Komodo Dragons Originally Evolved in Australia
October 1, 2009 www.plosone.org
The Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis) is the largest living species of lizard, averaging 7-10 feet in length and weighing around 150 pounds. Found only on a few small islands of Indonesia, they’re vulnerable to extinction as humans encroach on their tiny habitat. Originally, it was thought that komodo dragons evolved their enormous size because they live on a small island with no large natural predators – an example of “island gigantism”. The new study, published in the open-access journal PloS One this week, reorients V. komodoensis within a long paleobiogeographical history of giant varanids, which evolved in the Australasian region during the Pliocene and Pleistocene eras. According to the authors, fossil evidence and phylogenetic studies indicate Australia was the source of V. komodoensis, and komodo dragons are now the last relics of the giant reptiles that were once ubiquitous across Australasia.
After 75 Years, Brookfield Zoo’s Cookie the Cockatoo Gets a Break
October 1, 2009 www.chicagotribune.com By William Mullen
Chicago, IL – Cookie the cockatoo has been delighting visitors to the Brookfield Zoo since it opened 75 years ago. He came to the zoo as a one-year old from Australia, and is now 76 years old and suffering from osteoporosis and osteoarthritis. The pink cockatoo has his own fan club, receives fan mail on a regular basis, and celebrates his birthday at the zoo every year. Tim Snyder, the zoo’s bird curator, said the retirement will be good for the elderly Cookie. He’ll now spend his days in the birdkeepers’ office, and Synder says, “He seems to want that.” Zoo fans will still get their “Cookie fix”, as the zoo says they will put up photos and videos on its website for his fans and occasionally bring him out for public events like his birthday parties.
Parakeet Shooting Without a License Gets the Green Light in UK
October 1, 2009 www.telegraph.co.uk By Louise Gray
In an effort to control the spread of invasive ring-necked parakeets across the UK, wildlife watchdog Natural England has officially designated the birds as a pest, under the Wildlife and Countryside Act of 1981. The designation allows landowners or other “authorized persons” to shoot any parakeets without a permit and to destroy nests or take eggs if they’re causing a nuisance. There are an estimated 20,000+ parakeets in the UK, mostly in London and the South East. Helen Phillips, Chief Executive of Natural England, says, “Non-native species are a major threat to global biodiversity and it is important that licenses can operate as an effective tool in helping to tackle the problem.” The parakeets have been causing problems for fruit growers and could potentially threaten native English species, like woodpeckers and kingfishers. Natural England is “an independent public body whose purpose is to protect and improve England’s natural environment”.
Study Finds Link Between Brain Size and Monkey Grooming Practices
October 1, 2009 www.physorg.com
Primates are very social and are known to participate in complex grooming rituals. A new study published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences compares the relationship between primate group size, brain size, neocortex size, and other social network factors. The authors found a link between the size of the brain, in particular the size of the neocortex, to the size and number of grooming clusters monkeys belong to. The neocortex is thought to be involved in “higher functions” of the brain, such as sensory perception, memory, and spatial reasoning. In the 11 species of Old World monkeys included in the study, those monkeys with a greater ratio of neocortex to overall brain volume belonged to fewer and smaller grooming clans, and were central parts of their more complicated social structures. Monkey species with larger neocortices typically live in groups of 25-50, while those species with smaller neocortices live in groups of 10-20. This association of larger neocortex ratio with overall enhanced social skills may be important in studies of human interaction as well, according to Professor Robin Dunbar, of Oxford University. She said, “These findings give us glimpses into how humans manage the complex business of maintaining coherence in social groups that are much larger than those found in any other primate species. Our neocortex is three times larger than that of other monkeys and apes, and this allows us to manage larger, more dispersed social groups as a result.” (doi:10.1098/rspb.2009.1409)
‘Ardi’ Sheds Light on Human Evolution
October 1, 2009 sciencemag.org By Ann Gibbons
1.2 million years before Lucy, there was ‘Ardi’. 15 years after the discovery of Ardipithecus ramidus in Ethiopia, researchers have finally revealed a detailed description and analysis of the fossilized remains. "We thought Lucy was the find of the century," says paleoanthropologist Andrew Hill of Yale University, referring to the famous 3.2-million-year-old skeleton that revolutionized thinking about human origins. "But in retrospect, it was not." Though A. ramidus isn’t the oldest hominid fossil ever discovered, the skeleton is rare and valuable because it is nearly complete, including hands, feet, and pelvic bones. The fossils reveal that Ardi walked upright, but had an opposable big toe. Therefore, she must have spent a lot of time in trees. Scientists have long speculated about chimp-like characteristics in early humans, but until now there were no fossil records to prove the theory. The find has generated an enormous amount of scientific interest, and Science magazine has open up their coverage to the general public free of charge. More information is at www.sciencemag.org/ardipithecus.
CA Delta Pumping Cutbacks for Endangered Species To Be Reviewed
October 1, 2009 www.hanfordsentinel.com By Seth Nidever
Two biological opinions pertaining to the preservation of habitat for endangered delta smelt, Chinook salmon, steelhead, and other threatened aquatic species native to the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Valley are now set to be reviewed by the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), at the behest of the Obama administration and other concerned California stakeholders. The opinions ordered pumping cutbacks in the delta to protect the animals, but severe drought and water crises in California have complicated the situation for farmers and others who rely on delta water. State officials, water district officials, and others met in Washington D.C. this week for a hearing to consider ways to protect the species while still allowing irrigation to flow. Previous reviews by the NAS have taken over a year, so Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) has requested to expedite the review, asking the Obama administration to ensure that it is completed within six months.
Nature Conservancy & US Army Partner to Protect Endangered Birds
October 1, 2009 www.mysanantonio.com By Joni Simon
San Antonio, TX -- The Nature Conservancy has entered into a five-year agreement with the U.S. Army to help protect the endangered golden-cheeked warbler (Dendroica chrysoparia) in Texas. The birds are found only in central Texas, though they migrate to Central America in the winter, and are endangered primarily due to habitat destruction as a result of human development. As the U.S. Army plans to expand Camp Bullis in the San Antonio area, they are legally obligated to set aside land for endangered species found on the property. The Nature Conservancy will help the Army enter into conservation easements with local landholders. Landholders with suitable undeveloped habitat for the warblers will be compensated in exchange for a permanent agreement to keep their land in pristine condition. This agreement follows a similar agreement between the Conservancy and the military at Fort Hood, also protecting the golden-cheeked warbler in Texas.
Uganda Uses Web 2.0 Technology for Gorilla Conservation
October 1, 2009 www.nydailynews.com
The Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) has just launched an amazing new website, FriendAGorilla.org, allowing users to connect with the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest population of mountain gorillas (Gorilla gorilla berengei) from the comfort of their own homes. Ecotourism in Uganda is a major source of conservation revenue, but not everyone can afford the hefty price to visit the gorillas in person. On the new site, you can connect with the gorillas on Facebook and Twitter, linking your accounts to allow UWA to post gorilla updates on your behalf to all of your online contacts. For only $1, you can sponsor (“friend”) individual gorillas, selecting your favorites based on extensive biographies and photos. Using GoogleMaps mashups and satellite data, you can track the exact location of gorilla families in the park. The site has gorilla desktop photos available for free download, and PDFs of gorilla facts and articles. UAW organizers say they hope the site will generate $100,000 for gorilla conservation in the first three months. Mountain gorillas are critically endangered, and the Bwindi Forest’s ~370 gorillas represent roughly half of the global population.
Loss of top predators causing surge in smaller predators, ecosystem collapse
October 1, 2009 www.eurekalert.org
Primary, or “apex”, predators such as wolves, cougars, lions, and sharks, have declined catastrophically over the past 200 years, due to deliberate or inadvertent human intervention. Delicate ecosystems are now feeling the effects of this shift, as numbers of 60% of “mesopredators”, such as coyotes, rays, and baboons have exploded. Researchers say this problem is global, growing, and severe, and not easily solved. For example, hunters and ranchers who feared livestock attacks by wolves deliberately reduced wolf populations in some areas to the level of endangering the species. Coyote populations were previously kept in check by wolves, but now they run rampant and attack domestic sheep, antelope, and even pets. Attempts to control coyotes have been hugely expensive and ineffective. Similar problems are occurring in Africa, where packs of baboons are harassing people and destroying gardens without the large populations of lions and leopards to keep their numbers down. William Ripple, professor of forest ecosystems and society at Oregon State University (OSU), points out, “This issue is very complex, and a lot of the consequences are not known. […] But there’s evidence that the explosion of mesopredator populations is very severe and has both ecological and economic repercussions. The OSU findings are published in the October issue of Bioscience. The researchers find that “the economic impacts of mesopredators should be expected to exceed those of apex predators in any scenario in which mesopredators contribute to the same or to new conflict with humans.” Among the other findings:
An illustration showing the effects of mesopredator explosion is on OSU’s Flickr photostream.
Re-examining Darwin’s thoughts on species
October 1, 2009 www.physorg.com
James Mallet is a professor of biology at University College London who is writing a book on speciation. He’s set out to “rehabilitate” Darwin’s reputation on species, after it was tarnished by Ernst Mayr (in Mallet’s view). Ernst Mayr was the director of Harvard’s Museum of Comparative Zoology through most of the 1960s, and he frequently used quotes from Darwin to support his view of speciation – that is, that species are clearly distinct entities, evolutionarily separated by accumulated differences that marked them as such. Mallet argues that Darwin’s thinking was actually much different, and more in line with current thoughts on speciation. Darwin saw more of a continuum of lesser distinctions, like varieties, races, hybrids, and others. Mallet cites examples of single species, such as the pea aphid, with differenct “races”, living on different host plants, that are considered the same species and hybridize despite different lifestyles. Recently discovered viable hybrids of wolves and coyotes, or of blue whales and fin whales, lend credence to this more muddied view of speciation, and Mallet wants to be sure Darwin is given due credit.
Baby Pudu Born at the Detroit Zoo
October 1, 2009 www.clickondetroit.com
Detroit, MI -- Detroit Zoo’s new baby pudu is out on display now, in the pudu habitat across from the anteaters and tapirs. Born on August 24, the little male is one of only 28 pudus in U.S. zoos right now. Pudus are native to South America, and can reach heights of 15 inches and weights of up to 30 pounds, making them the world’s smallest dear species.
Cincinatti Zoo Monitors Gorilla Facial Tumor
October 1, 2009 www.wlwt.com
Cincinatti, OH -- 28-year-old Western lowland gorilla Muke is being closely monitored by zookeepers, who are concerned about a large tumor on her face. The zoo’s medical team operated on her last year, and they plan to bring that same medical team back in a few months to take another look at the tumor. Primate team leader Ron Evans says, “Even if it were cancer, it’s not operable,” but the zoo wants to be sure she stays healthy as long as possible. Muke is still raising her three-year-old son, Bakari, and Evans notes, “It’s very important that (Bakari) have his mother available to him as long as possible. It takes gorillas quite a few years – probably 10, and with silverbacks 15 years – to reach full size and there’s a lot of lessons they have to learn like humans.”
Oakland Zoo Baboons Move Into New Panda Exhibit
October 1, 2009 www.insidebayarea.com By Angela Hill
Oakland, CA -- Five hamadryas baboons (Papio hamadryas) at the Oakland Zoo have moved into a new $1 million, 8,100 square foot exhibit that opens to the public on Saturday. The new exhibit is temporarily called Baboon Cliffs, and it features a nursery, air-conditioned holding areas, office space for zoo staff, and a large public viewing deck. If that seems like a lot for the small troop, it is. The space was originally designed as a panda habitat, part of the zoo’s decade-plus negotiation process with China to obtain a pair of the coveted bears. One of China’s prerequisites was a panda-ready facility. Former Oakland Councilmember Henry Chang was one of the driving forces behind the panda deal, and he traveled to China several times for negotiations, arranged funding for the new exhibit, and visited the San Diego Zoo’s panda facilities for design ideas. Chang retired from the council earlier this year and now plans to focus more of his time on the panda procurement. He said, “We’re working very hard on it. And now that I’m retired, I have more time to work on it. The next time you see those gates open, a few pandas will crawl out of the hole.” Once the pandas arrive (in at least another year, if not longer), the baboons will get their own new baboon-specific habitat.
U.K. Honey Bee Study
October 1, 2009 news.bbc.co.uk
Researchers at the Rothamsted Institute in Hertfordshire are embarking on a three-year study into how food supplies affect honey bees and their resistance to disease. It is hoped the research will devise new ways of keeping colonies healthy. They plan to look at how nutrition is related to a hive's ability to resist disease. The bees will be allowed limited foraging expeditions, and at the same time diseases in the hive will be monitored.
Buenos Aires Zoo Releases Crowned Eagles
October 1, 2009 english.ntdtv.com
ARGENTINA -- The crowned eagle is one of South America’s most endangered species. Now, three of them at the Buenos Aires zoo are about to be released into the wild. On Wednesday (September 30) these eagles went through the final exercises with their handlers. "Basically with the rehabilitation, it's not like we have to teach them how to hunt. They already know how to do that. What we do is, through a series of exercises, is get their muscle tone back so they are truly in physical condition to live." Each bird will be released where they were found in the coming weeks. They will be fitted with transmitters that will allow researchers to track their movements over the next five years. This group consists of an adult male, an adult female and an immature female. They were picked up in three different Argentine provinces. The male was found a year ago in the northwestern province of Catamarca with a gunshot wound and rehabilitated by bird handlers. The adult female was captured in San Juan province while the immature female was rescued from La Pampa province after her parents died. The slate-grey colored bird can be found in Paraguay, south-east Brazil, and the Argentine Pampas. Habitat destruction and hunting have whittled their numbers to less than 1,000 birds.
Brookfield Zoo Cockatoo Retires
October 1, 2009 www.chicagotribune.com
Cookie, a 76-year-old Major Mitchell's cockatoo, is the only animal left at the Brookfield Zoo that was there when the zoo opened. He came as a 1-year-old from his native Australia, strutting and whistling for visitors. For those who called out his name, he'd squawk back "Cookie," "Cookie-coo" or a simple, shrill "Hi!" "He gets fan mail all the time," said Tim Snyder, the zoo's bird curator. Depending how much Cookie likes them, keepers have to be careful around his razor-sharp beak. "He mostly likes the female keepers," said Snyder. In 2007 Cookie was diagnosed with osteoporosis and osteoarthritis. Earlier this year, keepers noticed his appetite improved and he relaxed when he was off-exhibit, so they decided to let him "retire" about 10 days ago to the birdkeepers' office, where he gets constant attention. "He seems to want that," said Snyder, though the zoo will put up videos and photos on its Web site for his fans and occasionally bring him out for public events like his June birthday party.
Video of Przewalski’s Horse Born at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo
October 2, 2009 www.zooborns.com
Nuruu, a male Przewalski’s horse was born on September 15 at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo. He was named after the Khustain Nuruu National Park in Mongolia, where the critically endangered Przewalski’s horses are being reintroduced into the wild. A sister, Ula, was born to Nuruu’s parents last year. The video shows Nuruu closely following his mother, Tuuli, and gives viewers background information about the plight of Przewalski’s horses.
Orangutan Birth at Philadelphia Zoo
October 2, 2009 www.myfoxphilly.com
After months of anticipation, the Philadelphia Zoo is celebrating the birth this morning of a critically endangered Sumatran orangutan (Pongo abelii). Veterinary and animal care staff are monitoring mom and baby closely, and all appears to be going well. 16-year-old mom Tua has been in constant contact with the baby, carrying and grooming it. This is the first baby for Tua and her 13-year-old mate Sugriwa. The Philadelphia Zoo supports orangutan conservation through its Footprints Program, partnering with the Kinabatangan Forest Restoration Project to plant new habitat for orangutans in Borneo.
Wildlife Disease Photo Galleries
October 2, 2009 wdin.blogspot.com
The Wildlife Disease New Digest Blog has collected a number of image and video galleries that may be helpful to those interested in wildlife diseases. The site says, “A number of these resources provide a broad selection of natural resource images, but on some of the sites, visitors can find specific wildlife disease or wildlife species images using the provided filters and categories.” Galleries include photos of white nose syndrome in bats and avian influenza.
ZSL Whipsnade Zoo’s Asian Elephant Calf Video
October 2, 2009 www.zooborns.com
ZSL elephant keeper Andy Durham provides a colorful video monologue about the recent birth of a female Asian elephant calf at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo. In addition to elephant birth details, he discusses the calf’s first day or two of life and adjustment, while video of the calf and mom plays. Watch to the midpoint of the video for adorable baby-elephant-falling-asleep-while-standing footage. Asian elephants are an endangered species, native to South and Southeast Asia, where they are suffering from loss of habitat and conflicts with the humans who share their environment.
26 Countries Formally Condemn Icelandic Whale Hunt
October 2, 2009 www.telegraph.co.uk By Louise Gray
The US, UK, and 24 other countries have issued a “demarche”, a formal diplomatic position, against Iceland’s recent decision to maintain their quota of up to 200 fin and 200 minke whales for the 2009/2010 season. Iceland recently killed 79 minke whales and 125 fin whales, both of which are endangered species. Since the ban on commercial whaling was enacted more than two decades ago, fin whales haven’t been killed in such high numbers. UK wildlife minister Huw Irranca-Davies points out that Iceland could make more money from whale watching than from killing the animals. Most of the whale meat will be exported to Japan, which already supports its own controversially heavy whaling industry.
Livestock Grazing Helps Native Plant Recovery from Fires
October 2, 2009 www.sciencedaily.com
Rangeland in the western U.S. is susceptible to invasion by non-native annual grasses such as cheatgrass and medusahead. A 14-year study compared rangelands grazed by livestock and rangelands where livestock had been excluded since 1936. In the grazed rangelands, cattle generally consumed about 40 percent of the available forage, while plant litter had piled up in the ungrazed lands. In 1993, scientists conducted a controlled burn on all the sites, which all had similar vegetation profiles and were nearly free of cheatgrass. Measurements conducted in 2005, 2006, and 2007 revealed that cheatgrass had infested many of the ungrazed sites, but not the grazed ones. Native bunchgrass cover was almost twice as thick on those sites. Hence, the conclusion that the buildup of plant material on the ungrazed land had fueled hotter fires, killing off the native perennial grasses and allowing the quick-growing cheatgrass and other invasives to move in opportunistically. Before human development, the rangelands were historically burned on a regular basis once or twice each century, which naturally kept the plant litter in check. Results from this study are in the journal Ecological Applications. (doi: 10.1890/09-0111.1)
Teton Trek Exhibit With 3 Grizzlies Opens at Memphis Zoo
October 2, 2009 www.wreg.com By Melissa Moon
Memphis, TN – The new $16 million Teton Trek exhibit at the Memphis Zoo will have its grand opening October 10th, but zoo members got a preview today. The exhibit spreads over four acres, and includes three grizzly bears that were orphaned in Montana, as well as its own geyser. The opening comes just after the opening of a five-geyser exhibit last month at the North Carolina zoo. Teton Trek is intended to introduce Memphis area residents to the ecosystem of Yellowstone National Park, where the grizzlies were found. The exhibit also includes four young wolves, sandhill cranes, and trumpeter swans, as well as a water habitat where the grizzlies can fish for bass in front of visitors.
Tracking Green Sea Turtle Migration
October 2, 2009 dailyuw.com
University of Exeter scientists are part of the first team to monitor a sea turtle's journey from the Turks and Caicos Islands. The adult female green turtle, named ‘Suzie’ by local fishermen, was fitted with a satellite transmitter tag. She has visited three UK Overseas Territories in the Caribbean since her 900km journey, which began in September. Dr Annette Broderick and NERC-funded PhD student, Tom Stringell, both from the School of Biosciences on the University's Cornwall Campus, worked with scientists from the Marine Conservation Society and local agencies on this project. “Tracking sea turtles not only informs conservation management, but is a great educational tool. Before her release Suzie visited local school children and they are now following her progress on the web.” Each of the territories takes a different approach to the management of their turtle fisheries. The Turks and Caicos Islands’ laws prohibit the take of nesting females and their eggs on the nesting beaches, but allow the capture at sea of any turtle with a shell over 20 inches at any time of the year. In the BVI, the laws prohibit the take of nesting females and their eggs on nesting beaches, but allow the capture at sea of green turtles with shells over 24 inches and hawksbill turtles with shells over 15 inches in length, but only during an open season from December to March. The Government of Anguilla, however, imposed a 15-year, temporary ban on all turtle fishing in 2005 in order to allow their turtle populations to recover. The project is carrying out research into the turtle populations and turtle fishery in the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI), and the satellite tagging work aims to reveal the full ranges of the turtle populations found there. Suzie's tag only transmits when she surfaces to breath, and satellites orbiting in space receive the signals and calculate her location. The Turks and Caicos Islands Turtle Project team hope to tag a total of six turtles in TCI and will track their migrations remotely via the internet using SEATURTLE.ORG's ground-breaking programme known as STAT. STAT communicates with the satellite system to plot online maps of the turtles movements each day. Suzie's progress can be tracked here: http://www.mcsuk.org
African Cattle To Be Vaccinated Against East Coast Fever
October 2, 2009 www.eurekalert.org
A vaccine is being mass-produced in a drive to protect African cattle against a deadly tick-transmitted parasite that causes East Coast fever and kills one cow every 30 seconds – with one million a year dying of the disease. Calves are particularly susceptible. In herds kept by the pastoral Maasai people, the disease kills from 20 to over 50 per cent of all unvaccinated calves. 25 million cattle are at risk in the 11 countries where the disease is now endemic, and endangers a further 10 million animals in new regions such as southern Sudan, where the disease has been spreading at a rate of more than 30 kilometres a year. The vaccine could save the 11 affected countries at least £175 million a year. The immunization procedure is called "infection-and-treatment" because the animals are infected with whole parasites while being treated with antibiotics to stop development of disease. The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), at the request of the Africa Union/Interafrican Bureau for Animal Resources and chief veterinary officers in affected countries, have produced one million doses of vaccine, and with UK£16.5 million provided by DFID and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the charity GALVmed is fostering innovative commercial means to begin the registration, commercial distribution and delivery of this new batch of the vaccine.
Toxic Snow Takes Toll on Tadpoles
October 2, 2009 www.usgs.gov
Pesticides can travel hundreds of miles and turn up in some unexpected places. Scientists from the USGS and Southern Illinois University are linking declines in frog populations in the Sierra Nevada mountains with pesticides used on farms in the San Joaquin Valley. These pesticides can travel by wind to contaminate the snow falling in the Sierra Nevada. When the snow melts in the spring, pesticides in the runoff contaminate areas where foothill yellow-legged frogs and Pacific treefrogs breed. In the study, the pesticides endosulfan and chlorpyrifos slowed tadpole growth and development. Chlorpyrifos also affected functioning of the nervous system, and endosulfan caused developmental abnormalities. These factors can alter behavior and make tadpoles more vulnerable to predators.
Ardipithecus – Last Common Ancestor with African Apes
October 2, 2009 www.sciencemag.org
Genomic comparisons have established the chimpanzee and bonobo as our closest living relatives. Evidence from Ardipithecus ramidus now suggests that the last common ancestor lacked the hand, foot, pelvic, vertebral, and limb structures and proportions specialized for suspension, vertical climbing, and knuckle-walking among extant African apes. If this hypothesis is correct, each extant African ape genus must have independently acquired these specializations from more generalized ancestors who still engaged in arboreal climbing and bridging. The specialized locomotor anatomies and behaviors of chimpanzees and gorillas are poor models for the origin and evolution of human bipedality. The picture emerging from Ardipithecus ramidus is that this last common ancestor had limb proportions more like those of monkeys than apes. Its feet functioned only partly like those of apes and much more like those of living monkeys and early apes such as Proconsul (which lived more than 15 million years ago). Its lower back was mobile and probably had six lumbar vertebrae rather than the three to four seen in the stiff backs of African apes. Its hand was unpredictably unique: Not only was its thumb musculature robust, unlike that of an ape, but its midcarpal joint (in the wrist) allowed the wrist to bend backward to a great degree, enhancing its ability to move along tree branches on its palms. None of the changes that apes have evolved to stiffen their hands for suspension and vertical climbing were present, so its locomotion did not resemble that of any living ape. The hominid descendant of the last common ancestor we shared with chimpanzees (the CLCA), Ardipithecus, became a biped by modifying its upper pelvis without abandoning its grasping big toe. It was therefore an unpredicted and odd mosaic. It appears, unlike Au. afarensis, to have occupied the basal adaptive plateau of hominid natural history. Authors Lovejoy, Suwa, Simpson, Matternes, and White say that “It is so rife with anatomical surprises that no one could have imagined it without direct fossil evidence.” The October 2 issue of Science is devoted to the science of Au. ramidus.
Sumatran Orangutan Born at Philadelphia Zoo
October 3, 2009 www.philly.com By Tom Avril
Tua, the the Philadelphia Zoo’s 16-year-old Sumatran orangutan delivered a baby yesterday at 8 a.m. Tua cleared mucus from the baby's nostrils. As happens in the wild, the mother also ate the placenta, said Kim Lengel, general curator at the zoo. "She's got the baby kind of tucked in close to her. She's made a nest." The first-time mother is engaging in proper maternal behavior and all seems well so far. The father is Sugriwa. It is the zoo's first baby orangutan in 17 years. There are now 83 sumatran orangutans in North American zoos with the new addition. They are seen as ambassadors for educating people about their wild brethren, and they also serve as a living storehouse of genetic information.
Cataract Surgery for Metrozoo Gorilla
October 3, 2009 www.miamiherald.com BY ELINOR J. BRECHER
Josephine, a 42-year-old, 160-pound grandmother no longer socialized with the other gorillas and lagged behind at feeding time. The cause was thick cataracts in both eyes – nearly immobilizing her. But Friday, a team of veterinary and medical specialists donated their services to restore her sight. Alcon Laboratories sent equipment, supplies and a technician. Dr. Frank Spektor, the Kendall ophthalmologist adapted a procedure he performs on humans to the needs of a gorilla. He was assisted by zoo vet Dr. Christine Miller, Dr. Tim J. Cutler of Palm Beach Veterinary Specialists in Wellington, and Dr. Lorraine Karpinski of Pinecrest Veterinary Hospital -- veterinary ophthalmologists who have done cataract surgery on dogs, cats, horses, even birds. Miller, the zoo vet, drew blood, inserted a catheter in her right arm and a breathing tube down her throat, and listened to her heart. Spektor struggled to navigate Josephine's ridgy brows and cheeks with a handheld keratometer -- a scanning device that transmits cornea measurements to an ultrasound screen. The measurements dictate what power the lenses should be. Because the cataract was so thick and milky, the membrane covering it like plastic wrap wasn't easy to see. In a procedure more common with dogs than people, according to Cutler, they injected blue dye into the membrane for contrast. That made it easier to cut a tiny round hole in the membrane through which they would extract the cataract and then insert the replacement lens. A machine, operated by a foot pedal, injects fluid and ultrasound vibrations into the eye, emulsifying the cataract -- "turns it into a milkshake,'' Cutler said -- then vacuums out the goo. After inserting the lens and then closing the hole with a single nylon suture, the doctors proceeded to do the second eye. The entire operation took 3 hours. The procedure, although rare, has also been done at zoos in Dallas and Salt Lake City.
Behavioral Ecology - Winged warnings
October 3, 2009 www.nature.com By Graeme D. Ruxton
Animals gain various anti-predatory benefits from forming groups. One such benefit is that an individual in a group can be alerted to danger by a group-mate, rather than by detecting the predator itself. But the reliability of these alarm calls is often unclear, in that they could use the technique to reduce competition for food. Although the evidence for deception is equivocal, false alarms may be common if there is little cost to producing the alarm call when no predator is present. In many species, group members that detect a predator do not give an obvious alarm vocalization, but simply flee. A recent article in Proceedings of the Royal Society by Hingee and Magrath shows that the rattle-like whistling sound generated by the flapping of a fleeing crested pigeon (Ocyphaps lophotes) can be reliably associated with flight in response to a predator, and that this information is used by group-mates to trigger their own anti-predatory behavior. The whistling sound is generated by the movement of air across the wing. Because birds must take flight to produce the signal, the high energetic cost of flapping flight will discourage false alarms. Flock-mates can differentiate between the noises made by different types of flight, and in the authors' experiments they took flight in response to a playback of sound emitted by birds in alarmed flight but not to the sounds that birds make in other, non-predator-driven, departures from the flock.
Great Ape Trust May Move Some Operations to Blank Park Zoo
October 3, 2009 www.chicagotribune.com
DES MOINES, Iowa - Officials at the Great Ape Trust are considering moving some of the group's orangutans and research work to Des Moines' Blank Park Zoo. Such a move could be part of the zoo's proposed $40 million expansion plan. Zoo CEO Mark Vukovich says it would cost about $6 million to pay for facilities to accommodate the orangutans and staff from the ape trust. Ape Trust is considering the move, in part because flood-prone conditions at its southeast Des Moines location have made expansion impractical. The ape trust is responsible for 11 orangutans, six live at the ape trust and five are elsewhere.
Ecuadorean Immigrants Expelled from Galapagos
October 4, 2009 www.nytimes.com By SIMON ROMERO
PUERTO AYORA, Galápagos Islands —The booming human population of the Galapagos archipelago, 600 miles off Ecuador’s Pacific coast, has doubled to about 30,000 in the last decade. The growth is already harming the ecosystem that allowed the islands’ more famous inhabitants —giant tortoises and blue-footed boobies to evolve in isolation before mainlanders started colonizing the islands more than a century ago. The growth has become enough of a threat to the environment that even the government, which still welcomes growth in the tourism industry, has expelled more than 1,000 poor Ecuadoreans in the past year from a province that they feel is rightfully theirs, and it is in the process of expelling many more. But the measures are feeding a backlash among unskilled migrants. The United Nations put the Galápagos on its list of endangered heritage sites in 2007. Scientists here said people had already done significant damage, pointing to fuel spills, the poaching of giant tortoises and sharks and the introduction of invasive species — including rats, cattle and fire ants — that threaten animals endemic to the Galápagos. Even seemingly benign human activities like owning a pet can have outsize consequences here. “With people come cats, and with cats come threats to other animals found nowhere else in the world,” said Fernando Ortiz, coordinator of the Galápagos program for Conservation International.
Solar Power for Wildlife Research
October 4, 2009 www.sfgate.com By David R. Baker
Stephan Gold, a San Francisco building contractor, assembles solar-power kits for wildlife researchers in the field. As a volunteer for the Wildlife Conservation Network in Los Altos, he works with the researchers to figure out the equipment they'll need, gathers it from companies willing to donate to a worthy cause, boxes it up with instructions and ships it to far-flung corners of the world. Since he started in 2006, Gold has shipped 11 of his solar kits to conservation projects in the wild. But they work, giving researchers a reliable way to power their computers, blood-sample freezers and satellite data transmitters. Field researchers often rely on diesel generators for juice. But generators can be loud - a problem if you're studying wildlife. And in many places in the developing world, fuel isn't always available. Iain Douglas-Hamilton, founder of Save the Elephants, uses one of Gold’s systems. "It revolutionized our life out there," Douglas-Hamilton said. "We now have a completely clear flow of power there night and day." Rebecca Klein, managing director for Cheetah Conservation Botswana, used one of the kits to power a new camp in the Kalahari. In the rainy season, if it's cloudy for days on end, yes, you have to be careful about your power usage," she said. "But that hasn't happened too often." Gold, who owns Electra Plumbing and Construction, has been a solar aficionado for years. His donors include BP Solar, Beronio Lumber, OutBack Power Systems and Solar Depot. Some of the companies donate the equipment outright, while others supply it at or below wholesale cost. He collects panels, invertors, wiring, rechargeable batteries, solar water heaters. The researchers who receive the gear are chosen by Gold on behalf of the Wildlife Conservation Network, and not all of them get the same equipment. A kit bound for Tanzania, will be different from one shipped to Mongolia. Gold tries to make sure every kit is self-contained. For more information on the Wildlife Conservation Network's solar power initiative, go to www.wcnsolarproject.org.
Faculty of 1000 Supports Animal Research
October 5, 2009 www.eurekalert.org
In a recent commentary, "We must face the threats", in the Journal of Neuroscience, researchers Dario Ringach and David Jentsch spoke out against animal rights extremism. They urged the scientific community to stand together and fight misconceptions about experiments using animals. That their plea has been heard is clear from the unanimously positive response it received on the Faculty of 1000 Biology website. Faculty of 1000 Biology is an online service where leading researchers from around the world review papers in their field that catch their eye. Faculty members choose the articles they highlight and rarely has a paper received as much attention and praise as this piece on animal rights extremism. Within a week it became the most highly-rated paper of the past few years. Corrina Darian-Smith of Stanford University calls it "a must read and an inspiration for us all". Murray Sherman of the University of Chicago and Peter König of the Institute for Cognitive Science in Germany both recommend the article for a wider audience than just scientists, König suggesting it become part of school curricula.
Calgary Zoo Tiger Mauling
October 5, 2009 www.edmontonsun.com By JENNA MCMURRAY
Police and Calgary Zoo officials are investigating an incident where two men were attacked by a Siberian tiger after allegedly breaking into zoo property around 1 a.m. this morning. The two men, both aged 27, are believed to have scaled an eight-foot fence to gain access to the zoo and then climbed over a 42-inch fence outside the tiger enclosure and approached the cage where the zoo's three tigers live. Zookeepers believe Vitali, a two-year-old male tiger, hooked onto one of the men's arms with his claws. Though it is not known how this happened, zoo officials said tigers cannot reach outside the cage so the men were likely pressed up against or reaching inside the cage. Both men suffered injuries in the attack and were taken to hospital after calling the personal cell phone of one of their friends who happened to be an on duty security officer at the zoo. Vitali has been examined by the zoo's vet and is now back on display.
New Vet Hospital for Roger Williams Zoo
October 5, 2009 www.andavisitor.com By Jan Mariani
PROVIDENCE, RI – The Roger Williams Zoo has begun construction of a new veterinary hospital, slated for opening in late 2010. Compared to other zoos of its size, Roger Williams Park Zoo has an impressive veterinary staff, including two full-time veterinarians and veterinary technicians. But over the years they have been challenged by the space limitations in the basement of what was originally a working barn. The current hospital requires that a variety of medical functions be performed in the same space. The new hospital, with 55% more square footage, will provide appropriate and separate facilities for each function. The setting for the new hospital will be removed from other zoo operations, providing a quieter area for care for sick and quarantined animals, as well as excellent access to a dedicated service road and secured gate. This is important for more efficient animal handling for new acquisitions or dispositions. Construction will cost approximately $3.8 million.
International Zoo Leaders Convene in St. Louis
October 5, 2009 www.stltoday.com By Kim McGuire
More than 200 of the world's top zoo officials are in St. Louis this week for the Worldwide Association of Zoos and Aquariums Conference., which is being sponsored by the St. Louis Zoo. This year's theme is "Zoos and Aquariums: Global challenges, opportunities and strategies". Much of the conference focused on maintaining species biodiversity worldwide, particularly in biodiversity "hot spots," most of which are in tropical rainforests. Russell Mittermeier, president of Conservation International, said a hot spot that is home to a number of animal species found nowhere else in the world. The effort to protect those species, he said, got a huge boost when Madagascar's president pledged in 2003 to triple the amount of land in designated protected areas. In December 2008, Conservation International was on the verge of declaring Madagascar a success story when, a month later, a former disc jockey staged a government coup, overthrew the elected president and declared himself the new leader. The country's conservation efforts have since stalled, but he advised zoo officials not to give up on biodiversity-rich countries. Simon Stuart, chairman of the species survival commission for IUCN said the organization has been compiling lists of animals and plants threatened with extinction since 1948. Last year, the group reported that one in every four animals was threatened with extinction. Stuart said zoos can play a major role in reversing those trends, especially because they have such a broad audience reach. More than 600 million visitors pass through the zoos and aquariums in the association's network each year.
$9 Million in Ocean Grants to National Aquariums
October 5, 2009 www.noaanews.noaa.gov
NOAA today announced 11 grants totaling more than $9 million that will create new education projects in aquariums across the nation. The projects will educate visitors about the ocean and encourage better stewardship of the marine environment. The grants were made to the following AZA accredited organizations:
*Aquarium of the Pacific, Long Beach, Calif.: “Aquarium of the Pacific's Ocean Science Center,” $985,306
*Monterey Bay Aquarium Foundation, Monterey, Calif.: “Climate Change and the Ocean: Awareness to Action,” $913,593 and “A National Coalition of Aquariums Educating about Climate Change,” $502,050
*National Aquarium in Baltimore, Inc.: “A National Coalition of Aquariums Educating about Climate Change,” $484,184
*New England Aquarium Corporation, Boston: “A National Coalition of Aquariums Educating about Climate Change,” $504,726, and “Summer Science in New England: Ocean Education through Informal Science Centers,” $342,232
*North Carolina Aquarium Society, Raleigh: “Using Marine Mammals to Communicate Solutions to Ocean Issues,” $580,339
*Sea Research Foundation (in association with Mystic Aquarium), Mystic, Conn.: “Exploring Inner Space: Linking Aquariums with Ocean Scientists,” $1,799,964
*Shedd Aquarium Society, Chicago: “Shedd‐NOAA Partnership for Student, Teacher and Public Engagement,” $1,100,000
*Tennessee Aquarium, Chattanooga: “Connecting Tennessee to the World Ocean,” $1,275,903
*The Florida Aquarium, Inc., Tampa: “Climate Change Community Outreach Initiative,” $627,082
The projects were selected based on the importance, relevance and applicability of stated goals; technical and scientific merit; overall qualification of the proposing applicants; feasibility of the project to meet time and cost goals; and whether the project provides a focused and effective education and outreach strategy related to NOAA’s mission to protect the nation’s natural resources.
John Ball Zoo Budget Crisis
October 6, 2009 www.mlive.com
GRAND RAPIDS -- John Ball Zoo could increase its daily admission prices by $1 next year and close during the winter months to help Kent County offset declining revenues. If the commission approves the $1 hike, it would be the second fee increase in three years. Prices increased by $1.50 in March 2008 to $7.50 for adults and $5.50 for children "Even if we were to increase the ticket price, we are still a very reasonable opportunity for most families," said zoo director Bert Vescolani, adding that the attraction offers discounted days. Vescolani said attendance drops off significantly during the winter, and he's submitted a proposed budget that would save the county more than $778,000 in 2010 by increasing fees, eliminating the winter hours and making other adjustments. The zoo's total 2009 budget was about $4.5 million, offset by about $1.5 million in fees. The zoo has 36 full-time employees but hires a number of seasonal workers.
Habitat Protection for Polar Bear Sought
October 6, 2009 www.nytimes.com by Allison Winter
The Interior Department has sent its proposed rule to establish protections for the polar bear to the White House Office of Management and Budget for review. The habitat protections will add another layer in what has become a complicated process for protecting the bear, fraught with concerns and legal complaints from environmentalists and industry groups. The habitat protections could create more controversy over how federal officials should deal with climate change that is changing the bear's current habitat and what level of protections the bears need from oil and gas drilling in the Arctic. Melting sea ice is the greatest threat to the polar bears. But both the Bush and Obama administrations balked at setting national climate policy under the auspices of the Endangered Species Act or using the act itself to regulate greenhouse gas emissions. An exception included in the polar bear's listing rule allows oil and gas companies to operate in the bear's habitat, prompting environmentalists to sue the administration. "The [habitat designation] would have to cover not only the habitat where the polar bear already exists, but the habitat that the polar bear lost," said Bill Snape of the Center for Biological Diversity, one of the groups that sued over the bear. "And it is going to have to do something to take into account global warming and Arctic melting." The settlement, filed in federal court in California last year, sets a deadline of June 30, 2010, for Interior to designate critical habitat.
Loggerhead Shrike Conservation on San Clemente Island
October 6, 2009 www.latimes.com
At a cost of $20 million, the Navy has been trying since the early 1990s to revive the loggerhead shrike on its San Clemente Island, the southernmost of California's Channel Islands. This subspecies is often called the most endangered songbird in North America, and a male named Trampas is the king stud of the shrike community. Hatched in captivity in 2001, Trampas has sired 62 chicks in eight breeding seasons. From those chicks have come 93 grandchicks, 61 great-grandchicks and 25 great-great-grandchicks. His progeny have their own group name: the “Trampines”. Once the population was barely a dozen, but now there are 80 breeding pairs in the wild and an additional 63 individual birds in captivity as part of a breeding program run by the San Diego Zoo’s Institute for Conservation Research. Trampas’ territory is near the zoo's research facility on the eastern edge of San Clemente Island. "He gives you a front-row seat to shrike mating behavior," said Jaelean Carrero, a research coordinator for the zoo's shrike effort. This year, his mate suffered a broken wing, possibly caused by an attack from a nest-raiding raven. Although airlifted to the veterinary hospital at the San Diego Zoo for treatment, she could not be saved. Back on the island, Trampas found a new mate but no chicks came of their coupling. Trampas is known as SB424. His nickname was given to him by a zoo researcher in honor of a childhood pal from Oklahoma. Susan Farabaugh is the conservation program manager. The island's southern end is used as an aerial and ship-to-shore bombardment range; at the other end, Navy SEALs from Coronado and Marines from Camp Pendleton practice amphibious assaults. As the shrike population has increased, the military has been allowed greater use of the bombardment area, even if it means some shrikes nesting there might be killed -- a process called "incidental take." Since 9/11, training has increased on the island, which is 24 miles long and up to 4 miles wide. A $20-million "combat town" was built for exercises simulating the kind of house-to-house fighting that Marines encountered in Fallouja, Iraq, in 2004. More than 300 military personnel live on the island, along with several researchers from the zoo, five endangered or threatened animal species and six endangered or threatened plant species. Colorado State University has a Navy contract to study the fox population.
