of Kandula in 2001.
Actor Tries to Shut Down LA Zoo’s Elephant Program
January 21, 2008 www.myfoxla.com
LOS ANGELES -- In a lawsuit filed Aug. 2 against the city of Los Angeles and L.A. Zoo director John Lewis, actor Robert Culp and real estate agent Aaron Leider maintain zoo authorities have withheld medical care, kept elephants confined in a small area and used bull hooks and electric shock to control them. After prevailing against the city's motion in October contesting the legal sufficiency of the suit, the men now want a preliminary injunction shutting down the exhibit and stopping the ongoing construction pending trial of their lawsuit, which seeks to make both steps permanent. A hearing is set for Feb. 6. The Los Angeles Zoo's elephant exhibit is currently home to a lone pachyderm -- 21-year-old Billy. "If (zoo officials) are allowed to proceed with their plans while this action is pending, (they) will waste tens of millions of dollars more on an exhibit and program which will injure, cause great physical pain, suffering and premature death to the elephants," attorney David B. Casselman, representing Culp and Leider, said in a declaration filed Jan. 14 in support of a preliminary injunction. Deputy City Attorney John A. Carvalho was not immediately available for comment, but said previously that the zoo is in full compliance with federal and state statutes.
Brookfield Zoo Giraffe Strangles
January 21, 2008 www.chicagosuburbannews.com
BROOKFIELD, Illinois -- Brookfield Zoo is waiting to hear from USDA
officials on whether they will conduct an investigation into the third
unexpected death of a zoo animal in less than six months. Dusti,
an 11-year-old giraffe was found dead of a broken neck after becoming
tangled in a rope that was part of a pulley system used to hoist food
into the air. Kim Smith, vice president of Animal Care for the
Chicago Zoological Society, which manages Brookfield Zoo, said the
pulley system has been removed and zoo staff are trying to figure out
how Dusti got caught in the rope. Dusti, who was 17 feet tall, reached
his neck over his enclosure door, around a 90-degree corner and across
6 1/2 feet into a keeper corridor where the rope was fastened flat
against the wall with safety clips. Broken pieces of those clips
were found on the ground of the corridor. At 4:30 a.m. Saturday a
keeper checked on Dusti, who was doing fine inside his nighttime
enclosure. At 7 a.m. one of the Dusti’s zookeepers found him
unresponsive in Habitat Africa! The Savannah. Dusti was hand-reared at
Florida’s Busch Gardens. He arrived at Brookfield Zoo in 1998 and had
three offspring including 1-year-old female Arnieta. Along with Arnieta
the three other female giraffe’s are Jasiri, 2; Franny, 16; and Mithra,
17. Zoos typically keep only one male giraffe at a time and it will
begin the process of finding a new male giraffe.
Snow Leopard Cubs at L.A. Zoo
January 21, 2008 www.kspr.com By Kyle Bosch
Terry and Tom, born May 25th, and are the first snow leopards born at the L.A. Zoo in 22 years. An estimated 5,000 - 7,000 remain in the wild.
Western Plains Zoo Name Change
January 21, 2008 www.abc.net.au By Justin Huntsdale
DUBBO, NSW, Australia -- According to CEO Guy Cooper, Taronga Conservation Society Australia is well known for its scientific research and work for animal welfare. By renaming the Western Plains Zoo, the Taronga Western Plains Zoo, people will realize the Zoo's commitment to conservation. “This new name is an umbrella name that better describes our activities to the community,” Mr. Cooper said. As part of the changes, the Taronga Foundation is offering funding for zookeepers to do their own conservation projects. “Taronga has announced $80,000 for that program. There’s already two projects underway to breed endangered Booroolong Frogs and support for Sumatran Rhinoceros in Indonesia,” Mr. Cooper said.
Photos of the Worlds Most Endangered Amphibians
January 21, 2008 news.mongabay.com
The Zoological Society of London’s EDGE initiative is dedicated to preserving what the group says are some of the world's strangest and most vulnerable amphibian species. Helen Meredith is the EDGE Amphibians coordinator and the group recently released a list of the 100 most endangered and unique species. The top 10 needing urgent conservation attention are: The Chinese giant salamander, the world's largest amphibian. It is part of a distinct evolutionary lineage from the age of dinosaurs and can reach almost 6 feet in length. The Sagalla caecilian looks like a worm, but is actually a type of limbless amphibian with sensory tentacles on the sides of its head. The purple frog was found only in 2003, because it spends most of its time deep underground, up to 12 feet below the surface. Six species of ghost frogs from South Africa, one of which lives only in the traditional burial grounds of Skeleton Gorge in Table Mountain. The olm, a transparent amphibian found in subterranean caves. It is blind and hunts prey using a keen sense of smell as well as sensors that can detect weak electrical fields. It can also live for up to ten years with no food. The Gardiner's Seychelles frog is less than half an inch long and is perhaps the world's smallest frog. The lungless salamanders of Mexico breathe through their skin and mouth lining. The Chile Darwin's frog may already be extinct. It has not been seen since the 1980s. The Betic midwife toad from Spain, whose males carry fertilized eggs wrapped around their hind legs.
Allison Alberts Lectures on California Condor
January 21, 2008 www.newuniversity.org By Kathryn Hayward
Allison Alberts, director of Conservation and Research for the San Diego Zoological Society, discussed the California Condor Recovery Program in a lecture at the U.C. Irvine Beckman Center, Jan. 16. She explained that in 1987, the USFWS brought the last remaining 27 California condors to the San Diego Wild Animal Park and the Los Angeles Zoo to begin an intensive captive breeding program. The program stipulated that the birds be reintroduced to the wild in three distinct populations, 150 birds in each, with release sites in California, Arizona and Mexico. By 1992 the species’ population had doubled. By 2003, the first condors released into the wild in California began to breed. A part of the program’s success is due to the bird’s reproductive habits - If their first egg is removed, then within 25 to 30 days, another is laid. This practice allowed researchers the benefit of having each bird produce two eggs—one fledgling to be raised by researchers, and the other by its condor parents. Several populations are now thriving in the Ojai and Hopper Mountain regions of California, as well as the Grand Canyon in Arizona, the third population was re-introduced to Baja California, Mexico in August of 2002. The chosen release site is located in the Sierra San Pedro National Park, and consists of a 60-by-60-by-30-feet enclosed holding pen, where researchers and field biologists study the behavioral and physical conditions of the condors. Today, 298 members of this species exist, 144 of them living in the wild, according to the Center for Conservation and Research of Endangered Species. Alberts believes it will take decades before the program reaches its end goal of 150 birds at each site in California, Arizona and Mexico.
Taronga Takeover of Dubbo Zoo
January 22, 2008 dubbo.yourguide.com.au By LYNTON GRACE
DUBBO, NSW, Australia -- Western Plains Zoo, Dubbo’s premier tourist attraction, has taken on the name of its Sydney counterpart, Taronga Zoo. It has changed its name to Taronga Western Plains Zoo (TWPZ). The name change is part of a wider change to tie the two zoos together under the Taronga brand name. Research, conducted over a number of years, found the name Taronga had national and international recognition, according to the zoos’ director and chief executive, Guy Cooper. The name change - and new logo - means any breeding programs occurring at Western Plains Zoo will now come under the respected Taronga name, increasing the programs’ awareness both nationally and overseas. New names and logos will be put in place progressively. Rather than spend money changing uniforms or equipment upfront, items will be replaced in a phased-in approach as they require updating or renewal.
Manila Zoo to swap crocodiles for elephants, giraffes
January 22, 2008 newsinfo.inquirer.net By Tina Santos
MANILA, Philippines – The Manila Zoological and Botanical Garden opened its doors to the public on July 25, 1959. It has about 500 animals - 30 mammal species, 63 reptilian species and 13 species of birds. With a growing population of more than 40 crocodiles, Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim would like to exchange about 20 of them for animals like elephants, zebras and giraffes to diversify the zoo’s animal collection. He said the city government has written to Thailand and India about the possibility of getting some elephants. The Zoo recently received two tigers from Camp Farms in Palayan City, Nueva Ecija, and a reptile from Cayman Islands.
Al Ain Zoo Part of $1 Billion Leisure Center
January 22, 2008 www.ameinfo.com
The Al Ain Zoo in the United Arab Emirates is being transformed into a $1billion leisure and wildlife destination. The Al Ain Wildlife Park and Resort visitors will be an integrated entertainment, hospitality, retail and residential development. Residing at the foothills of Jebel Hafeet, the project will cover 900 hectares, with more than a third of the area dedicated to wildlife desert safaris. The first phase of the development is due for completion by the end of 2010.
Calgary Zoo Adopts New Management Structure
January 22, 2008 www.canada.com By David Parker
With Keith Scott’s resignation from the Calgary Zoo, his many duties have been re-aligned within a new executive team. The biggest change is to the workload of Wade Harper, former senior manager of sales and marketing. Harper is now the director and will oversee the majority of areas within the zoo's revenue stream. As a member of the executive team, he is responsible for membership, admissions, marketing, advertising, promotion, group sales, special events and continuing education. The zoo has 82,000 members and attracts 1.2 million visitors each year. There is a full-time staff of 180-plus seasonal staff and more than 600 volunteers. The zoo's annual budget is $26 million and, of that, Harper's group brings in approximately $17 million -- $10 million of which is from admissions. This year, he is expecting a big boost to the visitor count as well as memberships, thanks to a couple of big attractions: Malti, a baby elephant, and a new stingray tank. The zoo plans to use a new point of sales system called Patron's Edge, which will provide instant visitor data and let people book tickets online. And a new website is being built by Suitcase Interactive that will let members upgrade their information, renew memberships and add a guest pass from their home computers. The completion of the new North Gate entrance will provide a two-stage approach.
Giant Aquarium to Open in Moscow Zoo
January 22, 2008 www.russia-ic.com
Visitors will walk in long transparent underwater tunnels and admire life of water kingdom. Giant aquarium will occupy an old building, which belongs to the Zoo. The water complex will also include an audience hall, a large auditorium for lectures and several cafes. A future cinema complex will show popular science and educational films. The Oceanarium will be built on Poklonnaya Gora in 2009.
WWF Malaysia Focuses on 3 Borneo Species
January 22, 2008 www.nst.com.my
KOTA KINABALU: WWF Malaysia is focusing more attention on the endangered Borneo pygmy elephants, Sumatran rhinoceros and orang-utan. The newly established Borneo Species Program (BSP) will work with the Sabah Wildlife Department and other conservation groups to come up with fresh conservation ideas. WWF Borneo program chief technical officer Dr Rahimatsah Amat said, "The BSP covers the Kinabatangan Corridor of Life area and the tri-national Heart of Borneo. These are the key areas. Through this new program, we will continue to collar elephants with transmitters to follow their movements and to place cameras in rhino habitats to try and photograph them," he said. The BSP is supported by WWF-Netherlands, WWF-UK, WWF-Germany, WWF-US, the US Fish and Wildlife Service and Honda Malaysia. So far 11 elephants have been collared with satellite tracking devices, and data obtained has helped plan land use particularly in the Ulu Segama and Malua forest reserves in eastern Sabah. WWF Malaysia is also leading the preparation of a management plan for rhino conservation in Sabah, noting that there are only about 25 to 50 rhinos left in the state.
Gharials Dying in India
January 22, 2008 www.nytimes.com By SAHER MAHMOOD
NEW DELHI — Three decades after it was brought back from the brink of extinction, the Indian gharial is turning up dead by the dozens on the banks of a river called the Chambal. Since mid-December, the National Chambal Wildlife Sanctuary has confirmed 76 deaths along the river, which begins in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh and runs through Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. The initial post-mortem reports suggested the cause of death to be liver cirrhosis and stomach ulcers. Further tests show lead levels in the liver that “though not toxic, can trigger suppression of the immune system,” Mr. Sudhakar added. All the more puzzling, other species that inhabit the Chambal River ecosystem, including dozens of fish species on which the gharials feed, appear to be healthy. Follow-up tests on the fish also revealed heightened lead content. But in both the fish and the gharials, the lead levels are below levels considered lethal, the forest official said. The gharial, native to South Asia, is one of the most endangered freshwater crocodile species. WWF believes it is extinct in its former habitats of Pakistan, Bhutan and Myanmar. An estimated 1,300 gharials remain in the wild, and the IUCN recently upgraded it from being an “endangered” to a “critically endangered” species. The recent deaths have further depleted the stock of breeding pairs to less than 200.
Bird Die-Off at Great Salt Lake in Utah
January 22, 2008 www.nytimes.com
Avian cholera is caused by the bacterium Pasteurella multocida, and is the most prevalent infectious disease among wild North American waterfowl. It was first reported in this country in the 1940s and has cropped up every few years in recent decades. In 1994, it killed 10,000 birds in the Great Salt Lake. The disease flourishes in cold weather and last November was the coldest on record. It spreads rapidly among concentrated bird populations with limited food resources. About 15,000 birds (eared grebes, ruddy ducks, California gulls and northern shovelers) recently at the Great Salt Lake. Dr. Krysten Schuler, an ecologist at the National Wildlife Health Center, said avian cholera was probably spread by “carrier birds.” Mr. Aldrich agreed, pointing out that the eared grebes were “the first birds to get infected with avian cholera.” “It is very unlikely that a human would develop an infection from eating a bird infected with P. multocida,” Dr. Schuler said. “But they could become infected if a wound or scratch is contaminated. A respiratory infection is possible if a person is working with carcasses in an enclosed, poorly ventilated area.”
Animal Politics
January 22, 2008 www.nytimes.com By NATALIE ANGIER
Researchers who study highly gregarious and intelligent species like rhesus monkeys, baboons, dolphins, sperm whales, elephants and wolves have lately uncovered evidence of extraordinarily sophisticated forms of politicking, often across large and far-flung social networks. Male dolphins, organize themselves into at least three nested tiers of friends and accomplices, said Richard C. Connor of the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth. They maintain their alliances through elaborately synchronized twists, leaps and spins like Blue Angel pilots blazing their acrobatic fraternity on high. Among elephants, it is the females who are the politicians, cultivating robust and lifelong social ties with at least 100 other elephants, a task made easier by their power to communicate infrasonically across miles of savanna floor. Wolves, maintain a hierarchical society unless a pack leader proves a tyrant, and subordinate wolves will collude to overthrow the top cur. Political skills — the ability to please and placate, manipulate and intimidate, trade favors and scratch backs are utilized and over time these social demands may come to swamp all other selective pressures in the environment, possibly serving as the dominant spur for the evolution of ever-bigger brains. Dario Maestripieri, a primatologist at the University of Chicago, says “The paradox of a highly social species like rhesus monkeys and humans is that our complex sociality is the reason for our success, but it’s also the source of our greatest troubles. Throughout human history, you see that the worst problems for people almost always come from other people, and it’s the same for the monkeys. You can put them anywhere, but their main problem is always going to be other rhesus monkeys.”
Risk of an Avian Flu Pandemic
January 22, 2008 www.nytimes.com By DONALD G. McNEIL Jr.
Last year there were 86 confirmed human cases of avian flu compared with 115 in 2006, and 59 deaths compared with 79. But avian flu has not gone away. Nor has it become less lethal or less widespread in birds. The world is clearly more prepared. Vaccines have been developed. Stockpiles of Tamiflu and masks have grown. Many countries, cities, companies and schools have written pandemic plans. Bernard Vallat, director general of the World Organization for Animal Health, recently called the virus “extremely stable” and, thus, less likely to mutate into a pandemic form. Virologists who argued three years ago that H5N1 would not “go pandemic” feel vendicated. Dr. Paul A. Offit, a vaccine specialist at Children’s Hospital in Philadelphia, said “H5 viruses have been around for 100 years and never caused a pandemic and probably never will.” But he backed all preparedness efforts because he expected another pandemic from an H1, H2 or H3, the subtypes responsible for six previous epidemics, including the catastrophic one in 1918.
According to Michael T. Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, the virus is still circulating and has evolved 10 clades and hundreds of variants. He noted that the H3N8 flu found in horses in the 1960s took 40 years to adapt to dogs, but that since 2004 it has spread to kennels all over the country. The most worrisome aspect of H5N1, virtually all scientists agree, is that it persists in birds without becoming less lethal to them. It is now endemic in local birds in Egypt, Indonesia and Nigeria, Bangladesh, Vietnam and parts of China. Reports of recurrent outbreaks also persist in parts of India, Myanmar and Pakistan. Dr. Henry L. Niman, a biochemist in Pittsburgh whose Web site tracks mutations, argues that there is a separate reservoir in wild birds that extends across Eurasia. Late each fall, fresh outbreaks appear across Europe and down into the Middle East as geese and swans migrate from Asia toward Africa. In December, dying birds were found in Poland and Russia, in Saudi Arabia and even in a kindergarten petting zoo in Israel. On Jan. 8, it reached one of England’s most famous swan-breeding grounds, the Abbotsbury Swannery, which has been around since the 11th century. The Western Hemisphere is in less danger, according to a study published in the journal PloS Pathogens, which analyzed viruses found in migratory birds sampled from 2001 to 2006 in Alberta and along the Jersey Shore. It found that none carried whole viruses from Eurasian bird pathways. Therefore, the authors argued, it is more likely that any importation of the virus would be in “birds moved legally or illegally by humans.”
Ruling on Whales and Navy Sonar
January 22, 2008 www.nytimes.com
According to a federal district judge Florence-Marie Cooper in California, the Navy’s own research predicted that its sonar training exercises off the California coast will cause widespread harm — and possibly permanent injury or death — to nearly 30 species of marine mammals, including five species of endangered whales. There is little doubt that the Navy’s mid-frequency active sonar is an effective tool for locating quiet-running submarines and that training is needed in shallow, offshore waters where sound propagates differently than in the open ocean. The rub is that the sonar, which generates extremely intense underwater sound, is harmful to marine mammals that depend on their own sensitive acoustical systems to feed, communicate and navigate. The waters off Southern California are teeming with vulnerable species. Early this month, Judge Cooper issued a tough set of mitigation measures — such as shutting off the sonar when mammals are too close — that the Navy must take to avoid a ban on its training activities. That seemed reasonable, especially given the Navy’s own analysis of the potential harm. Last Wednesday, however, President Bush attempted to override the court order by granting the Navy waivers, on national security grounds, from two environmental laws on which the decision was based. That led the judge to stay some restrictions while leaving others in place.
Chester Zoo Program to Save Amphibians
January 22, 2008 news.bbc.co.uk
Chester Zoo has developed equipment to help save hundreds of species of frogs from extinction. The new apparatus, the Apod, pumps clean air into the zoo's bio-secure breeding zones, preventing the spread of airborne diseases. Hundreds of endangered frogs are born in environmentally-controlled zones at Chester Zoo every year, and experts wanting to safeguard their survival designed the Apod.
Hungry Tanzania Refugees Killing Endangered Species
January 22, 2008 www.nytimes.com By Reuters
NAIROBI – The international conservation group TRAFFIC reports that
refugees living near national parks in northwestern Tanzania are eating
chimpanzees and other endangered species (buffalo, topi, eland,
elephant and waterbuck) in order to supplement their meager diet.
In neighboring Kenya, aid and conservation groups said refugee camps
housing thousands of people were damaging the environment, as displaced
people chopped down trees for firewood.
George Jambiya, lead author
of the Traffic report on Tanzania, said the refugees' vegetarian food
aid rations were partly to blame for the poaching problem. "The scale
of wild meat consumption in East African refugee camps has helped
conceal the failure of the international community to meet basic
refugee needs," he added. Traffic's report was based on studies carried
out in 2005 and 2006. But Christiane Berthiaume of the World Food
Programme (WFP), a U.N. agency which feeds 215,00 refugees in Tanzania,
said in Geneva that meat spoiled quickly and canned meat was much more
expensive. Substituting canned meat for the cheaper beans that
currently supplied protein would add $46 million to the estimated $60
million cost of feeding Tanzania's refugees in 2007 and 2008, she said.
Since the east African nation's independence in 1961, more than 20
major refugee camps have been established close to game reserves,
national parks or other protected areas. Of these, 13 still existed in
2005, Traffic said. According to the U.N. refugee agency Tanzania
hosted 11 camps in January 2007, housing 287,061 refugees, down from
350,590 in 2005. Most of the refugees fled conflict in Burundi
and the Democratic Republic of Congo from as far back as the 1960s, and
Rwanda in the 1990s.
5-year Review for 10 Listed Species
January 23, 2008
www.epa.gov
The USFWS is initiating 5-year reviews of the endangered Peter's Mountain mallow (Iliamna corei), Jesup's milk-vetch (Astragalus robbinsii var. jesupi), James spinymussel (Pleurobema collina), sandplain gerardia (Agalinis acuta), harperella (Ptilimnium nodosum), Shenandoah salamander (Plethodon shenandoah), American chaffseed (Schwalbea americana), and rough rabbitsfoot (Quadrula cylindrica strigillata), and the threatened Northeastern beach tiger beetle (Cicindela dorsalis dorsalis) and Virginia spiraea (Spiraea virginiana) Any new information on these species that may have a bearing on their classification as endangered or threatened should be received no later than March 24, 2008. However, we will continue to accept new information about any listed species at any time. For further information contact: Ms. Mary Parkin, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Northeast Region, 300 Westgate Center Drive, Hadley, MA 01035, 413-253-8617 or 617-876-6173, or via electronic mail at mary_parkin@fws.gov
The Importance of Seed Banks
January 23, 2008 www.enn.com
MEXICO CITY — At the end of January, more than 200,000 crop varieties from Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East—drawn from vast seed collections maintained by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR)—will be shipped to a remote island near the Arctic Circle, where they will be stored in the Svalbard Global Seed Vault (SGSV), a facility capable of preserving their vitality for thousands of years. The cornucopia of rice, wheat, beans, sorghum, sweet potatoes, lentils, chick peas and a host of other food, forage and agroforestry plants is to be safeguarded in the facility, which was created as a repository of last resort for humanity’s agricultural heritage. The seeds will be shipped to the village of Longyearbyen on Norway’s Svalbard archipelago, where the vault has been constructed in a mountain deep inside the Arctic permafrost. The vault was built by the Norwegian government as a service to the global community, and a Rome-based international NGO, the Global Crop Diversity Trust, will fund its operation. The vault will open on 26 February 2008. This first installment from the CGIAR collections will contain duplicates from international agricultural research centers based in Benin, Colombia, Ethiopia, India, Kenya, Mexico, Nigeria, Peru, the Philippines and Syria. Collectively, the CGIAR centers maintain 600,000 plant varieties in crop genebanks, which are widely viewed as the foundation of global efforts to conserve agricultural biodiversity.
Oakland Zoo Mistakenly Ejects a Visitor
January 23, 2008 www.sfgate.com By Phillip Matier,Andrew Ross
A professor of animal behavior from the University of the Pacific in
Stockton says he was ejected from the Oakland Zoo after pointing out
what he considered to be a dangerously inadequate fence at the tiger
exhibit. On Jan. 9 Professor Tenaza started taking photos of the tiger
exhibit, when zoo marketing director Nancy Filippi angrily approached
him and demanded that he stop. Tenaza mentioned it looked as though the
tigers could escape by climbing over a section of the fence, at which
point Filippi "flew into an absolute rage and summoned the zoo's head
of security," he said. Soon, Tenaza found himself being escorted out.
Zoo officials insist it was all an unfortunate misunderstanding, saying
everyone there has been a bit skittish since the fatal tiger attack at
the San Francisco Zoo on Christmas Day. Oakland Zoo director Joel
Parrott tells us that there is no prohibition on picture taking, but
that the tiger exhibit was closed at the time.
The tiger exhibit has been periodically off-limits to the public since
the San Francisco attack to allow crews to shore up low spots along the
fence, Parrott said. In some places, that fence was found to be 3 feet
lower than a national zoo association's recommended height of 16 1/2
feet, he said. No sooner did we speak to Parrott on Tuesday than
Tenaza received an e-mail from the zoo director, saying his staff had
mistaken him for an animal rights activist, apologizing for the
"inconvenience" and encouraging him to return. But the
soft-spoken Tenaza - who canceled his newly purchased zoo membership
after being booted - says he isn't rushing back.
Evolutionary Dynamics of Wild Populations
January 23, 2008 publishing.royalsociety.org By LEB Kruuk & WG Hill
This special issue of Proceedings B is free online and focuses on new developments in long-term analyses of animal populations where pedigree information has been collected. A range of studies illustrates their use in addressing fundamental questions concerning the genetic basis of phenotypic diversity, patterns of natural and sexual selection, the occurrence of inbreeding and inbreeding depression, and speciation. Within this framework, several important current challenges in evolutionary biology are addressed, including the analysis of evolutionary responses to climate change, exploration of the genetic basis of senescence, the exploitation of rapid advancements in molecular genetic technology, and in-depth reviews of developments in quantitative genetic statistical methodology. With study species ranging from lizards to humans, from sparrows to red deer, this unique collection provides a fascinating overview of the wealth of information available from long-term studies.
Still No Proof of Ivory-billed Woodpecker
January 23, 2008 www.nytimes.com
It has been almost three years since a research team, led by Cornell University and the Nature Conservancy, announced the rediscovery of the ivory-billed woodpecker in the Big Woods — a 550,000-acre tract of bottomland hardwood forest in Arkansas. Researchers have also reported spotting an ivory-billed woodpecker in a northwest Florida swamp, and the USFWS has recommended spending $27 million on recovery efforts for the woodpecker. Just after the sighting was announced, local economies seemed to benefit for a while as scientists, bird-watchers and news media outlets from around the world flocked to the area around the Big Woods. Lately, though, the ivory-billed boom has pretty much evaporated, especially since researchers and bird-watchers have failed to take a definitive picture of the woodpecker. A blurry video clip released when the rediscovery was announced failed to convince many ornithologists of the animal’s existence, and although there have since been plenty of purported sightings, there is still no picture.
Wind Energy Grows 45% in 2007
January 23, 2008 www.enn.com
The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) reported last week record growth in wind power generation with 5,244 megawatts of capacity installed in 2007 — a 45% increase reflecting $9 billion in investment and 30% of all new power generating capacity in 2007. 2008, however, will likely show growing pains as there is a current shortage of wind turbines, a situation that the AWEA sees as a big opportunity for manufacturers and entrepreneurs wishing to get in on a growing market. There’s always a better mouse trap — wind energy technology is ripe for imaginative innovators to not only fill the current need for parts, but to continually make those parts better. It is also time for government to step up to the plate and push forward in support of alternative energy in a big way. Congress is debating this week the future of alternative energy tax credits set to expire this year with no current provision for renewal. While the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 recently signed in Congress does provide $2 billion dollars in research for alternative energy, it still pales in comparison to subsidies given the fossil fuel industry.
Pacific Northwest Invasive Species Survey
January 23, 2008 www.fws.gov
Scientists at Portland State University and the University of Washington have jointly completed the first targeted survey of nonnative aquatic plants and animals in the middle Columbia River (Bonneville Dam to Priest Rapids Dam) and the lower Snake River (upstream to the Washington-Idaho border). The study, funded by the U.S.F.W.S. documented the introduction of 50 species since the 1880s. Fish such as the common carp and eastern brook trout represented the majority of introduced species, but the list also includes aquatic plants, crustaceans, mollusks and worms. The survey discovered three new introduced species of small crustaceans not reported previously in the Columbia River basin. These animals include: *The isopod Caecidotea laticaudatus; * The amphipod Crangonyx floridanus (also present in the San Francisco Bay/Sacramento River system); *And the harpacticoid copepod Harpacticella paradoxa (also present in Klamath River estuary, Calif., and the Samish River estuary, Wash.). The Middle Columbia River Aquatic Nonindigenous Species Survey (MCRANS) included a review of scientific papers and publications as well as samples collected from numerous locations in the middle Columbia and lower Snake Rivers during 2006. "The Columbia River system is part of the lifeblood of the Pacific Northwest, and this survey represents an important step in measuring the extent that nonnative species have changed that system," said Ren Lohoefener, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Pacific region director, Portland.
Germany Debates Hand-rearing Polar Bear Cubs
January 24, 2008 www.independent.co.uk
The Knut phenomenon is currently causing a major debate about the rights of caged animals in Germany. Soon, a female called Flocke will go on exhibit at the Nuremberg zoo in what promises to be a repetition of the Knut treatment. While some insist that bears born in zoos have a right to human intervention to save and secure their lives, others such as the German animal rights activist, Frank Albrecht argue that they become so dependent on man that they end up divorced from nature and turn into hyperactive, disturbed freaks. The German zoologist Peter Arras has described Knut as a "psychopath". A team of highly experienced zoologists initially argued that nature should take its course. They allowed one of the females, which had rejected its two cubs, to kill and eat her offspring because they were too weak to survive. But the zoo's "bear infanticide" policy coincided with television pictures designed to promote viewers’ sympathy, and within hours of the broadcast, Nuremberg Zoo revised their policy: a keeper was sent into the enclosure and Flocke was removed "for her own safety". Amid growing fears that the last remaining cub might also be eaten the zoo promptly announced that the cub would be fed from a bottle. Meanwhile, Knut faces an uncertain and lonely future. The German media like to think Flocke holds the key to his salvation and that she will eventually become his mate. But for most zoologists the idea is pure fantasy. "Knut won't manage anything with a female bear, I guarantee that," insisted Dr Arras.
WCS Measures its Carbon Footprint
January 24, 2008 www.queenstribune.com By Liz Skalka
A carbon footprint is a measure of the amount of greenhouse gases produced from human actions and WCS’s Carbon Footprint Project Team has been collecting data for the project since 2005 for the Bronx Zoo, Central Park Zoo, Prospect Park Zoo and the New York Aquarium. Combined, its City sites emit 34,000 metric tons of greenhouse gases. (The 11acre Queens Zoo, for example, emits only 1,850 metric tons of that total.) WCS plans to collect emissions data from its more than 70 global locations in 52 countries. (Middlebury College located in Vermont, which also measures its emissions, gives off 35,000 metric tons of greenhouse gases per year.) The goal of the study is to help identify ways to help further reduce the amount of greenhouse gases it gives off at its sites. In order to maintain low carbon emissions, all City sites operated by the conservation society have recycling bins, recyclable zoo maps, water faucet timers in restrooms and sustainable seafood for animal and visitor consumption. The organization also tries to reduce the amount of paper waste in its offices and encourages employee carpooling.
