Los Angeles Zoo sets record with 17 California condor chicks hatched in 2024


In this photo provided by the Los Angeles Zoo, a California Condor chick is weighed at the Los Angeles Zoo on Friday, April 19, 2024. A record 17 California condor chicks hatched during this year’s breeding season for the endangered birds at the Los Angeles Zoo. Officials said Wednesday, July 24, that all the chicks will be candidates for release into the wild as part of the California Condor Recovery Program. (Jamie Pham/Los Angeles Zoo via AP)

 Condor chick LA1123, hatched Sunday April, 30, waits for it’s feeding in a temperature controlled enclosure at the Los Angeles Zoo on Tuesday, May 2, 2023. A record 17 California condor chicks hatched during this year’s breeding season for the endangered birds at the Los Angeles Zoo. Officials said Wednesday, July 24, 2024, that all the chicks will be candidates for release into the wild as part of the California Condor Recovery Program. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel, File)


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FILE - A California Condor takes to flight at the Los Angeles Zoo on Tuesday, May 2, 2023. A record 17 California condor chicks hatched during this year’s breeding season for the endangered birds at the Los Angeles Zoo. Officials said Wednesday, July 24, 2024, that all the chicks will be candidates for release into the wild as part of the California Condor Recovery Program. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel,File)

Debbie Sears, condor keeper feeds on Tuesday, May 2, Condor chick LA1123, at the Los Angeles Zoo facility that hatched Sunday April 30, 2023. A record 17 California condor chicks hatched during this year’s breeding season for the endangered birds at the Los Angeles Zoo. Officials said Wednesday, July 24, 2024, that all the chicks will be candidates for release into the wild as part of the California Condor Recovery Program. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel, File)

 Visitors arrive at the Los Angeles Zoo, on Tuesday, Aug. 15, 2023. A record 17 California condor chicks hatched during this year’s breeding season for the endangered birds at the Los Angeles Zoo. Officials said Wednesday, July 24, 2024, that all the chicks will be candidates for release into the wild as part of the California Condor Recovery Program. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel, File)

In this photo provided by the Los Angeles Zoo, Animal Keeper Mike Clark checks the health by candling California Condor eggs at the Los Angeles Zoo on Friday, March 15, 2024. A record 17 California condor chicks hatched during this year’s breeding season for the endangered birds at the Los Angeles Zoo. Officials said Wednesday, July 24, 2024, that all the chicks will be candidates for release into the wild as part of the California Condor Recovery Program.

 (Jamie Pham/Los Angeles Zoo via AP)

A California condor named Hope takes to flight at the Los Angeles Zoo, Tuesday, May 2, 2023. A record 17 California condor chicks hatched during this year’s breeding season for the endangered birds at the Los Angeles Zoo. Officials said Wednesday, July 24, 2024, that all the chicks will be candidates for release into the wild as part of the California Condor Recovery Program. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel, File)

 A California Condor named Hope is seen at the Condor habitat at the Los Angeles Zoo on Tuesday, May 2, 2023. A record 17 California condor chicks hatched during this year’s breeding season for the endangered birds at the Los Angeles Zoo. Officials said Wednesday, July 24, 2024, that all the chicks will be candidates for release into the wild as part of the California Condor Recovery Program. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel, File)


In this photo provided by the Los Angeles Zoo, Animal Keeper Mike Clark checks on California Condor eggs at the Los Angeles Zoo on Friday, March 15, 2024. A record 17 California condor chicks hatched during this year’s breeding season for the endangered birds at the Los Angeles Zoo. Officials said Wednesday, July 24, 2024, that all the chicks will be candidates for release into the wild as part of the California Condor Recovery Program. (Jamie Pham/Los Angeles Zoo via AP)

Sergio Henriques, Invertebrates Conservation Coordinator at the Global Center for Species Survival at the Indianapolis Zoo, uses a net to look for fireflies on a swampy trail at the Beanblossom Bottoms Nature Preserve in Ellettsville, Ind., Friday, June 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

July 24, 2024

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A record 17 California condor chicks hatched at the Los Angeles Zoo during this year’s breeding season for the endangered birds, officials announced Wednesday.

