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THE INVESTIGATION CONTINUES: DO ZOOS HAVE A PLACE IN THE FUTURE OR  ARE THEY A THING OF THE PAST........

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THE INVESTIGATION CONTINUES: DO ZOOS HAVE A PLACE IN THE FUTURE OR  ARE THEY A THING OF THE PAST........

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Horizon explores the existence of Zoos - Horizon: Should We Close Our Zoos? - BBC Two

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Animal welfare is a priority to BIAZA which they take very seriously, by understanding what constitutes good welfare in zoos and by providing appropriate housing and husbandry.

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Animal welfare

The promotion of good welfare for zoo animals is a priority BIAZA takes very seriously. Our members meet the needs of the animals in their care by understanding what constitutes good welfare, and by providing appropriate housing and husbandry.

Measuring Welfare

Factors we consider when assessing animal welfare include:

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The promotion of good welfare for zoo animals is a priority BIAZA takes very seriously.

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https://biaza.org.uk/campaigns/detail/love-your-zoo
Reasons to love your Zoo

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Documentary on BBC iPlayer

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“Captive animals are deprived of everything that is natural and important to them, and as a result, they become bored and lonely and many even suffer from a condition called “zoochosis.”“ Captive animals spend their lives in small enclosures with forced unnatural mates and made to reproduce whilst spending everyday eating at unnatural times and for unnatural lengths. Animals that cannot live in the their natural ways start to show abnormal and stereotypical behaviours, behaviours that wouldn’t be present if they lived in their natural and wild environments!

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The motto of PETA reads in part, that 'animals are not ours to use for entertainment'

We pick and choose which animals are kept in zoos each day and we choose what animals are no longer needed which often leads to them being culled.

If some animals are not acceptable as entertainment why are others? What gives us the right to pick and choose what animals should be allowed to live and why.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-26356099

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https://biaza.org.uk/learn
'More than 30 million people visit BIAZA collections every year and over 1 million children and students attend as a part of an organized educational trip. This puts out zoos and aquariums in a unique position to teach and inspire a wide and diverse audience’

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BBC reporters, make sure you challenge those posts that are based on emotions or not very scientific! 

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BBC reporters, make sure you challenge those posts that are based on emotions or not very scientific! 

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Chester zoo conservation team, can you please provide details of your main areas of in -situ conservation and how your work has help increase wild populations? Thanks :)

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Chester zoo conservation team, can you please provide details of your main areas of in -situ conservation and how your work has help increase wild populations? Thanks :)

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Blackpool zoo members, have you visited "project elephant". Although millions have been invested into this, can you honestly say that the enclosure meets an elephants welfare needs? Especially males once in musth? 

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Blackpool zoo members, have you visited "project elephant". Although millions have been invested into this, can you honestly say that the enclosure meets an elephants welfare needs? Especially males once in musth? 

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Animals are often overbred because zoos like having baby animals to attract the public. Zoo patrons expect to see lively, active animals not old, tired animals; as they are only there for the interested of the zoo. However, this overbreeding leads to overcrowding of animals within a zoo. Leaving excess animals to be sold to other zoos, traded or even culled and fed to carnivores.

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Animal rights advocates oppose keeping animals in zoos, but support sanctuaries. They oppose keeping animals in zoos because imprisoning the animals for our entertainment violates their right to live free of human exploitation. Even if the animals are of an endangered species, keeping them in a zoo for the sake of the species violates their rights because the good of the species cannot be put above the rights of the individual.

On the other hand, sanctuaries rescue animals who cannot live in the wild and can survive only in captivity.

How Are Zoos and Sanctuaries Similar?

Both zoos and sanctuaries confine wild animals in pens, tanks, and cages. Many are operated by non-profit organizations, display animals to the public and educate the public about animals. Some charge admission or request a donation from visitors.

How Are They Different?

The main difference between zoos and sanctuaries is how they acquire their animals. A zoo might buy, sell, breed, or trade animals, or even capture animals from the wild. The rights of the individual are not considered. Animals are often overbred because zookeepers like having a constant supply of baby animals to attract the public. Zoo patrons expect to see lively, active animals, not old, tired animals.But the overbreeding leads to overcrowding. Excess animals are sold to other zoos, circuses, or even canned hunting.

The animals are acquired to satisfy the interests of the zoo.

A sanctuary does not breed, buy, sell or trade animals. A sanctuary also does not capture animals from the wild but acquires only animals who can no longer survive in the wild. These might include injured wildlife, confiscated illegal exotic pets, exotic pets who are surrendered by their owners, and animals from zoos, circuses, breeders, and laboratories that close down.

A Florida animal sanctuary, Busch Wildlife Sanctuary, intentionally keeps some animals out of sight so the animals don't interact with the public. These animals have a chance of being released back into the wild if they recover from their injury or illness. The animals that will never have a chance at release, such as orphaned baby black bears who were raised in captivity and don't know how to survive in the wild; Florida panthers who were once "pets" so their claws and some teeth have been removed; and snakes who have been hit with shovels and blinded or otherwise impaired.

While a zoo may argue that they serve an educational purpose, this argument does not justify the imprisonment of the individual animals. They may also argue that spending time with the animals inspires people to protect them, but their idea of protecting the animals consists of taking them out of the wild to confine them in cages and pens. Furthermore, animal advocates would argue that the main lesson taught by the zoo is that we have the right to imprison animals for humans to gawk at. Zoo's love to use the old, tired argument that when children see an animal, they will have an affinity for it and want to protect it.

But here's the thing, every kid on earth loves dinosaurs but not one kid has ever seen a dinosaur.

What About Accredited Zoos?

Some animal welfare advocates distinguish between accredited zoos and "roadside" zoos. In the United States, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) grants accreditation to zoos and aquariums that meet their standards, including procedures for animal health, safety, guest services, and recordkeeping. The term "roadside zoo" is often used to mean a zoo that is unaccredited, and generally is smaller, with fewer animals and inferior facilities.