Roan Antelopes Reintroduced to Swaziland
January 24, 2008 afp.google.com By the AFP
DVUR-KRALOVE-NAD-LABEM, Czech Republic (AFP) — Swaziland's last roan antelope (Hipporagus equines), or gemsbok in Afrikaans, was killed in a trap in 1961. Now Swaziland has adopted tough conservation laws allowing rangers to open fire on poachers and three female gemsboks, born in 2005 and 2006 at the Dvur-Kralove-nad-Labem "safari park", Northeast of Prague leave this week for the Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary in Swaziland. They will join other animals offered by Britain's Marwell zoo in Hampshire, also progeny of Czech-born parents. The Czech complex says it has some of the worlds largest groups of certain species of giraffe, antelope, and rhino. Since the end of the 1960s, they have raised 316 young antelopes. Females are of prime importance for the reintroduction program, because antelope groups are usually headed by a sole, dominant male, which can weigh up to 660 pounds and is surrounded by females and young animals. “Their horns will be wrapped in a sort of plastic pipe to avoid injury during the trip," explained Zdenek Barta, who is in charge of the animal exchange program. The Czech zoo, sends animals back to their homeland free of charge, with transportation and follow-up veterinary supervision paid for by the South African organization “Back to Africa. The species still survives in a few South African, Kenyan and Rwandan reserves and a handful of European zoos.
Elephant Conservation Projects
January 24, 2008 www.pr-usa.net www.aza.org
The International Elephant Foundation (IEF) and the AZA have
announced their support for 15 new elephant conservation projects for
2008, marking a record level of support. “Elephants all over the
world need our help,” said IEF President Michael Fouraker. “The grants
made today by the International Elephant Foundation support critical
elephant conservation programs.” IEF is a non-profit organization
that supports and operates elephant conservation and education programs
both in managed facilities and in the wild, with emphasis on
management, protection and scientific research. IEF receives the
majority of its funding from members of the AZA. “Without the support
of AZA-accredited zoos and their elephant programs, we would not be
able to generate a record $1.5 million for elephant conservation,”
Fouraker added. For 2008, IEF will support the following elephant
conservation projects:
HABITAT PROTECTION –
Kalama Community Wildlife Conservancy: Community Conservation of
Elephants in Northern Kenya and Prey Proseth Elephant Conservation
Community, Cambodia
ANTI-POACHING - Enforcement
of Poaching Control and Bush Meat Trade In and Around WAZA National
Park, Cameroon and Lake George Marine Ranger Station: the
Waterways Project, Uganda.
REDUCTION OF HUMAN-ELEPHANT CONFLICT
–Movement, Population Distribution and Social Dynamics of African
Elephants in Kunene and Omusati Region of Namibia. Support for
the core activities of Save The Elephants. Mahouts and Their
Elephants Working as Conservation Response Units in Sumatra.
Saving Elephants By Helping People, Sri Lanka Building Capacities for
Mitigating HEC in Buxa-Jaldapara Landscape, Northern West Bengal,
India.
ECOTOURISM/ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION
– Children and Elephants of Boromo Region, Burkina Faso. Direct
Action Education: Cambodian Wild Elephant Conservation Materials,
Cambodia. Support for GAJAH the publication of the IUCN/SSC Asian
Elephant Specialist Group (AsESG)
VETERINARY MEDICINE –Lao Elephant Care and Management
Program, Laos. Ultrasonographic and Endocrinological
Characterization of Luteogenesis in Pregnant and Non-Pregnant Asian
Elephants. Study to reduce elephant deaths caused by
Endotheliotropic Elephant Herpes Virus (EEHV)
USFWS Awards $1.2 Million for African Elephant Conservation
January 24, 2008 www.fws.gov Ken Burton
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has awarded $1,277,921 to support 25 new grants and supplement four existing grants for the conservation of elephants in 15 African countries in 2007. Partners' contributions raised the total amount for elephant conservation to more than $4 million. The grants support field projects in Botswana, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The funding will support a diverse range of activities to improve elephant survivorship, including collaring individual elephants to better understand their seasonal movements, supporting antipoaching efforts (using foot patrols, vehicles, and aircraft), creating environmental education packages for teachers to use in rural schools, and mapping habitat use by local people and their livestock in order to implement more sustainable land use plans. In addition, funding was allocated to three projects that provide assistance in all 37 African elephant range states. Elephant numbers plummeted during the last century from an estimated 10 million animals to fewer than 500,000 by 1989. Congress responded that year by passing the African Elephant Conservation Act, which in turn established the African Elephant Conservation Fund. The Fund is authorized to receive $1.4 to $5.4 million annually. The African Elephant Conservation Fund is administered by the Service's Wildlife Without Borders Program. The funds were established by Congress to provide international assistance for conserving species that face a variety of threats, including poaching, illegal trafficking, human conflict, habitat loss and disease. A complete list of the elephant conservation grants and summaries is at: http://www.fws.gov/international/afecf/afecf.htm
Philadelphia Zoo Hopes for Elephants in the Future
January 24, 2008 www.philly.com By GLORIA CAMPISI
Philadelphia Zoo president Vikram Dewan said "It's our long-term vision" to have an elephant compound of more than 10 acres at the back of the zoo.” The elephants' current habitat consists of a quarter-acre exercise yard, plus a barn where they sleep, but this spring, Kallie, 25, and Bette, 24, and Petal, 51, will be moved to the Pittsburgh Zoo's new 724-acre International Conservation Center in Fairhope, Somerset County, as the conservation center's first residents. Kallie and Bette are of breeding age and will be key contributors to elephant-conservation efforts. But now Dewan is focused on a new aviary, to open on March 21, 2009 – the zoo’s 150th birthday, and a new children's zoo, to be unveiled in late 2009 and in regular use by 2010. After these projects, the zoo can begin raising money for a new elephant exhibit. When planners looked into it several years ago - while still working out the details of the recently opened Big Cat Falls, the aviary and the children's zoo, the cost of an elephant compound was "upwards of $27 million."
Philadelphia Zoo Conservation in Marianas
January 24, 2008 www.mvariety.com By Moneth G. Deposa
Philadelphia Zoo staffers have developed teaching kits for Marianas schools. They have been working in the Mariana islands since 1983, focusing on the re-introduction of the Guam rail, a bird that is no longer found on Guam but has been re-introduced on Rota. The kits have been dispensed in Guam and Rota as a cross-curriculum project to develop love and respect for the natural wildlife. Useful to all grade levels, the kits are interactive, filled with costumes, puppets, masks, flash cards and other materials to assist teachers in presenting information about indigenous birds and bats. Each kit includes a curriculum plan and software to provide teachers with many ideas and approaches to conservation lessons. Zoo staff members travel to the area to show teachers how to incorporate the resource into their lessons. The zoo staff made six presentations on Rota to a total of 575 students and teachers. They made similar presentations in Guam, distributing the kits to public schools.
New Zealand’s Frogs Critically Endangered
January 24, 2008 www.odt.co.nz By Rebecca Fox
NEW ZEALAND -- The Zoological Society of London scientists have assessed all 6296 amphibian species according to how evolutionary distinct and globally endangered (Edge) they are, and this week released its top 100 species which includes New Zealand’s four species of native frogs a group that have changed little in the last 70 million years. They include the critically endangered Archey’s frog (Coromandel and Whareorino Forest), which is rated No 1, and Hamilton’s frog rated No 17. The ‘‘vulnerable’’ Hochstetter’s frog (North Island) is rated No 38 and the nationally endangered Maud Island frog (Marlborough Sounds) No 58. Edge amphibians coordinator Helen Meredith, of England, said Edge amphibians were the most remarkable and unusual species on the planet and yet an alarming 85% of the top 100 were not receiving conservation attention and would become extinct if action was not taken now. Edge program head Dr Jonathan Baillie said one in every three amphibian species was threatened with extinction, a far higher proportion than bird or mammal species.
Recovery Plan for Puget Sound Killer Whales
January 24, 2008 www.sanluisobispo.com By DONNA GORDON BLANKINSHIP
SEATTLE --The National Marine Fisheries Service has released its
recovery plan for Puget Sound's threatened killer whales. The goal is
to enable the "southern resident" population of orcas to be taken off
the endangered species list by helping their numbers grow by an average
of 2.3 percent per year for the next 28 years. If the population
increases for 14 years, the whales could be listed as threatened, a
less severe category under the federal Endangered Species Act.
There are 88 orcas in the southern population today. Critical
habitat for the orcas covers about 2,500 square miles, including the
waters around the San Juan Islands, the Strait of Juan de Fuca and all
of Puget Sound. The plan calls for:
-Supporting salmon restoration efforts already under way.
-Cleaning up contaminated sites in Puget Sound and reducing pollution in the region.
-Evaluating and improving guidelines for vessel traffic in and around protected areas, and minimizing underwater sound.
-Preventing oil spills and improving response plans when spills occur.
-Improving public education about how to help save the whales.
-Improving responses to sick or stranded orcas.
-Better coordination between U.S., Canadian and agencies from West Coast states.
-Continuing research to improve conservation efforts.
Unique in their diet, language and genetic makeup, southern residents
were listed as endangered in late 2005. Once believed to have numbered
140 or more in the last century, orcas have suffered several periods of
major population decline since the 1960s, when the whales were caught
for aquariums. The population rebounded to 97 in the 1990s, then
declined to 79 in 2001. Killer whales are actually the world's largest
variety of dolphin and can reach close to 30 feet and weigh more than
15,000 pounds at maturity.
Al Ain Zoo Part of $1 billion UAE Resort Development
January 24, 2008 www.business24-7.ae
DUBAI -- Around 750 homes, ranging from apartments to villas, are to be built looking out over newly created Al Ain Zoo desert safari areas - the first time housing and a safari park have been mixed in this way anywhere in the world. Work is expected to begin around the end of this year, and phase one of the park – the African and Arabian safaris and the residential building, complete by the end of 2010. The entire project will be finished by 2012 and will include a five-star resort, a 300-room family hotel and a multi-storey shopping and restaurant complex. From every area there will be clear views of the wildlife roaming free in the surrounding parks, which will include recreation of deserts from Central Asia, Chile, California and Australia. Housing, shops and cafés in each of these zones will reflect that culture, too. Watering holes will be strategically placed so that animals will gather and provide an even better spectacle. Hanan Sayed Worrell, a civil engineer said: “Zoos used to be about protection; in the 1960s and 1970s, people just put a fence around the animals. Then it became restoration, to restore animals to their natural habitat. The next phase, we think, is integration. If people see the Arabian oryx every day, they will understand it or want to know more about it. “It is all about familiarity. So many children are either afraid of animals, or think they are just toys. We want them to experience their life cycle and be able to see how they live. In the meantime, the zoo’s animal husbandry activities will carry on. They will be re-introducing scimitar-horned oryx, addax (antelope) and the Dama gazelle to areas of North Africa, building on their success in bringing the Arabian oryx back to the UAE. .” said Mark Craig who became zoo director in 2006. “Our responsibility is to the UAE, North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula; we don’t want to diversify.”
Lion Cubs at San Diego Zoo’s Wild Animal Park
January 24, 2008 www.imperialvalleynews.com
Four cubs were born to 4-year-old Oshana on Nov. 2 followed by three cubs on Nov. 6 to her 4-year-old sister Mina. A month later the two groups were introduced and instantly became one big pride. "The cubs behaved as if they had always been one pride and extremely vigorous play began immediately," said Marcia Redding, San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park senior keeper. "Mina and Oshana greeted each other with friendly vocalizations and set off to check out each others cubs and dens." The pride will be seen in the mornings daily. Picture at http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-01/25/content_7494842.htm
World’s Larges Reptile Exhibit at Miami Metro Zoo
January 24, 2008 www.nbc6.net
“The Beautiful and the Deadly” is billed as the world’s largest reptile exhibit and offers an assortment of venomous lizards, alligators, crocodiles, snapping turtles and, of course, snakes. The exhibit opens at Miami Metro Zoo on Friday, Jan. 25, and continues through May 11.
Elephants Get Mustard Oil Massage
January 25, 2008 www.dailyindia.com By Kamna Mathur
LUCKNOW, India -- Mahouts at the Lucknow Zoo use about two and half kilogram of lukewarm mustard oil and massage their elephants for at least one hour after their baths to keep their bodies warm. According to Ranu Singh, the Director of the zoo, such a massage helps in improving blood circulation and generating heat. This generates heat in their body. They get tremendous relief and their skin starts shining. Mustard oil helps them get rid of all kinds of infections," she said. In addition, the elephants are being given a special diet of sugarcane. India has over 50 percent of Asiatic elephant population but their population has been dwindling due to poaching. A national census in 2005 shows there were 25,000 to 28,000 elephants in India, including only 1,500 male tuskers of breeding age.
Bolivian Titi Monkeys at Philadelphia Zoo
January 25, 2008 www.nbc10.com
PHILADELPHIA -- A pair of Bolivian grey titi monkeys is due to arrive at the Philadelphia Zoo’s monkey house sometime next week. Zookeepers are preparing their habitat, which at first will be covered with brown paper to allow the monkeys to adjust to their new surroundings before they go on view to the public. Zoo vice president Andrew Baker said the pair usually sits side-by-side and often will braid their long tails together. He said that's behavior you don't see in other monkeys. The female is pregnant so hopeuflly titi babies can be seen in the future.
Amazilia Hummingbirds at London Zoo
January 25, 2008 www.thisislondon.co.uk By Anna Davis
Two rare Amazilia hummingbirds from Equador are the latest additions to London Zoo. They are the only members of this species on exhibit in Britain. They will be introduced at Easter and staff hope they will breed. The hummingbirds will join 50 other species of birds flying freely in the zoo's Blackburn Pavilion, which was built in 1883 and refurbished in March.
Common Human Viruses Threaten Apes
January 25, 2008 www.eurekalert.org
Common human viruses are responsible for outbreaks of respiratory disease that have led to the decline of endangered chimpanzees in the wild, according to a study reported online on January 24th in Current Biology. Fabian Leendertz of Robert Koch-Institut and Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Germany headed a demographic analysis of chimpanzees suggesting there is a correlation between habituation—the proximity between humans and chimps—and disease outbreaks. Previous studies had only demonstrated the spread of relatively mild bacterial and parasitic infections from humans to wild apes. In the new study, the researchers gathered evidence from chimpanzees hit by five distinct respiratory outbreaks between 1999 and 2006 in Côte d'Ivoire, West Africa. The outbreaks sickened almost all of the chimps and led to a significant number of deaths. All available tissue samples taken from chimps who had died tested positive for one of two paramyxoviruses: human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV) or human metapneumovirus (HMPV). HRSV and HMPV are common causes of respiratory disease in humans and are the leading causes of lower respiratory disease in children and, in developing countries. In adults, HRSV and HMPV usually cause mild upper-respiratory-tract infection but can lead to more serious illnesses such as pneumonia. “The viruses we found are very common,” Leendertz said. “Antibody prevalence in humans is almost up to 100 percent, meaning almost everybody has had contact with these viruses.” Twenty-four years of mortality data from observed chimpanzees revealed that such respiratory outbreaks could have a long history, Leendertz’s team reported. But, they added, there was some good news: “Survey data show that research presence has had a strong positive effect in suppressing poaching around the research site.” The researchers have already stepped up guidelines to help minimize the disease risk to chimpanzees, and they urge others to do the same. For example, Leendertz said, they now maintain a distance of at least seven meters, wear masks, and disinfect their boots regularly.
NPR : Saving So. Cal. Species from Fires
January 25, 2008 www.npr.org by Carrie Kahn
All Things Considered : Scientists in southern California have determined that last fall's massive wildfires and subsequent mudslides wiped out populations of native fish and amphibians. Adam Backlin, a USGS expert on California's ecology says "An aquatic species really has no chance in those situations," he says. Populations of the Santa Ana speckled dace, the Harding Canyon trout and the Arroyo turtle have all had their habitats destroyed by debris that washed down from the upper canyons shortly after the blazes. About two years ago, USGS biologists rescued 80 mountain yellow-legged tadpoles from a burned-out region of the San Bernardino Mountains and brought them to the San Diego Zoo's conservation facility. Frank Santana, a research assistant at the zoo, says that the frogs are getting so big now that the facility is running out of room for them. "We started off with four tanks and had to add four more. Santana says he hopes other zoos will take half of the frogs for a captive-breeding colony, and biologists will return the other half to their habitat in the local mountains — if another fire doesn't come through first. Backlin says "Forward planning up to this point has been for people and safety and loss of property and not for any natural resources. Backlin hopes such planning can be up and running before California's next fire season.
The Gap Between Apes and Humans
January 25, 2008 www.sciencemag.com
GÖTTINGEN, GERMANY-- Humans have a huge number of unique characteristics that set them apart from apes. Some behaviors, such as planning, may have deep evolutionary roots, but others, such as cultural innovation, seem unique to our species, and others, including altruism, may represent a novel blend of old and new characteristics. The challenge now, says van Schaik, "is to figure out how one ape among many--humans--could become so radically different." "Genius," said the 18th century French naturalist Buffon, "is only a great aptitude for patience." To many researchers, our ability to trade immediate gratification for long-term rewards sets us apart from other, more impulsive animals. Without patience, activities from planting crops for later harvest to sending space probes to Mars would be impossible. But a talk at the meeting by behavioral ecologist Jeffrey Stevens of the Max Planck Institute for Human Development in Berlin suggests that patience has evolutionary roots that predate the ape-human split--and that in some situations, humans may be even more impulsive than apes. In new studies, Stevens and his co-workers measured how long our closest relatives, chimpanzees and bonobos, would play the waiting game. The apes were placed in an apparatus designed to give them a choice between two grape halves immediately or six grape halves later. (Trial runs taught the apes that the larger food amounts arrived after a delay.) Bonobos accepted a delay of about 74 seconds, whereas chimpanzees sweated out a full 2 minutes to get the larger reward--although they did a lot of fidgeting and head-scratching while they waited.
Asian Elephant and Calf Die in Child Birth
January 26, 2008 www.star-telegram.com By CHRIS VAUGHN
FORT WORTH — Babe, the Fort Worth Zoo’s 40-year-old matriarch elephant died while trying to give birth to a calf that also died. She came to the Zoo in 1991 and had 3 unsuccessful pregnancies, including the 2002 delivery of a stillborn calf. She went into labor Sunday afternoon and her contractions continued for two days. A reproductive expert used sonograms to check on the calf, and all looked well until Tuesday, when It became clear then that the calf was not entering the birth canal, meaning certain death for the calf, but no one thought that Babe would die too. Throughout the night Wednesday, she seemed normal. Although she rested and did normal physical activity, her health unexpectedly declined and she died Thursday morning in her sleep. A necropsy was performed in the presence of 9 veterinarians (6 flown in) and it was found that she had a torn uterus, resulting in peritonitis. Peritonitis is an inflammation in the abdomen, probably caused when material leaked out of the uterus.
Conservancies in California
January 26, 2008 www.signonsandiego.com
The San Diego River Conservancy is among the smallest in the state.
When state lawmakers formed the San Diego River Conservancy in 2002,
they wanted the agency to help restore and enhance the neglected
waterway. Current funding pales in comparison to what the
conservancy's board of directors hoped to receive when they passed a
strategic plan in 2006. The blueprint calls for obtaining $164.5
million by the end of 2009 to build bike paths, buy land and complete
other projects along the waterway, which runs 52 miles from its
starting point near Julian to its mouth in Ocean Beach. The
conservancy has outlined many needs, including a target of preserving
1,450 acres along the river by 2010. To date, it has helped to acquire
about 185 acres. Another priority highlighted in the plan is
making the river safer for visitors by containing the “significant
criminal element” that uses the waterway's overgrowth for shelter, drug
deals and sales of stolen merchandise. Today, the floodplain remains
pocked by trash, graffiti and homeless encampments in Mission
Valley. The conservancy will fold Jan. 1, 2010, unless the state
Legislature extends its charter. The idea of letting the agency die may
not be far-fetched. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger sought to eliminate it
in 2004, but several local leaders successfully pleaded for it to be
spared. Conservancy 2007-08 budgets are:
San Joaquin River $1.5 million
San Diego River $3.3 million* *Includes a one-time appropriation
from the Coastal Conservancy.
Baldwin Hills $4.5 million
Coachella Valley $11.9 million
Santa Monica Mountains $19.2 million
Sierra Nevada $21.6 million
Rivers and Mountains $38.8 million
Tahoe $46.2 million
Coastal $141.3 million
A video chronicaling the San Diego River's history is at uniontrib.com
Habitat for California Gnat-catcher and Endangered Plants
January 26, 2008 www.signonsandiego.com By Michael Burge
BONSALL – The San Diego Association of Governments has bought 282 acres in Bonsall to offset biological damage from a project to widen state Route 76. SANDAG paid $11.1 million for the acreage north of Route 76 between Olive Hill Road and Via Montellano. The previous owners had planned an 85-unit residential and commercial development, called The Groves, on the land. Caltrans will break ground next year on widening 5.8 miles of the two-lane highway between eastern Oceanside and Fallbrook, and it hopes to finish by 2011. Caltrans plans to use 14 of the 282 acres for the road widening and will set the remainder aside as habitat for the endangered California gnat-catcher and other sensitive animal and plant species.
Africa’s Dying Cattle Breeds
January 27, 2008 www.nytimes.com By Andrew Rice
In recent decades, global trade, sophisticated marketing, artificial insemination and the demands of agricultural economics have transformed the Holstein into the world’s predominant dairy breed. Indigenous animals like East Africa’s sinewy Ankole, the product of centuries of selection for traits adapted to harsh conditions, are struggling to compete with foreign imports bred for maximal production. This worries some scientists. The world’s food supply is increasingly dependent on a small and narrowing list of highly engineered breeds: the Holstein, the Large White pig and the Rhode Island Red and Leghorn chickens. There’s a risk that future diseases could ravage these homogeneous animal populations. Poor countries, which possess much of the world’s vanishing biodiversity, may also be discarding breeds that possess undiscovered genetic advantages. But farmers say they can’t afford to wait for science. Holsteins in an African setting, can produce 20 or 30 times as much milk as an Ankole. (A typical Ankole produced between a quarter and a half gallon.) The United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization, reports that at least 20 percent of the world’s estimated 7,600 livestock breeds are in danger of extinction. Experts are warning of a potential “meltdown” in global genetic diversity. Yet the plight of the Ankole illustrates the difficulty of balancing the conflicting goals of animal conservation and human prosperity. An estimated 70 percent of the world’s rural poor, some 630 million people, derive a substantial percentage of their income from livestock. Increase the productivity of these animals, and you improve dire living standards. The World Bank asserts that highly productive livestock breeds are playing an important role in alleviating poverty. Every cow in the world is the product of some human agency.
Harassing Marine Mammals During Black Abalone Surveys
January 28, 2008 www.epa.gov
The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), has issued an incidental harassment authorization. (IHA) to Dr. Glenn VanBlaricom during the Black Abalone Research Surveys at San Nicolas Island, Ventura County, CA. The final IHA would authorize the take, by harassment, of small numbers of California sea lions (Zalophus californianus), Pacific harbor seals (Phoca vitulina richardsi), and northern elephant seals (Mirounga angustirostris) incidental to research surveys performed for the purpose of assessing trends in black abalone (Haliotis cracherodii) populations at SNI, Ventura County, California. The proposed research consists of 2 researchers, on foot, counting abalone at nine permanent sites (1 m\2\ each) on SNI twice a year, with one brief additional visit to each site for maintenance. Population trend data for black abalone populations have become important in a conservation context because of: (a) the reintroduction of sea otters to SNI in 1987, raising the possibility of conflict between otter conservation and abalone populations (abalones are often significant prey for sea otters); (b) the appearance of a novel exotic disease, abalone withering syndrome, at SNI in 1992, resulting in dramatically increased rates of abalone mortality at the Island; and, (c) the recent designation of California populations of black abalones as a species of concern in the context of the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Research is done under the auspices of the Washington Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, the University of Washington, and the U.S. Navy (owner of SNI), with additional logistical support from the University of California, Santa Cruz. A copy of the application containing a list of the references used in this document may be obtained by writing to Michael Payne, Chief, Permits, Conservation and Education Division, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910-3225, or online at: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/permits/incidental.htm
Issuance of Marine Mammal Permits : File No. 775-1875
January 28, 2008 www.epa.gov
The Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC), Woods Hole, MA
02543, has been issued a permit to conduct research on, and
import/export specimens collected from, marine mammals. The permit and
related documents are available for review upon written request to:
Permits, Conservation and Education Division, Office of Protected
Resources, NMFS, 1315 East-West Highway, Room 13705, Silver Spring, MD
20910; phone (301)713-2289. On January 10, 2007, notice was published
in the Federal Register (72 FR 1218) that a request for a scientific
research permit to take seven species of baleen whales, twenty-five
species/stocks of odontocetes, and four species of pinnipeds, including
the following endangered species: sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus),
sei whale (Balaenoptera borealis), blue whale (B. musculus), fin whale
(B. physalus), humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae), and right whale
(Eubalaena glacialis), had been submitted by the above-named
organization. This research permit authorizes aerial and vessel surveys
to be conducted including close approach, photo-id, and incidental
harassment of cetaceans. Level A activities include biopsy sampling and
suction-cup tagging, which will be conducted on all age classes with
the exception of neonates. Additionally, researchers are authorized to
capture, biological sample, incidentally harass, and release four
species of pinnipeds. Pinniped research would be conducted on all age
classes including pups. The study area for this permit includes waters
within or proximal to the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone from Maine to
Florida. Finally, researchers are authorized to import and export
cetacean and pinniped specimens (including soft and hard tissue, blood,
extracted DNA, whole dead animals, etc.) to/from any country.
Wolves in Yellowstone and Northern Rocky Mountains
January 28, 2008 www.epa.gov
The USFWS has revised the 2005 special rule for the central Idaho and Yellowstone area nonessential experimental population (NEP) of the gray wolf (Canis lupus) in the northern Rocky Mountains. Specifically, we have modified the definition of ``unacceptable impact'' to wild ungulate populations so that States and Tribes with wolf management plans can address the impacts of a recovered wolf population on ungulate herds and populations while wolves remain listed. We clarify the requirements and processes for submission of proposals to control wolves for unacceptable ungulate impacts. We also modified the 2005 special rule to allow persons in States or on Tribal lands with wolf management plans to take wolves that are in the act of attacking their stock animals or dogs. All other provisions of the special rule remain unchanged. The effective date of this rule is February 27, 2008. This final rule is available on the Internet at http://www.regulations.gov Once the complete decision file for this rule is completed it will be available for inspection, by appointment, during normal business hours at U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of the Western Gray Wolf Recovery Coordinator, 585 Shepard Way, Helena, Montana 59601. Call 406-449-5225 to make arrangements. For further information see: http://westerngraywolf.fws.gov
In 1974, four subspecies of gray wolf were listed as endangered, including the NRM gray wolf (Canis lupus irremotus), the eastern timber wolf (C. l. lycaon) in the northern Great Lakes region, the Mexican wolf (C. l. baileyi) in Mexico and the southwestern United States, and the Texas gray wolf (C. l. monstrabilis) of Texas and Mexico. In 1978, we relisted the gray wolf as endangered at the species level (C. lupus) throughout the conterminous 48 States and Mexico, except for Minnesota where it was reclassified as threatened. In 2007, we delisted the Western Great Lakes distinct population segment of wolves that includes all of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, and parts of North and South Dakota, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio. The Northern Rocky Mountain Wolf Recovery Plan was approved in 1980 and revised in 1987. On November 22, 1994, we designated unoccupied portions of Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming as two nonessential experimental population (NEP) areas for the gray wolf under section 10(j) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended. One area is the Greater Yellowstone Area experimental population, which includes all of Wyoming and parts of southern Montana and eastern Idaho. The other is the central Idaho experimental population area, which includes most of Idaho and parts of southwestern Montana. In 1995 and 1996, we reintroduced wolves from southwestern Canada into these areas. These reintroductions and accompanying management programs greatly expanded the numbers and distribution of wolves in the northern Rocky Mountains (NRM). At the end of 2000, the NRM population first met its numerical and distributional recovery goal of a minimum of 30 breeding pairs and more than 300 wolves well-distributed among Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming. This minimum recovery goal has been exceeded annually through 2007.
NC Zoo Helps Rebuild Iraqi Zoo
January 28, 2008 www.bizjournals.com
Veterinarians from both the N.C. Zoo and N.C. State University are offering advice to the Baghdad Zoo via a virtual link to classes and experts on campus and in the field. This semester, veterinarians at the Baghdad Zoo will be participating in the Advanced Topics in Zoological Medicine course offered by the College of Veterinary Medicine at N.C. State. The course will allow Iraqi vets to interact with instructors, students and experts from the N.C. Zoo via satellite link and video conferencing. In addition, the Iraqi veterinarians will be able to connect directly to the N.C. Zoo Hospital for consultations and advice. The N.C. Zoo has been instrumental in both raising funds for and overseeing the rebuilding of the Baghdad Zoo since 2003.
