Friday, September 11, 2009

Zoo News Digest 8th - 11th September 2009 (Zoo News 618)

Zoo News Digest 8th - 11th September 2009 (Zoo News 618)

http://zoonewsdigest.com/


http://zoonewsdigest.blogspot.com/

Peter Dickinson
peterd482001@yahoo.co.uk



Dear Colleagues,

Sad to learn of the death of the 'zoo worker' in Dai Nam zoo. This is the place I have been trying to revisit for two months now. Unfortunately I have not got enough cash for the bus fare let alone a flight. I cannot help feeling though that this was an accident waiting to happen. Who in their ultimate wisdom ever suggested that a fence 8.3 FEET high would/could keep a tiger in? Electrified or not, it was an insane idea. I do hope that someone can see that the situation is rectified immediately or it WILL happen again!!!!

Cairo Zoo in the news again. To move or not to move. Personally I think it should stay where it is. Any money planned for the move can be used to put the present collection right. I have never visited Cairo Zoo but feel I know it well. I worked with the eccentric Dr Hassan Sabah for a few years and there was not a day he did not talk about the place at length.

The expansion of the South Lakes Wild Animal Park has been given the thumbs up. It will be interesting to see if and when it starts to take place. It was proposed when I worked there but never came to anything. Interesting plans though.

The Elephant in Edmonton is getting a lot of press lately. The green blooded celery chewing critics moving in for the kick. Just where do these critics get their expertise? Steering the Starship Enterprise is no qualification for advising on elephants...has he even visited the zoo? And being a vet does not make one any wiser than the next on elephants if you have spent your career treating horses and cats and dogs. Insane bunch.

Lost World. Wow! More fanged frogs! Wonderful.

Lots of interesting news.

Thanks to the two people who sent donations to the Digest this last week. Much appreciated....and very much needed. Thank you.

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

Visit my webpages at:
http://hubpages.com/profile/Peter+Dickinson

My Latest Hubs:

Rayong Aquarium

A Whole New You

Elephant Kidnap

Turtle Conservation in Thailand

Million Years Stone Park and Pattaya Crocodile Farm

I write on a variety of subjects. Some like the above, to link in with something
else. Number of readers tends to vary. If there is a slight hint that the subject matter may relate to sex in some way as in The Soapy Massage I always get the highest number of readers. A lot of what they say about the internet is true.

Why not try writing on HubPages? Write about what you know about or are interested in. You can post on line. Free to join and yet you can earn money continually. A passive income. Not much to begin with but it mounts up. It pays me enough to buy a cup of coffee every day...well nearly every day.



Read how with my "Quick Guide to Hub Construction." http://ewerl.com/Ua92gJ

I truly believe it will be worth your while.

Please visit the Zoo Professionals Book Store for more if you are looking for books for yourself or as gifts.

On with the links:

Zoo tiger kills one in Vietnam: official
A tiger leaped out of its enclosure in Vietnam and killed a zoo worker, the park's manager said Friday.Another worker was injured in Thursday's attack when the cat jumped over a 2.5-metre (8.3 feet) electric fence to attack the men while they planted trees, said Duong Thanh Phi, manager of the private Dai Nam zoo in southern Binh Duong province.Phi said the animal apparently became disturbed by noise from a crane the workers were using.They sought safety in a water-filled tunnel but for some reason one of them crawled out of it onto the soil and was killed, he said, adding the victim was 47 years old.Other staff captured the male tiger and caged it while the injured employee was taken to hospital where he was in a stable condition, Phi said.It is the first incident of its kind at the Dai Nam zoo, which keeps nine adult and seven infant tigers, the manager said.Environmental groups have said habitat destruction, hunting and the illegal wildlife trade have pushed tigers close to extinction
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5ikqjioLZN0_Nhg3V29hBPvEMKU8Q