While the animals at roadside zoos may suffer more than animals at larger zoos, the animal rights position opposes all zoos, regardless of how big the cages or pens are.

What About Endangered Species?

Endangered species are those that are in danger of becoming extinct in a significant portion of their range.

Many zoos participate in breeding programs for endangered species, and may some day be the only places where some species exist. But imprisoning a small number of individuals for the sake of the species violates the rights of the individual. A species does not have rights because it is not sentient. "Species" is a scientific category designated by people, not a sentient being capable of suffering. The best way to save endangered species is by protecting their habitat. This is an effort everyone has to get behind because we are in the middle of the sixth mass extinction, and we are losing animals at a terribly rapid rate.

It may seem confusing to people when they see animal rights advocates boycotting zoos while supporting sanctuaries. The same might be true when animal advocates oppose keeping pets but have rescued cats and dogs from shelters. The important factor to consider is whether we are exploiting the animals or rescuing them. Shelters and sanctuaries rescue animals, while pet shops and zoos exploit them. It's really very simple.

This article was updated and re-written in part by Michelle A. Rivera.

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What's the Difference Between a Zoo and a Sanctuary?

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Animal rights advocates oppose keeping animals in zoos, but support sanctuaries. They oppose keeping animals in zoos because imprisoning the animals for our entertainment violates their right to live free of human exploitation.

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Animal collection should be left natural. 

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Animal collection should be left natural. 

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A zoos animal collections will be due to a breeding plan, even though the animal doesn't find the purpose to breed. Animal collection should be left natural

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Wales Ape & Monkey Sanctuary - About Sanctuaries

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Chester Zoo is a centre of excellence for conservation breeding and management. The survival of endangered species is increasingly more reliant on the sustainability of zoo populations. By investigating factors that could negatively impact on the reproductive viability of populations, we can make informed management decisions to boost the reproductive success of threatened species.By managing zoo populations effectively we're also maximising the chances of captive bred individuals being successfully reintroduced to the wild. In some cases, conservation breeding centres need to be established in the field and the knowledge and skills of zoo staff is critical in ensuring the success of these centres for re-establishing populations in the wild. 

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Chester Zoo is a centre of excellence for conservation breeding and management. The survival of endangered species is increasingly more reliant on the sustainability of zoo populations. By investigating factors that could negatively impact on the reproductive viability of populations, we can make informed management decisions to boost the reproductive success of threatened species.By managing zoo populations effectively we're also maximising the chances of captive bred individuals being successfully reintroduced to the wild. In some cases, conservation breeding centres need to be established in the field and the knowledge and skills of zoo staff is critical in ensuring the success of these centres for re-establishing populations in the wild. 

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Identifying factors that impact on the breeding potential of black rhinos in zoos | Chester Zoo

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We're the UK's number one zoo with over 21,000 animals and 500 different species, including some of the most endangered species on the planet.

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In the human world, we are taught from a young age that to stare at others is considered rude. We also know that being stared at – particularly by someone we don’t know or perhaps don’t get along with – can make us feel uncomfortable, threatened or scared. Despite recognizing that being watched or stared at is usually an uncomfortable experience for people, for centuries, people have placed animals in zoos for the specific purpose of being watched. Now, new research has been released that confirms that monkeys in zoos show higher stress levels when they know they are being observed than if they are unaware of the eyes upon them. http://www.onegreenplanet.org/animalsandnature/how-monkeys-really-feel-about-living-in-captivity/      https://www.appliedanimalbehaviour.com/article/S0168-1591(15)00090-8/abstract?code=applan-site

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In the human world, we are taught from a young age that to stare at others is considered rude. We also know that being stared at – particularly by someone we don’t know or perhaps don’t get along with – can make us feel uncomfortable, threatened or scared. Despite recognizing that being watched or stared at is usually an uncomfortable experience for people, for centuries, people have placed animals in zoos for the specific purpose of being watched. Now, new research has been released that confirms that monkeys in zoos show higher stress levels when they know they are being observed than if they are unaware of the eyes upon them. http://www.onegreenplanet.org/animalsandnature/how-monkeys-really-feel-about-living-in-captivity/      https://www.appliedanimalbehaviour.com/article/S0168-1591(15)00090-8/abstract?code=applan-site

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It is said that zoo’s will only cull zoo animals when it is necessary however they will cull about 20-30% of the animals per year which some zoos are open about.

In the EU It is often hard to get any information, but the 340 zoos that belong to the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA) must sign up to the organisation's various breeding programmes, and for each species in the programme there is a studbook with the inventory which records every animal's birth, genetic make-up, death etc.

However, EAZA does not publish these records or advertise the number of healthy animals that have been culled, it has been estimated that somewhere between 3,000 and 5,000 animals are culled in European zoos in any given year.

EAZA say that euthanasia should only when:

The animal poses a threat to human safety

The animal is suffering from a disease

The animal would otherwise be transferred to substandard accommodation

Where the continued presence of an individual animal is disruptive to the natural dynamic of a group within an individual collection and/or the demographic or genetic health and development of an EAZA approved ex-situ conservation programme.

However many animals are being culled due to the being too many being breed to bring the visitors in.

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When Copenhagen Zoo put down a healthy male giraffe earlier this month, much of the world was horrified. But those in the know say it's quite normal - a fate that befalls thousands of zoo animals across Europe every year.

"This is not a thing that should go anywhere outside Denmark," says Copenhagen Zoo's Scientific Director Bengt Holst, responding to the barrage of critical news coverage. "We all know it's done every day."

Every day? It's not actually quite that often, but Holst says it's difficult to give a precise number.

"We do it when it's necessary," he says. "If I should take an average over 10 years - it could be probably something like 20, 30 [per year]."

That figure includes some smaller animals, not just the big "charismatic megafauna" that have the potential to make headline news. At the larger end of the scale, Copenhagen Zoo has put down leopards, tigers, lions, bears, antelopes and hippos in recent years, as well as the young giraffe, Marius.