Riverbanks Zoo’s Baby Koala
January 28, 2008 www.thestate.com
A joey, named Oz, was born in mid-May and spent seven months developing in the pouch of its mother, Lottie. He is Lottie’s second offspring. Her first born, named Karoo died in 2005 at 9 months of age. (Nearly 73 percent of first-born koala fair to survive according to zoo officials.) Oz's father, Great, is a 6-year-old donated to Riverbanks from the San Diego Zoo specifically to broaden the gene pool of captive koalas. Most koalas in U.S. zoos come from a similar lineage. The two Riverbanks koalas, Lottie and Killarney, are from a different line.
Oakland’s Elderly Giraffe Gets a Winter Coat
January 28, 2008 www.insidebayarea.com By Angela Hill
OAKLAND — Tiki is an 18-year-old great-grandmother giraffe with a disease called ringbone in her front hooves, which causes her discomfort and affects her gait. The unusual gait then causes problems for her back and shoulders, which then makes her sensitive to the cold, and she sometimes shivers. Because of her afflictions, she gets regular visits from an acupuncturist, a chiropractor and a masseuse, and most recently, a tailor. Gillian Swarbrick, owner of Chaskit custom horse blankets in West Point, outside Sacramento, is donating her services to custom-fit and hand-sew the special coat for Tiki. "The closest I've come to working with an exotic animal is making a coat for a pig who had pneumonia." Said Swarbrick. Keepers Amy Phelps and Melissa McCartney had been using an ill-fitting horse blanket to keep Tiki warm during the winter months, but feared buckles or loose portions of the blanket might get hooked on a branch or fence and injure her. Swarbrick’s design features a waterproof fabric, removable liner and Velcro fasteners. It should take two weeks to complete. Someone suggested a leopard-print coat might be fun, just to freak out the other giraffes, but good taste prevailed.
Non-native Deer Extermination in California
January 28, 2008 www.mercurynews.com By A.P.
POINT REYES STATION, Calif.—The plan to kill nonnative deer at Point Reyes National Seashore is scheduled to resume this morning. The National Park Service has hired a hunting group to eliminate 1,200 fallow and axis deer that officials say threaten the region's native deer species. The nonnative deer were introduced to the area in the 1940s when a rancher bought them from the San Francisco Zoo. That rancher's land became part of the Point Reyes National Seashore in the 1960s.
Cuba Helps Hawksbill Turtle
January 28, 2008 www.enn.com
The Caribbean’s endangered green and loggerhead turtles are threatened by the loss of nesting and feeding habitats, egg collection, entanglement in fishing gear, climate change, and pollution. Hawksbill turtles are also threatened by hunting for tortoise shell and suffered global population declines of 80 per cent over the last century. Now the Cuban government government has ended all harvesting of marine turtles ending the take of 500 critically endangered hawksbill turtles coming to feed in Cuban waters each year. The phase out of the marine turtle fishery in Cuba is the result of a joint effort by the Cuban Ministry of Fisheries and WWF, with financial support from the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). The two remaining fishing communities used to harvest marine turtles in Cuba are being provided with funds and technical assistance to help them implement specifically developed sustainable economic alternatives, modernize their fishing fleets, re-train their inhabitants and engage them in hawksbill turtle protection activities. The WWF/CIDA grant of over $400,000 also supports the Ministry's Centre for Fisheries Research to become a regional hub for marine turtle conservation and research, capitalizing on decades of experience by leading Cuban scientists.
WWF Urges Blue Fin Tuna Boycott
January 28, 2008 www.enn.com
Scientists have declared it “probable” that populations of the bluefin tuna, prized for sushi in Japan, will soon collapse in the Mediterranean unless action is taken now. High-tech fishing fleets have hunted down, often illegally, ever-declining numbers of these migratory ocean giants. WWF exposed the drastically out-of-control nature of the Mediterranean bluefin tuna fishery in the 2007 season when illegal fishing was again rife — including the use of banned spotter planes, as well as widespread unreporting. Now major retailers in France, Italy Switzerland and Norway are boycotting bluefin tuna, and WWF is applauding their courageous decisions to stop selling Mediterranean bluefin tuna — and we urging other retailers to follow suit. Dr Sergi Tudela is Head of Fisheries at WWF Mediterranean.
Salamanders Denied Federal Protection
January 28, 2008 www.times-standard.com By John Driscoll
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has decided that two species of salamanders that live in the Siskiyou Mountains aren't in danger of extinction and won't get special federal protection. The agency claims that populations of the Siskiyou Mountains Salamander and the Scott Bar Salamander are sufficient enough and spread out enough so that they aren't vulnerable to any particular threat. The Environmental Protection Information Center, the Siskiyou-Klamath Wildlands Center and the Center for Biological Diversity had petitioned the agency to consider the salamanders for protection. They said that the salamanders have among the smallest ranges of any salamander and that relaxed or eliminated federal habitat protection programs put them in jeopardy. USFWS claims the species have enough protection under the Northwest Forest Plan on U.S. Forest Service lands and under the California Endangered Species Act that applies to private lands. If new information emerges that identifies a serious threat or if an emergency situation arises, the service said, it will provide immediate protection.
11 Fishers Released into Olympic National Park
January 28, 2008 www.thenewstribune.com By SUSAN GORDON
OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK – Fishers, cat-sized members of the weasel family, have been missing from Washington State’s forests for decades, wiped out by early 20th-century trappers. On Sunday, biologists released 11 Canadian fishers – five males and six females – into the park’s Elwha River and Morse Creek drainages, near the Olympic Peninsula city of Port Angeles. It was the first step in a state, federal and privately supported effort to revive the state’s population of fishers. Over the next three years, biologists plan to trap at least 100 fishers from central British Columbia and set them free in the Olympic Peninsula’s old-growth forests. While Canada’s fisher population is healthy, U.S. West Coast, fishers have been waiting for federal protection since 2004. “If we can get them re-established (in Washington), we’re one step closer to getting them re-established throughout their West Coast range,” said Laura Finley, a California-based USFWS biologist who is working with USGS, Conservation Northwest and others. The project will cost about $650,000 by the time it’s finished.
Tasmanian Devil Tumor Research
January 28, 2008 www.eurekalert.org
COLD SPRINGS HARBOR -- In 1996 scientists first discovered the facial tumors on Tasmanian devils. The cancer was transmitted from one devil to another when tumor cells were transplanted through fighting and biting. Once afflicted with the cancer, the aggressive tumors on the face and neck of the devils, restricted their ability to eat, killing them within approximately three months. The disease has decimated the devil population by nearly 90 percent in certain geographical areas of Tasmania, and officials project that within twenty years the entire species could become extinct. The process by which the disease spreads among the devils has only been seen once before and represents a new field in cancer biology. Inbreeding in wild populations may prevent the devils’ immune system from recognizing the cancer as foreign, allowing the cancer to be transmitted. The Tasmanian government is establishing an insurance population of more than two hundred devils in quarantined facilities before the end of 2008 and are welcoming the efforts of a team of researchers at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. CSHL and 454 Lifesciences, hope to learn how the tumors work at a molecular level by sequencing the genes expressed in the devils’ tumor. Elizabeth Murchison of CSHL is leading the team. “When we have a complete view of the devil tumor genes, scientists will be able to identify the cancer causing genes, which may lead to the development of therapies and vaccines.”
Elephants Influence Lizard Habitat
January 28, 2008 www.sciencedaily.com
A study of elephant/lizard ecology will appear in the February issue of the journal Ecology at www.esa.org. Working at the Mpala Research Center in Kenya between 2004 and 2007, Robert M. Pringle of Stanford University, found that Kenya dwarf geckos (Lygodactylus keniensis) only inhabited trees which had been damaged by browsing elephants (Loxodontia africana). They were completely absent from undamaged trees in the same study area. Further investigations revealed that the preference was due to hiding places which were incidentally created by the elephants' activities. Ecosystem engineering -- the idea that activities of one kind of animal can create habitat for other animals -- is a relatively new concept, having emerged only about 15 years ago. There are that poaching may wipe out the large animals on lands where they are not protected, but elephants eating habits are extremely destructive in smaller tracts of land. Since they have no real natural predators besides humans, they can sometimes eat themselves out of house and home in the areas where they are protected. Because of these management dilemmas, finding an "optimum number" of elephants for any given refuge or wildlife area has become a hot topic. By gaining a better understanding of ecosystem engineering and the effects that large herbivores have on other species, researchers may gain more insight into how the entire savanna ecosystem works.
Gibbons Sing to Scare Predators
January 28, 2008 www.earthtimes.org
Gibbons are renowned amongst non-human primates for their loud and impressive songs that transmit over long distances and are commonly used in their daily routine when mating pairs "serenade" every morning. Songs in response to predators - mostly large cats, snakes and birds of prey - have been previously noted, but no extensive research into its purpose or understanding by other gibbons has been done until now. German researchers have found that gibbons in Thailand have developed an unusual way of scaring off predators - by singing to them. Klaus Zuberbuhler from St Andrews University in Scotland and Ulrich Reichard of the Max Planck Institute in Germany, based their findings on two years spent in Khao Yai National Park in Thailand observing groups of gibbons. "Our study has demonstrated that gibbons not only use unique songs as a response to predators, but that fellow gibbons understand them. [It] is a really good indicator that non-human primates are able to use combinations of calls given in other contexts to relay new, and in this case, potentially life-saving information to one another. Gibbons assemble a finite number of call units into more complex structures to convey different messages, and our data shows that distant individuals are able to distinguish between different song types and understand what they mean.
Flame Retardants Found in Tasmanian Devils
January 28, 2008 news.nationalgeographic.com By Dave Hansford
Tasmanian devils are dying from devil-facial-tumor-disease (DFTD). A recent study conducted by the Australian government's National Measurement Institute took samples of fat from 16 living and dead devils, and found "high" levels of hexabromobiphenyl ether and "reasonably high" levels of decabromobiphenyl ether—chemicals used to treat electronics, textiles, and furniture. Very high concentrations of such chemicals have been shown to cause cancer in lab mice, but there weren’t significant differences [of the chemicals] between diseased and non-diseased animals. Hamish McCallum, professor of wildlife research at the University of Tasmania, said it's unlikely the chemicals caused the devils' disease, but no one is sure what triggered the cancer in the first place. McCallum said, "It's a really, really strange tumor. All the tumor cells in all the devils are essentially a clone—they are all derived from one individual. "The event that caused that original mutation to malignancy will never be known," he said. “but it is possible that [biphenyls] could suppress the devils' immune systems in such a way that it makes them more likely to develop the cancer.” McCallum thinks the devils in the new study could have easily ingested biphenyls directly. "You've got to remember that [these carnivorous marsupials] are scavengers," he said. People maintain outdoor dumps and if somebody chucked a wallaby carcass on top of a foam mattress, then … the devils might actually consume quite large quantities of that foam."
Domestic Cat Originated in Middle East
January 28, 2008 www.news.ucdavis.edu
A new genetic study from researchers at the University of California, Davis, have concluded that the modern day domestic cat originated in the Fertile Crescent of the Middle East. The study involved more than 11,000 cats, and appears in the January issue of the journal Genomics. Leslie Lyons, an authority on cat genetics and principal investigator on this study, said: "More than 200 genetic disorders have been identified in modern cats, and many are found in pure breeds. We hope that cat breeders will use the genetic information uncovered by this study to develop efficient breed-management plans and avoid introducing genetically linked health problems into their breeds." Earlier archaeological evidence and research suggested that domestication of the cat originated about 5,000 to 8,000 years ago in the Fertile Crescent, the area around the eastern end of the Mediterranean, from Turkey to northern Africa and eastward to modern day Iraq and Iran. This domestication of the cat occurred as humans transitioned from nomadic herding to raising crops and livestock. From the DNA analysis, the researchers found that the cats were genetically clustered in four groups that corresponded with the regions of Europe, the Mediterranean basin, east Africa and Asia. Today, there are 50 recognized cat breeds. Of that total, 16 breeds are thought to be "natural breeds" that occurred in specific regions, while the remaining breeds were developed during the past 50 years. More information about cat genomics in the Lyons lab is at http://faculty.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/faculty/lalyons/ .
Chester Zoo Adopts Web 2.0 Technologies
January 28, 2008 www.e-consultancy.com
KMP Associates has just completed a nine month project to overhaul the digital marketing strategy of Chester Zoo – the UK’s largest zoo. As well as totally re-designing the website and developing a content management system, the innovative project involved integrating the social media photo-sharing application Flickr into the site. Visitors can upload their own photos of trips to the zoo, which are then watermarked with the www.chesterzoo.org motif and can be viewed on the main Flickr site. In this way it is hoped that the pictures will act as a further online marketing tool. Chester Zoo staff also has greater control over the website, with the ability to write and manage its own content easily and quickly. KMP was also commissioned to develop an online marketing campaign for Chester Zoo’s annual Frost Fair. The campaign included a game, competition, video and email marketing campaign.
Chameleons Communicate with Color Change
January 28, 2008 news.nationalgeographic.com By Anne Casselman
A new study suggests that chameleons evolved their color changing
abilities not for camouflage but to communicate quickly. Instead
of vocalizing or using pheromones, chameleons can communicate visually
by changing the colors and patterns of their skin. For example, the
brighter colors a male displays, the more dominant he is. So male
chameleons can attract a mate or defend their territory by flashing
bright colors to each other. To communicate submission or surrender, a
male will display drab browns and grays. Females also use a
colorful version of signaling to communicate when they want to reject
mates or are pregnant. Devi Stuart-Fox, from the University of
Melbourne, and her colleague Adnan Moussalli, from University of
KwaZulu Natal in South Africa, ran experiments on 21 species of
southern African dwarf chameleons to figure out why these
color-changing abilities formed. A photo gallery is at:
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/photos/chameleons.html The study appears in this month's PLoS Biology.
Census of Antarctic Marine Life
January 29, 2008 news.nationalgeographic.com By A.P.
U.S., New Zealand, and Italian marine scientists have begun a two-month voyage to Antarctica's northern coast as part of an ongoing study of worldwide marine biodiversity. The expedition by the Tangaroa is part of the Census of Antarctic Marine Life (CAML), a branch of the Census for Marine Life project, which is attempting to assess the diversity and distribution of life in the oceans over ten years. The 26 scientists on the research ship will collect samples of sea life and capture images of the sea floor down to depths of 13,000 feet (about 4,000 meters) in previously unexplored areas. The voyage will provide essential information about the biodiversity and functioning of the Ross Sea ecosystem off the Antarctic coast. New assessments of ocean acidification caused by climate change and identification of new species off Antarctica's coastline are expected. In 2007 scientists announced that they found more than 700 new species in the waters surrounding Antarctica, including heart-shaped sea urchins, carnivorous sponges, and giant sea spiders the size of dinner plates. That work, based on three voyages by the German research vessel Polarstern in the Weddell Sea east of the Antarctic Peninsula between 2002 and 2005, was also part of the CAML project.
Anthrax Confirmed at Assam State Zoo
January 29, 2008 www.telegraphindia.com
GUWAHATI, India -- Clinical tests at the College of Veterinary Sciences in Khanapara confirmed that an “acute” case of anthrax caused the sudden death of a 30-year-old rhino, Jon, in the early hours of January 22. A committee of experts suggested vaccination of all animals in and around the zoo, with the focus on ruminant mammals such as cattle, sheep, buffalo and goats. “We implemented a series of preventive measures after the rhino died. We were only waiting to find out whether it was anthrax that caused the death before taking the final step of vaccinating animals.” Said Jon was brought to the zoo from Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary in 1980.
NC Zoo’s Solar Power Project
January 29, 2008 news14.com By Stephanie Stilwell
ASHEBORO, N.C. -- The North Carolina Zoo’s solar panel project is now in operation. It is the largest solar project in the state and has been in the works since 2004. Two large solar panels sit at the back of the North America parking lot, and are projected to produce 130,000 kilowatt hours a year. That's enough power to keep the lights on in 11 to 13 different homes. Visitors can see what the panels produce with an up-to-the minute readout online or onsite. The panels are mounted on three picnic pavilions and eventually it will provide a unique covered catering space for 1200 people. Hopefully visitors at Solar Pointe will be thinking green long after they leave the zoo.
Technology at the San Diego Zoo
January 29, 2008 www.cio.co.uk Robert Mitchell
Panda-cams and condor tracking collars are just part of the day job for Robert Erhardt, chief technology officer for the Zoological Society of San Diego. Prior to joining the Zoological Society in 2001, he was CIO at Disney Regional Entertainment.
What’s the most interesting project you’ve worked on?
We are collaborating with the rest of the world to develop a product
named the Zoological Information Management System. It’s going to be a
Net-based, state-of-the-art tool that will allow animal care people to
change the way they manage massive collections in zoos and aquariums
around the world. ZIMS will revolutionize the way business processes
surrounding animal care is done.
When did ZIMS launch, and where are you now with it?
We started five-and-a-half years ago. Right now, we’re 85 per cent to 90 per cent done.
What will ZIMS do, exactly?
When ZIMS comes online, all of [the clinical animal] data will be
available. It will allow us to share best practices around the world
for animal care. It will be a real-time model. For example, standard
red blood cell counts for various species of primates are virtually
unknown today. Even humans don’t have electronic medical records
yet. When this project is done, we will be light years ahead of
human medicine in our ability to share data.
Do you use any emerging technologies?
We use RFID [for] identification of the animals. We’re using radio
telemetry extensively in the field – for example, in our condor-release
project in Baja, California. All of those condors are fitted with radio
tracking collars. Some of them are using satellite telemetry, and
others are using a cellular-based technology on a localized basis. Then
we have radio telemetry tracking tools our scientists use to locate any
individual through triangulation. We’re investigating the potential of
using handheld devices for our keepers to be able to keep their data
logs and observations. The handheld devices will be put in cradles and
interface with ZIMS to collect the daily keeper information.
S.F Police : No crime found in tiger case
January 30, 2008 www.mercurynews.com By Linda Goldston and Sandra Gonzales
Thirty-five days after declaring the San Francisco Zoo a crime scene, police have suspended their investigation, "pending new witnesses" or "new evidence being produced" that would show the young men provoked the attack. So far, police have turned up no evidence to show Paul and Kulbir Dhaliwal, the San Jose brothers injured by the Siberian tiger named Tatiana, committed a crime at the zoo. The attack left Carlos Sousa Jr. dead. One legal expert called Tuesday's development a blow to the zoo, which is under fire for having an enclosure that allowed the tiger to escape. Sam Singer, spokesman for the zoo, said the zoo will continue its own investigation to determine what happened on Christmas Day, insisting still that "there are questions about taunting, alcohol and marijuana usage."
Endangered Species Permit Applications
January 30, 2008 www.epa.gov
The following applicants have applied for scientific research permits to conduct certain activities with endangered species. Written comments must be received on or before February 29, 2008. Comments must be submitted before midnight. Written comments should be submitted to the Chief, Endangered Species Division, Ecological Services, P.O. Box 1306, Room 4102, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87103. Documents and other information submitted with these applications are available for review. Please refer to the respective permit number for each application when submitting comments.
Permit TE-169770
Applicant: New Mexico Interstate Stream
Commission, Santa Fe, New Mexico. Applicant requests a new permit for
research and recovery purposes to conduct presence/absence surveys of
Rio Grande silvery minnow (Hybognathus amarus) within New Mexico.
Permit TE-166070
Applicant: New Mexico Department of Game and
Fish, Santa Fe, New Mexico. Applicant requests an amendment to an
existing permit for research and recovery purposes to conduct
presence/absence surveys of Gila chub (Gila intermedia) within New
Mexico.
Permit TE-168189
Applicant: Michael Green, Texas State
University, San Marcos, Texas. Applicant requests a new permit for
research and recovery purposes to conduct presence/absence surveys of
black capped vireo (Vireo atricapilla) within Texas.
Permit TE-168185
Applicant: Cox McLain Environmental Consulting,
Inc., Austin, Texas. Applicant requests a new permit to conduct
presence/absence surveys for research and recovery purposes for the
following species: black capped-vireo (Vireo atricapilla),
golden-checked warbler (Dendroica chrysoparia), Attwater's prairie
chicken (Tynpanuchus cupido attwateri), Northern aplomado falcon (Falco
fernoralis septentrionalis), piping plover (Charadrius melodus),
red-cockaded woodpecker (Picoides borealis), interior least tern
(Sterna antillarium) and Houston toad (Bufo houstonensis) within Texas.
Permit TE-036436
Applicant: Environmental Planning Group,
Tucson, Arizona. Applicant requests an amendment to a previous
permit for research and recovery purposes to conduct presence/absence
surveys for lesser long-nosed bat (Leptonycteris curasoae yerbabuenae)
within Arizona.
Permit TE-168688
Applicant: Sarah Itz, Austin,
Texas. Applicant requests a new permit for research and recovery
purposes to conduct presence/absence surveys for the following species:
black-capped vireo (Vireo atricapilla) and golden-checked warbler
(Dendroica chrysoparia) within Texas.
Black Duiker Born at Binder Park Zoo
January 30, 2008 www.battlecreekenquirer.com
BATTLE CREEK, Michigan -- Binder Park Zoo welcomes the birth of Halali, a female African Black Duiker. Halali was born Dec. 11 and weighs 2 pounds 14 ounces. She is the third female duiker to be born in the past five years at Binder Park Zoo. There are now 19 black duikers in North America.
Global Invasive Species Programme (GISP)
January 30, 2008 www.enn.com
The Global Invasive Species Programme (GISP) was founded in 1997 as a small, mainly voluntary partnership programme, by three international organizations: IUCN - The World Conservation Union, CAB International, and the Scientific Committee on Problems of the Environment (SCOPE). In early 2005, GISP was constituted as a legal entity with Founding Members IUCN, CAB International, The Nature Conservancy, and the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI). GISP estimates that invasive species inflict US$1.4 trillion in environmental, social and economic damage each year. To enable informed policy making on the prevention, eradication and control of invasive species, it is critical that studies are expanded to show the extent of the problem and in particular the impact that these weeds, pests and diseases have on people’s lives. He says “numbers are not enough; decision makers need to know the tangible effects invasive species are having on the individual farmers and their crops.” To help address the issues, GISP and one of its lead organizations, CABI, has undertaken a number of case studies of problem invasive species in. The organization has released a new report titled: ”Economic Impacts of Invasive Alien Species: A Global Problem with Local Consequences."
Balboa Park Management Problems
January 30, 2008 www.signonsandiego.com By Jeanette Steele
Balboa Park attracts 10 million visitors a year. Visitors come from:
6% neighboring ZIP codes
18% elsewhere in San Diego
45% elsewhere in San Diego County
11% elsewhere in California
15% elsewhere in the United States
4% elsewhere in the world
It is managed by the city’s Park and Recreation Department but a new
report questions whether it should remain a city function, saying It's
a mistake to split the job of running the park among different city
departments. “The complexity of this administrative structure leads to
opaque accounting, redundancy and management responsibilities that
often overlap or fail to address an issue at all.” The report was
prepared by the Trust for Public Land in Washington, D.C., and
the Keston Institute at the University of Southern California. It lists
$238 million in fix-it projects that mostly have no funding. Some are
major – $51.3 million to retrofit buildings along the Prado for
earthquake safety. The authors don't think San Diego can generate the
money needed to “save” the park, hampered as the city is by a tattered
financial reputation, a $1 billion pension deficit and the virtual
inability to sell bonds to raise money. Park stakeholders seem to
agree with the report that the current system is broken, but there's no
consensus yet about which, if any, of the suggested management models
should be tried.
Toronto Zoo Partners with Toronto University
January 30, 2008 www.news.utoronto.ca
“The Role of Zoos in Conservation” is the result of a partnership
between The Toronto Zoo and U.T. Life Sciences Professor Dudley
Williams. Williams, who sits on the zoo’s board of management,
launched the semester-long course, that focuses on how zoos are taking
an active role in conservation through captive breeding, new
technologies and assisted reproduction for wild populations. The course
also dovetails nicely with UTSC’s new program in conservation
biology, which began in 2006. Guest lecturers from the Toronto
Zoo, as well as the Royal Botanical Gardens and the Western Plains Zoo
in Australia, visit the class weekly to speak about their areas of
expertise. It’s an approach that’s resonating with students as they
consider their own futures. The course also includes a
behind-the-scenes tour of the Toronto Zoo’s reproductive, veterinary
and nutritional facilities. “Usually when you go to the zoo, you
don’t
get the conservation message,” said Nasir, who had all the credits he
needed to graduate but stayed an extra semester to take the course.
“But it is intertwined with the different educational programs that
they offer.We’re learning in the course that they do a lot of
behind-the-scenes conservation.” “We call it the invisible zoo,”
said Dr. William Rapley, executive director of conservation, education
and research at the Toronto Zoo. Rapley said, “We have 40 species
survival programs, Canadian endangered species breeding programs and
more recently, we have begun protecting habitats through conservation
outreach.” Its Centre for Sustainable Development, currently in the
planning stage, will usher a new era of conservation.
Chimpanzee Bartering Study
January 30, 2008 www.enn.com
A new study published in PLoS ONE is the first to examine the circumstances under which chimpanzees, will exchange one inherently valuable commodity (an apple slice) for another (a grape), which is what early humans must have learned to do. The researchers found that chimpanzees often did not spontaneously barter food items, but needed to be trained to engage in commodity barter. Moreover, even after the chimpanzees had been trained to do barters with reliable human trading partners, they were reluctant to engage in extreme deals in which a very good commodity (apple slices) had to be sacrificed in order to get an even more preferred commodity (grapes). Prior animal behavior studies have largely examined chimpanzees’ willingness to trade tokens for valuable commodities. Tokens do not exist in nature, and lack inherent value, so a chimpanzee’s willingness to trade a token for a valuable commodity, such as a grape, may say little about chimpanzee behavior outside the laboratory. It could be because chimpanzees lack social systems to enforce deals and, as a society, punish an individual that cheats its trading partner by running off with both commodities. Also because of their lack of property ownership norms, chimpanzees in nature do not store property and thus would have little opportunity to trade commodities. Nevertheless, as prior research has demonstrated, they do possess highly active service economies. In their natural environment, only current possessions are “owned,” and the threat of losing what one has is very high, so chimpanzees frequently possess nothing to trade.
African Seed Collection En Route to Arctic Seed Vault
January 30, 2008 www.physorg.com
Twenty-one boxes filled with 7,000 unique seed samples from more than 36 African nations were shipped to the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, a facility being built on a remote island in the Arctic Circle as a repository of last resort for humanity’s agricultural heritage. The vault is being built by the Norwegian government as a service to the global community, and a Rome-based international NGO, the Global Crop Diversity Trust, will fund its operation. The vault will open on 26 February 2008. The shipment, which was sent by the Ibadan, Nigeria-based International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), consists of thousands of duplicates of unique varieties of domesticated and wild cowpea, maize, soybean, and Bambara groundnut. Other centers supported by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) have also begun packing and shipping duplicate collections from Benin, Colombia, Ethiopia, India, Kenya, Mexico, Peru, the Philippines, and Syria. Collectively, the CGIAR centers maintain 600,000 plant varieties in crop genebanks, which are widely viewed as the foundation of global efforts to conserve agricultural biodiversity. Crop biodiversity is the raw material needed to equip crops with critical resistance to pests and diseases, and enable them to grow in harsher conditions of drought, salinity, and flooding, which will likely increase with global climate change, particularly in poor nations.
Hummingbirds Create ‘Chirp’ with Tails
Janurary 30, 2008 www.physorg.com
The beeps, chirps and whistles made by some hummingbirds and thought to be vocal are actually created by the birds' tail feathers, according to a report in this week's online ‘Proceedings of the Royal Society B’. Two students at UC Berkeley used a high-speed camera to record the dive-bomber display of the Anna's hummingbird (Calypte anna), the West Coast's most common hummer. The video established that the chirp a male makes at the nadir of his dive coincides with a 60 millisecond spreading of his tail feathers - faster than the blink of an eye. Wind tunnel tests confirmed that the outer tail feathers vibrate like a reed in a clarinet. The bird's split-second tail spread at dive speed thus produces a loud, brief burst that sounds like a chirp or beep. "This is a new mechanism for sound production in birds," said lead author Christopher J. Clark. "The Anna's hummingbird is the only hummingbird for which we know all the details, but there are a number of other species with similarly shaped tail feathers that may use their tail morphology in producing sounds." The tail-feather beep is similar to the whistling feathers of ducks and other birds, including the mourning dove, the whistling swan and nighthawks. Those sounds, however, seem to be incidental to wing flapping, the researchers said.
Critical Habitat for Tidewater Goby
January 31, 2008 www.fws.gov
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today that it has designated approximately 10,003 acres of critical habitat for the federally endangered tidewater goby, a small fish that inhabits brackish waters along the west coast of California. The critical habitat includes land in portions of Del Norte, Humboldt, Mendocino, Sonoma, Marin, San Mateo, Santa Cruz, Monterey, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ventura, and Los Angeles counties. Approximately 72 percent of the critical habitat is on state lands. Of the remaining designated lands, 15 percent are privately held, 11 percent are federally-managed, and 2 percent are administered by local agencies. The Service is excluding the Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton in San Diego County and Vandenberg Air Force Base in Santa Barbara County from the designation because these bases have completed Integrated Natural Resource Management Plans that provide conservation benefits to the tidewater goby.
Hand-Raising a Baby Giraffe
January 31, 2008 www.timesonline.co.uk
Staff at Chester Zoo are hand-rearing a baby giraffe born there ten days ago. The 5ft-tall Rothschild giraffe, called Margaret, arrived two weeks prematurely and is a very small calf. She was having difficulty suckling so keepers stepped in. There are only 600 Rothschild giraffes left in the wild, where they roam the lowlands of Kenya and Uganda. In November 2006, the first Rothschild giraffe was born at the zoo.
