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Conservación de biodiversidad (28)
The conservation movement is under attack
Source: https://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/politics/511081-the-conservation-movement-is-under-attack
Author: ROBIN R. GANZERT
After months of keeping their doors closed to the public, zoological institutions here at home in the United States and around the world are in dire financial straits. Many, like the Alaska SeaLife Center, are anticipating a budget shortfall of 70 percent in just a few short months and will have to decide whether to permanently shutter operations. The simple fact of the matter is that irrespective of the challenges mankind faces, the needs of animals living in zoos and aquariums are constant and very real.
Preventing the Next Pandemic: A Humane Conversation About Our Social Contract with Animals
As the oldest animal welfare organization in the US, American Humane and its CEO Dr. Robin Ganzert work to improve welfare across the companion, military, farm, entertainment, and zoological animal world. As the SARS-CoV-2 spread continues to affect the lives of animals and people around the globe, American Humane is stepping up to provide online materials and support to organizations and animals in need. Dr. Ganzert discusses how the current pandemic is more evidence of how humans have violated the social contract we have with animals and that we must do better to share humane values and practices around the nation and the world.
Plus last week's guest, University of Minnesota veterinary epidemiologist, Dr. Dominic Travis joins us again to discuss the late breaking news about a tiger at the Bronx zoo that tested positive for COVID-19 and what the implications are for zoo and domestic animals. Rather than a reason to panic, Dr. Travis says this incident highlights the important and longstanding scientific role of modern zoos and aquariums as sentinels for zoonotic disease. He argues that zoological facilities and professionals play an integral part of the broader public health community to curb this pandemic and to monitor, prepare for, and mitigate future ones.
A ray of hope: Loro Parque welcomes an endangered ring-tailed Lemur pup
Loro Parque in Tenerife has welcomed a newborn ring-tailed lemur, strengthening its position as an authentic animal embassy.
Although the park remains closed, a new family member was presented in a video shared through its social networks, where news posts are published daily to inform its followers of everything that happens in its facilities.
We've managed to reduce the conservation threat status of ten species on the red list
The name of Loro Parque is becoming more and more known in the world and the foundation seems to have contributed to this on the basis of its work to preserve the environment and parrots in different regions of the planet. Its director, Javier Almunia, received Turismo de Tenerife (TdT) in the facilities of the extensive enclosure of Puerto de la Cruz and revealed some of the keys to success of the entity he manages.
Question: What is the role of the Foundation?
Answer: It was founded in 1994 specifically to deal with all those aspects related to biodiversity conservation, environmental education, research, rescue or animal welfare, which are elements that a modern zoo has to count on to carry out its work strategy.
Fighting for the Future: The Path Forward
Wrote by: Robin R. Ganzert, Ph.D., President and CEO, American Humane
Link; https://www.americanhumane.org/blog/fighting-for-the-future-the-path-forward/
We started this series discussing the crucial role that megafauna, our world’s largest animals, play in maintaining their ecosystems. They are essential to preserving biodiversity and wildlife for generations to come.
The threats facing their existence – trophy poaching, bushmeat hunting, habitat destruction and an increasingly inhospitable environment – are all the result of human activity. How can humans help if we are the problem?
Indeed, humans have historically caused the decimation of megafauna around the globe, on every continent except for Antarctica. There are so many animals that we will never see in person because our ancestors killed them off.
Fighting for the Future: Poaching Our Children’s Heritage
Wrote by: ROBIN R. GANZERT, PH.D. | American Humane
Link:https://www.americanhumane.org/blog/fighting-for-the-future-poaching-our-childrens-heritage/
Our planet’s largest animals, which are often the keystones of their respective ecosystems, are facing threats on all sides. In addition to an increasingly inhospitable climate and the degradation and depletion of habitats, many animals are hunted illegally – for their skins, tusks, and meat. Consider that the illegal wildlife trade is worth an astounding $23 billion annually. That makes it the fourth-most valuable black market industry, behind trafficking drugs, people and weapons.
Poachers target animals in Africa whose body parts fetch high prices in Asia’s black market. Consider that a single kilogram of ivory is worth $150 in Africa but can sell for over $2,000 in Beijing. And rhinoceros horn, which sells for roughly $167 a kilogram in Africa can sell for $33,000 a kilogram in Vietnam and more than $66,000 a kilogram in China.
Fighting for the Future: African Wildlife
Wrote by: Robin R. Ganzert, Ph.D.
Link: https://www.americanhumane.org/blog/fighting-for-the-future-african-wildlife/
Our world is a crowded place – we share the planet with more than eight million beautifully unique and fascinating species. But that number is dropping rapidly. Animal species are disappearing at 1,000 times the natural rate of extinction.And according to a U.N. report released this year, roughly one million species face annihilation in the coming decades.