Two Slender-horned Gazelles Born at Living Desert
October 6, 2009 www.mydesert.com
The Living Desert today announced the birth of two female slender-horned gazelles, a critically endangered species that was once one of the most common gazelles in the Sahara Desert. The first baby, weighing 3.1 pounds, was born on Sep. 24. The second, weighing 3.6 pounds, was born on Sep. 27. Both are doing well. Once found in Algeria and Mauritania and eastward to Egypt and Sudan, the slender-horned gazelle is endangered and believed to be decreasing under pressure from hunting and increased human activity. The only animals now surviving in the wild live in inaccessible desert locations or on preserves. "Over the years there have been 41 slender-horned gazelle births at The Living Desert," said Liz Hile, curator of animals.
Ganges River Dolphin Conservation
October 6, 2009 economictimes.indiatimes.com
There are fewer than 2,000 Ganges River Dolphins, according to Mr Parikshit Gautam, director of WWF-India’s freshwater and wetland programme. The freshwater dolphin, a blind species, is mainly found in the Ganges and Brahmaputra river systems in India. Construction of dams and barrages, increase in pollution-levels, indiscriminate fishing, the dreadful prospect of the mammal getting entangled in nets — all these factors have contributed to a reduction in their numbers in two river systems. In the Ganges, the dolphin mainly found in the Bijnore-Narora section in Uttar Pradesh and the Vikramshila sanctuary in Bihar. Thanks to greater involvement of the community and stakeholders and application of modern technology, WWF-India has been able to save these mammals from getting depleted. A recent census undertaken by WWF-India team estimated that there were 53 dolphins in this stretch of the Ganges, which has more than doubled since 1996 when WWF-India initiated this project. With the Centre declaring it as a national animal, hopes that more steps would be taken to protect them have soared. The tiger is a national mammal and peacock is a national bird.
Toronto Zoo Releases Black-Footed Ferrets in Canada
October 6, 2009 www.scientificamerican.com By John Platt
For the first time in more than 70 years, black-footed ferrets (Mustela nigripes) are now living wild in Canadia. Last Friday, the Toronto Zoo released 34 black-footed ferrets into the prairies of Grasslands National Park in southern Saskatchewan near the U.S. border. The endangered species—once "probably the rarest mammals on Earth," according to the Black-Footed Ferret Recovery Program—disappeared from Canada in 1937, and was thought to have gone completely extinct around 1974. About half of this batch of released ferrets were born in the Toronto Zoo's ferret breeding program, and then temporarily transferred to a similar facility in the U.S., where they had a chance to practice their hunting and survival skills in a controlled environment before being released into the Canadian wild. The chance discovery of the world's last population of around 130 ferrets near Meeteetse, Wyo., in 1981 kicked off a long conservation saga that has now led to successful reintroductions in eight U.S. states, Mexico and now, at last, Canada. It almost didn't happen. Soon after its discovery, the Meeteetse population was devastated by canine distemper and sylvatic plague (a variation of bubonic plague). The world's last 18 M. nigripes were captured between 1985 and 1987, and formed the core of a breeding program that today finds the species' numbers at around 1,000 individuals, a quarter of which now live in the wild. Luckily for the Canadian ferrets, their new home is not only abundant with prairie dogs, their main food source, but is also currently plague-free. This is just the start for the Canadian population. Another 30 to 40 ferrets will be released into the wild annually for the next few years.
How Trees Respond to Increased CO2
October 6, 2009 www.eurekalert.org
A recent article by Dr. Abraham Miller-Rushing and his colleagues at Boston University was published in the October issue of the American Journal of Botany, and explores how increasing concentrations of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) may be affecting trees and, ultimately, our ecosystem’s water and carbon cycles. It is known that increasing concentrations of atmospheric CO2 changes the stomata or pores on the surface of plant leaves. Stomata allow air (containing CO2) to pass into the leaf while water vapor passes out. Plants use carbon dioxide to produce sugars during the process of photosynthesis. With increasing concentrations of atmospheric CO2, stomatal density decreases while rates of photosynthesis increase. The decrease in stomatal density results in decreased water loss through the leaves. “This can alter ecosystem-scale water and carbon cycling," Miller-Rushing said. "For example, soil moisture, runoff, and river flows might increase and drought tolerance in individual plants might improve." The relationship between atmospheric CO2 concentrations and stomatal density is so constant over the long term that scientists are able to use stomatal density of fossilized leaves to determine historical atmospheric CO2 concentrations. However, short-term responses to changes in CO2 concentrations have previously been found to be much more variable. "We currently do not know how the anatomy and water relations of individual trees will respond to changes in climate and atmospheric concentrations of CO2 over their lifetimes," Miller-Rushing said. The study analyzed the stomatal density on leaves, the length of the cells that surround the stomata, and the leaves' efficiency of water use in 27 trees growing at the Arnold Arboretum in Boston, for the past century. By examining several dried specimens from each plant that had been collected over the past hundred years, they were able to assess these characteristics in a temporal framework. Intrinsic water use efficiency did not change significantly over time, suggesting that it may not respond to changes in CO2 concentrations over the lifetimes of individual trees, possibly because of compensating changes in stomatal density and guard cell size. As understanding the rippling impacts caused by various changes to the environment becomes increasingly more important, proper methodology to address these questions has become essential. The full article is at: http://www.amjbot.org/cgi/content/full/96/10/1779
Greater Bamboo Lemur Populations Found
October 7, 2009 news.mongabay.com
A scientific expedition has found one of the Madagascar's rarest lemurs in a region where it was once thought to be extinct. With help from local communities, scientists spotted the Greater Bamboo Lemur (Prolemur simus) at 11 sites in Ankeniheny-Zahamena, a remote expanse of rainforest northeast of Madagascar's capital city of Antananarivo. Ankeniheny-Zahamena will soon be declared the Indian Ocean island's newest protected area. The species, which feeds almost exclusively on Giant bamboo, was believed to be extinct prior to its rediscovery in the 1980s. Its population is estimated 100-300 in the wild. The survey was conducted by the Aspinall Foundation; Conservation International; Association Mitsinjo, a community-based conservation organization that trains guides and runs reforestation projects; and GERP.
Dudley Zoo Enclosures on World Heritage List
October 7, 2009 www.dailymail.co.uk
A new international watch list highlighting greatest world heritage sites includes the ancient city of Machu Picchu – and animal enclosures at Dudley Zoo. The 12 modernist Tecton buildings at the zoo are ranked among the world’s most important buildings considered to be at risk, according to the latest biannual list from the World Monuments Fund. Built between 1935 and 1937, they include six animal enclosures. The report says, “The buildings help define the zoo’s identity and unique character while remaining a significant architectural achievement.” The watchlist names 93 sites thought to be under threat in 47 countries
Salmon and Steelhead Recovery Plan
October 7, 2009 www.epa.gov
The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) announces availability for public review and comment of the Draft Central Valley Salmon and Steelhead Recovery Plan (Draft Plan). The Draft Plan addresses the Sacramento River winter-run Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) Evolutionarily Significant Unit (ESU), the Central Valley spring-run Chinook salmon (O. tshawytscha) ESU, and the Distinct Population Segment (DPS) of Central Valley Steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss). NMFS is soliciting review and comment from the public and all interested parties on the Draft Plan. Comments must be received no later than 5 p.m. Pacific Standard Time on December 7, 2009. Please send to Brian Ellrott, National Marine Fisheries Service, 650 Capitol Mall, Suite 8- 300, Sacramento, CA 95816. Comments may also be submitted by e-mail to CentralValleyPlan.SWR@noaa.gov . Include in the subject line of the e-mail comment the following identifier: "Comments on Central Valley Salmon and Steelhead Draft Plan.’’ Electronic copies of the Draft Plan are available on-line on the NMFS website.
Alligators Display Mating Habits of Birds
October 7, 2009 www.eurekalert.org
LOUISIANA - - A ten-year-study by scientists from the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory reveals that up to 70% of alligator females living in the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries’ Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge (RWR) in Louisiana chose to remain with their partner for many years. Drs. Travis Glenn, Ruth Elsey, Tracey Tuberville and Stacey Lance, didn’t expect to see such fidelity given how open and dense the alligator population is at RWR. They found that 70% of re-trapped females showed mate fidelity. This new discovery gives a new insight into the complex mating system of the alligator. Parental care is typically lacking in most reptiles, but not crocodilians who display parental care though nurturing young and defending the nest. In 2001 multiple paternity was discovered as the alligator mating system, yet it remains unknown as to how this benefits the species. Crocodilians are the sole surviving reptilian archosaurs, a group of ancient reptiles that includes dinosaurs and gave rise to birds. It is this evolutionary relationship to birds which means crocodilians are in a unique phylogenetic position to provide information about the ancestral mating systems of both birds and many dinosaurs. The study appears in the current Molecular Ecology.
Dama Gazelle Born at National Zoo
October 7, 2009 www.nbcwashington.com
Female Adara and male Rajih are the parents of a new baby girl who was born Friday, Oct. 2. The calf kiddo weighed 11 pounds at birth. The dama gazelle population is listed as critically endangered. The Species Survival Plan is currently managing 120 dama gazelles in the United States.
3 Lion Cubs Born at Columbus Zoo
October 7, 2009 www.vindy.com
COLUMBUS, Ohio — A healthy boy and two girl African lions were born at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium two weeks ago. The three cubs weigh between 5.7 pounds and 6.7 pounds. The cubs were born to first-time mother Asali and father Tomo.
Pudu Birth at Detroit Zoo
October 7, 2009 www.dailytribune.com
ROYAL OAK —The birth of a male pudu on August 24th at the Detroit Zoo brings the captive population to 28. The baby’s mother arrived from another zoo in February as a mate for the Detroit Zoo’s lone male. The two were paired at the recommendation of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Population Management Plan for pudus. The PMP is a cooperative management plan to ensure genetically healthy, diverse and self-sustaining populations of threatened and endangered species. Scott Carter, the zoo’s director of conservation and animal welfare, said the pudu is the world’s smallest species of deer.
City of Amarillo Expands Zoo
October 7, 2009 www.newschannel10.com By Larry Lemmons
AMARILLO, Texas – The Amarillo zoo will become larger as the city has renewed its commitment to its expansion. Today, more than $100,000 was given to the zoo by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to help pay for a new education center. October 24th will be the first day a fee will be collected for admission into the zoo. Three dollars for adults, one dollar for kids. The new Herpetarium will also open that day. Larry Offerdahl, the Director of Parks and Recreations says, “Well, we want to double the size of the zoo over the next ten to fifteen years, but charging a very modest fee, to come out to the zoo and they know that 100 percent of that fee is going into the zoo improvement fund.” The new Education Center will provide programs for kids all over the Panhandle and is the next step toward getting accreditation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Ultimately the zoo will have a permanent vet. Offerdahl says, “We’re going to operate a clinic and have a small hospital at the zoo. This will also be a public/private partnership.”
California Condor Release at Pinnacles
October 7, 2009 www.zandavisitor.com By Bill LaMarche
PORTLAND, OR – The California condor’s former range extended across much of North America during the Pleistocene Era, which ended about 10,000 years ago. By 1940, that range had been reduced to the coastal mountains of Southern California, and in 1967 condors were added to the first federal list of endangered species. In 1987, the 17 condors remaining in the wild were brought into captivity and a captive-breeding program was developed. The Oregon Zoo’s condor recovery efforts take place at the Jonsson Center for Wildlife Conservation, in rural Clackamas County. The center is currently home to 38 condors and has produced 23 fertile eggs since it was established in 2004. Of the 23 eggs hatched in Oregon, 19 chicks have survived; two eggs were sent to other facilities for hatching. In 2001, the Oregon Zoo became the third zoo in the nation to join the California Condor Recovery Program. California condor captive-breeding programs are also operated at San Diego Zoo’s Wild Animal Park, the Los Angeles Zoo and the Peregrine Fund’s World Center for Birds of Prey. Recently, a young female condor, Ewauna, was released in California’s Pinnacles National Monument, joining 22 other wild condor residents in the 26,000-acre park. Oregon Zoo officials expect condors Yak’Mo and Kalak-ala also will be released in the coming weeks at sites in Southern California and the Vermilion Cliffs National Monument in northern Arizona, respectively. Ewauna (No. 481), Yak’Mo (No. 496) and Kalak-ala (No. 487), all female, were hatched and raised at the zoo before being transferred this summer to the Peregrine Fund’s World Center for Birds of Prey in Boise, Idaho, in preparation for their release. The California Condor Recovery Program began reintroducing birds to the wild in 1992, and thanks to continued efforts from its recovery partners, there are now more than 160 condors flying free in California, Arizona and Mexico.
Bird Vision Study
October 7, 2009 www.physorg.com
QUEENSLAND, Australia – Scientists at Queensland University have shown that birds' amazing flight and landing precision relies on their ability to detect “edges”. Although a lot is known about the visual cues that help birds navigate when flying over long distances, this is the first study to reveal how budgies navigate from moment to moment and choose where they land, said researcher Partha Bhagavatula. “Our results reflect studies on edge detection in bees and primates and suggest that edge detection is critical to helping all animals, including humans, move around. Color vision is important when it comes to recognizing objects, but these findings suggest you don’t need it in order to do many day to day tasks,” said Professor Mandyam Srinivasan. “Birds can see in all three of the human primary colors – red, blue and green – and also ultraviolet, but their edge detection skills appear to be color-blind,” said Bhagavatula. This suggests that the ability to detect edges may have evolved before color vision in birds and may be more useful for navigating in their environment. The findings also suggest that edge detection may be the key to creating unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and flying robots that can dodge objects while travelling through cluttered environments, a biomimicry application that is in high demand. The study will be published in PloS ONE on 7 October, 2009. It is freely available at: http://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0007301
Scarlet Ibis Diet Determines Part of Color
October 7, 2009 www.eznc.org
Scarlet ibises are a bright red birds with blue-black wing tips. The diet of the birds partly determines their color: It is caused by a pigment (canthaxantine) that is present in shrimps and small crabs. Besides shrimps and crabs, the bird’s diet consists of crayfish, small snakes, frogs, insects and invertebrates. In zoos, a pigment is mixed in with the ibises’ food to retain their beautiful red colour, because the food in zoos does not always contain enough natural pigment. Red ibises (Eudocimus ubber) are ostrich-like birds. Their natural habitat is the entire north side of the Amazon river basin, including Suriname. The red ibises breed in large colonies. They search for food in shallow waters along the coast and in mud.
Emerging Disease Surveillance Project in EU
October 7, 2009 www.sciencedaily.com
Sixty-one per cent of known pathogens are zoonotic – diseases that have crossed over from animals to humans. Avian influenza (H5N1), rabies, plague, Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), and more recently swine flu (H1N1) are all examples. Experts at The University of Nottingham plan to develop a pan-European surveillance system to monitor emerging and re-emerging infections in wildlife with EU funding of €6m. 13 partners and a network of over 22 wildlife specialists in 24 European and neighboring countries are participating in the program entitled: ‘Novel Technologies for Surveillance of Emerging and Re-emerging Infections of Wildlife (WildTech)’. They hope to develop cutting edge molecular technologies which will enable a single sample from a wildlife species to be tested for multiple pathogens in a single experiment.
USDA Plan for Yellowstone Animal Disease
October 7, 2009 www.forbes.com
BILLINGS, Mont. -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture is seeking comments on a proposal to designate the Yellowstone region as a special management zone for the animal disease brucellosis. The disease causes cows and wildlife including elk and bison to prematurely abort their young. Eradicated elsewhere in the nation, brucellosis has turned up at least seven times over the last decade in parts of Wyoming, Idaho and Montana. In the past, infections in cattle led the USDA to impose to statewide trade restrictions. Under the new proposal, the Yellowstone area would be separated from the rest of the three states for purposes of managing the disease.
Book Review: Zoos in the 21st Century
October 7, 2009 www.wiley.com
San Diego Zoo’s Institute for Conservation Research P.I., Ron Swaisgood provides a detailed review of a new book: Zoos in the 21st Century: Catalysts for Conservation. It is part of the Cambridge University Press series on conservation biology, and tackles the diverse issues facing zoos attempting to reinvent themselves as conservation organizations. This edited volume stems from a symposium, Catalysts for Conservation, held in London in 2004. The review appears in the journal Conservation Biology, Volume 23, No. 5, 2009
Nominees for Indianapolis Prize Announced
October 7, 2009 www.indystar.com By Tom Spalding
29 individuals that have dedicated their lives to saving the Earth’s endangered species have been nominated for the $100,000 2009 Indianapolis Prize:
Gerardo Ceballos, Instituto de Ecologia, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico: Leader in designing conservation strategies for endangered species and threatened ecosystems;
Nigel Collar, BirdLife International: Researched and compiled a unique and comprehensive dataset on globally threatened bird species
Iain Douglas-Hamilton, Save the Elephants: Founded Save the Elephants;
Karen Eckert, Wider Caribbean Sea Turtle Conservation Network:
Ruth M. Elsey, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries: American alligator sustainability
George Fenwick, American Bird Conservancy: Founded American Bird Conservancy;
Rodney Fox, Rodney Fox Shark Expeditions/Fox Shark Research Foundation: Miracle survivor of one of the world's worst shark attacks; regarded as a world authority on Great White Shark
Birute Mary Galdikas, Orangutan Foundation International:
Paul Garber, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign: research, conservation involving Latin American monkeys
Jack Hanna, Columbus Zoo and Aquarium: Public face of zoos
Maurice Hornocker, Selway Institute; Conservation of large carnivores, including the first-ever field investigation of cougars.
Rick Hudson, Fort Worth Zoo; International Iguana Foundation; IUCN Turtle Survival Alliance:
Lisa Hywood, Tikki Hywood Trust: Zimbabwe's wildlife
Rodney Jackson, Snow Leopard Conservancy:
Jana Johnson, Moorpark College, The Butterfly Project:
James Earl Kennamer, National Wild Turkey Federation:
Thomas H. Kunz, Boston University: conservation and teaching of bat ecology, behavior.
Amanda Lollar, Bat World Sanctuary: Established Bat World Sanctuary,
Dr. Edward Louis Jr., Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo: Island biogeography, including the discovery of 30 percent of known lemurs to date.
Laurie Marker, Cheetah Conservation Fund: Founder
Stephen McCulloch, Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution: Created legislation to fund several ongoing marine mammal research and conservation programs
Rodrigo Medellin, University of Mexico: Bat research
Gregory Rasmussen, Painted Dog Conservation: Founder
Dr. Patrick T. Redig, The Raptor Center, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of MN
Lente Lidia Roode, Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre: Established Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre,
Patrick Rose, Save the Manatee Club:
Carl Safina, Blue Ocean Institute:
Simon Stuart, IUCN-World Conservation Union: Developed the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria
Amanda Vincent, The University of British Columbia: First person to study seahorses underwater.
San Diego Zoo’s Panda Naming Contest
October 7, 2009 www.signonsandiego.com By Jeanette Steele
The San Diego Zoo’s newest giant panda cub, is now 2 months old. From October 12-19, visitors to the Giant Panda Research Station will be able to suggest a name. The names should be in Chinese (Pinyin), have an English translation, be symbolic in meaning. The zoo’s panda team will choose several of the suggestions and submit them to the Chinese Wildlife Conservation Association for review. Once approved, the names will be posted on the zoo's Web site, sandiegozoo.org, and its Facebook page, for a final vote. The results will be announced at a special ceremony on November 17th. According to Chinese tradition, a panda is named 100 days after it is born.
Night-Vision Cameras Monitor Tasmanian Devils
October 7, 2009 www.abc.net.au
Devil Island was opened 16 months ago as another measure to protect the endangered species against the deadly facial tumor disease. Night vision cameras have been installed at Bicheno to see how the animals, introduced into free range enclosures are coping, to monitor their health and see who might be pregnant. The Primary Industries Minister David Lllewelyn said, "Several similar facilities are planned around the state and this information will help to develop these new facilities and it's hoped they'll be ready for the next breeding season in 2010."
Albatross – Orca Relationship
October 7, 2009 news.bbc.co.uk By Jody Bourton
Scientists report in the journal PLoS ONE that miniaturised cameras attached to the back of black-browed albatrosses have revealed the birds fly in groups and forage with killer whales. Professor Akinori Takahashi from the National Institute of Polar Research, Tokyo, Japan said, "Finding the interaction of albatrosses with killer whales in the open ocean is unique, because it provides a clue to explain [how] some fish species unavailable within the diving range of albatrosses often appeared in their diet," he explains. By following killer whales, the scientists believe the birds benefit from the mammal's own foraging and hunting behavior. "Albatrosses can not dive deep, and prey remains from killer whales or the fish driven to the surface by whales would be good source of food," Prof Takahashi suggests. The albatrosses may also save energy by scavenging on stationary prey items left by killer whales rather than pursuing live prey on the surface or by plunging into the sea.
Francois’ Langurs & Giant Otters at LA Zoo
October 7, 2009 www.mercurynews.com
LOS ANGELES—Two giant otters and two Francois' langurs arrived at the LA Zoo on Wednesday. The male and female monkeys came from the San Diego Zoo. They are native to the rainforests and wetlands of China, Vietnam and Laos. The population of Francois' langurs has been cut in half over the past 35 years, because of hunting and loss of habitat. The giant otters are native to the rain forests and wetlands of north and central South America. They are also threatened by loss of habitat and hunted for their pelts, with only 1,000 to 5,000 left in the wild.
Beluga Whales Declining in Alaska
October 7, 2009 www.physorg.com
The Cook Inlet beluga whales, which swim mainly off Anchorage, are considered a genetically distinct population and don't mix with the other four beluga groups in Alaska. A recent survey by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has found that their number is declining after two years where numbers appeared to have stabilized. Down to 321 animals, from an estimated 375 animals in 2007 and 2008. Barbara Mahoney, a biologist with the National Marine Fisheries Service in Anchorage, said a critical habitat proposal will be issued this month and a recovery team is being put in place. Overharvesting by Alaska Natives is believed to have contributed but numbers continued to decline even after hunting was sharply curtailed in 1999. There has been no subsistence hunt for the past three years. None is planned for the immediate future. There were about 1,300 Cook Inlet belugas in the 1980s but numbers had declined to an estimated 653 in 1994. Numbers reached an all-time low of 278 in 2005. Alaska's other four beluga groups are not endangered and number thousands.
Primate Evolution & Fear of Snakes
October 7, 2009 entertainment.timesonline.co.uk By Lynne Isbell
Primates, especially monkeys, apes and humans, see better than most mammals; our vision boasts depth perception and the ability to detect color. Snakes matter to primates because they poison us, or constrict us to death. Because of this, our primate ancestors “uniquely benefited from clearly seeing and identifying objects that were close by and in front of them”. Monkeys tested in the lab were nonchalant when shown digitally altered videos of other monkeys responding fearfully to flowers. But when they were shown tapes of monkeys who were scared of snakes, even if snake-naive themselves, they too became afraid. Primates are evolutionarily prepared to fear, detect and respond to snakes. Lynne Isbell’s Snake Detection Theory involves chronology and biogeography. Snakes and primates co-evolved at just the right times and in just the right places to make sense of the evolving vision changes. Comparative neurological analysis nicely tracks the animal co-evolution: New World monkeys, who had less exposure to venomous snakes, exhibit more varied visual systems than do their Old World counterparts. Isbell also argues that thanks to snakes, declarative pointing emerged, and led, she suggests, to a cascade of events that equipped Homo sapiens with language abilities.
Busch Gardens Keeps Name After Sale
October 7, 2009 travel.latimes.com
Anheuser-Busch’s sale of SeaWorld and Busch Gardens to the Blackstone Group in a $2.7 billion deal should have little to no impact on the operation of the theme parks, officials said. The Busch Gardens parks in Tampa, Fla., and Williamsburg, Va., will retain the Busch name as part of the deal, said Jim Atchison, president and chief executive of Busch Entertainment. The Clydesdale horses stabled at SeaWorld parks in Orlando, Fla., San Antonio and San Diego eventually will be redeployed to other Budweiser marketing initiatives. All the parks will continue to serve Anheuser-Busch InBev beers, with the option to switch to other brands in the future. Blackstone, which owns Legoland parent Merlin Entertainment and half of Universal Studios theme parks, will operate the former Busch parks as a discrete stand-alone entity.
Study of Retrovirus Evolution in Primates
October 7, 2009 www.physorg.com
In a paper published in the November issue of the Journal of Virology, Tony Goldberg, a veterinarian and epidemiologist at the UW-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine, notes the discovery of three new retroviruses in Ugandan red colobus monkeys. Retroviruses are viruses that are similar to the HIV (human immunodeficiency virus). "These are extremely different from what we've seen before in other primates, even in other red colobus." Initially, he and his colleagues simply intended to document what viruses currently exist in red colobus monkeys in Uganda. They wanted to compare viruses from monkeys in east Africa to those in monkeys from west Africa. Upon finding the new viruses, they asked Nelson Ting at the University of Iowa to compare the genetics of red colobus monkeys from western and eastern Africa. "He found 4.5 million years of separation between the two geographically separated primate groups," Goldberg says. "This is a very big difference, and it may mean that the evolution of the viruses is linked to the evolution of the monkey host — an example of 'host-virus co-evolution. We are still discovering new pathogens out there that may have zoonotic potential." He continues to explore how the disturbance of primate habitat (deforestation, forest fragmentation, etc) alters the rate of infectious disease transmission. His goal is to find keys to preventing future epidemics and protect human and animal health, and also protect shared environments. Collaborators on the project include the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta and the Global Viral Forecasting Initiative in San Francisco.
SeaWorld Sold to Blackstone Group
October 8, 2009 dealbook.blogs.nytimes.com
The Blackstone Group is investing up to $1 billion of equity in its deal to buy Anheuser-Busch InBev’s U.S. theme parks, which includes the three SeaWorlds and two Busch Gardens across the country, Reuters reported. Anheuser-Busch and the private equity firm announced the deal Wednesday, saying Blackstone would pay $2.3 billion and give Anheuser-Busch InBev the right to up to $400 million of buyout shop’s initial returns. Reuters said that price includes up to $1 billion of equity, as well as a $950 million term loan, $450 million of mezzanine financing and a $100 million undrawn revolver. [The Belgian brewing giant InBev said last year when it purchased Anheuser-Busch that it planned to sell the company's non-core assets.]
North American Ash Tree is Threatened
October 8, 2009 www.nytimes.com
DES MOINES, Iowa -- Mark Widrlechner, the horticulturist for the federal Agriculture Research Service in Iowa is heading an effort to collect tens of millions of ash seeds from across the U.S. that can be frozen and ready to plant when researchers figure out how to kill or control the emerald ash borer. The process is tedious since seeds must be hand-picked from branches only in the fall. But scientists hope to avoid what happened to the American elm, chestnut and butternut trees, which were nearly wiped out by disease. Widrlechner said the ash borer is especially devastating because it can kill very young trees and reduce the possibility that the species develop a tolerance. In Kansas and Nebraska, they account for 25 percent to 35 percent of trees and up to 60 percent in some North Dakota communities. In Iowa alone there are an estimated 88 million ash trees, state experts said.The insect is native to Asia and was first identified in the U.S. in 2002, when it was spotted in Michigan. It's now found in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin. Crews have collected at least 2 million seeds from stands of green, white, black, blue and pumpkin ash -- only about 10 percent of the number needed to ensure the diversity of each species is represented, Widrlechner estimates. A similar but smaller project by the Department of Agriculture and North Carolina State University is under way for the Eastern and North Carolina hemlocks, which are threatened by the Hemlock woolly adelgid.
Critical Habitat for the California Red-Legged Frog
October 8, 2009 www.epa.gov
The U.S.F.W.S. announces the reopening of the comment period on our September 16, 2008, and April 28, 2009, proposal to revise the designation of critical habitat for the California red-legged frog (Rana aurora draytonii). We also announce the availability of a revised draft economic analysis (DEA). We are reopening the comment period to allow all interested parties an opportunity to comment simultaneously on the proposed revision of critical habitat and the associated revised DEA. Comments previously submitted on this rulemaking do not need to be resubmitted. These comments have already been incorporated into the public record and will be fully considered in preparation of the final rule. Comments must be received on or before November 9, 2009. Submit to the Federal eRulemaking Portal. Follow the instructions for submitting comments to Docket No. FWS-R8-ES-2008-0089. OR U.S. mail: : Public Comments Processing, Attn: FWS-R8-ES-2008-0089; Division of Policy and Directives
Management; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, Suite 222; Arlington, VA 22203. For further information contact: Susan Moore, Field Supervisor, U.S.Fish and Wildlife Service, Sacramento Fish and Wildlife Office, 2800 Cottage Way, Room W-2605, Sacramento, CA 95825; telephone 916-414-6600. You may obtain copies of the original proposed revision of critical habitat and associated DEA on the Internet at http://www.regulations.gov or on the Sacramento Fish and Wildlife Office Web
page at http://www.fws.gov/sacramento
Northern Spotted Owl Permit Application
October 8, 2009 www.epa.gov/
The USFWS announces the reopening of the public comment period for the Oregon Department of Forestry's (ODF) enhancement of survival permit (permit) application. The permit application includes a proposed programmatic safe harbor agreement (Agreement) between ODF, the U.S. Department of Agriculture—Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and the Service. The requested permit would authorize ODF to extend incidental take coverage with assurances through issuance of Certificates of Inclusion to eligible landowners willing to carry out habitat management measures expected to benefit the northern spotted owl (Strix occidentalis caurina), which is federally listed as threatened. We are reopening the comment period for 30 days. The original notice of availability was published in the Federal Register on July 21, 2009 (74 FR 35883), and contains additional information regarding the permit application. Previous comments need not be resubmitted. To ensure consideration, please send your written comments by November 9, 2009. Submit your written comments to State Supervisor, Oregon Fish and Wildlife Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 2600 SE. 98th Ave., Suite 100, Portland, OR 97266; telephone (503) 231-6179. Include your name and address in your comments and refer to the ``Spotted Owl Programmatic Safe Harbor Agreement.'' You may also view the documents on the Internet at http://www.fws.gov/oregonfwo/species/
Critical Habitat for Southwest Alaska DPS Northern Sea Otter
October 8, 2009 www.epa.gov
The USFWS is designating critical habitat for the southwest Alaska Distinct Population Segment (DPS) of the northern sea otter (Enhydra lutris kenyoni) In total, approximately 15,164 square kilometers (km2) (5,855 square miles (mi2)) fall within the boundaries of the critical habitat designation. All the critical habitat is located in Alaska. This rule becomes effective on November 9, 2009. The final rule and final economic analysis are available for viewing at http://regulations.gov. Detailed color maps of areas designated as critical habitat are available for viewing at http://alaska.fws.gov/fisheries/mmm/seaotters/criticalhabitat.htm. Supporting documentation we used in preparing this final rule is available for public inspection, by appointment, during normal business hours, at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Marine Mammals Management Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1011 East Tudor Road, Anchorage, AK 99503; telephone 907/786-3800 For further information contact: Douglas M. Burn, Wildlife Biologist, Marine Mammals Management Office.
Revised Critical Habitat for the Preble’s Meadow Jumping Mouse
October 8, 2009 www.epa.gov/
The USFWS proposes to revise designated critical habitat for the Preble's meadow jumping mouse (Zapus hudsonius preblei) in Colorado, where it is listed as threatened in a significant portion of the range (SPR) The proposed revised critical habitat is located in Boulder, Broomfield, Douglas, El Paso, Jefferson, Larimer and Teller Counties in Colorado. Approximately 418 miles (mi) (674 kilometers (km)) of rivers and streams and 39,142 acres (ac) (15,840 hectares (ha)) fall within the boundaries of the proposed revised designation. The proposed revised designation would therefore add 184 mi (298 km) of rivers and streams and 18,462 ac (7,472 ha) to the existing critical habitat designation of 234 mi (376 km) and 20,680 ac (8,368 ha). To ensure that we are able to consider your comments and information, we request that you provide them to us by December 7, 2009. You may submit comments by one of the following methods: The Federal eRulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov OR U.S. mail or hand-delivery: Public Comments Processing, Attn: [FWS-R6-ES-2009-0013]; Division of Policy and Directives Management; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, Suite 222; Arlington, VA 22203. For further information contact: Susan Linner, Field Supervisor, Colorado Ecological Services Office; mailing address P.O. Box 25486, DFC (MS 65412), Denver, CO 80225; telephone 303-236-4773;
Possible Zoological Park in Charlotte, NC
October 8, 2009 www.charlotteobserver.com By Steve Lyttle
A local organization is trying to enlist support for the idea of building a 250-acre zoo in the Charlotte area. The proposed Charlotte Zoological Park would house animals from at least four continents, including exotic creatures such as tigers, polar bears and elephants.
Robert Mussen, a leader of the effort, said the Charlotte Zoo board already has a design plan: exhibits for North America, South America, American Forest and African Savanna, along with a petting zoo and other educational areas. The Carolinas already have two large zoological parks – each about 80 miles from Charlotte. The North Carolina Zoo, in Asheboro, has about 500 acres dedicated to animal exhibits. And the Riverbanks Zoo sits on 175 acres in Columbia. Details at: www.charlottezoologicalpark.com
Critical Habitat Reduction for Peninsular Bighorn Sheep Challenged
October 8, 2009 www.mydesert.com
Environmental groups sued the federal government Wednesday, alleging the USFWS’s more than 55 percent reduction in protected habitat for the endangered Peninsular bighorn sheep was unsupported by the agency's own science and was done to accommodate urban sprawl. The suit, filed in U.S. District Court for Southern California, seeks to restore a protected critical habitat status of nearly 845,000 acres for the sheep. USFWS is seeking to reduce protected sheep habitat to about 377,000 acres. Essential migration corridors and other areas that scientific studies have determined are essential to the bighorn's survival and recovery were removed in the federal modifications, the environmental groups contend. The removed areas include alluvial terraces and canyon bottoms around the Coachella Valley that U.S. Fish and Wildlife itself has, in the past, contended are critical to the survival of the endangered Peninsular bighorn, the environmentalists said. USFWS claims tthe protected habitat acreage reductions were “because of improved mapping techniques and more precise information about the habitat use by sheep, and new conservation planning efforts.” Once the most numerous of desert bighorn, the U.S. population of Peninsular bighorn sheep dropped from 1,171 sheep in 1974 to just 276 by 1996. The species was listed as an endangered population by the federal government in 1998. Since then, the sheep's population has rebounded to 800. According to biologists, dense chaparral that grows at higher elevations in the mountains restrict the sheep to lower slopes, forcing the species to live in the narrowing band between expanding urban areas in the Coachella Valley.
Victoria Crowned Pigeon Hatches at London Zoo
October 8, 2009 www.guardian.co.uk
The first Victoria crowned pigeon to have been bred at the London Zoo hatched last month. It left the nest for the first time this week and has been exploring the surroundings of the Blackburn Pavilion exhibit. The species is renowned for its dedicated parenting, mates for life with both parents continuing to care for chicks up to three months after they fly the nest. The species originates from New Guinea, and are the largest members of the pigeon family. Senior curator John Ellis said, "ZSL (Zoological Society of London) is part of a European breeding programme for this species, and our chick will help form a very important captive, back-up population."
Oldest Male Jaguar Euthanized at Jacksonville Zoo
October 8, 2009 jacksonville.com By Roger Bull
Bruno, the oldest male jaguar at Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens, has been euthanized. The 16-year-old cat had been suffering from a central nervous system disease since August, said Nick Kapustin, the zoo's senior veterinarian. The cat showed some improvement with treatment, he said, but in the past two weeks, his condition deteriorated significantly and he could no longer feed himself. Bruno came to the zoo in 1998 after he had been captured for killing cattle in Venezuela. Though he was designated for breeding, he never showed any interest and attempts at artificial insemination using his semen were not successful, either. His death leaves the zoo with seven cats in its Range of the Jaguar exhibit, including 17-year-old Gigi who came with Bruno from Venezuela.
Latest Climate Report from UCLA
October 8, 2009 www.sciencemag.org
A new climate report in the journal Science states that the last time carbon dioxide levels were this high was at least 15 million years ago. "The last time carbon dioxide levels were apparently as high as they are today — and were sustained at those levels — global temperatures were 5 to 10 degrees Fahrenheit higher than they are today, the sea level was approximately 75 to 120 feet higher than today, there was no permanent sea ice cap in the Arctic and very little ice on Antarctica and Greenland," said the paper's lead author, Aradhna Tripati, a UCLA assistant professor in the department of Earth and space sciences and the department of atmospheric and oceanic sciences. Carbon dioxide is an important agent for driving climate change throughout Earth's history. It has been known that modern-day levels of carbon dioxide are unprecedented over the last 800,000 years, but the finding that modern levels have not been reached in the last 15 million years is new.
Tiger Rescued from Poachers in Malaysia
October 8, 2009 www.physorg.com
A 5-year-old tiger was released from a snare by WWF Wildlife Protection Unit workers. He is being treated at the Malacca Zoo and vets are hopeful that they might not need to amputate the animal’s leg. The poachers are suspected to be from Kelantan. The rescue should set alarm bells ringing for the remaining wild Tigers in the Belum-Temengor forests, one of the last strongholds for this species, said a WWF Malaysia and TRAFFIC joint press statement. Illegal hunting in the Belum-Temengor area is rampant and the demand for tigers continues to drive criminals into the forest to kill the remaining ones. The Belum-Temengor forest complex is one of three priority areas identified in Malaysia’s National Tiger Action Plan. It is also part of an area of global priority for Tiger conservation. But the area lies close to the porous Malaysia-Thai border and is easily accessible because of the 80 km long Gerik-Jeli highway that cuts across the landscape, providing hundreds of easy entry points for poachers.
10,000 Cheetahs Left in the Wild
October 8, 2009 www.santacruzsentinel.com by Jory John
SANTA CRUZ -- Dr. Laurie Marker, founder of the internationally recognized Cheetah Conservation Fund in Namibia, said there are only about 10,000 cheetahs left in the world, making them an endangered species. "When I first got to Namibia in 1978, farmers were killing 800 or 900 cheetahs a year," she said. Marker set up her foundation in Namibia, where the cheetahs would have the best chance of survival. She went door to door, working with farmers, asking about their problems with predators. Marker then developed a model farm and started an extensive research program. This led to more than 20 years of work alongside the Namibian farmers. To help Namibian farmers and cheetahs coexist peacefully she breeds the Anatolian shepherd dog, which protects the livestock, so the farmers don't feel like they have to kill the cheetahs. In 1994, she brought a group of these dogs to Namibia. Since then, she's given dogs to more than 350 to farmers. Marker also noticed an invasive thorny bush in Namibia, which was growing due to poor livestock management, she said. "We found cheetahs whose eyes had been scratched and they couldn't see," Marker said. "Of 850 cheetahs, only 3 percent were catching livestock. In 2000, we started harvesting the bush," she said. "We put people to work. We made a fuel log that's high heat and low emissions, an eco-log." There are only about 60 cheetahs left in Iran.
Eagle Gardens Project in Scotland
October 8, 2009 news.bbc.co.uk
The Eagle Gardens project has received a £637,000 grant from the Scotland Rural Development Programme (SRDP). The plan is to build a bird of prey visitor and conservation centert at the unused Ancrum quarry. The proposals also include a "free-flight" aviary which could allow 50 vultures to nest in the rock walls of the near circular quarry. A total of £1.5m is needed in order to proceed and fundraising is about to begin to secure the additional money required. A vulture enclosure would form the centerpiece of the quarry plans. The 35-acre site would have space for 250 eagles, owls and other birds of prey in 100 enclosures. Andrea Bathgate and Mike Eccles have worked for 2 years on the project. "The project is based on an established blueprint. We have a unique collection of 250 birds, some already in Scotland and some waiting in mainland Europe, where we have been breeding birds of prey successfully for over 30 years," said Bathgate.
WCS Opens New Center for Global Conservation
October 8, 2009 www.yournabe.com
The Wildlife Conservation Society’s Center for Global Conservation, designed by FXFOWLE Architects, is a state-of-the-art, 40,000-square-foot “green” facility is now the home of more than 100 WCS conservationists, researchers and support staff working to save wildlife and wild places. The facility has been awarded the Gold level of LEED Certification (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) by the U.S. Green Building Council. The center represents a synthesis of state-of-the-art technologies in energy efficiency and water management. The U.S. Green Building Council also recently awarded a Gold LEED Certification to WCS’s Madagascar! exhibit at the Bronx Zoo. The building's east-west orientation takes full advantage of natural lighting (reducing the need for artificial illumination). The microturbine plant that generates electricity for the building captures heat in water, which is then used for heating needs. Consequently, the building’s energy consumption is some 48 percent less than a traditionally powered building of similar size. The building is designed to harmonize with the landscape in the northern part of the science campus. The three-story structure was located to maximize its relationship with the existing trees in the park. It incorporates elements of nearby rock outcroppings and the natural topography, as well as renewable and recycled materials. The building includes a green roof, an 18-inch layer of local grasses and shrubs, which helps to blend the center into the landscape and reduces temperatures inside the building. The C.V. Starr Science Campus where the new building sits at the Bronx Zoo includes WCS’s Wildlife Health Center, headquarters for the Global Health Program, and will soon include additional facilities for a special care unit and animal husbandry facilities.
