By getting rid of its endangered elephants, the Toronto Zoo could be endangering itself. North America’s two zoo accreditation bodies have issued stern letters to the Toronto Zoo, warning staff and board members that shipping three African elephants to California could imperil the Scarborough attraction’s accreditation status.

In a three-page missive, Donald Moore, chair of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Accreditation Commission, chastised city council for its decision to send the elephants to an 80-acre facility run by the Performing Animals Welfare Society and threatened to yank Toronto’s certification.

“The Accreditation Commission believes that the action taken by the Council may place the zoo’s accreditation in jeopardy,” he wrote in a letter addressed to the chair and vice-chair of the Toronto Zoo Board. Without proper certification, the Toronto Zoo would be unable to maintain its animal collection, according to a staff report.

There is little argument that the elephants have to go somewhere; a staff report last spring stated that the pachyderms are too expensive for the zoo to care for properly. But views diverge on where their next destination should be, setting up a battle involving animal rights and political will.

While the zoo board decided in May that the best place for the elephants was another AZA-certified zoo, city council overturned that decision last month with a motion championed by rookie Councillor Michelle Berardinetti calling on the zoo to send them to PAWS, an unaccredited sanctuary long touted by animal-rights activists such as former Price Is Right host Bob Barker. The City of Toronto owns the zoo and can override the decisions of its board.

But the elephant decision rankled a few veteran zoo board members. “I was thoroughly disgusted,” said Councillor Gloria Lindsay Luby. “This motion usurped the board’s decision-making process. If you’re going to keep doing that, what’s the point of a zoo board? It’s sneaky, it’s unprecedented and not worthy of council.”

Ms. Berardinetti argued that her fellow councillors had to act then and there to stop the elephants from being sent to a cramped AZA-certified zoo in the United States.

A staff report released Friday revealed that their most likely destination was not a cramped zoo but the National Elephant Centre, a 225-acre, AZA-certified “elephant-care facility” in Florida that’s set to break ground early next year.

Despite that revelation, Ms. Berardinetti was sticking to her guns Friday, contending that the Elephant Centre would likely still use bullhooks and tending methods that PAWS considers inhumane.

“The AZA is simply trying to bully Toronto and it’s really too bad,” she said. “The Toronto Zoo is a fantastic facility. It’s well above the minimal standards set by the AZA. They don’t use bullhooks. Why would we put these animals in the hands of a place that has any lower standards?”

She recently travelled to the PAWS facility and pointed out that at least two AZA zoos have transferred elephants there without any impact on their accreditation.

The zoo board will meet Nov. 24, and members on both sides of the issue expect a fight. Ms. Berardinetti and others will be pushing to have staff accede to the will of council and send the elephants to California as soon as they’re ready in April. Members such as Ms. Lindsay Luby will attempt to delay the move and demand that staff conduct a thorough evaluation of PAWS before shipping any animals.

That would be in keeping with regulations quoted in the letters from the AZA and Canadian Association of Zoos and Aquariums. According to AZA regulations, zoo staff must ensure that any institution receiving one of its animals is capable of providing proper care. The Toronto Zoo’s elephant keepers have openly opposed any attempt to transfer the elephants to PAWS until they can conduct a full assessment of the California sanctuary.

“Please change the decision that was made by council,” states a letter to councillors signed by seven keepers. “Please allow Toronto Zoo staff to complete a fair comparison of all the facilities.”

Read the rest of this entry »

After three years at Elmwood Park Zoo, executive director Bill Konstant is closing the cage on that lively adventure and heeding the call of conservation. “That’s my passion, so I’m going to strike out no that next phase of my career,” said Konstant, who announced his resignation on Thursday. “I’ve been involved in wildlife conservation in work that I’ve done for other zoos, like the Philadelphia Zoo, Houston Zoo and the World Wildlife Fund, and I’m taking advantage of an opportunity to get back into that full time,” At first, the man who will be leaving a significant imprint on one of the town’s most popular attractions was hoping he could juggle his new position as consultant to a couple of wildlife organizations with his current job.