Conservation Strategies Changing
January 31, 2008 www.enn.com
Sustaining and enhancing altered ecosystems has become the new focus for conservation and restoration managers as ecosystems respond to global warming and other environmental changes. A new study by the University of Colorado at Boulder professor Timothy Seastedt says atmospheric pollution, climate change, exotic species invasions, extinctions and land fragmentation have altered virtually every ecosystem on the planet. Managers and biologists should be nurturing so-called "novel ecosystems" -- thriving combinations of plants, animals and habitat that have never occurred together before -- and developing new conservation strategies for them, he said. Current management practices often involve trying to fix only one aspect of an ecosystem, like eradicating an invasive species, according to the authors. But in many cases, such action does little to improve the ecosystem's overall health. Invasive plant species that have been removed, for example, are frequently replaced by other invasive species that quickly colonize the ecological "vacuum." Instead, biologists and managers need to work with new approaches that focus on desired outcomes, emphasizing genetic and species diversity, said Seastedt, also a fellow at CU-Boulder's Institute of Arctic and Alpine A paper on the subject was published online Jan. 31 in Frontiers in Ecology.
India Will spend $170M to Save Tigers
January 31, 2008 www.news.com.au
INDIA plans to spend $170 million over five years in an attempt to save its endangered tigers. The number of tigers in India has plummeted to between 1300 to 1500 from about 40,000 a century ago, according to provisional government survey results. Some of the new money will be spent on shifting villages and tribal communities away from tiger habitats, according to Rajesh Gopal, head of India's National Tiger Conservation Authority. Eight new tiger reserves will also be established, although conservationists say bad management and outright corruption are problems at some of India's tiger reserves. In 2005, the Government announced that there were no tigers left in Sariska Tiger Reserve, more than 30 years after it had set up Project Tiger, a national effort to protect the species.
Phoenix Zoo Rescues Mountain Lion Cubs
January 31, 2008 www.azcentral.com
The Phoenix Zoo has rescued two 5-month-old female mountain lion cubs. They were brought to the zoo by the South Dakota Wildlife Division of Game, Fish and Parks after the cubs after being orphaned in the Black Hills. In celebration of Super Bowl XLII in Arizona, the cubs have been named Eli and Brady. Mountain lions, also known as pumas, cougars and panthers, are found throughout Arizona and have one of the largest ranges of any wild cat and can be found across the West. The cubs are on exhibit on the Arizona Trail.
KC Zoo Breaks Ground on Tropical Exhibit
January 31, 2008 www.kansascity.com By MATT CAMPBELL
Kansas City Zoo broke ground today for a $5 million tropical exhibit. The project, which will be completed by September, will transform an original 1909 building and usher in the zoo’s centennial next year. Zoo Director Randy Wisthoff said the new renovation, paid for with bonds will restore a pitched glass skylight to the structure. The floor is also being lowered by four feet to create an 18-foot-tall space and year-round attraction with natural light. Species planned for the 8,000 square feet of exhibit space include tamarins, gibbons, otters, capybara and toucans. Officials are asking the public to share memories, photographs, souvenirs or other items about the zoo over the decades to celebrate the centinnial.
Endangered Species Permit Applications
January 31, 2008 http://www.epa.gov
The public to comment on the following applications to conduct certain activities with endangered species. Comments must be received on or before March 3, 2008. Mail to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Endangered Species Program Manager, Region 8, 2800 Cottage Way, Room W-2606, Sacramento, CA 95825 (telephone: 916-414-6464; fax: 916-414-6486). Please refer to the respective permit number for each application when submitting comments. For further information contact: Daniel Marquez, Fish and Wildlife Biologist, (telephone: 760-431-9440
Permit No. TE-08502
Applicant: Jeff Steinman, San Juan Capistrano, California The applicant requests an amendment to take (locate and monitor nests) the least Bell's vireo (Vireo bellii pusillus) in conjunction with surveys and population monitoring throughout the range of the species in California, for the purpose of enhancing its survival.
Permit No. TE-172629
Applicant: Kirsten Sellheim, Davis, California The applicant requests an amendment to take (capture, collect, and kill) the Conservancy fairy shrimp (Branchinecta conservatio), the longhorn fairy shrimp (Branchinecta longiantenna), and the vernal pool tadpole shrimp (Lepidurus packardi) in conjunction with research and genetic analysis in Lassen, Plumas, Mendocino, Lake Colusa, Sacramento, Napa, Alameda, Merced, Stanislaus, Fresno, Solano, San Luis Obispo, and Santa Barbara Counties, California, and in Jackson County, Oregon, for the purpose of enhancing their survival.
Permit No. TE-035879
Applicant: Wildlands Incorporated, Rocklin, California The permittee requests an amendment to take (harass by survey, capture, handle, and release) the California tiger salamander (Ambystoma californiense) in conjunction with surveys throughout the range of the species in California, for the purpose of enhancing its survival.
Permit No. TE-809232
Applicant: Bio-West, Incorporated, Logan, Utah The applicant requests an amendment to remove/reduce to possession Nitrophila mohavensis (Amargosa nitorphila) from Federal lands in conjunction with research in Nye County, Nevada, for the purpose of enhancing its survival.
Physicist Calculates Tiger Leap
February 1, 2008 arxiv.org/abs/0801.4407
What velocity do you need to launch a 350 pound object over a 12.5 foot barrier that is 33 feet away? Raza Syed, a physicist at Northeastern University in Boston says the answer is: 26.7 miles per hour at an angle of about 55 degrees. If you replace 350 pound object with a female Siberian Tiger called Tatiana. And for 12.5 foot barrier 33 feet away substitute the dimensions of the tiger enclosure at San Francisco zoo. Is this kind of speed possible for a tiger? Apparently yes. Syed says tigers can reach speeds of 35 miles per hour with a run up of only a few feet so this enclosure was clearly no barrier to Tatiana.
Toledo Zoo Breeds Northern Slimy Salamander
February 1, 2008 toledoblade.com
The Toledo Zoo's newest addition is a half-inch long, doesn't have lungs, secretes a sticky substance when threatened - and is highly prized by curator R. Andrew Odum. A Northern slimy salamander was born early last month. The Zoo’s first clutch of Northern slimy salamander eggs was laid in October. They were the first since the species was added to the collection about a decade ago. After the mother ate the clutch's other eggs, the viable one was removed from her presence and incubated, said, the zoo's curator of herpetology. "This is the first time that we've ever been successful,' he said. "We took the gamble, and we decided to separate it out." The Northern slimy salamander newborn, which is likely to reach 5 to 7 inches long, eventually will be on display in the zoo's upcoming Amazing Amphibians exhibit opening in May. The salamanders are native to Ohio and other eastern and central states, and they are found in moist woodlands.
CZA alerts zoos across India against bird flu
February 1, 2008 www.hindu.com
NEW DELHI -- The Central Zoo Authority (CZA) has alerted all zoos across the country to take preventive measures in the wake of bird flu outbreak in several parts of West Bengal. The Zoo officials have been asked to provide disposal gloves, masks, caps and other accessories to animal keepers working at various enclosures particularly birds, Sharma said. "These measures have been taken to contain the spread of avian influenza," Sharma added.
16th Elephant Shrew Species Discovered
February 1, 2008 www.enn.com
In March of 2006, Galen Rathbun of the California Academy of Sciences, Francesco Rovero of the Trento Museum of Natural Sciences, and a team of collaborators confirmed the existence of a new species of elephant-shrew or ‘sengi’ that lives only in two high-altitude forest areas of mountainous south-central Tanzania. The sengi is not really a shrew but more closely related to elephants, sea cows and aardvarks. Early scientists named them elephant-shrews not because they thought the animals were related to elephants but because of their long, flexible snouts, and ironically, recent molecular research has confirmed their unusual ancestry. The new species, which has been named the grey-faced sengi (Rhynchocyon udzungwensis), weighs about 700 grams (1.5 pounds), which is more than 25 percent larger than any other known sengi. The description appears in the February 4 issue of The Journal of Zoology.
Warming Creates Extinction Risks for Hibernators
February 1, 2008 news.nationalgeographic.com
Marmot hibernation patterns were first documented in the 1970s, the animals rarely awoke before the third week of May. Now, they are regularly awake by the third week of April. These abbreviated hibernations are part of a growing body of evidence suggesting that hibernating animals are waking up earlier—or not going to sleep at all—due to rising temperatures from global warming. David Inouye, a biology professor at the University of Maryland collaborated with the Rocky Mountain Biological Lab in studying the marmots and Craig Frank, a biology professor at Fordham University in New York is studying the effects of climate change on hibernation patterns in chipmunks in New York and ground squirrels in California. "It is reasonable to think that once temps reach a certain level, it would be practically impossible to survive an entire period of food restriction." And while animals are rousing themselves several weeks earlier, the plants that they normally eat are not, creating the real possibility of starvation for some of these animals, Inouye pointed out. "Wildflowers still rely on the snowmelt as their cue to come out of their hibernation," Inouye said. And that snowmelt is still happening much later than the marmots' April appearances, he noted. These altered slumber patterns are putting animals at risk both of starvation and increased predation.
Zoo Experts Criticize S.F. Zoo
February 1, 2008 www.sfgate.com By Patricia Yollin
Three former leaders of zoos from around the world said today that their recent visits to the San Francisco Zoo uncovered several problems, including severely outdated exhibits and animals that behave unnaturally. Robert Atkinson, the former curator of the Woburn Safari Park in England, said he visited the zoo this morning. He said the obsolete design of many exhibits were like something from the 19th century. "I just came away sad. It's like a zoo you would see in Eastern Europe," he said. "It's a sad place compared to the rest of the city, which is so progressive. Peter Stroud, a former zoo chief from the Werribee Open Range Zoo and Melbourne Zoo in Australia, said the concrete chimpanzee exhibit was "Third World." He pointed out "aberrant" animal behavior, such as pacing polar bears and giraffes that have licked and chewed the side of their barn. He criticized the relatively new African Savanna exhibit, which opened in 2004. The three-acre site doesn't include enough shelter or food for animals, he said. And Les Schobert, a former general curator at zoos in North Carolina and Los Angeles, said the San Francisco Zoo seemed to be run like a department store, with officials putting emphasis on showing a varied menagerie instead of focusing on the animals' well-being.
Charles Coburn Obituary
February 1, 2008 www.signonsandiego.com By Cheryl Clark
Charles Coburn, former director of horticulture at the San Diego Zoo died on Jan. 25 after a six-month battle with prostate cancer. He was 62. In his early 20s, he went to New Mexico to study metal art, then returned to his San Diego Home and joined the Wild Animal Park in 1972 and was promoted to horticulture chief in 1987. He helped to create zoo exhibits such as Tiger River, the panda exhibit, Gorilla Tropics and the East African Kopje. He met his wife Jennifer at a topiary art conference he organized in 1991. In 1997, Mr. Coburn took early retirement to join her business, now called Coburn Topiary and Garden Art Inc. Their topiaries now grace Epcot Center, Hong Kong Disneyland, “It's a Small World” in Disneyland and Wynn Las Vegas. Their creations include larger-than-life baseball players for Lake Elsinore's stadium. Six large topiary buffalo live at Legoland in Carlsbad. And 2 of his large elephants welcome visitors to the San
Diego Zoo. Mr. Coburn was born in Pomona, and his family moved to San Diego when he was very young. He received a bachelor's degree in philosophy from San Diego State University and a master's in business administration from the University of Phoenix, San Diego, his wife said. Mr. Coburn is also survived by three daughters, Heidi Rose of Carlsbad, Laura Coburn of San Diego and Melodie Coburn of San Marcos; a sister, Marie Coburn of Dixon, N.M.; and his father, George Coburn of Vista. In lieu of flowers, contributions should be sent to the Elizabeth Hospice of Escondido in lieu of flowers.
Hunting Among Chimpanzees
February 1, 2008 www.eurekalert.org
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Feb. 1, 2008 – While hunting among chimpanzees is a group effort, key males, known as “impact hunters” are highly influential within the group. They are more likely to initiate a hunt, and hunts rarely occur in their absence, according to a new study in the current issue of Animal Behaviour. Chimpanzees live in communities of 40 to 150, within which fluid subgroups of changing size and composition form. While their diet is largely ripe fruit, chimpanzees also prey upon red colobus monkeys, which are agile and live in the trees. For this study, the researchers followed the hunting patterns of 11 adult males over more than a decade, among which two chimpanzees were identified as impact hunters. The chimpanzees that were studied live in Kanyawara, in Kibale National Park, Uganda. While predation among chimpanzees is cooperative, the researchers found that hunting does not appear to be a collaborative process. Males were not more likely to hunt for reasons of social bonding, nor was there an association between the presence of a sexually receptive female and an increased likelihood of hunting. The study was led by Ian Gilby, a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Anthropology in Harvard’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences, with Lynn Eberly of the University of Minnesota and Richard Wrangham, Ruth Moore Professor of Biological Anthropology at Harvard.
Congo Wetlands Reserve Designated
February 2, 2008 www.enn.com
The Convention on Wetlands, signed in Ramsar, Iran, in 1971, is an intergovernmental treaty which provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands. RAMSAR recently declared 4 new sites throughout the Congo Basin which are part of the CongoWet regional initiative. This will be the world’s second largest internationally recognized and protected wetlands reserve. The nearly 6 million hectares of forest making up the Grand Affluents wetland in the middle reaches of the Congo River was one of five wetlands in the Congo and the Cameroon to be notified under the RAMSAR Convention today. WWF International’s wetlands manager Denis Landenbergue, a veteran of the long and challenging process of achieving the declarations, said "This will help secure water and livelihoods for millions of people and the conservation of important water features, forests and habitats. Areas of these wetlands are particularly important dry time refuges for elephants, hippopotamuses and buffalos and for many migratory bird species.” Around 300,000 people are dependant on the 5,908,074 hectare Grand Affluents RAMSAR wetland, with the four major tributaries to the Congo being the origin of its name as well as making the area an important transport network. The world’s largest RAMSAR wetland is the 6,278,200 ha Queen Maude Gulf Migratory Bird Sanctuary in Canada.
South China Tiger Cataract Operation
February 2, 2008 www.chinadaily.com.cn
NANCHANG - A South China tiger cub in an East China zoo has regained its eyesight after what is believed to be the first ever cataract removal surgery on this species. The male cub, coded 393, is one of the country's two surviving South China tigers born through artificial insemination. He was born in Shanghai on February 8 last year and was sent to Nanchang at six months old. Zoo workers suspected he was unable to see because he often ran into walls and fences and could only sniff for food. In December, he was diagnosed with congenital cataracts in both eyes, a result of inbreeding. Almost all of the 72 tigers bred in captivity nationwide are descended from six tigers captured in the wild in 1955. Dr. Liu Fei of Nanchang University performed the hour-long surgery. The hospital's best anesthetist, Prof. Xu Guohai used his hands and ausculatory devises to monitor the animal’s heart and breathing as the sensors on the electrocardiograph for human beings could not penetrate the tiger's thick fur.
Katrina Dolphin Book
February 3, 2008 www.signonsandiego.com By John Wilkins
Georgeanne Irvine has worked at the San Diego Zoo for 30 years, and written more than 20 children's books – “Bo the Orangutan,” “Elmer the Elephant,” “Zelda the Zebra” – on the side. Her newest book “The Katrina Dolphins: One-Way Ticket to Paradise" was published in November, and tells how 8 dolphins from the Marine Life Oceanarium in Gulfport, Mississippi survived Hurricane Katrina. Their trainers hoped the dolphins had been washed into the gulf by the storm surge, but had no way to search for them since all helicopters were being used to rescue people, and most of the boats had been destroyed. Twelve days later, they finally got on a helicopter and spotted all eight dolphins – alive, and together. It was as if the animals, raised in captivity, were waiting for the trainers to come along and toss them fish. One by one the dolphins were captured. They went into temporary tanks set up in a warehouse in Gulfport by the Navy's Marine Mammal Program, based in San Diego. (The program trains dolphins and sea lions to locate and mark explosive mines.) Eventually, 17 Marine Life dolphins – the eight recaptured in the gulf, the six from the motel pools, and three that had been on loan to other parks – were sold to a resort, Atlantis, on Paradise Island in the Bahamas. Irvine, 52, said she was recruited to write the book by a friend who works for the company that owns the resort. That company, Kerzner International, published the book.
Central Florida Zoo’s Distinctive Entrance
February 3, 2008 www.orlandosentinel.com By Tammie Wersinger
SANFORD, Florida -- Eric McCarty is creating a new entrance for the Central Florida Zoo. It is a concrete sculpture complete with a crocodile monitor, spider monkey and tiger. McCarty, 44, is the zoo's first landscape designer and he has added a Buddha to the herpetarium and desert rock formations to the spiny garden exhibit. McCarty should complete one side of the entrance within a few months. Then, he'll start on the other side. He can already envision the finished product, which will include, among other things, an elephant bursting its way through the rock. The first phase, which entails bending steel and metal to form various shapes, is his least favorite part of the process, he said. When he isn't at the zoo, McCarty creates waterfalls and faux rock sculptures for homes through his business, Artistic Stone. See one of Eric’s creatures at:
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment/arts/orl-szoobuilder0308feb03,0,4126762.story
45-year-old Gorilla Dies at Louisville Zoo
February 4, 2008 www.courier-journal.com By Peter Smith
A 45-year-old Western lowland gorilla died Saturday night at the Louisville Zoo, four years after her arrival from the Bronx Zoo. Tunuka died of peritonitis, an inflammation of the thin membrane that lines the abdominal wall, according to the zoo. "She was a tough, cranky female when she arrived here in 2004," Gorilla Forest supervisor Roby Elsner said in a statement. "But she really mellowed over the past four years. Tunuka, was born in the wild and one of four gorillas at Louisville who are considered "geriatric." Frank is 44 years old, Timmy is 49 and Helen is 50. Eleven other gorillas survive Tunuka at Louisville.
Central Florida Zoo Plans Tiger Exhibit
February 4, 2008 www.wesh.com
SANFORD, Fla. -- The Central Florida Zoo is planning a $3.5 million-dollar tiger exhibit. Zoo curator Bonnie Breitbeil said the plan is for a Sumatran tiger exhibit, complete with water features, a raised walkway and glassed-in viewing station. They hope to complete the project in 2 years.
Hamilton Zoo Releases New Zealand Falcon
February 4, 2008 www.scoop.co.nz
Once widespread throughout New Zealand, there are now only isolated populations of 3000 to 4500 pairs of New Zealand falcons. The bird is classified as Vulnerable to Endangered. Hamilton Zoo has one breeding pair of NZ falcon. In 2006, the pair produced a clutch of eggs that did not result in chicks, but on 28 December 2007, the pair produced three eggs which resulted in a single fledgling chick. Earlier today [4 February 2008], the NZ falcon chick was taken to Kakepuku Mountain near Te Awamutu whereupon it will be prepared for release through a carefully staged progression. In a process called ‘hack release’, the chick will be placed in an enclosure and provided with food for approximately three weeks. The hack box will then be opened and the chick released with access to food as it learns to hunt for itself. The final stage of the NZ falcon chick’s release is full independence whereupon it hunts for its own food in the wild.
The Zoo is working with Kakepuku Mountain Conservation Society, DOC and other breeding centers in New Zealand to preserve the species. The release program at Kakepuku Mountain started in 2005 and seven birds have been released so far from across the Central North Island.
Biomimicry in Airplane Design
February 4, 2008 www.ns.umich.edu
To figure out how to create a flapping wing plane that will stand up to extreme wind and weather, scientists are turning to birds, bats and insects. These flyers outperform man-made aircraft in aerobatics and efficiency. University of Michigan engineers are studying these animals as a step toward designing flapping-wing planes with wingspans smaller than a deck of playing cards. Wei Shyy, chair of the Aerospace Engineering department is heading a team to study these adaptive structures and how aerodynamics integrate with wing and body shapes which change all the time. Natural flyers can remain airborne through wind gusts, rain, and snow. Pressure can cause flapping wings to deform during flight, but if appropriately handled, this phenomenon can delay stall, enhance stability and increase thrust. Flapping flight is inherently unsteady, but that's why it works so well. Birds, bats and insects fly in a messy environment full of gusts traveling at speeds similar to their own. Yet they can react almost instantaneously and adapt with their flexible wings. Shyy and his colleagues have several grants from the Air Force totaling more than $1 million a year to research small flapping wing aircraft.
New Uakari Species in Amazon
February 4, 2008 news.mongabay.com
A previously unknown species of uakari monkey was found during recent hunting trips in the Amazon, the Rio Aracá, a tributary of the Rio Negro in Brazil. Researcher Jean-Phillipe Boubli of the University of Auckland found the animal after following native Yanomamo Indians on their hunts "They told us about this black uakari monkey, which was slightly different to the one we knew from Pico de Neblina National Park, where I'd worked earlier," Boubli said. Uakaris normally live in flooded river forests, but this one turned up in a mountainous region on the Brazil-Venezuela border, far from its nearest relatives. "There is another species of primate in that region which is very similar to the uakari," Boubli said. The two compete ecologically”, he added. Boubli named the new monkey Cacajao ayresii after Brazilian biologist José Márcio Ayres, a senior zoologist for the Wildlife Conservation Society who died in 2003. He helped create a protected zone in the heart of the Amazon. The newfound Ayres uakari appears to be confined to a very small area outside any preserve and is hunted by locals. A formal description will appear in the International Journal of Primatology.
Activists Fight to List the Polar Bear
February 4, 2008 afp.google.com
WASHINGTON (AFP) - Animal activists on Monday pressed the US government to add the polar bear to the list of endangered animal species before the sell-off of oil and gas drilling rights in Alaska begins in the coming days. Brandon Frazier, a spokesman IFAW said "The authorities would have to get approval through the Fish and Wildlife Service to conduct drilling if there is an endangered species that inhabits the area." The US government is due on Wednesday to offer several million acres of polar bear habitat in the Chukchi Sea in Alaska for sale for oil and gas exploration leases. The lease-sale would make the polar bears' habitat "vulnerable to big business interests and jeopardize the government's ability to protect it," IFAW said. US lawmakers have proposed listing the polar bear as "threatened", but IFAW said that did not go far enough. "A 'threatened' listing leaves open the possibility for exemptions and doesn't shut loopholes, such as the one that allows Americans to trophy-hunt for polar bears in Canada and bring their heads and hides back to the US," Frazier said. Last month the USFWS announced it was putting off a decision on listing the polar bear as a threatened species until after the sell-off of oil and gas drilling rights in Alaska. "They are trying to wait it out, get the lease-sale through and then make the decision," said Frazier. "That way, they could list the lease-sale as an exemption."
Migratory Swallows Threatened
February 4, 2008 www.enn.com
Andrew Dunn, of the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Nigeria Program says swallows that winter in Africa migrate each spring to areas in Europe and Asia, and while they are not endangered, their numbers are declining. There are only two known roosts for swallows in Cross River State, a coastal region in southeastern Nigeria. One site is approximately two kilometers outside of Cross River National Park, and WCS researchers fear it will be destroyed from advancing farms. The fact that swallows congregate in large numbers in the winter makes them vulnerable to hunting. The other swallow roost in Cross River State, at a site known as Boje, is considered one of the largest swallow roosts in Africa. However, it has suffered in recent years from hunting by local people. Still, it remains an important destination for tourists who come to see the spectacle of millions of birds gathering in a relatively small area each night.
Oldest Captive-born Anteater Dies at Santa Barbara Zoo
February 4, 2008 www.mercurynews.com
SANTA BARBARA, Calif.—A giant male anteater, misnamed Sophie, was euthanized on January 31st at the Santa Barbara Zoo. Director of Animal Programs and Conservation Alan Varsik says the initial necropsy found severe arthritis. Varsik says zoo officials "observed a significant decline in his mobility and apparent comfort in recent weeks." Misidentified at birth as a female, Sophie was born in July 1986 at the Jackson Zoo in Mississippi and had lived at the Santa Barbara Zoo since December 1986.
Whale Underwater Communication
February 4, 2008 www.eurekalert.org
Researchers from San Diego State University and the University of California have been using computer models to mimic the effects of underwater noise on an unusual whale species and have discovered a new pathway for sound entering the head and ears. Advances in Finite Element Modeling (FEM), Computed tomography (CT) scanning, and computer processing have made it possible to simulate the environment and anatomy of a Cuvier’s beaked whale when a sonar signal is sent out or received by the whale. The research paper, published today, Monday, February 4, 2008, in the Institute of Physics’ Journal, Bioinspiration & Biomimetics, is a catalyst for future research that could end years of speculation about the effects of underwater sound on marine mammals. Dr Cranford of San Diego State University began the research into Cuvier’s beaked whales almost ten years ago when he undertook the first ever CT scan of a large whale, which provided researchers with the very complex anatomic geometry of a sperm whale’s head. Since 1968, it has been believed that noise vibrations travel through the thin bony walls of toothed whales’ lower jaw and onto the fat body attached to the ear complex. This research shows however that the thin bony walls do not transmit the vibrations. In fact they enter through the throat and then pass to the bony ear complex via a unique fatty channel.
Circulatory System of American Alligator
February 4, 2008 www.eurekalert.org
Professor C.G. Farmer and her colleagues at the University of Utah, along with the Utah Artificial Heart Institute, have published “The Right-to-Left Shunt of Crocodilians Serves Digestion” in the March/April 2008 issue of Physiological and Biochemical Zoology. They found that after feasting, American crocodiles find a warm place to lie down while they digest their meal. During this period they divert blood through a special vessel (the left aorta) that bypasses the lung. Humans, other mammals, and birds lack this special vessel, and so all blood pumped by the right side of the heart flows through the pulmonary artery into the lungs, where carbon dioxide (CO2) moves from the blood into the gases of the lungs. Crocodilians can chose not to use the left aorta, in which case their cardiovascular system is very much like the mammalian system. However, when crocodilians are digesting a meal, they chose to shunt and direct CO2-rich blood straight to the stomach where glands make use of the CO2 to form gastric acid and bicarbonate. Consequently this shunt enables crocodilians to secrete gastric acid at a rate that is approximately 10 times the highest rates measured in mammals. If crocodilians are deprived of this ability to sidestep their lungs, their rates of acid secretion drop significantly and their ability to dissolve bone, a regular part of their normal diet, is impaired. There are many reasons crocodilians may need this super secretion. First, these huge meals, which are stored in the stomach while they are gradually broken down, would putrefy due to the overgrowth of bacteria without the constant acid bath that inhibits bacterial growth. A second reason may be related to their hunting tactics - they spring upon their prey, and drag them into the water and drown them. This powerful burst of activity generates an extraordinary amount of lactic acid in their muscles, which, unless cleared rapidly from the body, can be lethal. The shunting of this acidic blood past the lungs and to the stomach allows the acid to quickly leave the blood and provides the blood with a bicarbonate buffer.
Feline Immunodeficiency Virus Analysis
February 4, 2008 www.eurekalert.org
Parts of feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) isolated from wild lions have undergone substantial genetic recombination, according to new research published in the online open access journal BMC Genomics. The sequencing of the two full FIV genomes of different lion subtypes shows the importance of whole-genome analysis in understanding complex genetic events. These findings will be relevant to big cat conservation and developing more effective animal models for HIV.
FIV is a member of the lentivirus family of retroviruses, as is HIV. The feline virus causes similar disease progression to HIV in domestic cats, and is used by researchers as an animal model for human disease. FIV also infects a number of other cat species, many of which are endangered. The virulence and pathogenicity of the virus varies between species, but the genetic contribution to this variation is unclear. Full-length viral genome sequences are vital for scientists to understand the extent of genetic involvement yet, until recently, only six species-specific strains of FIV had been sequenced in full: Pallas cat, domestic cat (subtypes A, B and C) and puma (subtypes A and B). The full article is at: http://www.biomedcentral.com/imedia/8645828671577328_article.pdf?random=490812
African Rhino Populations Recovering
February 4, 2008 www.LiveScience.com By Clara Moskowitz
In the 1990s African white and black rhinos had been poached almost to extinction for their horns. But thanks to anti-poaching efforts, as well as the cooperation of local communities, African rhinoceros populations are on the rise. "We have seen an increase in rhino populations of at least five percent per year over the last decade, which is encouraging," said George Kampamba, coordinator for World Wildlife Fund International’s African Rhino Program. In 1997, there were 8,466 white rhinos and 2,599 black rhinos living in the wild. Today, there are 14,500 white rhinos and nearly 4,000 black rhinos. "There's been a healthy increase in rhino numbers," said Petra Fleischer, fundraising manager of Save the Rhino International. "It’s the combined effort of anti-poaching work and monitoring to get a better picture of populations, environmental education, government strategies and community involvement. International funding is important, too." Rhinos have recently been reintroduced to some countries where they had disappeared, such as Zambia and Uganda. This can help motivate local people to become more involved in conservation, and can give a boost to tourism, Fleischer said.
Baboon Dads Influence Daughters' Fitness
February 4, 2008 www.eurekalert.org
DURHAM, N.C. -- Polygamous baboon fathers get more grandchildren if they spend a little time with their children during their juvenile years, according to research directed by scientists at Duke and Princeton universities. The findings, in well-studied social groupings of yellow baboons living at the foot of Africa's Mt. Kilimanjaro, were unexpected in "multi-male" animal societies where both genders have multiple partners and mature males were thought to focus their energies almost solely on mating. Scientists have long known that mothers have major effects on daughters' fitness in these kinds of animal societies. But dads have previously been invisible in the fitness stories because paternity information was unavailable until recent genetic research was included in a few studies such as this one. In a report appearing in the online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) on Feb. 4, 2008, Susan Alberts and her colleagues at Duke University found that the more time fathers spent living with their young daughters, the earlier the daughters reached menarche, the onset of menstruation. "A female who can start earlier has a longer reproductive life," said Alberts, the report's senior author. "So starting out early is good."