Woodland Park Zoo’s New iPhone App for Visitors
October 8, 2009 seattletimes.nwsource.com By Brier Dudley
The Woodland Park Zoo has released a first-of-its-kind zoo iPhone application that allows visitors to track their location on zoo grounds, discover more about the animals, and access daily activity schedules to make the most of their next zoo visit. Bringing the zoo straight to your iPhone or iPod Touch at home and on zoo grounds, the application features:
GPS-enabled zoo map with "Near Me" recommendations for animal exhibits, play areas, concession stands and restrooms,
Daily schedule of zoo activities including zookeeper talks, children's programs and animal fact sheets,
Special promotional offers redeemable at concession stands,
"Friend Finder" to locate other iPhone users in your party on zoo grounds,
Zoo news and happenings,
Easy access to Facebook and Twitter so you can share your zoo experience.
The application, designed in collaboration with Austin-based developers Avai Mobile Solutions, is available now to download for $0.99. iPhone users can go to the iTunes App Store and search for "Woodland Park Zoo" to download. Proceeds from each application sale go toward the zoo's animal care, education, conservation and operations.
Monterey Bay Aquarium Gets $1.4M In Grants
October 8, 2009 www.ksbw.com
MONTEREY, Calif. -- The Monterey Bay Aquarium has received two grants worth more than $1.4 million for initiatives about the impact of climate change on the oceans. The grants, which are from the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, are to encourage individual action to the problem of climate change on oceans. One of the grants, worth $913,953, supports "Climate Change and the Ocean: Awareness to Action," which is a suite of programs to help with aquarium's upcoming climate-focused exhibit called "Hot Pink Flamingos: Stories of Hope in a Changing Seas." The exhibit is scheduled to open March 27, 2010. A second grant worth $502,050 supports the aquarium's participation in a coalition of aquariums that educate about climate change. The grant will help in efforts to create a virtual reality theater show that incorporates Google Earth technology. The grant will also be used to give staff and volunteers additional training on how best to motivate people to take action against global climate change.
Zoos Protest Madagascar Government
October 8, 2009 www.mercurynews.com
ST. LOUIS—The Missouri Botanical Garden, The Saint Louis Zoo, Chicago’s Field Museum, the California Academy of Science, and the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums are among more than a dozen signers of a letter to the transitional government of Madagascar. The letter says the government bans the exploitation of precious woods while permitting the large-scale export of illegally harvested wood. The letter also says the country's political problems have encouraged gangs of lumbermen who sell for export. The group is also asking consumers of rosewood and ebony products to boycott Malagasy wood.
Crocodile Deaths in South Africa
October 8, 2009 www.scientificamerican.com By Naomi Lubick
In the winter of 2008, rangers collected 170 dead Nile crocodiles in Kruger Park’s Olifant river, sometimes at a rate of 20 per week. A survey at the end of this May showed only 400 crocs living in the park’s gorge, down from at least 1,000 in 2008. Some kind of pansteatitis—an inflammation of adipose tissue -- is killing the animals. Their tails were swollen with hardened, enlarged fat deposits, which stiffened and immobilized them and left them unable to hunt. The disease may not be limited to crocs. Scientists found the same kinds of fat deposits in fish in the Olifants River. And in the river’s gorge just upstream from Massingir Dam in Mozambique, which also has seen croc declines, and birds were absent, raising the possibility that they, too, have been victims of the same mysterious agent. In June a team led by Henk Bouwman of North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, in South Africa reported that test results from crocodile tissues revealed a large number of toxins: DDT, PCBs, dioxins and brominated flame retardants. Peter Ashton, a water resources specialist at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research in South Africa and the University of Pretoria, believes one possibility could be related to dinoflagellates and cyanobacteria found upstream in the catchment, which might be releasing toxins similar to those that cause red tides in marine environments. Danny Govender, a disease ecologist for South African National Parks cites changes to the river’s ecosystem that stem from infrastructure outside the park, including hundreds of coal-mining operations upstream, where crocodiles have disappeared almost completely, and a dam downstream of the gorge.
New Facility to Study Avian Behavior
October 8, 2009 communications.uwo.ca By Paul Mayne
The world’s first hypobaric climatic wind tunnel for bird flight opens this week at the University of Western Ontario’s Advanced Facility for Avian Research (AFAR). Funded by the Canada Foundation for Innovation, the Ontario Research Fund and private partners, the $9.2-million facility allows researchers to assess birds’ abilities to adapt to their environment. While there are two other bird tunnels in the world – located in Europe - AFAR is the only one that can simulate altitude, up to seven kilometers or more. The 13,000-square-foot facility and its hypobaric climatic wind tunnel will allow for study not only of the aerodynamics of bird flight in high altitude conditions, but also how changes in the environment affect birds’ neural and physiological systems, and their reproduction and migration patterns. Researchers can also study flight while altering air pressure, moisture and humidity. Researchers hope to gain insights into conservation efforts, ecosystem health, disease and how birds respond to climate change.
Tim Flannery Seeks Help for Australian Species in Europe
October 9, 2009 www.smh.com.au
Professor Tim Flannery has flown to Europe to seek support for a chain of privately owned conservation parks in Australia, saying he is ''appalled'' that the Australian Federal Government has backed away from saving single endangered species. The scientist and chairman of the Copenhagen Climate Council warned that the continent is in the grip of a ''biodiversity crisis'' and called for successful expatriate Australians - and wealthy Britons - to help buy back pastoral leases in key natural areas to safeguard species on the brink of extinction. ''The great eucalypt forest, with trees 300 feet high, can only exist with the partnership of a humble fungus. The fungus unlocks nutrients underground that allow the tree to grow to a huge size in poor soil. And what spreads it? A tiny rat kangaroo that is now highly endangered all round Australia. Why should we worry? Because everything is interrelated.'' A longtime director of the little-known Australian Wildlife Conservancy, Professor Flannery has given a proportion of his salary for many years to the body. Founded nearly two decades ago by the English-born, now Australian-based millionaire financier, Martin Copley, the charity has become the biggest non-government owner of conservation land in Australia with more than 2.1 million hectares shielding threatened wildlife and ecosystems.
Obituary: Gerald 'Red' Thomas; Zookeeper
October 9, 2009 www.signonsandiego.com By Blanca Gonzalez
Gerald D. “Red” Thomas was born Nov. 25, 1936, in Strawberry Point, Iowa. Thomas was a zookeeper for the San Diego Zoo for nearly 40 years. While Joan Embery became the public face and goodwill ambassador of the zoo, Mr. Thomas was with her from the beginning and played a key role behind the scenes in helping make the San Diego Zoo world famous. “Joan was the glitz and Red was the glue,” said friend Ron Ringer, a senior keeper at the zoo. “He had a good animal sense and was a calming influence.” Mr. Thomas died of pneumonia and congestive heart failure Sept. 26 at Kaiser Hospital in San Diego. He was 72. He started his zoo career as a janitor in 1961 and worked his way up to senior keeper. He was an animal trainer and keeper when Embery joined the zoo staff in 1968. Embery said Mr. Thomas was always willing to share his knowledge and was protective of her. “I was a woman entering a man's field, and he made it easier. He had my back,” she said. When Embery started appearing with zoo animals on TV, including “The Tonight Show” with Johnny Carson, Mr. Thomas was usually there with her. “He was often the guy behind the curtain,” Embery said. “I was in the limelight, even though we were doing the same job. He didn't have an ego problem." Thomas and Embery trained an elephant, Carol, to hold a paintbrush in her trunk and “paint” on a canvas. Carol was the first of many San Diego Zoo animals to appear with Embery as guests of “The Tonight Show.” Mr. Thomas, a former Marine, didn't have formal animal training but was good at doing things on the fly. Mr.Thomas helped start the American Association of Zoo Keepers and the Elephant Managers Association. At a 1987 convention of the American Association of Zoo Keepers, Mr. Thomas and six others who founded the group were honored for their work. The organization, which provides mentors, training and information exchanges, eventually grew to more than 2,000 members. After retiring from the zoo and the San Diego Wild Animal Park in 1999 for medical reasons, Mr. Thomas would occasionally visit the animals, especially the elephants, his daughter Nancy Murphy said. “He would talk to them and they would trumpet back.” Services were held Oct. 3.
Status of San Diego Zoo’s Male Panda Cub
October 9, 2009 latimesblogs.latimes.com
The San Diego Zoo's giant panda cub was given a clean bill of health in his sixth veterinary exam, performed Thursday. The zoo's senior veterinarian, Dr. Tracy Clippinger, said the cub's eyes and ears are now fully opened, and she expects him to begin crawling over the next two to six weeks. He weighs 7.7 pounds and measures 21.3 inches in length. The Zoo is asking the public for name suggestions. (In a similar contest, the Chiang Mai Zoo's cub was given the name Lin Ping, which means "forest of ice" in Chinese and also references a river in Thailand, the Ping, and the name of the cub's mother, Lin Hui.) Beginning Saturday, San Diego Zoo visitors can submit name suggestions at the Giant Panda Research Station. According to the zoo's blog, names should "be in Chinese (Pinyin), have an English translation, be symbolic in meaning" and must be submitted between Oct. 10-19. For those who can't visit in person, a link will be added to the zoo's website to allow suggestions to be submitted online. The names must be approved by the Chinese Wildlife Conservation Assn, and finally, the public will vote to choose between the name finalists on the zoo's website and Facebook fan page. The winning name will be announced Nov. 17.
Camera Trap Survey of Tanzania’s Carnivores
October 9, 2009 www.physorg.com
Scientists from the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and the Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute (TAWIRI) have carried out the largest survey of Tanzania's carnivores, using a novel approach making use of over 400 camera trap locations. The research reveals that many species, including the leopard, are particularly fussy about where they live, actively avoiding certain areas. Surprisingly, all the species surveyed tended to avoid croplands, suggesting that habitat conversion to agricultural land could have serious implications for carnivore distribution. Dr Sarah Durant from ZSL says that until now, many of the species had been under reported because of their nocturnal habits, or because they live in heavily forested areas. The strength of the new technique to document habitat preference of elusive species is highlighted by camera trap observations of bushy tailed mongooses - including the first ever records of this species from one of the most visited areas in the country. These data can also be used to understand how Tanzania's carnivores may respond to habitat changes caused as a result of environmental change. Dr Nathalie Pettorelli from ZSL adds that, "All species were affected by rivers and habitat, and the analysis provides important information relevant to the examination of future impacts of climate change." The project continues to map carnivore distribution across the country, working closely with the wildlife authorities to support local conservationists and to generate information that is used to inform conservation planning. The study is published in the journal Animal Conservation.
Monarto Zoo Plans Safari Tourism
October 9, 2009 news.theage.com.au
ADELAIDE, Australia – Opened in 1983, Monarto Zoo is seeking private investors to help fund a new eco-tourism resort. The zoo wants to offer visitors to the new facilities a wildlife experience similar to those provided by large African game parks according to Zoos SA chief executive Chris West. "It will combine eco-tourism and have a direct conservation benefit by featuring African animals in a natural setting and providing space and resources to help save native Australian species from extinction." The Monarto Zoo recently acquired another 500 hectares of land so it could offer four-wheel drive safari tours in what is now the largest reserve outside Africa. It also plans to offer overnight accommodation as well as a restaurant service.
India Surveys Prospective Cheetah Habitat
October 9, 2009 news.bbc.co.uk
The Indian government has approved a survey of 7 sites which can accommodate the cheetah, in an effort to reintroduce the animal in the country. The sites are in the states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Chhattisgarh and include national parks, sanctuaries and other open areas. The cheetah became extinct in India nearly a century ago.The Wildlife Trust of India is leading the project. The sites will now be surveyed extensively to find out the state of the habitat, the number of prey and prospects of man-animal conflict to finally determine whether they can accommodate the cheetah. "The return of the cheetah would make India the only country in the world to host six of the world's eight large cats and the only one to have all the large cats of Asia." If one or more sites are found to have favorable habitat and prey for the cheetah, India will then possibly have to import the cat from Africa, because the numbers of the Asiatic cheetah which are available only in Iran have dwindled to under 100. The vast majority of the 10,000 cheetahs left in the world are in Africa.
SeaWorld GM Confident of Blackstone Support
October 10, 2009 www.signonsandiego.com By Roger Showley
Andy Fichthorn, general manager of SeaWorld has reassured his 3,000-plus employees about the recent change in ownership. The park plans to open a multimillion-dollar dolphin show in May. SeaWorld's last major expansion was adding the “Journey to Atlantis” ride in 2004. Although Blackstone officials have not promised any set amount of money for reinvestment they say they understand that theme parks cannot remain popular if they remain static. SeaWorld San Diego is one of 10 theme parks Blackstone acquired when it bought Busch Entertainment Corp. from Anheuser-Busch InBev for $2.7 billion. The beer giant had acquired four SeaWorld parks, including San Diego's, in 1989 for $1.1 billion from the publisher Harcourt Brace Jovanovich. HBJ had acquired the chain in 1976. The SeaWorld in Ohio has subsequently closed. Blackstone's holdings include:
•Three SeaWorlds, two Busch Gardens, a zoo and water parks from the Busch group. They will be added to four Center Parc “holiday villages” — short-stay vacation spots in British forests, including Sherwood Forest.
•A 55 percent stake in Merlin Entertainments Group, which owns four Legoland parks in Carlsbad, Britain, Denmark and Germany; nine Madame Tussauds wax museums around the world; and 44 other attractions.
•A 50 percent stake in Universal Studios' two theme parks in Orlando, Fla.
•The Golden Door spas, including the original in Escondido.
While that collection sounds bigger than Disney, it's just a small part of Blackstone's overall activities, which encompass commercial real estate, hedge fund management, financial advisory services and a piece of the Weather Channel. In its latest financial statement, the company said it had $93.5 billion under management and 1,340 employees, but its stock is worth half what it was when it went public in 2007. The company posted a quarterly loss of nearly $598 million on June 30. The company looks for businesses it can grow and improve operationally, while leaving existing management in place. Kelly Cunningham, senior economist at the National University System Institute for Policy Research in San Diego, said SeaWorld ranks as the most popular theme park in San Diego, fourth in California, 12th nationally and 21st internationally.
Florida’s Monkey Jungle Adopts Upselling Strategy
October 10, 2009 www.miamiherald.com
Miami Seaquarium charges $139 to wade with its dolphins and $200 to swim with them. Jungle Island, which originally opened as Parrot Jungle in 1936, now offers paid encounters with penguins ($30) and lemurs ($45), plus VIP tours that cost $240 a head. At the Miami Metrozoo, behind-the-cages tours start at $33, and you can pay $145 to work as a zookeeper for a day. But until two weeks ago, the only way to buy some extra interaction at 74-year-old Monkey Jungle in southwest Miami-Dade County, was to buy a 75-cent box of raisins for feeding the tamarins, macaques, capuchins and other primates that live in the park. Visitors pay $29 to enter Monkey Jungle mostly walk the same 10 acres Joseph DuMond purchased, and they feed raisins to descendents of the six he released there in 1933. The monkeys prowl the caged pathways that weave through the park looming over holes in the top where tin cups dangle from chains. Visitors drop raisins inside, and the monkeys yank them skyward for a snack. Divided into three tribes, the most dominant monkey pack of the moment prowls the pathways by the park's entrance because that's where visitors have full boxes of food. The weakest of the three gets relegated to the end of the trail. The dominant tribe also stars in the park's signature show -- "The Wild Monkey Swimming Pool'' -- where the monkeys munch on fruit staffers toss into a shallow pond by a spectator gallery. Now a new $89 "Rainforest Adventure'' will offer guests a private tour and feeding session with a colony of squirrel monkeys.
International Conference to Conserve Kashmir Stag
October 11, 2009 www.newkerala.com
SRINAGAR, India -- Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday inaugurated an international conference for the conservation of Hangul, the critically endangered Kashmir stag, in Srinagar. The conference is hosted by WWF and Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST) in collaboration with Wildlife Institute of India and Wildlife Protection Department of Jammu and Kashmir. The Hangul or Kashmir stag (Cervus elaphus hanglu) a sub-species of European Red Deer is a critically endangered deer, as its population has declined from an estimated 2000 in 1947 to mere 170 to 200 in recent years, due to poaching, excessive grazing of livestock and forest fires. It is unique to Kashmir and the last genetically viable Hangul population of the world is at present restricted to Dachigam Park in Srinagar. "The aim of this conference is that we want to adopt management and conservation techniques being used around the world for red deer species," said Khurshid Ahmad, Conservator with the Wildlife Protection Wing of the Forest Department.
Folk Beliefs Aid Hoolock Gibbon Preservation
October 11, 2009 www.assamtribune.com By Kabita Duarah
BAREKURI (TINSUKIA), Oct 11 - Folk beliefs and preservation of oral tradition have made it possible for the hoolock gibbon to survive with human populations. There are 29 hoolock gibbons – India’s only ape – at Barekuri, in an area of 21 villages. The Hoolocks have been protected and cared for by the villager’s religious beliefs that call upon them to care for all living creatures. If a hoolock gibbon is heard crying during the night, the purohit (priest) of the Barekuri Bornamghar and his disciples must assemble at the Bornamghar and cut the betel nut and leaf to ward off all evils that might befall their village. Umakanta Chutia, the purohit of the Bornamghar, said that once the hoolock gibbons had been crying for a fortnight and after that the State had gone through one of the nightmarish phases marred by widespread violence in its contemporary history. Killing of a hoolock gibbon is considered a sin here that will have far reaching repercussions on the destiny of the community, so the people do not harm them even if they come in herds and eat all the fruits in the backyard. “Our people do not cut the trees because the hoolock gibbons live on trees and it is bad luck if a hoolock gibbon is seen by anyone walking on the ground,” said Chutia. The people listen to the cries of the hoolock gibbons here to determine the time of the day, then the flurry of activity begins. “The biggest threat to the existence of the hoolock gibbons in our village has come from oil exploration,” said Dambaru Chutia.
Preserving a Bison Herd’s Pure Bloodlines
October 11, 2009 www.rapidcityjournal.com/ By Patrick Springer
HOT SPRINGS, South Dakota – A small fence between Custer State Park and Wind Cave National Park has separated neighboring bison herds for decades. But now blood tests by experts from Texas A&M University indicate that the buffalo roaming Wind Cave National Park are rare - so rare that they are among only two public herds in the nation credited with having no cattle genes. After testing more than 10,000 bison, the team is confident that only two public herds - in Wind Cave and Yellowstone National Parks - lack evidence of cattle genes. The Wind Cave herd is estimated at 525, and unlike Custer State Park, roundups at Wind Cave are not open to the public. Geneticists believe that virtually all of the 500,000 buffalo alive today descended from a "breeding bottleneck" of fewer than 150 bison that were alive in the late 1880s, when the population dwindled to between 500 and 1,300 bison. Their recovery is a great conservation success story, but DNA testing has shown that pureblood animals are surprisingly rare. The cattle ancestry in most bison today, invisible to the naked eye, stems from experiments from a handful of ranchers who tried to produce hybrids combining traits of buffalo and cattle. The two neighboring park herds are prime examples of the two strands of American bison alive today - those saved by conservationists and those saved by ranchers. The Wind Cave park herd's roots come from 14 bison donated in 1913 by the New York Zoological Society. Six more buffalo were imported from Yellowstone National Park in 1916. The herd is one of several conservation herds established through the efforts of the American Bison Society. Now that the Wind Cave herd has been recognized for its lack of cattle "introgression," the park is working with conservation groups to expand the population there.
New Gorilla Facility Opens
October 12, 2009 www.google.com By Kate Brumback
The Gorilla Rehabilitation and Conservation Education, or GRACE, Center is set to open in March, about a year after construction began. It's a joint project of the Atlanta-based Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund and several other organizations. Fossey made researching the African gorilla population, and rescuing them from poachers her life's mission. The Californian lived for roughly 10 years at Karisoke, a research camp she established in Rwanda, before she was killed there in 1985. "Gorillas in the Mist" is set to be shown for the first time in about 20 years at Atlanta's Woodruff Arts Center on Oct. 17 as part of a fundraiser for the gorilla fund. The center will house orphaned gorillas who may have behavioral, developmental, physical or psychological problems after being rescued from poachers. The other organizations partnering with the gorilla fund in this project are the Pan African Sanctuary Alliance, Disney's Animal Kingdom, the Disney Wildlife Conservation Fund, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the national park authorities of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda. See www.gorillafund.org for more information
New Facebook Offering: Super Cute Zoo
October 12, 2009 www.prleap.com
A new social game Super Cute Zoo can now be played through Facebook. Drawn from cute animal videos on YouTube and studies of animal behavior, Super Cute Zoo gives players a chance to build their own zoo by collecting cute animals from around the world. Players can teach otters to play basketball, build a tree house for golden lion tamarins, or host a sloth marathon. Super Cute Zoo combines the fun of virtual pet worlds with the clear goals of social role playing games. Super Cute Zoo is available at apps.facebook.com/supercutezoo
Indonesia Safari Park Gets Eastern Grey Kangaroos
October 12, 2009 www.thejakartapost.com
Visitors to Bogor's Indonesian Safari Park will meet 6 female eastern grey kangaroos sent last week from Australia Zoo. They are due to be released into the Puncak-based compound on Wednesday. Three staff members from Australia Zoo in Brisbane - veterinarian Tim Portas, Australia Zoo Manager Laurie Pond and animal curator Kelsey - also came to Bogor to keep an eye on the new arrivals. All the kangaroos sent are female, because the Australian government was still unsure whether they will survive in Bogor and did not want them to breed yet. Should the first six remain healthy, Australia Zoo plans to send a total of 15 kangaroos. Three of the park's veterinarians spent a month learning about treatments for Kangaroos at the Australia Zoo, in anticipation of the arrival. The Eastern Grey Kangaroo is found in southern and eastern Australia, and has a population of several million. A large eastern grey male typically weighs around 66 kilograms and stands up to 2 meters tall. The Australian government rarely allows their endemic animals to leave the country.
Monterey Bay Aquarium Collaborates with MBARI
October 12, 2009 www.montereyherald.com By Gwyneth Dickey
Monterey Bay Aquarium’s popular live show, “Mysteries of the Deep” features live footage of Monterey Canyon from research vessels at Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute. The popular show is a collaborative project between the aquarium and MBARI. MBARI shares its scientific research with the aquarium, and the aquarium gives the institute wide exposure through its two million visitors every year. The aquarium was originally intended to conduct research and educate the public, but it attracted so many visitors, that it was clear that research would not be feasible there, so founder David Packard, opened a separate facility (MBARI) specifically to study Monterey Bay and its canyon in 1987. George Matsumoto is coordinator of research and education at MBARI. MBARI scientists often host the live "Mysteries of the Deep" show, and occasionally give lectures about their research. And now, MBARI is offering a behind-the-scenes look at their cutting-edge deep-sea research, where visitors can see what it's like to explore the ocean from the pilot's seat of a robotic submersible. A new aquarium exhibit, opening in March, is also a collaboration with MBARI. "Hot Pink Flamingos" will feature animals that are being adversely affected by climate change. The exhibit will highlight stories of individuals and communities that have made efforts to fight climate change. Other Aquarium collaborations include:
A joint project with Stanford University, Southern California Marine Institute and CSU-Long Beach, tagging white sharks and tracking them, improving the world's understanding of these animals.
A similar project with Stanford, gathering data on the migrating and reproductive behavior of the bluefin tuna. Data will be directed toward policymakers and fishing agencies so they can make better decisions about fishing the tuna.
With UC-Davis and UC-Santa Cruz researchers, studying the southern sea otter. (Looking at infection, disease and pollution as possible culprits in the species' slow population growth.)
Cornell Study on Bird Hippocampus
October 12, 2009 www.physorg.com By Lauren Gold
Caged birds may still sing, but being in captivity for just a few weeks can reduce the volume of the hippocampus by as much as 23 percent, according to a new Cornell study. The hippocampus is the part of the brain involved in spatial learning and memory tasks. Researchers Bernard Tarr and Tim DeVoogd, found that the hippocampus is highly sensitive to some or all of the environmental conditions that change in captivity -- including, among other things, social stimulation, exercise, food-storing opportunities and stress. To test the effect of captivity on the birds, a total of 20 wild black-capped chickadees were caught in the late fall of two successive years. The researchers injected each bird with BrdU, a chemical that marks newly forming brain cells; then tagged and released 10 of the birds and housed a corresponding 10 in the lab. About five weeks after the first capture, the researchers recaptured the tagged wild birds and compared their hippocampal volumes to those of their lab-housed counterparts. They found that lab-housed birds had, on average, 23 percent less hippocampal volume (relative to total brain size) than the recaptured birds. The article is online at the Journal of Developmental Neurobiology Web site and will appear in a forthcoming issue of the journal.
Minimum Population Targets May Be Too Low to Prevent Extinction
October 12, 2009 www.physorg.com
A new study by University of Adelaide and Macquarie University scientists entitled "Pragmatic population viability targets in a rapidly changing world" appears in the journal Biological Conservation. Lead author Dr Lochran Traill, from the University of Adelaide's Environment Institute states, "Often, conservationists aim to maintain tens or hundreds of individuals, when thousands are actually needed. Our review found that populations smaller than about 5000 had unacceptably high extinction rates. This suggests that many targets for conservation recovery are simply too small to do much good in the long run." A long-standing idea in species restoration programs is the so-called '50/500' rule. This states that at least 50 adults are required to avoid the damaging effects of inbreeding, and 500 to avoid extinctions due to the inability to evolve to cope with environmental change. "Our research suggests that the 50/500 rule is at least an order of magnitude too small to effectively stave off extinction," says Dr Traill. "This does not necessarily imply that populations smaller than 5000 are doomed. But it does highlight the challenge that small populations face in adapting to a rapidly changing world." Team member Professor Richard Frankham, from Macquarie University's Department of Biological Sciences, says, "Genetic diversity within populations allows them to evolve to cope with environmental change, and genetic loss equates to fragility in the face of such changes." "We shouldn't, however, necessarily give up on critically endangered species numbering a few hundred of individuals in the wild. Acceptance that more needs to be done if we are to stop 'managing for extinction' should force decision makers to be more explicit about what they are aiming for, and what they are willing to trade off, when allocating conservation funds." The paper is online at http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2009.09.001
Herbivorous Spider Discovered
October 12, 2009 www.eurekalert.org
There are approximately 40,000 species of spiders in the world, all of which have been thought to be strict predators that feed on insects or other animals. Now, scientists have found that a small Central American jumping spider has a uniquely different diet: the species Bagheera kiplingi feeds predominantly on plant food. The spider inhabits several species of acacia shrubs involved in a co-evolutionary mutualism with certain ants. The ants fiercely guard the plants against most would-be herbivores, while the acacias provide both housing for the ants via swollen, hollow spines and food in the form of nectar (excreted from glands at the base of each leaf) and specialized leaf tips known as Beltian bodies. The Bagheera spiders are "cheaters" in the ant-acacia system, stealing and eating both nectar and—most remarkably—Beltian bodies without helping to defend the plant. The spiders actively avoid patrolling acacia-ants, relying on excellent eyesight, agility, and cognitive skills. Although they do occasionally prey on small invertebrates, the authors confirmed through both field observations and chemical analyses of the spiders' tissue that these arachnids eat a primarily vegetarian diet and almost all of the prey that the spiders do eat are acacia-defending ant larvae. The research, led by Christopher Meehan of Villanova University and Eric Olson of Brandeis University, will appear in the October 13 issue of Current Biology.
Epizoo Data Viewer Map Produced by USGS
October 12, 2009 wildlifedisease.nbii.gov
The Epizoo Data Viewer summarizes information on mortality events (epizootics) in wildlife gathered by members of the Field Investigations Team at the USGS National Wildlife Health Center in Madison, Wisconsin. Complete data from 1975 to 2003 are included, as well as some data from earlier years. Click the 'Query' button in the top navigation bar to pull up a search form. In the 'State' drop-down box select California and click on ‘Execute’ to view case reports. Click on a Disease to identify reports available.
Protecting the Nigeria-Cameroon Chimpanzee
October 12, 2009 www.edennewspaper.com
There are only about 5000 Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes ellioti) remaining in the wild. Recently, workshops were held in Limbe in Cameroon and Calabar in Nigeria to protect the subspecies. Dr. Bethan Morgan, head of the Central Africa Programme of Institute For Conservation Research, Zoological Society of San Diego, said the workshop was aimed at bringing together government, Non Governmental Organizations and other interested parties to try to formulate a conservation action plan to ensure the ape’s future. Dr. Morgan said, “We have always protected these animals. It has been protected as long as the wildlife laws exist in Cameroon. It is only recently (1997) that we realized that it is so special that it is only living in Cameroon and Nigeria. And so we really need to increase work done on these chimpanzees by both government and NGOs. This is a collaboration between every one who works for the protection of wildlife,” she continued. Dr. Morgan said there are marked genetic differences between the Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzee and other chimpanzees, adding that “we are presently trying to identify if there are any morphological characteristics. The Limbe workshop brought together Regional Delegates of Wildlife and Forestry and Environment and Nature Protection from the North West, South West, West and Centre regions where the Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzee is basically found in Cameroon. Other participants came from WWF, Wildlife Conservation Society, WCS, and the Zoological Society of San Diego.
Critical Habitat for the Arroyo Toad (Anaxyrus californicus)
October 13, 2009
www.epa.gov
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposes to revise designated critical habitat for the arroyo toad (Anaxyrus californicus). The previous final rule designated 11,695 acres of critical habitat and was published in the Federal Register (FR) on April 13, 2005. We now propose to designate approximately 109,110 ac of lands located in Santa Barbara, Ventura, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Riverside, Orange, and San Diego Counties, California, which, if finalized as proposed, would result in an increase of approximately 97,415 acres of critical habitat. We will consider comments we receive on or before December 14, 2009. You may submit comments via the Federal eRulemaking Portal or U.S. Mail: Public Comments Processing, Attn: FWS-R8-ES-2009-0069, Division of Policy and Directives Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, Suite 222, Arlington, VA 22203.
For general information on the proposed designation and information about the proposed revised designation in Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties, northern Los Angeles County, and the desert portion of San Bernardino County, contact Diane Noda, Field Supervisor, or Michael McCrary, Listing and Recovery Coordinator, Ventura Fish and Wildlife Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 2493 Portola Road, Suite B, Ventura, CA 93003; telephone (805) 644-1766. For information about the proposed revised designation in the remaining portions of Los Angeles and San Bernardino Counties, as well as Riverside, Orange, and San Diego Counties, contact Jim Bartel, Field Supervisor, Carlsbad Fish and Wildlife Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 6010 Hidden Valley Road, Suite 101, Carlsbad, CA 92011; telephone (760) 431-9440.
Saving East Africa’s Mara River Basin
October 13, 2009 www.nytimes.com By PETE BROWNE
A $3 million three-year program is being financed by the United States Agency for International Development in partnership with the East African Community, a regional intergovernmental organization linking Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi. The program aims to restore and protect the Mara River basin’s rich biodiversity — a key component of the tourism industry on which several countries in the region depend. The area faces extreme environmental issues from drought, deforestation and civil conflict. The Mara River basin spans both the Serengeti National Park and the Masai Mara game reserve – home to many of East Africa’s rare and exotic wildlife species. Larry Meserve, USAID’s director in East Africa, said, “the safari tourism industry in Kenya and Tanzania will be severely affected unless Africans manage their watershed ecosystems.” Tourism is vital for the economies of Kenya and Tanzania. Tourism accounts for 10 percent of gross domestic product in Kenya, and 16 percent in Tanzania.
Banggai Crow Rediscovered
October 13, 2009 www.eurekalert.org
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Known to science only by two specimens described in 1900, a critically endangered crow has re-emerged on a remote, mountainous Indonesian island. Two new specimens were found on Peleng Island in 2007 by Pamela Rasmussen, an Michigan State University assistant professor of zoology. An ornithologist who specializes on the birds of southern Asia, Rasmussen studied the two century-old specimens known as Corvus unicolor in New York's American Museum of Natural History. She compared them to the new crow specimens in Indonesia's national museum, to lay to rest speculation that they were merely a subspecies of a different crow. The more common Slender-billed Crow, or Corvus enca, also is found in the Banggai Islands, and likewise is all black. "The morphometric analysis I did shows that all four unicolor specimens are very similar to each other, and distinctly different from enca specimens. We also showed that the two taxa differ in eye color -- an important feature in Corvus," Rasmussen said. "Not only did this confirm the identity of the new specimens but also the specific distinctness of Corvus unicolor, which has long been in doubt." Professor Mochamad Indrawan of the University of Indonesia, and chairperson of the Indonesian Ornithologists' Union, conducted ecological field studies. He was assisted by collaborator Yunus Masala and by the Celebes Bird Club, members of which secured the new specimens that are now catalogued at the Museum Zoologicum Bogoriense in Java.
“Uncanny Valley” Effect in Humans & Monkeys
October 13, 2009 www.eurekalert.org
Realistic-looking robots and computer avatars often evoke negative responses in humans. Princeton University scientists showed monkeys these computer-generated images of monkeys and saw a similar response. Monkeys, they found, also are unsettled by images that are realistic but synthetic, a response known as the "uncanny valley" effect. The uncanny valley hypothesis was introduced by the Japanese roboticist Masahiro Mori in 1970. The "valley" refers to a dip in a graph that charts a human's positive reaction in response to an image on one axis and a robot's human-likeness on another. People like to study other human faces, and also enjoy faces that clearly are not human, such as a doll's or a cartoon figure's. But when an image falls in between -- close to human but clearly not -- it causes a feeling of revulsion. Karl MacDorman, an associate professor in the School of Informatics at Indiana University, believes the results will be of broad interest to scientists and non-scientists, including "ethologists, animal behaviorists, cognitive psychologists of human perception, evolutionary psychologists, primate social cognitive neuroscientists, humanoid roboticists and human character animators." Despite the widespread acknowledgement of the uncanny valley as a valid phenomenon, there are no clear explanations for it. The research was funded by the National Science Foundation.
Cost of Protecting U.S. Endangered Species
October 13, 2009 www.scientificamerican.com By John Platt
Protecting endangered species is an expensive proposition. The U.S. federal and state governments spent $1,537,283,091 toward conserving threatened and endangered species in 2007, plus another $126,086,999 in land purchases for habitat preservation, according to a new report from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS). A comprehensive report for fiscal 2007 (October 2006 to September 2007) is at: http://www.fws.gov/endangered/pdfs/expenditures/2007_expenditures.pdf. The report defines conservation to incorporate "any and all actions taken by Federal and State agencies on behalf of threatened or endangered species" (research, census, law enforcement, habitat acquisition and maintenance, propagation, live trapping, and transplantation).
• Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), which appears on the list multiple times because it is endangered at multiple sites - $165 million
• Other species of salmon— chum, coho and sockeye—required another $78 million in total spending, and the 11 populations of threatened steelhead trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), a close relative of the salmon - $128 million.
• Steller sea lion, western population lion (Eumetopias jubatus) - $53,232,788.
• Gray wolves (Canis lupus), which lost much of their ESA protection this year, received $4.3 million in 2007.
• The endangered Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis) - $6.3 million. One of the main threats facing the bat is the deadly white-nose syndrome, which was discovered during the fiscal year this report covers.
• Two hotly debated fish, the Delta smelt (Hypomesus transpacificus) - $6,678,869 and the moapa dace (Moapa coriacea) - $120,534
• The Florida panther (Puma concolor coryi) - $4,788,873. With an estimated population of just 100 adults, (nearly $4,800 per animal)
• Bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) left the Endangered Species list in June 2007. During their last fiscal year of protection - $9.5 million
* California condor - 1,916,457
FWS represents only about 7 percent of total federal expenditures related to the Endangered Species Act. The Federal Highway Association spent $34,977,711. The Army spent $45,093,322, while the Army Corps of Engineers spent $211,976,370. The Department of Energy's Bonneville Power Administration spent a whopping $533,223,325. Even the Bureau of Indian Affairs spent $75,000. This is all just a drop in the bucket of the total funds required to protect endangered species. Millions come from NGOs and private organizations, and many states have their own endangered species lists, which cover some species not included on the federal ESA.
WCS Humpback Whale Study
October 13, 2009 www.eurekalert.org
After 15 years of research in the waters of the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans, scientists from the Wildlife Conservation Society, the American Museum of Natural History, and an international coalition of organizations have published the largest genetic study of humpback whale populations ever conducted in the Southern Hemisphere. Dr. Howard Rosenbaum, Director of the Wildlife Conservation Society's Ocean Giants Program was lead author of the study that collected skin samples from 1,527 whales from fourteen sampling sites with biopsy darts fired from crossbows. The darts harmlessly bounce off the marine mammals as they surface to breathe. Samples came also from skin which is continually sloughed off by the animals and collected by the research teams. The samples were sent to the AMNH Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics for analysis. The research team specifically focused on mitochondrial DNA, which is passed through maternal lines of a population, in order to measure interchange between groups. In addition to examining the population boundaries of humpbacks in the Southern Hemisphere, the study also gives scientists some insight into the mysterious and mercurial nature of marine ecosystems, with currents, water depth, and other unseen factors serving as shifting conduits and barriers between marine populations and ecosystems. The results of the massive analysis appear in PLoS One. Other contributors to the study include: Columbia University; University of Pretoria; Environment Study of Oman; Instituto Baleia Jubarta and PURCS (Brazil); University of Cape Town; Marine and Coastal Management (South Africa); Faculdade de Biociências; Agence Nationale des Parcs Nationaux (Gabon); Association Megaptera (France); Université de La Rochelle (France).
USGS Report: Giant Invasive Snakes
October 13, 2009 www.usgs.gov
A new report authored by Dr. Robert Reed and other USGS scientists, details the risks of nine non-native boa, anaconda and python species that are invasive or potentially invasive in the United States. Native U.S. birds, mammals, and reptiles in areas of potential invasion have never had to deal with huge predatory snakes before. The reticulated python is the world’s longest snake, and the green anaconda is the heaviest snake. Both species have been found in the wild in South Florida, although breeding populations are not yet confirmed for either. Breeding populations have been confirmed in South Florida for Burmese pythons and the boa constrictor, and there is strong evidence that the northern African python may have a breeding population in the wild as well. “Compounding their risk to native species and ecosystems is that these snakes mature early, produce large numbers of offspring, travel long distances, and have broad diets that allow them to eat most native birds and mammals,” said Dr. Gordon Rodda. In addition, most of these snakes can inhabit a variety of habitats and are quite tolerant of urban or suburban areas. Boa constrictors and northern African pythons, for example, already live wild in the Miami
The report notes that there are no control tools yet that seem adequate for eradicating an established population of giant snakes once they have spread over a large area. Making the task of eradication more difficult is that in the wild these snakes are extremely difficult to find since their camouflaged coloration enables them to blend in well with their surroundings. “We have a cautionary tale with the American island of Guam and the brown treesnake,” said Reed. “Within 40 years of its arrival, this invasive snake has decimated the island’s native wildlife—10 of Guam’s 12 native forest birds, one of its two bat species, and about half of its native lizards are gone. The python introduction to Florida is so recent that the tally of ecological damage cannot yet be made.”
USGS researchers used the best available science to forecast areas of the country most at risk of invasion by these giant snakes. Based on climate alone, many of the species would be limited to the warmest areas of the United States, including parts of Florida, extreme south Texas, Hawaii, and America’s tropical islands, such as Puerto Rico, Guam, and other Pacific islands. For a few species, however, larger areas of the continental United States appear to exhibit suitable climatic conditions. For example, much of the southern U.S. climatic conditions are similar to those experienced by the Burmese python in its native range. However, many factors other than climate alone can influence whether a species can establish a population in a particular location, the report notes. The 300-page report provides a comprehensive review of the biology of these species as well as the risk assessment:
Indian or Burmese Python (Python molurus)
Northern African Python (Python sebae)
Southern African Python (Python natalensis)
Reticulated Python (Python [or Broghammerus] reticulatus)
Boa Constrictor (Boa constrictor)
Green Anaconda (Eunectes murinus)
Yellow Anaconda (Eunectes notaeus)
Beni or Bolivian Anaconda (Eunectes beniensis)
De Schauensee’s Anaconda (Eunectes deschauenseei)
The full report is at www.fort.usgs.gov
San Diego Zoo Releases 12 Hawaiian Forest Birds
October 14, 2009 www.signonsandiego.com By Susan Shroder
SAN DIEGO — Twelve puaiohi (a small Hawaiian thrush) were born and raised at the San Diego Zoo. They are on the federal list of endangered species and were released yesterday into a high-elevation wilderness preserve in Kauai – the only area they inhabit. 15 years ago, only 200 puaiohi were left in the wild. The zoo's bird conservation center (part of the Institute for Conservation Research) started receiving puaiohi eggs from the preserve in 1996. A total of 188 captive-bred puaiohi have been released into the Kauai forest during the past decade. The released birds are banded for identification and fitted for a radio transmitter that allows researchers to document their movement and survival. Other partners in the program are USFWS, USGS, and the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources.