Conservation's Unsung Heroes: The Best Story's Never Told
Wildlife TV shows have launched an ever-growing list of 'wildlife heroes' who shock and awe viewers running from charging lions, or holding up salmon heads among hungry grizzlies. While these network darlings garner serious attention from their fans they rarely do much for conservation, no matter what they tell the viewer (see last week's blog for a good example). Nor are they interested in sharing their spotlight with the real heroes who risk everything -- even their lives -- to really save wildlife. Take Mr. Dong. He's a Chinese national living in one of the world's remotest corners, the North East Chinese province of Heilongjiang bordering the Russian Far East. This is supposed to be Siberian tiger country but tigers are losing the battle here
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/alan-rabinowitz/conservations-unsung-hero_b_267450.html


Doubts over Cairo's historic zoo
Cairo's Giza Zoo, once one of the world's foremost zoological gardens, has long since fallen into disrepair. It remains popular with Egyptian families, but the BBC's Yolande Knell reports on challenges to its survival - from property developers, mismanagement and animal welfare advocates.In the lion house at Giza Zoo, a crowd of children shriek excitedly as the big cats snarl behind iron bars and dig their teeth into slabs of raw meat. "I like all the animals but the lions are best," giggles four-year-old Zeinab Abdul Hamid. "We bring our little kids here to show them all the different creatures," says her father, Ashraf. "Usually we come at least twice a year during the holidays. I used to come when I was a
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8245172.stm


Dalton zoo expansion plans put to council
The proposed £3.6m expansion of South Lakes Wild Animal Park in Dalton would see elephants introduced as well as more indoor and educational facilities.It would also create more than 40 jobs.Mr Gill – who has threatened to pull out of Dalton in the past – is now seeking a “screening opinion” from Barrow Borough Council officials to see what issues he will need to address in any subsequent planning application for the expansion.Mr Gill says feedback from the officials will help him decide whether to go ahead with submitting a full planning application to the council and buying up neighbouring agricultural land.Mr Gill says it is now a planning minefield – with “green” and traffic issues –compared to when he first opened the wildlife park 15 years ago.He told the Evening Mail: “We would be using wind and ground energy and need to find out as many details as possible before investing such a large sum of money.“Bringing in elephants would be down to doing business with landowners, there is nothing concrete at this stage.“I want to know everything that is needed from a planning perspective first but the expansion plan is certainly a warm subject.”Mr Gill says the zoo is well on course to topping
http://www.nwemail.co.uk/news/dalton_zoo_expansion_plans_put_to_council_1_608657?referrerPath=news


Is the elephant irrelevant in the zoo of the future?
The elephant in the room was actually an elephant.Becca Hanson, a Seattle-based design consultant, was in Edmonton earlier this week to talk about the upcoming polar exhibit at the Valley Zoo. She was energetic and very well-spoken, and even though she has either studied or worked with many of the top zoos on this continent, Hanson sees a brilliant future on the banks of the North Saskatchewan."With this land and these people, you can have the best community zoo in North America," she said, "if not the world."Hanson helped Valley Zoo administrators with the master plan, approved by city council in 2005 and only now moving out of conceptual phases and into reality. Much of the plan is in line with what the most forward-thinking zoos in the world are doing. It's focused on native landscapes and animals, educational experiences, rescue and conservation. The plan joins the zoo with the river valley, finally, and makes use of a breathtaking landscape. The theme of the north--northern animals and northern landscapes--is central.Yet the plan also reaches into the irresponsible past -- calling for tropical animals to make up approximately 25 per cent of the zoo's collection. It calls for four elephants, for example, to be part of the Valley Zoo's "wow factor." When I used the word "elephant," the zoo's otherwise genial top administrators, director Denise Prefontaine and operations manager Dean Treichel, visibly stiffened.The point of this meeting, clearly, was to steer attention away from Lucy the elephant and toward other concerns--a different future.It has been a difficult year for Prefontaine and Treichel. A long list of Canada's most acclaimed authors, including Margaret Atwood and Michael Ondaatje, local veterinarians, newspaper columnists and animal-rights activists have called for a panel of arm's-length elephant veterinarians to examine Lucy and determine whether she can be moved from the Valley Zoo to one of two elephant sanctuaries in Tennessee and California.Bob Barker, former host of The Price is Right, has made national headlines for criticizing the city's treatment of Lucy; he is coming to Edmonton in September to address city council or, if that request is not granted, to meet with supporters.On Wednesday, Zoocheck Canada held a rally in front of City Hall, challenging council to hold a public hearing.Losing Lucy, the zoo's star attraction, to a sanctuary would be a devastating blow to realizing the tropical portion of the master plan. Yet it would also free the zoo to grow and transform sustainably, which seems to be everyone's goal.Hanson sat in the Valley Zoo boardroom with Prefontaine, Treichel and two members of City of Edmonton's communications team."Listen, if Lucy stays here, and lives that long, and there are other elephants, they must have a good place to live," said Hanson."It's hugely complex," said Prefontaine. "But it's not a discussion I'm comfortable having without the right expertise in the room.""Zoos have tended to hide," said Hanson. "They have to be more transparent. They have to have that conversation. But you do wind up feeling very vulnerable. It takes a while, and it's painful to have these conversations, but you have to go for it. And eventually you find everyone, everyone is on the same side of the table.""We're more than happy to have that conversation," said Prefontaine. "But it's not appropriate right now.""I'm nothing but optimistic," said Hanson. "That so many people are engaged and are talking: it's hugely positive."City council has not become involved in the debate, but they can't ignore it much longer. The conversation is already happening and the zoo's current strategy--to dismiss critics as a bunch of kooks--stopped working some time ago.There was a clear separation in the room, between enthusiasm for an institution that would be something more profound, more humane, more local and more beautiful than a traditional
http://www.canada.com/travel/Todd+Babiak+elephant+irrelevant+future/1819519/story.html