Fighting for the Future: Human Conflict and Encroachment
Link: https://www.americanhumane.org/blog/fighting-for-the-future-human-conflict-and-encroachment/
Wrote by: Robin R. Ganzert, Ph.D. | President and CEO, American Humane
Humans threaten African megafauna. Poachers are just one threat – many animals suffer due to human conflict, encroachment and the degradation of their habitats.
Lions
African lions are beset on all sides. Like elephants, 90 percent of African lions have been wiped out in the last century.
Lions are poached, but not just for a single high-value black market item. Their claws, pelts and bones can fetch a hefty price in certain Asian markets. And they are even hunted for their meat.
Effect of zoos for species protection proven / Endangered animals have a chance through human care
(Berlin) - The effect of modern zoological gardens on the protection of species has been proven once again. As the World Conservation Union IUCN recently announced, the threat to ten species on the so-called Red List has recently been downgraded. These includes the Guam Rail: a few years ago, this small flightless bird from the Pacific island of the same name had already become extinct in the wild. By breeding in zoos, it was possible to successfully reintroduce a wild population to a neighboring island after a 35-year breeding program. Thus, the rail is only the second bird species that has been able to recover from the threat status "extinct in the wild" - after the Californian Condor, which is also preserved by human care. "Of course, the IUCN report encourages us in our actions," says Volker Homes, Managing Director of the Association of Zoological Gardens (VdZ). "For us, this means that nature can recover if we give it the chance to do so by joining forces.
What is the role of zoos today? The captivity v conservation debate
LINK: https://www.ft.com/content/08c03ade-1667-11ea-9ee4-11f260415385
Source: Financial Times
Author: Clive Cookson
Behind the scenes at London Zoo’s Tiger Territory, Asim is being trained. “Asim down!” says senior keeper Laura Garrett — and the seven-year-old Sumatran tiger lies on the floor. “Asim up!” makes him stand, “Asim sit!” crouch and “Asim board!” lie on a platform where vets can monitor his health. The tiger
Asim’s behaviour and physiology are studied for clues that could help conservation efforts to save wild Sumatran tigers, fewer than 400 of which survive in Indonesia. His stay at ZSL London Zoo — showcase of the Zoological Society of London, the FT’s seasonal appeal partner — had a catastrophic start. Asim arrived in January from Denmark through a European breeding exchange programme that aims to increase the genetic diversity of animals threatened with extinction in the wild. Then, in a sad exception to European zoos’ generally excellent mating of big cats, Asim killed his intended partner Melati in a fight after their introduction in February. Looking back at the tragedy, Malcolm Fitzpatrick, senior curator of mammals, said: “Every precaution was taken when Asim and Melati were introduced. The animal team saw all the positive signs that indicated the introduction would be successful — cautious greetings, chuffing and sniffing. But nature is unpredictable. There is always an inherent risk with any big cat introduction.”
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Baby Ula, Healthy and Happy
WROTE BY: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Ula is a female killer whale of orca located at Loro Parque Tenerife located at the Canary Islands. She was born on September 22, 2018 to the orca named Morgan who is pretty well-known and sparked a lot of controversy around the globe, as did Ula’s birth.
Morgan is a female killer whale or orca (Orcinus orca) that was rescued by “Dolfinarium Harderwijk', a Dutch Marine park on June 23 2010 after being found alone and extremely malnourished in the waters of the Wadden Sea. She was completely emaciated when she came to the Dutch dolphinarium. Despite her condition and thanks to the care of the staff and experts at Dolfinarium Harderwijk she recovered rapidly. It was decided Morgan would not be able to survive in the wild by several independent experts unless her exact family group (or pod) was found. Several efforts were made to match photos, her sounds and even her DNA with the existing orca groups who were studied in the wild. Sadly an exact match wasn’t found.
Allegations in Animal Rights Group’s “Report” on Dolphin Facilities Are Unsupported by Science and Designed to Pressure Travel Companies to Stop Supporting Zoological Facilities
Link: https://www.ammpa.org/news/allegations-animal-rights-group-s-report-dolphin
CONTACT: Laurie Holloway, 312-558-1770
Washington, D.C., Oct. 24, 2019—The U.K.-based animal rights group World Animal Protection’s new “report” on zoos, aquariums, and marine parks with dolphins is long on rehashed allegations and short on the scientific research to support them. Lacking anything new, the report is the latest in a coordinated series of tactics designed to pressure travel companies like Expedia to stop promoting visits to accredited zoos and aquariums, regardless of the high animal welfare standards of those facilities or their scientific research, conservation, and public education work that benefits animals in the wild.