Gunnison’s Prairie Dog Listing
February 5, 2008
www.epa.gov
After a thorough 12-month review of all available scientific and commercial information on the Gunnison’s prairie dog (Cynomys gunnisoni), the USFWS finds that that the species is not threatened or endangered throughout all of its range, but that the portion of the current range of the species located in central and south-central Colorado and north-central New Mexico (the northeastern portion of the range) represents a significant portion of the range where the Gunnison's prairie dog is warranted for listing under the Act. Currently, listing is precluded by higher priority actions to amend the Lists of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants. We have assigned a listing priority number (LPN) of 2 to this species, because threats have a high magnitude, and are imminent. We will develop a proposed rule to list the Gunnison's prairie dog in the northeastern (montane) portion of its range as our priorities allow. This finding is available on the Internet at http://www.regulations.gov and www.fws.gov/mountain-prairie/species/
Review of Northern Spotted Owl Draft Recovery Plan
February 5, 2008 www.fws.gov By Joan Jewett
A panel of scientists will meet February 11 in Bellevue, Washington, to continue the independent evaluation of the ecology of the northern spotted owl. The panel will consider issues raised in peer reviews of the northern spotted owl draft recovery plan, including fire regimes and habitat, adaptive management and modeling tools, and will evaluate all science relevant to these issues. The panel is the second convened by Sustainable Ecosystems Institute of Portland, Oregon. SEI was selected by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to review the scientific basis of the northern spotted owl draft recovery plan released in April 2007, as well as all science relevant to the ecology of the owl. To assist in the evaluation, Dr. Steven Courtney, Vice-President of SEI, has chosen a panel of eleven scientists.
Critical Habitat for Sierra Nevada Bighorn Sheep and Taxonomic Revision
February 5, 2008 www.epa.gov
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) is announcing the reopening of the public comment period on the proposed designation of critical habitat for the Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep (Ovis Canadensis californiana) and proposed taxonomic revision under the Endangered Species Act. Also available is the draft economic analysis (DEA) of the proposed critical habitat designation. The DEA provides information about the pre-designation costs and forecasts post-designation costs associated with conservation efforts for Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep. The DEA estimates
potential future costs due to conservation efforts (baseline costs) to be approximately $26.7 million and costs associated solely with the designation of critical habitat (incremental costs) to be approximately $135,000 in undiscounted dollars over a 20-year period in areas proposed as critical habitat. We will accept public comments until March 6, 2008. You may submit comments by one of the following methods: Federal eRulemaking Portal: www.regulations.gov
U.S. mail: Public Comments Processing, Attn: FWS-R8-ES-2008-0014, Division of Policy and Directives Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 4401 N. Fairfax Drive,
Suite 222, Arlington, VA 22203. We will not accept e-mail or faxes. We will post all comments on www.regulations.gov For further information contact: Robert D. Williams, Field Supervisor
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Nevada Fish and Wildlife Office, 1340 Financial Blvd., Suite 234, Reno, NV 89502-7147; telephone 775-861-6300; or facsimile 775-861-6301.
Phoenix Zoo Will Upgrade Orangutan Exhibit
February 5, 2008 www.azcentral.com By Jennifer Sondag
The Phoenix Zoo plans to build a $5 million orangutan exhibit that will provide the animals an improved natural setting and visitors an improved viewing experienced. The first phase of the project is a new night house. This upgrade will provide increased shelter in cold weather and will cost $1 million. The second phase will be a new more natural environment, with grass, trees, and water. The third phase is the remolding to the existing exhibit. A finance campaign is now underway.
Infared Pictures of London Zoo Animals
February 5, 2008 www.telegraph.co.uk By Roger Highfield
A Thermal camera offers unique view of animal world: Hot-headed penguins, pelicans with glowing feet, cold nosed sloths and cold-hearted flamingos are revealed in a selection of images through the lens of a thermal camera that will provide keepers at London Zoo with a unique view of their animals. The images reveal some more unusual ways to keep warm including some birds cutting off the blood to one leg to conserve energy. One picture clearly reveals how warm a lion's mane keeps him while another demonstrates veins of warmth running through a butterfly's red, delicate wings. The photographs were taken by a Zoo visitor, amateur photographer Steve Lowe, who donated them to the Zoo. Thermal imaging technology can also be used in veterinary diagnostics such that infected areas will sometimes appear very hot. Lowes images are at: www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?xml=/earth/2008/02/05/scizoo105.xml
3 Wild Animal Park Keepers Infected with Superbug MRSA
February 5, 2008 www.nctimes.com
At least three San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park workers have become infected with an antibiotic-resistant superbug, but public health officials said it was unlikely that park visitors would be affected. County Public Health Officer Dr. Wilma Wooten said Monday that the county had been monitoring skin infections of seven animal park employees who all worked in the same elephant enclosure, which is off-limits to the public. Wooten said cultures confirmed that three had been infected with the superbug bacteria known as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA. She said three other employees were still being monitored and one tested negative. Wooten said all of the infected workers were fine, did not have to be hospitalized and were being treated with antibiotics that do fight the bug. The superbug bacteria was once found only in hospitals, nursing homes and other health facilities but it has been turning up increasingly in public areas such as gymnasiums. A Ramona boy died of an infection in February 2007.
DNA Barcode for Plants
February 5, 2008 www.enn.com
A 'barcode' gene that can be used to distinguish between the majority of plant species on Earth has been identified by scientists who publish their findings in the February 4, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. This gene, which can be used to identify plants using a small sample, could lead to new ways of easily cataloguing different types of plants in species-rich areas like rainforests. It could also lead to accurate methods for identifying plant ingredients in powdered substances, such as in traditional Chinese medicines, and could help to monitor and prevent the illegal transportation of endangered plant species. The team behind the discovery found that DNA sequences of the gene 'matK' differ among plant species, but are nearly identical in plants of the same species. This means that the matK gene can provide scientists with an easy way of distinguishing between different plants, even closely related species that may look the same to the human eye. The researchers, led by Dr Vincent Savolainen, of London’s Imperial College and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, carried out two large-scale field studies: one on the exceptionally diverse species of orchids found in the tropical forests of Costa Rica, and the other on the trees and shrubs of the Kruger National Park in South Africa.
Calgary Zoo Will Change Animal Transfer Protocol
February 5, 2008 www.9news.com
CALGARY – The Calgary Zoo plans to adopt new standards for the transportation of large animals, but says proper care was given to a 6-year-old hippopotamus that died after being transferred to Calgary from the Denver Zoo. Hazina died after she left Denver on the morning of Oct. 25 and arrived in Calgary the next afternoon. She spent the entire time in her crate. She died early on Oct. 27. The Calgary Zoo says her death was an accident and she "succumbed to complications from pressure myopathy which had produced toxins in her body during transport." New standards for hippo transfer will include: 1. Visual stops at regular intervals 2. Containers which let the animal stand and lay on its side without being cramped, but that do not allow them to turn around. 3. Crates with a non-slippery floor so animals have sure footing. 4. Abundant bedding 5. A way to watch the animal remotely, like a closed-circuit television camera. 6. Free access to drinking water
Endangered Iriomote Wildcat
February 5, 2008 www.nytimes.com By Ko Sasaki
IRIOMOTE ISLAND, Japan — The Iriomote (ee-ree-o-mo-the) wildcat is said to have roamed this small, subtropical island in the East China Sea for 200,000 years, but was so elusive that it was not discovered until 1967. On an island without mice, the wildcat eats everything from wild boar to shrimp. It is almost indistinguishable from a house cat, and is believed to be related to a leopard cat found on the Asian continent. Last year Japan’s environmental authorities raised it one notch on a list of endangered species and a recent census puts the wildcat’s population below the 100 estimated more than a decade ago. An average of three wildcats ending up as roadkill every year, and the island’s two-lane main road — progressively widened to accommodate an increasing number of cars is considered a major threat. Authorities have devised elaborate methods to help the wildcat cross the road : new rumble strips called “zebra zones” induce drivers to slow down and alert wildcats to oncoming cars. Eighty-five “eco roads,” or underpasses have been dug under the main road. Surveillance cameras set up at 19 of the underpasses confirm that wildcats are using them, though perhaps not as frequently as other animals. And Chieko Matsumoto, 62, leads a private group that tries to control stray house cats, which can transmit diseases to the wildcat. Wildcat experts include Maki Okamura at the Iriomote Wildlife Conservation Center and Masako Izawa, at the University of the Ryukyus on Okinawa’s main island.
Wild Animal Park Euthanizes Baby Elephant
February 6, 2008 www.signonsandiego.com By Jeanette Steele
Malnourished, losing weight and carrying a drug-resistant staph infection for two weeks, a female elephant calf, born November 28 was euthanized by Wild Animal Park Vets Monday. Born to a mother who suffered complications during the birth, the baby had serious health problems in addition to the staph infection. An initial examination revealed problems with her nervous and digestive systems – all probably because of malnourishment. Four workers at the Wild Animal Park, have been diagnosed with the staph bacterium, known as MRSA. It doesn't respond to common antibiotics and was involved in the death of a 13-year-old Encinitas boy last month. The workers have rashes but are still on the job and are expected to be fine, said Dr. Wilma Wooten, county public health officer. Test results are pending on two others. The elephant barn and veterinary hospital are off-limits to visitors and all workers are wearing gloves. “It is entirely safe to go to the Wild Animal Park,” Wooten said. Besides, she said, one in a 100 people carries this version of staph on the skin and nasal passages. The mother, Lungile's condition is still guarded. None of the park's other elephants is sick.
Surfers & Environmentalists Oppose So Cal Highway
February 6, 2008 www.nytimes.com www.latimes.com
The California Coastal Commission has rejected a $875 million project to end gridlock on Interstate 5 between Orange County and San Diego, which logs more than 125,000 cars a day. The “Foothill South” would run 16 miles from Oso Parkway in Rancho Santa Margarita to I-5 at Basilone Road south of San Clemente, through the northern half of San Onofre and pass over the Trestles marine estuary, which is a nature preserve. About 320 of the park's 2,100 acres would be taken for the toll road, including traffic lanes and two ramps along I-5. Environmentalists said the toll road would destroy habitat for nearly a half-dozen threatened or endangered species, including the Pacific pocket mouse. It would cut 161 camp sites and create a concrete eyesore in the middle of the 2,100-acre San Onofre State Beach. San Onofre is the state's fifth-most popular park and attracts 2 1/2 million visitors a year. Surfers worried that the road would block sandy runoff from the San Mateo Creek watershed, which they believe creates the wave breaks that earn Trestles its spot on the World Championship Tour. Transportation officials plan to appeal the decision. The Save San Onofre Coalition: http://www.savesanonofre.com/ Transportation Corridor Agencies: http://www.thetollroads.com/home/maps.htm
$1 million to Louisville Zoo's Glacier Run
February 6, 2008 www.bizjournals.com
John Schnatter, founder of Papa John's International Inc. has made a $1 million personal gift to the Louisville Zoo's Glacier Run project. The Schnatters previously gave $100,000 to Glacier Run. Their newest gift brings the campaign total to about $12.6 million, more than half of the $25 million goal. In recognition of the Schnatters' $1 million gift, the zoo has named its splash park "Calistoga Splash Park at Glacier Run." John Schnatter is an investor in Calistoga Bakery Café, an upscale sandwich shop concept based in Naples, Fla. Glacier Run will be a 4.3-acre outdoor exhibit based on the theme of an old gold-mining town bordered by a glacier. It will feature polar bears, arctic foxes, snowy owls, reindeer and other arctic animals. The exhibit also will include classrooms, party rooms available for rental, viewing areas above and below water, and a 200-seat outdoor auditorium for watching animal training demonstrations.
Critical Habitat for Elkhorn and Staghorn Corals
February 6, 2008 www.epa.gov
The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), proposes to designate critical habitat for elkhorn (Acropora palmata) and staghorn (A. cervicornis) corals, which we listed as threatened under the
Endangered Species Act. Four specific areas are proposed for designation: the Florida unit, which comprises approximately 3,301 square miles (8,671 sq km) of marine habitat; the Puerto Rico unit, which comprises approximately 1,383 square miles (3,582 sq km) of marine habitat; the St. John/St. Thomas unit, which comprises approximately 121 square miles (313 sq km) of marine habitat; and the St. Croix unit, which comprises approximately 126 square miles (326 sq km) of marine habitat. We propose to exclude one military site, comprising approximately 47 square miles (123 sq km), because of national security impacts. We are soliciting comments from the public on all aspects of the proposal, including our identification and consideration of the
positive and negative economic, national security, and other relevant impacts of the proposed designation, and the areas we propose to exclude from the designation. A draft impacts report prepared pursuant to section 4(b)(2) of the ESA in support of this proposal is also available for public review and comment. Comments on this proposal must be received by May 6, 2008.
Submit comments identified by the Regulation Identifier Number (RIN) 0648-AV35, via : Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov Mail: Assistant Regional Administrator, Protected Resources Division, NMFS, Southeast Regional Office, 263 13th Ave. South, St.
Petersburg, FL 33701. Facsimile (fax) : 727-824-5309.
All comments received are a part of the public record and will generally be posted to http://www.regulations.gov without change. All Personal Identifying Information (for example, name, address, etc.) voluntarily submitted by the commenter may be publicly accessible. For further information contact: Jennifer Moore or Sarah Heberling, NMFS, at the address above or at 727-824-5312; or Marta Nammack, NMFS, at 301-713-1401.
On May 9, 2006, we listed elkhorn and staghorn corals as threatened under the ESA. At the time of listing, we also announced our intention to propose critical habitat for elkhorn and staghorn corals. We are proposing to designate critical habitat for both species through one rule; due to their similar life histories, distribution, threats, and conservation requirements, critical habitat
for these coral species is overlapping.
Bergen County Zoo offers Science Workshop
February 6, 2008 www.paramuspost.com By Mel Fabrikant
A special workshop entitled “Supporting Parents in Advocacy, Reform, and Knowledge in Science” (SPARKS) is being offered at the Bergen County Zoo. It provides parents of students in grades kindergarten through eighth an opportunity to get involved in their children’s science education. The program was created by the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Bronx Zoo and is funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services. The workshop will provide parents with tools to make science enjoyable beyond the classroom. The three-day workshop runs from Wednesday, April 2 through Friday, April 4 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Activities will take place throughout the zoo, including the zoo’s Education/Discovery Center. Lunch will be provided. Participants will receive a $50 honorarium and a fun book of science activities for the family.
Javan Brown Langur Born At Belfast Zoo
February 6, 2008 www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk By Linda McKee
A Javan Brown Langur has been born at the Belfast Zoo. The species is found on the island of Java and the smaller islands of Bali and Lombok and is threatened by the destruction of its habitat for timber and cultivation. Currently the species is classified as endangered on the IUCN Red List 2004. They are found in three protected areas in Indonesia - Gunung Halimun National Park, Pangandaran National Park and Ujung Kulon National Park but remain under threat due to active trade in bush meats in this part of the world. The international breeding program operated by zoos is helping support the small numbers of Javan Brown Langurs.
DASIE - Europe’s Invasive Species Database
February 6, 2008 environment.newscientist.com By Catherine Brahic
European researchers have compiled the first comprehensive database of Europe’s invaders and alien species. The database for the "DAISIE" project is the first of its kind, as it not only logs all current invaders, but also possible invaders of the future. It was launched at a meeting in Portoroz, Slovenia on 23 January. "Not all alien species in Europe are invaders," said David Roy at the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, UK and an expert for DAISIE. To be classified as an "invader", a species must cause economic damage or threaten local biodiversity. There are 10,677 alien species on DAISIE, of which roughly 10% are invasive. Transportation alone is responsible for nearly 10,500 introductions, most of which are unintentional. But more than 6000 others have become aliens through intentional introductions. The Sika deer from East Asia, for was released as game. Rose-ringed parakeets have been intentionally released by their owners.
The Harlequin ladybird, Harmonia axyridis, was released in northwestern Europe to control aphids, but when the aphids get scarce, they feed on the soft fruit. Lagocephalus sceleratus, also known as the silverstripe blaasop, can kill if eaten without being prepared properly by a specialist chef. It it is a cousin of the pufferfish. In 2004, eight people died after having eaten the invading pufferfish in Egypt, and by 2005, it had made its way to Crete, and is now spreading westwards along the north Mediterranean coast. Rhopilema nomadica, the giant nomadic jellyfish and the venomous black widow spider are also on the list.
New bird sub-species found in Nepal
February 6, 2008, www.gulf-times.com
KATHMANDU: A team of Nepalese ornithologists has discovered a new sub-species of bird in eastern Nepal, media reports said yesterday. The bird, named Nepal Rofus-vented Prinia (Prinia burnesii nipalensis), was first spotted in a wildlife reserve in eastern Nepal two years ago but was deemed to be a new sub-species after research. The bird was discovered by a group of conservationists at Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve, about 400km south-east of the Nepalese capital Kathmandu. The experts believe the new sub-species is found only in Nepal. Hem Sagar Baral, executive director of Bird Conservation Nepal, said the bird is different from other two sub-species of Rofus-vented Prinia found in Pakistan and Assam in India. It has lighter under-tail coverts and finely streaked head and back and has much darker grey shade on the body. Due to to habitat loss and degradation, it has been listed as critically endangered.
Laos Protects Tigers
February 6, 2008 www.nytimes.com
BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) -- Laos has agreed to improve protection at one of its key tiger reserves, with help from a $250,000 from the British conservation group Panthera Foundation. The impoverished country has signed an 18-month agreement with the Wildlife Conservation Society that will employ 70 local villagers and fund a campaign to educate villagers about the benefits of protecting the wildlife in the 1,545 square mile Nam Et-Phou Luey reserve in northern Laos. The Nam Et-Phou Luey reserve is one of 20 protected areas in Laos. It is home to 20 tigers but Arlyne Johnson, the WCS country program co-director estimates it could hold five times that number. Tiger numbers in Asia have plummeted from 100,000 more than 150 years ago to about 5,000 today.
Purple-Faced Leaf Monkey Research
February 6, 2008 www.telegraph.co.uk By Paul Eccleston
A team of researchers from Oxford Brookes will receive the Queen's Anniversary Prize for their study of the western purple-faced leaf monkey in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka is one of the world's top 10 biodiversity hotspots - much of which is concentrated in the 'Wet Zone' - less than 23 per cent of the total land area. The People's Trust for Endangered Species (PTES) has funded research in the Wet Zone for the past three years to try and solve the problems caused by increasing urbanization. The western purple-faced leaf monkey (Trachypithecus vetulus nestor) - is among the 25 most endangered primates in the world – critically endangered - and endemic to the Wet Zone of Sri Lanka. No investigation had previously been undertaken to discover its numbers or distribution. The two small areas where it is found are currently unprotected and they have been forced to forage in suburban home gardens which has brought them into direct conflict with human settlers. Working with members of the NGO Lorris (Land Owners Restore Rainforests in Sri Lanka) and Jetwing Eco Holidays, the Oxford Brookes team found that loss of habitat - particularly the high trees that the monkey prefers - has resulted in local extinctions with no chance of re-colonisation and dangerous in-breeding between fragmented populations. The monkeys increasingly face being shot as they raid crops and run the risk of electrocution on power lines as they try to make their way through broken-up sections of the forest. The study concluded that the monkeys may have to be moved to other areas to survive and that unless a conservation plan is drawn up quickly they are likely to disappear altogether. A new book called 'The Primates of Sri Lanka' by KAI Nekaris and Gehan de Silva Wijeyeratne will be published soon.
Aldergrove Zoo Regains Accreditation
February 6, 2008 www.canada.com By Chantal Eustace
VANCOUVER -- Following years of controversy over the living conditions of its animals, the Greater Vancouver Zoo in Aldergrove has again been accredited by a national zoo association. The zoo, which lost its accreditation in 2004 amidst controversy over animal welfare, learned last week its application for renewal was accepted. In the past, the zoo has faced scrutiny from animal rights groups and in 2006, was accused by the SPCA of cruelty to animals relating to the housing conditions of Hazina, a baby hippopotamus. The charge was withdrawn after a new enclosure was built for the hippo. Renewed membership in the Canadian Association of Zoos and Aquariums proves the zoo's conditions are in line with the rest of the country. Following an extensive written application, three inspectors spent three or four days on-site, interviewing staff, examining the animals and their living conditions and reviewing the zoo's infrastructure. "We looked at every single facet of that operation and obviously, because of the concerns that had been there for some while, we looked at it very, very carefully," said Canadian Association of Zoos and Aquariums spokesman Bill Peters. Peter Fricker, a spokesman for the Vancouver Humane Society, said paid membership in the national zoo association - a private organization - is voluntary. He also questioned whether the zoo association's standards are thorough enough. "What we're looking for are some standards to be set by the provincial government," He said
Komodo Dragon Parthenogenesis
February 7, 2008 www.nytimes.com By A.P.
WICHITA, Kan. -- Two male Komodo dragons have hatched at the Sedgwick County Zoo, apparently without the fertilization of a male. They are believed to be the first in North America known to have hatched by parthenogenesis, which occurs naturally in some species. Two other known cases in which Komodo dragons hatched by parthenogenesis were at the London and Chester zoos in England in 2006. DNA tests are being done to document the mother's and the babies' genetic makeup because of the remote chance that a male's sperm was stored on the female's body. Komodo dragons are one of the few species capable of storing sperm, said Don Boyer, curator of reptiles and amphibians at the San Diego Zoo and species survival plan coordinator for Komodo dragons. The Sedgwick County Zoo has had this female and one other since 1993, when they were less than a year old. They have been laying eggs since 2000.
Komodo dragons are endangered, with between 3,000 and 5,000 in the wild. Eighty live in 30 zoos in North America. Only six zoos in the nation breed the dragons.
Male Tiger Kills Female Tiger
February 7, 2008 www.int.iol.co.za
Aschersleben, Germany – When a keeper accidentally opened the wrong door of a female white Siberian tigers cage, she was immediately pounced on by Karim, a 2-year-old male Bengali tiger, who bit her throat and killed her. "We are in a state of shock," zoo director Dietmar Reisky said a day after the incident. "We are at a loss to explain the attack. Tigers are not usually so aggressive."
Charles Coburn Obituary
February 7, 2008 www.latimes.com
Coburn died of cancer Jan. 25 at his home in Elfin Forest, Calif., said his wife, Jennifer, who was his partner in their San Diego County topiary sculpture business. His favorite gigantic construction was a 17-foot-high, 34-foot-long metal dinosaur named Dorio, one of two duckbill dinosaurs the couple built in 2002 for a park in Nagoya, Japan, and which was designed by the Jerde Partnership, a noted architectural firm. He delighted in using a crane to piece the creature together on site and appreciated that the sculpture's patina rivaled the beauty of the Japanese yew planted with it. A philosophy major in college, Coburn "was sensitive to the needs of plants and animals" and pointedly related to both as chief of horticulture at the zoo, his wife said. When a Sumatran rhinoceros was depressed and dying, Coburn sought out a native food that he thought might perk up the animal, and the resulting fig leaf did the job. Soon he was trying to meet the dietary wishes of other animals, growing various eucalyptus trees for koalas or bringing in bamboo to feed the pandas. "He wanted to make sure that the animals had what they were used to. It was like a 'duh' moment, but he thought that was a wonderful contribution he had made," his wife said.
Coburn joined the zoo's Wild Animal Park as a gardener when it opened in 1972 and earned a master's degree in business from the University of Phoenix in San Diego. By 1987, he was the zoo horticulturist, managing a staff of about 25. For the debut of the rain forest exhibit Tiger River, Coburn spent four years collecting hundreds of exotic trees and plants. His knowledge of plant and climate systems helped create the panda exhibit, an early rain forest environment in Gorilla Tropics, and the East African Kopje exhibit that showcases animals that thrive on an African plain, said Mike Bostwick, who succeeded Coburn as zoo horticulturist.
National Elephant Center in St. Lucie
February 7, 2008 www.tcpalm.com By Jeremy Ashton and Derek Simmonsen
St. Lucie County in Florida is set to become home to the National Elephant Center, an organization formed by zoos around the country to offer assistance to one another in the areas of elephant breeding, research, training and conservation. Officials with the Houston Zoo and Waste Management, which owns the land the center will be on near the Okeechobee County landfill, will announce details about the center during a news conference in Houston today. The international center r international facility in the field of elephant research, drawing trainers from around the country who would study there and learn from its staff. The center was proposed last year for Arkansas, but negotiations ultimately fell apart, according to news reports. A web site describing the project will go online today at www.thenationalelephantcenter.org The site already has come under fire from the Animal Rights Foundation of Florida, which issued a press release Wednesday denouncing the center as a breeding facility rather than a sanctuary. "Florida would be a great place for America's aging zoo elephants to retire, but encouraging breeding is irresponsible," Nick Atwood, campaign coordinator for the Animal Rights Foundation of Florida, said in a statement. "Zoos breed elephants for one reason: to boost attendance. True conservation of elephants must take place in their native lands." The center should open by the end of 2009. The county is already home to Save the Chimps, an organization which rescues chimpanzees that were used for research purposes, and formerly was home to Tigers for Tomorrow, a sanctuary for big cats and other wild animals that left the state in 2005 for Alabama.
National Elephant Center
February 7, 2008 www.palmbeachpost.com By JIM REEDER
An average of 15 elephants and possibly as many as 25 elephants will have a temporary home on a 300-acre compound in western St. Lucie County. It will be a clearinghouse for short-term and long-term rehabilitation of elephants for the 77 zoos accredited by the AZA. It will be used by zoos who are remodeling or when elephants need to become acquainted with new companions. The National Elephant Center, which has a 40-year lease on property which is agricultural land owned by Waste Management, according to Jeff Sabin, the company's government affairs director. Construction on barns where the elephants will stay at night should begin in about six months, and the first animals could arrive within a year. Sabin doesn't anticipate any problems with county officials over using the agricultural property. "This land has been used for grazing cattle for years," he said. "Now it will be used by elephants.
South Asia Wildlife Trade Initiative
February 7, 2008 www.enn.com
KATHMANDU, Nepal — All eight South Asian nations have agreed to step up cooperation in addressing wildlife trade problems. Tigers, Asiatic lions, snow leopards, Asian elephants and one-horned rhinoceroses, are all prime targets of international organized wildlife crime networks. Wildlife trade officials from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka met in Kathmandu last week and defined a series of joint actions under the new South Asia Wildlife Trade Initiative (SAWTI). SAWTI is charged with developing a South Asia Regional Strategic Plan on Wildlife Trade for the period 2008-2013. The Kathmandu workshop - organised by the Nepal Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology, SACEP, WWF Nepal and TRAFFIC - also agreed on the establishment of a South Asia Experts Group on Wildlife Trade. The group will examine cooperation and coordination between countries and agencies, effective legislation, policies and law enforcement, the sustainability of the legal trade and livelihood security for those engaged in it, and improving intelligence networks and early warning systems.
Mexican Wolf Population Survey
February 7, 2008 www.fws.gov By Elizabeth Slown
There are 52 Mexican wolves that have been counted in the wild at the end of 2007, according to the annual survey conducted by the Interagency Field Team for wolf reintroduction. Surveys are completed in January of each year. Pups born in the summer must survive to December 31 before they are counted into the total Mexican wolf population. There are 29 wolves in Arizona and 23 wolves in New Mexico. The numbers are down from last year's number of 59 Mexican wolves. Altogether, 22 wolves were removed from the wild in 2007 compared to 18 the previous year; 19 for depredating livestock (this includes their seven dependent pups), two for dispersing outside the Blue Range Wolf Recovery Area and one for nuisance behavior. The alpha pair of the Durango Pack, along with a pup that would have been included in the count, went missing in November. Their disappearance is under investigation. The reintroduction of the Mexican wolf is a cooperative, multi-agency effort between U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Arizona Game and Fish Department, New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, White Mountain Apache Tribe, USDA Forest Service and USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service - Wildlife Services. The agencies have established the Adaptive Management Oversight Committee (AMOC) that jointly manage the wolf reintroduction program in New Mexico and Arizona.
Google Will Fund Green Technologies
February 7, 2008 www.enn.com By Nichola Groom
INDIAN WELLS, California - Google Inc is prepared to invest hundreds of millions of dollars in big commercial alternative-energy projects that traditionally have had trouble getting financing. "There are a lot of technologies that get to the pilot scale and look promising, but the first few large commercial projects deploying those technologies, financing those can be extremely difficult," Dan Reicher said in an interview at the Clean-tech Investor Summit in Indian Wells, California. In addition to considering project finance, Google has already committed $20 million to funding start-up firms researching solar-thermal and high-altitude wind power. It is also looking closely at several companies with enhanced geothermal systems, Reicher said. Enhanced geothermal systems, or EGS, create power by pumping water into hot rocks in the ground rather than harvesting hot water already there. "We arrived at these three technologies because we think they have real promise to move down the cost curve and to be competitive with coal and to get to very large scale," Reicher said. The company has pledged $10 million to Pasadena, California-based eSolar Inc to support research and development on solar thermal power, which concentrates heat from the sun to create steam and spin turbines. It has invested $10 million in Alameda, California-based Makani Power Inc, which is developing high-altitude wind technologies.