Bear meets girl: Berlin zoo gets female polar bear
Berlin's favorite polar bear Knut has a new companion: Giovanna, a female polar bear from Munich.Fans hoping for a romantic relationship will be disappointed — Giovanna was not brought to Berlin to mate with Knut. The Munich zoo is renovating its bear enclosure and the young Giovanna needed a temporary home.Berlin zoo director Bernhard Blaszkiewitz said he hoped that "Knut will like his friend and that Giovanna will also be interested in Knut."In a statement Tuesday he noted the two-
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hkKiMd7bfEFFL7HB0ovl4TqYT7yAD9AJ5CUO1

Terrapins up for adoption
The Turtle Conservation Centre (TCC) is offering three-year-old terrapins raised in captivity for adoption as part of its inaugural "Terrapin Independence Day" celebration on Nov 9. TCC hopes to raise funds for the RM2.5 million (S$1,022,000) complex in Setiu.The objective of the 3.2ha complex is the conservation of the species as well as providing a site for research and outreach programmes.TCC also aims to restore the depleted wild population of fresh water, terrestrial and marine turtles in the country, especially in northern Terengganu.The complex will have an open-air hatchery, ponds and tanks for freshwater turtles, breeding ponds and outdoor exhibits.Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin
http://news.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne%2BNews/Malaysia/Story/A1Story20090907-166107.html


Turtle thought to be extinct spotted in Burma
The rare Arakan forest turtle, once though to be extinct, has been rediscovered in a remote forest in Burma, boosting chances of saving the reptile after hunting almost destroyed its population, researchers said Monday. Texas researcher Steven Platt and staff from the New York-based Wildlife Conservation Society discovered five of the brown-and-tan-spotted turtles in May during a survey of wildlife in the Rakhine Yoma Elephant Sanctuary. The sanctuary contains thick stands of impenetrable bamboo forests, with the only trails made by the park's elephants
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20090907/turtle_myanmar_090907/20090907?hub=TopStories


Littlest patients find distraction, comfort in live feeds from zoos
A smile flashes across Raymond Clark's face as the 8-year-old watches ZooTV, a welcome distraction from needle pokes and other tests during his treatment for a heart defect here at Sanford Children's Hospital.The Great Plains Zoo in Sioux Falls launched ZooTV in March, using 14 weather-proof cameras to shoot live video in several exhibits. The idea behind the project is to comfort sick children, provide some normalcy for them and take their minds off medical procedures, says Carrie Kindopp, child life manager
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2009-09-07-zootv_N.htm