What “Empty the Tanks” and “Anti-vaxxer” movements have in common and what zoos and aquariums can learn from the latter
The past few weeks have seen several tourism companies climb aboard the bandwagon of those opposed to keeping marine mammals in aquariums and zoos. The reason cited is familiar rhetoric frequently espoused by animal rights groups, but lacking in credible evidence to substantiate the claims.
Rhetoric shapes public perception, and perception becomes reality. By continually sowing the seeds of doubt in peoples’ minds, and bolstering those doubts with well-spun, half-truth tales that pull on heartstrings, the public begins to accept opinion as truth and accusation as evidence. The tactics of anti-zoo groups are manipulative and disingenuous to be sure, but as a communications professional, we must acknowledge the shrewdness of their strategy. Their singular focus and multi-pronged approach to achieve the end goal is a frustrating and potentially daunting challenge for zoos and aquariums. But it is not unsurmountable with a strategic communications plan.
The target audience of the Empty the Tanks propaganda campaign is empathetic people who care about animals. This is, of course, the same audience of current or prospective visitors and supporters of aquariums and zoos. This audience is exposed to propaganda from many different directions – not only from animal rights groups (which this audience may or may not find trustworthy or credible), but also from friends and influencers in their social networks, celebrities and companies like Trip Advisor and Airbnb. That pervasive rhetoric makes it difficult to differentiate fact from fiction. The tactic being deployed is a law of propaganda as used by Nazi Joseph Goebbels: “Repeat a lie often enough, and it becomes the truth.”
Without zoos nothing is going on
LINK https://taz.de/Klimawandel-und-Biodiversitaet/!5626458/?goMobile2=1570752000000
Even if we save the climate by 2050, we could still be pretty alone: That’s too late for thousands of animal and plant species.
Hooray, it’s the year 2050 and the climate is saved! Who would have considered this possible three decades ago? That it could actually be possible to contain global warming at 1.5 degrees!
So, everything went all right again? Unfortunately, no. Because for thousands of animal and plant species every help came too late. They are extinct. Where once the Great Barrier Reef off the Australian coast was swarming and sparkling for over 2,300 kilometers as one of the largest hotspots of biodiversity, white limestone skeletons are now standing over long stretches, over which a few starving starfish are crawling.
No surprise: Already in 2019, it was clear that even if the 1.5-degree target was reached, 70 to 90 percent of coral reefs would die, accompanied by the loss of thousands of species.
But it is not only climate change, the activities of humanity as a whole, that have triggered the long feared greatest mass extinction since the end of the dinosaurs. Where once there were species-rich rainforests, today only soybeans grow or nothing grows because erosion has washed away the thin layer of fertile tropical soil. Where once there were wilderness or diverse cultural landscapes, today there are settlements and industrial areas.
Last chance: Zoo
Even in the protected areas, which are already far too small in terms of numbers and surface area, masses of species have disappeared forever: poached like rhinos, elephants and turtles, or like frogs and salamanders dying of a worldwide spreading fungal infection.
In 2050, humanity would have had an answer to many of these problems: population growth has come to a standstill, industrial agriculture has been cut back, meat consumption has been reduced, the amphibian killer mushroom has been defeated, extensive new protected areas have been created and devastated areas have been renatured.
The only thing is that the species that still lived there in 2019 simply no longer exist. Once extinct, they are gone forever. The most beautiful restored biotope is of no use there.
Already in 2019, the situation for global biodiversity was clear and as well scientifically verified as man-made climate change. The World Biodiversity Council IPBES had unmistakably pointed out the imminent catastrophe: An estimated one million species were on the verge of extinction, not at some point, but in the coming decades.
Link: https://taz.de/Klimawandel-und-Biodiversitaet/!5626458/?goMobile2=1570752000000
By: TAZ |
Apart from the fact that in the year of Trump and Bolsonaro the world was far from saving the world – even if everything had been done immediately and without further delay to protect threatened species in their habitats, it would have been too late for many of them.
Yet, back then the biotopes were damaged too much, too fragmented the remaining habitats, too weak and poor in individuals the surviving populations, too polluted the oceans, too widespread free-range cats and introduced bio invaders.
When only about 50 Java rhinos trotted through the jungle, it had long been clear that they had no chance in the wild. The same applied to the last 10 Vaquita pig whales, the last 15 Chilean Loa frogs, the last four Yangtze giant soft tortoises … The only way to preserve these species would have been to breed them under human care.