All the chicks will be candidates for release into the wild as part of the California Condor Recovery Program, the LA Zoo said in a statement.

The 17th and final bird of the season hatched in June and is thriving, zookeepers said. The previous record was set in 1997, when 15 California condor chicks hatched at the zoo.

“Our condor team has raised the bar once again in the collaborative effort to save America’s largest flying bird from extinction,” Rose Legato, the zoo’s Curator of Birds, said in the statement.

Legato said the recent record is a result of new breeding and rearing techniques developed at the zoo that put two or three chicks together to be raised by a single adult condor acting as a surrogate parent.

“The result is more condor chicks in the program and ultimately more condors in the wild,” Legato said.

The California Condor Recovery Program is administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Its mission is to propagate the iconic bird that decades ago was on the brink of extinction from habitat loss and lead poisoning.

As of December 2023, there were about 560 California condors in the world, of which more than 340 were living in the wild, the zoo said.

It’s the largest land bird in North America, with wings spanning up to 9.5 feet (2.9 meters).

ANIMAL LIBERATION FAIL

Vancouver Zoo: Missing wolf found safe after pack escaped


Fri, August 19, 2022 

Grey wolves, known by their scientific name Canis lupus, pictured at the Minnesota Zoo in 2022

A wolf missing from a zoo near Vancouver has been found safe and returned to its pack.

One-year-old Tempest, a grey wolf, was found on Friday morning after a three-day search and rescue mission.

Police and zoo staff believe a pack of nine wolves was set free from the Greater Vancouver Zoo by a vandal earlier this week.

One wolf has since been found dead. The remaining wolves were recovered, with Tempest being the last to be located.

Zoo staff said they believe the grey wolves escaped after someone deliberately cut the fence surrounding their enclosure overnight.

Police are now investigating what is believed to be a case of unlawful entry and vandalism.

There were nine wolves and six pups housed at the zoo - located 34 miles outside Vancouver.

A three-year-old wolf named Chia - the second oldest female of the pack - was found dead on the side of the road nearby the zoo on Thursday morning.

The zoo's deputy manager, Menita Prasad, told reporters on Thursday that staff are "heartbroken" over Chia's death.

At the time, Tempest was still missing, and Ms Prasad appealed to the public to help find her.

By Friday morning, Tempest was found near the zoo. Ms Prasad said in a statement that staff are "extremely happy and relieved" the wolf has been found.

Wildlife experts say wolves tend to be wary of humans, but some lose their fear of people if they are continuously exposed to them.

If a wolf is spotted, people are encouraged to stay calm, slowly back away and maintain eye contact. Nearby dogs should also be kept on a leash.

Ms Prasad called the apparent deliberate release of the pack a "senseless act".

"We watched these wolves grow up. We consider the animals at the zoo a part of our family", she said.

The zoo closed its doors to the public since the wolves escaped on Tuesday. It is set to reopen on Saturday.

"The public will now be able to see Tempest re-united with her family." Ms Prasad said.

Greater Vancouver Zoo wolf enclosure was damaged to let animals escape, RCMP say

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Ministry says one wolf still unaccounted for, but zoo has not confirmed how many escaped or remain missing

The Canadian Press · Posted: Aug 17, 2022 11:18 AM PT | Last Updated: August 17

Police and security outside the parking lot of the Greater Vancouver Zoo, which remains closed a day after at least one wolf escaped the facility. (Gian Paolo Mendoza/CBC)

Police say the wolf enclosure at the Greater Vancouver Zoo was damaged by someone who is suspected to have broken in and allowed the animals to escape. The facility remains closed for a second day.

There were nine adult grey wolves and six cubs at the zoo in Aldergrove, B.C., but it has not confirmed how many got loose or remain unaccounted for as conservation workers and zoo staff continue to search.

B.C.'s Environment Ministry said Tuesday that one wolf remains unaccounted for.

The zoo first announced without explanation that it was closed Tuesday morning via its Instagram and Facebook accounts and remained closed Wednesday.