William Shatner wants Edmonton zoo to retire aging elephant
Canadian actor William Shatner wants Edmonton’s Valley Zoo’s elephant Lucy to retire to a sanctuary.In a short letter to Mayor Stephen Mandel dated Aug. 31, Shatner — famous for his role as Captain James T. Kirk on Star Trek — says the 33-year-old elephant is old, feeble and deserves to live in “better circumstances” than the zoo.“Let me add my voice to the crescendo of voices asking for some relief in the fate of your beloved elephant, Lucy,” Shatner wrote.“In a way, it’s none of our business — Edmonton can capably take care of its own. Yet, in a larger sense, these extraordinary animals are everybody’s responsibility.“So I humbly ask you to allow Lucy to retire to better circumstances than at the Edmonton Zoo … she’s old, feeble, and many of us know how that feels. I hope you don’t mind my intruding but the
http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/posted/archive/2009/09/08/william-shatner-wants-edmonton-zoo-to-retire-aging-elephant.aspx


Veterinarian urges elephant be moved out of city zoo
Edmonton veterinarian Debi Zimmermann says she never gave much thought to the debate over the Valley Zoo's elephant until television show host and animal rights activist Bob Barker threw his support behind a group that wants see to Lucy moved to a sanctuary.After listening to Barker's arguments about why Lucy should be moved, Zimmermann decided to research the elephant's living conditions and health problems.She joined the debate this week with her own 65-page report, which she hopes will clarify the issues surrounding Lucy's health, and the calls to move to her a warmer climate with other elephants.Her report examines Valley Zoo's reasons for not moving Lucy and provides her analysis of the elephant's health problems, based on a 200-page medical file obtained by Zoocheck Canada under Freedom of Information legislation, a comprehensive review of elephant science, discussions with various experts and a review of Alberta's standards for zoos.The report can be found on Zoocheck Animal activist says Lucy has health problems
http://www.vancouversun.com/health/Veterinarian+urges+elephant+moved+city/1804065/story.html


Cincinnati Zoo's Cheetah Breaks Land Speed Record Twice
A cheetah from the Cincinnati Zoo became the world's fastest land mammal Wednesday, not once, but twice.Sarah, the 8-year-old female cheetah, ran the 100-meter dash in 6.16 seconds on her first attempt and then 6.13 seconds on her second attempt."This is the all-time great day in cheetah racing. She set the world record and broke it again," said Thane Maynard, executive
http://www.wlwt.com/news/20811656/detail.html


Zoo Director Meets With USDA Officials
Topeka Zoo director Mike Coker Met with USDA officials Wednesday morning, hoping to get their perspective on the 9 citations. Those 9 non-compliance items were listed in an August 12 report, most troubling USDA officials said, were 4 animal deaths in the past 3 years. Coker and city officials met with two officials from the United States Department of Agriculture to discuss improving the zoo's caretaking. The USDA and a Kansas State University Veterinarian are leading an investigation into the case. Coker said they are reviewing existing policies and procedures and will work at better communicating with the USDA."I will be sending them everything we do, also we will be
http://www.wibw.com/home/headlines/58258682.html


Giant rats, tiny parrots found in 'lost world'
An expedition to what's being called a lost world inside an extinct volcano in Papua New Guinea has discovered more than 40 new species, including giant rats, frogs with fangs and a new species of bat.Mount Bosavi in the rainforest of Papua New Guinea is an extinct volcano 2.7 kilometres high, with a crater one kilometre deep and four kilometres wide. Life inside has evolved isolated from the outside world for 200,000 years, the last time the volcano erupted.The silvery-grey Bosavi wooly rat, one of the biggest rats in the world, weighs 1.5 kilograms and is 82 centimetres long from its nose to its tail, as big as a house cat.Wildlife camera operator Gordon Buchanan said the rat had no fear of humans at all."It just sat next to me nibbling on a piece of leaf. It won't have seen a human being before," Buchanan said.More than 57 species of rats and mice can be found in Papua New Guinea. The volcano's crater lacks big cats or monkeys as predators, which
http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2009/09/08/biology-papua-new-guinea-species.html