“My hope was that I would be able to have my cake and eat it too, by staying here at the zoo and do that work too, but there aren’t enough hours in the day, unfortunately,” he said. “I can look back on several years of some good things here at Elmwood Park Zoo ... and now they need to begin the search for someone to take that position.” In his new capacity, Konstant admitted he won’t be nearly as hands-on as he was at Elmwood. In lieu of earnestly herding a half dozen horned fleecy quadrupeds known as Jacob sheep to star in a reporter’s video -- as he did one sunny afternoon last June — Konstant will be mostly corralling paperwork. “I’ll be reviewing grant applications and proposals and making decisions about funding projects that focus on species in different parts of the world, from plants, birds, frogs to rhinos and whales,” said the Flourtown resident, who will not be required to relocate. “My normal daily commute will be a matter of 60 seconds from upstairs down to my office,” he said, laughing. “Much of my work will be done at home but there will be opportunities for travel. It’s a very intriguing proposition for me.” Kosntant hopes to maintain his connections with Elmwood Park Zoo, he allowed.

Read the rest of this entry »

For the first time in recent history, the Sayajibaug Zoo will have Asiatic lions among its collection of animals. The lions were procured by the zoo recently in exchange for exotic birds with the Sakkarbaug zoo at Junagadh.

The Sayajibaug zoo presently has three ageing lions, but all are cross bred. The two lions from Sakkarbaug will be the only Asiatic lions on display at the zoo. The lions are sub-adults. While the lion is four-year-old Kunvar, the lioness is 2.5-year-old Jeal. In-charge zoo curator Dr C B Patel said that the exchange of animals was done after obtaining necessary permissions from the Central Zoo Authority of India (CZAI).

He added that the zoo would at a later stage try to ensure that the pair mates and breeds in the zoo. Patel said that the CZAI had made clear norms that crossbred animals should not be added to the zoos.

"We cannot add such animals and have been asked not to breed them too," Patel said. Besides the two lions, the zoo has also obtained a jackal and three Manipuri deer from the Sakkarbaug zoo. The Sayajibaug zoo already has a female jackal and the pair may breed in the future, Patel said.

Read the rest of this entry »

A drunk man, who attempted to cool off by swimming over to a monkey enclosure at a Brazilian zoo, ended up being attacked and badly injured. Video showed Joao Leite dos Santos after he peeled off his shirt and climbed into the narrow moat between visitors and the spider monkeys. It took place Sunday at the park in Sorocaba, near Sao Paulo. The mechanic said he wanted to play with the animals, but as he approached the opposite bank, at least two grabbed him and sank their teeth into his hand and arm.  He was only saved a worse fate because the monkeys did not want to get into the water.

People gathered on the other side of the water, laughing and videotaping as the attack took place.
Santos screamed out in pain and had to be helped out of the water by onlookers, while bleeding profusely from a deep wound. He was left in agony on the ground for a short period of time.  He was later transported and treated at the city hospital.

Read the rest of this entry »

Joao Leite dos Santos said he wanted to play with the primates at the Sorocaba Zoo near Sao Paulo on Sunday, Associated Press reports. The mechanic admitted he was drunk when he jumped into the water between the spider monkeys and the public viewing area. At least six monkeys jumped on Mr Leite dos Santos, leaving him bleeding and screaming in pain. He was later treated for bites to his hand and arms.

Read the rest of this entry »

A zebra foal was born at Marghazar Zoo here on Friday morning that not only delighted its administration but also added attraction for the visitors.

It is after a long time that a zebra foal has been born in the zoo. In 2009, a female zebra died while giving birth to a foal. It was learnt that the Capital Development Authority (CDA) had spent a good amount of money on bringing two zebra pairs from South Africa in 2006.

This time both mother zebra and its foal are healthy and taken good care of by veterinarian. The two are under strict medical observation in their enclosure. A guard has been deputed outside the zebra enclosure to monitor them round-the-clock. It has also been learnt that the male zebra is the only animal that eats its own foal. For this reason, the CDA has deputed a man to monitor activities of the male zebra as well.

It was the 20th birth of ‘precious species’ on the premises of the Marghazar Zoo during the current year besides 120 birds. Recently, blue Cow has given birth to four calves and all of them are healthy.

According to the veterinarian, Mohammad Bilal, who is taking care of the female zebra and the newborn, both are healthy and in a stable condition. “Both mother and baby zebra are under strict observation. The baby zebra is very tender and very much prone to infections at this stage,” he said.

He said that currently no one is allowed to go near the newborn as it could catch infectious diseases. “The newborn would be under observation for a few days,” he said.