Bat Conservation Workshop at Oregon Zoo
October 14, 2009 www.zandavisitor.com By Bill LaMarche
On Nov. 3, the Oregon Zoo, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management are hosting a daylong bat conservation workshop. Most of Oregon’s 15 bat species are listed by the Oregon Conservation Strategy as species in need of help. Anne Warner, Oregon Zoo conservation manager, said, "They all play important parts in Oregon ecosystems." The workshop is intended for professionals whose work affects bats (either directly or indirectly), including land and park managers, wildlife management officials, conservation groups, land-use consultants and contractors, health officials, researchers and educators. During lunch, renowned wildlife photographer Michael Durham will talk about some of his adventures taking pictures of bats and other "denizens of the dark." Cost to attend the workshop is $30, which includes lunch and snacks. Visit www.oregonzoo.org for more information.
Study of Helping Behavior in Chimpanzees
October 14, 2009 www.eurekalert.org
The evolution of altruism has mainly been explained from ultimate perspectives — I will help you now because I expect there to be some long-term benefit to me. However, a new study by researchers at the Primate Research Institute (PRI) and the Wildlife Research Center (WRC) of Kyoto University shows that chimpanzees altruistically help conspecifics, even in the absence of direct personal gain or immediate reciprocation, although the chimpanzees were much more likely to help each other upon request than voluntarily. Dr Shinya Yamamoto said, "While humans may help others without being solicited, the chimpanzees rarely voluntarily offered an effective tool to a struggling partner. Indeed, simple observation of another's failed attempts did not elicit voluntary helping in chimpanzees." Helping upon request may be a more economical and effective strategy. Altruistic behavior by definition produces no direct immediate benefit to the actor; making a request is a clear indicator to the actor that the recipient requires help, minimizing the risk to the actor of unnecessarily behaving altruistically. In this sense, "help upon request" is an ideal strategy since the helping is always helpful and not wasted. This type of altruism may have initially driven the prevalence and development of altruism during human evolution. The findings are published October 14 in the open-access, peer-reviewed journal PLoS ONE.
U.S. Considers Penguin Protection
October 14, 2009 www.scientificamerican.com By John Platt
There are no wild penguins in the U.S. But last December, the USFWS proposed protecting seven penguin species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Six of the species would be declared "threatened," whereas the seventh, the African penguin (Spheniscus demersus), would be listed as "endangered." Meanwhile the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) has announced plans to file another lawsuit to protect three penguin species not covered in the December proposal: The emperor penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri), is the world's largest and most ice-dependant penguin species; it has seen population drops of nearly 50% since the 1970s. The other two species, the northern and southern rockhopper penguin (Eudyptes moseleyi and E. chrysocome), actually had been recognized in the FWS's December proposal, but only for a few populations of the southern species. Listing of penguins under the ESA would make import or export of the species illegal without an ESA permit, and would also require federal agencies to ensure that any action carried out, authorized or funded by the U.S. government would not jeopardize the continued existence of the protected species.
Noise Pollution Study
October 14, 2009 news.bbc.co.uk
Sounds produced by vehicles, oil and gas fields and urban sprawl interfere with the way animals communicate, mate and prey on one another. Even the animals living in protected National Parks in the US are being exposed to chronic levels of noise. A scientific review has been published by three scientists based in Fort Collins, Colorado published in the journal Trends in Ecology and Evolution. They detail the extent to which noise pollution is now harming wild animals. "Many animal species evolved hearing sensitive enough to take advantage of the quietest conditions, and their hearing is increasingly compromised by noise," said Dr Jesse Barber. That intrusion can have a significant impact on the way wild animals communicate. Great tits sing at higher frequencies in response to urban noise, so they are better able to hear each other. Female grey tree frogs exposed to the sounds of passing traffic take longer to locate and find calling males, while European tree frogs call less overall. Noise pollution can also effect the ability of many animals such as owls and bats to find and hunt their prey. In the US alone, between 1970 and 2007, the US population increased by approximately one-third. Traffic on US roads tripled, to almost 5 trillion vehicle kilometers per year, while air traffic also more than tripled between 1981 and 2007, say the reviewers. Shipping noise has similarly increased, according to recent reviews of the effects that artificial noise has on marine mammals such as whales. Even National Parks are becoming increasingly affected. Despite being protected against the sprawl of towns and cities and other forms of development, noise carries into the parks from surrounding roads and planes flying overhead. Noise is audible during more than one quarter of daylight hours at more than half of 55 sites in 14 National Parks studied to date. At 12 sites, anthropogenic noise can be heard more than half the time.
Houston Zoo Offers iPhone App
October 15, 2009 houston.bizjournals.com By Greg Barr
The Houston Zoo is one of only two zoos in the world (the other is Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle) to offer an iPhone locator application to help visitors navigate their zoo. “We wanted the application to be a personalized guide for our guests, giving our visitors instant information about all the zoo has to offer so they can make the most of their visit,” said Kelly Russo, Houston Zoo director of interactive marketing. The application, designed in collaboration with Austin-based Avai Mobile Solutions, is available at the iTunes App Store. Visitors can start at the “Plan Your Day kiosk", to look up animals and plot their course. Available at no charge, the Zoo iPhone application displays guests’ locations on the zoo grounds using real-time GPS coordinates and allows visitors to access photos and videos of exhibits and animals and access daily “Meet the Keeper” presentations. The application home page also includes a link to a live Twitter stream.
Kew Now Has Seeds from 10% of World's Wild Plants
October 15, 2009 www.physorg.com
The banana from China, Musa itinerans, is an important staple for wild elephants and is also useful for breeding new types of the fruit, but is under threat as its jungle habitat is cleared for commercial agriculture. It became the 24,200th species of wild plant with seeds stored in the Millennium Seed Bank, a nine-year-old conservation project run by the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew and institutions in 54 countries. With it the project reaches its target to collect, bank and conserve seeds from 10 percent of the world's most under-threat wild plant species -- although it is already working towards a new goal of 25 percent of plants by 2020. Professor Stephen Hopper, director of the Royal Botanic Gardens in west London said, “About 60,000-100,000 species of plant are threatened with extinction -- a quarter of the total -- largely because of human behavior, whether through the clearing or over-exploitation of land or climate change." The seed partnership -- the largest of its kind in the world -- focuses on collecting those plants most at risk and storing them for future use in conservation or for research. Since 2000, more than 3.5 billion seeds have been collected and stored in air-tight containers in the temperature-controlled vaults at Kew's seed bank near Ardingly, southern England, as well as in their countries of origin.
New Wildlife Program: Nat Geo Wild
October 15, 2009 www.nytimes.com By Bill Carter
Fox Cable Networks and the National Geographic Channel announced Thursday that they will start a new program service that would focus on natural history and wildlife. A spinoff of the National Geographic Channel, it will be called Nat Geo Wild. The new service will concentrate on programs about animals in the wild. It is an extension of a network that has already found success internationally, with outlets in about 50 countries, including England, France and Germany. Wildlife coverage has always been among the most popular offerings of National Geographic in its magazine and on television, and the company already has a substantial library of natural history programs. Mr. Schiffman said the new channel would have access to that library but added that it had already commissioned a wide range of original programs. The new channel is expected to make its debut this spring and will be on the channel that currently is the home of the Fox Reality Channel.
Bat Mimicry
October 15, 2009 www.nature.org
Mirjam Knörnschild at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg in Germany and her colleagues recorded a total of 337 songs from 17 pups of the greater sac-winged bat (Saccopteryx bilineata) in Costa Rica and compared them with 57 territorial songs from six adult males belonging to the same harems as the pups. Acoustic analysis showed that as the pups matured, their calls developed into territorial songs that were similar to those of harem males. The team ruled out relatedness, gender and physical maturation as factors. The bats learned through imitation. The study appears in Biology Letters.
Where US Science Stimulus Money is Going
October 15, 2009 www.nature.com
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, passed by Congress in February 2009, provides about US$787 billion of stimulus funding to boost the country's economy. The journal Nature looks at where $52.65 billion of the money for science is being directed. Billions of dollars have been poured into the research agencies, with the largest chunk going to the Department of Energy ($36.7 billion) for much-needed programs in energy efficiency, environmental clean-up and research. At other agencies, such as the NIH ($10.4 billion), the National Science Foundation ($3 billion), and USGS ($140 million) stimulus money has allowed managers to fund a backlog of individual grants and accelerate planning for major infrastructure projects such as the NSF's real-time ocean. However, this influx of funds will largely end a year from now. The Obama administration is hoping to ask Congress to double the budgets of basic-research agencies over ten years, but it's far from clear whether Congress will grant such a request.
8 Different Primate Species Born at Singapore Zoo
October 15, 2009 www.zandavisitor.com By Biswajit Guha
SINGAPORE - The Singapore Zoo has successfully bred eight threatened primate species this year. The Goeldi’s monkey is classified as vulnerable; the lion-tailed macaque and the chimpanzee are classified as endangered, and the purple-faced langur and cotton-top tamarins are considered critically endangered by the IUCN. It is the zoo’s third purple-faced langur birth and the seventh Goeldi’s monkey birth. All of the young primates are with their mothers in their respective enclosures, with the exception of the purple-faced langurs, which are housed in the Primate Breeding Complex, off-exhibit. Mr Biswajit Guha, Assistant Director of Zoology says, “Captive breeding of endangered animals is an important pillar of Singapore Zoo’s mission towards wildlife conservation. The births reaffirm the work of our zoologists and vets, who have created ideal living conditions for the animals by carefully observing their behavior and managing their diets and habitats. The park has the largest collection of primate species globally.” To date, the Singapore Zoo has successfully bred a long list of animals, including the orangutan, proboscis monkey, king cobra, rhino iguana, Malayan tiger and Malayan tapir. Many animals have been exchanged with other reputable zoos for coordinated breeding programs.
Edmonton's Valley Zoo Gets $43 M Makeover
October 15, 2009 www.cbc.ca
EDMONTON, Alberta -- Edmonton city council approved $43 million Wednesday to pay for some of the items in the Valley Zoo's master plan. Most of the money will go to the sea mammals exhibit, once described by councillors as being in "embarrassing" condition. The money will help complete outdoor pools for the sea lions as well as an indoor holding facility, isolation tanks and interpretation exhibits. The zoo will also get a new information centre, ticket window, café, gift shop and education classrooms under the funding. There also will be a new path system between exhibits, which will include a stream showing off the various ecosystems in Alberta. Valley Zoo director Denise Prefontaine hopes to put the sea-mammals project out to tender this fall and start construction in the spring, with completion scheduled for 2011. The city has asked other levels of government to pay for other items in the zoo improvement plan.
New Elephants Acclimate at San Diego Zoo
October 15, 2009 www.sdnn.com
The two elephants brought to the San Diego Zoo from a private collection in Texas have both gained about 300 pounds and are building trust with their handlers. Jewel and Tina, who are believed to be in their mid-40s, were removed from their owner by the U.S. Department of Food and Agriculture and brought to San Diego in August. In recent examinations, the elephants willingly raised their legs to allow their feet to be cleaned and placed on a platform used for x-rays, a sign of increasing trust with their handlers. “When they first arrived, Tina wouldn’t let us near her rear end,” said Victoria Zahn, a senior keeper. “Now she presents her back feet perfectly so we can scrub and care for them — this is all part of the trusting relationship we are building with them.” Both animals remain in quarantine, and won’t be brought out for public viewing in the Elephant Odyssey exhibit until they clear all their health checks.
Cincinnati's Manatees Due for Release in Florida
October 15, 2009 news.cincinnati.com By John Johnston
The Cincinnati Zoo's manatees, Slip and Lil' Joe, arrived here four years ago, and since then, 12,521 people have spent the night with them as part of the zoo education department's Sleep with the Manatees program. Now the animals will return to Florida on a DHL Express cargo jet, and eventually released into the wild. The zoo will get two replacements, but probably not until next spring after upgrades are made to the 140,000-gallon tank and mechanical systems at Manatee Springs. Slip and Lil' Joe, both males, will be the sixth and seventh Cincinnati Zoo manatees to be set free as part of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service's Manatee Rescue, Rehabilitation and Release program, which began in 1973. It had returned 289 manatees to the wild as of last year. Cincinnati is one of three participating zoos outside of Florida. An aerial survey of Florida manatees earlier this year counted 3,800 animals, the highest number since 1991. But manatee deaths - often caused by collisions with boats - also are rising. In Florida, the manatees will spend at least several months at Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo learning to survive in the wild. That will include adjusting to a diet of aquatic plants. Dates for their release into Florida waters have not been set. When that happens, the animals will be monitored by radio transmitters attached to their bodies. They will be periodically examined. Animals that show signs of injury or ill health can be temporarily returned to captivity until they're ready for another release.
Sustainable Restoration of Vincennes Zoo
October 15, 2009 www.inhabitat.com By Bridgette Meinhold
VINCENNES, France -- A historic zoo built in Vincennes, France, in 1934 will soon undergo a major renovation. Backed by the French government, the Prime Minister has pledged to help engage a public/private partnership with a focus on conservation, education and awareness. The renovated zoo will feature six “biozones” to replicate endangered areas of the world. Run partially on solar power, the zoo will showcase several green buildings and sustainable landscape design. Originally designed by Architect Letrosne and inspired by Hamburg’s zoo by Hagenbeck, with a large artificial rock landmark that was overtly artificial. The new renovation will focus on creating natural habitats and replicate: savanna, equatorial African rain forests, Patagonia, French Guiana, Madagascar, and Europe. Each of these biozones will be a chance to describe the conservation efforts going on in these areas to educate and bring about awareness of environmental issues. The zoo’s landscape will be designed by TN PLUS Landscape Architects and the buildings will be designed by Beckmann N’Thepe. With help from two zoo specialists – Jean-Mark Lernould, former director of Mulhouse Zoo, and chairman of CEPA; and Monika Fiby, a zoo consultant, and project manager of the ZooLex Zoo Design Organization from Austria. the park is shaping up to be a model for new zoo construction and design. Solar power will be used to partially power the 14.5 acre park and renovations are expected to cost around €135 million. Regardless of your views on zoos and captivity of animals, this is an impressive and exciting concept for a zoological park.
"Safari Wild" Seeks State Approval
October 15, 2009 www.tbo.com
TAMPA BAY, Florida -- Polk County growth managers last week signed off on the final development approval for "Safari Wild". But because the project sits in the Green Swamp area, Florida's Department of Community Affairs will have 45 days to review the development package. The Green Swamp is a vast series of swamps, bogs, forests and pastures. It feeds four major rivers and provides drinking water for much of Central Florida, and is protected by state law. "If this project is not in compliance with the Green Swamp regulations, they can appeal that development order and it would go to an administrative hearing,'' said Polk County Growth Management Director Thomas Deardorff. According to the animal park's plans, Safari Wild will house 1,000 animals and entertain up to 500 visitors a day. On its Web site, former Lowry Park Zoo CEO Lex Salisbury, who is a partner in Safari Wild, says that the park will "allow for a new and improved guest experience with animals." Neighbors who see the park as a full scale commercial tourist operation hope the state rejects the plan.
Possible New Zoo For Vegas
October 15, 2009 www.ktnv.com
Entertainment options in Downtown Las Vegas could be expanding, in the form of a new zoo and some crocodile wrestling. The project would be run by the family of the late Steve Irwin who died three years ago after being hit in the chest by a stingray's barb. Representatives from the Australia Zoo in Queensland met this week with Mayor Goodman about opening a similar operation in Downtown Las Vegas. Whether the city would sell or lease the land to the Irwin group is still unknown. The city is waiting for a proposal. But one thing they do know is that it would be very different from the controversial Las Vegas Zoo that recently came under fire from the Humane Society of the United States after a hidden camera investigation. In addition to crocodiles, the zoo would have wombats and platypuses and koalas said Mayor Goodman.
Lay-Offs at Louisville Zoo
October 15, 2009 www.courier-journal.com By Sheldon Shafer
The Louisville Zoo will lay off 12 full-time employees across all categories, from education and administration to group sales and maintenance, leaving the zoo with about 120 full-time workers to help cover an estimated $1.2million revenue decline. The layoffs will be in addition to the elimination of jobs for two full-time and 18 part-time employees effective Nov. 1. Those jobs are being eliminated as part of city-wide cuts made in this fiscal 2009-10 budget to help deal with a revenue shortage estimated at $7million related to the recession. The zoo's revenue decline includes an estimated $400,000 from shutting down its train ride after a June 1 derailment that sent 22 people to the hospital. The state's Department of Agriculture ride inspectors continue to investigate the wreck, which has resulted in several lawsuits. It is uncertain when, or if, train rides will resume. Director John Walczak said other factors contributing to the revenue problem include declines in group rentals for picnics and meetings, individual and corporate contributions, and the amount of money visitors spend at the zoo. He believes revenue will be ~$9.1 M for the fiscal year that ends June 30, compared with about $10.3million last year. The zoo generates about 80 percent of its annual budget, with $2.3 million coming from the city's general fund.
Bird Species Share Nest Boxes in U.K.
October 15, 2009 news.bbc.co.uk
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) says it has received a surprising number of reports of different species sharing nest boxes. Barn owl nest boxes attract the most unusual tenants, with reports of kestrels and jackdaws moving in. Sharing blue tits, great tits and pied flycatchers have also been spotted. RSPB is urging people to put up nest boxes now, ahead of the breeding season next spring to avoid species harassing another. Experts believe a number of reasons could explain the phenomenon. Multiple cavities in some nest boxes could lead to the birds fledging from one cavity and returning to roost in the 'wrong hole' that is already occupied. Birds may also unwittingly lay their eggs in the active nest of another species, and, of course, a lack of nesting sites in some areas. Many larger birds which nest in holes in trees or in buildings are experiencing difficulties as older structures are knocked down or converted.
New Wind Turbine Design
October 15, 2009 www.enn.com
Designed by artist Laura Sink, the Natura Levo is a vertical axis wind turbine with two non-traditional blades that catch the wind from any direction. The technology will move to scale prototype testing through an alliance with Renewable PowerTech Inc. The wind turbine design features a variable input electrical generator, matching wind speed with generating efficiency. The missing link on the green generation side was a small wind turbine that people can live with. Natura Levo wind turbines will also serve to power EV (electric vehicle) Charging Stations. The wind turbines will replenish the draw on the grid from electric vehicles and will be deployed throughout the country. A picture of Natura Levo is at http://www.renewablepowertech.com/wind_turbines.html
“BirdLife International” Adopts Web Site Advertising
October 15, 2009 www.birdlife.org
BirdLife’s Chief Executive, Dr. Marco Lambertini announced, “We’ve decided to run adverts on our website to help fund our urgent global conservation action. It’s just like placing adverts in a magazine or newspaper, but is greener and cheaper to administer”. The adverts are displayed on every webpage, and are carefully vetted to be from ethically sound companies, with a well designed format which doesn’t detract from the website’s content. “In consultation with BirdLife Council this is part of a strategy to diversify income”, added Dr Lambertini. “In this time of great financial uncertainty, all charities are looking for new ways to ensure that their work continues to get done. The world’s economy might be faltering, but conservation threats continue to grow!” The advertising and creative solutions are purchased through advertising partner Digital Spring.
Bontebok Hunting Permit Request
October 16, 2009
www.epa.gov
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service invites the public to comment on the following applications for permits to conduct certain activities with endangered species. Written data, comments or requests must be received by November 16, 2009. Documents and other information submitted with these applications are available for review, by any party who submits a written request for a copy of such documents within 30 days of the date of publication of this notice to: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Division of Management Authority, 4401 North Fairfax Drive, Room 212, Arlington, Virginia 22203; fax 703/358-2281. For further information contact Division of Management Authority, telephone 703/358-2104. The following applicants each request a permit to import the sport-hunted trophy of one male bontebok (Damaliscus pygargus pygargus) culled from a captive herd maintained under the management program of the Republic of South Africa, for the purpose of enhancement of the
survival of the species.
Applicant: Frank M. Cole, Sidney, NE, PRT-223386
Applicant: Dennis F. Gaines, Connelly Springs, NC, PRT-227937
Applicant: Bobby Whiteaker, Pineville, AR, PRT-228645
Applicant: Deborah M. Filpula, Rancho Cordova, CA, PRT-229192
White Rhino Born at Colchester Zoo
October 16, 2009 news.bbc.co.uk
A white rhino calf was born to mom Cynthia on October 3, at the Colchester Zoo in Essex. Named Zamba, he is believed to be the first white rhino born in the UK through artificial insemination (AI). The father to the calf, Simba, died at the zoo in April. Zamba's birth was made possible by a pioneering artificial insemination treatment developed by experts at the Leibniz Institute of Zoo and Wildlife Research in Berlin.
U.S. Seeks Limits on Polar Bear Hunting
October 16, 2009 www.startribune.com By Dina Cappiello
WASHINGTON - In a proposal filed this week, the U.S. Interior Department is asking other countries to support a ban on the commercial trade of polar bears and to strictly regulate trophy hunting. The request, if approved, would give the bear the most stringent protection afforded under an international convention to protect endangered species. It would also upgrade protections for the bear internationally for the first time since 1975, when the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, or CITES, required export permits for the polar bear. Since then, mounting scientific evidence has shown that Arctic sea ice is melting and suggests that global warming may cause the disappearance of summer sea ice in 30 years. In May 2008, the U.S. classified the polar bear as a threatened species, the first with its survival at risk due to global warming. The determination made all but subsistence hunting illegal. Since the early 1990s the market for polar bear carcasses and parts has increased. From 1992 to 2006, approximately 31,294 live polar bears, carcasses or parts were exported to 73 different countries, according to data collected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. Skins are the most popular export item, and Canada is the largest commercial exporter.
Snow Leopard Breeding Program
October 16, 2009 www.scientificamerican.com By John Platt
Between 4,000 to 6,000 snow leopards exist in the wild. About 550 live in captivity in zoos. The species's limited genetic range has weakened the animals' immune systems and left them susceptible to a variety of diseases, such as pneumonia, enteritis from salmonella, and two different papillomaviruses, "which cause them to develop squamous cell carcinomas on their skin and in their mouths," Barr says. The big cats also have problems similar to those in overbred domesticated animals, like hip dysplasia and colobomas (eye lesions). Next month, a team from the College of Veterinary Medicine at Western University of Health Sciences in Pomona, Calif., will begin a year-long project to develop a DNA-based breeding program for the snow leopard. Principal investigators Margaret Barr, Kristopher Irizarry and Janis Joslin have received a $100,000 IMLS grant to develop the new breeding program. As part of its research, the team will collect and store DNA samples from up to 100 snow leopards from North American captive populations. "Some of these samples will be used to generate a sequence of the snow leopard genome and to begin to identify genes that might play a role in the snow leopard's increased susceptibility to some diseases," Barr says. Prior to that, the team plans to organize a workshop for several groups interested in snow leopard conservation, including "zoo curators and veterinarians involved in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' Snow Leopard Species Survival Plan (SSP); key members of some SSPs for other endangered animals; geneticists and experts in genomics; immunologists; and reproductive physiologists," Barr says. The team will use the workshop to come up with a "comprehensive strategy for applying functional genomics to animal conservation issues."
Migratory Route of Eleanora’s Falcon Discovered
October 16, 2009 www.eurekalert.org
Satellite tracking has allowed a research team to uncover the mysteries of the migration of Eleanora's falcon for the first time. In total, the bird flies more than 9,500 kilometers across the African continent from the Balearic and Columbretes Islands before reaching the island of Madagascar. Some of the previously-obscure secrets now revealed by the scientists show that these falcons migrate by both day and night, and cross supposed ecological barriers such as the Sahara Desert. Tagged by researchers from the Universities of Valencia (UV) and Alicante (UA) in the colonies of the Balearic Islands between 2007 and 2008 and in the Columbretes Islands in the province of Castellón in 2008, the falcons started their migrations in the autumns of 2007 and 2008. During the two-month migration, the biologists received hundreds of position signals for the adults (throughout 10 countries) and the juveniles (in 14 countries). Their migratory route to return to Europe in the spring once again crosses the African continent, but they follow a completely different path from that used for the autumn migration, flying for more than 1,500km non-stop over the Indian Ocean from Madagascar to Somalia, a phenomenon that has never before been described in birds of prey of this genus, and which pushes them to the limits of their physiological capacity.
Third Bongo Born at Norfolk Zoo
October 16, 2009 www.wavy.com
NORFOLK, Va. – A third bongo was born on October 13. Mother Betty went into labor while on exhibit around 4:30 p.m., and several zoo visitors had the amazing opportunity to witness the birth and see the baby take its first steps. Zookeepers named the male calf Baxter. Baxter follows females Elka and Jade. They join the Virginia Zoo's herd of three adult females, one adult male and now five juveniles and newborns for a total heard size of nine bongos.
Free Admission to San Diego Zoo & Wild Animal Park for Kids
October 16, 2009 eastcountymagazine.org
“Kids Free Days” for children 11 years old and younger has been expanded and is now available all during the month of October. Come check out two fun, new play areas at the San Diego Zoo, and experience “Radical Reptiles” at the Discovery Station in the Wild Animal Park at San Pasqual.
LA Zoo’s Pachyderm Forest Progressing
October 16, 2009 la.curbed.com by Adrian Glick Kudler
The Los Angeles Zoo's new Pachyderm Forest exhibit has been in a jeopardy a few times. Last December the City Council's Budget and Finance Committee voted to stop work on the exhibit, but the full City Council turned that decision around a couple months later. And now there's a lawsuit pending that charges Los Angeles Zoo with abusing elephants. Despite the controversy, the last phase of construction is more than a third done, and the zoo is projecting an opening in November 2010. The new space will be made up of three connected yards on more than six acres (which is more than seven times the size of the current space). Elephants will enjoy "waterfalls for washing and playing, waterholes for bathing, a variety of natural surfaces for walking and standing that will promote foot and joint care, and natural topographic and planted environments." Visitors will enter through one of "five distinct asian-inspired gateways" and learn about the threats to Asian Elephants in Thailand, Cambodia, India, and China. The architect is Portico Group, who also designed the zoo's China Golden Monkey exhibit. The zoo’s only elephant at this time, 23-year-old Billy, will be moving into one of the completed parts of the Pachyderm Forest soon, and the zoo plans to bring in one more male and three females for from other U.S. zoos. Drawings at la.curbed.com
National Zoo’s Sells Out Adult Halloween Party
October 16, 2009 www.washingtoncitypaper.com
The National Zoo’s first adult (not to be confused with adult-themed) Halloween bash has already proven to be as popular as the zoo’s kiddy nights are each year. Night of the Living Zoo, an adults-only night presented by Magic Hat on October 30, sold out over two weeks ahead of time, at $25 a ticket. The folks at FONZ (the Zoo’s Friends Association) and Magic Hat ask guests to come in costume to enjoy a night of decked-out animal houses, palm readers, fire eaters, illusionists, live music, and dancing. Food and Magic Hat beer will also be available for purchase. Magic Hat “elixirs” featured at the event include their standard #9 “Not Quite Pale Ale” as well as three seasonal releases: Lucky Kat, an American IPA, Howl, a Black Winter Lager, and the Winter ‘09 Odd Notion, an American-Style Sour Ale this time around.
Biomimicry: Cheetahs, Geckos and Spider Robotics
October 16, 2009 www.wired.com By Priya Ganapati
Robotic designer Sangbae Kim, a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, looks to the animal kingdom for ideas for creating mobile robots. Locomotion and movement are the core parts of an animal’s life. “Animals have to find food, shelter; move towards water or away from a predator,” he says. “Moving is one of their biggest functions, and they do it very well.” Some roaches can move at nearly 50 times their body length in one second, which, scaled up to human levels, can be around 200 miles an hour. Roaches don’t control their legs very carefully, says Kim. They have six small legs that are thrown about 15 times a second. “They are relying a lot on their mechanical property to move forward,” he says. “At the same time it’s also not about being extremely precise in how they place their legs.” Studying the movement of roaches led to the development of hand-sized hexapedal robots or a new family of ’sprawl’ robots. The robots are designed to test ideas about locomotion dynamics, leg design and leg arrangement. The iSprawl, which was the first bio-robot designed by Kim, can cover 7.5 feet per second. iSprawl has a battery and electric motor, and a power transmission system that converts rotary motion to leg thrust. It also has a push-pull cable transmission system. Kim and Stanford professor Mark Cutkosky have designed the Stickybot, a robot that has foot pads based on a gecko’s feet, and iSprawl, a robot whose motion is inspired from cockroaches. Kim’s latest project is a robot inspired by the cheetah. The idea is build a prototype robot from a lightweight carbon-fiber-foam composite that can run at at least half the cheetah’s top speed of 70 miles per hour. Current wheeled robots are efficient, but can be slow in rough terrains. For instance, iRobot’s PackBot, which is used by the U.S. military, can only travel at speeds of up to 5.8 miles per hour. The biggest challenge in this project won’t be the structure, but getting enough power from a motor to get to the desired speed quickly, says Kim. See: http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2009/10/animal-inspire-robotic-designs/
USFWS White Nose Syndrome Plan
October 18, 2009 www.citizen.com By ROBERT M. COOK
White nose syndrome has wiped out an estimated 1.5 million bats and killed off the entire bat population in some locations. It has rapidly spread from the Albany, N.Y., area, where it first appeared in caves in the winter of 2006 and 2007, to nine states from New Hampshire to West Virginia. It is expected to show up in bat caves this winter in Kentucky, Tennessee and other Midwestern and Southern states, and biologists think it may reach the West Coast within two to three years. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's draft plan to help states deal with the disease can be reviewed at www.fws.gov/northeast/white_nose.html. Agency officials said last week that they hope to finalize the plan by late fall, before the syndrome starts showing up in new sites this winter. Bats eat thousands of pounds of agricultural pests and nuisance species like mosquitoes every summer, and both the food production and timber industries could be affected.
Siberian Tiger Monitoring
October 18, 2009 news.mongabay.com By Jeremy Hance
After a decade of stability, the Siberian Tiger Monitoring Program (a collaboration between the Wildlife Conservation Society and several Russian government organizations) has found evidence that the Amur tiger's (Siberian Tiger) population may be falling. This year's annual survey, which covers only a portion of tiger habitat in Russia, found only 56 adult tigers: a forty percent decrease from the average of 95 tigers. Yuri Dunishenko, a scientist at the All-Russia Wildlife Research Institute in Khabarovsk, and a coordinator of the Siberian Tiger Monitoring Program, said, "Deep snows this past winter may have forced tigers to reduce the amount they traveled, making them less detectable, but nonetheless, we’ve seen a 4-year trend of decreasing numbers of tigers and this is most likely due to poaching." Amur tigers are poached for the lucrative black market in tiger parts, including tiger skins, meat, and other body parts for use in traditional Chinese medicines, even though the effectiveness of these medicines has never been proven. Researchers also found that tiger prey—red deer and roe deer—is also declining.
Innovation at the San Diego Zoo & Wildlife Park
October 19, 2009 www.sci-tech-today.com By Jessie Scanlon
In 2008, despite more than 4.5 million annual visitors and $200 million in annual revenues, and a operating profit of $13 million, the San Diego Zoo & Wildlife Park’s Chief Financial Officer Paula Brock told the executive committee, that the long-standing model of funding conservation research and educational initiatives from entertainment revenues [tickets, food, and merchandise] and donations couldn't be maintained- -- The zoo had to innovate. And it has, by identifying new ways to connect with visitors and finding lucrative revenue sources such as long-term business consulting and events like a recent sold-out biomimicry conference and a planned expo showcasing eco-friendly products. The organization’s goal was to position itself as a world leader in conservation to attract more funding. Lara Lee of Jump Associates, a growth-strategy firm, asked them to think about how they could develop a sustainable growth strategy by identifying new revenue streams to fund conservation and grow the business. Lee's team talked to employees from all departments about the organization's strengths and weaknesses, and then asked visitors about their perceptions of the zoo and attitudes towards conservation. They found, for instance, that while visitors care about the planet, they didn't use the word "conservation" and they didn't know exactly how to proceed. Combining that input with a broad rethinking of the zoo's competitors in the conservation arena -- from other zoos and traditional conservation organizations to entertainment and retail brands -- Lee created an "opportunity map," or a visual representation of the marketplace. The map had four quadrants defined by two axes. The 12-member zoo team chose individual needs vs. the world's needs as the horizontal axis, and direct vs. indirect involvement as the vertical axis. "By re-examining the conservation landscape through the needs of ordinary people, we discovered that the San Diego Zoo's key competitors aren't obvious players like the Bronx Zoo or even Disney's Animal Kingdom -- they're organizations like Whole Foods and Discovery Communications that also meet people where they are on issues of conservation," says Lee. The Zoo team saw 14 areas of opportunity -- with a cluster around the idea that many people and companies want to do right by the planet, but aren't sure how. Jump created a strategic plan to help the zoo executives prioritize new projects.
Step One: building the zoo's strengths and credibility. Bringing corporate executives together with Zoo experts to discuss the issues. Building partnerships with the City and Biomimicry Institute.
Step Two: connecting people with conservation. Connecting with younger consumers – more web site videos; a zipline ride at the Wild Animal Park
Step Three: cultivating conservation leadership through the zoo's venture business office, expanding its consulting business with clients such as the USFWS, the Emirate of Abu Dhabi; using its facilities to showcase sustainable technologies and products; making conservation more accessible to millions of visitors. Debra Erickson, associate director of communications says, "There are 11 more strategies to build conservation funding just waiting to be developed."
49-Year-Old Toledo Zoo Chimpanzee Dies
October 19, 2009 toledoblade.com By Megan Gilbert-Cunningham
Fifi, a 49-year-old female chimp, died Friday at the Toledo zoo after a rapid decline in health. Randi Meyerson, the zoo's curator of mammals said, "Fifi came to the zoo in 1963 at the age of 3 and was a well-liked member of the community with a strong personality.”
On Thursday she started showing signs that she was stiff and tired. Chief Veterinarian Chris Hanley examined her and started her on medication, which improved her condition and on Friday morning she was moving better and was more active. By the afternoon, however, she had become disoriented, deteriorated rapidly, and died. A necropsy revealed possible blood vessel abnormalities in the brain, and further tests are pending to determine a cause of death. The loss of Fifi leaves just one chimpanzee at the zoo, the 50-year-old male named Harvey. Fifi was one of the oldest female chimps in the North American zoo population. The Toledo Zoo plans to work with the chimpanzee Species Survival Plan, to decide the best social situation for Harvey now that he is alone. Harvey came to the zoo in 1971, but left for a few years to Baltimore in a failed attempt to get him to breed.
San Francisco Zoo Struggles Financially
October 19, 2009 www.sfexaminer.com
The San Francisco Zoo currently faces a deficit of some $3 million, on top of about $2 million in debt, and so on Thursday the Recreation and Park Commission, which oversees the zoo, decided to let the facility itself call the shots on hours of operation when the weather becomes wet and windy. Furthermore, the commission says the Zoo should close at 4 p.m. instead of 5 p.m. from November to March. “At times, we have less than 10 visitors between those hours,” zoo Director Tanya Peterson said. It is hoped that the savings will be around $3,500 a week. Since the tiger mauling in 2007 and the recession, admission has dropped, visitor spending is down and donors have invested less in the zoo. Earlier this year, the facility could not make payments on a $2 million combined tab owed to the Recreation and Park Department to cover the pay of city employees who work at the zoo and to the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission for bills. The organization has offered early retirement options to about 35 of its 225 employees. Only 18 are expected to accept.
Audubon Zookeepers Join Teamsters
October 19, 2009 www.nola.com By Bruce Eggler
NEW ORLEANS, LA -- Audubon's zookeepers have voted 17-14 to join Teamsters Local 270. Despite the close vote, the zoo's management has decided not to challenge the election results, and the union will now be certified as the workers' official bargaining agent. Audubon has a total staff of about 600, including 450 full-time workers. The Teamsters represent zookeepers and other workers at several of the country's best-known zoos, including the San Diego Zoo and Chicago's Brookfield Zoo. "The Audubon Zoo workers were being treated poorly, and they knew about the union zoo in Chicago and how working under a Teamster contract has made things better for them, " said David Negrotto, president of Local 270. Dale Stastny, executive vice president and chief operating officer of the Audubon Nature Institute, said Audubon's management advised the workers against joining the union, pointing out raises they have received and what he said is a generous health care package. He said the zoo's top executives have focused so intently since Hurricane Katrina on rebuilding Audubon's damaged facilities and trying to increase attendance that they failed to communicate to some workers the "bigger picture" of Audubon's post-Katrina financial challenges. Stastny said he and other top Audubon officials "were caught essentially by surprise" when notified by the National Labor Relations Board of the zookeepers' petition for an election.
Protective Regulations for Killer Whales in the Northwest
October 19, 2009
www.epa.gov
The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is extending the public comment period for proposed regulations to prohibit vessels from approaching killer whales within 200 yards and from parking in the path of whales for vessels in inland waters of Washington State. The proposed regulations would also prohibit vessels from entering a conservation area during a defined season. The proposed rule was published July 29, 2009, opening a 90-day public comment period and noticing two public meetings. In response to requests from the public, on September 17, 2009, we published a notice in the Federal Register announcing an additional public meeting. We are issuing this notice to announce an 80-day extension of the public comment period in response to requests to provide more time for the public to review the proposed regulation and provide comments. We recognize that by extending the public comment period, we will not have sufficient time to issue a final rule prior to the 2010 summer boating season. We continue to believe that it is important to address the adverse effects of vessel traffic on killer whales in the near future. Written or electronic comments on the proposed rule and draft Environmental Assessment (EA) from all interested parties are encouraged and must be received no later than January 15, 2010. Comments on the proposed rule, draft EA and any of the supporting documents can be submitted via: E-mail: orca.plan@noaa.gov, or mail to Assistant Regional Administrator, Protected Resources Division, Northwest Regional Office, National Marine Fisheries Service, 7600 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, WA 98115. The draft EA and other supporting documents are available on Regulations.gov and the NMFS Northwest Region Web site. For further information contact: Lynne Barre, Northwest Regional Office, 206-526-4745; or Trevor Spradlin, Office of Protected Resources, 301-713-2322.
Reducing Biodiversity Loss by 2010
October 19, 2009 www.nature.com
In 2002, more than 120 countries adopted a target to achieve a "significant reduction" in the rate of biodiversity loss by 2010. That aim will not be met, says Georgina Mace, director of the Centre for Population Biology at Imperial College London. The next generation of targets will aim for a more positive outcome and set more easily measurable goals, says David Cooper of the Convention on Biological Diversity secretariat in Montreal. The targets are likely to aim for a complete halt to biodiversity loss by 2050, and to set more modest interim targets for 2020. The new targets will be designed to encourage countries to address the underlying drivers of biodiversity loss, such as climate change and unsustainable land use, Cooper says. They will also recognize the socioeconomic value of 'biodiversity services', such as tourism revenue generated by coral reefs or the carbon sequestration value of a forest. The new goals are being agreed through a set of international negotiations, to culminate in Japan in October 2010. There, governments will also consider whether to set up an Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services to bridge the gap between science and policy. Science advice is currently slow to reach policy-makers, says Steiner, and too piecemeal when it gets to them. Scientists also need to find better ways of estimating biodiversity loss, Mace says. Writing in Science last month, a team led by UNEP's Matt Walpole identified serious shortcomings in the indicators used to measure progress towards the 2010 target, such as monitoring changes in species' status on the IUCN’s endangered 'red list' or in the size of protected areas. But the indicators do not include any measurement of the effects of climate change on biodiversity, and few address the societal benefits of safeguarding species. Cooper adds that scientists need to better integrate data to provide a more holistic picture of biodiversity trends. "We need to develop a monitoring system," he said. Launched in 2008, the Biodiversity Observation Network of the Group on Earth Observations aims to be a one-stop shop for information on biodiversity. It will release indicators, generate maps of priority areas, provide conservation plans and report on trends in uses of biological resources. Chairman Bob Scholes, of South Africa's Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, says the network will start producing a "strong element" of this bigger picture in two to three years' time.
Prospect Park Offers Parent-Child Science Workshops
October 19, 2009 www.brooklyneagle.com
PROSPECT PARK — The Prospect Park Zoo Education Department is offering a very unique parent-child workshop: science-time. Known as SPARKS (Supporting Parents in Advocacy, Reform, and Knowledge in Science), the workshop offers a unique opportunity for parents to help make science accessible for kids through hands-on activities, animal encounters, and other interactive teaching methods. With science test scores of U.S. students — particularly those in urban public schools — failing to meet national standards, cultural institutions like the Prospect Park Zoo are seeking innovative ways to supplement classroom learning. SPARKS parents learn about the scientific method, multiple intelligences theory, and how standards are used in schools, all while doing hands-on activities that they can take home to do with their kids. SPARKS parents will also go behind the scenes at the zoo, meet some zoo animals, study animal behavior and learn about doing worm-composting with children. The two-day workshops run from 9 to 4:30 each day. It is for parents of pre-schoolers and elementary schoolers and for adults only.