***************************************************

ZOO BIOLOGY


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

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/zoo-biology

*******************************************************************************





For further information please contact
Liz Romer eo@aszk.org.au

*******************************************************************************

6th European Zoo Nutrition Conference

Barcelona: 28-31st January 2010

The EAZA Nutrition Group and ConZOOlting Wildlife Management are pleased to invite you to the 6th European Zoo Nutrition Conference, comprising a series of invited speakers, papers and posters that represent the broadest range of research and practical experience in this subject. The event will take place just outside Barcelona, in the coastal town of Castelldefels.

Contributions on all topics and species are invited – for more information please see the presentation submission form. One of the anticipated outputs from the conference will be a further edition of the Zoo Animal Nutrition series of books published by Finlander Verlag. A special Nutrition Edition of EAZA NEWS magazine will also be published following the event.

A new addition to the programme is a special session on “Experiences with Diet Changes”, where participants are invited to summarise their experiences with modifying diets. Please see the dedicated submission form for more details.

The social programme will include a visit to Barcelona Zoo, an opening evening icebreaker, a conference dinner and a farewell lunch. These events have been priced separately to allow participants on a tight budget to have control over the costs of attending.

For more detailed information about the event, accommodation arrangements, registration and paper submission forms, please visit the dedicated page on the EAZA website:

http://www.eaza.net/activities/Pages/NutritionConference.aspx

********************************************************************************



EAZA NEWS
AUTUMN 2009




EAZA NEWS 67 – in full colour!

The new issue of EAZA NEWS magazine, the quarterly publication of the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria, is available to download from the EAZA website.

Highlights in this issue include photographs from a wonderful new aviary in France, updates from the world of amphibian conservation, the politics of chimps in zoos, and visitor studies in aquariums. There’s also an opinion piece from out-going EAZA chairman Bert de Boer. What’s particularly significant about EAZA NEWS 67, however, is that it’s the first ever issue of the magazine to appear in full colour throughout. We hope you enjoy this bright, colourful new look!

Download EAZA NEWS 67: http://www.eaza.net/

*******************************************************************************


Celebrating Plants and the Planet:

My favorite new research is Stamford's report that multitaskers are actually worse at everything. But that aside, this month's links at http://www.zooplantman.com/ (NEWS/Botanical News) are a mixed set of great stories with something for everyone:

· When a rare tree species colonizes a meadow, as is only natural, and in doing so threatens the endangered meadow community, what are land stewards to do?
· An orangutan stuffs leaves into its mouth; is it meal time or is she altering her voice to scare off predators? (Audio clips included for your iPods)
· This native tree grows when fields are fallow and sheds nitrogen-rich leaves when planting time arrives offering new possibilities for African farmers.
· A zoo pioneers new cost-effective methods of growing its own fresh produce to feed their animals.
· Orchids are among the largest plant families in the world, the most appreciated and the most… evil.

While researching a new project I stumbled upon the otherworldly flora of the Yemeni islands. These things cannot be: http://www.darkroastedblend.com/2008/09/most-alien-looking-place-on-earth.html

Please share these stories with associates, staff, docents and -- most importantly -- visitors! Remember, over a hundred other stories can be found in the archive section of the website.

Rob

Zoo Horticulture
Consulting & Design
Greening design teams since 1987

*******************************************************************************

ABWAK - Association of British and Irish Wild Animal Keepers

The ABWAK Regional Workshop is a one day event on Saturday 3/10/09 designed to provide a range of useful skills that can benefit Keepers in their everyday work.


A choice of workshops that are designed to introduce you to a particular skills base. You will be actively involved and provided with support material as well.


There will be time to network with fellow keepers and sharing of ideas over lunch and breaks.