When it announced the escape in a statement Tuesday afternoon, the zoo said it suspected "malicious intent'' and that a "small number'' of wolves were loose.

It said there was no danger to the public. The zoo has been working with the B.C. Conservation Officer Service to "contain'' the animals.

Langley RCMP are investigating what appears to be a case of unlawful entry and vandalism that involved damage to the wolves' enclosure.

"The RCMP is investigating the break and enter and the mischief to the zoo,'' Cpl. Holly Largy said in an interview Wednesday.

"I can just tell you that there was damage done to the enclosure to allow the wolves to exit. At this point, there's no surveillance, so we don't have any information to indicate how they got in or suspect information.''

The ministry said anyone who sees a wolf should keep their distance and report it by calling 1-877-952-7277.

Wolf found dead by roadside, another still missing after 'suspicious' B.C. zoo escape
Thursday



ALDERGROVE — One of the wolves that escaped its enclosure at the Greater Vancouver Zoo this week has been found dead on a roadside, and a second wolf is still missing, the zoo's deputy general manager said Thursday.


© Provided by The Canadian PressWolf found dead by roadside, another missing after B.C. zoo escape

Menita Prasad said both the zoo's perimeter fence and the grey wolf enclosure were deliberately "compromised" early Tuesday, allowing the zoo's nine adult wolves to escape while five cubs stayed inside the enclosure.

All but two of the adults were contained within the zoo's property, she said.

The zoo in Aldergrove, B.C., has been shut for three days as workers and conservation officers searched for the wolves, while Langley RCMP investigate the incident as a suspected case of unlawful entry and vandalism.

The fences had been cut, Prasad said. An earlier statement from the zoo said the escape was "suspicious, and believed to be due to malicious intent."

Searchers were "heartbroken" to find a three-year-old female wolf, Chia, dead by the side of 264 Street in Aldergrove on Thursday morning, Prasad told a press conference through tears.

It's presumed Chia was hit by a car, she said

A one-year-old female wolf named Tempest is still missing and believed to be in the vicinity of the zoo, Prasad said, adding that the animal, which was born at the facility, has a slim chance of surviving in the wild.

Prasad described Tempest as a "shy wolf" who poses no threat to public safety, though she said she could not say what the wolf might do if a person approached her. She urged anyone who sees the animal not to approach her and instead call authorities to report the location.

The wolf's prime motivation would be to get back to her family, she said.

"As a result of this senseless act, our wolf pack has lost two family members," Prasad said. "We watched these wolves grow up. We consider the animals at the zoo a part of our family."

She said the "search and rescue operation" would continue and is asking for the public's help "to reunite Tempest with her family.”

"She is a small wolf with grey brown puppy fur and white markings on her muzzle and her brow," Prasad said.

Anyone who spots Tempest is asked contact the Greater Vancouver Zoo, Langley RCMP or the BC Conservation Officer Service by calling 1-877-952-7277.

The zoo, which is about 55 kilometres outside Vancouver, is set to reopen on Saturday, Prasad said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 18, 2022.

The Canadian Press

Lions, tigers and an unbearable year at Jack Hanna’s zoo

By JULIE CARR SMYTH

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FILE—In this Sept. 5, 2013, file photo, Jack Hanna stands at the front entrance of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium in Powell, Ohio. It's been a challenging year that began on Jan. 1, 2021, the first day of famed zookeeper Hanna's retirement — after 42 years as the beloved celebrity director-turned-ambassador of the nation’s second-largest zoo. But the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' president predicts incoming CEO Tom Schmid can bring the zoo “roaring back.” (Tom Dodge/The Columbus Dispatch via AP, File)


COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium had a bear of a year.

It began Jan. 1, the first day of famous zookeeper Jack Hanna’s retirement after 42 years as the beloved celebrity director-turned-ambassador of the nation’s second-largest zoo.

As if the khaki-wearing “Jungle Jack” were the life’s breath of the institution that his upbeat animal-loving persona and masses of TV appearances made famous, the zoo seemed to deflate from there.