One gorilla would generate more interest and more column inches than 10,000 rats - so the numbers game for me is kind of irrelevant
Simon Tonge, South West Environmental Parks

Other Danish zoos are also quite open about culling. Just a week before Marius was put to sleep, another Danish zoo killed two lions.

"We have around about 2,000 animals here in Odense zoo," says curator Michael Sorenson. "The number is less than 10 a year which we have in surplus. So, if you look at the numbers it's a small fraction."

What about the rest of Europe?

It's often hard to get any information, but the 340 zoos that belong to the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA) must sign up to the organisation's various breeding programmes, and for each species in the programme there is a studbook - a kind of inventory which records every animal's birth, genetic make-up, and death.

EAZA does not publish these records or advertise the number of healthy animals that have been culled, but executive director Dr Lesley Dickie estimates that somewhere between 3,000 and 5,000 animals are "management-euthanised" in European zoos in any given year.

EAZA euthanasia policy

Euthanasia should be considered, the EAZA says, when:

The animal poses a threat to human safety

The animal is suffering from a disease

The animal would otherwise be transferred to substandard accommodation

Where the continued presence of an individual animal is disruptive to the natural dynamic of a group within an individual collection and/or the demographic or genetic health and development of an EAZA approved ex-situ conservation programme

The statement continues: "We are ethically obliged to strike an informed balance between the life of an individual and maintaining the long term viability of a managed population."
Read the full euthanasia policy
"That's our estimate for all animals management-euthanised in the zoo, be it tadpoles up until a giraffe," she says.

What about the numbers of larger animals - lions, tigers, bears, giraffes and so on?

"I would expect that's less than a few hundred," says Dickie.

A careful examination of the studbooks would no doubt yield a more precise figure. But Dickie warns that sometimes an animal is just listed as having died, without any indication whether it was for medical or management reasons.

Zoos are instructed to be as clear as possible when recording data on deaths - but they are "fallible", she says, and sometimes information will be missing.

It is possible to find some studbooks online and just as Dickie says, it's not always recorded how an animal died - just that they have. Others give much more useful information. If a healthy animal has been put down, the key phrase is "Death by: Euthanasia (cull)"

From these and other conversations the BBC has had with studbook keepers, we have learned that:

Five giraffes have been put down in Europe since October 2012, all of them in Denmark

Four hippos were killed across Europe in 2012 - in Portugal, Spain, Germany and Denmark

Twenty-two healthy zebras were put down between 2000 and 2012, including one at Marwell in the UK.

Eleven Arabian Oryx were killed in Edinburgh, London, Rotterdam and Zurich between 2000 and 2009, plus dozens more at zoos in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (which are part of the European breeding programme)

Laws compared

Germany's Animal Welfare act bans the killing of a vertebrate "without reasonable cause"

Such a law only exists in a few other European countries, including Austria

Swiss law prohibits only "malicious killings"

Source: Ex Situ Conservation, Surplus Animals and Euthanasia - by Goetz Hildebrandt et al

Four German zookeepers were also prosecuted in 2010 for culling three tiger cubs at Magdeburg Zoo "without reasonable cause" (though the EAZA judged the step " entirely reasonable and scientifically valid").

Some zoo professionals caution against attaching numbers to the culls at all.

"The numbers game can be made to sound awful," says Simon Tonge Executive Director of South West Environmental Parks, which runs Paignton and Newquay zoos in the UK.

The headline "Zoos euthanise thousands of animals per year" would be misleading, he says.

"Well OK, but you know most of those animals were rats or mice or something like that.

Find out more

Hannah Barnes's report on the debate over euthanasia in zoos can be heard on BBC Radio 4 at 20:00 on Thursday, or afterwards on the iPlayer
The Report: Zoogenics?
"If we ever got to the point of having to consider euthanasia for a gorilla... I would argue that that one gorilla would generate more interest and more column inches than 10,000 rats. So the numbers game for me is kind of irrelevant."

There is a further problem, he argues. It is not always easy to say when an animal has been culled - some cases fall into a grey area.

"Suppose we have two animals of a species," he explains. "Both are ill, but we know that with a year or more's intensive veterinary effort, we can make them well again.

"One of them is never going to breed because it's genetically not important enough, but the other one is more important. Because we just don't have that time and the money to invest in both of those animals... we euthanise the least [genetically] related one. Is that a veterinary euthanasia or is that management euthanasia? I genuinely don't know. I wouldn't know which column to put it in in the inventory... we just don't count them really."

So, how many healthy animals are being put down by zoos? We do not really know.

We cannot just expand the zoo - we have to realise, 'OK, what do we do with the surplus?'
Bengt Holst

There is good reason to think it may be higher than the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria estimates, because some zoos are not always explicitly recording these deaths, and others are not members of EAZA in the first place.

Whatever the number is, there are good reasons to assume it is probably growing.

"Twenty years ago the giraffes didn't breed as well as they do today, so... automatically we run into these problems," says Bengt Holst, Scientific Director of Copenhagen Zoo.

"We cannot just expand the zoo. Of course we have to realise, 'OK, what do we then do with the surplus?' and we made our decision."

There is evidence that a number of European breeding programmes for other species are also going very well - perhaps too well.

The EAZA Yearbook 2007/2008 (the latest publicly available edition) states clearly that a "breed and cull" policy should be followed for some animals, like the pygmy hippopotamus.

Surpluses are a problem with a number of species, including monkeys and baboons, it notes.

So, unless European zoos adopt the American practice of using contraception to prevent the birth of surplus animals, culling is here to stay.
You can listen to Hannah Barnes' report on BBC Radio 4's The Report at 20:00 GMT on Thursday, or Follow @BBCNewsMagazine on Twitter and on Facebook afterwards on the iPlayer.

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How many healthy animals do zoos put down?

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When Copenhagen Zoo put down a healthy male giraffe earlier this month, much of the world was horrified. But those in the know say it's quite normal - a fate that befalls thousands of zoo animals across Europe every year.