The workshops include: Browse selection and database – the opportunity to look at the selection of browse you might use for a range of species, and how to develop knowledge further, alongside setting up a browse database


Artificial rock construction – you will learn the basics and help construct an artificial termite mound or range of rocks for enclosures, find out about the materials required and techniques used.


Animal Record Keeping (ARKS) introduction – this is ideal for those not yet using ARKS or at the early stages and it is designed to get you started , understand the basics and provide answers to your many questions.


Rope splicing – this activity will help you learn how to splice rope effectively, get the best out of your rope. You will be contributing to existing primate enclosures and so your work will also have additional benefits and not just a stand alone workshop.


Reaseheath Animal Centre is a BIAZA memebr and has a wide range of zoo, exotic and domestic animals and their will be an opprtunity to have a tour


ABWAK members £10 Non-Members £25 Includes tea/coffee and Lunch


Contact richardc@reaseheath.ac.uk or go to http://www.abwak.co.uk/


Workshop is at Reaseheath College Animal Centre, Nantwich Cheshire, UK

*******************************************************************************

ZooLex

www.zoolex.org in September 2009

~°v°~ ~°v°~ ~°v°~ ~°v°~ ~°v°~

Hello ZooLex Friend,

We have worked for your enjoyment!

~°v°~

NEW EXHIBIT PRESENTATION

The African Ungulate Conservation Centre at Woburn Safari Park in England is a facility dedicated to the breeding of endangered African ungulates. The functional stable building is designed to accomodate up to 60 ungulates of various species and is not open to visitors. These can see antelopes, gazelles, wild asses and zebras in large paddocks around.

http://www.zoolex.org/zoolexcgi/view.py?id=989

~°v°~

WIKI ON PLANT USE IN ZOOS

Those who use Wikipedia will know what to expect. Others should try. A Wiki allows to share information immediately via internet. Sven Seiffert, Team Leader of Horticulture at London Zoo, set up and manages a Wiki on plant use in zoos. Zoo designers, horticulturists, keepers, curators, veterinarians and researchers will appreciate this new tool. It allows free access to information on risks and benefits of plant species for zoo animals. Registration of users is required for control and security:

www.zooplants.net

~°v°~

We keep working on ZooLex ...The ZooLex Zoo Design Organization is a non-profit organizationregistered in Austria (ZVR-Zahl 933849053).

ZooLex runs a professional zoo design website and distributes this newsletter. More information andcontact: http://www.zoolex.org/about.html

*******************************************************************************

Macropod Husbandry Workshop

October 22nd-23rd 2009

9am to 5pm

Sharkarosa Wildlife Ranch

Pilot Point

TX 76258

Registration Fee:

(A) Both Days + lunches + T-shirt: $150

(B) One Day + lunch + T-shirt: $75

(Lunches will be all you can eat & catered, email me with any questions orconcerns about food allergies, etc)

Optional: $20Thursday Night Dinner & Drinks w/ Lynda!

Includes: All you can eat gourmet meal, margaritas & possibly a little karaokeand dancin'! Begins at 7pm

Thursday, October 22nd from 5pm to 7pm:Behind the scenes tour of Sharkarosa Wildlife Ranch

Registration, info on hotels, etc can be found at: http://www.sharkarosa.com/macropod.htm

Email me with any questions!

Sara

Sharkarosa Wildlife Ranch

sharkarosa@aol.com

*******************************************************************************

Ambassador for the UN Year of the Gorilla to take part in the Great Gorilla Run

– the YoG Jog

The Ambassador for the 2009 United Nations Year of the Gorilla, Ian Redmond OBE, is to put on a gorilla costume and run the unique Great Gorilla Run – a 7km fun run around the streets of London – on knuckles as far as he is able!

The event, on Saturday 26 September, is in aid of The Gorilla Organization (formerly the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund Europe). It is 33 years since Ian first worked with the late Dian Fossey and mountain gorillas in Rwanda. Ever since then, he has spent much of his time researching and raising awareness of gorillas and conservation and is the Chief Consultant for GRASP - the UNEP/UNESCO Great Ape Survival PartnershipThe Great Gorilla Run is in its seventh year and has raised more than 60 thousand pounds for grassroots community projects in areas of precious gorilla habitat in Africa, such as:

Training 13 000 Rwandan farmers in sustainable agricultural techniques.