Endangered Species Numbers and Politics
October 19, 2009 www.time.com By BRYAN WALSH
A new paper in the journal Biological Conservation by a team of Australian researchers claims that current conservation policy tends to underestimate the number of individuals needed in a population of endangered species to remain viable. Lead author, Lochran Traill feels animal populations should number in the thousands for survival — not in the hundreds, which is what most conservationists aim for. Small, dispersed populations are more easily wiped out, and more susceptible to inbreeding, which leads to a decrease in genetic diversity and further pushes the species toward extinction. So the goal is to boost species' numbers, and the long-standing rule for such conservation is 50/500 — meaning that 50 adults in a population are required to avoid the risks of inbreeding, and 500 are needed to avoid extinction due to sudden environmental change. But the new study estimates that a better rule would be 5,000 — meaning no fewer than 5,000 adult individuals are needed to keep a species safe from the threat of extinction. Increasing species numbers, however, may not be possible. The main hurdle, not surprisingly, is politics. The needs of a real conservation effort may require a level of animal protection beyond what is politically possible. That puts conservationists in a bind. Do they push for the tighter levels of protection that might successfully preserve endangered species or do they accept what is politically feasible? Traill writes, "We suggest that most vulnerable species are not really being managed for viability, but conservation targets in most cases merely aim to maximize short-term [species] persistence and fit with complex political and financial realities." [The 50/500 rule is quite simplistic. For a more complete explanation of the IUCN’s species criteria see: www.iucnredlist.org]
H1N1 Found in Pig at Minnesota State Fair
October 19, 2009 www.usda.gov
WASHINGTON- - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that USDA's National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) has confirmed the presence of 2009 pandemic H1N1 influenza virus in a pig sample collected at the Minnesota State Fair submitted by the University of Minnesota as part of a cooperative agreement research project funded by the CDC. Additional samples are being tested. Vilsack said, “There is no scientific basis to restrict trade in pork and pork products. People cannot get this flu from eating pork or pork products. Pork is safe to eat." The infection of the fair pig does not suggest infection of commercial herds because show pigs and commercially raised pigs are in separate segments of the swine industry that do not typically interchange personnel or animal stock. USDA continues to remind U.S. swine producers about the need for good hygiene, biosecurity and other practices that will prevent the introduction and spread of influenza viruses in their herd and encourage them to participate in USDA's swine influenza virus surveillance program. The USDA’s 2009 pandemic H1N1 efforts is available at www.usda.gov/H1N1flu
National Academy of Sciences Energy Study
October 19, 2009 www.nytimes.com By MATTHEW L. WALD
WASHINGTON — Burning fossil fuels costs the United States about $120 billion a year in health costs, mostly because of thousands of premature deaths from air pollution, the National Academy of Sciences reported in a study ordered by Congress. The damages are caused almost equally by coal and oil. The estimates do not include damages from global warming, which has been linked to the gases produced by burning fossil fuels. The authors said the extent of such damage, and the timing, were too uncertain to estimate. Nor did the study measure damage from burning oil for trains, ships and planes. And it did not include the environmental damage from coal mining or the pollution of rivers with chemicals that were filtered from coal plant smokestacks to keep the air clean. The study lends support to arguments that society should pay extra for energy from sources like the wind and the sun, because their indirect costs are extremely small. But it also found that renewable motor fuel, in the form of ethanol from corn, was slightly worse than gasoline in its environmental impact. The study found that operating nuclear plants did not impose significant environmental costs, although uranium mining and processing did. But 95 percent of uranium mining takes place in other countries, the study said. Canada and Australia together account for 44 percent of world production. The committee did not put a dollar value on the risk of a nuclear accident that would produce environmental damage. It also noted the uncertainty of the cost of long-term disposal of high-level wastes.
The committee said environmental damage from gasoline and diesel fuel cost 1.2 cents to 1.7 cents per mile. The study did not calculate the military cost of protecting fuel imports. As for wind energy, the study said it killed birds but not enough to seriously affect populations. A possible exception was raptors, birds of prey that ordinarily eat species whose numbers are being reduced by spinning turbine blades. The study was not kind to ethanol. A mixture of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent unleaded gasoline, or E85, showed slightly higher damages to environment and health than ordinary gasoline, because of the energy required to raise the corn and make ethanol from it. Electric vehicles and vehicles using synthetic diesel fuel, also ranked poorly. The electric vehicles might do better if emissions of heat-trapping gases had been factored in, because they have lower carbon dioxide emissions per mile than gasoline-powered cars. But the cars running on artificial diesel would look slightly worse in that analysis, the study said.
Chydrid Fungus Workshop in Panama
October 19, 2009 www.eurekalert.org
A workshop at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama has dramatically improved the ability of conservationists and regulatory agencies to monitor the spread of chytridiomycosis. This disease is probably responsible for the extinction of nearly 100 frog species since the 1970s. During the past decade, the epidemic swept from the highlands of Costa Rica through western Panama. It is now moving toward eastern Panama from Colombia. "The fungus spreads so rapidly because humans ship nearly 100 million amphibians around the world each year, mainly for food and pets, with virtually no disease testing," said Kerry Kriger, executive director of the U.S. non-profit, Save The Frogs! and course instructor with Sandra Victoria Flechas from Universidad de los Andes in Colombia. This hands-on course trained 22 scientists on the frontlines to use a genetic technique called quantitative polymerase chain reaction, PCR, which detects even single fungal spores. Kriger said, "The beauty of PCR is that you don't have to kill the frog or take a skin sample to test for the disease." Researchers run a cotton swab over a frog to pick up any fungal DNA, and use quantitative PCR to evaluate the sample. The technique was developed by Donna Boyle and colleagues in Australia in 2004 and modified by Kriger who made it more rapid, cost-effective and wrote a simplified protocol for scientists with no specialized training. The Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project, supported by a consortium of zoos and research institutes and coordinated by the Smithsonian's National Zoo, is building a new Amphibian Rescue Center at Summit Nature Park near Panama City. "During the next several months we will collect frog species on the brink of extinction. We'll use quantitative PCR to make sure that the center's rescue pods—frog habitats made from retrofitted shipping containers—stay fungus free," said Roberto Ibáñez, Smithsonian staff scientist and local director of the project.
Marine Conservation Plan for Southern California
October 19, 2009 www.signonsandiego.com By Mike Lee
The Marine Life Protection Act, is a 1999 law that mandates redrawing California's conservation zones to increase populations of fish, shellfish and other sea life. By Thursday, a statewide Blue Ribbon Task Force is expected to choose a conservation plan for Southern California — technically labeled as the South Coast. Then the California Fish and Game Commission will review that pick starting in December and likely make a final decision in 2010. Fred Keeley, a former assemblyman and co-author of the protection act, said, “Thoughtful, precautionary management of our fish and other marine wildlife (is) essential if we want to continue to reap their benefits.” The South Coast is the third of five areas to be remapped along California's 1,100-mile coastline, after the Central and North Central regions. Revamping of the whole network should be done by 2012. The South Coast region stretches from the U.S.-Mexico border to Point Conception, northwest of Santa Barbara. It's home to more than 20 million people and lobby groups for almost every ocean-related activity. The main proposed closures are off Del Mar, Encinitas, La Jolla and Sunset Cliffs. Currently, 42 marine protected areas cover about 182 square miles along the South Coast. Each of the three proposals before the panel would more than double that territory. The plans differ in the specific spots proposed for closure. Those variations have a big effect on short-term financial projections. The blueprint backed by most anglers would cause a 10.3 percent decline in profits for commercial fishermen in Southern California, while the one supported by most conservationists would lead to an 18.9 percent decline.
Asian Yellow Pond Turtles Hatch in U.K.
October 19, 2009 www.northamptonchron.co.uk
NORTHAMPTON, UK -- Several years ago, two male and two female adult Asian yellow pond turtles were lent to Moulton College by Woburn Safari Park as part of their zoo transfer and captive breeding program. Last year, the College became one of a highly select group of animal collections in the UK to successfully get a female turtle to lay eggs. After a 6-month incubation period, the egs were found to be fertile with two males and a female hatchling. They will be cared for at the Animal Welfare Centre until they have grown to their adult size, and can be moved to a new collection. The species, Mauremys mutica is found in the ponds and slow-moving streams of China, Japan, and Vietnam.
Cattle Family Tree is Established
October 19, 2009 www.eurekalert.org
COLUMBIA, Mo. — Pairing a new approach to prepare ancient DNA with a new scientific technique developed specifically to genotype a cow, a team of international researchers, has created a very accurate and widespread "family tree" for cows and other ruminants, going back as far as 29 million years. The research revealed domesticated cattle moving sequentially through Turkey, the Balkans and Italy, then spreading through Central Europe and France, and ending in Britain. Supporting evidence for a second route of ancient cattle moving to Europe via the Iberian Peninsula was also found. "We studied 678 different animals, representing 61 different species, and using the new Illumina cow 'SNP chip,' or 'snip chip,' we were able to generate some very precise genetic data for which the chip was not designed," said Jerry Taylor, a professor of animal science in the MU College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources. "Our SNP chips allow scientists to examine hundreds of thousands of points on an animal's genome simultaneously. When we applied this technique to 48 recognized breeds of cattle, we were able to construct a family tree and infer the history of cattle domestication and breed formation across the globe." The research, which is being published in this week's edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Ruminant Lineage Study
October 20, 2009 www.adelaide.edu.au
ADELAIDE, Australia -- Researchers from the University's Australian Centre for Ancient DNA (ACAD) worked with an international team of genomics researchers to analyze the genetic mutations of an ancient bison, preserved in permafrost, as well as many modern cattle breeds, deer, antelopes, and giraffes. Their findings were published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. ACAD Director Professor Alan Cooper says, "The entire ancient bison genome was screened using a bovine SNP-chip - which maps changes at 54,000 specific sites across the genome at once. This is the first time such a technique has been used to examine the genetic variation of any extinct species." The bovine SNP-chip was used to scan the genomes of 61 different ruminant species and 48 cattle breeds, to create a detailed evolutionary history for this complex group, which has proven difficult using traditional genetic studies. "Understanding how different genes create variation controlling growth efficiency, levels of marbling (intramuscular fat), and disease resistance could have a large economic impact for farmers who raise cattle throughout the world," says Professor Taylor. ACAD post-doctoral researcher Dr Kefei Chen has since used the approach to analyse the genomes of the extinct aurochs, the ancestor of modern cattle, as well as early domestic cattle from China, Russia and Europe as part of a research program funded by the Australian Research Council.
Spotted Seal Distinct Population Segment Ruling
October 20, 2009
www.epa.gov
The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), has completed a comprehensive status review of the spotted seal (Phoca largha). Based on the findings we conclude the spotted seal exists as three (3) distinct population segments (DPS) within the North Pacific Ocean. These are the southern, Okhotsk, and Bering DPSs. Based on consideration of information presented in the Status Review, an analysis of the extinction risk probabilities for each of these DPSs, we have determined the southern DPS is likely to become endangered throughout all or a significant portion of its range in the foreseeable future, and should be listed as a threatened species. The Okhotsk and Bering Sea DPSs are not in danger of extinction nor likely to become endangered throughout all or a significant portion of their ranges in the foreseeable future. Accordingly, we are now issuing a proposed rule to list the southern DPS of the spotted seal as a threatened species. No listing action is proposed for the Okhotsk and Bering Sea DPSs. Because the southern DPS occurs outside the United States, no critical habitat can be designated. We request comments and information related to this proposed rule and finding. Comments and information regarding this proposed rule must be received by close of business on December 21, 2009. Send comments to Kaja Brix, Assistant Regional Administrator, Protected Resources, Alaska Region, NMFS, ATTN: Ellen Sebastian. You may submit comments, identified by "RIN 0648-XR74'' by any one of the following methods: Federal Rulemaking Portal or mail to P.O. Box 21668, Juneau, AK, 99802-1668. The proposed rule, maps, status review, and other materials relating to this proposal can be found on our Web site. For further information contact Kaja Brix, NMFS Alaska Region, (907) 586-7235; or Marta Nammack, NMFS, Office of Protected Resources, (301) 713-1401.
Three U.S. Cities Vie for Australia Zoo
October 20, 2009 news.smh.com.au By PETRINA BERRY
Representatives from the Sunshine Coast zoo met with Las Vegas authorities last week to discuss plans for building another $40 million Australia Zoo in the next two to three years. Florida and Los Angeles are two other locations under consideration. Australia Zoo director Wes Mannion said, "This will enable Australia Zoo to educate millions of people on the importance of conservation and wildlife protection. The benefits from this project will go toward our wildlife projects in Australia and around the world." Australia Zoo is currently expanding its African exhibit on the Sunshine Coast, which will open Christmas next year.
Paignton Zoo Environmental Park Festival
October 20, 2009 www.zandavisitor.com
PAIGNTON, UK - The second Green Solutions Festival takes place at Paignton Zoo Environmental Park from Saturday 24th October to Sunday 1st November. The nine day event is dedicated to demonstrations, competitions, games and activities aimed at reducing our impact on the environment. All arts, technology, food, horticulture and entertainment, will be green themed:
*An Eco-Fayre featuring a range of green businesses will be in the Education Center. Exhibitors include the Totnes Nappy Company, Sustainability South West, Vectrix electric bicycles, South West Water and the Met Office.
* Segway South West will be offering people a “glided tour” on their green machines.
*The Energy Saving Trust is bringing their environmentally-friendly driving simulator to help people learn how to drive in a greener manner.
*Saturday 24th October is “350”, an international day of action against climate change being held in anticipation of the Copenhagen talks. (350 parts per million of CO2 in the atmosphere, is regarded by scientists as the safe upper limit for humanity – a limit currently being exceeded.).
* Sunday 25th October local artist Anne Radu will lead arts activities
* Monday 26th October Valcent (eu) Ltd. will be running a unique mini hydroponics activity for children with pots and seeds.
* Tuesday 27th October Devon County Council and top international mountain biker Andrei Burton will be promoting cycling in Devon and showing off some amazing stunt riding skills.
* Wednesday 28th October South Devon College staff and students will be holding cooking demonstrations, composting, recycling and the benefits of buying local produce.
The Young Green Inventor of the Year competition will be held in Jungle Fun, with the winner receiving a zoo adoption of their choice and a Paignton Zoo goody bag. More information is at www.paigntonzoo.org.uk.
“Cut and Gut” Social Event for Zoo Volunteers
October 20, 2009 www.brandoninfo.com
The Great Plains Zoo and Delbridge Museum of Natural History will host its pumpkin carving event, Cut & Gut, starting at 9 a.m. this Wednesday. Zoo staff and community volunteers will cut, gut and carve over 250 pumpkins that will be used during the Zoo’s “ZooBoo” to line the sidewalks and “Hall of Flames.” ZooBoo is from 5:30-8:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 23, and from 3:30-7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24 and Sunday, Oct. 25. Elizabeth Whealy, President and CEO of the Great Plains Zoo said, “We have literally hundreds of volunteers helping us carve pumpkins. It’s a huge social event for our volunteers, and they get amazingly creative, producing almost 300 hand-carved, lit Jack o’ lanterns that are a highlight of ZooBoo.”
Stephen’s Kangaroo Rat Release
October 20, 2009 blogs.pe.com
The San Diego Zoo’s field scientist with the Institute of Conservation Research released 41 Stephen's kangaroo rats to a reserve in the Temecula area, last Sunday. This species of rodent is found only in Riverside and San Diego counties and plays a vital role in maintaining the area's ecosystem. They disperse native plant seeds, helping to control the spread of exotic plants, and dig burrows used by other small creatures.
Helsinki Zoo's Will Feed their Cats Local Rabbits
October 20, 2009 newsroom.finland.fi
Helsinki Zoo said Tuesday it would begin feeding locally trapped European rabbits to their cats. The Asiatic lions, snow leopards and lynxes will be the first to switch to the local diet, but the zoo said nearly all carnivores could be fed rabbits caught in Helsinki's parks. The European rabbit is a non-native species in Finland. The capital region's thriving pest population is thought to have sprung from escaped or released pets.
Elephant Extinction by 2025 From Ivory Poaching
October 20, 2009 www.washingtonpost.com By John Frederick Walker
CITES banned ivory trade nearly 20 years ago in 1989 to prevent continued poaching of elephants. Since then, however, CITES has allowed a few one off sales of ivory from elephants that died natural deaths. Now, estimates of the number of elephants now being poached across the African continent range as high as 37,000 a year. [The International Fund for Wildlife Welfare says the number is 38,000] This illegal wildlife trade could potentially drive elephants in Africa to extinction by 2025, and IFWW is calling for a total ban of all ivory sales. Some conservationists maintain that a legitimate and legal ivory trade could benefit elephants. Countries with large populations of elephants could sell the ivory from deceased individuals and use the profit for conservation, including more anti-poaching patrols. But legal buyers (currently, in China and Japan) can never be certain of origin. "That keeps the black market alive, preventing legal ivory from undercutting illicit supplies and crippling organized poaching," according to John Frederick Walker, in a Washington Post op-ed piece. Others say that any ivory sold legally sends the wrong message and allows demand to remain high in China and Japan, providing poachers with the wealthy clientele they need to make elephant killing worthwhile. The full article is at www.washingtonpost.com
Bushmeat Trade Rises as Forest Cover Declines
October 20, 2009 www.panda.org
CAMBRIDGE, UK - New analytical techniques have revealed that the scale of bushmeat trade in Central Africa may be much larger than originally thought, according to a study published today by TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network. The study, based on an analysis of food balance sheets provided by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization’s statistical database FAOSTAT, indicates that bushmeat hunting rose considerably in the Congo Basin between 1990 and 2005, despite the overall decrease in forest cover in Central Africa. Cameroon appears to be exceeding—by more than 100%—an estimated sustainable offtake of 150 kg of game meat per square kilometer of forest, and Gabon and the Republic of Congo are both close to this limit. The greatest rise in bushmeat production was in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where the yield rose from 78,000 tons in 1990 to 90,000 tons in 2005. In the Republic of Congo, production almost doubled, from 11,000 to 20,000 tons per year in the same time period. "While the FAOSTAT bushmeat data are probably underestimates says Stefan Ziegler, Program Officer with WWF Germany, and author of the report, “Wildlife is a significant and direct source of protein for more than 34 million people living in the Congo Basin and bushmeat hunting is a key component of many peoples’ livelihoods in Central Africa.”
Fewer Loggerhead Sea Turtles Nesting
October 20, 2009 oceana.org
WASHINGTON – Oceana, a group dedicated to the conservation of the ocean, announced yesterday that 2009 was one of the worst years on record for loggerhead sea turtle nesting from North Carolina to Florida. In Florida for example, loggerhead nesting decreased by more than 15 percent in 2009. Kerri Lynn Miller, marine scientist at Oceana said, "The downward trend will only continue unless permanent protections are established." Florida accounts for nearly 90 percent of loggerhead nesting in the United States and is one of the two largest nesting hot spots for the population in the world. Florida’s loggerhead nesting population has decreased by more than 40 percent in the last decade and 2009 marked Florida’s fourth lowest nesting season on record.
Hearing Structure Found in Blue Morpho Butterfly
October 21, 2009 www.bristol.ac.uk
BRISTOL, U.K. -- A simple ‘ear structure’ sits at the base of the wing of the Blue Morpho butterfly (Morpho peleides) and looks like a sheet of stretched rubber. This oval-shaped tympanal membrane, with a dome in the middle, is attached directly to sensory organs and is responsible for converting sound waves into signals that can be picked up by nerve cells. Using a tiny laser beam, researchers from the University of Bristol, scanned the surface of the membrane while it was in action, and found that lower pitch sounds cause vibrations only in a part of the outer membrane while higher pitch sounds caused the entire membrane to vibrate. The unusual structure and properties of the membrane mean that this butterfly ear may be able to distinguish between low and high pitch sounds, and measurements of nerve recordings suggest the butterfly is unusually sensitive to low pitch sounds compared to other insects with similar ears. The structure of the membrane could mean the butterfly can hear a greater range of pitches, which lead researcher Katie Lucas and her colleagues believe, may enhance the abilities of these butterflies to listen for birds. (Lower pitch sounds may detect the beating of birds’ wings, while higher pitches may tune into birdsong). The paper “Auditory mechanics and sensitivity in the tropical butterfly Morpho peleides (Pampilionoidea, Nymphalidae)” appears in the Journal of Experimental Biology.
Spider Web Glue
October 21, 2009 www.eurekalert.org
Scientists in Wyoming report an advance toward a new biobased adhesives and glues — "green" glues that replace existing petroleum-based products for a range of uses. Omer Choresh and colleagues note that much research has been done on spider web silk, which rivals steel in its strength. However, scientists know comparatively little about web glue, which coats the silk threads and is among the world's strongest biological glues. Past studies revealed that spiders make web glue from glycoproteins, or proteins bits of sugar attached. The scientists analyzed web glue from the golden orb weaving spider, noted for spinning intricate webs. They identified two new glycoproteins in the glue and showed that domains of these proteins were produced from opposite strands of the same DNA. "Once the cloned genes are over expressed in systems such as insect or bacterial cell cultures, large-scale production of the glycoprotein can be used to develop a new biobased glue for a variety of purposes." A report on the study is in the October issue of ACS' Biomacromolecules.
Food Recycling Law in San Francisco
October 21, 2009 www.npr.org
Tossing food scraps in your garbage is now a crime in San Francisco. A new city law requires residents to discard food waste in city-provided food recycling bins. Food scraps go into sealed compost bins that get picked up by the city. Corso says the program has significantly trimmed the building's garbage costs. Garbage officials in the city have been stunned and heartened by the tons and tons of food waste that is already streaming in. After picking up curbside food scraps, garbage trucks head to the south of the city to the Organics Annex, the heart of the citywide food waste operation. The city's environmental officer says the Organic Annex is already processing about half of the city's food waste, which is more than 500 tons per day. Composting your food scraps is probably the single most effective thing you can do as a citizen in the United States today. San Francisco turns all of that food refuse into compost, which is then sold to Bay Area farms and vineyards. The program is the latest effort in one of the most aggressive recycling campaigns in the nation. San Francisco currently keeps 72 percent of its garbage stream out of the landfill by recycling cans, bottles, construction material and cooking oil. Blumenfeld says that even though the program officially launches Wednesday, he's not surprised by how many people are already fully participating.
Lawsuit Against Wind Farm Builders
October 21, 2009 www.nytimes.com By ALEX DOMINGUEZ, AP
GREENBELT, Md. – Two environmental groups have filed suit against a proposed $300 million West Virginia wind power project that they say will harm a tiny, endangered bat, arguing that the developers should be required to obtain permits under the Endangered Species Act. The developers admit bats will be killed by the turbines, but say the endangered Indiana bat will not be among them, because no one has ever seen one at the site. Penn State University bat researcher Michael Gannon said surveys using nets at the site have not captured an Indiana bat, but recordings indicate the endangered bat is at the site. Gannon told the judge that of the 160 recordings that he reviewed, he was able to make an identification of 42, including three he thought were the endangered Indiana bat, although he could not say whether the recordings were of three separate bats or the same bat on three occasions. The defense attorney questioned the accuracy of audio recordings, and said the burden of proof rested with the plaintiffs and a better solution was what he called "adaptive management" of the project if it is found to affect the Indiana bat.
Extinct Mega Spider Alive in Africa
October 21, 2009 www.scientificamerican.com
The world’s largest orb weaver spider has been discovered, lurking malevolently in the jungles of Africa. Matjaž Kuntner of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts and Jonathan Coddington, of the Smithsonian Institution, describe the spider in PLOS One and name it Nephila komaci. The bodies of females average 3.8 cm while the legs are 10 cm long each. Webs from the spider are likely to be over a meter across, capable of trapping bats, birds “The genus Nephila already contained the largest orbweaving spiders, but N. komaci now becomes the largest Nephila species known,” they write. A specimen of this huge spider was first collected in 1978 from Sodwana Bay in South Africa but two subsequent expeditions to find more were unsuccessful, leading scientists to conclude that either the animal was a hybrid or it had become extinct. Then a second animal, originally hailing from Madagascar, was discovered in a museum in 2003. Two additional females and a male were recently collected in Tembe Elephant Park by South Africa colleagues, and it is now clear that N. komaci is a valid, new extant Nephila species.
New Seafood Guide Released by Monterey Bay Aquarium
October 21, 2009 www.nytimes.com
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- A campaign to persuade consumers, chefs and food distributors to choose seafood that is healthy for people AND not in threatened ocean fish stocks was launched Tuesday by the Monterey Bay Aquarium. The latest version of the aquarium's popular ''Seafood Watch'' recommendations on which fish and shellfish to eat and which to avoid were announced by Executive Director Julie Packard. ''The state of our oceans and global seafood is in crisis but the tide is turning,'' Packard said in an interview at the California Science Center, where the aquarium will have a role in a future exhibit. She said ''the big picture is not getting any better,'' but cited ''a growing scientific consensus that global fisheries can recover.'' The guide seeks to combine the concepts of healthy eating -- such as choosing a fish without bad contaminants but with beneficial omega-3 fatty acids -- and a species' sustainability due to abundance, proper management and the way it is captured or farmed to avoid harming the environment. The pocket-size guides urge consumers to ask where a fish is from and whether it was farmed or caught. A ''State of Seafood'' report also released by the aquarium Tuesday asserts that this year, for the first time, people will eat more farmed fish than wild-caught fish.
Singapore Zoo Breeds Jaguars
October 21, 2009 www.zandavisitor.com By Biswajit Guha
SINGAPORE- Two jaguar cubs have been born at the Singapore Zoo this year to father Kahn and mother Angel. Prior to these births, two cubs Shamu and Shala, male and female, were born in 2003. Cubs are usually weaned at about 3 months.The jaguar is the third largest cat after the tiger and lion, and the only great cat found in South America. Unlike the leopard, the jaguar’s rosettes have one or two spots in the centre (of each rosette), while the cheetah has solid round or oval spots. Five jaguars reside in Singapore Zoo’s Cat Country.
Minnesota Zoo Pursues Strategic Plan
October 21, 2009 www.twincities.com
The Minnesota Zoo's board today increased the amount it hopes to raise for its Heart of the Zoo strategic plan. Previously projected at $80 million, $126 million will be needed for a project that is larger in scope than originally planed. Zoo Director Lee Ehmke said the timeline for the plan, now in its fifth year, will also be extended and will be implemented in three phases. The first phase includes an education center, a new south entry to the zoo, a penguin exhibit and a renovated indoor theater for the zoo's bird show, which will be built in an old whale pool. Officials are asking the Minnesota Legislature for $18 million in 2010, and if the zoo receives its request, construction on phase one will begin next summer. The second phase will be a new visitors center with new ticketing and restrooms. The zoo also will remake its snow monkey exhibit and the connecting passageways to the Tropics and Minnesota trails. A new exhibit of African rock animals — including meerkats— will be a part of the visitors center. Exhibits of bison, elk and cranes outside the entryway — not a part of the original formal plan — make up the bulk of phase three. Ehmke said the exhibits have been part of the zoo's longer-range goals and officials are now including them in the Heart of the Zoo plan."These are all the things that need to happen to make the entrance and education center and all the other parts of the zoo work together," Ehmke said. The zoo has raised $48 million of the total so far, which has paid for a renovated Minnesota Trail, its award-winning Russia's Grizzly Coast exhibit, a nature-based playground called Woodland Adventures and a renovated Central Plaza.
Protection for Checkerspot Butterfly
October 21, 2009 www.sfgate.com
The U.S Fish and Wildlife Service declared that there are so few bay checkerspot butterflies left that the species should be classified as endangered. Once common in San Francisco, Santa Clara, San Mateo, Alameda and Contra Costa counties, according to research by Stanford University biologist Paul Ehrlich, who began studying the checkerspot in 1959, it has undergone a steady decline. Al Donner, USFWS assistant field supervisor said that by 1987, when it was listed as threatened, the butterfly was found only in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties. "Now it only occurs in Santa Clara County. As far as we now know there are none left in San Mateo County. Even in the areas they exist in Santa Clara, the numbers have gone down pretty significantly." Most of the survivors are limited to Coyote Ridge, a long ridgeline near Highway 101 between San Jose and Gilroy. The die-off is believed to be the result of climate change and the covering of habitat by houses and highways. The Stanford studies found that the favorite plant food of checkerspot caterpillars has been dying out as a result of the earlier than normal browning of grasslands in the Bay Area. The checkerspot was the only one of 51 species studied over the past five years in California, Nevada and southern Oregon that met the criteria for being uplisted. The arroyo toad, Santa Cruz cypress and Modoc sucker, went from endangered to threatened. No changes were recommended in the status of 47 other species, according to the legally required reviews. A 520,000-acre Santa Clara habitat conservation plan is being prepared in an effort to save the checkerspot, 14 other animals and 15 rare plants.
Topeka Zoo Cited By USDA
October 21, 2009 cjonline.com BY JAMES CARLSON
In August, the USDA issued a report citing multiple noncompliance issues related to animal deaths at the Topeka Zoo. Among those findings were that a black leopard died after he was administered a medication later found to be fatal over long periods, and a hippo suffered a fatal seizure hours after she was discovered in 108-degree water. A separate review by Kansas State University veterinarians, confirmed that the 108 degree water on October 2006 was too hot and a "significant factor" in the animal's death. The USDA inspection on Sept. 28 cited the zoo for noncompliance items related to seven animals' deaths from January 2007 through July 2008 -- a Pallas cat, a rabbit, an antelope, a mouse deer and three bats. Zoo director Mike Coker said his facility has implemented new policies for checking the water temperature of the pool. Of the most recent inspection report, he said new animal care record-keeping policies should alleviate the confusion raised by the USDA's findings. Coker is now writing a weekly report to USDA detailing animals coming in and leaving the collection, animal care issues of the week. He has instructed all of his staff to keep more detailed reports of animal care.
Critical Habitat for Buena Vista Lake Shrew
October 21, 2009
www.epa.gov
The USFWS proposes to revise our designation of critical habitat for the Buena Vista Lake
shrew (Sorex ornatus relictus) Our proposal is the same as the proposed critical habitat we published on August 19, 2004 (69 FR 51417). In total, approximately 4,649 acres within the boundaries of the proposed revised critical habitat designation. The proposed revised critical habitat is located in the Central Valley floor of Kern County, California. We will receive information on or before December 21, 2009. Submit comments by one of the following methods:
The Federal eRulemaking Portal or U.S. mail: Public Comments Processing, Attn: Docket no. FWS-R8-ES-2009-0062; 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. For further information contact: Daniel Russell, Acting Listing Coordinator, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Sacramento Fish and Wildlife Office, 2800 Cottage Way, W-2605, Sacramento, CA 95825; telephone (916) 414-6600
Edinburgh Zoo Polar Bear Moves to 4 Acre Compound
October 21, 2009 news.bbc.co.uk
EDINBURGH, Scotland -- After 25 years at the Edinburgh Zoo, 27-year-old polar bear, Mercedes has moved north to the Highland Wildlife Park and a new 4 acre habitat. A public appeal helped to raise £75,000 to fund the transfer and the Royal Army assisted in building the bear's new home and a nearby visitors' car park. David Windmill, chief executive of the Edinburgh Zoo said, "We have been gradually moving animals that are better suited to colder climates from Edinburgh Zoo up to the Highland Wildlife Park and Mercedes is the latest of these moves. "The animal collections at both parks will continue to evolve and visitors can expect to see new species introduced in the coming months." Polar bears are the largest living land carnivores. They can eat a diet pretty much entirely composed of seal blubber without getting heart disease, as seal fat is naturally polyunsaturated. Mercedes' move north has also brought the animal closer to where the only remains of a polar bear that was resident in Britain about 18,000 years ago.
Monitoring Australia’s Marine Ecosystem
October 21, 2009 www.sciencealert.com.au
PERTH, Australia -- “Ecosystems respond to multiple pressures and threats in complex ways,” according to Dr Keith Hayes. “Identifying reliable and robust indicators of change from among the many species and characteristics of the system is a challenging task.” In a pilot project undertaken for the Department of Environment, Water, Heritage & the Arts (DEWHA) last year, Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) identified indicators for five ‘key ecological features’ named by the Commonwealth Government for the South-West Marine Region off Western Australia’s coast. The indicators were different for each feature, but they included things like numbers of sea birds, area of coral compared to algae, and phytoplankton size. Such indicators will help provide a firm scientific basis to feed into State of the Environment reporting at regional, national and international scales. CSIRO’s approach uses qualitative modelling, supported by asset and threat mapping, to understand the drivers and pressures on ecological features, and to predict how these features will respond to changes over the next five to 15 years.
Cultural Differences in Wild Chimpanzees
October 22, 2009 www.physorg.com
A study posted online October 22nd in Current Biology shows that neighboring chimpanzee populations in Uganda use different tools to solve a novel problem: extracting honey trapped within a fallen log. Kibale Forest chimpanzees use sticks to get at the honey, whereas Budongo Forest chimpanzees rely on leaf sponges—absorbent wedges that they make out of chewed leaves. "The most reasonable explanation for this difference in tool use was that chimpanzees resorted to preexisting cultural knowledge in trying to solve the novel task," said Klaus Zuberbühler of the University of St Andrews in Scotland. "Culture, in other words, helped them in dealing with a novel problem." "Culture" in this sense refers to a population-specific set of behaviors acquired through social learning, such as imitation. That's in contrast to an animal or human learning something on his or her own through trial and error, without taking into account what others around them do, or behaviors that are "hard-wired" and require no learning at all. Behavioral differences among animal populations have been taken as evidence of culture.
Palm Oil Plantations Isolate Orangutan Populations
October 22, 2009 www.physorg.com
In Borneo, an island split between Malaysia and Indonesia, there are about 50,000 to 60,000 orangutans left in the wild, 80 percent of them in Indonesia and the rest in Malaysia's Sabah and Sarawak. A 2007 assessment by the United Nations Environment Program warned the apes will be extinct in the wild within two decades if current deforestation trends continue. Malaysia is the world's second-largest exporter of palm oil after Indonesia, and the industry is the country's third largest export earner, earned $19 billion dollars last year. Palm oil is found in one in 10 products on supermarket shelves, including bread, crisps and cereals as well as lipstick and soap. "The major issue we face with orangutans today is what we called the fragmented population," said Marc Ancrenaz from the environmental group Hutan. "There are 11,000 orangutans in (Sabah) but they are split up in many small populations, and many of these populations are not connected any more," he told the conference near Kota Kinabalu, the capital of Sabah. Representatives from the top industry body, the Malaysian Palm Oil Council (MPOC), said they should not be held accountable for the dwindling orangutan population. Its chief executive officer Yusof Basiron said that if the world stopped using palm oil, biodiversity would suffer further because substitutes like rapeseed and soyabean would require more land to be cleared. Sabah Wildlife Department director Laurentius Ambu said that wildlife corridors, which would enable orangutans to move across the landscape, are vital if the apes are to co-exist with palm oil. The MPOC pledged to help to fund the corridors, but as there is no binding commitment, and no funding, many environmentalists are sceptical. Ancrenaz said there is no way to stop the spread of palm oil, which environmentalists say
Chinese Alligator Vocalization Study
October 22, 2009 news.nationalgeographic.com
There are fewer than 150 wild Chinese alligators alive today. They are among the most vocal crocodilians. "It sounds like thunder and can travel a long distance," said Xianyan Wang, a hydrobiologist with the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Theorizing that the vocalization might be a way for individual males to attract females, he recorded the songs of male and female alligators and then played them back to captive alligators of different genders, one by one, in a water-filled testing arena at the semi-wild Anhui Research Center for Chinese Alligator Reproduction in the city of Xuancheng. The researchers expected females to move toward the speaker that was playing recordings of male calls, but instead, neither gender moved and about 75 percent of the alligators actually joined the recorded song. This response suggests that alligators don't sing to compete for mates, but Wang feels the choruses must have something to do with sex because they increase during mating season. He plans to test alligators in the wild and to study alligator singing outside of mating season, when, presumably, the songs are about something other than seduction. Wang’s findings will be published in the October 2009 issue of The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America.
Rhinoceros and Tiger Conservation Funding Available
October 22, 2009 targetednews.com by GEMA VIANA
WASHINGTON, -- The USFWS has 35 discretionary cooperative agreement or grant opportunities for programs focused on the protection of rhinoceroses and tigers. The estimated total program funding available was cited as $1,200,000, although no specific amount for this award was indicated by the agency. This funding opportunity is open to state, county, city, township and special district governments; institutions of higher education; non-profits; individuals; and government agencies responsible for rhinoceroses and/or tigers conservation and protection and any other organization or individual with demonstrated experience in rhinoceros and/or tiger conservation. A funding opportunity notice from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service states, "The Rhinoceros and Tiger Conservation Fund supports projects that promote conservation through:
* Applied research on rhinoceros and tiger populations and their habitats, including surveys and monitoring;
* Development and execution of rhinoceros and tiger conservation management plans;
* Compliance with applicable treaties and laws that prohibit or regulate the taking or trade of rhinoceros and tigers or regulate the use and management of their habitat;
* Conservation education and community outreach;
* Enhanced protection of at-risk rhinoceros and tiger populations;
* Efforts to decrease human-rhinoceros and human-tiger conflicts; - Habitat conservation and management;
* Protected area/reserve management in important rhinoceros and tiger range;
* Strengthening local capacity to implement conservation programs;
* Transfrontier rhinoceros and tiger conservation; and
* Wildlife inspection, law enforcement, and forensics skills.
The funding opportunity number is AFECF2010 (CFDA 15.620). It was posted Oct. 15 with an application closing date of Nov. 1. Contact Tanya Lee at tanya@targetednews.com for more information.
Critical Habitat for Polar Bear
October 22, 2009 prweb.com
WASHINGTON, DC -- The Obama administration is setting aside 200,541 square miles in Alaska and off its coast as ''critical habitat'' for polar bears. Barrier island habitat includes coastal barrier islands and spits along Alaska's coast, and is used for denning, refuge from human disturbances, access to maternal dens and feeding habitat, as well as travel along the coast. Sea ice habitat is located over the continental shelf, and includes water 300m and less in depth. Terrestrial denning habitat includes lands within about 20 miles of the northern coast of Alaska between the Canadian border and the Kavik River and about 5 miles between the Kavik River and Barrow. The world's top scientific experts on polar bears, the Polar Bear Specialist Group of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), recently concluded that the IUCN Red List classification of the polar bear should be upgraded from "Least Concern" to "Vulnerable." That was based on the likelihood of an overall decline in the size of the total population of more than 30% within the next 35 to 50 years. The principal cause of this decline is climatic warming as it melts away the polar bears' important sea ice habitat. At the Polar Bear Specialist Group Meeting this summer, the experts concluded that eight polar bear population groups are now in decline, up from five in 2005. "Polar bears are not land animals - they evolved over thousands of years to be sea ice specialists. They need the ice to hunt for seals, their primary food. Take away the ice and you take away the bears," said Geoff York, senior program officer for Polar Bear Conservation at WWF.
850 New Underground Species Found in Australia
October 22, 2009 news.nationalgeographic.com
Until now, most of the Australia's arid regions hadn't been explored by invertebrate experts, in part because the underground springs and microcaverns--some smaller than 0.4 inch wide--were thought to be devoid of life, said Steve Cooper of the South Australian Museum in Adelaide."We are only just beginning to discover that groundwater is the host of many diverse ecosystems with an extraordinary array of previously unknown species." Cooper received funding for his work from the National Geographic Society's Committee for Research and Exploration, and co-presented the research at the Darwin 200: Evolution and Biodiversity conference in Darwin, Australia, in September 2009.
Hunters & Anglers Want Climate Change Legislation
October 22, 2009 greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com By JOHN COLLINS RUDOLF
Climate activism by national hunting and fishing groups is growing. These conservative-leaning groups that are close to nature are expressing growing concern with the impacts of climate change on wildlife. One goal of hunting and fishing groups is to secure dedicated funding for state wildlife agencies for “adaptive management” practices, which aim to reduce the impact of climate change on wildlife and wilderness areas. A recent poll by the National Wildlife Federation, which counts more than 420,000 members across 42 states, found that 66 percent of hunters and anglers surveyed believed that global warming was already occurring. A Gallup poll in March 2009 found that only 53 percent of the general population shared the same view.
Chytrid Fungus Slows Frog's Heart Rate
October 23, 2009 www.abc.net.au By Annabel McGilvray
The chytrid disease has contributed to the extinction of nine frog species in Australia and 200 worldwide. Now a team of microbiologists has determined that the fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis causes a loss of electrolytes which in turn saps muscle power throughout the frog, eventually stopping the heart. The disease also affects the frog's skin and its symptoms include difficulties in balance, problems in motor skills, convulsions and paralysis. Theories have ranged from suffocation as a result of the skin damage, to poisoning by a paralyzing toxin secreted by the fungus, or a fatal immune reaction. The work by Australian and US researchers was led by Dr Jamie Voyles of James Cook University, and appears in today's edition of the journal Science. Blood tests of infected frogs showed that all the organs were working as they should and all the levels were normal, except for electrolytes, especially sodium and potassium, which are really vital to lots of functions of the cells. The disease reduced the concentration of sodium and potassium in infected green tree frogs by 20% and 50% respectively. As the concentrations fell, the frogs' hearts slowed and eventually stopped.
Whale Communication Studies
October 23, 2009 www.eurekalert.org
Sperm whales are able to spot individual “rhythms” in the ocean’s marine mammal chatter -- impossible for the untrained human ear to do. A group of marine biologists at the Littoral Acoustic Demonstration Center has developed a tool that can spot these rhythms and identify individual animals. George Ioup at the University of New Orleans and colleagues have developed a way to analyze calls produced by various marine mammals. Their technique groups similar-sounding clicks to isolate the calls of individual animals. Natalia Sidorovskaia of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and colleagues have discovered that whales change the intervals between echo-locating clicks in a way that seems to prevent cluttering the echoes from these calls. The research will be highlighted at a meeting of the Acoustical Society of America (ASA) next week in San Antonio.