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https://www.bornfree.org.uk/news/license-refusual-lion-circus    Born Free is pleased to learn that an appeal against the refusal of a licence to operate a travelling circus with wild animals to Thomas Chipperfield – the self-proclaimed “UK’s last lion tamer” – has been dismissed in court.

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https://www.bornfree.org.uk/news/license-refusual-lion-circus    Born Free is pleased to learn that an appeal against the refusal of a licence to operate a travelling circus with wild animals to Thomas Chipperfield – the self-proclaimed “UK’s last lion tamer” – has been dismissed in court.

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Songbirds in Asia are threatened with extinction due to excessive and strongly cultural rooted consumption of wild songbirds for trade, songbird competitions, pets, export, traditional medicine and food. This campaign aims to save a growing number of songbirds by increasing knowledge, awareness and commitment to do action within and beyond the zoo community. 

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Songbirds in Asia are threatened with extinction due to excessive and strongly cultural rooted consumption of wild songbirds for trade, songbird competitions, pets, export, traditional medicine and food. This campaign aims to save a growing number of songbirds by increasing knowledge, awareness and commitment to do action within and beyond the zoo community. 

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qmwmxg7Q5hQ#action=share

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Chester zoo brings wildlife into the class room 

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Chester zoo brings wildlife into the class room 

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Chester zoo brings wildlife into the class room through the internet, for all ages and provides amazing resources for schools and people who visit. The website is filled with up to date material that matches the curriculum for all age groups, allowing them to access free downloadable educational resources and fact sheets that are done by zoologists out in the field.

This is an excellent way to allow children to  see wildlife first- hand in a safe environment and give them opportunity to see animals they might not see naturally in the wild on a day to day life.

So this proves Zoos are essential for the future and will keep on developing and improving.

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Liz Lightfoot

Chester Zoo is an amazing resource for schools - and not just for those able to visit. It lives in the ether as well, through its fun and informative website with materials matched to the curriculum and age groups.

From the inspection of tiger poo to track their numbers to the nature of scientific inquiry and data handling, the website provides a wealth of downloadable educational resources free of charge for use in the classroom.

Did you know that the Rothschild's giraffe sleeps for two hours and the Asiatic lion for 20 hours. Or that palm oil is in half the products in UK supermarkets? There's accurate information online about the 21,000 animals that roam the extensive grounds and their natural habitat.

But what engages children and teachers alike is the focus on conservation - saving Indonesian songbirds from extinction, for example, or combating the human-tiger conflict in Nepal. There's information and factsheets to download about the campaigns both before and after a visit to the zoo, plus photos and videos taken by zoologists out in the field.

"However far away you are from the zoo you can use our resources for a wide range of curriculum projects, and download packs for our key campaigns to build your own project in school," says Charlotte Smith, Chester Zoo's head of discovery and learning.

"The opportunity to see amazing wildlife first-hand gives children an experience they cannot get in the classroom, so we always advise a visit to the zoo or another wildlife organisation where possible. There's materials on our website to be used before and after the visit, so pupils can get the most out of it," she says.

News of the zoo's 21,000 animals is regularly updated and for older children there are research findings and data to analyse. Want to know why producing palm oil sustainably will help save the wildlife? The zoo has an animated video to demonstrate the palm oil supply chain and explain how the supermarket shopper can change the behaviour of producers and manufacturers.

The material is matched where possible to the national curriculum, searchable by age and curriculum key stage as well as topic, keyword or curriculum subject. Online resources linked to the workshops offered at the zoo are matched to GCSE and A-level exam specifications. There's also links to conservation and science research papers published by the zoo's highly qualified scientists and zoologists.

Threats to the rainforest, the story of sustainable palm oil and the illegal wildlife trade, are some of the most popular topics with schools, says Lauren Walker, Chester Zoo's digital learning officer. "Our downloadable collections of resources on sustainable palm oil, for example, include an interactive game to guide students through the process of becoming a plantation owner. Our Nigeria geography collection of resources forms a case study for GCSE and A-level students to use for curriculum-based questions. Our Wildlife Connections resources include practical guides on helping wildlife in the UK," she says.

Accuracy is very important for teachers says Nicola Hawley, head of geography at St Gerard's, a school for four- to 18-year-olds in Bangor, Wales. "Geography is embedded in the resources and it helps us when, for example, we are teaching eco systems, that we can use [the resources] to prepare for a visit and afterwards explore the experience. It makes it so much more than a lovely day out," she says.

Hawley is a member of the Geographical Association, as well as a member of Chester Zoo's curriculum advisory panel. "We have been looking at the online resources to make sure they are in line with what we are teaching in schools, because if you can link anything online to the curriculum and know it is accurate, then that is more useful for schools," she says.

"I took some 12- to 14-year-olds to the zoo yesterday and they really enjoyed themselves. Now we're looking at the zoo's blogs showing change over time. Year 9s collected information at the zoo on four animals living in the rainforest and we will be looking at them as individual case studies alongside the climatic data, deforestation and adaptation. The English department is going to use the animals as the basis for stories with year 9s, and year 7s are going to look at different types of maps and create their own, based on their visit," she says.

"When they came out of the zoo the children were talking about it on the bus home - and they are still talking about all the things they discovered."

Chester Zoo works with primary and secondary teachers, subject experts, text book authors and university lecturers through its curriculum advisory panels. It also helps to train teachers. Una Meehan, a senior lecturer in education at the University of Chester and a drama specialist, who sits on the panel, says student teachers spend time at the zoo and then take activities into schools as local wildlife champions. "In the 21st century we should be preparing our young people for a new world and they need to be able to think creatively about conservation because it is something that matters to all of us, whether it be the destruction of habitats in the back garden, through the use of fake grass, felling forest trees or capturing songbirds in Asia," she says.

The online resources are an invaluable source of real, live data, plus photographs of animals at the zoo and field trips taken by staff, and teaching materials that can be adapted by age group, she says. "It's not just about taking children to see animals - it's about geography and history, maths and science, art, music and communication. It's thinking in a creative and structured way about how to engage children in their learning and the world they live in."
Discover how Chester Zoo can help you bring learning to life at chesterzoo.org/learning Topics

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How Chester Zoo brings wildlife into the classroom - via the internet

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Liz Lightfoot Chester Zoo is an amazing resource for schools - and not just for those able to visit. It lives in the ether as well, through its fun and informative website with materials matched to the curriculum and age groups.