Study of Water Shrew’s Hunting Methods
February 7, 2008 www.eurekalert.org
A new study of the hunting methods of the water shrew reveals sophisticated methods for detecting prey that allow it to catch small fish and aquatic insects in the dark as well as in daylight. About half the size of a mouse, water shrews have such a high metabolism that they must eat more than their weight daily and can starve to death in half a day if they can’t find anything to eat. The water shrew has lightning-fast reflexes and can launch an attack in under a 50th of a second of detecting the presence of prey and opens its mouth in preparation to take a bite in a 20th of a second. Ken Catania, the associate professor of biological sciences at Vanderbilt headed the study with 2 researchers at the University of Manitoba. They used a high-speed infrared video camera to answer this question. The results of their study are reported in a paper titled “Water shrews detect movement, shape, and smell to find prey underwater” published Jan. 9 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Madagascar’s Turtle & Tortoise Meeting
February 7, 2008 www.eurekalert.org
NEW YORK -– The Wildlife Conservation Society and other groups interested in saving Madagascar’s turtles and tortoises recently met in Madagascar’s capital. Five of the nine assessed species have been downgraded to critically endangered, with one variety – the ploughshare tortoise – now numbers only a few hundred individuals. The other critically endangered species include the radiated tortoise, flat-tailed tortoise, spider tortoise and Madagascar big-headed turtle, all of which are found nowhere else on earth. Dr. James Deutsch, director for the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Africa programs said “The good news is that there’s still time to save Madagascar’s tortoises and turtles from extinction, and we know how to tackle the issues.” The workshop participants concluded that illegal trade continues to be the largest single threat for several of critically endangered species. Ploughshare, spider and flat-tailed tortoises, along with juvenile radiated tortoises, are particularly coveted by collectors and traded as pets on the international black market. Meanwhile, adult radiated tortoises are sold for food in regional markets in Tuléar and Fort-Dauphin. The workshop participants recommended the creation of a “tortoise brigade” to monitor and control illegal trade. Confiscated tortoises could be repatriated to areas where populations had been decimated by illegal trade, and with subsequent enforcement eco-tourism opportunities could follow.
Toxic Toads Threaten Miniature Crocodiles
February 7, 2008 www.nzherald.co.nz By Nick Squires
NORTHERN TERRITORY, Australia -- Only two populations of the endangered pygmy freshwater crocodile are known to exist. "We need to establish if the pygmies are genetically different from normal freshwater crocodiles, but either way they are unique," said Crocodile expert Dr. Adam Britton. While normal freshwater crocodiles grow up to 3m, the pygmies reach barely half that length. The pygmies are found around the Bullo River, on the border of the Northern Territory and Western Australia, and in the Liverpool River in Arnhemland, on the opposite side of the Northern Territory. Their population is believed to be in the low hundreds, making them highly vulnerable to extinction. They are at risk because they prey on cane toads and then die from the amphibians' highly toxic skin. The cane toads have invaded the Liverpool River, and the Bullo population of pygmies is in the middle of the toads' advance. Dr Britton believes the only hope of saving them is to set up a captive breeding programme at a cost of up to A$200,000 ($229,000). Neither the Northern Territory nor federal governments has agreed to provide funding.
Francois Langur Born at Mesker Park Zoo
February 8, 2008 www.indystar.com
EVANSVILLE, Ind. -- Mesker Park Zoo director Dan McGinn says a female Francois langur was born Saturday. Only about 300 of the monkeys are left in their natural habitat in China and Vietnam. McGinn says only three were born last year in the 13 North American zoos that have about 60 langurs in captivity.
Zoo Experts Review SF Zoo Policies & Procedures
February 8, 2008 www.sfgate.com By Anastasia Ustinova
SAN FRANCISCO -- -- A new team of national experts will review the emergency and safety policies and procedures during a visit to the San Francisco Zoo on Saturday. The seven-member group includes architect Keith Larson with Jones & Jones Architects, who specializes in zoo design, Pat Thomas, general curator at the Bronx Zoo, and Rick Barongi, who leads the Houston Zoo. The zoo has completed the first phase of improvements, including the extension of the concrete moat walls in the big cat grotto. The walls, which now measure 19 feet, exceed the minimum guidelines of 16.4 feet. Hot wire, which emits electric shocks to animals that contact it, has been installed along the moat walls; new lighting and cameras will be added in March. But critics charge that the structural improvements won't fix the internal management and oversight flaws that led to the tragedy.
Deplorable Practices in Chinese Zoos
February 8, 2008 www.abcnews.go.com by BETH LOYD
BEIJING, China -- The Xiongsen Tiger and Bear Park in Guilin, China, is condemned by international animal rights groups because of the live animal sacrifices and the taunting and torture of animals that have been performed there for years, to mostly enthusiastic audiences. The Guilin zoo is one of China's largest, boasting a tiger farm with over 1,300 cats and scores of other animals. It is also the prime example of the shocking practice that is common at zoos and animal parks across China, which make them seem more like a sick circus than the kind of zoos you find in the west. But as the Beijing Olympics approach, critics hope new light will be shed on the controversial zoos. At most zoos in China, the routine is similar: Tiger and bear trainers prod and poke the animals in order to provoke them. Tigers are trained to ride around the ring atop apparently petrified horses. At some zoos, lions and tigers are fed live chickens, goats and even horses, triggering a feeding frenzy as the cats devour their hapless prey in front of visitors.
National Zoo Breeding Programs
February 8, 2008 www.eurekalert.org
Animals in captivity need to be managed carefully to ensure the most genetically diverse population—which leads to healthier animals and a sustainable population that can safeguard a species from extinction. The National Zoo facilitates this controlled and strategic breeding through its participation in the Species Survival Plan, a cooperative population management program among the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Species Survival Plans maintain the pedigree of each animal in a particular program and make breeding recommendations for those animals based on which is most genetically important, as well as taking into account whether the facility has space for potential offspring. Without a Species Survival Plan, animal populations are at risk of stagnation and eventual extinction. The plan ensures both a good genetic match and an environment that enables optimal breeding conditions for the animal, such as healthy diets and environmental control. The right genetics is only half the battle, however. The science of managing the animals and ensuring they have the right habitat for their needs are also essential to successful reproduction:
# The Zoo’s cheetah population requires strategic planning prior to breeding times due to their notorious resistance to reproduce. Scientists at the Zoo’s Cheetah Conservation Station found that when two females are housed together, either one or both females will shut down ovulation, making it difficult to breed them with the male cheetahs. In order to create suitable breeding conditions, the Zoo has housed its female cheetahs separately since the opening of the Cheetah Conservation Station in 1992. National Zoo scientists have also monitored cheetah breeding based on age, weight and artificial insemination.
# The kori bustard, a large African bird, requires flat, savanna-like terrain, secluded “hiding” spots and a proper male-to-female ratio to adequately perform during breeding season. Scientists at the National Zoo used a “telemetric” egg placed under the bird to learn more about how this species incubates its eggs. This technology records incubation temperature and the rate of turning, sending the data from the egg to a receiver that records data on each egg for 24 hours a day.
# The Panamanian golden frog, now extinct in the wild, has a unique style of breeding. Male golden frogs are quite persistent when it comes to mating and will attach themselves to a specific female for 120 days before mating with her. Since females must lay their eggs in dark areas, scientists create wet, humid environments by covering the tanks with dark plastic, misting the inside for a prolonged period while the females lay their eggs. The National Zoo is one of six zoos in North America to have a specialized breeding program for this amphibian.
# At the Invertebrates exhibit, biologists began studying how to breed Hercules beetles in captivity. These insects are most active and ready to breed after dark, but when brought into human care, these beetles often lose their interest in mating and spend most of their time eating. The only option for reproduction so far has been hand pairing, which requires a zookeeper to hold the female beetle with one hand and place the male on top of the female’s back in the proper direction to initiate breeding.
# Sometimes two animals might be the right genetic match but moving them to the same facility is not feasible. In these cases, the National Zoo’s world-renowned reproductive science team steps in with assisted reproductive techniques. The Zoo’s female giant panda and one of their elephants have both undergone artificial insemination procedures with sperm from males at different facilities. The Zoo’s first successful elephant birth from artificial insemination occurred in 2001 when Shanthi was artificially inseminated using new catheter and ultrasound techniques developed by Zoo scientists.
African Nations Sign Bamako Declaration to Save Elephants
February 8, 2008 www.prnewswire.com
BAMAKO, Mali, -- Representatives from 17 African states signed a monumental document, the Bamako Elephant Declaration, after holding discussions in Mali for the last two days. The African elephant range states included Mali, Niger, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Sierra Leone, Guinea Bissau, Cameroun, Ivory Coast, Togo, Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, Central African Republic, Rwanda, Southern Sudan, Ethiopia and Kenya. Mali and Kenya Governments hosted the meeting, This meeting symbolized the formal unification of nations on elephant conservation and anti-ivory trade. Patrick Omondi, Kenya Wildlife Service Head of Species, said "It is gratifying that these countries have agreed on a mechanism to implement the decisions made at the 14th Conference of Parties of CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) in regards to international trade of ivory particularly in regards to the development of an African Elephant Action Plan on the conservation of elephants," Kevin Shields, Director of the Wildlife and Habitat Program at IFAW (International Fund for Animal Welfare -- http://www.ifaw.org) which facilitated the meeting commended the delegates for their achievements.
Gharial Crisis Management
February 8, 2008 www.enn.com
More than 90 gharials (Gangeticus gavialis) have been reported dead in the last two months in the National Chambal Sanctuary in India for yet-to-be diagnosed reasons. A team of international veterinarians and crocodile experts is now working with scientists from the Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI). Romulus Whitaker — popularly referred to as India’s crocodile man — has been working on reptilian and amphibian species for over 40 years and leads the Gharial Conservation Alliance. Also a member of the Crisis Management GroupEarly results point to levels of heavy metals - lead and cadmium — leading to immune-suppression (or reduction in body’s ability to fight pathogens) making them susceptible to infections. Post mortems show debilitating gout affecting the animals. The species is already extinct in its former range in Pakistan, Bhutan, and Myanmar, and most likely also in Bangladesh. No more than 1400 specimens remain in the wild today, with less than 200 in their breeding age group. Besides Chambal, gharials are found in isolated stretches of the Ken, Son, Girwa and Ganges rivers in India. Most of gharial mortalities have been reported in the Uttar Pradesh side of the river, near the confluence of the Chambal and the Yamuna that flows Delhi and Agra. Casualties have been reported only on a 35-kilometre stretch before the confluence, and no deaths have been reported among any other freshwater species. WWF together with other agencies has stepped up monitoring activities on the Chambal River around the impacted site. WWF-India has established a field station for coordination purposes and as Dr. Parikshit Gautam, Director of WWF-India’s Freshwater and Wetlands Programme, explains: “Our fully equipped crisis-management station in Etawah is coordinating with forest departments and local communities and constantly monitoring the river for any sick or sluggish animal.” “We are now facilitating post mortems on site instead of sending the specimens to labs, thereby saving time, and getting better results.”Dr. Sandeep Behera, Freshwater Species coordinator with WWF-India said, “We are not ruling out any possibility
Protection for Pacific Walrus Sought
February 8, 2008 www.nytimes.com
The Center for Biological Diversity has petitioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to protect the Pacific walrus, another species threatened by rapid climate change and oil drilling. Shaye Wolf, the biologist who wrote the petition said "With rapid action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, combined with a moratorium on new oil and gas development and shipping routes in the Arctic, we can still save the Pacific walrus, the polar bear, and the Arctic ecosystem." Sea ice was 39 percent below the long-term average from 1979 to 2000. Sea ice in the Chukchi Sea receded well beyond the shallow outer continental shelf over water too deep for walruses to dive to reach clams. As many as 6,000 walruses in late summer and fall abandoned ice over deep water and congregated on Alaska's northwest shore. Herds were larger on the Russian side, one group reached up to 40,000 animals. Russian observers estimated 3,000 to 4,000 mostly young walruses died in stampedes when herds rushed into the water at the sight of a polar bear, hunter or low-flying aircraft. If the walruses congregate on coastlines every summer, they will put tremendous pressure on nearby foraging areas rather than rich offshore feeding areas they historically have reached by living on the edge of the ice pack. The walruses are also likely to be affected by petroleum development. The U.S. Minerals Management Service on Wednesday accepted high bids on 2.76 million acres of Chukchi Sea ocean bottom. Five other lease sales in the Pacific walrus's habitat in the Chukchi, Beaufort and Bering seas off Alaska's shore are planned by 2012.
Kashmir Goats in India Face Starvation
February 8, 2008 news.nationalgeographic.com By Aijaz Hussain
More than a hundred thousand Himalayan goats faced starvation after their desert habitat was blanketed with snow. The animals are used to produce pashmina wool and cashmere. Nomads and Tibetan refugees herd the goats in the remote and barren Ladakh region near the border with China. Despite being high in the Himalayas, Ladakh usually gets almost no rain or snow. Being a cold desert, Ladakh usually receives about 4 inches (10 centimeters) of precipitation in a year, but this year about 2 feet (60 centimeters) of snow has accumulated," said M.K. Bhandari, a local government official. 10 truck loads of fodder had reached the area, and the air force is planning to airlift supplies by helicopter to the worst-hit Tegazong area, where nearly 60,000 goats are starving and pregnant goats had started aborting.
Berkeley Hyenas Face Uncertain Future
February 8, 2008 www.sciencemag.org
Hyenas have a unique reproductive anatomy. The female has an elongated clitoris roughly the size of the male’s penis, through which she urinates, mates and gives birth. They usually give birth to 2, 2-kg cubs and about 60% of first born cubs are stillborn. Female dominance hierarchy is central to their society. The world’s only research colony of spotted hyenas faces a funding crisis. The Field Station for the Study of Behavior, Ecology and Reproduction at the University of California, Berkeley was established in 1985. It has been funded for 22 years through a grant from the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health but the grant has not been renewed. It is the only captive hyena research colony in the world and is run by Stephen Glickman who has brought together a diverse network of scientists. He has managed to secure an emergency $200,000 grant from NSF to keep the colony going for another 15 – 18 months while a longterm solution is found. 10 hyenas have been sent to zoos and animal parks and 2 older animals were euthanized.
Singapore Zoo Orangutan Dies
February 9, 2008 afp.google.com
SINGAPORE (AFP) — Ah Meng, a female orangutan was born in Sumatra and confiscated in 1971 from a family who was keeping her as a pet. She produced 4 children and 6 grandchildren. In 1982 she was featured in a program called “Breakfast with an Orangutan” In 1992 the Singapore Tourism Board made Ah Meng a special ambassador, the first and only non-human recipient of the award. She died Friday at the age of 48 (equivalent to nearly 95 human years) A "memorial service" will be held on Sunday to allow the public to view the body before it is buried. To date, the Singapore Zoo has successfully bred 33 orangutans. Indonesia is currently home to nearly 62,000 orangutans. The IUCN says the number has fallen by over 50% in the past 60 years because of habitat loss, poaching and the pet trade. The United States' development arm USAID, which is providing funding said a 2004 survey found deforestation has led to the deaths of 3,000 orangutans per year since the 1970s.
Veterinary State Legislative 2007 Year-End Summary
February 9, 2008 www.docuticker.com
43 states now provide felony penalties for animal cruelty. States are also defining new offenses in their statutes, such as removal of an electronic dog collar and interfering with a service animal. Four states passed laws in 2007 enabling family pets to be included in domestic abuse orders of protection, and North Dakota joined the growing list of states allowing pet trusts. Several bills pertaining to microchip identification of dangerous dogs were adopted. In California, a bill calling for mandatory sterilization of dogs and cats was shelved, although a narrower version that addresses irresponsible owners may be introduced next year. California is bracing for a ballot initiative in 2008 on confinement of pigs, calves, and hens on farms. Several proposals to ban the use of cages to confine egg-laying chickens were defeated in state legislatures. The legislative aftermath of Hurricane Katrina continued in 2007 with eight more states adopting legislation enabling the rescue of domestic or service animals during a disaster. Three states passed legislation specifically authorizing veterinarians to provide volunteer services in the event of a declared disaster.
Leatherback Turtle Swims ~13,000 Miles
February 9, 2008 www.timesonline.co.uk By Lewis Smith
A 12,774 mile journey has been documented as the greatest distance yet recorded for a leatherback turtle. The trek extended from a beach in Indonesia to the west coast of the USA and part of the way back. The record would have been even more impressive if the battery on the satellite tagging device hadn’t stopped transmitting data after 647 successive days. The battery ran out close to Hawaii. During the journey the leatherback dived as deep as 1,000 meters (3,300ft) beneath the surface into complete darkness. Scott Benson, of the US National Marine Fisheries Service, estimated that only 5,000 female leatherbacks survive in the Pacific. Tagging turtles in Indonesia helped to confirm the route the species take crossing the Pacific to the US east coast. Previously it had been thought that the leatherbacks off California had all originated from Mexican waters. The tagging program recorded the movements of nine leatherbacks and showed that the species also ranged from the South China Sea to the Sea of Japan to the North Pacific. A report appears in the journal Chelonian Research. Leatherbacks, the largest species of turtle, can grow up to 2.75mlong and weigh up to 2,000lbs
Macaque “Voice” Recognition
February 10, 2008 www.newscientist.com By Nora Schultz
In the human brain, the "voice region" in the auditory cortex activates when we hear others speak. Chris Petkov at the Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics in Tübingen, Germany, and colleagues have found that macaque brains also have a voice region. They played a variety of sounds to seven macaques and used fMRI to detect any brain areas with increased activity. One region, corresponding to a site close to the voice region in the human brain, lit up in response to macaque coos and grunts, but was less active when the monkeys heard other animals or natural sounds, such as those of insects, thunder and rain. Further tests on one monkey showed that the same brain area was more sensitive to differences between individual voices than to differences in the sounds uttered by the same macaque.
Tiger Nips Keeper’s Finger at Palm Beach Zoo
February 11, 2008 www.palmbeachpost.com By Kimberly Miller
WEST PALM BEACH — Officer Jorge Pino, a spokesman for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, said zoo keeper Susie Nuttall was using treats to train the Malayan tiger, Mata, but instead of holding her palm flat with the treat, as protocol requires, she used her fingers to offer it. Mata accidentally nipped the tip of her middle finger. Although zoo officials said the injury was minor and no part of the finger was actually removed, a hand surgeon was called in to repair the damage. Pino, said no charges will be filed against Nuttall or the zoo. "It was just a mistake." The incident happened after the 5 p.m. closing time in the zoo's night holding facility. The tiger was being fed through an opening in a steel cage, and there were two keepers in the room when the accident happened. The zoo does not allow trainers to go into the tiger cages, and all contact is considered "protected" contact, said Keith Lovett, director of living collections at the zoo. A zoo employee drove Nuttall to the hospital. She has been at the Palm Beach Zoo for eight months and had a year's worth of experience prior to the incident. The zoo has two tigers, brothers Rimba and Mata, who were born at the San Diego Zoo and arrived here in December 2006. Mata is 2 years and 8 months old. and is calmer than his brother and interacts more with keepers.
National Zoo Celebrates Year of the Frog
February 11, 2008 media-newswire.com
2008 has been designated the "Year of the Frog" by AZA and the National Zoo and Friends of the National Zoo will offer:
An Exhibit on how toxins enter the environment and their affect on frogs
Leap Day ( February 29 ) theatrical event for elementary school students
Earth Day focus on importance of clean water to amphibians
ZooFari, Guppy Gala, Boo at the Zoo and other special events will have a frog theme
Special summer camp sessions, science workshops and other public programs
Amphibian-themed merchandise
The National Zoo is one of five zoos in North America to have a significant breeding program for the critically endangered Panamanian golden frog, rearing more than 200 of the species to date. It is only one of nine zoos with this beautiful species on exhibit.
Jane Goodall Visits Budapest Chimpanzees
February 11, 2008 english.mti.hu
BUDAPEST -- World-famous ethologist and animal rights activist Jane Goodall visited Budapest Zoo on Monday to inspect a new chimpanzee area. Goodall, 74, is the UN Messenger of Peace. "It is good to be back and see the new developments," she said after inspecting the newly completed 1,500 sqm outdoor facility. Goodall will give a lecture at ELTE University in Budapest on Monday evening about sustainable development and what people could do to improve the world.
Edinburgh Zoo Moves Siberian Tigers
February 11, 2008 edinburghnews.scotsman.com By HAZEL MOLLISON
Edinburgh Zoo's two Siberian tigers have been in residence for more than 9 years and have had 2 litters of cubs. But now they are set to be transferred to Aviemore's Highland Wildlife Park in a few months. The Army is due to help complete their enclosure in Aviemore over Easter. Iain Valentine, the zoo's head of animals, said it was decided last year to expand the Highland Wildlife Park – which is also run by the Royal Zoological Society Scotland – in a bid to increase the society's breeding program. Helen Armour, visitor services manager at the Highland Wildlife Park, said she thought Sasha and Yuri would find their new climate and surroundings more agreeable. She said: "We have a section for animals of mountain and tundra. This will suit the Amur tigers, which come from Siberia." They will be eventually be replaced with smaller Sumatran tigers.
New Expansion Plan for Blank Park Zoo
February 11, 2008 www.desmoinesregister.com By JASON PULLIAM
DES MOINES, Iowa -- County officials weren't entirely comfortable with a proposal that allowed the zoo to take over roughly 15 acres of timber on the northwest side of Fort Des Moines Park, as well as the tip of its lake, but a new plan that would use a comparable amount of county parkland, but would not tap any of the lake for zoo exhibits is seen as more desirable. The new plan offers areas where the public can freely view zoo exhibits from the park and will improve park access. Blank Park Zoo Chief Executive Officer Terry Rich said the current plan will allow the zoo to grow and remain financially viable. Rich traveled to Ohio last week to meet with the zoo's planner and gather additional ideas for the expansion. Land currently proposed for the expansion doesn't have the same mature tree growth they had hoped for but the zoo's planner is confident they can make it work. Zoo officials have privately raised about $2 million for the expansion and have said they can collect more with the right plan. Nearby residents are still cautious about the plan, and the adequacy of a 150-foot buffer that is proposed between the neighborhood's southern border and land proposed for the zoo expansion. Some 10 African animal exhibits are being proposed for land that is currently part of a golf course. The prospect of having the zoo on county parkland has faced staunch opposition from conservationists and other members of the public.
Antarctic King Penguins Endangered
February 11, 2008 www.enn.com By Reuters
WASHINGTON, D.C. King penguins, the second-largest species after emperor penguins, are at the top of the food chain in their sub-Antarctic environment, thriving on small fish and squid. After a 9-year study of the king penguins on Possession Island in the southern Indian Ocean, scientists at the CNRS Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien in Strasbourg, France, find that high sea surface temperatures in the area where the penguins spend winters cut the amount of available marine prey, which in turn cuts their survival rate. Their study found a 9 percent decline in the adult penguin population for every 0.46 degree F (0.26 degree C) of sea surface warming. This means these penguins could be at high risk under current global warming scenarios, which predict an average increase of 0.36 degree F (0.2 degree C) per decade for the next 20 years. The research is published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
WalMart Mandates Reduction in Packaging
February 11, 2008 www.enn.com By Amy Westervelt
Wal-Mart announced in late 2006 its intention to reduce packaging in its stores by 5 percent, globally, by 2013. To achieve its goal, Wal-Mart developed a packaging scorecard, which was sent out to suppliers in late 2006 and early 2007. The cards help suppliers evaluate progress in areas such as carbon dioxide per ton of production, product-to-packaging ratio, transportation, recycled content, recovery value and renewable energy use. Throughout 2008 and beyond, Wal-Mart will be using information obtained through the cards to determine purchasing choices and to educate its customers about the impact of packaging. In addition to the scorecards, Wal-Mart also launched a Packaging Supplier Virtual Tradeshow Web site, which allows its product suppliers to find packaging suppliers that conserve resources. By reducing the packaging of about 300 toys, Wal-Mart estimates that in one year alone it saved 3,425 tons of corrugated materials, 1,358 barrels of oil, 727 shipping containers and $3.5 million in transportation costs. According to Dr. Andrew Hutson of Environmental Defense, which is helping the retailer “green” its supply chain, a number of the steps Wal-Mart is taking towards sustainability make good economic sense as well. “If you think about it, a lot of times carbon is a substitute for energy, and energy is expensive, so if you lower carbon, you lower your costs,” he says. When you have 10% of the global retail market cornered, companies tend to pay attention to what you do.
Biologists Hope to Protect Northwestern Cougars
February 11, 2008 www.plosbiology.com
Cougars (Puma concolor) were eliminated in the Eastern U.S. (except for a remnant population in Florida) during the 1880s, and now the same forces are threatening existing populations in Washington State. Now, Washington State’s cougar population is under “friendly fire” from well-meaning voters. Ironically, a ballot initiative to ban the traditional practice of hound hunting and, it was assumed, to protect the state’s cougars, has further endangered its few thousand remaining animals. An article in a recent PLoS Biology, “No Place for Predators?” Liza Gross, shows that good intentions are no substitute for sound science. “Contrary to popular belief,” she reports, “and the rationale behind legislation authorizing emergency and public safety hunts,” the hound-hunting ban did not help the cougar. Washington State’s ranchers, relying on hearsay and anecdotal evidence, insisted the big cats’ numbers were growing. “But as complaints were going up, the population was actually tanking,” said Rob Wielgus, director of the Large Carnivore Conservation Laboratory. Like other researchers investigating the reality of predator management in the Pacific Northwest, Wielgus has found that perception is often at odds with the science—and that false assumptions benefit neither the state’s people nor its predators. Biologists’ ability to communicate accurate information to the public and elected officials—may hold the key to cougars’ survival.
Bat disease a mystery to scientists
February 11, 2008 www.benningtonbanner.com By ANDY McKEEVER
A new disease called the white-nose syndrome is killing bats in New York, Vermont and now Indiana. Susi von Oettingen of the USFWS said "We don't know what it is and there are more than 10 labs working on it now." It was found last year when the New York Department of Environmental Conservation found a white fungus on bats' noses in one cave. Upon returning to the cave this year, researchers found that 90% of the population was gone and the fungus was present in seven other caves in New York and one in Vermont. "Most biologist are saying that (the fungus) is a symptom and not a cause," said Oettingen. So far, researchers have found that four species of bats are effected by the disease and not only have the fungus but also have been acting abnormally. Ottingen said that the bats are using more energy during hibernation and are often found in colder parts of caves, where the bats should not be. Vermont Wildlife Biologist Scott Darling said that lung congestion and pneumonia are coupled with the fungus. The disease effects Little Brown bats, Northern Long-eared and Eastern Pipistrelle as well as Indiana bats. Until more research is complete, state and wildlife agencies are requesting the caving and spelunking community to avoid entering caves. There is no evidence that the disease harms humans but there is some evidence suggesting that it may be spread by humans.
King Penguins Decline Due to Global Warming
February 11, 2008 news.nationalgeographic.com
Populations king penguins on Possession Island in the Indian Ocean's Crozet Archipelago are declining as sea temperatures warm and the birds are forced to travel longer distances to find food. A study on their breeding and survival by Yvon Le Maho, research director at the National Center for Scientific Research in Strasbourg, France, appears in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Because king penguins are at the top of the food chain, they are particularly vulnerable to environmental changes. In recent years, many of the prey species have died or migrated as the ocean warms and the algae that those animals eat are impacted. Warming temperatures also force fish to swim into cool waters farther away from the island, causing penguins to travel greater distances to hunt. The longer time away from home reduces chick feedings, the researchers found. So during years when seas become warmer, penguins do not breed as successfully, Le Maho and colleagues found. Ron Swaisgood, a conservation biologist at the San Diego Zoological Society, also compared the king penguins' struggles to that of polar bears. "Polar bears traverse the ice in search of seals, [and] the sea ice is disappearing," he said. "Loss of sea ice means that polar bears will not have access to their primary prey.
Stone Zoo Accepts 2 Rescued Black Bears
February 12, 2008 www.wickedlocal.com By Jesse Kawa
STONEHAM, Massachusetts -- The Stone Zoo is building a $700,000 habitat to house a pair 2-year-old black bears from the Appalachian Bear Rescue in Tennessee. The animals have been raised there since they were confiscated as cubs from breeders in Georgia. The new exhibit will be on the site that was previously home to Major, polar bear who died in 2000. “New England has a large population of black bears in the wild and the separation between their habitat and ours is shrinking,” said John Linehan, president and chief executive officer of Zoo New England, “By building this new exhibit and giving a much-needed home to these bears, we hope to educate people about these incredible animals and the ecosystem we all share.” The new exhibit, scheduled to open this spring, will be constructed by Commodore Builders in the zoo’s Yukon Creek section, which displays North American animals such as bald eagles, Canada lynx, gray fox, and porcupine. It is the first time in years that either the Stone Zoo or Franklin Park Zoo, both operated by Zoo New England, have had a bear exhibit
Sumatran Tiger Faces Extinction
February 12, 2008 www.signonsandiego.com By Michael Casey
BANGKOK, Thailand – TRAFFIC, a British-based international wildlife trade monitoring network, said it found tiger bones, claws, skins and whiskers being sold openly in eight cities on Indonesia's Sumatra island in 2006, despite tough laws banning such trade. The group estimated that 23 tigers had been killed to supply the parts found for sale in souvenir, Chinese medicine and jewelry stores. Prices ranged from the equivalent of $14 for a tiger claw to about $52.50 per pound of tiger bones. The Sumatran tiger, (Panthera tigris sumatrae), is the world's most critically endangered tiger subspecies – WWF estimates fewer than 400 remain in the wild in comparison to about 1,000 in the 1970s. The tigers' diminishing population is largely blamed on poaching and the destruction of their forest habitat for palm oil and wood pulp plantations. Indonesia launched a 10-year plan to protect the Sumatran tiger in December last year. But conservationists complain that Indonesian commitments to preserving wildlife are rarely supported by enforcement measures. “There is no effective enforcement on the ground,” said Chris Shepherd, senior program officer for TRAFFIC, who has been tracking the Indonesian tiger trade for nearly 15 years.
2 Cleveland Zoo Gorillas have Heart Disease
February 12, 2008 blog.cleveland.com
The Cleveland Metroparks Zoo's gorillas are participating in a national study of gorilla health, after previous research found that gorillas in captivity are prone to heart disease. Mokolo, 20 showed signs of early heart disease -- the left side of his heart is enlarged. Bebac, 23 has advanced disease. Veterinarian, Albert Lewandowski said they will be placed on beta blockers or ACE inhibitors, drugs familiar to people with high blood pressure and heart disease."Catching heart disease early, allows more effective management of their health and well-being, and will help stem the progression of the heart disease and hopefully improve their long-term survival." Bebac and Mokolo came to Cleveland Metroparks Zoo in 1994 from Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago.