UC Davis Launches PREDICT to Control Zoonoses
October 23, 2009 www.eurekalert.org By Jonna Mazet
UC Davis has launched an international effort to find and control infectious diseases like H1N1 flu, avian flu, SARS and Ebola. The global early warning system, named PREDICT, will be developed with funding of up to $75 million over five years and is one of five new initiatives of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). UC Davis' primary PREDICT partners, which have formed a global consortium to implement PREDICT around the world, are: Wildlife Conservation Society, Wildlife Trust, Global Viral Forecasting Inc., and Smithsonian Institution. "Predicting where new diseases may emerge from wild animals, and detecting viruses and other pathogens before they spread among people, give us the best chance to prevent new pandemics," said Jonna Mazet, the UC Davis scientist leading PREDICT. Mazet directs the UC Davis Wildlife Health Center within the new One Health Institute at the School of Veterinary Medicine. The PREDICT team will be active in global hotspots where important wildlife host species have significant interaction with domestic animals and high-density human populations. Emerging-disease authority Stephen S. Morse of Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health will serve as director of PREDICT.
Notable outbreaks of these animal-to-human diseases, or zoonoses , include:
-The 1918 influenza pandemic, which was probably caused by a virus that jumped from birds, killed over 50 million people globally;
-The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which moved from chimpanzees to people, now infects more than 33 million individuals;
-Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), which emerged in 2003 from southern China "wet markets" where wild animals are sold for food; and
-The recent outbreaks of avian influenza H5N1, or "bird flu."
In a global pandemic today, a quarter of the world's population could be infected and between 51 million and 81 million people could die, with the toll in the United States exceeding 400,000 deaths. World economic losses are estimated to exceed $4 trillion.
Escaped Hippo Killed in Mexico
October 24, 2009 www.google.com
VERACRUZ, Mexico — A 2,200-pound hippopotamus that escaped from a private zoo in early September has been shot to death after more than a month on the run in the countryside of southeastern Mexico. The hippo was shot near a river outside the town of Alamo in Veracruz state. Enrique Lobato, the animal protection official, says the hippo escaped from a ranch in early September. He says the owner had a permit to keep the animal but faces fines for not keeping it in the right living conditions.
Polar Bear Versus Development in Alaska
October 25, 2009 www.nytimes.com By STEFAN MILKOWSKI
Alaska Gov. Sean Parnell is fighting the 2008 listing of the polar bear under the Endangered Species Act, even as federal managers proposed designating more than 200,000 square miles of land and ice as critical habitat for the bears. He charges that USFWS acted illegally by listing the polar bear as threatened based on future climate and population predictions. The state filed legal briefs in federal court as part of an ongoing lawsuit seeking to overturn the listing. The global population of polar bears is estimated at 20,000 to 25,000. According to the Polar Bear Specialist Group, a team of researchers and managers from five circumpolar nations, just one of the 19 subpopulations of bears is increasing, eight are declining and three are stable. There is insufficient data to assess the remaining seven.
Fresno Zoo Helps Save California Mountain Yellow-Legged Frog
October 25, 2009 www.fresnobee.com By Marc Benjamin
The Fresno Zoo started making plans last year to provide a home for mountain yellow-legged frogs, which are a federally endangered species in Southern California and are a "species of concern" in Central and Northern California. 106 tadpoles, rescued from a stream in the recently burned San Gabriel Mountains east of L.A., have been sent to a new temporary home at the zoo. Andy Snider, the zoo's director of animal care and conservation is a nationally known frog expert, and the zoo has spent about $6,000 in equipment for the frog project and likely will spend thousands more as the frogs continue to grow. The tadpoles should be at the zoo for about two years, the time it takes for them to mature into frogs. It's the first time the Fresno zoo has participated in a conservation program with other zoos involving local or regional species. Fifty years ago, the frogs were found in 160 separate populations in Southern California, but that number is down to nine known locations -- a drop of about 95% -- said Frank Santana, a research technician for the San Diego Zoo's Institute of Conservation Research.
Polar Bears Lick Cream Cheese off Exhibit Window
October 25, 2009 www.zandavisitor.com By Bill LaMarche
PORTLAND, OR – The Oregon Zoo celebrated “International Day of Climate Change” on October 24, by providing their polar bears with a tasty cream cheese mural painted on their exhibit window. Julie Christie, marine life keeper said "It's a great treat for them -- and for visitors, who get to see the bears [lick it off] with just a pane of glass separating them. This intimate interaction helps illustrate the bears' magnificence; it also helps people understand what's at stake should global warming continue." The environmental day of action was organized by “350.org” The number signifies a safe limit of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, measured in parts per million - the current amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is 390 ppm and rising 2 ppm each year.
ZSL Tsaobis Baboon Study
October 25, 2009 www.zandavisitor.com By Victoria Picknell
LONDON, UK - A new study from Zoological Society of London’s Tsaobis Baboon Project has been published in the journal Animal Behaviour. Scientists studying groups of chacma baboons (Papio ursinus) in the Namib Desert, discovered that the baboons are more likely to work as a team when there is a higher ratio of pregnant females to single females in the group. Dr Andrew King, lead author says, “We found that synchrony in our baboon groups was higher when they were travelling in ‘risky’ woodland habitats – this makes sense as it means they are able to stick together and more easily communicate. But, surprisingly, we also found that the reproductive states of females played an important role in determining synchrony.” Many single female baboons cause chaos in a group, distracting the males, while many pregnant females exert a calming influence. With no males to hassle them the pregnant females can concentrate on foraging to find enough food to meet their increasing appetites, bringing about higher group synchrony. Working as a cohesive group is important since it allows individuals to detect predators more easily and concentrate on finding enough food to survive. The ZSL Tsaobis Baboon Project is a long-term study of a desert baboon population in Namibia. Work is carried out in affiliation with the Desert Research Foundation of Namibia. More information is at www.zsl.org.
Nigeria-Cameroon Chimp Action Plan
October 26, 2009 www.ngrguardiannews.com
Dr. Bethan Morgan, head of the Central African Programme, Institute for Conservation Research Zoological Society of San Diego maintains that a small subspecies of chimpanzee survives only in small fragments in Nigeria and Cameroon. It is found in the southwest and Delta areas of Nigeria, and in the forest close to the Nigeria - Cameroon border and the Cross River State National Park. There are only about 5,000 of this Nigerian-Cameroon chimpanzee left in the wild. Most are in Cameroon, with 1,000 to 2000 in Nigeria. In February, 2010, Nigeria and Cameroon will have a joint meeting to create an Action Plan designed to protect this endangered sub-species. Mr. Alade Adeleke, Director Technical Programmes of the Nigeria Conservation Foundation (NCF), says, "This action plan will be put together to sensitize actions of government, NGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations), private organizations, research institutions and will be a fund raising tool to support chimpanzee conservation".
New “World of Zoo” Video Game
October 26, 2009 www.reuters.com
A new interactive video game, “World of Zoo” is now available for Wii ($39.99), Nintendo DS ($29.99) and Windows PC (19.99). The Animal Creator feature allows players to create an unlimited number of animals and customize each one. Players can learn about their animals through facts provided by National Geographic. Each animal is completely unique with different personalities and behaviors. For more information on this game, visit www.worldofzoo.com.
Bristol Zoo Aquarium Renovation
October 26, 2009 www.zandavisitor.com
BRISTOL, UK – The renovated Bristol Zoo Aquarium alerts visitors to the link between sustainable seafood choices and marine conservation, and advocates marine stewardship. New features include a huge replica shark’s jaw, replica giant clams, a ‘meet the keeper’ video, a scale model of a fishing trawler, an interactive children’s play area with marine related puzzles and aquatic puppets, and displays about fish sustainability. Back on display is the long snouted seahorses (Hippocampus reidi). Notoriously difficult to breed, the Zoo’s expert aquarists have been able to establish the right rearing and breeding conditions for the seahorses to thrive. Funding came from Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd and the Bristol-based Project AWARE Foundation - a non profit organization working with divers and water enthusiasts to conserve underwater environments through education, advocacy and action. Jo Gipps, Director of Bristol Zoo Gardens, said, “We are committed to measuring and reducing our environmental impact, as well as encouraging our visitors to do so.”
Wolf –Elk Predation Study
October 26, 2009 www.eurekalert.org
Although most wolves in Yellowstone National Park live to be nearly six years old, their ability to kill prey peaks when they are 2-3 years old, according to a study led by University of Minnesota researcher Dan MacNulty. MacNulty is a postdoctoral student with Craig Packer, the world's foremost authority on lions. Because wolves lack the physical attributes to kill prey swiftly, they rely on athletic ability and endurance, which diminishes with age. By comparison, mountain lions, with their short snouts, powerful muscles and retractable claws, are designed to kill. Not surprisingly, the cats live and hunt alone. In Yellowstone, wolves, who hunt in packs, depend on elk for survival. The park's elk population is shrinking and wolves are being blamed, but MacNulty says that number of elk fluctuates based on the age structure of the wolf population. The higher the proportion of wolves over age three, the lower the rate at which they kill elk. For every 10 percent rise in the proportion of wolves older than three, the kill rate declined 10 to 15 percent. He notes that the drop in the elk population is also attributable to drought and to grizzly bears. MacNulty now plans to create mathematical models to study the long-term effects of fluctuations in the age structure of Yellowstone's wolf population on the elk population. His collaborators include Douglas Smith (Yellowstone Center for Resources); John Vucetich, Michigan Technological University) David Mech (USGS); Daniel Stahler (Yellowstone Center for Resources) and Craig Packer (University of Minnesota). The study was recently published online by Ecology Letters. The study will appear in the journal's December print issue.
Animals Now Being Infected with Human Pathogens
October 26, 2009 www.eurekalert.org
Researchers from The Roslin Institute of the University of Edinburgh have shown that a strain of bacteria has jumped from humans to chickens. It is believed to be the first clear evidence of bacterial pathogens crossing over from humans to animals and then spreading. The study identified a form of the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus – of which MRSA is a subtype – in chickens, and found that the bacteria originally came from humans. Genetic testing showed that the bacteria crossed over from one species to another around 40 years ago, coinciding with a move towards intensive poultry farming practices. Dr. Ross Fitzgerald said, "Half a century ago chickens were reared for their eggs, with meat regarded as a by-product. Now the demand for meat has led to a poultry industry dominated by a few multinational companies which supply a limited number of breeding lines to a global market - thereby promoting the spread of the bacteria around the world." In comparison to the corresponding form of Staphylococcus aureus in humans, which was isolated to one geographical area, the strain in chickens was spread across different continents. Further research will look at analyzing other livestock for emerging pathogens and diseases which may have come from humans.
Second Breeding Season for Migratory Songbirds
October 26, 2009 www.eurekalert.org
A second breeding season has been found to occur during the annual cycle of five songbird species that spend summers in North America and winters in tropical Central and South America. These species migrate at night when there are fewer predators and breed during their stay in temperate regions of the United States and Canada. They also squeeze in a second breeding season during a stopover in western Mexico on their southward migration, said Sievert Rohwer from the University of Washington. Rohwer said, "We saw these birds breeding and we were completely surprised." Migratory double-breeding has been observed in two Old World bird species on their northward migration, but this is the first documented observation of "migratory double breeders" in the New World, and the first anywhere for the southward migration, Rohwer said. But during July and August in three consecutive summers, 2005-2007, the researchers found individuals from five species – yellow-billed cuckoos, orchard orioles, hooded orioles, yellow-breasted chats and Cassin's vireos – that were breeding rather than molting. Females of all five species examined in July had dry and featherless brood patches, indicating they had bred earlier that summer. (To more efficiently transfer heat to eggs, the abdominal brood patch becomes featherless and thickened with fluid when females are incubating, but as the young mature it dries out and remains featherless.). In the Mexican breeding ground, there was a complete absence of young birds, indicating the females had not bred in the area of the thorn forests. "For western North America, the conservation implications are pretty serious," Rohwer said. "Biologists know theoretically that they should pay attention to these migration stopover sites, but they've been largely ignored for their conservation implications." Rohwer is lead author of a paper describing the findings, published the week of Oct. 26 in the online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Black-footed Ferrets Surviving Plague
October 26, 2009 yankton.net By CHET BROKAW, AP
PIERRE, South Dakota — One of the nation’s largest colonies of endangered black-footed ferrets is surviving despite the disease that has hit their home in a vast stretch of prairie dog towns south of Badlands National Park. Since the sylvatic plague was discovered in the Conata Basin in May 2008, the disease has wiped out black-tailed prairie dogs, the ferrets’ main prey, in about half their former range, said Randy Griebel, a wildlife biologist with the U.S. Forest Service, which manages the Buffalo Gap National Grasslands in southwestern South Dakota. However, many of the ferrets have been protected by efforts to vaccinate them and to stop the spread of the disease by dusting with insecticide that kills the fleas that carry the plague, Griebel said. The plague is considered the biggest danger to ferrets’ survival in the Conata Basin and a dozen or so other sites that still have ferrets. Officials estimated that at least 290 ferrets lived in the Conata Basin before the plague hit, and they believe a third or so have been killed by the disease. Travis Livieri, founder of Prairie Wildlife Research captured 220 last year for vaccination and expects to get more than 200 this year. The black-footed ferret once was considered extinct, but a captive breeding program succeeded after a colony was discovered in Wyoming in 1981. Since then, ferrets have been reintroduced at sites in South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, Colorado, Utah, Kansas and Mexico. The plague has hit most of the prairie dog colonies that are home to ferrets.
New Wildlife Acoustic Monitoring System
October 26, 2009 finance.yahoo.com
CONCORD, Mass -- The new “Song Meter SM2” audio recorder and data logging platform designed by Wildlife Acoustics is now available. New features include:
Twice the storage capacity with 4 high capacity flash card slots
Half the power consumption - can record almost 250 hours on 4 D-size
Integrated temperature sensor and data-logger
Expandable to host a variety of microphones, ultrasonic capabilities for recording bat and cetacean echolocation calls, and SDIO ready for future capabilities like GPS time synchronization and wireless telemetry
Additional improvements like modular microphones, configurable preamplifier, external power options, improved weatherproofing, and LED status indicator
Terrestrial Acoustic monitoring:
The SM2 Terrestrial Acoustic Package is optimized for monitoring birds, frogs, and other terrestrial wildlife vocalizing in the audio (20-20,000Hz) frequency range. It has two removable weatherproof and highly sensitive omni-directional SMX-II microphones. With just 4 D-size batteries, it can record up to 250 hours on a programmable schedule spread out through several months at a time. Longer deployments are also possible with an optional external power source. The recorder includes a built-in temperature sensor and data-logger, and can accept a second analog sensor input to monitor other environmental conditions such as soil temperature, water level, rainfall, etc.
Genetic ID for 8 Tuna Species
October 26, 2009 www.eurekalert.org
A new paper published October 27 in PLoS ONE, provides a method to accurately distinguish between all eight tuna species from any kind of processed tissue. Tunas are among the most endangered commercially exploited fish in the world. The paper, 'A Validated Methodology for Genetic Identification of Tuna Species (Genus Thunnus)', co-authored by Dr Jordi Viñas, a fish genetics specialist at Girona University in Spain and Dr Sergi Tudela, Head of Fisheries of WWF Mediterranean, proposes for the first time ever a genetic method for the precise identification of all eight recognized species of tuna. The analysis of the DNA sequence variability of two unlinked genetic markers, one a hypervariable segment of the mitochondrial genome and the other a nuclear gene, enables full discrimination between all eight tuna species.
Santa Barbara Zoo’s Giraffe Breeding Program
October 26, 2009 www.edhat.com
SANTA BARBARA, CA, -- The Santa Barbara Zoo’s male giraffe, Taru, was euthanized Friday, October 23. At age 17, he had lived longer than most male giraffes. Taru was born at the Oklahoma City Zoo on June 23, 1992, and came to Santa Barbara in 1993. He was a Baringo (or Rothschild’s) giraffe, a species found in Uganda and in western Kenya. He produced four offspring. One is still living: Eritrea, born in February 2000, and recently transferred to the Tulsa Zoo as part of a national cooperative breeding program of the AZA. Gemina, the Zoo’s famous “crooked necked giraffe,” passed away last year at the age of 21. Taru and Gemina produced a female offspring in 1999, but she is deceased. The Santa Barbara Zoo is currently making a transition from exhibiting Baringo giraffes to Masai giraffes, as part of a regional program of giraffe management with several West Coast zoos including Los Angeles and San Diego. Two young female Masai giraffes will arrive in Santa Barbara within the next few months from the Los Angeles Zoo. The Zoo’s remaining Baringo giraffe, Sulima, is 20, and will stay for the remainder of her life.
Kanpur Zoo Proposes Leopard Rescue Center
October 26, 2009 timesofindia.indiatimes.com By Abhinav Malhotra
KANPUR, India -- Kanpur zoo authorities plan to send a proposal to the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) for establishing a rescue center at Kanpur zoo. Because of increased human interference, poaching, shortage of feed, climate change, delayed monsoons and lack of drinking water, the forests are no longer the comfortable and safe zones for the wild animals. Many leopards, tigers, hyena and other wild animals have left forests in the past and surveys say the trend is still continuing. Thus, there are many more animal-human encounters now than in the past. Zoo director K Praveen Rao said, "The leopards, brought to the rescue center, will be kept here till they are fit to be rehabilitated to their original habitat. The main aim is protection of leopards in the state reduction of man-animal conflicts. This will be possible with a leopard rescue center at Lucknow zoo initially and thereafter at the Kanpur zoo." Another senior zoo official informed that it would only be in emergency that tigers were kept there. The Kanpur and the Lucknow zoos are at capacity in terms of retaining leopards. Kanpur zoo has eight leopards now and Lucknow zoo has 11.
Conservationists Disappointed in Senate’s Climate Bill
October 26, 2009 www.nytimes.com
Despite pressure from conservation and agriculture groups, Senate Democrats made few changes to natural resource and farming provisions in the climate and energy bill unveiled Friday. The bill includes the same percentage of emission allocations for domestic wildlife and natural resource protection as the House version, far less than environmental groups had hoped. Domestic natural resource protection would get 1 percent of the allowances each year from 2012 to 2021, increasing to 2 percent from 2022 to 2026 and 4 percent annually after that. That is the same amount as contained in the House-passed version of the bill. A coalition of nearly 600 conservation, outdoor and recreation groups had requested 5 percent of the total allowance value to federal, state and tribal agencies to take actions needed to conserve natural resources. Although estimates remain difficult, 5 percent of allowances could be worth from $3 billion to $5 billion annually. The environmental groups included: Defenders of Wildlife, the National Wildlife Federation, Wilderness Society, National Parks Conservation Association and Nature Conservancy. Conservation groups had also asked House lawmakers for 5 percent but received less.
The Senate bill also would create a National Climate Change Adaptation Program within an existing interagency effort, the U.S. Global Change Research Program. Separately, the bill would require the development of an overarching federal policy on natural resources adaptation to possible effects of climate change, including ocean acidification, drought, flooding and wildfire. Federal resource agencies and states also would have to develop their own individual plans. The bill also would establish a National Climate Change and Wildlife Science Center within the U.S. Geological Survey and a National Climate Service within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
International efforts to prevent tropical deforestation get 5 percent between 2012 and 2025, falling to 3 percent from 2026 to 2030 and 2 percent per year after that. Those are the same amounts included in the House-passed bill. One gain for farm and agriculture conservation groups in the bill is the expansion of a supplemental program that could help pay for conservation projects on land that might not qualify to participate in the offsets program. USDA and the Interior Department would set up a new incentives program to give financial assistance to owners and operators of agricultural and forest land for projects the reduce greenhouse gas emissions or measurably increase carbon sequestration. The program would be available to "early actors" who started conservation projects years ago but would not be able to qualify for the offsets since their projects have been ongoing. Farmers who could not participate in the carbon market because of other regulations would also be eligible.
Australia’s Camel Problem
October 26, 2009 news.nationalgeographic.com
Australia is home to the largest herd of feral camels in the world. About 12,000 dromedary camels were brought to Australia in the mid-19th century to carry people and supplies during the exploration and development of the Interior but after the advent of the automobile, they were abandoned and left to fend for themselves. They adapted very well and now number in excess of 1 million and cause approximately U.S. $13 million in damage to infrastructure each year. If the population is not radically diminished, it thought that the camels could permanently destroy Australia's fragile desert ecosystem. The Australian government is preparing for a camel control program which is now in the planning stages. About 25-thousand camels are killed each year here, and much of the culling is carried out by marksmen in helicopters and on the ground. The long-term aim is to reduce the camel population by as much as two thirds.
National Zoo’s Bat Conservation Program
October 27, 2009 www.infozine.com By Laura Misjak
WASHINGTON, D.C. - There are 45 bat species in the U.S., and six are endangered. The Interior Department will give the National Zoo $322,000 during the next two years to ensure the survival of a population of 40 endangered Virginia big-eared bats. Researchers at the zoo will also study White Nose Syndrome, the fungus that has killed more than a million bats. First found on bats in a New York cave in 2006, in the past three years, it has spread to nine states: Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia - and 81 known sites. The syndrome has a 90 percent mortality rate and attacks bats while they are hibernating, when their immune systems are suppressed. The bats eventually die from malnutrition, but it's not known whether the fungus contributes to their emaciation or if it's because they awake early from hibernation and can't find food. Other animals found in the caves - insects, snakes, birds and raccoons that eat the bats - don't appear to be affected by the diseases. Damp caves seem to attract more WNS cases, and bat species that migrate for the winter aren't affected. The grant is part of $800,000 allocated to support WNS research. Interior has spent $4.3 million on WNS research since 2007, and a web site has been created to explain the crisis.
Virginia big-eared bats are found in only nine caves in Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky and North Carolina. As insectivores, (one bat can eat 1,000 mosquitoes in an hour) they are more difficult to care for than fruit-eating bats, and this is the first federally backed effort to raise insect-eating bats. They will be collected the first week of November, before they go into hibernation. Each will be implanted with a microchip and monitored around the clock, according to Luis Padrilla, the zoo's Conservation and Research Center veterinarian in Front Royal, Va. The Center ran a similar program 20 years ago with the black-footed ferret. Only 18 ferrets existed at the time due to human interference, and the center brought the species' population up to more than 500 after 20 years. Jeremy Coleman, an endangered species biologist working with the Interior Department, says It will be difficult to bring bat populations up to what they were before the syndrome because bats only produce about one pup a year. He personally thinks WNS is an invasive disease - from outside of the U.S.
Translocation of Ursus arctos in France
October 27, 2009 www.eurekalert.org
Guillaume Chapron from the Grimsö Wildlife Research Station, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, and colleagues from Washington State University, and the French Office National de la Chasse et de la Faune Sauvage, report that translocations are needed to establish a viable population of brown bears (Ursus arctos) in France. French brown bears are currently found only in the Pyrénées mountains in two sub-populations: the growing central population, created from a previous translocation and the endemic western one, which is believed to be in decline because of excessive human-caused mortality and inbreeding. Field data collected from 1993 to 2005 indicates that the western sub-population had much lower reproductive success than the central sub-population. They suggest this could be the consequence of the western sub-population being inbred or having a male-biased sex ratio. In species with extended parental care, a male-biased sex ratio can induce sexually selected infanticide, a behavior in which males attempt to kill unrelated cubs to induce estrous in females, maximizing their opportunity to breed. The researchers used a population model to compute how many bears should be released to ensure viability, and showed the population could recover provided an adequate number of new females are translocated. The findings are reported in the October 28 issue of PLoS ONE, and suggest that relocating new bears doesn't just boost the population size but can also reverse some of the causes of the population decline. The usual recommendation when planning a translocation is that it should not take place until the causes of the decline have been reversed.
Global Warming Cycles Threaten Primates
October 27, 2009
www.eurekalert.org
Two Penn State University researchers have carried out analyses of the effects of global warming on endangered primates. The research will be published October 28 in the Royal Society journal Biology Letters. The research concentrates on the way the oscillating weather patterns directly and indirectly influence plants and animals in the tropics. The scientists focused on the large-bodied monkeys of South America, choosing one species from each of the four genera of Atelines. They examined abundance trends and dynamics in populations of the muriqui (Brachyteles hypoxanthus, formerly B. arachnoides) of Brazil, the woolly monkey (Lagothrix lagotricha) in Colombia, Geoffroy's spider monkey (Ateles geoffroyi), which was studied on Barro Colorado Island in Panama, and the red howler monkey (Alouatta seniculus) in Venezuela. All the species live in social groups and spend most of their time in the trees of tropical forests, using their limbs and prehensile tails to move around or to suspend themselves from branches. The monkeys differ in the proportions of fruit, flowers, and leaves in their diets. Woolly monkeys and spider monkeys predominantly eat fruit, howler monkeys specialize in leaf-eating, and muriquis also eat leaves but consume more fruit than howlers. Through their modeling using previously collected ecological data, they found that all four monkey species showed drops in abundance relating to large-scale climate fluctuations. Global warming already has produced a rise of 0.74 degrees over the last century, and an additional increase of 1.8 to 4 degrees Celsius is anticipated over the next century. "El Niño events are expected to increase in frequency with global warming," explains Post. "This study suggests that the consequences of such intensification of ENSO could be devastating for several species of New World monkeys."
Perth Zoo’s Carnivore Diet
October 27, 2009 www.watoday.com.au
PERTH, Australia -- Carnivores at Perth Zoo devour more than 46,500 whole mammals a year, according to WA Government estimates.
- 17,400 adult mice,
- 800 adult rats,
-144 kangaroo carcasses
-144 sheep carcasses
Additional to the 46,788 whole mammal bodies the zoo expects to buy:
- 13,800 'weaner' (or juvenile) mice,
-12,000 'pinkie' (foetus) mice, 600 'fuzzy' (adolescent) mice,
-1600 pinkie rats and 300 weaner rats.
- 13,520 kg of horse with the skin on and bones in;
- 1820 sheep hearts;
- 72 cow hearts;
- 760kg of kangaroo meat and tails;
- 1080kg of poultry; and
- an undisclosed number of kangaroo cubes.
Controlling Invasive Argentine Ants
October 27, 2009 www.eurekalert.org
BERKELEY -- Native to South America, the Argentine ant has taken hold in numerous countries worldwide, including Australia, Japan and the United States. In California, the ants have pushed out native ant species and caused ecological havoc. The Argentine ant has been blamed for exacerbating problems with some agricultural crops in the state, and for the decline of the coast horned lizard, which feeds exclusively upon the native ant species decimated by the invader. In their native habitat, Argentine ants use their aggression to engage in inter-colony warfare with each other as they compete for resources, and their colonies remain small. Part of what makes the Argentine ants such successful invaders is that outside their South America homeland, the fighting among them largely stops. U.C. Berkeley researcher Neil Tsutsui says, "If you take ants from San Diego and put them next to those from San Francisco, they'll act like they've known each other all their lives. They are part of a massive supercolony that extends hundreds of miles, nearly the entire length of California." Now UC Berkeley and UC Irvine researchers have been able to narrow down and synthesize seven chemical molecules that trigger aggressive behavior among the Argentine ants. In a controlled experiment, ants coated with the 'enemy' chemicals generated significantly greater instances of flared mandibles, biting and other attacking behavior than ants coated with the control chemicals. Despite this finding, Tsutsui says that significant barriers exist before a pest-control substance based upon these chemicals is ready for the market. "These are custom chemicals that are very costly to synthesize at this stage, and we are a long way from having large enough quantities to deploy in the field.”
Nine Young Whooping Cranes Released
October 27, 2009 www.fws.gov
Nine young whooping cranes were released October 24 on central Wisconsin’s Necedah National Wildlife Refuge. The cranes are part of the Direct Autumn Release (DAR) project conducted by the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership (WCEP), an international coalition of public and private groups that is reintroducing this highly imperiled species in eastern North America, part of its historic range. There are approximately 77 whooping cranes in the wild in eastern North America thanks to WCEP’s efforts. Whooping crane chicks for DAR are reared at Necedah NWR by biologists from the International Crane Foundation and the USFWS. The juvenile birds are released in the company of older cranes after fledging, or developing their flight feathers and learn the migration route from these older birds. In addition to the nine DAR birds, 20 whooping cranes are currently being led south by project partner Operation Migration’s ultralight aircraft. The ultralight-led birds are currently in Juneau County, Wis. Whooping cranes that take part in the ultralight and Direct Autumn Release reintroductions are hatched at the U.S. Geological Survey’s Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Laurel, Md., and at the International Crane Foundation in Baraboo, Wis. Chicks are raised under a strict isolation protocol and to ensure the birds remain wild, handlers adhere to a no-talking rule and wear costumes designed to mask the human form. More information is at: www.bringbackthecranes.org.
Tulsa Zoo Employee Cuts
October 27, 2009 www.kjrh.com
TULSA, Oklahoma -- Mayor Kathy Taylor announced several cuts to help keep the city's budget balanced. 37 people are being laid off. 21 of those positions are police officers. City leaders hope 18 of the soon-to-be laid off officers can be re-hired with the COPS grant. The majority of the remaining positions will be eliminated at the Tulsa Zoo, the Performing Arts Center and in the information technology department. Other cuts include eliminating the police and fire department academies, grounding both police helicopters and reducing overtime across the city.
Naked Mole Rat Life History Study
October 27, 2009 www.nytimes.com By NICHOLAS WADE
Naked mole rats live in underground colonies with a queen, her harem of favorite males, soldiers to defend the tunnel system and workers to keep excavating in search of food. Their life span is extremely long for a rodent. Mice live a couple of years but mole rats can live 28 years. The long life is probably a consequence of their protected existence. Mice have a short life span because they have many predators. Gray squirrels have fewer enemies and can live for more than 20 years. The naked mole rat lives an even more protected lifestyle. The queens never come to the surface. Even the workers are exposed only when they need to shovel dirt to the earth’s surface. A colony’s principal danger is other mole rats who may break into the tunnel system, or a kind of civil war that occurs when a queen dies. Other females, barren while the queen lived, regain their fertility and fight until one is victorious. Mice are very prone to cancer (In some strains, 90 percent of them die of tumors), but the mole rat doesn’t seem to get cancer at all. Dr. Vera Gorbunova and colleagues at the University of Rochester, have taken a first step toward understanding the genetic basis of the mole rat’s surprising immunity to cancer. They have found that the rats’ cells have a double system for inhibiting irregular proliferation, compared with the single system in human cells. Their study appears in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Nepal Expands Critical Tiger Habitat
October 27, 2009 www.physorg.com
The Government of Nepal has announced an expansion of Bardia National Park in the Terai Arc Landscape by 900 sq km, which will increase critical habitat for tigers. The announcement was made at the inaugural session of the Kathmandu Global Tiger Workshop. Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal also stated that the government would establish a National Tiger Conservation Authority as well as a Wildlife Crime Control Committee. Anil Manandhar, Country Representative of WWF Nepal, said "We are confident that by embracing innovative conservation strategies Nepal will succeed in doubling its number of endangered tigers." Earlier this year the first nation-wide estimate of the tiger population revealed the presence of 121 breeding tigers in the wild within four protected areas of Nepal. "In making these commitments at a global forum before the 12 other tiger range countries, the Government of Nepal has set an important precedent for others to follow," said Mike Baltzer, Leader of WWF's Tiger Initiative. The Kathmandu Global Tiger Workshop is the first in a series of political negotiation meetings occurring throughout the year and leading up to a final Heads of State Tiger Summit in September 2010, which is the Year of the Tiger.
Chytrid Fungus Detection & Control
October 27, 2009 www.scientificamerican.com By John Platt
Since it was first observed in 1999 chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, or Bd ) has been found on all six continents with amphibian populations. Kerry Kriger, founder of the ‘Save the Frogs Foundation’, recently conducted a course at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama, to teach a method to detect and quantify the number of Bd zoospores present on frogs' skins. He has also made the information available for free online. The highly detailed protocol uses quantitative (real-time) polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) to identify the fungus and its concentration on a frog. The protocol also provides examples of how to properly swab frogs of various sizes to obtain samples for testing. "There are only a handful of laboratories and scientists in the world knowledgeable in qPCR chytrid-detection techniques, which is a major hindrance to amphibian disease research," Kriger says. The protocol soon will be translated into Spanish and other languages and is online at: http://savethefrogs.com/chytrid/qpcr.html Scientists from 16 countries have signed up with ‘Save the Frogs’ to receive updates. To control the fungus, Kriger advocates removing frog legs from restaurant menus and lobbying for rules to control the pet industry. "The pet and food trade are significant contributors to the amphibian disease problem by transporting millions of amphibians around the world each year," Kriger says. The group also wants to test frogs before they can infect other populations. "We will be working with government agencies to ensure that proper disease testing regulations are put in place," he adds. According to Amphibian Ark, after the fungus hits a community, 50 percent of amphibian species and 80 percent of individuals can be expected to disappear within one year. So far, no cure or prevention for the fungus exists.
GM Peas Can Protect Chickens From Common Parasite
October 28, 2009 www.scidev.net
Genetically modified peas that can protect chickens against a common parasite called Eimeria, were developed by Sergey Kipriyanov and colleagues at Novoplant GmbH, a German plant biotechnology company. Scientists inserted a gene that caused the plants to produce an antibody that stops the parasite invading the chicken's gut cells. The peas can be ground into flour and then added to cheap chicken fodder, making the approach suitable for rural poultry farming in developing countries, the researchers say. Even in chickens infected with high doses of the parasite GM pea flour reduced infections, say the researchers. "This work demonstrates for the first time the feasibility of using antibody-expressing GM crop seeds to control infectious diseases." Previous work has shown that plants can be engineered to trigger chickens to produce their own antibodies against diseases, but the scientists say this is the first time that crops have been altered to produce antibodies themselves. Kipriyanov says that immunisation through food is easier than traditional methods such as injections. In addition, the method protects the chickens immediately. The research was published last month (September) in BMC Biotechnology.
Cincinnati Zoo Receives LEED Award
October 28, 2009 www.zandavisitor.com
CINCINNATI, OH - – The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden’s Historic Vine Street Village, which opened in May, received LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) NC Platinum certification – the highest rating awarded by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). The Cincinnati Zoo is now the first zoo in the country with multiple LEED projects and the 2nd zoo in the country to receive LEED Platinum certification. Locally, this is the first LEED NC Platinum for Cincinnati and the third for the State of Ohio. Mark Fisher, Cincinnati Zoo Senior Director of Facilities said, “We have lowered our utility bills by over a million dollars in the last few years, spending less than half that amount to achieve those savings. The tired old myth that going green is not affordable is ignorant.” The Cincinnati Zoo’s first LEED-certified building was the Harold C. Schott Education Center, which opened in 2006. With the success of the Education Center, the Zoo pledged to pursue LEED certification on all new construction projects. The Cincinnati Zoo is the first zoo in the U.S. to make such a commitment. It claims to be the greenest zoo in the U.S.
Status Review for Northern Leopard Frog
October 28, 2009 www.epa.gov
The USFWS is reopening the comment period to determine whether the Northern Leopard Frog (Lithobates [=Rana] pipiens) population should be designated as ‘Threatened’ in the Western United States. This action will provide all interested parties with an additional opportunity to submit information and materials on the status of the northern leopard frog. Information must be received on or before November 27, 2009. Submit comments via the Federal eRulemaking Portal or U.S. mail: Public Comments Processing, Attn: FWS-R2-ES-2009-0030; Division of Policy and Directives Management; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, Suite 222; Arlington, VA 22203. For more information contact: Steven L. Spangle, Field Supervisor, by U.S. mail at Arizona Ecological Services Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 2321 West Royal Palm Drive, Suite 103, Phoenix, AZ 85021; telephone 602-242-0210.
6,300 Panda Name Suggestions
October 28, 2009 www.signonsandiego.com
The San Diego Zoo received more than 6,300 name suggestions for their male panda born 12 weeks ago. The names were delivered in person by zoo-goers or submitted through the zoo's Web site over a 10-day period earlier this month. The five finalists will be posted Saturday on Zoo’s Web site, and people can vote for their favorite through Nov. 3. The winning name will be announced during a Nov. 17 ceremony.
N.C. Zoo Needs $2 million to Expand Polar Bear Exhibit
October 29, 2009 www.newsobserver.com BY MARTHA QUILLIN
N.C. Zoo has launched a campaign to raise $2 million to expand their polar bear exhibit and bring in more polar bears. The N.C. Zoo Society has raised $1.2 million, including $250,000 from members of its board of directors and $350,000 from their family members and foundations, to help pay for the expansion. Additional state funds will be needed to double the existing polar bear exhibit and off-exhibit holding space to accommodate more animals. The total cost of the project will be about $4.5 million. When the polar bear exhibit opened in 1994, zoo keepers thought the bears just needed a big pool. They now know that polar bears are curious and like to stay busy. They need a lot of stimulation and a lot of space. To qualify for more bears, the park must bring the exhibit up to current standards. The zoo now has two polar bears, both males, which can't be exhibited at the same time because they might fight. The park would like to have as many as five more bears.
Using Cell Phones to Collect Field Data
October 29, 2009 www.eurekalert.org
Computer scientists at the University of Washington have used Android, Google’s new open-source mobile operating system, to turn a cell phone into a data-collection device. Cell phones have been used in the past to collect data in the field, but when the phone got outdated, so did the software. Instead of creating a tool for a single phone, the UW team built something that will provide a reusable platform to collect all types of mobile data. Their free suite of tools, named Open Data Kit, is already used by organizations around the world that need inexpensive ways to gather information in areas with little infrastructure. This fall the Jane Goodall Foundation in Tanzania and the Brazilian Forest Service signed up to use it to monitor deforestation. Open Data Kit's tools can collect data; store, view and export data on remote servers; and manage devices in the field from a central office. The output is compatible with emerging data standards such as the Open Medical Records System, which aims to coordinate health records in the developing world. Phones running Open Data Kit can record location in seconds, scan a barcode rather than requiring the numbers to be entered by hand, and upload the data automatically using a cellular network. The tool is described in the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers' Computer magazine. Gaetano Borriello, UW professor of computer science and engineering, and Adam Lerer, a graduate student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, are co-authors.
Giant Insects at Louisiana Zoo
October 29, 2009 www.thenewsstar.com By Hope Young
A new permanent exhibit, The Hall of Small, at the Louisiana Purchase Gardens and Zoo debuts on Saturday. Zoo director Joe Clawson thinks kids are going to love it. "They are fascinated with bugs, and we are going to present them in so many different ways." What was the old primate building has been remodeled and redesigned to look and feel like you are eye-level with ants, scorpions, praying mantis, dragon flies and other insects. The walls are painted with giant blades of grass as tall as trees; the praying mantis looks like it's seven feet tall and the ant could be six feet long. Adding to the effect is that these creatures are robotic, which means they move arms, legs heads, wings and more, just like the real thing. "The kids are going to feel like they have gone down to the level of bugs," Clawson said of the Animatronic Insect Exhibit. With the robotic giant insects and the live small ones, the zoo will also show visitors what insects looked like millions and millions of years ago.
Protection for Snub-nosed Langurs
October 29, 2009 english.vovnews.vn
The northern mountainous province of Ha Giang has decided to zone off over 2,000 ha of land to create a nature reserve to preserve snub-nosed langurs (Rhinopithecus avunculus), one of the world’s 25 most endangered species. The reserve is in Khau Ca forest and covers Tung Ba and Thuan Hoa communes in Vi Xuyen district, Minh Son commune in Bac Me district and Du Gia commune in Yen Minh district. The forest reserve is estimated to have about 100 snub-nosed langurs, the largest community of the species. In the province’s Tung Vai and Cao Ma Po communes, Quan Ba district, there are nearly 20 snub-nosed langurs.
Critical Habitat for Polar Bears in the U.S.
October 29, 2009
www.epa.gov
The USFWS proposes to designate approximately 200,541 square miles as critical habitat in Alaska and adjacent territorial and U.S. waters to protect the Polar Bear. Comments must be received on or before December 28, Submit comments via the Federal eRulemaking Portal or U.S. mail to: Public Comments Processing, Attn: FWS-R7-ES-2009-0042; Division of Policy and Directives Management; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, Suite 222; Arlington, VA 22203. You can view detailed, colored maps of areas proposed as critical habitat. Hard copies of maps may be obtained from the Marine Mammals Management Office. For more information contact: Thomas J. Evans, Marine Mammals Management Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1011 East Tudor Road, Anchorage, AK 99503; telephone 907/786-3800; facsimile 907/786-3816.
Report on Panda Science
October 29, 2009 rsbl.royalsocietypublishing.org
Ron Swaisgood of the San Diego Zoo’s Institute for Conservation Research summarizes the giant panda research presented at the 2009 International Congress for Conservation Biology (ICCB) in Beijing. Reports addressed topics ranging from spatial ecology to molecular censusing, from habitat recovery in newly established reserves to earthquake-induced habitat loss, from new insights into factors limiting carrying capacity to the uncertain effects of climate change, this symposium displayed the vibrant and blossoming application of science to giant panda conservation. Swaisgood urges more direct application of emerging science to giant panda management and policy.
International Tiger Meeting Report
October 29, 2009 www.chinadaily.com.cn
KATHMANDU -- Wild tigers are still found in 13 countries: Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Burma, Nepal, Russia, Thailand and Vietnam, but there are believed to be only about 3,500, down from about 100,000 a century ago. Delegates from 20 countries discussed conservation strategies as well as challenges such as poaching, illegal trade in tiger parts and man-animal conflicts. Wildlife experts said Wednesday that tigers could become extinct in the wild in two decades unless the world ramps up conservation efforts to halt the decline in their population. Asia is a hotspot for the illegal wildlife trade, which the international police organization Interpol estimates may be worth more than $20 billion a year. Skins sold on the black market, can fetch up to $20,000. John Seidensticker, chief scientist at the Smithsonian National Zoo's Conservation Ecology Center, said tiger habitat had declined by 40 percent in the last decade due to destruction of forests.