In March, news of a financial scandal broke. Top executives resigned. Investigations were launched. Mea culpas were issued.

The next week, the zoo’s beloved 29-year-old bonobo Unga died, and a 4-year-old cheetah injured a zookeeper.

Then in April, just as a streaming international TV channel named for him was launching, a damning animal rights documentary alleging Hanna had ties to the big cat trade premiered in California. A day later, in timing they said was unrelated, Hanna’s family announced he had dementia and would retire from public life

In October, citing the financial and animal rights revelations, a commission of the respected Association of Zoos and Aquariums stripped the Columbus Zoo of its main accreditation. Zoo officials filed an intent to appeal last week.

“It’s been a tough year for the Columbus Zoo, yes,” said association president Dan Ashe, while adding that the zoo’s roughly 2 million visitors a year can still be assured the facility’s 10,000 animals are well cared for.

Ashe said bringing in Tom Schmid, who currently heads the Texas State Aquarium, as the zoo’s new leader bodes well: “He’s going to bring the Columbus Zoo roaring back.”

Schmid, 56, begins his new job Dec. 6 as president and CEO of the zoo and its related businesses, including The Wilds safari park and conservation center and Zoombezi Bay water park.

Keith Shumate, chair of the zoo’s board, called Schmid “extremely smart, ethical and passionate about zoos and wildlife conservation.”

“We can’t change what happened in the past, but we’ve done a lot to admit those wrongs, to apologize and to address our shortcomings,” said zoo spokesperson Nicolle Gomez Racey. “The people who took liberties in their power are gone, and the people who are cleaning up the mess in the room, under new leadership, we’re moving forward. That’s the only thing you can do.”

Interim CEO Jerry Borin has overseen zoo business since then-CEO Tom Stalf and his chief financial officer, Greg Bell, resigned in March after a Columbus Dispatch investigation found they allowed relatives to live in houses owned or controlled by the zoo and sought tickets for family members to attend entertainment events.

The findings were confirmed in subsequent reviews, including a forensic analysis that found financial abuses by Stalf, Bell and two other former executives cost the zoo more than $630,000. Investigations by Ohio’s state auditor and attorney general are still underway, their spokespeople said.

The spending abuse was a particularly painful blow after the pandemic-related financial hardship of 2020.

Typically, Columbus Zoo is open 363 days a year. More than half its earned revenue comes from admissions and other sales, such as food and gift items. Yet, that year, it was closed for weeks, ultimately sustaining $20 million in operational losses. Twenty-nine full- and part-time employees were furloughed, and 33 non-animal care positions across the zoo and The Wilds were eliminated.

Yet even more wrenching were the accusations leveled in the documentary “The Conservation Game,” which premiered at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival on April 6.

The film tied the zoo and Hanna to the big cat trade, showing that some tiger, lion and snow leopard cubs that had been Hanna’s fuzzy and adorable companions on TV neither came from nor returned to the zoo. In many cases, they were provided by backyard breeders and unaccredited roadside zoos and disappeared into private hands after those appearances.

As publicity around the film grew, Hanna’s relatives said they hadn’t seen it and could not comment on the claims. “What we can say emphatically is that he worked his entire career to better the animal world,” the family said in a statement.

Ashe said the film’s revelations, coupled with his association’s own growing file on the zoo’s Animal Programs department, weighed heavily in the decision to pull Columbus’ accreditation.

“They were, and have been for some time, dealing with non-AZA members, and pretty clearly not disclosing those transfers,” Ashe said. “Those are very serious issues within our accreditation process.”

Filmmaker Michael Webber said the zoo and its accreditors took his documentary’s allegations seriously.

Over the summer, the zoo acknowledged the bulk of the film’s revelations and apologized. It revised policies and reporting structures for acquisition and disposition of ambassador animals in the Animal Programs department. A longtime vice president of animal programs retired.

“We made some mistakes. There’s no doubt about it,” Shumate told the Dispatch.

Borin also reversed the zoo’s previous opposition — which the film alleged had been spearheaded by Hanna — to The Big Cat Public Safety Act. He announced zoo support in April for the federal legislation prohibiting private ownership of big cats as pets and banning cub-petting venues. Racey said the reversal followed important revisions to the bill, which remains pending in Washington.