The junior zebra attracted a large crowd outside the zebra enclosure. People enjoyed watching the one-day baby who was sitting close to its mother and enjoying in the sun. Especially children were keen spectators of the foal. Some of them called it with different names but all their efforts proved to be futile as the foal was terrified and hid itself behind mother zebra.

According to wildlife experts, no animal has a more distinctive coat than the zebra. Each animal’s stripes are as unique as fingerprints — no two are exactly alike. Zebra is a social animal that spends time in herds. They graze together, primarily on grass, and even groom one another.

Plain (Burchell’s) zebras are the most common species. They live in small family groups consisting of a male (stallion), several females, and their young. These units may combine with others to form awe-inspiring herds thousands of head strong, but family members will remain close within the herd.

It is pertinent to mention here that the CDA has inadequate facilities for the growing number of animals at the Marghazar Zoo. It is, however, learnt that the CDA is likely to approve an amount of Rs50 million for construction work at the zoo in a few days.

According to relevant officials, funds would be utilised on the construction of animal enclosures, pavements, lights and other facilities. The project of the Marghazar Zoo had faced many hiccups due to the financial crunch. The aim behind the construction of the zoo was to provide a semi-natural environment to animals and birds and enhance the experience of visitors through efficient designing.

According to sources, the Marghazar Zoo houses around 77 mammals of 17 species, 569 birds of 45 species and 13 reptiles of three species, while their number is constantly growing.

CDA Chairman Imtiaz Inayat Elahi said that the civic body was striving to provide appropriate breeding environment to animals as well as birds. “We want to keep the zoo environment as natural as possible so that breeding process of animals and birds could be improved,” he said.

He said that the birth of a zebra foal was a sign that animals have been provided with their natural environment. “The breeding of all animals have been taking place normally except for the elephants,” he said.

He said that the expansion work of the zoo would be started in near future so that animals and birds could be accommodated in a much better way and could have a natural environment.

Read the rest of this entry »

After hiding inside its den for the last three weeks, a baby meerkat has finally braved the outside world of Wellington Zoo. The pup is one of four to be born at the zoo three weeks ago. Zoo spokeswoman Kate Baker said the rest were still hanging out inside their den.

"They will be getting braver and braver over the next few weeks and sunny days are your best chance to spot them outside."The pups were born to two-year-old mum, Feta, and all were believed to be doing well.

The zoo's last litter of meerkat pups to survive were born in February. In addition to Feta, there are seven male adult meerkats at the zoo and the pups were being well-looked after by their mum, dad and "uncles", Ms Baker said. Meerkats are born deaf and blind but develop quickly after birth. Zoo staff had checked on the pups in their den and all were growing in confidence, Ms Baker said.

Read the rest of this entry »

Canada's newest celebrity couple is headed for a breakup and the Internet is all abuzz. It seems everybody wants to know what the real story is between Pedro and Buddy, the Toronto Zoo's same-sex penguin sweethearts.

The two male African penguins, who came to the zoo about a year ago from Toledo, appear to have eyes only for each other. According to zoo workers, they swim together and share the nest they built. But since the penguins are an endangered species, zoo officials plan to separate Pedro and Buddy so they can mate with females.

Tom Mason, the zoo's curator of birds and invertebrates, says the birds have what's known as a "social bond" but it's not necessarily a sexual one. "They have one another's backs," he said. Mason admits some surprise at the attention the story has garnered around the world but adds: "People have a very strong tendency to anthropomorphize things.""They try to think of penguins as humans — and they're not." The story of the same-sex pair has gone viral on the web, leading to cheeky YouTube videos and scandalous headlines.

"Tough love: Toronto Zoo to separate 'gay' penguin couple" TIME's website announced. From msnbc.com came "Birds of a feather? Zoo to split up same-sex penguin pair."The Telegraph in Calcutta called it "The love that dare not squawk its name."Late-night TV comics were also jumping into the icy waters of penguin passion. Jimmy Kimmel riffed on the story during a recent monologue, calling it Brokeback Iceberg and claiming the lovebirds were spotted at a Lady Gaga concert.

The zoo has been inundated with hundreds of calls about the popular pair. Mason reports getting a call from a group called the Canadian Society for Gay Animals. But it's really not the way it looks, Mason said Wednesday. "Penguins are so social they need that ... company. And the group they came from was a bachelor group waiting for a chance to be paired up with females."