Building water cisterns in Rwanda and DR Congo.

Teaching local communities how to produce and distribute 500 fuel-efficient stoves in DR Congo, reducing consumption by up to 70% (firewood and charcoal are often illegally taken from gorilla habitat)

Providing training to miners on ethical mining techniques. Illegal mining in DR Congo has been a huge problem for gorillas.

Involving almost 30,000 young members in conservation activities through wildlife clubs in Rwanda and Uganda.

Providing beekeepers in Uganda with investment and equipment.

Ian Redmond says “I have spent hundreds of hours in the company of apes and have had the good fortune to regard some of them as friends.

Out of all the countries in the world, only ten of them have gorillas. I have signed up to the Great Gorilla Run to raise money for projects that reduce pressure on vital gorilla habitat to try and save them from extinction.”

More than 500 people have already signed-up to take part in this year’s run. There is still time to register at http://www.greatgorillas.org/london

*******************************************************************************
Wildlife Alliance


Wildlife Alliance's presentation at the AZA Annual Conference in Portland is on the rescue, rehabilitation, and release of previously-captive leopard cats (Prionailurus bengalensis) in the Phnom Tamao Protected Forest in Cambodia.


Nick Marx has a poster there, related to his publication on the same topic in the IUCN Cat News for the Cat Specialist Group.


Info on the AZA conference at http://www.aza.org/annualconference/


Info on the tour is as follows:

Wildlife Alliance is doing a tour in September featuring Cambodia Wildlife Rescue Specialist Nick Marx. We would be delighted to have some of our social networking friends in attendance!


Straight from the front lines of Asia's wildlife crisis, Nick will discuss the illegal wildlife trade in Southeast Asia and share with us stories about his animal rescue and rehabilitation work in Cambodia. From Asian elephants and Asiatic black bears, to tigers and rare primates, Nick has seen (and rescued) it all.


His pictures and personal stories will showcase his team's tireless efforts to rescue and care for animals victimized by poachers and wildlife traffickers.


Come learn how Wildlife Alliance is providing direct protection to wildlife and forests!


Events are planned for

Portland, Oregon (Sept. 15): Presentation and house party http://wa.convio.net/site/Calendar?view=Detail&id=100181


San Francisco, California (Sept. 17): Presentation and house party http://wa.convio.net/site/Calendar?view=Detail&id=100161


Denver, Colorado (Sept. 23): International Tiger Day Gala hosted by Landry's Downtown Aquarium - contact us for details


New York, NY (Sept. 25): Asian Elephant Art & Conservation Project cocktail party http://wa.convio.net/site/Calendar/661228035?view=Detail&id=100141

*******************************************************************************
BVZS Autumn meeting November 2009
Theme: " SEX – ASPECTS AFFECTING EXOTICS AND WILDLIFE "


The meeting will be held in York on the weekend of November 7th and 8th. There will be a visit and tour of Flamingoland on Friday November 6th the itinerary for which can be found here The theme is based on reproductive and urogenital problems in all species from mice through parrots and lizards to Giraffe and Elephants. See this link for more information.

The main hotel will be the Park Inn Hotel ( http://www.york.parkinn.co.uk/) and for details on how to book click or ring number 01904 459988. For reservations go to reservations.york@rezidorparkinn.com


80 rooms have been reserved at £99 per room bed and breakfast(double occupancy)
Guests have to book their own accommodation through reservations using blockcode BVZO611. Any un-named rooms will be released on 1st October. Check in is guaranteed from 3pm on the day of arrival and check out required no later than 12.00 noon on the day of departure.