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The Campaign will run from 1 October 2017 to 30 September 2019

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Zoos are part of the future, ever-changing for the better

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Zoos are part of the future, ever-changing for the better

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Humans and animals have an intricate but conjoined history. People must learn to accept that humans and animals must learn to coexist, accepting that we have a duty to learn how to better accommodate their welfare. Zoos have a rich history, and we have made revolutionary discoveries that help us understand many animals. Humans are the dominating species of Earth, controlling many aspects including the environment itself e.g. global warming, as mentioned above. We can fulfill our responsibly to caring for animals through conservation projects. For example, the Arabian Oryx was a species of antelope that was hunted to apparent extinction about 40 years ago. Phoenix zoo introduced breeding programs, which worked with a minimal amount of 9 individuals. This successfully resulted in 200 calves, and there are currently 1000 Arabian Oryx individuals recorded to have lived in the wild.

http://time.com/4364671/zoos-improve-lives-of-animals/

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`Chester Zoo ConservationScholar and Fellow Programme'Over the past year Chester Zoo’s Conservation ScholarProgramme has continued to develop and we are now proudlysupporting 17 postgraduate research students from nineinstitutions. We welcomed six new Conservation Scholars to ourProgramme in 2016. These students are working on a diverserange of topics across a variety of species such as populationmonitoring of Ecuador Amazon parrots, scent communicationand physiology of eastern black rhinoceros, human-tiger conflictin Nepal, conservation genetics of mountain bongo, and exploringthe immune system of Asian elephants. Our commitment tocapacity building and equipping the next generation with theskills required to make a difference in international conservationis exemplified by our recently graduated Conservation ScholarEe Phin Wong. Ee Phin completed her PhD this year focussingon the management strategies of Asian elephant-human conflictin Peninsular Malaysia, and is now an Assistant Professor at theUniversity of Nottingham Malaysia Campus. Ee Phin’s researchis featured on page 17. In 2016 we also announced the newFellowship Programme for postdoctoral researchers. Dr XimenaVelez-Liendo is the first of these Conservation Fellows andintroduces herself and her research on Andean bears 

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`Chester Zoo ConservationScholar and Fellow Programme'Over the past year Chester Zoo’s Conservation ScholarProgramme has continued to develop and we are now proudlysupporting 17 postgraduate research students from nineinstitutions. We welcomed six new Conservation Scholars to ourProgramme in 2016. These students are working on a diverserange of topics across a variety of species such as populationmonitoring of Ecuador Amazon parrots, scent communicationand physiology of eastern black rhinoceros, human-tiger conflictin Nepal, conservation genetics of mountain bongo, and exploringthe immune system of Asian elephants. Our commitment tocapacity building and equipping the next generation with theskills required to make a difference in international conservationis exemplified by our recently graduated Conservation ScholarEe Phin Wong. Ee Phin completed her PhD this year focussingon the management strategies of Asian elephant-human conflictin Peninsular Malaysia, and is now an Assistant Professor at theUniversity of Nottingham Malaysia Campus. Ee Phin’s researchis featured on page 17. In 2016 we also announced the newFellowship Programme for postdoctoral researchers. Dr XimenaVelez-Liendo is the first of these Conservation Fellows andintroduces herself and her research on Andean bears 

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http://www.chesterzoo.org/conservation-and-science/resources/reviews-and-reports  from the 2016 review and report, people are getting first hand experience of conservation and behavioural studys to make the lives of captive animals better.

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Eamples of the crucial conservation work undertaken by BIAZASzoo and aqauriums, our Top Ten Campaign series of reports, below. Each of these reports focuses on a different taxa, highlighting those threatened species which are benefitting from the efforts of our members.

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Eamples of the crucial conservation work undertaken by BIAZASzoo and aqauriums, our Top Ten Campaign series of reports, below. Each of these reports focuses on a different taxa, highlighting those threatened species which are benefitting from the efforts of our members.

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https://biaza.org.uk/projects/category/conservation

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These tiny tortoises are critically endangered and because of the breeding success will be going to another zoo to continue the breeding programme.

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The Biodiversity and Elephant Conservation Trust (BECT) is a small charity based in Sri Lanka who aim to educate, inform and change people’s attitudes towards these magnificent animals. BECT works towards:Educating school children about the importance of conservationTraining vets on specialised programmesSupporting the families of those killed by elephantsStudying and tracking elephant travelling routesMonitoring baby elephants after they have been reintroduced into the wild.Surveying the tame elephant population in Sri LankaOver the years Blackpool Zoo has raised over £35,500 towards BECT and the fantastic work they do. 

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The Biodiversity and Elephant Conservation Trust (BECT) is a small charity based in Sri Lanka who aim to educate, inform and change people’s attitudes towards these magnificent animals. BECT works towards:Educating school children about the importance of conservationTraining vets on specialised programmesSupporting the families of those killed by elephantsStudying and tracking elephant travelling routesMonitoring baby elephants after they have been reintroduced into the wild.Surveying the tame elephant population in Sri LankaOver the years Blackpool Zoo has raised over £35,500 towards BECT and the fantastic work they do. 

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The Biodiversity and Elephant Conservation Trust (BECT) is a small charity based in Sri Lanka who aim to educate, inform and change people’s attitudes towards these magnificent animals. BECT works towards:Educating school children about the importance of conservationTraining vets on specialised programmesSupporting the families of those killed by elephantsStudying and tracking elephant travelling routesMonitoring baby elephants after they have been reintroduced into the wild.Surveying the tame elephant population in Sri LankaOver the years Blackpool Zoo has raised over £35,500 towards BECT and the fantastic work they do. 