Webber said he’s giving the zoo a second chance because of its robust response to the film, and he hopes the public will, too.

“I feel very good about the outlook both for the Columbus Zoo and for the animals that we’ve seen exploited for decades,” he said. “Albeit after a very painful year, things are going to be better.”

Ashe said the year’s disclosures also have caused soul-searching within the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, where the Columbus Zoo has long been a flagship institution and Hanna a superstar.

“Our members live on their reputation for excellent care of animals, so whenever we see something like Columbus, which, quite frankly, we should have caught that earlier, it’s an opportunity for reflection and improvement,” he said. “That’s the silver lining in all of this. I think Columbus will be better as a zoological facility, and we’ll be better as an accrediting body, as well.”

Pakistan: Zoo animals suffer from continued neglect

The death of a rare breed of lion at a Pakistani zoo has drawn outrage after poor conditions were revealed on social media. Now advocates are concerned about the health of other animals at the country's zoos.

   

A white lion, similar to the one seen here, died at a Karachi Zoo last month

On November 24, a 15-year-old white lion died at a zoo in the Pakistani city of Karachi after succumbing to a tuberculosis infection.

After the lion's death, Pakistani animal rights activists said the lion died due to negligence from zookeepers. Soon after, the Karachi Municipal Corporation (KMC), which runs the Karachi Zoo, dismissed its director.

Conditions at the zoo had already drawn negative attention a week before the lion died, when videos of what looked like an underfed lion living in unhygienic conditions circulated on social media.

World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Pakistan's senior director, Rab Nawaz, said the lion's death appeared to be a case of negligence. He told DW the sick lion should have been kept in quarantine, adding that the zoo lacked resources, veterinarians and trained staff to care for it.  

Isma Gheewala, a Karachi-based vet, told DW the medical needs of animals at the zoo are not being met. She said the zoo does not receive enough funding, with 70 to 80% of their budget going to salaries and food.

"They have to rely on donations and cannot hire more staff, which is very important," she said.

The Karachi Zoo did not respond to DW's repeated requests for comment.

Karachi Zoo short on staff, feed and vets

Covering 33 acres, the Karachi Zoo is one of the largest in Pakistan. However, it suffers from staff shortages. It can take more than an hour to clean a large animal, and with hundreds living at the zoo, the skeleton staff struggles to keep up.

A tiger at Karachi Zoo licks an ice block during a heat wave

Amjad Mehboob, a contractor who supplies animal feed to the zoo, told DW he has not been paid since February, and has threatened to discontinue supplying the zoo if payments continue to be delayed. He said the zoo has promised to pay the money this month.

Despite the lack of payment, Mehboob has yet to discontinue supplying feed to the zoo, because he does not want the animals to suffer. However, he admitted that it was hard for him to keep the supplies steady.

Animal rights activists have been concerned about the well-being of animals at Karachi Zoo for some time.

Owais Awan, an Islamabad-based animal activist and lawyer, told DW that a top concern is the lack of veterinarian checkups being done at Karachi Zoo.  

During a visit earlier this year, he noticed some of the elephants behaving strangely. He asked zoo officials to carry out an examination of the animals, but said those requests were ignored.

Awan said he had to approach the local high court, which then ordered a veterinary examination of four African elephants at the zoo, and at the nearby Safari Park.

One of the elephants being examined by a vet at the Safari Park in Karachi

At-risk elephants

The zoo insisted on bringing in a local vet for the examination, but the court appointed a foreign organization. On Sunday, a team of experts arrived. Among them was Frank Göritz, lead veterinarian at Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research in Berlin, who made the trip on behalf of the Austria-based animal protection organization Four Paws.

He told DW the purpose of the visit was to examine and potentially diagnose the four elephants.

Thomas Hildebrandt, from the veterinary medicine department at the Freie Universität in Berlin, told DW that some of the elephants the team examined had signs of edema on their bellies.  He said the animals need better food and care.