Mating Photos of Wild Western Gorillas
February 12, 2008 www.eurekalert.org
Scientists from the Wildlife Conservation Society and Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology have released the first known photographs of western gorillas performing face-to-face copulation in the wild. The photographs were part of a study in Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park in the Republic of Congo that appeared in a recent issue of The Gorilla Gazette. Thomas Breuer was the lead author of the study. “It is also interesting that this same adult female has been noted for innovative behaviors before. Nicknamed “Leah” by researchers, she made history in 2005 when she was observed using tools – another never-before-seen behavior for her kind in the wild. Breuer and others witnessed Leah using a stick to test the depth of a pool of water before wading into it in Mbeli Bai, where researchers have been monitoring the gorilla population since 1995. Besides humans, only bonobos have been known to frequently employ ventro-ventral mating positions. On a few occasions, mountain gorillas have been observed in ventro-ventral positions, but never photographed. Western gorillas in captivity have been known to mate face-to-face, but not in the wild. The study is funded by the Brevard Zoo, Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden, Max Planck Society, Sea World & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund, Toronto Zoo, Wildlife Conservation Society and Woodland Park Zoo. Scientists estimate that western gorillas have declined 60 percent in recent years due to habitat loss, illegal hunting, and Ebola hemorrhagic fever. The Wildlife Conservation Society, which is the only organization working to protect all four gorilla sub-species (including the Cross River Gorilla, the mountain gorilla, and the Grauer’s gorilla), has been studying gorillas and other wildlife in the Republic of Congo since the 1980s. In 1993, the Congolese Government, working with technical assistance from WCS, established Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park.
Lowry Park Zoo Releases Manatee
February 12, 2008 www2.tbo.com BY NEIL JOHNSON
TAMPA - Born and raised in captivity, a 24-year-old manatee named Hurricane was taken from Lowry Park Zoo and released at Blue Spring State Park in Volusia County. Two manatees from SeaWorld - Annie and Rocket, who both were rescued as orphaned calves - also were released. Hurricane was born at Miami Seaquarium on Nov. 20, 1983. He, along with Rocket and Annie, were equipped with a satellite tracking device and will be checked three times in the next year to be sure they're feeding, said David Murphy, staff veterinarian at the zoo. The release site was picked because the spring-fed water is consistently about 72 degrees, considered warm for February, and the park is a manatee refuge near the St. Johns River. The three manatees released Monday join an estimated 2,800 others in Florida waters. Because Hurricane never had to forage for food, he can learn from the other manatees. Workers at the zoo have been introducing him to the aquatic vegetation he'll encounter in the wild. Wildlife officials are also monitoring the progress of Dundee, a captive-born manatee released from Lowry Park Zoo a year ago. "He's having some trouble. He's losing weight. He's an animal we're watching very closely," Spellman said. But Gene, Dundee's father, also was released from the zoo and is doing well.
Aukland Zoo Releases Tuatara
February 12, 2008 www.scoop.co.nz
AUKLAND, NZ -- The Aukland Zoo is the only captive facility in New Zealand breeding Cuvier-origin tuatara as part of the New Zealand Department of Conservation’s ‘Headstart’ tuatara breeding recovery program. The DOC relocated six Northern tuatara to the Zoo in 1990 to begin a pest eradication program on Cuvier Island, and by 1993, and successfully cleared the island of the Kiore (Pacific rat). So far, the zoo has released 18 captive-bred tuatara to Cuvier island and today, 2 more 4-year-olds will be released. The last release from the zoo (11 animals) was in 2003. A further 14 zoo-bred young are expected to be relocated to Cuvier Island this spring, provided they reach the required 80grams – the size at which they can adequately defend themselves from natural predators, including adult tuatara. In addition, four tuatara eggs from a clutch laid last December at the zoo, are currently incubating at Victoria University, and are expected to hatch between April and June. Another key partner in the recovery programme, Victoria University’s role in incubating the eggs is enabling it to carry out important research into the influence of temperature on tuatara sex, as well as the effects of global warming. Overall since 1995, Auckland Zoo has released a total of 50 tuatara (Red Mercury Island, Cuvier Island, and Stanley Island) onto their respective islands.
How Mimicry Affects Interpersonal Persuasion
February 12, 2008 www.eurekalert.org
Social scientists have long been intrigued by the human tendency to mimic the behavior of others. Now, a new study from researchers at Duke, U. of Maryland and U. of Amsterdam expands the field, exploring the potential for mimicry to influence product consumption. The researchers find that watching someone else eat a certain food—for example, cheetahs or ice cream – will cause the viewer to be inclined to eat the same thing. In another experiment, it was found that participants who had their posture and speech mimicked by a salesperson rated the product higher and consumed more of it. The article “Of Chameleons and Consumption: The Impact of Mimicry on Choice and Preferences.” Appears in the April 2008 Journal of Consumer Research.
Farmed Salmon Kill Wild Salmon
February 12, 2008 news.nationalgeographic.com By James Owen
The first worldwide assessment of the impact of cultivated salmon on wild stocks found that where native populations encounter salmon farms, the numbers of wild fish crash, on average, by more than 50 percent. The farmed fish spread diseases and parasites to wild salmon. Some cultivated escapees also interbreed with the native fish, reducing the ability of their offspring to survive, researchers say. "The overall trend, over and over again around the world, is that salmon farming seems to have a negative impact on wild salmon," said lead researcher Jennifer Ford of Dalhousie University, in Halifax, Nova Scotia. "The mortality from farming that we find is really large in many cases—more than 50 percent reductions every year," she added. "That is not sustainable for any populations." The findings appear in this week's issue of the journal Public Library of Science Biology.
Endangered Species Permit Applications
February 13, 2008 www.epa.gov
The public is invited to comment on the following applications to conduct certain activities with endangered species on or before March 14, 2008. Written data or comments should be submitted to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Endangered Species Program Manager, Region 8, 2800 Cottage Way, Room W-2606, Sacramento, CA, 95825 (telephone: 916-414-6464; fax: 916-414-6486). Please refer to the respective permit number for each application when submitting comments. All comments received, including names and addresses, will become part of the official administrative record and may be made available to the public. For further information contact: Daniel Marquez, Fish and Wildlife Biologist, see ADDRESSES, (telephone: 760-431-9440; fax: 760-431-9624).
Permit No. TE-815214
Applicant: Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area, Arroyo Grande, California. The applicant requests an amendment to take (salvage, replace, and transfer non-viable eggs) the California Least Tern (Sterna antillarum browni) in conjunction with surveys and population monitoring in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties, California, for the purpose of
enhancing its survival.
Permit No. TE-170381
Applicant: William F. Stagnaro, San Francisco, California. The applicant requests a permit to take (harass by survey, capture, mark, and monitor) the San Francisco garter snake (Thamnophis sirtalis tetrataenia), and the California tiger salamander (Ambystoma californiense) in conjunction with surveys and population monitoring activities throughout the range of each species in California, for the purpose of enhancing their survival.
Permit No. TE-084606
Applicant: David F. Moskovitz, Diamond Bar, California. The applicant requests an amendment to take (capture, collect, and kill) the Conservancy fairy shrimp (Branchinecta conservatio), the longhorn fairy shrimp (Branchinecta longiantenna), the Riverside fairy
shrimp (Streptocephalus wootoni), the San Diego fairy shrimp (Branchinecta sandiegonensis), and the vernal pool tadpole shrimp (Lepidurus packardi) in conjunction with surveys throughout the range of each species in California, for the purpose of enhancing their survival.
Permit No. TE-170389
Applicant: Travis B. Cooper, San Juan Capistrano, California. The applicant requests a permit to take (harass by survey, and nest monitor) the least Bell's vireo (Vireo bellii pusillus), and the Southwestern willow flycatcher (Empidonax traillii extimus) in conjunction with surveys and monitoring throughout the range of each species in California, for the purpose of enhancing its survival.
Permit No. TE-004939
Applicant: Gordon F. Pratt, Riverside, California. The applicant requests an amendment to take (capture, release, remove from the wild, and captive breed) the El Segundo Blue butterfly
(Euphilotes battoides allyni) in conjunction with genetic research at Vandenberg Air Force base, Santa Barbara County, California, for the purposes of enhancing its survival.
Permit No. TE-170403
Applicant: Melissa A. Amarello, Carbondale, California. The applicant requests a permit to take (harass by survey, capture, mark, and monitor) the San Francisco garter snake (Thamnophis sirtalis tetrataenia) in conjunction with population monitoring and research activities at the Cloverdale Ranch, San Mateo County, California, for the purpose of enhancing their survival.
Permit No. TE-795930
Applicant: Helm Biological Consulting, Lincoln, California. The permittee requests an amendment to take (harass by survey, capture, handle, and release) the California tiger salamander (Ambystoma californiense) in conjunction with surveys throughout the range of the species in California, for the purpose of enhancing its survival.
Permit No. TE-168282
Applicant: Normandeau Associates, Inc., Stevenson Washington. The permittee request a permit to take (harass by survey) the razorback sucker (Xyrauchen texanus) and bonytail chub (Gila elegans) in conjunction with surveys and backwater inventories along the lower Colorado river in Imperial County, California, for the purpose of enhancing their survival.
Permit No. TE-170681
Applicant: Stanley C. Spencer, Riverside, California.The applicant requests an amendment to take (survey by pursuit) the Quino checkerspot butterfly (Euphydryas editha quino) and Delhi sands flower loving fly (Rhaphiomidas terminatus abdominalis), and take (capture, collect, and kill) the Conservancy fairy shrimp (Branchinecta conservatio), the longhorn fairy shrimp (Branchinecta longiantenna), the Riverside fairy shrimp (Streptocephalus wootoni), the San Diego
fairy shrimp (Branchinecta sandiegonensis), and the vernal pool tadpole shrimp (Lepidurus packardi) in conjunction with surveys throughout the range of each species in California, for the purpose of enhancing their survival.
Permit No. TE-053085
Applicant: Bureau of Reclamation, Boulder City, Navada. The permittee request a permit to take (harass by survey, electroshock, capture, collect, mark, transport, captive rear, captive
propagate, reintroduce) the razorback sucker (Xyrauchen texanus) and bonytail chub (Gila elegans) in conjunction with surveys, population monitoring, and research along the Colorado river in Clark County, Nevada, and San Bernardino, Riverside, and Imperial County, California,
for the purpose of enhancing their survival.
Critical Habitat for Berberis nevinii (Nevin's barberry)
February 13, 2008 www.epa.gov
The USFWS is designating critical habitat for Berberis nevinii (Nevin's barberry). In total, approximately 6 acres (ac) (3 hectares (ha)) in Riverside County, California, fall within the boundaries of the final critical habitat designation. This rule becomes effective on March 14, 2008. The final rule, final economic analysis, and map of critical habitat will be available on the Internet at http://www.regulations.gov and http://www.fws.gov/carlsbad/ Supporting documentation we used in preparing this final rule will be available for public inspection, by
appointment, during normal business hours, at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Carlsbad Fish and Wildlife Office, 6010 Hidden Valley Road, Carlsbad, CA 92011; telephone 760-431-9440; facsimile 760-431-5901. For further information contact: Jim Bartel, Field Supervisor, U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service, Carlsbad Fish and Wildlife Office, telephone 760-431-9440
Berberis nevinii is a 3 to 13 foot (ft) (1 to 4 meter (m)) tall rhizomatous, evergreen shrub in the barberry family (Berberidaceae) that is endemic to southern California. In general, Berberis nevinii has a limited natural distribution; it typically occurs in small stands (less than 20 individuals, and often only one or two) in scattered locations in Los Angeles, San Bernardino, and Riverside Counties, California, with the largest native occurrence (as defined by the California Natural Diversity Database (CNDDB)) consisting of several stands and totaling about 134 individuals to the south of Vail Lake in Riverside County.
‘Genetic Corridors’ Needed to Save the Tiger
February 13, 2008 www.eurekalert.org
NEW YORK – The Wildlife Conservation Society and the Panthera Foundation announced plans to establish a 5,000 mile-long “genetic corridor” from Bhutan to Burma that would allow tiger populations to roam freely across eight countries. Dr. Alan Rabinowitz, director of Science and Exploration Programs at the WCS, said that genetic corridors, where tigers can travel with less risk of inbreeding, are crucial for their survival in Asia. The proposed corridor includes extensive areas of Bhutan, northeast India, Myanmar, Thailand and Malaysia, along with potential connectivity to Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. Rabinowitz, the co-director of Tigers Forever – a WCS/Panthera Foundation collaboration corridors did not have to be pristine parkland but could in fact include agricultural areas, ranches, and other multi-use landscapes – just as long as tigers could use them to travel between wilderness areas. “We’re not asking countries to set aside new parks. This is more about changing regional zoning in tiger range states to allow tigers to move more freely between areas of good habitat.” Twelve of 13 tiger range states were represented by delegates at the UN meeting. Also present were representatives from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s Save the Tiger Fund, Conservation International, Rare Conservation, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Tigers Forever was launched in 2006 as a plan to grow tiger numbers by 50 percent at key sites over a ten year period. This increase is being achieved through collecting baseline data and long-term scientific monitoring of tigers, their prey, and their threats, to ensure that the goals can be met. Key threats are the direct killing of tigers, poaching of tiger prey, and habitat loss – all of which are being targeted and mitigated.
Big Horn Sheep Recovery Plan Available
February 13, 2008 www.fws.gov By Lois Grunwald
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has completed a cooperative plan to recover the Sierra Nevada Bighorn Sheep to a sustainable level where it can be removed from the federally protected category. "We strongly believe that a collaborative stewardship approach, involving government agencies and the private sector is critical to achieving the ultimate goal of recovery," said Steve Thompson, regional director of the Service's California and Nevada Region. A copy of the recovery plan and other information are available on the Internet at: http://ecos.fws.gov/tess_public/SpeciesRecovery.do?sort=2
The Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep was listed as endangered on January 3, 2000 following emergency listing on April 20, 1999. In 1999, only about 125 bighorn sheep remained in the Sierra Nevada, living in five separate areas on mountainous, federally-owned land primarily in California’s Inyo and Mono counties. Their population has since increased to at least 400 individuals. Even though their habitat is primarily on federal land and is relatively undisturbed, their distribution has been greatly reduced and fragmented over the past 150 years, which leaves the sheep more vulnerable to extinction.
Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep are large animals that inhabit the east side and crest of the southern and central Sierra Nevada. They are sure-footed and agile with specialized hooves that enable them to easily negotiate steep, rocky terrain. The sheep breed in the fall, and the ewes give birth to one lamb in the spring or early summer. Diseases spread by domestic sheep beginning in the 1860s coupled with indiscriminate hunting during that time period and possible predation by mountain lions in recent decades are considered the primary reasons for the decline of the bighorn sheep. From February through April, the sheep may be more vulnerable to predators when they attempt to move to lower elevations to forage on new, nutritious plant growth and avoid harsh winter conditions at higher elevation before lambs are born. During the 1980s bighorn sheep began remaining at higher elevations throughout the winter. This behavior led to greater risk of mortality due to exposure, avalanches, and an inadequate food supply, and was followed by a steep population decline. Some believe that when the bighorn sheep herd size gets small, they will remain at higher elevations to avoid predation by mountain lions.
One of the recovery criteria outlined in the plan is to maintain specific population sizes for each recovery unit for seven consecutive years. Another recovery criteria is to ensure that Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep of both sexes occupy at least two essential herd units in the Kern Recovery Unit, six in the Southern Recovery Unit, two in the Central Recovery Unit, and two in the Northern Recovery Unit. Currently, seven essential and one non-essential herd unit are occupied by Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep. The rest of the units are currently not occupied by the Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep. One of the actions in the recovery plan for the Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep is protecting them from mountain lions until herd sizes increase sufficiently. The plan calls for removing lions that are a threat while ensuring the viability of the mountain lion population. This temporary measure may help herds obtain forage at lower elevations in late winter, resulting in a boost in the sheep population.
Another criteria is to eliminate contact between Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep and domestic sheep and goats. Domestic sheep and goats can carry pathogens that are linked to fatal pneumonia in bighorn sheep, and can quickly devastate a bighorn population. Other actions to help sheep recover include translocating Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep from large wild herds to supplement depleted herds and reestablish extirpated herds. Captive breeding would only be used if recovery goals for wild herds cannot be reached through translocation of bighorn sheep. This method would help maintain the genetic diversity of this subspecies, increase population size, and reduce the level of population fragmentation. "Years of hard work and planning have resulted in a plan that we believe will recover this magnificent keystone species of the high Sierra," said Thompson.
The Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep population was thought to be part of a larger California bighorn sheep subspecies, but genetic and morphological research now indicates that Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep should be classified as a separate subspecies. The Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep is also listed by the state as endangered. The California State Department of Fish and Game (DFG) is the lead agency in this multi-agency effort to recover Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep. Immediately following listing, DFG established a recovery program based on the allocation of funds by the California legislature specifically for that purpose. The recovery program has focused on monitoring population trend, identifying limiting factors, and implementing recovery actions. Recovery actions that are currently being implemented include translocations to reestablish populations, use of prescribed fire to enhance habitat, grazing management to minimize disease risk, and predator management.
Bat Flight Evolved Before Echolocation
February 13, 2008 www.nature.com
ANN ARBOR, Mich.---The discovery of a remarkably well-preserved fossil representing the most primitive bat species known to date demonstrates that the animals evolved the ability to fly before they could echolocate. The new species, named Onychonycteris finneyi, was unearthed in 2003 in southwestern Wyoming and is described in a study in the Feb. 14 issue of the journal Nature. Bats represent one of the largest and most diverse orders of mammals, accounting for one-fifth of all living mammal species. The well-preserved condition of the new fossil permitted the scientists to take an unprecedented look at the most primitive known member of the order Chiroptera. A careful examination of Onychonycteris's physical characteristics revealed several surprising features: It had claws on all five of its fingers, whereas modern bats have, at most, claws on only two digits of each hand. The limb proportions of Onychonycteris are also different from all other bats---the hind legs are longer and the forearm shorter---and more similar to those of climbing mammals that hang under branches, such as sloths and gibbons. It may have been a skilled climber, but could also fly like modern bats. It had short, broad wings, which suggest that it probably could not fly as far or as fast as most bats that came after it. Instead of flapping its wings continuously while flying it may have alternated flapping and gliding while in the air. Its teeth indicate that its diet consisted primarily of insects, just like that of most living bats.
Animal Symbolism for Anniversary Years
February 13, 2008 www.praguepost.com By Jacy Meyer
Compiled by Zoo and Aquarium Visitor magazine CEO Rudy Socha
Year 1 - Shark: Circling each other to determine dominance and territories.
Year 2 - Largemouth Bass: Neither party has yet learned when to keep his or her mouth shut.
Year 3 - Tiger: Recognizing each other’s individual stripes.
Year 4 - Hummingbird: Enjoying the sweet nectar of marriage.
Year 5 - Dolphin: Swimming together.
Year 6 - Deer: Controlling the buck becomes important.
Year 7 - Monkey: Sitting around picking off each other’s fleas.
Year 8 - Wolf: Realizing it’s time to start a pack.
Year 9 - Horse: Galloping toward 10 years of bliss.
Year 10 - Bear: Glad I found my honey.
Year 11 - Lion: Proud of their pride.
Year 12 - Whale: Married life makes them larger and happier.
Year 13 - Parrot: Both chatter and finish each other’s sentences.
Year 14 - Moose: Ponds, pools and hot tubs are favorite leisure spots.
Year 15 - Elephant: He finally realizes it’s the matriarch who runs the herd.
Year 16 - Eagle: Have found a destination to fly off to every year.
Year 17 - Trout: Have swum upriver many times together.
Year 18 - Penguin: Still look good dressed up together.
Year 19 - Turtle: Taking things a little slower.
Year 20 - Giraffe: Reaching what most others cannot.
Year 21 - Duck: Serene above water, lots of movement below.
Year 22 - Frog: On the shore, waiting for dinner.
Year 23 - Squirrel: Worried about how many nuts are stored.
Year 24 - Skunk: Survived even the stinky stuff.
Year 25 - Peacock: Time to strut our stuff.
Reduced Critical Habitat for Peirson’s Milk-vetch
February 14, 2008 www.epa.gov
The USFWS is designating critical habitat for Astragalus magdalenae var. peirsonii (Peirson's milk-vetch). In total, approximately 12,105 acres (ac) (4,899 hectares (ha)) fall within the boundaries of the revised critical habitat designation for A. m. var. peirsonii. The revised
critical habitat is located in Imperial County, California. We are excluding Unit 2 from this revised designation based on the disproportionate economic and social impacts associated with the
designation of this unit relative to the other units designated as critical habitat. This final revised designation constitutes a reduction of 9,758 ac (3,949 ha) from our 21,863 ac (8,848 ha) previous
final designation of critical habitat published in 2004. The rule becomes effective on March 17, 2008. This final rule is available on the Internet at http://www.regulations.gov In addition, the final revised rule, economic analysis, and maps are available at http://www.fws.gov/carlsbad/
Taronga Zoo Asian Elephant is Pregnant
February 14, 2008 www.abc.net.au
Taronga Zoo’s 8-year-old Asian elephant, Thong Dee is five months pregnant and expected to give birth in June 2009. There was concern that Thong Dee, one of four female elephants brought to Taronga Zoo from Thailand in 2005, was too young to be sexually active. The ultrasound shows that the foetus is very healthy and very active and it will be a process of continuing to monitor the progress of the gestation period.
Houston Zoo Wins 2007 Marketing Award
February 14, 2008 www.bizjournals.com
The Houston Chapter of the American Marketing Association has named the Houston Zoo as its 2007 Marketer of the Year. The Zoo was recognized for a multifaceted marketing program that increased attendance and revenue, while spotlighting the zoo's core missions of education and conservation.
Young Orang-utan hangs herself at Singapore Zoo
February 14, 2008 www.smh.com.au
A young orang-utan has died of a dislocated neck in a "freak accident" at the Singapore Zoo. Atina caught her neck in a hanging noose that was part of a hammock in the ape enclosure, and her mother, Anita, and other orang-utans tried to free the infant, by tugging at her neck. Zookeepers could not reach Atina in time to save her because the mother kept pushing them away. All hanging nooses have been removed from the enclosure.
Reid Park Zoo Opens ‘Green’ School
February 14, 2008 www.tucsoncitizen.com
TUCSON, Arizona -- The Lee H. Brown Family Conservation Learning Center at the Reid Park Zoo is providing a new place for people to learn about animals, and is one of the most environmentally sensitive buildings in the state. Old blue jeans are used for insulation, rain water is harvested and furniture and flooring are made from recycled milk jugs. Solar panels, allow the buildings to use 80 percent less energy than conventional buildings of the same size. Zoo officials hope the building will be certified as platinum, the highest certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.
San Diego Zoo’s "Garden of Senses"
February 14, 2008 www.imperialvalleynews.com by San Diego Zoo
SAN DIEGO -- This year's annual Garden Celebration focuses on how the five senses are stimulated by gardens and plants: taste, touch, hearing, sight and smell. There will be beautiful foliage and flowers to see: tasty food and beverages, fragrant blossoms to delight the sense of smell, the sound of breezes rustling thru trees and bamboo; and the feel of bark and foliage on the skin. Each display offers unique sensations in the Zoo's garden setting. Dan Simpson, associate horticulturist for the San Diego Zoo said "In this event we are highlighting how sensory cues from plants enrich our lives on a daily basis." A free botanical bus tour will highlight plants at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. There will also be self-gudied walking tours showcasing the magnificence of these plants throughout the Zoo.
Counting Giant Octopuses in Puget Sound
February 14th, 2008 www.thenewstribune.com
PUGET SOUND REGION -- Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium and the Seattle Aquarium are enlisting local scuba divers this weekend in an effort to count giant Pacific octopuses in the Puget Sound. The annual census will be used to establish baseline data on the number of octopuses in the region, then later determine whether the species is declining. The count will take place Saturday through Monday. Divers should report: Date, time of day, exact dive site, exact depth, den information, indication of octopus size (tennis ball, cantaloupe, basketball or bigger), indication of where the den is in relation to the entry point of the dive, and number of divers.
New Website Creates Online Condor Community
February 14, 2008 www.ewire.com
SAN DIEGO – A new web site, "California Condor Conservation," has been created with new technology to provide the latest information from all of the organizations involved in this species' recovery. Researchers, field biologists, keepers and many other partners involved in the California Condor Recovery Program will be posting blogs and providing photos and video from the field. Anyone from a student studying conservation to a bystander who witnesses a condor in the wild will have the opportunity to log on to www.cacondorconservation.org to ask the experts questions about the species. Web videos will give viewers an up-close view of the wild condor population or an inside look at zoo breeding centers. This month's news video, in both English and Spanish, discusses the recent outbreak of lead poisoning at the Baja California, Mexico condor release site and what is being done to prevent a recurrence. Included will be classroom tools, a newsletter, news releases from the recovery program partners and even bios of some of the condors. The California Condor Recovery Program is implemented by the USFWS and includes partnership with other U.S. and Mexican government agencies, the Zoological Society of San Diego, Los Angeles Zoo, The Peregrine Fund, Oregon Zoo, Chapultepec Zoo, Ventana Wilderness Society and the National Park Service.
Sedgwick County Zoo’s New Tiger Exhibit
February 14, 2008 www.bizjournals.com
The Slawson family is the lead donor to the Sedgwick County Zoo's fund-raising efforts to bring in a new Asian tiger exhibit. "They approached us with the idea of bringing tigers back to the zoo," says Mark C. Reed, executive director, in a written statement. "It's been more than 10 years since tigers have been part of the zoo family." The Slawsons donated the first $1 million in November 2006 and challenged the Zoo Foundation to raise a second million. The challenge was met in December 2007 with the completion of the zoo's successful fund-raising campaign. The Slawsons responded with the donation of another million dollars to cover the new exhibit's projected $3 million cost. This state-of-the-art exhibit will be located next to the Asian Forest and north of the Downing Gorilla Forest's Nganda Island. It will provide complete management resources for maintaining tigers. Site work is projected to begin in late February and the exhibit's anticipated opening is May 2009.
Human Influences on Global Ecosystems
February 14, 2008 www.science.org
A team of researchers combined 17 data sets of different human activities – from fishing and fertilizer run-off, to commercial shipping and pollution – and analyzed their effects on marine ecosystems, continental shelves and the deep ocean. The results, highlighted on a map available on NOAA.gov, reveal that more than 40 percent of the world’s oceans are heavily impacted by human activities. The most heavily affected waters include the East Coast of North America, North Sea, South and East China Seas, Caribbean Sea, Mediterranean Sea, Red Sea, Persian Gulf, Bering Sea and areas off the western Pacific Ocean. Dr. Kenneth Casey, with NOAA’s National Oceanographic Data Center is a co-author of the study “A Global Map of Human Impact on Marine Ecosystems” that will appear in the journal Science. Casey said three measures of human-induced climate change were examined by the research team, including changes in sea surface temperatures, UV radiation, and ocean acidification. These measures were found to be among the most important factors in determining the global impacts. According to the study, the ecosystems most at threat are: coral reefs, which house more than 25 percent of all marine life and protect against wave erosion; seagrass beds, which are nursery grounds for young fish and mangroves, which grow in coastal habitats and also help ward off erosion. For the full study see: http://www.nodc.noaa.gov/SatelliteData/Cortad/
Yellowstone's Jack Rabbits Gone
February 14, 2008 www.eurekalert.org
NEW YORK– A new study by the Bronx Zoo-based Wildlife Conservation Society found that jack rabbits living in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem have vanished. There have been no confirmed sightings in Yellowstone since 1991 and only three in Grand Teton since 1978. The study appears in the latest issue of the journal Oryx, and speculates that their disappearance may be having wide impacts on a variety of other prey species and their predators. Historical records from more than 130 years ago indicate that white-tailed jack rabbits were once locally abundant in the 23,166 square mile Greater Yellowstone ecosystem. The study’s lead author, Dr. Joel Berger, a WCS conservationist, and professor at the University of Montana, said “It could be disease, extreme weather, predation or other factors, there is no way to know the underlying cause.” Dr. Berger believes that the absence may be causing elevated predation by coyotes on juvenile elk, pronghorn and other ungulates. Berger suggests that wildlife managers should consider reintroduction of white-tailed jack rabbits into Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks. “Reintroduction may result in the establishment of dynamic ecological processes that were intact before rabbits vanished from the ecosystem,” Dr. Berger said.
New Butterfly Exhibit at Smithsonian
February 14, 2008 www.physorg.com By RANDOLPH E. SCHMID
"Butterflies + Plants: Partners in Evolution," is the Museum of Natural History’s latest exhibit. The exhibit tells the story of millions of years of co-evolution of butterflies and plants, a 200-million year relationship in which each has influenced changes in the other, said entomologist Ted Schultz. Butterflies were around in the Jurassic era and have outlived the dinosaurs. Within the exhibit is the 1,200 square foot butterfly pavilion, a controlled tropical garden which will have ~400 butterflies at any given time. Exhibit manager Nate Erwin said a $6 admission charge is needed to help cover the pavilion's operating costs, estimated at up to $1 million a year. There is a staff of 10 to tend the plants and butterflies, and new butterflies must be purchased from around the world constantly. In addition, the Smithsonian horticultural division has devoted an entire greenhouse to growing pesticide-free tropical plants for the exhibit. Butterflies have an average lifespan of two to four weeks, Erwin said, and Agriculture Department regulations prohibit the museum from breeding nonnative species. Those in the pavilion come from Asia, Africa and North and South America. More information is at: www.mnh.si.edu
Project BudBurst
February 14, 2008 www.budburst.org
A nationwide initiative starting this week will enable volunteers to track climate change by observing the timing of flowers and foliage. Each participant in Project BudBurst selects one or more plants to observe. The project Web site suggests more than 60 widely distributed trees and flowers, with information on each. Users can add their own choices. The Project is operated by the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) and a team of partners, allows students, gardeners and other citizen scientists in every state to enter their observations into an online database that will give researchers a detailed picture of our warming climate. It will operate year round so that early- and late-blooming species in different parts of the country can be monitored throughout their life cycles. The project builds on a pilot program carried out last spring, when several thousand participants recorded the timing of the leafing and flowering of hundreds of plant species in 26 states. The Chicago Botanic Garden, Universities of Montana, Arizona, California, Santa Barbara, Wisconsin, the Plant Conservation Alliance; and the USA-National Phenology Network are collaborators on Project BudBurst, which was funded with a grant from the U.S. Bureau of Land Management and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. The project is also supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and Windows to the Universe, a UCAR-based Web site that will host the project online as part of its citizen science efforts.