USDA Serves Complaint Against Former Elephant Exhibitor
October 29, 2009 www.aphis.usda.gov
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) have taken the first step in bringing enforcement action against former elephant exhibitor Wilbur Davenport by serving him with a formal legal complaint. Alleged violations include: repeated instances in which Davenport failed to handle the elephants as carefully as possible; failure to ensure the safety of the elephants and the public; failure to provide the elephants minimally adequate veterinary care and failure to adequately feed the elephants. Davenport had been exhibiting three elephants-- Jewel, Tina and Queenie--for years. Our animal care inspectors and investigators were monitoring the elephants’ conditions during that time. On Aug. 20, Davenport surrendered his USDA exhibitor license and APHIS took custody of Tina and Jewel, who had been losing substantial amounts of weight. Tina and Jewel were taken to the San Diego Zoo, where they are now living in the company of other elephants. Queenie remains the legal property of Davenport. Davenport has 20 days to file an answer to the complaint. Once he files an answer, he can either negotiate a settlement with USDA or request a hearing before a USDA administrative law judge. Possible outcomes at such a hearing include civil penalties and license revocation, if USDA issues a revocation. A copy of the complaint is at www.usda.gov
Amphibians Rarely Warn of Pollution
October 29, 2009 www.nature.com By Matt Kaplan
Amphibians are believed to be sensitive to pollutants because of their highly permeable skins which maximize their exposure to the environment. They inhabit land and water, and eat both plants and animals at various stages of their life cycles. Their health is commonly used to give a rough assessment of pollution levels in an area. To investigate how resilient amphibians really are, Jake Kerby at the University of South Dakota and colleagues analyzed more than 28,000 studies from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Aquatic Information Retrieval database (part of its ECOTOX system). The studies detail the effects of various chemical agents on aquatic species, including insects, bivalves, fish and amphibians. They found that compared with other animals, amphibians are no more vulnerable than other species. The researchers looked at four types of environmental toxins: heavy metals, inorganic compounds, phenols and pesticides, and found that amphibians were much less sensitive to chemical exposure from heavy metals, inorganics, and pesticides than many other species. The most sensitive group proved to be brachiopods, which declined dramatically in the presence of heavy metals and inorganic chemicals. Insects, unsurprisingly, were the most sensitive to insecticides, whereas amphibians were most sensitive only to the phenol chemicals. The results appear in Ecology Letters.
Funding Crisis Endangers Amur Leopard
October 30, 2009 www.newkerala.com
Several international wildlife conservation organizations have offered aid to Russia to protect the about 30-35 wild Amur leopards. The species is listed as a critically-endangered but the area that supports half of this population--Kedrovaya Pad Nature Reserve in the south-western Primorski region in Russia-- has been suffering due to severe lack of funds. 24 of the reserve’s 35 employees are on a forced vacation and the reserve lacks funds to pay for fuel and other basic necessities for those who volunteered to work despite the salary delays. The reason for this acute financial crunch has been attributed to a well-intended but poorly-executed reorganization of the protected areas in the range of the Amur leopard. The reorganization had aimed to bring together three protected areas - which provide refuge to half of the remaining wild Amur leopards - under one improved management structure. The Barsovy and Borisovkoe Plato refuges were combined to create the Leopardovy Wildlife Refuge in October 2008, by Vladimir Putin. The responsibility of managing Leopardovy Wildlife Refuge was transferred to Kedrovaya Pad Nature Reserve. However, both Leopardovy Wildlife Refuge and Kedrovaya Pad Nature Reserve now lack funds to support conservation of the critically-endangered Amur leopards. The International Fund for Animal Welfare, Phoenix Fund, Zoological Society of London, Tigris Foundations as well as individual donors have all offered help.
Dogs Trained to Track Endangered Species
October 30, 2009 dalnews.dal.ca
HALIFAX, Nova Scotia, Canada -- A novel training protocol was refined at Dalhousie’s Canid Research Lab. Three former shelter dogs have been trained to recognize and track the scent of endangered species, with a remarkable 90 to 100 per cent success rate in the lab. All the dogs live in homes as pets, in addition to volunteering for their part-time ‘jobs.’ Senior instructor Simon Gadbois is an expert in the behavioural endocrinology of canid—a group that includes the domesticated dog, wolves and foxes—and he’s excited about the many potential applications of the research.
Study of Polar Bear-Grizzly Hybrid
October 30, 2009 news.bbc.co.uk
"Hybrids between polar and brown bears in the wild are very rare. Only one confirmed case is known," says Dr Ute Magiera, the conservation coordinator of Osnabruck Zoo in Germany. However, a small number of hybrid bears do exist in zoos in the Czech Republic, Israel, Russia, Spain, Poland and Germany as a result of grizzly bears, a subspecies of brown bear and polar bears being held in the same enclosures. At Osnabruck Zoo, both species were kept together since 1980, producing no offspring. Then in January 2004, a female brown bear gave birth to two brown/polar bear hybrids at the zoo. Now Dr Magiera, Dr Alexandra Preuß of the University of Osnabruck and Osnabruck Zoo and colleagues studied a female and a male bear hybrid (brown bear Ursus arctos x polar bear Ursus maritimus). Behavioural and morphological comparisons between the hybrids and the two parent-species were made. The published details appear in the scientific journal Der Zoologische Garten. Physically, the hybrids have a range of characteristics. In terms of overall size, they fall between the larger polar bear and slightly smaller grizzly. They have longer necks more typical of polar bears, but also display small shoulder humps reminiscent of brown bears. The size and shape of their heads is intermediate between the thicker-set brown bear and more slender-headed polar bear. Hybrids have visible tails, like polar bears, whereas those of brown bears are barely apparent. The bears' feet are also an intriguing blend. The soles of the hybrids' feet are partially covered in hair. Polar bear feet are covered in hair to insulate them from the ice, whereas brown bears have hairless soles and clearly visible toes. But most intriguing is the bears' hair. The shaft of a brown bear's hair is either solid or full of small hollow regions, depending on where the hair is on the bear's body. The hair of a polar bear is almost completely hollow, with large empty regions within its core. The hair of the hybrid bears display a blend of both. Hair on the paw of the male hybrid is solid. But dark hair on the male's back is hollow, but with smaller empty regions than found in polar bear hair. The hair on the female contains a range of hollow regions.
Behaviorally, the two hybrids have much in common with polar bears. They lay down just as polar bears do. When given large toys to play with, such as tractor wheels or barrels, both bears used their front legs to stamp on the object, just as polar bears stamp onto ice to break through to seal dens. The hybrids also used their teeth to hurl jute-bags from left to right, as polar bears may hurl prey. Brown bears given similar bags do not show this behavior. The male hybrid bear has been sterilized. But if the female proves fertile, it suggests that hybrid bears could continue to breed in the wild if their ranges overlap more, says Dr Magiera. Brown bears (Ursus arctos) and polar bears (Ursus maritimus) split into distinct species around 200-300,000 years ago. Generally, their modern ranges don't overlap; the brown bear is found in the montane forests of the Holarctic and tundra, while the polar bear frequents the Arctic. However, in some regions of the Canadian Arctic and Siberia, brown bears do venture on to pack ice, potential bringing them into contact. Some experts say that global warming and diminishing ice packs will lead to polar bears spending more time on the mainland. While some think that a few populations of polar bear may return permanently to their original mainland habitat, others say that climatic changes will happen too fast for the bears to adapt.
Pittsburgh Zoo Rhinos Ready to Mate
October 30, 2009 www.post-gazette.com By Don Hopey
Two black rhinoceroses are ready to meet and mate for the first time at the Pittsburgh Zoo. 14-year-old Jomo, who was born at the San Diego Zoo and came to Pittsburgh when he was a year old, will meet Azzizi, a 10-year-old female born at the Cleveland Zoo. Barbara Baker, Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium president and chief operating officer, held a news conference outside the rhino yard today to alert zoo visitors that they could be witness to some rough behavior. "When in the mood," Dr. Baker said, "rhinos are very aggressive toward one another. They will roar, chase, and even hit each other before they actually mate. The entire breeding event can last anywhere from two to three hours and can sometimes be violent." Black rhinos are considered endangered in the wild where they number about 4,240. There are 30 in North American zoos, and the AZA Species Survival Plan, which recommended the breeding in Pittsburgh, has set a target of 4 to 7 births per year, a number needed to maintain a 3 percent birth rate, which will sustain the population. The goal is to grow the black rhino population to 72 rhinos.
Endangered Species Permit Applications
October 30, 2009 www.epa.gov
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, invite the public to comment on the following applications for permits to conduct certain activities with endangered species. Written data, comments or requests must be received by November 30, 2009. Documents and other information submitted with these applications are available for review by any party who submits a written request for a copy of such documents within 30 days of the date of publication of this notice to: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Division of Management Authority, 4401 North Fairfax Drive, Room 212, Arlington, Virginia 22203; fax 703/358-2281. For further information contact: Division of Management Authority, telephone 703/358-2104.
Applicant: Jacksonville Zoological Society, Jacksonville, FL, PRT-072219. The applicant requests reissuance of their permit to import three giant otters (Pteronura brasiliensis) from the Government of Guyana for the purpose of enhancement of the survival of the species. This notification covers activities to be conducted by the applicant over a 5-year period.
Applicant: Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, PA, PRT-218242. The applicant requests an amendment to their permit to acquire from Coriell Institute of Medical Research, Camden, NJ, in interstate commerce cell line and DNA cultures from chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes), bonobo (Pan paniscus), gorilla (Gorilla gorilla), Bornean orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus), Sumatran orangutan (Pongo abelii), agile gibbon (Hylobates agilis), buff-cheeked gibbon (Nomascus gabriellae), white-cheeked gibbon (Nomascus leucogenys), pileated gibbon (Hylobates pileatus), siamang (Symphalangus syndactylus), black-handed spider monkey (Ateles geoffroyi), cotton-top tamarin (Saguinus oedipus), aye-aye (Daubentonia madagascariensis), brown lemur (Eulemur fulvus), ring-tailed lemur (Lemur catta), white sifaka (Propithecus verreauxi), and fat-tailed dwarf lemur (Cheirogaleus medius) for the purpose of scientific research. This notification covers activities conducted by the applicant over a 5-year period.
Applicant: Wild Cat Education & Conservation Fund, Occidental, CA, PRT-227438. The applicant requests a permit to import one male captive-born cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) from DeWildt Cheetah and Wildlife Centre, DeWildt, South Africa, for the purpose of enhancement of the survival of the species.
Applicant: Institute of Greatly Endangered and Rare Species, Myrtle Beach, SC, PRT-230259. The applicant requests a permit to import one male and one female captive-born cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) from DeWildt Cheetah and Wildlife Centre, DeWildt, South Africa, for the purpose of enhancement of the survival of the species.
Applicant: Michael S. Clifford, New York, NY, PRT-230659. The applicant requests a permit to import the sport-hunted trophy of one male bontebok (Damaliscus pygargus pygargus) culled from a captive herd maintained under the management program of the Republic of South Africa, for the purpose of enhancement of the survival of the species.
Major Biopark Planned for Colombia
October 30, 2009 www.stltoday.com
Saint Louis based design firm AFH Design, LLC presented the completed master plan for the new Biopark Pereira which will be located in Colombia. The park is both a zoo and botanical garden and it will join several other major themed attractions in the “coffee triangle” of Colombia, within driving distance of the countries three major cities, Medellin, Cali and Bogota. The total cost of the project is expected to be $100 million dollars. It will occupy a 110 acre site, most of which is currently used for agricultural purposes. Plans for the biopark define seven zones in which specific bioregions in Colombia and around the world are interpreted. The South American bioregions include the arid Caribbean Coast, the Amazon Basin, the Andes Cloud Forests, the Rocky Coasts of Chile and Peru. Bioregions in Africa and Asia will also be included, featuring Tropical Africa, the African Savannah and the Mangrove Coasts of Asia. The aim was to provide state of the art immersive bioregions that interpret the habitats, and the animals that rely on those habitats, and to interpret stories about current or historical cultures that have either learned to embrace the animals within the bioregion, or are in conflict with them. Each bioregion will be represented by an “ambassador” animal, plant and culture. The ambassador animals include jaguar, Bengal tiger, flamingos, Humboldt penguin, Andean bear, chimpanzee and lion. The bioregions interpreted represent over 70% of the biodiversity on our planet. There will be seventy five exhibits in total, with nearly 800 animals, plus 20 butterfly species exhibited in a free flight aviary. Construction is scheduled to begin in January 2010, and the park will be built in phases. The first phase will be open to the public in 2011.
Adelaide Zoo Will Receive Pandas in 2009
October 30, 2009 news.xinhuanet.com
BEIJING - Adelaide Zoo will receive a pair of giant pandas from China by the end of this year, according to Chinese state media. Male panda, Wangwang, was born on Aug. 31, 2005, while the female, Funi, was born on Aug. 23, 2006. The pair will come from the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda in Wolong. After the May 12 earthquake last year, Wangwang and Funi were taken to Ya'an Panda Breeding Base from the Wolong center, which was seriously damaged. They have been in isolation since Sept 21. The administration is sending the pair to Adelaide for a10-year co-study as a goodwill gesture promised by President Hu Jintao during a visit to Australia in September 2007. The Australian zoo finished work on its panda enclosure in September and training of its panda keepers and veterinarians has been completed. The zoo has also trained specialists in cultivation of the panda's primary food, bamboo, along with experts in panda breeding, transportation and management.
Google Earth Pro is Introduced
October 30, 2009 news.idg.no by Rebecca Wanjiku
Google has unveiled its “Google Earth Pro” in time for the December climate change conference in Copenhagen. The software is available through the Google Earth Outreach Program, which lets local NGOs (nongovernmental organizations) and other public-benefit organizations visualize their projects and demonstrate their impact. "Nonprofit and public benefit organizations in Africa can access the knowledge and resources they need to organize their data, build their maps, tell their story through geographic visualization using Google's Geo Tools," said Karin Tuxen-Bettman and Tanya Keen, of Google Earth Outreach. The Save the Elephants organization has used the software to show efforts taken to protect the last of the Mali Desert Elephants. The Mali project uses KML touring, a feature in Google Earth 5.0. Iain Douglas-Hamilton, founder of Save the Elephants in Samburu, Kenya, says, "Google Earth links perfectly with our remote tracking system in Africa; when an elephant stops, it sends a signal to the station," said Douglas-Hamilton. "We are at a crucial stage and we need to make use of the technology to help in decision making.” The “Mapping Africa's Protected Areas Project”, has mapped parks and reserves in Southern and East Africa. The maps show features such as park boundaries, tracks, and various images. The project offers previously unavailable data about land and wildlife in protected areas in Africa.
Biomimicry: Animal Robots
October 30, 2009 news.nationalgeographic.com By Rachel Kaufman
Researchers worldwide are developing robots that look and act like aquatic creatures. Gymnobot developer William Megill of the University of Bath, U.K. has developed a biomimetic fish based on the knifefish. "In a fishlike fish, the whole of the animal is muscle--its propeller," he said. "That's not particularly conducive to putting in circuit boards." To allow more room for cameras and other electronics, he copied the knifefish, which keeps its body rigid to sense electric currents in the water. In the same way, his gymnobot uses its lower, bladelike "fin" to propel itself through the water while the body remains rigid. Megill hopes it can be used to study marine life near the shore, where a propeller would kick up too much sediment or get tangled in weeds.
Sea Birds Killed by Ocean Slime
October 30, 2009 news.nationalgeographic.com By John Roach
Hundreds of birds are washing up on the shores of the U.S. Pacific Northwest coated with a foamy sea slime this fall. The slime, which comes from algae blooms in the ocean, destroys the waterproofing ability of the birds' feathers. Unlike oil spills, the algae blooms occur naturally when there is an upwelling of nutrients and warmer-than-usual ocean waters. Recently the blooms have been larger, longer and more frequent. Jay Holcomb, executive director at the International Bird Rescue Research Center said hundreds of birds have died, from hypothermia or predation. Nearly 500 of the slimed birds have been transported to the rescue center in Fairfield, California, which was specially built to care for coastal wildlife contaminated with oil. Many of the slime victims have been released. Several hundred more birds are also being treated at facilities in Oregon and Washington State.
North American Raptors Susceptible to H5N1
October 30, 2009 www.usgs.gov
American kestrels are extremely susceptible to highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1), indicating that other raptors may also be at risk if the virus reaches North America. In a new USGS study, all kestrels inoculated with highly pathogenic avian influenza virus died within seven days of inoculation, regardless of the virus dose. “Our concern is that raptors like bald eagles, peregrine falcons and the endangered California condor would be at risk if highly pathogenic H5N1 reaches North America,” said Jeffrey Hall, a research virologist at the USGS National Wildlife Health Center and lead author on this study. The virus could reach North America via migratory wild birds, which are typical prey for these susceptible birds. If endangered and threatened raptors are as sensitive as kestrels, they are highly likely to die if infected with the virus. “Surveillance for highly pathogenic H5N1 is extremely important,” said Jonathan Sleeman, director of the National Wildlife Health Center. The study is available free online from PLoS ONE and is entitled “Experimental infection of a North American raptor, American kestrel (Falco sparverius), with highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (H5N1).”
San Diego Zoo Panda Naming Contest
October 31, 2009 www.signonsandiego.com
Out of the 6,331 names submitted for San Diego Zoo’s new baby panda the most popular English name was “Bob” — obviously not a contender. Other rejects were Ron Burgundy and Zoo Zoo. Names like Pequeño, Herbie, Watermelon, Wubbzy and Pandy also missed the shortlist. One popular Chinese submission was Gao Yun. Gao was in honor of the new panda’s father, Gao Gao, which means “big big,” and his mate, Bai Yun, which means “white cloud.” This has been the name-selection procedure for the two previous pandas, too. The Chinese government picked out the name for Hua Mei, which means “China USA.” The panda team at the zoo named the second panda Mei Sheng, which can mean either “born in the USA” or “beautiful life” because Chinese words often have multiple translations. The unnamed cub’s sisters are Su Lin, which means “a little bit of something cute,” and Zhen Zhen, which means “precious.” Although the public votes on the names, the Chinese government gets final approval. All the names are in Pinyin, which is the system for translating Chinese characters into the Roman alphabet. Go to http://mandarintools.com/worddict.html, select Pinyin and type in each word separately.
Starting today, the public will be able to vote at http://sandiegozoo.org/pandacam for:
Fu Sheng, which means “blissful San Diego”;
Xiao Long, or “little dragon”;
Xiong Wei, or “extraordinary bear”;
Yong Xiang, or “eternally blessed”; and
Yun Zi, or “son of cloud.”
[NOTE: 4 different names appeared on the San Diego Zoo Web Site:
Li Hua or "Beautiful china"
Ming Zhu "Bright Treasure"
Zhen Zhen "Precious"
Xiao Li "Little Beauty"]
Toxin Evolved From Digestive Enzyme
October 31, 2009 www.physorg.com
Harvard researchers show that independent but similar molecular changes turned a harmless digestive enzyme into a toxin in two unrelated species -- a shrew and a lizard in a study appearing in the journal Current Biology. Lead author Yael T. Aminetzach suggests that the work has important implications for our understanding of how novel protein function evolves by studying the relationship between an ancestral and harmless protein and its new toxic activity. "The venom is essentially an over activation of the original digestive enzyme, amplifying its effects," she says. "What had been a mild anticoagulant in the salivary glands of both species has become a much more extreme compound that causes paralysis and death in prey that is bitten."
New Management for Hattiesberg Zoo
October 31, 2009 www.hattiesburgamerican.com
HATTIESBERG, Mississippi - The city is handing over a portion of the zoo's oversight to the Hattiesburg Convention and Tourism commissions. The partnership, officials said, will make the zoo a more marketable attraction and ultimately save taxpayers money in the near future. "Right now, it takes a little over $1.2 million to operate the zoo," Mayor Johnny DuPree said Friday. "We have to subsidize somewhere around $800,000 a year." By entering into a four-year contract with the city's convention and tourism commissions, the city is hoping to eventually save a minimum of 20 percent of the city's costs. The contract takes effect Wednesday. DuPree said, "For the first two years we'll continue subsidizing the zoo as we have, and in the third year we'll review things and see where we are." Rick Taylor, executive director of the Hattiesburg Convention and Tourism commissions, said he's confident their management will translate into future success for the zoo. "We have an opportunity to get in, market and develop it, and then we'll certainly look for sponsors to determine where we go forward in terms of enhancing the zoo and making it more attractive so people will want to come back to it," he said. "We will sit down with zoo professionals and go through their master plan and see how some of the elements we feel will help increase attendance at zoo fit into that plan," Taylor said. "The zoo is one of two in the state. From a marketing standpoint, there's nothing more attractive than having a unique product."
Adelaide Zoo Benefits from Panda Diplomacy
October 31, 2009 www.chinadaily.com.cn By Huang Zhiling
CHENGDU, China -- The news that Adelaide Zoo will receive 2 pandas in December 2009, follows recent heightened tension between Beijing and Canberra over alleged Australian government restrictions on Chinese investment in mining. On top of that, ties were further strained when an Australian mining executive was arrested in China. Beijing also recently criticized Canberra's decision to grant an entry permit to Rebiya Kadeer, who it believes was behind the July 5 riot in Urumqi, in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, that claimed 197 lives. The pandas, both born in captivity at the Wolong Nature Reserve, will spend 10 years at the zoo as part of a breeding program. President Hu Jintao said the pandas represent friendship between the countries. "I would like to stress that this is the first time that a pair of Chinese giant pandas have ever settled in Australia and, to be more specific, in the Southern Hemisphere," he said. Former Prime Minister John Howard said Australia welcomes the gesture from China. "It's important, when you're talking about billions of dollars of resource contracts and you're talking about tens of thousands of students, it's also important to find in the relationship, the warmth and exhilaration that can come from the temporary residence of such lovely creatures," he said. China has been raising pandas through artificial insemination and breeding programs for nearly 50 years. It set up a loan system in 1984 under which foreign zoos can house pairs of bears in the captive breeding program. 210 have now been bred in captivity.
National Zoo Loses 2 Scimitar-horned Oryxes
October 31, 2009 www.nbcwashington.com By ASHA BEH
WASHINGTON — The National Zoo announced that a 17-year-old female oryx died on Oct. 24. The animal had been anesthetized two days earlier for a routine health assessment, but during her recovery became agitated and died while being anesthetized a second time for an emergency follow-up exam. A 16-year-old male oryx died of cardiac and respiratory arrest at the zoo's Conservation and Research Center in Front Royal, Va., on Oct. 14. He also died while being anesthetized for a routine reproductive exam. The zoo now has one remaining oryx on exhibit and a herd of 13 surviving at its research center. The scimitar-horned oryx is extinct in its native northern Africa.
Why Animals Have So Many Different Colors
October 31, 2009 www.eurekalert.org
Fish, birds and insects all display rich color diversity. Darwin attributed this diversity to sexual selection, meaning the traits increased an animal's ability to attract mates. But Gregory Grether and Christopher Anderson of UCLA emphasize another evolutionary factor. “The cost of attacking the wrong type of male and of being attacked by the wrong type of male favors diversity of coloration, birdsong and chemical cues, to identify rivals," Grether said. Austrian zoologist Konrad Lorenz suggested in 1962 that the diverse coloration of coral reef fish was likely due to selection against fighting with the wrong species. But the idea never really reached the level of attention in evolutionary biology that it deserved. Grether and Anderson studied several species of damselflies in Mexico and Texas. The research appears in the Oct. 28 issue of the Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences They also collaborated with Kenichi Okamoto to construct a mathematical model of what happens when species with similar secondary sexual traits come into contact. The model, published in the November 2009 issue of the Journal Biological Reviews, predicts rapid evolutionary shifts in secondary sexual traits and also in what the animals recognize as competitors.
Coral Reef Conservation
October 31, 2009 www.eurekalert.org
NOAA and The Nature Conservancy have entered into an agreement to protect the health of the nation's increasingly vulnerable coral reef ecosystems in the Caribbean, Florida, Hawaii and the Pacific Islands. The four-year agreement will dedicate $3.6 million in NOAA funding and $3.6 million in matching funds from The Nature Conservancy to address the top three threats facing coral reef ecosystems: climate change, overfishing, and land-based sources of pollution. The 36 projects supported through the four-year partnership agreement will carry out activities related to the following categories:
Developing place-based management strategies and plans
Developing resilient marine protected area (MPA) networks
Measuring the effectiveness of reef management efforts
Developing sustainable finance plans and
Building capacity among reef managers at the global scale.
New Zealand Endangered Species Sanctuary Opens
November 1, 2009 tvnz.co.nz
DUNEDIN, New Zealand -- After 9 years of work, Orokonui Ecosanctuary in Dunedin officially opened to the public. Native flora, fauna and animals are proteced by a state-of-the-art welded mesh pest control fence, a canopy and a trip wire which lets staff know if the perimeter has been breached. Keeping pests out is vital so staff can reintroduce native species like the saddleback, the south island kaka and the otago jewelled geko. "We're hoping to introduce kiwi, tuatara, even nesting sea birds," says manager Chris Ballie. Founder Ralph Allen, envisaged the project almost 20 years ago. It is the third eco-sanctuary of its kind in New Zealand, but the only one in the South Island. The energy efficient building cost over $1 million and even has its own water treatment plant. Visitors can interact in the learning centre before heading outdoors to a 300 hectare living classroom.
Sarawak’s Muru Dam Will Put More than 100 Species at Risk
November 1, 2009 thestar.com.my By STEPHEN THEN
MIRI, Sarawak -- Some 19 species of mammals and 99 species of birds, will have their habitats destroyed because of the construction of the Murum Hydro-Electric Dam in central Sarawak. Site clearing, road building, hill blasting and transportation of raw materials has already begun with completion expected by 2013. Researchers from Sarawak’s Centre for Technology Transfer and Consultancy at Universiti Malaysia recently studied the impact that the dam will have on the ecosystem. Fifteen bird species are classified as rare. Sixteen species are protected and six species, mainly the Hornbill and Argus Pheasant, are totally protected under the Sarawak Wildlife Protection Ordinance. Protected mammals include the Western Tarsier, Borneon Gibbon and Giant Squirrel. The Naked Bat, Red Langur and Borneon Gibbons are threatened species. Some 39 species of these birds are endemic to Borneo and 23 of these species are already threatened. Endangered bird species in Murum include the Lesser Fish Eagle, Indian Cuckoo, Red-Bearded Bee-eater, Great Slaty Woodpecker, Black-thigh Falcon and many species of hornbill found only in Sarawak. The clearing of the access road into Murum Dam site from the Bakun Hydro-Electric Dam some 70 km away has already affected many of the animals and birds along the route, according to the report. Noise pollution, clearing of the timber and the loss of the plants and insects has already caused the mass migration of some birds. The University team proposed that a wildlife rescue mission be carried out soon to save and relocate these animals, especially the mammals that would not be able to migrate to higher grounds once the area was flooded. There are at least four giant timber consortiums carrying out logging operations in area, as well as several huge oil-palm plantations that had converted post-logged regions into massive oil-palm estates.
L.A. Zoo’s New Elephant Exhibit
November 1, 2009 www.dailybreeze.com By Dana Bartholomew
L.A. Zoo’s Pachyderm Forest exhibit, twice approved by the City Council, is 44% complete and larger than most elephant exhibits in the U.S. The San Diego Zoo’s new Elephant Odyssey has 2.5 acres for eight elephants. Pachyderm Forest will be 6 acres. At the entrance there will be an introduction plaza, and a large pool where elephants will be able to swim. The deep pool is adjustable and will help teach future calves to swim. On the periphery will be areas themed for Asian elephant habitats in the wild - Thai, Cambodian, Indian and Chinese. A central two-story elephant barn - topped by a Thai-style peaked roof – will occupy 17,000 square feet of flexible stalls and medical equipment to weigh and treat bulls, cows and calves. Throughout the grounds, and built into the waterfalls, are pockets for "elephant enrichment items" - food - that will allow them to forage as they do in the wild. A kiosk will elicit funds to help the 30,000 Asian elephants remaining in the world.
Exhibit opponents are fighting the Zoo with a lawsuit (Filed in August 2007 by actor Robert Culp and real estate agent Aaron Leider.) The suit maintains the project is a waste of taxpayers' money, but is focused "upon stopping illegal abuse and injury of elephants." Animal Rights critics claim 14 elephants have met early deaths at the zoo and its emerging exhibit is too small for the pachyderms. Legal scholars say that although Culp may have the advantage of a jury trial, there is no national precedent for closing a major elephant exhibit. The zoo's past treatment of elephants will not be on trial, they said, but whether pachyderms will be housed in an unfit or damaging exhibit - whether its surface is too hard, or its corral too small. Richard Cupp, an animal law expert at the Pepperdine University School of Law who has studied the case, said the Zoo may be in a strong legal position because its previous exhibits have not been declared substandard. But, "this could be a landmark case, particularly if the jury comes back and makes a factual determination that this exhibit is inadequate," Cupp said. "That would have strong implications for other zoos across the country."
Ocelot Population in U.S.
November 1, 2009 www.chron.com By Steve Sinclair
TEXAS – Ocelots, an endangered species since 1972, exist in a couple of pockets in South Texas — Laguna Atascosa and ranchland to the north in Kenedy County. After a recent ocelot road casualty at Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife refuge, traps and cameras were set up to determine if a companion adult or kittens were with it, but none were found. “It was a female ocelot that hadn't previously been reported,” said refuge manager Sonny Perez. The estimated number of ocelots remaining in the United States has fallen from less than 80 to less than 50. A decade ago, the estimated number was fewer than 100. Michael Tewes, coordinator of the Feline Research Program at the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute in Kingsville, said the small population is cause for concern. “No doubt that the population decline is very serious in Texas. Our models suggest they will disappear (from Texas) in the next 50 years unless we intervene with support and rescue methods. We want to increase the population by restoring habitat and working with willing land owners to expand ocelot habitat on their property,” Tewes said.
Top Predator Conributes to Plant Biodiversity
November 2, 2009 www.eurekalaert.org
The carcasses of moose killed by wolves at Isle Royale National Park enrich the soil in "hot spots of forest fertility” around the kills, causing rapid microbial and fungal growth that provide increased nutrients for plants in the area. "This study demonstrates an unforeseen link between the hunting behavior of a top predator—the wolf—and biochemical hot spots on the landscape - another important contribution large predators make to the ecosystem they live in. It demonstrates what can be protected or lost when predators are preserved or exterminated. Wildlife biologists from Michigan Technological University studied a 50-year record of more than 3,600 moose carcasses at Isle Royale. They measured the nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium levels in the soil at paired sites of wolf-killed moose carcasses and controls. They also analyzed the microbes and fungi in the soil and the leaf tissue of large-leaf aster, a common native plant eaten by moose in eastern and central North America. The nitrogen levels in plants growing on the carcass sites was from 25 to 47 percent higher than the levels at the control sites. Since large herbivores, like moose, are attracted to nitrogen-rich plants, the carcass sites become foraging sites, further supplementing soil nutrients from the urine and feces of the animals eating there. The strong and unexpected connections between wolves, moose and the biogeochemistry of their ecosystem are important to policy makers involved in predator management and to a public increasingly concerned about conservation. The report appears in November 2009 issue of the journal Ecology. The research was supported by the NSF and the EPA.
Blue-faced Honeyeaters at Pueblo Zoo
November 2, 2009 www.chieftain.com By TOM GALUSHA
PUEBLO, Colorado -- The plan to keep two new blue-faced honeyeaters in the Pueblo Zoo’s Ecocenter's Rain Forest exhibit has been changed because they attacked other birds. Now the clutch-mates live in the World of Color building. Zoo curator Marilyn McBirney said, "Their mom died while incubating them at the Brookfield Zoo. After they hatched in May 2007, a team of 12 keepers working day and night, hand-raised them, feeding them pinkie mice, nectar and vitamins.” At the Pueblo Zoo, keepers provide special nectar solution and hand-feed them worms. "They are bold and inquisitive," says McBirney, “and will come right up to check out zoo visitors.” Unique to the southwest Pacific, honeyeaters have radiated into about 174 species that occupy most niches and habitats in Australia and southern New Guinea. Although all species eat nectar and pollen (not honey), they supplement their diet with fruit and insects. They are important pollinators. The more nectarivous species have long fine bills for dipping into flowers, while shorter-billed species generally eat greater quantities of invertebrates. A long tongue, fringed at the tip with bristles, darts out 10 times per second to soak up their favorite food from flowering plants. They do not hover, like American hummingbirds, but flit between perches, stretching up or sideways, or hanging upside down, to get at the blossoms. In Australia, this shorter-billed honeyeater feeds mostly on insects and other invertebrates.
New Zoo Policy Suggestions for Malaysia
November 2, 2009 thestar.com.my By S.M. MOHD IDRIS
SAHABAT ALAM MALASIA, Penang -- More than 30 animal establishments (zoos, mini-zoos, aviaries, bird parks or crocodile farms) exist in almost every state in Malaysia. Before thinking of transforming the National Zoo into a “world-class zoo,” priorities should be placed on the many facilities with poor or mediocre conditions. Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) has received a number of complaints from visitors about small cages, dirty exhibits, and bored, listless animals. Guidelines for zoos are merely administrative with no legal force, and only cases of cruelty are dealt with under the Wildlife Protection Act. With no law ensuring minimum standards for zoo animals, the majority of these zoos are set up for nothing more than profit or entertainment. A new zoo policy should aim to abolish those which are badly run or fail to fulfill basic animal welfare requirements. There should be tighter enforcement of the Zoo Licensing Act; doing away with “Special Permit” enabling zoos to acquire animals in the CITES I category. An official advisory panel on captive animal welfare should be established and all zoos required to pay into a guaranteed closure fund which would underwrite operational care costs in the event of a zoo closing.
Sarawak Symposium on Orangutan Conservation
November 2, 2009 thestar.com.my By SHARON LING
KUCHING, Sarawak – At a 3-day regional symposium onf orangutan conservation, State Forestry Director, Datuk Len Talif Salleh said there were currently about 2,500 wild orangutans in Sarawak. “What is important is that the figure has been stable for a number of years. This means that our efforts have been successful in stabilizing the orangutan population. In fact, we want to increase the population to 3, 4 or even 5 thousand in the years to come.” The goal of the meeting was to develop an orangutan strategic management plan for Sarawak. Len said greater public awareness on the need to protect orangutans had contributed to the state’s conservation efforts. Len also said orangutans were only found in Maludam, the Lanjak Entimau Wildlife Sanctuary and Batang Ai National Park and not throughout the whole state. He said the state practiced a clear land-use policy whereby certain areas were earmarked for economic development and others for conservation. Keynote speaker Dr Birute Galdikas said deforestation and habitat destruction were the main threats facing the orangutan. “There are approximately 30,000 orangutan in Kalimantan Tengah, including about 6,000 each in the Sebangau and Tanjung Puting national parks." Threats such as poaching and illegal logging are major problems, but nothing compares to oil palm. Dr Galdikas said oil palm developers should leave part of the forest untouched when clearing land for plantations, which would be sufficient for orangutan to live in.
North American Fish Populations Shift with Climate Change
November 2, 2009 www.physorg.com
About half of 36 fish stocks in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean, many of them commercially valuable species, have been shifting northward over the last four decades, with some stocks nearly disappearing from U.S. waters. Janet Nye, a postdoctoral researcher at NOAA's Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC) laboratory in Woods Hole, Mass., looked at annual spring survey data from 1968 to 2007 for stocks ranging from Atlantic cod and haddock to yellowtail and winter flounders, spiny dogfish, Atlantic herring, and less well-known species like blackbelly rosefish. "During the last 40 years, many species have been shifting to the north where ocean waters are cooler, or staying in the same general area but moving into deeper waters than where they traditionally have been found," Nye said. Ten of the 36 stocks examined had significant range expansion, while 12 had significant range contraction. Changes in a species range can be affected by both temperature changes and fishing pressure, with heavily fished stocks appearing more sensitive to climate change and often showing a larger shift. 17 of the 36 stocks occupied increasingly greater depths, and 3 stocks occupied increasingly shallower waters. However, the temperature at which each stock was found did not change over time, suggesting that fish are moving to remain within their preferred temperature range. "They all seem to be adapting to changing temperatures and finding places where their chances of survival as a population are greater." The study has been published in the Marine Ecology Progress Series.
Platypus Genome Analysis
November 2, 2009 www.physorg.com
University of Adelaide geneticist Dr Frank Grützner and his team have authored five of 28 papers which appear in two special issues of the Australian Journal of Zoology and Reproduction Fertility and Development. The articles shed new light on the extraordinarily complex platypus sex chromosome system. "We looked at how the 10 sex chromosomes find each other during sperm development in platypus," Dr Grützner says. "We discovered that a remarkably organized mechanism must exist in platypus, where sex chromosomes from one end pair first and then they go down the sex chromosome chain, just like a zipper. There is nothing random about it." Dr Grützner and his colleagues also isolated and analyzed the sequence of the male-specific Y chromosomes. "Previously we knew nothing about the Y chromosomes because only the female platypus genome was sequenced. The data we found has given us valuable clues about the evolution of Y chromosomes in all mammals." All 28 published articles in the CSIRO journals have arisen from the Boden Research Conference, "Beyond the Platypus Genome", was hosted by the University of Adelaide in November 2008. The papers represent a wide range of monotreme research, from genome to field biology, population genetics and captive breeding, evolution to immunology, venom, sperm and milk in both the platypus and echidna.
Falklands Wolf Mystery
November 2, 2009 www.physorg.com
The Falklands wolf (Dusicyon australis) was the size of a coyote, but much stockier, with fur the color of a red fox. They had short muzzles, like gray wolves, and thick, wooly fur. They were the only native mammal on the Falkland islands - 480 kilometers from the South American mainland. They became extinct because they were perceived as a threat to settlers and their sheep. Scientists have been curious about their evolutionary history and now, a team of UCLA researchers, has compared DNA from four of the world's dozen or so museum specimens to DNA of living canids. Team leader Graham Slater said that the wolf's closest living relative was the maned wolf—a long-legged, fox-like South American canid. The researchers also found that the four Falklands wolf samples shared a common ancestor at least 70,000 years ago, which suggests that they arrived on the islands before the end of the last ice age and before humans ever made it to the New World. "The divergence of the Falklands wolf from its closest living relative, the maned wolf, occurred over 6 million years ago," Slater said. "Canids don't show up in the South American fossil record until 2.5 million years ago, which means these lineages must have evolved in North America. The problem is that there are no good fossils that can be assigned to the Falklands wolf lineage in North America." A possibility does exist in a species from Patagonia called Dusicyon avus, which went extinct 6,000 to 8,000 years ago. Slater’s coauthor Alan Cooper is investigating the connection at the University of Adelaide.
European Mink Study
November 2, 2009 www.physorg.com
Researcher Maria Teresa Cabria-Garrido’s PhD thesis is entitled, “Development and application of molecular markers for the study of biology and conservation of the European mink, Mustela lutreola." Cabria developed a method for identifying species on the basis of non-invasive samples gathered in the field, to differentiate the presence of this endangered species with respect to other mustelids such as the polecat M. putorius or the American mink, Neovison vison. Cabria applied certain molecular tools to the DNA analysis of the intestinal cells found in the feces of the animals. The technique developed enabled identifying two haplotypes or genetic patterns for the European mink (AA, AB), two for the polecat (AC, AD) and just one for the American mink (BC), all specific for the species. These patterns are different from those obtained from other species of mustelids that leave similar trails. Ms Cabria also studied the levels of genetic diversity in various populations of European mink. To facilitate the undertaking of this study she drew up a genomic library specific to the European mink. Certain molecular markers were also used to investigate the process of hybridization between the European mink and the polecat.
Europe May Get Solar Power from Sahara
November 2, 2009 www.enn.com
A $400 billon plan to provide Europe with solar power from the Sahara desert moved a step closer to reality with the formation of a German consortium of 12 companies to carry out the work. Known as the Desertec Industrial Initiative (DDI), the project was first announced in July. The DII has gained support from a wide variety of political and governmental institutions in the Middle East, North Africa and Europe, and hopes to deliver solar power to Europe as early as 2015. DII aims to provide 15% of Europe's electricity by 2050 or earlier via power lines stretching across the desert and Mediterranean Sea. The solar technology involved is known as concentrated solar power, (CSP) which uses mirrors to concentrate the sun's rays on a fluid container. The super-heated liquid then drives turbines to generate electricity. Desertec also plans to connect North Africa to Europe with new high voltage direct current cables which transport electricity over great distances with little energy loss. More information at www.desertec.org.
Swine Genome is Sequenced
November 2, 2009 www.physorg.com
The genome of a red-haired Duroc pig from a farm at the University of Illinois has now been sequenced. U of I professor Larry Schook, leader of the international collaborative project, said, "Because the native wild animals are still in existence, it is a really exciting animal to look at to learn about the genomic effects of domestication." The Duroc is one of five major breeds used in pork production around the world and is one of about 200 breeds of domesticated pigs. There are also numerous varieties of wild boar, (non-domesticated pigs that are believed to have originated in Eurasia.) The effort cost about $24.3 million, with support from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, the USDA Agricultural Research Service and many other American, Asian and European funders. One of the requirements of participation was that the findings be made public, with no proprietary interests allowed. The draft sequence, which is about 98 percent complete, will allow researchers to pinpoint genes that are useful to pork production or are involved in immunity or other important physiological processes in the pig. It will enhance breeding practices, offer insight into diseases that afflict pigs and will assist in efforts to preserve the global heritage of rare, endangered and wild pigs. It also will be important for the study of human health because pigs are very similar to humans in their physiology, behavior and nutritional needs.