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The Biodiversity and Elephant Conservation Trust (BECT) is a small charity based in Sri Lanka who aim to educate, inform and change people’s attitudes towards these magnificent animals. BECT works towards:Educating school children about the importance of conservationTraining vets on specialised programmesSupporting the families of those killed by elephantsStudying and tracking elephant travelling routesMonitoring baby elephants after they have been reintroduced into the wild.Surveying the tame elephant population in Sri LankaOver the years Blackpool Zoo has raised over £35,500 towards BECT and the fantastic work they do. 

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Blackpool zoo have been raising money for a charity that helps elephants in their natural habitats as well as raising money to help their own animals.

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https://www.animalaid.org.uk/about-us/who-we-are-what-we-do/

At animal aid we aim to educate people through the power of social media, leaflets, booklets and other resources. We frequently visit schools educating you people about cruelty-free living.
We train volunteers to go into schools with resources such as dvds, lesson plans and worksheets.
We have changed many peoples opinions on cruelty to animals and how we should be treating them all without caging animals up in unnatural habitats. If we can educate people without caging up the animals why can't zoos do the same? Why do they need to 'house' animals? Is it because of the millions of pounds they earn from the animals each year?

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https://mpora.com/environment/sea-lies-should-we-be-visiting-aquariums-in-the-uk

BIAZA, how is it appropriate to take so many wild species, including from delicate systems such as the great barrier reef to keep them in a glass tank? This could cause devastating effects on the ecosystem. And mixing species that cannot live safely together such as puffer and clown fish simply because it's what children want to see thanks to a movie? Could you shed any light on the justification of this?

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Chester zoo conservation team is also helping young learners as well as looking for cutting edge research

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Chester zoo conservation team is also helping young learners as well as looking for cutting edge research

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Chester zoo has partnered with the one of the worlds best universities in order to create some "high impact conservation research" In order to help species which are threated with extinction. Alexandra Zimmermann, Head of Conservation Science at Chester Zoo, said: “The aim of both Chester Zoo and WildCRU is to deliver top-quality conservation research projects that are directly relevant to urgent global conservation goals. This exciting new collaboration allows us to do this in a way that will maximise the impact of our joint conservation efforts.”

.”https://wcnwchamber.org.uk/chester-zoo-unites-university-oxford-deliver-world-class-conservation-science/

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Chester Zoo to open 60,000m2 nature reserve

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Chester Zoo to open 60,000m2 nature reserve

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We too care about animals both exotic and British wildlife that is why we created this. Across the UK, formerly widespread species such as water voles and the tortoiseshell butterfly are declining sharply. The new nature reserve is home to kingfishers, harvest mice, otters and many other species. Wide hedges, meadows and rough grassland at the reserve will be carefully managed to help hedgehogs, which have lost around 30% of their population since 2002, and bumblebees, that are struggling in the UK

https://biaza.org.uk/news/detail/chester-zoo-to-open-60000m2-nature-reserve

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Treated according to animal welfare legislations or business exploits?

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Treated according to animal welfare legislations or business exploits?

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There are many zoos that utilize their business to cater more to their visitors rather than humans. Interactive sites are created which draws more customers in, but this does not help the animal in anyway. Investing so much money into educational zoos doesn’t do anything for the animal, rather being beneficial for the corporation and economy. Animals are made into a profitable venture, rather than prioritizing their welfare. A key example of this is wildlife safari in Oregon. The zoo allows close interaction between the elephants and humans, taking on a ‘petting zoo’ type of environment with sensitive and unpredictable creatures like elephants. They’re advertised as interactive, rather than prioritizing the public and the elephants safety/wellbeing. This allows for disease exposure, possible injury and constant demeaning, rather than offering the care that they require.

https://www.idausa.org/campaign/elephants/10-worst-zoos-2016/

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TIME IS RUNNING OUT Urgent action is needed to save the UK’s most endangered mammal; the Scottish Wildcat.'This project is of national importance and shows what an important role zoos can play in helping to save local species. We’re very much part of efforts to maximise the chances of maintaining a wild population of the stunning Scottish wildcat for the long term.' - Tim Rowlands, curator of mammals at Chester ZooThese beautiful animals once thrived in Britain but were almost hunted to extinction for their fur and to stop them preying on valuable game birds. It’s believed that there are fewer than 100, left in the wild, making them one of the most endangered populations of cats in the world.They’re now protected under UK law but are still at threat from cross-breeding with feral and domestic cats, habitat loss and accidental deaths.In 2016, at Chester Zoo, we successfully bred a male Scottish Wildcat - an important part of helping to boost population numbers and a vital component in the long-term recovery plan for the species. a Scottish wildcat was born at Chester Zoo. The species is Britain’s rarest mammal, meaning the new arrival has given a big boost to conservation efforts to bring the species back from the brink of extinction. Breeding in captivity is proof that all the animals  needs are being met and in good physical health to successfully reproduce. This is only the first step in saving these critically endangered species. Humans have caused their mass decline in numbers……… so why shouldn’t we help them survive through our conservation work at Chester Zoo ?

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TIME IS RUNNING OUT Urgent action is needed to save the UK’s most endangered mammal; the Scottish Wildcat.'This project is of national importance and shows what an important role zoos can play in helping to save local species. We’re very much part of efforts to maximise the chances of maintaining a wild population of the stunning Scottish wildcat for the long term.' - Tim Rowlands, curator of mammals at Chester ZooThese beautiful animals once thrived in Britain but were almost hunted to extinction for their fur and to stop them preying on valuable game birds. It’s believed that there are fewer than 100, left in the wild, making them one of the most endangered populations of cats in the world.They’re now protected under UK law but are still at threat from cross-breeding with feral and domestic cats, habitat loss and accidental deaths.In 2016, at Chester Zoo, we successfully bred a male Scottish Wildcat - an important part of helping to boost population numbers and a vital component in the long-term recovery plan for the species. a Scottish wildcat was born at Chester Zoo. The species is Britain’s rarest mammal, meaning the new arrival has given a big boost to conservation efforts to bring the species back from the brink of extinction. Breeding in captivity is proof that all the animals  needs are being met and in good physical health to successfully reproduce. This is only the first step in saving these critically endangered species. Humans have caused their mass decline in numbers……… so why shouldn’t we help them survive through our conservation work at Chester Zoo ?