Following their visit to the Karachi Zoo and Safari Park, the expert team submitted a report with the Sindh High Court on Tuesday. It said both elephants living at Safari Park suffer from severe food problems while elephants at the Karachi Zoo have dental issues that require attention.

The experts recommended that better conditions and regular checkups be provided to the animals. However, with funding unlikely to come from Pakistan's cash-strapped coffers, it is unclear where the zoos will find resources for improved conditions.

Shah Fahad contributed to this report.

Edited by: Wesley Rahn

Krefeld Zoo: Overcoming the trauma of a deadly fire

On New Year's Day 2020, images of a deadly fire in a German zoo's ape enclosure went around the world. One year on, national and international support has helped employees to look to the future.


The grand baboon stone sculpture at the zoo's entrance has become a commemoration site


In late November the demolition of the ape house in Krefeld Zoo was completed. "That was a huge relief," says zoo director Wolfgang Dressen. "Not having to walk past the charred ruins anymore allows us to get some sense of closure."


Eleven months after the fire, the ruins of the Krefeld zoo's ape house had been razed to the ground

Dressen recalls his sense of helplessness as the fire raged through the night, and upon hearing that 50 animals, including 8 great apes, had perished in the flames. Then there was the immediate onslaught of accusations of negligence and of personal threats via social media. 

"It started not long after the fire had broken out," says zoo press spokesman Adam Mathea. "There were threats, accusations and conspiracy theories, which was very upsetting to our staff," he explains. In the end the zoo deleted hate speech and flagged some threatening comments to the police." 

Zoo Director Wolfgang Dressen is beginning to plan a new larger ape enclosure

Criminal investigation

The zoo rejects all accusations of negligence: The ape house, built in 1975, had its roof replaced and was found to be in accordance with fire safety requirements in 2009. The guard patrolling the zoo just happened to be in a faraway corner of the 14-hectare compound when the fire broke out.

It quickly became clear that a "sky lantern" — a small hot-air balloon made of paper — had caused the fire. An expert reconstruction of the event showed how such a lantern landed on the plexiglass roof, its highly inflammatory liquid spilling out and burning a large hole through the four layers of acrylic panes. The hole allowed the warm air from within the house to rise like a funnel and fan the flames. Firefighters managed only to prevent the fire from spreading to adjacent areas where gorillas and kangaroos were kept.

Sky lanterns are mini hot air balloons made of paper on which affectionate messages are written

The perpetrators were quickly identified: Three German women, a mother and her two adult daughters who live near the zoo, came forward on the day of the tragedy. They admitted to having set off several sky lanterns that they had bought on the internet, unaware that they had been banned in 2009 as fire hazards. They have been fined a total of around 20,000 euros for criminal negligent arson. 

The zoo director and his team feel sorry for the perpetrators, rather than angry, he says. Dressen's main focus was to support his team and help them overcome the trauma. Counsellors were on hand quickly for individual and group sessions, which continue today.
Compassion and support

The first bit of good news that came once the fire had died down was the discovery oftwo surviving chimpanzees: A young male and an elderly female managed to hide and escape the flames almost unscathed. They have been nurtured back to health in a secluded area in the zoo. Visitors can see live footage of them on a screen. 

The two surviving chimpanzees can be watched live on a screen by the undamaged gorilla enclosure

Condolence messages came from around the world. Cards arrived from zoos in the United States, where individual zoo employees each took the trouble to write personal messages.

"International media interest was huge," says zoo spokesman Mathea. "We gave interviews to stations in the US and Canada. Even a Chinese broadcaster sent a reporter to investigate whether the sky lantern had been imported from China and whether the perpetrators were Chinese." 

"The immediate tremendous outpouring of grief and support in the city was a big source of consolation," says Dressen. In the days after the fire, the entrance to the zoo turned into a sea of candles, condolence cards, flowers and toys.



On New Year's Day 2020 the entrance to the zoo was quickly flooded with candles, flowers and toys

Krefelders love their zoo

"The zoo is a point of identification for Krefeld's 230,000 inhabitants," says city spokesman Christoph Elles. "No child grows up here without visiting the zoo with parents, grandparents and on school outings."