2,800 Species New IUCN Red List
November 2, 2009 www.fox11az.com
GENEVA, Switzerland— The IUCN surveyed a total of 47,677 animals and plants for this year's "Red List" of endangered species and determined that 17,291 of them are threatened with extinction. More than one in five of all known mammals, over a quarter of reptiles and 70 percent of plants are under threat, according to the survey, which featured over 2,800 new species compared with 2008. Craig Hilton-Taylor, who manages the list said "many more millions" of species yet to be assessed could also be under serious threat. The only mammal to be added to the list this year is the Eastern Voalavo, a rodent that lives in the mountainous forests of Madagascar. IUCN classified it as "endangered". Almost 300 reptiles were added this year, including the Panay monitor lizard and the sail-fin water lizard, both of which are hunted for food and threatened by logging in their native Philippines. The Kihansi spray toad of southern Tanzania is now thought to be extinct in the wild, and 1,895 other amphibian species could soon disappear because of an aggressive fungal disease known as chytridiomycosis. Scientists are particularly worried about the unusually large Rabb’s fringe-limbed tree frog, which glides through the forest using its big webbed feet to steer safely to the ground. It is the only known frog species where the tadpoles feed off skin shed by the male while he guards the young, and it only became known to science 4 years ago. Zoo Atlanta scientist Joseph Mendelson was part of the group that identified the frog as a distinct species. He said it is likely that dozens or even hundreds of other amphibians have become or are going to be extinct before they are even discovered.
Impact of Timber Harvests on Amphibians
November 2, 2009 www.eurekalert.org
COLUMBIA, Mo. –University of Missouri researchers have discovered that removing all of the trees from a section of the forest has a negative effect on amphibians during their later life cycles, but some positive effects during amphibians’ aquatic larva stages at the beginning of their lives. Without shade over the pond, algae grew faster in direct sunlight and productivity in the pond increased. The larval amphibians ate the increased algae and grew larger and faster. However, this benefit was temporary; when amphibians left the pond, they were more likely to die. Without a canopy, adult populations “cook” and die. To lessen the negative effects during the later life stage, Professor Ray Semlitsch recommends partial or selected cuts to forests rather than completely removing trees from an area. The ultimate goal is not to stop the harvest of trees, but to find techniques that can sustain economically valuable timber harvests and protect forest ecosystems, including many species of amphibians. Amphibians may be critical for the transfer of nutrients, such as nitrogen from ponds and streams into the uplands for consumption by plants and other animals. The study, “Effects of Timber Harvest on Amphibian Populations: Understanding Mechanisms from Forest Experiments,” was recently published in BioScience.
Metroparks Zoo Gorillas Get a Heart-Healthy Diet
November 2, 2009 www.zandavisitor.com
CLEVELAND, Ohio - The male gorillas at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, "Bebac" and "Mokolo" have a new menu that includes dandelion greens, romaine, green beans, endive and alfalfa hay -- about 10 pounds of veggies a day. Gone from their diets are processed biscuits, a long-time staple for gorillas in zoos. Instead, apples, bananas and flax seed supplement the diet. "This new diet has higher levels of fiber than traditional gorilla diets and reduced simple sugars,” said Christopher Kuhar, Ph.D., the Zoo’s curator of primates and small mammals. A cardiac ultrasound on Bebac revealed that the 25-year-old gorilla’s heart disease has improved since February 2008, when he was first diagnosed and started receiving human heart medications, including beta-blockers and ACE inhibitors. The ultrasound on Mokolo, 22, showed his heart disease has progressed since being diagnosed a year-and-a-half ago. He started treatment with ACE inhibitors in February 2008 and now will start taking beta-blockers, as well. Dr. Pam Dennis, the Zoo’s epidemiologist, is a leader of the Gorilla Health Project, which aims to improve the overall health of gorillas nationwide.
Biology-Chemistry Collaboration for Amphibian Health
November 2, 2009 breezejmu.org by Amanda Caskey
HARRISONBURG, Va. — Microbial ecologist and biology professor Reid Harris and chemistry professor Kevin Minbiole, both from James Madison University have studied the effects of beneficial antifungal skin bacteria on amphibians for five years. Along with research teams of graduate and undergraduate students, they are examining natural strategies to protect these amphibians. Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) causes the fungal disease chytridiomycosis by disrupting the flow of electrolytes in the amphibian’s skin causing heart failure. Recent studies on frogs have found that the levels of potassium and sodium are greatly reduced in the infected. Frogs must maintain a proper flow of these ions or the electrical regulation of the heart will break down.
Biologist, Harris has identified some skin bacteria that protect salamanders and frogs from the fungus. Chemist, Minbiole and his team have identified chemicals produced by these bacteria that are key agents for protection. “So far we have found three naturally occurring chemicals on salamander skin using salamanders directly from the JMU Arboretum,” Minbiole said. Other field data have shown that a higher proportion of Rana muscosa, or mountain yellow-legged frog, has survived the presence of Bd in its environment has “had at least one species of anti-chytrid bacteria on the skin.” “During this experiment, 100 percent of inoculated [amphibians] survived exposure to Bd and those without this protection died,” said Albert Mercurio, a 2009 JMU graduate. One ultimate goal is to be able to re-introduce amphibian species now in “survival assurance colonies” to the wild. “They can’t be re-introduced now because the Bd is still present in nature, and the frogs are susceptible,” Harris said. “We hope to protect these frogs with beneficial bacteria and allow their re-introduction.”
Lion’s Taste for Human Flesh Analyzed
November 2, 2009 www.nature.com By Lizzie Buchen
Between March and December 1898, a pair of male lions terrorized people in the Tsavo region of Kenya. Lions normally consume grazing animals such as zebra and wildebeest, but in 1898, drought, pestilence and hunting left the Tsavo region of Kenya barren of the lions' prey. The lions dragged people from tents at night, killing 28 laborers and an unknown number of native Taita — estimates range from none to 107. After nine months of this, the beasts were finally killed. Justin Yeakel, an ecologist at U.C. Santa Cruz, and his colleagues analyzed the lions' remains and found that the pair probably consumed about 35 human victims, with one of the animals devouring the “lion's share”, while the other stuck to a more traditional diet. "We would expect that if they're within a cooperative coalition, they would be consuming similar things. This shows that lion behavior is even more flexible and complex than we originally thought." It is the first time that different food preferences have been seen within one coalition of social carnivores. Yeakel analyzed the ratios of carbon isotopes in the lions' tissues, which should reflect the isotope ratios of their prey. Browsing animals, such as giraffes and antelopes, have different ratios of carbon isotopes to grazers because their food — shrubs and trees versus grasses — carries out different types of photosynthesis. The findings appear in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Stanley Ambrose, an anthropologist at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign, is wary of the conclusions. The different prey possibilities have similar isotope ratios, he says. As a result, "a wide range of proportions of available prey items" could account for the lions' isotope ratios, including "many or no people, even during the period before they became man-eaters". Craig Packer, an animal behavioral scientist at the University of Minnesota, says "Their divergent diets are mostly relevant for illuminating this one particular case, which makes it difficult to extrapolate to other lions.” Yeakel acknowledges that the model shows that humans could have made up 4–56% of the dominant maneater's diet. Humans probably made up ~30% of his diet. “Regardless of the specific numbers, Yeakel says, the findings "highlight the behavioral plasticity that can result when organisms must adapt to a severely changing environment".
2009 IUCN Red List Released
November 3, 2009 www.panda.org
GLAND, Switzerland: The 2009 Red List update, was issued today by the IUCN, and shows more than one-third (36 percent) of the 47,677 species assessed are threatened with extinction. The planet’s amphibians are the most threatened of all species with 1895 of 6285 species threatened with extinction. Amanda Nickson, Director of the WWF International Species Programme, said “This failure and the mechanisms to overcome it will need to be the dominant agenda item on next year’s meeting of parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity.” It is estimated that less than 3200 tigers exist in the wild. This top predator residing at the top of its food chain - occupies less than seven percent of it’s original range, which has contracted 40 percent from 10 years ago. Significant international meetings next year to address biodiversity loss and the threats to planetary life support systems include a major Conferences of Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).
2009 Statistics:
•Total species assessed = 47,677
•Total Extinct or Extinct in the Wild = 875 (2%) [Extinct = 809; Extinct in the Wild = 66].
•Total threatened = 17,291 (36%) [Critically Endangered = 3,325; Endangered = 4,891; Vulnerable = 9,075].
•Total Near Threatened = 3,650 (8%).
•Total Lower Risk/conservation dependent = 281 (<1%) [this is an old category that is gradually being phased out of the Red List]
•Total Data Deficient = 6,557 (14%)
•Total Least Concern = 19,023 (40%)
NOTE: The overall percentage of threatened species has gone down by two percent. This is not because the status of the world’s biodiversity is improving, but because we have assessed more species. In the past, Red List assessments often focused on species that were already thought to be threatened, but as the Red List grows to include more complete assessments across entire groups, we are beginning to have a better idea of the relative proportion of species which are threatened against those which are not threatened.
Leatherback Turtle Habitat Threatened in Puerto Rico
November 3, 2009 action.sierraclub.org
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – The Sierra Club and its coalition partners will challenge Puerto Rico Governor Luis Fortuño's proposed cancellation of a 3,000 acre "nature reserve" designation held since 2008 by the island's Northeast Ecological Corridor. Governor Fortuño removed the designation of nature reserve in order to allow for large-scale, unsustainable development in the area, including more than 4,500 residential and tourist units and four golf courses. The Corridor is one of the most important U.S. nesting grounds for the critically endangered Leatherback, the world's largest sea turtles. More than 50 rare, threatened, endangered and native species have been documented in the Corridor, including the Snowy Plover, the Brown Pelican, the Puerto Rican Boa, the Hawksbill Sea Turtle and the West Indian Manatee. Developers are proposing to build 2 mega resorts: one with 3,450 residential and tourist units and 2 golf courses one with1,450 residential and hotel units and two golf courses. The resorts would result in massive deforestation, the filling of wetlands, channelization of rivers, and the removal of coastal vegetation, significantly impacting the species and other living resources that depend on the Corridor.
Milwaukee Elephant Uninjured After Fall into Moat
November 3, 2009 www.whiotv.com By Jay Olstad
MILWAUKEE - Ruth, an African elephant weighing about 8,000 pounds celebrated her 29th birthday by falling into a 6-foot moat at the Milwaukee County Zoo on Monday. Fortunately she was uninjured but was stuck for about 4 hours. Since Ruth had never been in the moat, she wasn't trained to climb out. But zoo keepers were able to coax her over to a set of stairs with treats, including pumpkins, and she was able to climb out. Zookeepers realized she had slipped on an edge of the moat that had become rounded and are now making sure there are no more rounded edges.
Happy Hollow Zoo Receives $70 million Makeover
November 3, 2009 www.mercurynews.com By Linda Goldston
SAN JOSE, California -- The Happy Hollow Zoo has been closed since July 9, 2008 for a $70 million renovation. Curator Valerie Riegel, says the entire 12 acres of exhibits and rides have been updated. Four acres house several new animal exhibits, a large barn, an Educational Center, a new gift shop and the Picnic Basket Restaurant — 1,500 square feet of shopping and a sit-down restaurant replaces the trailer that previously served food. When the project is finished, Happy Hollow will be the first zoo in the country to be LEED certified by the U.S. Green Building Council. In addition to having seven "green" roofs on buildings with rooftop gardens of native plant species, the zoo will have radiant flooring for cooling and heating. Hay bales were also used in the construction of the Education Center. Other new features include:
* Lemur Woods exhibit, featuring endangered lemurs with a parallel play area for kids so they can "hop, jump and move like a lemur"
* Redwood Lookout, a play area for all age groups, built to model a Ranger lookout station nestled in the Redwoods with slides, swings, ropes and climbing area.
* Giggles Grove, the new rides area for children, featuring the Kiddie Swings, Kids Steam Ride (kid-powered ride), Frog Hopper and returning ride favorites, the Granny Bugs and Mini Putts.
* A rock-climbing wall for children.
82 Green Sea Turtles Hatch at SeaWorld San Diego
November 3, 2009 www.msnbc.msn.com
82 green sea turtles hatched on Shipwreck Beach at SeaWorld in October. Park workers didn’t incubate the eggs. (In 2003, 21 sea turtles hatched with incubation). The babies started hatching on Oct. 5. Since then, they have been getting a diet of squid, krill, shrimp and special pellets. It will be up to the National Marine Fisheries Service and the USFWS to determine whether the new turtles stay at SeaWorld and whether they will allow the turtles to mate again next year. SeaWorld has 30 adult sea turtles in its collection, including three green females and one male. They have all been at the park since the 1960s so they are around 40 or 50 years old, or middle age for the creatures, which live to be well past 100 years. SeaWorld's green sea turtles have reached sexual maturity and all three females may have buried eggs in the sand on the park's Shipwreck Beach, according to Tim Downing, assistant curator of fishes. Genetic testing will determine whether one turtle laid all the eggs or there were multiple mothers. A single clutch has between 100 and 120 eggs, and the eggs incubate for three months, with the gender of each baby being determined by the temperature of the sand. There are seven species of sea turtles in the world and they are all endangered or threatened.
Disney Invests $4 Million to Save Forests
November 3, 2009 greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com By SINDYA N. BHANOO
The Walt Disney Company announced Tuesday that it has made a $4 million investment in forest conservation projects to decrease carbon dioxide emissions. The money will go to Conservation International for reforestation projects in the Tayna and Kisimba-Ikobo Community Reserves in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the Alto Mayo conservation project in Peru. The $4 million is one of the largest corporate donations ever made to an international effort known as Reduce Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD). The REDD program rewards countries that preserve forests with carbon credits that can then be sold for cash on the global carbon market. Toby Janson-Smith, the senior director of forest carbon markets at C.I. hopes that Disney’s donation will help draw attention to REDD as climate legislation is debated in the U.S. Congress, and as December’s United Nations climate conference in Copenhagen approaches. Disney is donating additional funds to two other non-profit groups: two million dollars will go to a Nature Conservancy reforestation project in the Lower Mississippi Valley, and $1 million will go to The Conservation Fund’s sustainable forestry work along California’s North Coast.
17,291 of 47,677 Assessed Species Threatened with Extinction
November 3, 2009 www.birdlife.org
21% of mammals, 30% of amphibians, 12% of birds, and 28% of reptiles, 37% of freshwater fishes, 70% of plants, 35% of invertebrates assessed so far are under threat.
Of the world's 9,998 birds, 137 are Extinct or Extinct in the Wild, with 192 Critically Endangered, 362 Endangered and 669 Vulnerable.
Of the world's 5,490 mammals, 79 are Extinct or Extinct in the Wild, with 188 Critically Endangered, 449 Endangered and 505 Vulnerable
There are now 1,677 reptiles on the IUCN Red List, with 293 added this year. In total, 469 are threatened with extinction and 22 are already Extinct or Extinct in the Wild. New to the list this year: 165 endemic Philippine species.
1,895 of the planet's 6,285 amphibians are in danger of extinction, making them the most threatened group of species. Of these, 39 are already Extinct or Extinct in the Wild, 484 are Critically Endangered, 754 are Endangered and 657 are Vulnerable.
There are 12,151 plants on the IUCN Red List, 8,500 are threatened with extinction, with 114 already Extinct or Extinct in the Wild.
Study of Emperor Penguin Foraging Habits
November 3, 2009 www.sciencealert.com.au
With the help of satellite trackers, the foraging habits of emperor penguin chicks will be studied by Australian scientists this summer. Researchers from the Australian Antarctic Division plan to fit tracking equipment on several chicks at the Amanda Bay Colony, near Davis station. The trackers will provide real-time data on where the fledglings travel and how deep they dive. Seabird ecologist, Dr. Barbara Wienecke, said previous research has focused on the feeding behavior of adult birds. "We know the adults can travel up to 140 km a day and dive to a depth of more than 500 meters in search of fish. What we don't know is how these amazing skills are developed, so by tracking the fledglings we will be able to record from their very first dive to when they become highly-skilled predators. If the top few meters of a particular area are fished out this could have a huge impact on the juvenile emperor penguins which may not have the ability to dive deeper for their food," she said.
Distinct Populations of White Sharks in N. Pacific
November 3, 2009 www.physorg.com
White sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) are usually thought to cruise thousands of miles alone, but Stanford researchers have found that they have maintained such a consistent pattern of migration that over tens of thousands of years, the white sharks in the northeastern Pacific Ocean have separated themselves into a genetically distinct population. The Tagging of Pacific Predators (TOPP) program combined satellite tagging, passive acoustic monitoring and genetic tags to study the species. The researchers followed the migrations of 179 individual adults or sub-adults between 2000 and 2008. The sharks were individually tagged at sites along the central California coast. The acoustic tag was detected when the shark swam within 820 feet of a listening station, while the pop-up satellite tag recorded information about location, temperature and depth -- relaying it back to the laboratory when the tag released itself from the shark. The electronic tags revealed that the sharks spend the majority of their time in three areas of the Pacific: the North American shelf waters of California; the slope and offshore waters around Hawaii; and an area called the "White Shark Café," located in the open ocean approximately halfway between the Baja Peninsula and the Hawaiian Islands. (Each area supports large colonies of seals and sea lions). The study was authored by Barbara Block and Salvador Jorgensen and appears in the Nov. 3 Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
Yellowstone Bioblitz
November 4, 2009 www.nytimes.com
HELENA, Mont. -- A one-day study of Yellowstone National Park in late August found more than 1,200 species, including several never known to exist in the park. Some 125 scientists and volunteers spent 24 hours canvassing an area in northern Yellowstone during the ''bioblitz'' -- documenting as many species as possible over the course of a day. Ann Rodman, a Yellowstone scientist who helped organize the event, said the study ''lets people see the value of Yellowstone is not just the big mammals we preserve that people drive down the road and see." The initial report showed a rich biodiversity including 46 kinds of bees, 373 plant species, 86 mushroom types, five kinds of bats, 24 butterflies and more 300 kinds of insects. It is not a complete picture of what's living in the park - only the species found on that particular day and in an area that is just a fraction of the park's 3,400 square miles. But it provides enough for comparative use in the face of climate change and other stressors that can sometimes cause rapid changes and declines. These brief and intensive inventories of species have been held in at least 40 national parks, including the Great Smoky Mountains between North Carolina and Tennessee, Maine's Acadia National Park and New Mexico's Valles Caldera National Preserve. Scientists say they provide important snapshots for future researchers tracking the effects of climate change, human development and other stressors.
Domestic Dog Nurses African Painted Dog Pups
November 4, 2009 www.pittsburghlive.com
PITTSBURGH - A dog from a city animal shelter is acting as a surrogate mother for nine African painted dogs born at the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium. The litter's mother, Vega, who was 10, died from a ruptured uterus after giving birth to 10 puppies on Oct. 22. One died shortly after birth, three females and six males survive. The puppies' father, Puck, leads the pack at zoo's painted dog exhibit. The mortality rate for painted pups in the wild is only 50%, and staff has been communicating with Painted Dog Conservation, a nonprofit in Zimbabwe, for advice on raising the litter. Dr. Stephanie James, the zoo's director of veterinary service, says the only other litter of wild dogs to be hand-raised in captivity was in the United Kingdom. Karen Vacco, the zoo's assistant curator for mammals said the pups should be weaned in about 2 weeks and if they are healthy enough, they will be introduced into the exhibit space, which can hold as many as 15 dogs. Only about 3,000 African painted dogs are left in the wild in Zimbabwe, Botswana and South Africa. About 140 African painted dogs are living in other U.S. zoos with breeding programs - but none are doing well, James said.
Baldness in Female Spectacled Bears at Leipzig Zoo
November 4, 2009 latimesblogs.latimes.com By Lindsay Barnett
Veterinarians at the Leipzig Zoo in Germany are trying to determine why the zoo's female spectacled bears have suddenly lost nearly all their fur. There has been speculation that a genetic defect could be responsible, but beyond the obvious hair loss and its accompanying itchiness, no other symptoms have been noted in the affected bears. They have retained tufts of fur around their faces and chests. Spectacled bears, with eyeglass-shaped markings around their eyes, are South America's only native bear. Population estimates range from as low as 2,400 to as many as 20,000 and they are listed by the IUCN as “Vulnerable”. Russell Van Horn, an applied animal ecologist with the San Diego Zoo's Institute for Conservation Research, says, "Thirty percent of its habitat has been lost since the 1990s, and 3 to 6 percent more habitat is lost each year."
Genome Zoo of 10,000 Vertebrates
November 4, 2009 www.eurekalert.org
SANTA CRUZ, CA-- An international consortium of scientists plans to assemble a genomic zoo for every vertebrate genus. Known as the Genome 10K Project, it involves gathering DNA specimens of thousands of animals from zoos, museums, and university collections throughout the world, and then sequencing the genome of each species to establish its complete genetic heritage. Launched in April 2009 at a three-day meeting at the U.C. Santa Cruz, the project now involves more than 68 scientists. Calling themselves the Genome 10K Community of Scientists (G10KCOS), the group outlined its proposal for the project in a paper to be published online November 5 in the Journal of Heredity. The project was conceived by the paper's three lead authors: David Haussler, professor of biomolecular engineering at UC Santa Cruz; Stephen J. O'Brien, chief of the Laboratory of Genomic Diversity at the National Cancer Institute; and Oliver A. Ryder, director of genetics at the San Diego Zoo's Institute for Conservation Research and adjunct professor of biology at UC San Diego. According to O'Brien, the cost of genome sequencing has been dropping steadily over the past decade, making the sequencing of 10,000 genomes a realistic possibility. "The original cost of sequencing the human genome by a major international consortium was over a billion dollars," he said. "With the latest sequencing technology, it now costs $50,000 to $100,000 per genome."
An extraordinary online database of samples from more than 16,000 different species of vertebrate animals (living mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fishes, as well as some recently extinct species) is already available at sampledb.genome10k.org. The project is expected to lay a foundation for understanding the genetic basis of recent and rapid adaptive changes within vertebrate species and between closely related species. "The risk of extinction is lessened for species for which we have a genome sequence, because it enables studies that can provide important information relevant to conservation," said Oliver Ryder of the San Diego Zoo’s Institute for Conservation Research. The consortium has established guidelines for sample collection, preservation and documentation, and adherence to national and international statutes regulating biological specimens. Where possible, specimens for each species include both males and females and reflect geographic diversity or diversity within localized populations. The collection will include more than a thousand frozen samples of fibroblast cells derived from 602 different vertebrate species. These cell samples, maintained by the San Diego Zoo, the National Cancer Institute, and the world's cell repositories, are a valuable resource for genetic studies, according to Ryder. "When you sequence a whole genome, it may be 3 billion bases, of which only a few percent code for genes. If you want to quickly learn something about the genes, you can sequence the RNA transcripts of the genes. These cells are robust sources of high-quality RNA," Ryder said.
Sequencing 10,000 Vertebrate Genomes
November 4, 2009 www.nature.com By Erika Check Hayden
David Haussler, of U.C. Santa Cruz, Stephen O'Brien of the National Cancer Institute in Frederick, Maryland, and Oliver Ryder, director of genetics at the San Diego Zoo's Institute for Conservation Research in Escondido, California, decided to organize the Genome 10K project after realizing that one of the major obstacles to non-human sequencing projects has been collecting and organizing specimens. After an April meeting in Santa Cruz to bring in other scientists, the team now has a database of samples from more than 16,000 species from 50 institutions. The scientists are also planning a pilot project to sample portions of the genomes of a small subset of these species. The group is looking for funding for the main phase of the project, which could cost anywhere from US$10 million to $100 million, depending on the costs to process and sequence each sample. The team anticipates that sequencing costs will drop below $10,000 per genome within a few years, making it feasible to sequence the entire genomes of 10,000 vertebrates within this budget. David Maddison, who studies beetle phylogeny at Oregon State University in Corvallis, points out that, so far, only one beetle species has had its genome sequenced, despite there being about six times as many beetle species as there are vertebrates. O'Brien agrees that invertebrate-genome sequencing is "a valuable area that should also be considered for whole-genome-sequence assessment". Other scientists are already planning a large invertebrate sequencing project.
Ecosystem Reconstruction / Rewilding
November 5, 2009 www.nature.com By Emma Marris
The Oostvaardersplassen, in the Dutch coutryside, was designed by Frans Vera, to replicate Europe’s prehistoric past. The 6,000 hectare reserve was reclaimed from the sea in 1968. As substitutes for now-extinct wild horses (tarpans), he acquired Konik horses from Poland, descendants of wild Tarpans. For extinct aurochs, wild ancestors of modern cattle, he substituted Heck cattle, a line developed by two German brothers in the early twentieth century. The herds now number in the hundreds and graze alongside a red-deer population of about 2,000. Next, Vera wants some European bison and boar. It isn't a tourist attraction; but has succeeded as a conservation area. Several bird species rare to Western Europe, like the white-tailed eagle, have moved in.
Similar rewildling schemes in locales such as New Zealand, Saudi Arabia and the Russian Far East aim to do more than hold the line against further environmental destruction. They are attempting to recreate the ecological workings of previous eras, often those of the Pleistocene from 2 million to 10,000 years ago. Because many of the fauna in these systems are now extinct, the schemes often turn to proxies to fill abandoned roles: grazing, browsing, defecating and culling the herd. The designers admit that every rewilding project will be only an approximation of a past ecosystem. With taxon substitutions and incomplete sets of plant and animal functional groups, many of these systems evoke the past more than they replicate it. Oostvaardersplassen, for example, contains none of its lost predators, such as bears or wolves, yet other reintroduction experiments have shown that such predators can alter the entire ecosystem. When wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, the elk soon learned to feed only in areas where they could see wolves if they approached. As a result, areas with bad sight lines were soon thick with willow and cottonwood seedlings.
Josh Donlan, director of the conservation consultancy Advanced Conservation Strategies in Midway, Utah, is a champion of Pleistocene rewilding projects. He says these reintroductions offer a huge opportunity to do science, not only to learn about the ecology of the past, but also to feed back into the projects. Donlan and others have proposed that Pleistocene reserves be created in North America, where African and Asian animals could fulfill the roles of the large mammals that went extinct on the continent about 13, 000 years ago. The proposal would have two conservation goals. Lineages of species that have been driven to extinction would have a chance to return to North American ecosystems and start to evolve along their own unique path, and species would be saved from extinction in their home countries. Elephants, for example might eat large fruit such as the osage orange, dispersing their seeds naturally as mastodons. This vision of vast areas populated with camels, wild asses and lions has generated strong responses from the public, both for and against. Stuart Pimm, a conservation biologist at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, and one of the few scientists to have set foot in the Oostvaardersplassen, says, "They've got it right and a lot of things have come back as a consequence." As for the scientific goals, he says, "The idea that we have to do neatly replicated experimental design with little squares doesn't capture the whole range of what science does."
Pets and Swine Flu (H1N1)
November 5, 2009 consults.blogs.nytimes.com
On Nov. 2, test results confirmed that H1N1 influenza, or swine flu, had been transmitted to a household cat in Iowa by human family members ill with the virus. The cat was tested for H1N1 at Iowa State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, and results were positive for the virus. All family members, including the cat, have since recovered. Several pet ferrets also recently became infected with the virus by human family members. There has thus far been one fatality, of a ferret in Nebraska. H1N1 was previously known to have been transmitted to both pigs and turkeys by infected humans. The H1N1 influenza virus contains genetic material from four different influenza viruses, including human, swine and avian influenza viruses. It was first reported in March of this year in humans in Mexico. The virus was reported in Canadian swine in May, and in turkeys in Chile in August. There have been subsequent reports of infected swine and poultry in multiple geographic areas. People with flulike symptoms can protect their pets with the same precautions used to minimize transmission of virus between humans such as washing hands thoroughly, particularly before handling the pet or preparing food; covering coughs and sneezes; and avoiding close contact with the pet during the course of illness. There is no evidence to date that any human has been infected with influenza by a pet, or of infection being transmitted from one cat to another, from a dog to a cat, or vice versa.
Sloth Bear Dies After Surgery at National Zoo
November 5, 2009 www.washingtonpost.com By Lori Aratani
The National Zoo's oldest male sloth bear, Merlin, died Wednesday after surgery to repair a partially twisted spleen. Zoo officials said Merlin had a history of gastric volvulus, or a twisted stomach. Initially he seemed fine, but later had difficulty recovering from the anesthesia, vomiting blood-tinged fluid that afternoon. A necropsy was performed to determine the cause of death. Merlin was born at the Zoo in December 1981. For the past several years, he shared quarters with two females, Hana and Khali, fathering seven cubs. 6,000 to 11,000 sloth bears are estimated to remain in the wild. They are classified as “Vulnerable” on the IUCN Red List.
Cincinnati Indian Rhino Pregnant After AI
November 5, 2009 www.zandavisitor.com By Tiffany Barnes
CINCINNATI, OH -- Dr. Monica Stoops is the Reproductive Physiologist at the Cincinnati Zoo’s Lindner Center for Conservation and Research of Endangered Wildlife (CREW). She is responsible for developing the Artificial Insemination technique using frozen sperm in rhinos. Over the past eight years, CREW scientists have refined semen collection in the rhino and developed a successful method of freezing rhino sperm. Sperm has been collected from the top genetically valuable male Indian rhinos at zoological institutions throughout North America. In 2005, sperm was collected from the Bronx Zoo’s 38-year-old male Indian rhino, Vinu and stored at -320°F in the CREW CryoBioBank for four years. In June 2009, it was thawed and successfully utilized to impregnate 18-year-old female, Nikki. She has now completed 133 of the 480-day rhino gestation period. Three years ago, Nikki was the first endangered rhino species to become pregnant through artificial insemination with frozen-thawed sperm. Unfortunately, after completing a full term pregnancy, Nikki delivered a stillborn calf. (Approximately 50% of Indian rhinos that become first time mothers over the age of 10, experience a stillbirth.) With only 60 Indian rhinos in captivity in North America and approximately 2,500 remaining in the wild, successful breeding is important to maintain the genetic diversity necessary to keep a healthy, self-sustaining population. Unfortunately, natural breeding attempts in captive Indian rhinos can result in severe aggression between the male and female. AI solves that problem and can be an effective way to infuse genes from non- or under-represented rhinos. This research was supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services. [CREW’s CryoBioBank consists of thousands of cryopreserved tissues from over 75 animal species and over 135 plant species.]
Topeka Zoo Will Be Reviewed by AZA
November 5, 2009 www.wibw.com
TOPEKA, Kansas -- The Association of Zoos and Aquariums has agreed to conduct an independent, top-down review of the Topeka Zoo which was sought by city manager Norton Bonaparte after several animal deaths. The review should begin within two weeks.
Phoenix Zoo Opens $5 Million Komodo Exhibit
November 5, 2009 phoenix.bizjournals.com
Two Komodo dragons, Geia and Ivan, will be featured in a new $5 million exhibit opening November 11 on the Tropics trail. The zoo began a capital campaign last year with a goal of raising $20 million by 2012. It has raised almost $10 million so far, and “Land of the Dragons” is the first exhibit to be completed using funds from that campaign. Other projects using capital campaign funds include updating water and fire lines; regrading Harmony Farm for better drainage; paving the Children’s Trail to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act; and building a lighted walking path from Phoenix Municipal Stadium to the zoo to eliminate the need for shuttles during ZooLights season. Also in the future: a new orangutan holding facility and exhibit, a new oasis entrance, volunteer and staff headquarters, and meeting rooms and classrooms.
Genome Sequence for Domestic Horses
November 5, 2009 www.physorg.com
The genome sequence of the domestic horse has been completed by an international team of researchers that includes scientists at the University of California, Davis. Findings will be reported in the Nov. 6 issue of the journal Science. The researchers noted that there are more than 90 hereditary conditions that affect both humans and horses. Because horses share these conditions, which include infertility, inflammatory diseases and muscle disorders, the horse is an important model for improving the understanding of human diseases. The horse genome is somewhat larger than the dog genome and smaller than the human and cow genomes. In comparing the horse and human chromosomes, the researchers discovered that 17 out of 32 (53%) of horse chromosome pairs are composed of material from a single human chromosome, while only 29 percent of dog chromosomes are composed of material from a single human chromosome. This indicates that fewer chromosome rearrangements separate humans from horses than separate humans from dogs. Surprisingly, on horse chromosome 11 they found the existence of an evolutionarily new centromere. Centromeres are key structural features of chromosomes that are necessary for the movement of chromosomes when cells divide. The functional but evolutionarily immature centromere in the horse may provide a model to study factors responsible for how centromeres function.
Horse Genome Published
November 5, 2009 www.eurekalert.org
An international team of researchers has found the genome of the domestic horse, Equus caballus, to have remarkable similarities to humans and more than one million genetic differences across a variety of horse breeds. Researchers analyzed DNA from an adult female Thoroughbred named Twilight, as well as a variety of other horse breeds, including the American quarter horse, Andalusian, Arabian, Belgian draft horse, Hanoverian, Hakkaido, Icelandic horse, Norwegian fjord horse, and Standard bred breeds. The team surveyed the extent of genetic variation both within and across breeds to create a catalog of more than one million single-letter genetic differences (called "single nucleotide polymorphisms" or SNPs). In a first proof-of-principle of the power of trait mapping in horses, the researchers harnessed the SNP catalog to localize the candidate mutation in the Leopard Complex or "Appaloosa spotting," in which horses' coats are mottled with striking patches of white, either with or without colored spots. Horses carrying this trait often suffer from a form of night blindness, a disorder that also afflicts humans. The researchers narrowed the list of genetic suspects in horses to 42 associated SNPs, including two candidate mutations residing near a gene involved in pigmentation. Senior author of the report in Science is Kerstin Lindblad-Toh, scientific director of vertebrate genome biology at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard and a professor of comparative genomics at Uppsala University in Sweden.
Binghamton Zoo Regains AZA Accreditation
November 5, 2009 www.pressconnects.com BY DEBBIE SWARTZ
BINGHAMTON -- The Binghamton Zoo at Ross Park is celebrating its re-accreditation by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. The 134-year-old facility lost it in 2005 due to turmoil involving its previous leadership and finances. "AZA standards are the highest in the world," said Kris Vehrs, executive director of the AZA. "In the last 10 years, we've denied accreditation to 23 institutions." Binghamton's zoo joins 220 AZA accredited institutions, 206 of which are in the United States, she said. That's a small percentage of the 2,500 zoos licensed by the USDA.
How to Take a Gorilla’s Blood Pressure
November 5, 2009 www.11alive.com By MARC PICKARD
The death of Willie B, Zoo Atlanta’s iconic gorilla, 9 years ago, has caused the zoo to focus on the mystery of heart disease in gorillas. Atlanta’s director of veterinary services Dr. Hayley Murphy says, "About forty two percent of the animals are affected, and those animals go on to die from the disease itself. We don't really know what causes cardiac disease," Dr. Murphy said. "Our theory is it's blood pressure. But we can't prove that until we get awake blood pressures." The traditional way to get a gorilla's blood pressure is to anesthetize it. But anesthesia puts stress on a gorilla's body and skews the results. Ozzie, one of Zoo Atlanta's male gorillas, and his keeper Jodi Carrigan have been working together for seven years. Ozzie is 48, the second oldest male in captivity. "How I was going to train a three hundred and fifty pound gorilla," Carrigan said, "to stick his arm into a voluntary blood pressure reading and let it tighten up around there and get a reading." After a design team from Georgia Tech invented a gorilla blood pressure sleeve, it took Jodi Carrigan five months to convince Ozzie to do it. Now Ozzie puts his arm in the sleeve and keeps it there, while veterinarian Michelle Moses feeds him pudding. Zoo Atlanta is the first and only zoo in the world to do awake gorilla blood pressures.
Guidelines for Wind Farm Developers
November 5, 2009 www.nytimes.com
CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) -- The Wyoming Game and Fish Department has released recommendations for protecting wildlife during wind energy development, including restrictions in sage grouse habitat and in big game winter range and migration corridors. The draft document provides ''advanced disclosure'' of potential wildlife concerns. The department advises the Wyoming Industrial Siting Council on permit applications for major projects in the state, including wind farms. The draft document includes recommendations for collecting data and evaluating wind development's effects on wildlife. It also includes recommendations for mitigating effects on wildlife. Gamo said he considers it a ''living document'' that will be updated as scientific study reveals more information. There's a shortage of study on wind development's affect on animals including sage grouse, elk and mule deer. Citing existing studies, the report says amphibians and reptiles, bats, birds and mammals may be influenced in different ways by wind farms. Those could include disturbance from the shadow flicker of spinning turbine blades, the noise made by spinning blades, and displacement by construction activity and new structures, to name a few. The report's ''best management practices'' recommendations include seasonal construction suspensions like those for oil and gas development. It recommends suspending construction from Nov. 15 to April 30 on big game crucial winter habitat and from March 15 to June 30 within two miles of occupied sage grouse breeding grounds in non-core habitat.
Chicago Museums and Zoos Launch PR Campaign
November 6, 2009 www.reuters.com By Wendy Koziol
CHICAGO-- Fourteen museums and zoos in the Chicago region are collaborating to raise public awareness of how they contribute economically, educationally and culturally. The "Museums Work for Chicago" web site lets the public know how they can get involved in supporting Chicago-area museums and zoos. The public is invited to participate in the campaign by visiting a museum or zoo, becoming a member, volunteering or making a donation. Chicago's top 14 museums and zoos produce an estimated $1 billion in economic impact in Illinois annually. An estimated 26,670 full-time equivalent jobs were generated in 2008 due to their expenditures and their audiences. Estimated state and local tax revenue generated by Chicago-area museums and zoos in 2008 totaled more than $88 million. Last year nearly 1.4 million students visited a Chicago museum or zoo free of charge. Illinois teachers can receive training and programs that help bring museums' and zoos' vast resources and knowledge into the classroom. In 2008, 13.8 million people visited Chicago-area museums and zoos, with more than half visiting free of charge. The 14 partners are: Adler Planetarium, The Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago Botanic Garden, Chicago Children`s Museum, Chicago History Museum, Chicago Zoological Society/Brookfield Zoo, DuSable Museum of African American History, The Field Museum, Lincoln Park Zoo, Museum of Contemporary Art, Museum of Science and Industry, National Museum of Mexican Art, The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum and John G. Shedd Aquarium.
Audubon Zoo’s Swamp Fest
November 6, 2009 www.nola.com By Molly Reid
NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana -- Audubon Zoo was one of the first in the country to shift from the exotic animal paradigm to featuring native species. The Swamp Exhibit which opened in 1984 remains one of the zoo's most well-known exhibits and has spawned the creation of the Louisiana Swamp Festival, better known as Swamp Fest, with Cajun and Creole music, food and ecology. "We were the first among the United States zoos to do a cultural, native exhibit," said Rick Atkinson, curator of the swamp exhibit. The idea for the exhibit started with a federal study conducted with the assistance of the Audubon Institute and local ecologists, zoologists and planners. "The first mention of a Louisiana exhibit was in that federal study," released in the early 1970s, Atkinson said. At the time, everyone in the zoo business wanted everything to be primordial with no man-made interference, but in Louisiana, there's a mutual coexistence of man and swamp. The swamp exhibit replicates the architecture one would find down on the bayou." The five-acre exhibit is at the farthest point of the zoo, close to the Mississippi River levee and a world away from the tigers and lions in the Asian exhibit. Alligators live in one of the lagoons. The other holds birds and turtles. An indoor exhibit houses Gulf fish and tableaus of local life, such as a Garden District porch stoop with a mailbox where the rat snakes like to hang out. The zoo's 1999 renovation gave the swamp exhibit two white alligators, a Cajun dance hall and a gift shop. The exhibit is so true-to-life, it regularly hosts visiting herons, egrets and ducks who migrate through Louisiana. Wild raccoons and a pair of hawks are welcome guests. "We have a group of barred owls that have been here almost since the beginning of the exhibit," Atkinson said. And this weekend, 'Swamp Fest' celebrates its 25th anniversary.
Amur Tiger Cub at Great Plains Zoo
November 6, 2009 www.ksfy.com
Callie, a 30lbs Amur Tiger is the only surviving cub from a litter of 6 born 3 months ago at the zoo. She's been hand-raised and will be weaned in a couple of weeks which is when she'll begin the transition to her new home. The Amur Tiger is an endangered species with only 13 alive in captivity and only 400-500 surviving in the wild.
GPS Study of Snow Leopard and Bharal in Himalayas
November 6, 2009 www.massey.ac.nz
MASSEY UNIVERSITY, New Zealand – Nepal’s Himalayan mountains are one of the last refuges for species such as snow leopards, brown bear, wolf, and lynx. Their keystone prey species is the bharal or blue sheep. Detailed information on population estimates and distribution for snow leopards AND blue sheep is vital for conservation management, but to date there has been little study of the home range, movement and habitat use of blue sheep in this region. A project led by Nepali PhD student Achyut Aryal plans to use GPS technology to track the movements of 10 sheep in different herds for two years across the vast, inaccessible area they inhabit. (Altitudes from 3000m to 6500m with a climate characterized as cold desert, dominated by strong winds and high solar radiation.) Population estimates for the snow leopard worldwide are currently between 5000 and 10,000.