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Britain’s rarest mammal born at Chester Zoo

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NOT AS DEAD AS A DODO- If only zoos had existed in the time of the dodo, it may not be extinct today.  Good zoos are powerful forces for conservation and some of the world’s most extraordinary and most threatened species would not be surviving without them. The British and Irish Association for Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA), which promotes the values of good zoos and aquariums, has compiled a list of the top ten species most reliant on zoos in the UK and Ireland. Chester Zoo was home to five of the top 10, in 2012 which our conservation team are very proud of. Animals on the very brink of extinction including a snail, an antelope and an oddly named frog have all made it onto the list, highlighting some of the best examples of how Chester Zoo is safeguarding the future of our planet’s wildlife and their habitats. Without us doing this vital conservation and breeding work, many ‘at risk’ species such as these may be lost to extinction forever.

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NOT AS DEAD AS A DODO- If only zoos had existed in the time of the dodo, it may not be extinct today.  Good zoos are powerful forces for conservation and some of the world’s most extraordinary and most threatened species would not be surviving without them. The British and Irish Association for Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA), which promotes the values of good zoos and aquariums, has compiled a list of the top ten species most reliant on zoos in the UK and Ireland. Chester Zoo was home to five of the top 10, in 2012 which our conservation team are very proud of. Animals on the very brink of extinction including a snail, an antelope and an oddly named frog have all made it onto the list, highlighting some of the best examples of how Chester Zoo is safeguarding the future of our planet’s wildlife and their habitats. Without us doing this vital conservation and breeding work, many ‘at risk’ species such as these may be lost to extinction forever.

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We're the UK's number one zoo with over 12,000 animals and 400 different species, including some of the most endangered species on the planet.

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MONITORING WILDLIFE AT CHESTER ZOO’S NATURE RESERVEWe’re celebrating all things UK wildlife following the opening of our newly expanded nature reserve; which is located within the zoo’s grounds. Here we share some of the vital activities we carry out on the site to protect wildlife from extinction…

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MONITORING WILDLIFE AT CHESTER ZOO’S NATURE RESERVEWe’re celebrating all things UK wildlife following the opening of our newly expanded nature reserve; which is located within the zoo’s grounds. Here we share some of the vital activities we carry out on the site to protect wildlife from extinction…

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We rely on many UK species for our food and even the air we breathe. From the tiny bugs to the bigger mammals; they all contribute towards a healthy environment that is vital for our survival. It's like a jigsaw; if one piece is missing it just won't work properly.

But how do we know if we're losing a certain animal or plant? This is why it's so important to record what wildlife we see throughout the year! The information collected helps conservationists to spot any changes or decline in species and to take action before it's too late.

Knowledge is a vital tool for conservationists; the more information we have about our local habitats and the species that live within them the more we can do to protect them; especially those living within a built up area. If we don't know what we've got, how do we know what's missing or needs help?

We've been recording animals and plants on the Nature Reserve since the very beginning, event before the reserve was there! Recording wildlife is really important so that we can see what has changed and which species we're helping.

Below are some of the ways we monitor the wildlife on the Nature Reserve...

Camera traps

We often place camera traps around the reserve to see what wonderful wildlife has been visiting! Here are a couple of our favourites:

Small mammal survey

We've been surveying the range of small mammal species in different habitats throughout the Nature Reserve to help inform future management so that they can thrive there. Along with widespread species such as wood mouse and bank vole, we've also found a resident population of the secretive water shrew, who rely on good quality habitat.

We survey small mammals using our own Longworth traps and use grain and casters to encourage the animals into the snug nest box which is lined with hay. There's always plenty of food to last the animals a couple of hours, until we check the trap. When we come to see what's in the traps, we carefully place the animals in a clear bag, and gently work out the species, age and sex.

At the reserve we've left wide rough-grass margins on the mounds and along the edges of the meadow so that a variety of small mammals can make burrows and find plenty of food.

Other management is taking place in the Nature Reserve's wet meadow to ensure that there are enough long stems for harvest mice to make their nests and plenty of overhanging growing vegetation in the ditches for water shrews. By repeating surveys over time we can build up a picture of how the management is helping small mammal populations in the long term. These animals are important in their own right, but they will also support larger mammals such as foxes and weasels, birds of prey including kestrel and buzzards and of course our local barn owls.

Butterfly Surveys

Based on the Butterfly Monitoring Scheme (BMS) methodology of surveying butterflies - we've recently set up a butterfly transect in the Nature Reserve. The route meanders past the woodland, down through the new meadow and into the wet meadow.

In 2017, we recorded 16 butterfly species with over 50 butterflies recorded on each visit! We know that the wet meadow is particularly good for orange tip and green veined whites that are attracted to the cuckoo flowers in spring, and then later in the season, the numerous thistles.

With further survey efforts we think that we should beat this species total in 2018 and it's hoped that, as the meadow develops, we will attract even more species and higher numbers in future. By walking the same route each year, using a standard survey technique we'll gradually get a long term picture of how butterflies are doing locally. There can be big fluctuations from year to year due to weather conditions and other environmental factors, but a general increasing trend over ten years provides good evidence that the reserve is having a positive impact.

Photo credit: Leanna Dixon

We will continue to maximise the amount of food for caterpillars and to provide nectar year-round for adult butterflies. There have previously been records of white-letter hairstreak in the area, making sure we maintain the young English elm trees in the hedgerows as they are essential for the caterpillar's survival. We're also beginning to monitor the moth species at the site by carrying out regular trapping sessions at night with our light-trap.
Watch this space for more updates of any exciting species spots!