"(Buddy and Pedro) had paired up there, they came to us already paired and it's our job to be match-makers to get them to go with some females," he said. Buddy, who is 21, had a female partner for 10 years and produced some offspring but his partner died, Mason said. Pedro, 10, has yet to produce offspring.

Read the rest of this entry »

Edinburgh Zoo is to import the majority of the bamboo needed to feed its new pandas from a farm on mainland Europe – with emergency supplies grown on the site of the zoo itself and elsewhere in the UK.

The imported bamboo is set to cost the zoo about £70,000 a year after the panda pair arrive in Scotland from the Ya’an reserve in Chengdu, China in a few weeks time.

German grower Reiner Winkendick, whose farm is based near Amsterdam in the Netherlands, is set to provide 85 per cent of the animals’ bamboo requirement over the first three years that pandas Tian Tian and Yang Guang will spend at the zoo, while the remainder will come from a network of UK growers.

It is expected that the pandas, which can eat up to 18,000 kilos of bamboo every year, will arrive in Scotland by the end of the year.

The imported organic bamboo will arrive from the Netherlands-based nursery every two weeks by ship and lorry, and will be kept in a specially created storage facility to ensure maximum freshness. The same farm also supplies pandas living in zoos in Vienna and Berlin.

“Our bamboo strategy is the result of more than three years of research, planning and exhaustive negotiations with suppliers across the UK and Europe,” said the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland’s gardens manager Simon Jones.

“Our starting point was to ensure a long-term supply of fresh bamboo that was both sustainable and cost-effective. Because bamboo forms such a fundamental part of the giant pandas’ diet, we also had to guarantee consistency of supply – and to ensure that the bamboo was of the highest possible quality whilst also offering the variety of species required for their highly specialised needs.”

About 25 different species of the plant will be fed to the pandas – five different kinds every day – to ensure a varied diet, while their menu will change depending on the time of year, reflecting natural behaviour in the wild.

Other options for feeding the pandas – including farms in Scotland and offers from individuals and schoolchildren to grow bamboo on their own land – have been eschewed in favour of the Dutch farm. However, in addition to the main production centre in the Netherlands, some bamboo will also be grown at special sites around the zoo itself and it is hoped that eventually, a higher proportion of the plant will be harvested from Scotland.

Bamboo could also be shipped in from farms elsewhere in Scotland and the south of England to supplement the Dutch supply. Kelburn Estate and Country Centre in Ayrshire, one of only a handful of locations in Scotland that grows bamboo in quantity, in the summer offered the zoo unlimited access to its crop.

It will now make up part of a network of growers based around the UK, which also includes farms in Cornwall – the heart of the UK’s bamboo furniture industry – and private householders in Ratho and Helensburgh.

Read the rest of this entry »

What started as a private zoo by then Mysore Maharaja Chamaraja Wadiyar about 120 years ago, Sri Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens, has evolved into a must-visit destination for all who comes to the royal city and an example of how well-administrated an Indian zoo can be.

The zoological garden, commonly known as Mysore Zoo, was set up on about 10 acres abutting the Pleasure Palace on the foothills of Chamundi hills in 1892. It opened for visitors in 1902. According to the 'Handbook of the city of Mysore' published in 1915 and edited by T G Lakshamana Rao, a former president of the municipal council, the entry to the zoo for the public was limited between 7 am and 11 am in the morning and 3 pm and 6 pm in the evening. The visited had to pay one anna as entry fee.

The zoo, originally called as Palace Zoo, is now spread over 245 acres and is home to a motley collection of birds and animals. According to the handbook, the zoo housed "a very fine collection of animals, including lions, tigers, giraffes, fallow deer, buck, panther and a large group of monkeys" as early as 1900. "The garden is well-maintained," Rao had written in the book. The bandstand in the zoo was constructed around this time. It was renovated along with Tandi Sadak, a walkway known for its salubrious environs recently.

The zoo also has an artificial lake Kalyani. In the post-Independent India, the zoo came under the department of parks and gardens of the erstwhile Mysore State in 1948. In 1972 the management of the zoo was handed over to the forest department. Now the maintenance and the management of the zoo are taken care of by the Zoo Authority of Karnataka which was set up in 1979.

Read the rest of this entry »