Car Parking: please note 20 complimentary car parking spaces are available on a first come first served basis. Any additional car parking is charged at £12.00 for 24 hours - alternatively there is a public car park 400 yards away from the hotel which charges hourly

Registration form can be downloaded here The programme as of September 1st 2009 can be found here


Dinner menu for the evening of November 7th


BVZS meeting Autumn 2009

Theme "SEX – ASPECTS AFFECTING EXOTICS AND WILDLIFE"

The autumn meeting of BVZS will be held in York at the first weekend in November (the 7th and 8th). The theme is based on reproductive and urogenital problems in all species from mice through parrots and lizards to giraffe and elephants.

So come to York

YORK -- Here are some facts you may not know - the city was founded as Eboracum in AD 71 by the Romans and was made the capital of Britannia Inferior. The entire Roman Empire was governed from York for two years by Septimius Severus.
After the Angles moved in, the city was renamed Eoferwic, and served as the capital of the Kingdom of Northumbria. The Vikings captured the city in 866, renaming it Jórvík, the capital of a wider kingdom of the same name covering much of Northern England. Around the year 1000, the city became known as York.
Richard II wished to make York the capital of England, but before he could affect this he was deposed. After the Wars of the Roses, York housed the Council of the North and was regarded as the capital of the North. It was only after The Restoration that the political importance of the city began to decline. The Province of York is one of the two English ecclesiastical provinces, alongside that of Canterbury.


So come and visit the stunning York Minster, enjoy Stonegate and Shambles shopping and live the York history at the JORVIK Viking Centre, National Railway Museum and York Castle Museum. The York dungeons are well worth a visit if you are in need of a fright.


York is a compact walled riverside city and home to countless world-class attractions, museums and galleries. Accommodation in York is abundant, there are many stunning hotels and even more homely B&B's. see the document on the BVZS website for accommodation.


The hotel where the conference is meeting is something of an ugly duckling outside, but more of a swan internally, there is limited parking but the station is only five minutes walk away. There are great facilities, from the recently modernised bedrooms overlooking the Minster and the river, to a gym, sauna etc. Most fortunately the bar is situated adjacent to the main meeting room. So not too far to walk!

Travelling there
It is easy to get to York, being roughly 2 hours by rail from London, Edinburgh and Manchester, as well as having nearby airports at Leeds/Bradford and Humberside. If driving, it is just off the A1.

Programme: On the Friday afternoon, for the early birds, there will be a guided tour around Flamingoland zoo, England’s 7th biggest attraction. The tour will commence at 2.00 pm, meeting at the front gates. After a wander round the zoo, for those that are interested, there will be a short presentation on the work the zoo is carrying out in the rain forest of Tanzania, given by Dr A Marshall, the zoo’s conservation officer.

In the evening a walk around York and dinner. The Minster and old city walls are exceptionally beautiful when lit up, especially when it isn’t raining.


Saturday and Sunday: Lectures will start from 9.30am. There will two invited guest speakers, one of whom is Nialle Moore, the head of the Non-Native Species Secretariat. He will be giving a talk about non-native species in the wild in the UK. In the evening there will be dinner and dancing at the Park Inn hotel. On Sunday lectures will again start at 9.30 finish at 4.00pm.


*******************************************************************************

Enrichment and Training Workshop
5th December 2009
Reaseheath College,
UK
For further information:
Richard Champion on richardc@reaseheath.ac.uk
Sabrina Brando on sbrando@animalconcepts.eu


*******************************************************************************
ZOO ADVERTS OF NOTE:





*******************************************************************************

For Zoo Jobs and Related Vacancies please visit: http://zoowork.blogspot.com/

For notification of Zoo related Meetings, Conferences, Courses and Symposia go to: http://zoosymposia.blogspot.com/

************************************************************************


ZooNews Digest is an independent publication, not allied or attached to any zoological collection. Many thanks.


Kind Regards,

Wishing you a wonderful week,

Peter Dickinson

Zoo News Digest Blog
http://zoonewsdigest.blogspot.com/

ZooNews Digest Webpage
http://www.zoonewsdigest.com/

Zoo Vacancies Blog
http://zoowork.blogspot.com/

Hub Pages
http://u.nu/2kx

Follow me on Twitter at:
Twitter: http://twitter.com/PeterZoo

No comments:

Post a Comment