Wildflower Monitoring

It's not only important to monitor the mammals and insects that visit the Nature Reserve - it's also important to monitor the floral diversity and structure of plants across the site. We use 4m2 quadrats that are placed at regular intervals along a set route. A quadrat is simply a square frame that is placed either randomly, or along a transect (line across the site) and then all of the plants that fall inside the frame are recorded. We've followed a 'W' shaped transect across the meadow with set 'stops' along the route.

At each stop the quadrat frame is placed randomly - not scientific normally by closing your eyes and throwing it a short distance - and the plants are then recorded. Our quadrat is separated into 9 sections and in each section we record the presence of all species of wildflower and then other factors such as ratio of grass to wildflowers, general height of the vegetation and the amount of bare ground. We also record the number of plant species that can be negative indicators of meadows such as nettles, spear thistle and bramble (these of course will be encouraged in small doses on the reserve).

Another way of monitoring plants is to create an entire site list of all the plants found over the whole meadow, with abundance scores for each species to see how plant composition changes over time. This method is quite intensive, needs an expert botanist, and takes a couple of days each year, but the results can be essential in understanding how best to manage the reserve.

Birds

We have records of over 80 bird species spotted in and around the Nature Reserve. The area is particularly good for warblers, with six species in residence each summer. We have already seen large groups of swallows and house martins using the new meadow pond to drink and catching numerous flies that gather above the meadow.

A new bird survey was started last spring based on the British Trust of Ornithology's common birds' census technique; which gives a good indication of breeding bird populations on a small site. The idea is to walk the same route on ten separate occasions throughout the bird breeding period; generally late March to mid-July depending on the year and species. All birds encountered visually or through their song are recorded onto maps using special symbols for each species.

Photo credit: Andy Harmer

Additional information is gathered such as where the bird was seen in flight, singing, showing signs of territorial behaviour or actually on a nest. Most surveys are carried out just after dawn, but two are done in the early evening to pick up other species that may be more active at that time of day. At the end of the season all of the maps are transposed onto a single map for each species, showing all of the records from across the ten surveys.

Analysing the maps gives an idea of how many individual pairs of each species have bred at the zoo's Nature Reserve. We'll use this to make management recommendations and to provide conditions which are suitable for a wide range of species. The mosaic of reedbed and wet meadow and scrub at the reserve is particularly important for reed bunting, reed warbler and grasshopper warbler, and a kingfisher now regularly hunts for minnows in our wet meadow pond. Here's a link to a reed bunting call so you'll know what to listen out for next time you visit!

Recording events and Bioblitz

We regularly hold recording days at the Nature Reserve to increase our understanding of the site and to help people learn about specific groups of animals. Sometimes we run a Bioblitz where wildlife experts and members of the public record as many things as possible within a 24 hour period.

These events can be incredibly valuable, especially if repeated every few years, to see if the species lists have changed substantially. Experts often find things that we've never found before, or been able to identify!

We've also run school visits, courses for the public and staff training events at the reserve. It is a great place to come and see a really good range of Cheshire's special wildlife.

We need your help

Please come and help us spot wildlife at the reserve. Even records of common species are extremely important. Many years ago house sparrows were common everywhere, but now they have seen huge declines. If people hadn't taken time to record them we might not have realised just how much they are in trouble, in order to take action to protect them!
Read some hints and tips on recording wildlife, why it's important and how you can help us here >
There's so much to do at the Nature Reserve and it's a great area to visit either before or after your visit to the zoo! We hope it inspires you to take action at home in your garden or community space to help local wildlife. We look forward to seeing you there soon!

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Monitoring wildlife at Chester Zoo's Nature Reserve | Act for Wildlife

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We're celebrating all things UK wildlife following the opening of our newly expanded Nature Reserve; which is located within the zoo's grounds. Here we share some of the vital activities we carry out on the site to protect wildlife from extinction...

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ANIMALS UNDER THREATConservation is critical and species are under threat. here are just some of the animals we're fighting to protect. The conservation team fully support all the research that is carried out at Blackpool zoo to save our endangered species.

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ANIMALS UNDER THREATConservation is critical and species are under threat. here are just some of the animals we're fighting to protect. The conservation team fully support all the research that is carried out at Blackpool zoo to save our endangered species.

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ACT NOW to protect some of the amazing species at risk from deforestation in South East Asia and beyond. What can we do RIGHT NOW to have a positive impact on the situation over here in the UK? Buy, and create a demand for, sustainably produced palm oil which doesn't harm wildlife. Individual or business - you can get involved.

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ACT NOW to protect some of the amazing species at risk from deforestation in South East Asia and beyond. What can we do RIGHT NOW to have a positive impact on the situation over here in the UK? Buy, and create a demand for, sustainably produced palm oil which doesn't harm wildlife. Individual or business - you can get involved.

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https://www.actforwildlife.org.uk/
Chester zoo are involved in much more than animals and conservation. They provide info and challenges to the general public to help the environment and the animals aorund the world from your home! what other zoo does this!? This is what zoos should be advertising and focusing towards. not who has the most tigers and elephants. https://youtu.be/K6KOQjimVjA

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10 species fighting extinction with the help of Zoos 

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10 species fighting extinction with the help of Zoos 

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A list of animals, among them one of the world's largest frogs, Britain's only native crayfish and Amur leopards, has been drawn up by the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums to highlight their work to secure endangered species' futures. The top 10 were chosen from hundreds of zoo-backed conservation programmes, focusing on species at high risk of extinction or extinct in the wild, schemes that involved initiatives in the field, zoos that had a management role, and projects which included habitat protection and working with local communities

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A list of animals, among them one of the world's largest frogs, Britain's only native crayfish and Amur leopards, has been drawn up by the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums to highlight their work to secure endangered species' futures. The top 10 were chosen from hundreds of zoo-backed conservation programmes, focusing on species at high risk of extinction or extinct in the wild, schemes that involved initiatives in the field, zoos that had a management role, and projects which included habitat protection and working with local communities

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Top 10 species fighting extinction with the help of zoos - in pictures

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A list of animals, among them one of the world's largest frogs, Britain's only native crayfish and Amur leopards, has been drawn up by the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums to highlight their work to secure endangered species' futures.