LA Zoo’s Elephant Exhibit Can Be Built
February 14, 2008 www.dailybreeze.com
LOS ANGELES -- A judge has ruled that work on a new elephant building at the Los Angeles Zoo can continue and that the zoo's lone elephant can remain, thwarting efforts by actor Robert Culp to close the exhibit and stop another from being built, according to court papers released Thursday. In his 4-page ruling, Superior Court Judge Reginald A. Dunn wrote that there were no grounds for issuing an injunction sought by Culp while he and another man pursue a lawsuit seeking to keep elephants out of the zoo because of allegations that staff mistreated the animals. The Plaintiff's lawyer David Casselman said they intended to appeal the order.
Spotted Hyenas at San Diego Zoo
February 14, 2008 www.imperialvalleynews.com
SAN DIEGO -- Two spotted 9-year-old hyena brothers named Zephyr and Turbo are now living near the top of Sun Bear Forest at the San Diego Zoo. The San Diego Zoo also houses striped hyenas, but not the brown hyena. Zookeeper Hali Anderson, said “They play in the water and even hide the bones we give them in the pool. They acclimated really quickly and seem to be enjoying all the experiences, especially people watching.” Native to many areas in Africa and live in large clans, which are led by a female and can reach over 70 individuals. Their strong jaws can produce pressure up to 800 pounds per square inch and easily crush bones.
Red Pandas Escape from Scottish Conservation Park
February 14, 2008 news.scotsman.com By Louise Kerr
KIRKCUDBRIGHT, Scotland -- Two red pandas have been missing for a week after escaping from their enclosure at the Galloway Wildlife Conservation Park. Mother Pichu and her daughter Isla escaped after a tree fell onto their pen during a storm. The father, Mushu, remained behind. John Denerley, owner of the wildlife park, said "Pichu and Mushu are both on breeding loans. Mushu was from Cotswold Wildlife Park and Pichu was from Curraghs Wildlife Park, Isle of Man. Their daughter was born last year, in June 2007.” More Red Panda cubs have been born at the Kirkcudbright conservation park, established in 1989, than any zoo in Britain.
Socialization of Alaska Zoo’s Elephant Maggie
February 15, 2008 www.and.com By JULIA O'MALLEY
On Tuesday at the Performing Animal Welfare Society sanctuary in California the fence separating Maggie from Mara, Ruby, Lulu and 71 was removed, for a little while anyhow. "She marched right up to them, got right in the middle of them, ... she did a big rumble," said Pat Derby, founder and director of PAWS. "They all got excited and started rumbling and trumpeting." And they didn't do any of the things keepers feared: The bigger elephants didn't lean on her and knock her over; they didn't fight; she wasn't scared of all the company after her lonely life in Alaska. Maggie, once a resident of the Alaska Zoo, was kept in a private yard since she arrived at the sanctuary in November. Over time, she gradually began communicating with the other elephants across the fence. On Tuesday she was allowed to join them for an hour. The sanctuary will continue to increase her socialization time each day until she's integrated with the herd.
New Phoenix Islands Protected Area
February 15, 2008 news.nationalgeographic.com By Ray Lilley
The Phoenix Islands Protected Area, or PIPA, lies about halfway between Hawaii and Fiji. It will conserve one of Earth's last intact oceanic coral archipelago ecosystems. "The coral reefs and bird populations of the islands are unique, virtually untouched by man," said Kiribati Environment Minister Tetapo Nakara as he announced the new marine reserve. Nakara said his ministry hopes to fully establish the 164,200-square-mile area as a protected zone by the end of the year, with the goal of attracting more tourists to Kiribati—an impoverished coral atoll nation of about 95,000 people. About 50 people live on one of the protected atolls. Some commercial fishing in the area will be restricted, meaning the Kiribati government will forego some revenue from foreign commercial fishing licenses, but it is hoping to recoup some of the losses by boosting tourism, which now accounts for 20 percent of the gross domestic product. It has already applied to have the marine reserve listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Kiribati and Boston-based New England Aquarium conducted joint scientific research in the area over several years with funding and technical aid from Conservation International.
Zoo Moves to Burma’s New Capital
February 15, 2008 news.bbc.co.uk By Steve Jackson
YANGON, Myanmar -- Burma's military government is moving hundreds of zoo animals from Rangoon’s Zoological Garden in Yangon to Naypyidaw, the country's new capital nearly 250 miles from the main city's 100-year-old zoo. The new city of Naypyridaw has been built in the middle of an area of tropical scrubland, away from the main centers of population. And now the military leadership appears to feel that a capital city needs a zoo, so approximately half of the creatures from Rangoon's zoo are being moved to a newly-built complex in Naypyidaw. Hippos, monkeys, tigers and bears are reportedly being transported this week in small cages loaded onto trucks. One zookeeper said the elephants had howled and refused to eat when their herd was split up. While Burmese officials say the new zoo will be world class, eyewitnesses have said it lacks the infrastructure and the vegetation the animals will need. No official reason has been given for the move, but the military government has been anxious to give an air of legitimacy to its new capital.
Dubai World Africa Plans “Conservation Resort”
February 16, 2008 www.albawaba.com
Dubai World Africa today announced that it will invest $200 million in the Bilene Hotel, a luxury beach resort, golf estate and eco development along 4km of exquisite prime beachfront in Mozambique. Situated just north of Maputo, the resort spans a 1,000ha and encompasses 18km Sao Martinho Lagoon, nature reserve and turtle breeding area. This area is home to the leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea). The nature reserve will be managed by Dubai World Conservation Africa and eco tourism will be of prime focus. The pristine coral reefs will be available to wildlife and water recreational sports enthusiasts. Conservation is a key focus area for the company, which is currently establishing Dubai World Conservation Africa as a holding company for a number of prime reserves in Africa. The Dubai state-owned company, with interests ranging from real estate to ports, will invest $150 million in the creation of an international competition standard golf course, a 5 star hotel as well as 500 golf course and beach villas and condos. The resort will be served by its own airport, Bilene Praia. The Bilene Hotel will also feature a diving centre allowing to experience some of the best scuba diving and snorkelling on the coast of east Africa.
Spoon-billed Sandpipers Discovered
February 17, 2008 commercialappeal.com By Michael Casey
BANGKOK, Thailand -- The World Conservation Union lists the spoon-billed sandpiper as endangered with only 200 to 300 pairs left in the wild. However the recent discovery of 84 birds wintering in Myanmar -- only one of which appears to have come from Siberia -- raises the prospect of breeding grounds elsewhere. The birds' migration route takes them from Siberia down through Japan, North Korea, South Korea, mainland China and Taiwan, to their main wintering grounds in South Asia. Simba Chan, senior conservation manager at BirdLife's Asia Division, said "If present trends continue, the spoon-billed sandpiper faces extinction in the next few years. If we are to save the species, we need to identify and conserve not only its breeding sites, but its migration stopover sites and wintering grounds too." Spoon-billed sandpipers face myriad threats because of their complicated migration routes, from expanding shrimp farms and salt pans in Bangladesh to coastal development in China and South Korea.
Crop Biofuels Create Carbon Debt
February 17, 2008 www.signonsandiego.com
Two studies published in the journal Science have shown that changes in land use to produce crop-based biofuels can actually result in more greenhouse-gas emissions than burning fossil fuels. The reasons are complex: corn and canola require a lot of nitrogen fertilizer to grow, and making nitrogen fertilizers is very energy intensive. In the case of corn ethanol, distilling the ethanol requires energy. We don't have ethanol pipelines, so ethanol has to be transported in trains and trucks. For these and other reasons, the greenhouse gas balance – greenhouse gases removed from the atmosphere minus greenhouse gases released – is unfavorable for corn ethanol. Also, when fuel is derived from crops, food prices rise. Fortunately, ethanol can also be made from cellulose, the large linear molecule of plants consisting entirely of glucose that is the most abundant natural material in the world. Cellulose is the main ingredient in wood and in the new so-called biomass crops such as miscanthus that do not require much nitrogen fertilizer and have yields of 20 tons of biomass per acre. Sugar can also be fermented directly into gasoline-like molecules, such as alkanes, that do not need to be distilled. This would require us to create new superbugs. Remember the superbugs that ate oil spills? Our new superbugs would produce oil-like molecules for transportation. And oil can be produced by microalgae living in shallow ponds using the nutrients in municipal wastewater. With such plant and algal sources and with new industrial processes and fermentations, we could have a true greenhouse gas neutral transportation system that prevents further buildup of carbon dioxide and the two other greenhouse gases released as a result of agricultural practices – methane and nitrous oxide – into the atmosphere.
What should our focus be here in Southern California where transportation accounts for 40 percent of carbon dioxide release? 300 scientists recently met at UCSD to discuss new ways of producing ethanol from plants and other biofuel research. Two research and development goals are clearly within the grasp of San Diego-area scientists: oil produced by microalgae and novel fermentations that convert cellulose-derived sugars into oil-like molecules. Our intellectual resources include world-renowned microbiologists, geneticists, engineers and experts on algae. San Diego biotechnology companies such as Synthetic Genomics, Verenium and Sapphire Energy have already acquired impressive expertise. We also have some unusual, but ideal, physical resources – degraded land around the Salton Sea that has become unsuitable for agriculture, but suitable for algae ponds – and abundant sunshine. The R&D done right here in San Diego can help our local energy company, Sempra Energy Utilities, meet California's mandated climate change guidelines for renewable energy.
Male Asian Elephant Born at Dublin Zoo
February 18, 2008 www.rte.ie
DUBLIN -- A male elephant has been born at Dublin Zoo - the second elephant to be born at the zoo in the past year. The calf was born about one or two weeks earlier than expected, but could not be described as premature. Once mother Yasmin's water broke, it was about 30 minutes until the baby was born at 5:27 a.m. and he was up and walking within about 30 minutes. Both are doing well and the other four female elephants at the zoo, are smelling and touching the new arrival. Last May, a female elephant, Asha, was born last May. The three adult elephants in the herd were imported from Rotterdam in October 2006. Two of them were already pregnant. The zoo is now looking for an adult bull elephant who can mate with the ladies when they are ready to conceive again in a few years.
Phoenix Zoo’s Stingray Bay Now Has Sharks
February 18, 2008 www.azcentral.com By Astrid Galvan
With 35 stingrays, Phoenix Zoo’s Stingray Bay was one of its most popular seasonal exhibits. Now the 17,000-gallon pool has 11 sharks and is even more popular. The interactive exhibit allows visitors to pet the animals. It is a traveling exhibit sponsored by Centex Homes and costs an additional $3 entrance fee. ($1 for Zoo members). The sharks are all rather small, ranging from 1 1/2 to almost 5 feet in length. Rosie, a nurse shark, is the largest one, and will never grow past 11 feet, according to exhibit supervisor, Erin Mayall. Once she reaches 5 or 6 feet, she'll be too large for the exhibit. Bamboo and nurse sharks are nocturnal, Mayall said, so they are mostly dormant during the day, lying in stacks of four or five sharks near a dark corner. The sharks and stingrays are fed 27 pounds of smelt and shrimp each day so that they don't prey on each other. Once the exhibit closes in May, it will travel to a Cleveland Zoo, but Phoenix already has plans to bring the exhibit back next year.
Lesser Spot-Nosed Guenon Born at Central Florida Zoo
February 18, 2008 www.wesh.com
SANFORD, Fla. -- The Central Florida Zoo is asking for help to name a lesser spot-nosed guenon born one week ago. According to curator Bonnie Breitbeil, viewers can see what mother and baby are doing at WESH.com.
Hogle Zoo Elephant is Pregnant
February 18, 2008 www.sltrib.com
Christie, a 22-year-old elephant at Utah's Hogle Zoo, is pregnant after three attempts to artificially inseminate her since summer 2006. The pregnancy was confirmed Saturday by ultrasound, and the birth is expected to occur in late summer 2009. The semen was from an elephant in Pittsburgh and this will be the first African elephant to be born at Hogle.
Calgary Zookeepers Hand-raise Baby Elephant
February 18, 2008 calsun.canoe.ca By MICHAEL PLATT
Malti, the Calgary Zoo’s 242-kg elephant “toddler” drinks 25 litres of milk a day and is gaining up to a kilogram of mass a day. Keepers at the Calgary Zoo, have been hand-raising Malti since her birth on August 9, and half of that milk now comes directly from the baby's mom. "Each day it gets better, with mom showing more interest in her baby," said Bob Kam, head elephant keeper at the Calgary Zoo. "Her instincts are kicking in very slowly." Mother, Maharani's first attempt at motherhood in 2004 ended badly when she rejected her sickly calf and it later died. Maharani's initial refusal to embrace Malti was a serious concern, until the little elephant proved she was sticking around, with or without mom's help. Taking to human-fed formula, Malti has gained 102 kg since birth. "We're certainly not going to give up on establishing that bond, because elephants nurse for two years minimum," said Kam. Kam describes the current relationship as cordial, but said Maharani isn't yet showing the protective instinct expected in a mother elephant. "It's not quite bonding at this point -- but mom is more accepting of the baby," said Kam. The next step for keepers is to introduce a third elephant to the equation, to see if a bit of jealousy can spur Maharani to take more of an interest.
Tracking White Sharks
February 18, 2008 www.eurekalert.org
Advances in satellite tracking systems and acoustic sensors are giving researchers insights into the behavior and lifestyle of the elusive white shark. Researchers from several institutions, including Stanford University, have joined their efforts in a Census of Marine Life project called Tagging of Pacific Predators (TOPP). Since the project began in 1999, they have attached more than 3,000 tags to sharks, seals, whales, tunas, squids, turtles, albatross and more. For the first time, these TOPP researchers are getting a glimpse of a pelagic ecosystem from the California Current to the North Pacific at daily, seasonal and yearly time scales. Along with the white shark, the TOPP researchers also have been studying the routes and habits of two cousins of the white shark: the salmon shark, whose range extends from the glaciers of Alaska down to Baja California, where it crosses over the white sharks' territory along the continental coast, and the mako shark, which resides along the continental shelf off California. The team also has tagged thresher sharks and blue sharks.
National Zoo Studies Migratory Birds
February 18, 2008 www.eurekalert.org
How young migratory birds choose the nesting location of their first breeding season has been the focus of a study by the University of Maryland and Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center of the National Zoo. Their study of the of the American redstart suggests that the environmental conditions the birds face in their first year may help determine where they breed for the rest of their lives, a factor that could significantly affect the population as climate change makes their winter habitats hotter and drier. “We found that where the birds go in their first winter, a process called natal dispersal, may determine the area, within several hundred miles, where they will breed over their lifetime,” said Colin Studds, the University of Maryland PhD student who led [C1]the study. “An important factor appears to be the availability of water in their winter habitat.” The study appears in the February 18 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Co-authors of the paper are Peter Marra, of the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center, and Kurt Kyser, of Queen’s University, Ontario.
Amazon’s Corridors are Too Narrow
February 18, 2008 www.eurekalert.org
The 7 million km2 Amazon rainforest contains around a quarter of the world’s terrestrial species, yet is being cleared at a rate of 25,000 km2 per year. Eighty per cent of the deforestation has been in Brazil and 70 per cent of that can be directly attributed to cattle ranching. Brazilian forestry legislation currently requires that all forest strips alongside rivers and streams on private land be maintained as permanent reserves and it sets a minimum legal width of 60m. But after investigating the effects of corridor width on the number of bird and mammal species, Alexander Lees and Dr Carlos Peres of the University of East Anglia say a minimum critical width of 400m is necessary. The UEA research team surveyed 37 remnant and intact riparian forest sites in the State of Mato Grosso, southern Brazilian Amazon, around the town of Alta Floresta, a 30-year-old deforestation frontier. The wider and better-preserved the corridors were, the greater the number of species found using them. Along with proposing a new minimum width threshold, the study also recommends fencing off large areas to allow regeneration following heavy browsing by livestock. They have published their findings in the March 21 journal Conservation Biology.
St Louis Zoo’s “Awesome Amphibians”
February 18, 2008 www.stltoday.com By Kim McGuire
A St. Louis Zoo employee was visiting an area pet store back in the late 1980s when he noticed some wriggly creatures being advertised as "Bait for Sale." They were actually Chinese giant salamanders, the largest amphibians in the world and incredibly rare outside of their native range. "He knew exactly that we should buy them up," said Mark Wanner, the Zoo's manager of reptiles and amphibians. "It was just one of those once-in-a-lifetime kind of events." Today, only four zoos in the United States have a Chinese giant salamander, including the St. Louis Zoo, which has two. The salamanders, which are about 3 feet long, will be one of the main attractions in the Zoo's new exhibit, "Awesome Amphibians." It opens Feb. 29 —Leap Day. The year-long exhibit will showcase more than 150 frogs, salamanders and toads in a new 3,000-square-foot space in The Living World area. The exhibit will emphasize pollution, disease and habitat loss affecting amphibians. "We want our visitors to know that widespread extinction of amphibians would be catastrophic," said Jeffrey P. Bonner, president of the Saint Louis Zoo and chairman of Amphibian Ark, a worldwide effort to save amphibians. Featured species include: The Panamanian golden frog, European fire salamander, Mexican caecilian and Chacoan waxy tree frog.
Hammerhead Shark Added to Endangered List
February 18, 2008, www.thewest.com.au
The scalloped hammerhead, so called because of its extraordinary hammer-shaped snout, has fallen victim to fishing by-catch and the high value placed on its fins, by the Chinese. Later this year it will be designated as “endangerd” on the World Conservation Union’s Red List of threatened species. Declines of 98 per cent have been recorded off the US east coast since the 1970s, and losses of 90 per cent in other areas. Unlike most other sharks, the scalloped hammerhead swims in large schools which tend to congregate in specific locations, such as the Galapagos Islands and Costa Rica. A fishing vessel stumbling upon one of these gatherings can easily wipe the whole school out. A total of 233 types of shark are currently on the Red List, 12 of which are considered “critically endangered”. Nine, including the scalloped hammerhead, added this year. Among them are some well known species, such as the common thresher, the shortfin mako, and the tiger and bull shark. Marine ecologist Dr Julia Baum, from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla, California, who has studied the threat status of the world’s sharks, said “Right now the oceans are being emptied of sharks. If we carry on the way we’re going we’ll be looking at a very high risk of extinction for some of these shark species in the next few decades.”
Overview of the Las Vegas Zoo
February 19, 2008 www.viewnews.com By BROCK RADKE
The Southern Nevada Zoological and Botanical Park or Las Vegas Zoo was founded by Pat Dingle. "Las Vegas has a far better reputation in the zoo world than in our own community," said Dingle, a 46-year Las Vegan. "The San Diego Zoo has been our mentor for years, and they put rare animals that most other zoos in the U.S. would kill for with us, because they know we care for these animals." One of the best examples of that is the zoo's fossa exhibit. A fossa is a mammal similar to a mongoose and native to Madagascar. In fact, it's the largest predator from that region. Very little is known about the animal, Dingle said, although it was made somewhat popular due to the characters in the 2005 animated film "Madagascar." "It comes from a very secluded place and it's not related to anything else on Earth," Dingle said. "There were only 30 in the U.S. a year ago, and the San Diego Zoo put a breeding pair with us." Protocol requires regular inspection of the zoo habitats of such animals, and when Carmi Penny, curator of mammals at the San Diego Zoo, visited Las Vegas to check on the fossas, he was beyond impressed. "He basically said this is the best fossa exhibit in the country," Dingle said. "It's constructed in a bamboo grove and it's twice the size of anything else out there." San Diego gave the local zoo a pair of Barbary apes 25 years ago, and Las Vegas has become the most successful facility in breeding that species since then. "We're the only zoo with a family of these apes, and Harvard has done DNA studies on our animals as a result," Dingle said.
Time Warner Cable Partners with Buffalo Zoo
February 19, 2008 www.bizjournals.com
Time Warner Cable and the Buffalo Zoo have announced a two-year partnership with a focus on the animal conservation. Time Warne, the cable TV franchise holder for most of Western New York will work with the zoo to encourage education about proper interaction with animals in captivity. They will also create and distribute 10,000 educational bookmarks that highlight proper zoo etiquette. The company is also serving as the main sponsor of the new Amur tiger cubs, born on Oct. 7, 2007. They are the first surviving tiger cubs to be born at the Buffalo Zoo since 1988. The cubs have been named Thyme (female) and Warner (male) and will be on exhibit to the general public starting Wednesday, Feb. 20.
Detroit Zoo’s Penguinarium
February 19, 2008 www.mlive.com By CHRISTY STRAWSER
ROYAL OAK, Mich. — The Detroit Zoo’s Penguinarium was the first exhibit in North America devoted to penguins when it opened in 1968. The Penguinarium has a continuous pool that lets penguins swim at high speeds, and it has a light cycle that mimics the exposure to light they would get in the wild. Tom Schneider, the zoo’s curator of birds, has overseen all of the bird exhibits for 22 years. He learned early on that penguins have personalities, with some eager to form friendships and engage the public and others that avoid everyone. Rockhopper and macaroni penguins, are especially friendly and like to check out visitors. The Zoo allows groups of four to come into the Penguinarium after hours for "macaroni mingler" events. Each group pays $500 to spend time up close and personal with the birds. The zoo had five macaroni chicks last year, and Schneider said breeding programs are one of the most important parts of his job. "I've really helped integrate the animals into management programs," Schneider said. He serves on the management committee of the penguin advisory group for AZA, where decisions are made about penguin protocol at zoos around the country. Schneider hopes for an updated facility in the future with new equipment and room for more penguin species, including puffins.
Cats Returned to Improved S.F. Enclosure
February 19, 2008 by www.examiner.com David Smith
SAN FRANCISCO -- Fifty-four days after a Siberian tiger escaped her grotto at the San Francisco Zoo, killing a young man and mauling his two friends, the big cats are back in their modified enclosures. The four lions and three tigers roamed the habitat, smelling and marking territory with new scents. Safety improvements cost The City an estimated $1.7 million. Bob Jenkins, director of Animal Care and Conservation at the zoo said the zoo hoped to reopen the grottoes to the public by the end of this week with public feedings potentially resuming next week. The new barrier with added glass panes and wire-meshing brings the height to at least 19 feet from the bottom of the moat, and a “hot wire” with 8,000 volts of electricity running through it — no watts, zoo officials emphasized — lines the barrier separating the viewing public from the big cats. When the improvements are complete, the hot wire will rim the perimeter, and stainless-steel mesh will replace the current chain-link fencing to better resist the natural salinity of the air caused by the zoo’s proximity to the ocean, Jenkins said.
Loggerhead Turtles Suffer PFC Contamination
February 19, 2008 www.enn.com
A scientific team monitoring the blood plasma of loggerhead turtles along the U.S. East Coast consistently found significant levels of perfluorinated compounds (PFCs). PFCs are used as nonstick coatings and additives in a wide variety of goods including cookware, furniture fabrics, carpets, food packaging, fire-fighting foams and cosmetics. They are very stable, persist for a long time in the environment and are known to be toxic to the liver, reproductive organs and immune systems of laboratory mammals. Jennifer Keller, a researcher at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in S.C., said that in a 2005 study,* PFC concentrations measured in the plasma of turtles found along the coast from Florida to North Carolina indicated that PFCs have become a major contaminant for the species. The levels of the most common PFC, perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), were higher in turtles captured in the north than in the south. Data recently evaluated by NIST and College of Charleston graduate student Steven O’Connell shows that this northern trend of higher PFOS concentrations continues up into the Chesapeake Bay.
Brookfield Breaks Ground on Bear Exhibit
February 19, 2008 www.rblandmark.com By BOB UPHUES
Brookfield Zoo is demolishing Ibex Island to make room for a new North American exhibit that will include a state-of-the-art bear exhibit and a new space for the zoo's bison. Opened in 1936, the craggy, concrete exhibit was built to house the zoo's sea mammal collection. Sea lions originally swam in the water-filled moat surrounding the island. The sea mammals remained at the location until the construction of the Seven Seas Panorama exhibit in 1961. After that, the island was home to Dall sheep in 1967. The ibex, originally located at the present-day Baboon Island exhibit, were introduced into the Ibex Island complex later. Over the years, the zoo's collection included as many as 25 ibex and some 300 ibex were born at the zoo. Just two ibex remain at the zoo; they have been relocated to the former Dall Sheep Ridge by the East Mall. That relocation sets the stage for the construction of Great Bear Wilderness, which zoo officials hope will be open by Memorial Day 2009, according to Jo-Elle Mogerman, vice president of planning and community relations for Brookfield Zoo. The exhibit will incorporate larger exhibit areas for the zoo's bison, bear and eagle collections, a new retail store and a refurbished restaurant. Set adjacent to the Wolf Woods exhibit and the Indian Lake nature area, the entire ensemble will be dedicated to North American species.
Taronga Zoo’s Frog Breeding Program
February 19, 2008 news.smh.com.au
Fewer than 5,000 booroolong frogs are believed to remain in the wild. One year after Sydney's Taronga Zoo started a breeding program with 34 frogs, more than 600 have been released in south-western NSW. The programs unprecedented success bodes well for the future breeding of the endangered corroboree frog from the same area. The corroboree frog's population has been devastated by the deadly chytrid fungus, with only 50 remaining in the National Park, Ms Mason said. "Taronga Zoo is continuing to conduct field research and breeding to boost corroboree frog numbers.
Chimps Eat Dirt, Leaves to Fend Off Malaria
February 19, 2008 news.nationalgeographic.com By Scott Norris
Clay soils consumed by both chimps and humans in Uganda's Kibale National Park contain high concentrations of the mineral kaolinite, a main ingredient in some anti-diarrheal medications. Experts had previously suggested that chimps ate the fine-grained clay to help ward off intestinal ailments or to obtain added minerals in their diet. But a French team recently observed that the chimps eat dirt before or after consuming leaves from the Trichilia rubescens plant, which contains potent medicinal chemicals. Eating the bitter leaves alone gives no health benefit, but the plant's malaria medicine is activated when fine soil particles bind with chemicals in the leaves. Chimps often select dirt that has been exposed on the roots of newly fallen trees, added study co-author Sabrina Krief, of the Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle in Paris. "This may be to avoid worms, bacteria, and stones," she said. The research appears in the January issue of the journal Naturwissenschaften. Jim Moore an anthropologist at the University of California, San Diego, who was not involved with the new study said "It's been known for a long time that chimpanzees selectively eat certain plants in ways and at times that only really make sense if they are self-medicating. This paper is the first I'm aware of to suggest synergistic action of soil and a putatively medicinal plant, and that's important." But Moore noted that the anti-malaria effect has only been shown in the researchers' model and not yet in living chimps. "It isn't clear that chimpanzees are seeking the synergy [between leaves and soil]," Moore said.
Bats May be the Virus Source of SARS
February 19, 2008 researchnews.osu.edu By Daniel Janies
COLUMBUS, Ohio – In 2004 thousands of palm civet cats in China were identified as the source of SARS and killed in an effort to eliminate the risk of new outbreaks. But according to a new analysis that traces the viruses’ paths through human and animal hosts, it appears that humans were actually the source of the virus found in those civets. SARS infected more than 8,000 and killed more than 900 people worldwide during a nine-month outbreak that ended in the summer of 2003, according to the World Health Organization. No human infections have been reported since early 2004. Scientists at the University of Ohio led by Daniel Janies have studied the genome of the virus that caused severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and say their comparisons to related viruses offer new evidence that the virus infecting humans originated in bats. To illustrate the speed of the SARS outbreak as part of the investigation, Janies and colleagues also designed an interactive map that traces the genetic, geographic and evolutionary history of SARS. The map also shows when and where the virus shifted from animal to human hosts. The map is projected onto a virtual globe using Google Earth and can be downloaded at: http://supramap.osu.edu/cov/janiesetal2008covsars.kmz. The research appears in the online early edition of the journal Cladistics.
Texas A & M Tests Oral Contraceptives for Animals
February 19, 2008 www.eurekalert.org
COLLEGE STATION – A birth control pill for animals is being developed at Texas A&M University’s College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences. The concept would be to get it to wild animals through baited food. Duane Kraemer, a professor in veterinary physiology and pharmacology and a world leader in embryo transfer who has been involved in cloning four different species in recent years, is one of the pill’s creators. “This approach inhibits maturation of the egg and therefore prevents fertilization. The animals continue to cycle, so it will not yet be ideal for many pet owners. But there is an advantage for use in wild and feral animals.” Kraemer says the research team has recently started tests on domestic models for predators – animals such as feral pigs and cougars – but if successful, it could be used on a wide variety of animals, including dogs and cats, he explains. The drug is called a phosphodiesterase 3 inhibitor, and it is one member of a family of drugs being tested. The compound can be mixed with animal feed and must be eaten daily during the critical time. It may also be encapsulated to decrease the frequency it has to be consumed, Kraemer says. The team also has submitted grant applications for similar projects on coyotes and deer. “A spinoff of this contraceptive could probably be used on many different species,” he adds. The $90,000 project is being funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and private donations.
Digital Implants for Chongging Zoo Animals
February 19, 2008