That applies also to Krefeld native Caroline Gappel, who heads the "Friends of Krefeld Zoo" association, which has seen a surge in membership. Gappel speaks fondly of the many trips to the zoo with her grandparents. Now, her five-year-old son Maximilian is a regular there, too. "On New Year's Eve we were there," Gappel recalls. "I asked him, 'Shall we go visit the apes?' But he was tired. 'Not today, we'll go there next time,' he said. It made me so sad when just a day later the building went up in flames and I realized that there would not be a next time." Talking a five-year-old through what happened was difficult, Gappel says, but believes it has helped her come to terms with it too. 


Maximilian donated a part of his savings to the zoo for the new ape enclosure

Maximilian insisted on donating part of his savings to the zoo, as did many other Krefeld children. There was a total of well over €2 million in donations ($2.43 million) this year — a record sum.

The zoo has long been an important economic factor in the western German city, which battles high unemployment of more than 11% — almost double the nationwide average. "The zoo is comparable to a medium-sized company," city spokesman Elles explains. "It has 85 full-time employees. It attracted 320,000 visitors in 2019 from the whole region and as far afield as The Netherlands, and it makes millions through tickets and donations each year." 

Financially Krefeld Zoo would have done well in 2020, despite having to close in March and April due to coronavirus restrictions. In the summer months it saw a surge in visitor numbers. But the second shutdown, amid the new nationwide lockdown that began in early November, has taken a toll on finances and the mood of the employees, who were planning a year-end get-together.

Watch video 02:17 Mourners grieve animals killed in Krefeld zoo blaze


Grand plans for the future

The zoo was quick to decide to invest the donations into the construction of a new ape enclosure: A state of the art construction with in- and outdoor areas in accordance with the guidelines of the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA.) The Krefeld Zoo director estimates that the new construction will take up to 10 years to complete and will cost over €20 million.

These plans have been met with vehement criticism from some conservationists.

Animal rights organization PETA collected 30,000 signatures against the Krefeld Zoo plans. "Rather than spending millions on the construction of a new prison for pitiable inmates, the money could have been used to protect their natural habitats in Africa and Asia for many years, which would be a more efficient way to secure the future of these species for the long-term," said PETA spokesperson Yvonne Würtz.


48-year-old Massa died in the flames. He has over 100 offspring in zoos across Europe.

Zoo director Dressen disagrees: Without the direct encounter with threatened species in European zoos, he argues, many people could not be prompted to make donations supporting conservation efforts. He describes the animals in German zoos today as "ambassadors" for their respective endangered species, who generate funding for conservation efforts in other parts of the world. 

Germany has a network of more than 60 zoos, which count over 40 million visitors each year and whose donations finance partnerships with conservation projects across Asia and Africa.

All big apes in Europe's zoos are born and bred in captivity and are distributed via EAZA. The gorillas, orang-utans and chimpanzees that perished in the flames a year ago have over 100 offspring living in zoos around the world.

It is not out of the question that one of them may make his way back to Krefeld.

"That would make us very happy," says Dressen with a smile.

Date 01.01.2021
Author Rina Goldenberg

Permalink https://p.dw.com/p/3mru6

Oakland Zoo helps orphaned mountain lion cub after rescue

By Wade Sheridan

April 13 (UPI) -- An orphaned mountain lion cub, that was rescued following a five day search, is receiving round-the-clock care at the Oakland Zoo.

The cub, who is named Rose, is four to five months old and was just in time based on her medical condition, the zoo said.



Rose was first spotted by hikers at the Thornewood Open Space Preserve in San Mateo, Calif., but wasn't captured until five days later by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Rose weighs only 8.8 pounds. A healthy female mountain lion should weigh around 30 pounds at Rose's age.

The Oakland Zoo uploaded to Twitter footage of Rose's recovery at the zoo's vet hospital.

"We are guardedly optimistic about her recovery," the zoo said.

Rose, who was suffering from starvation and dehydration, was also covered in fleas and ticks. If her blood cell count remains low, Rose will receive a blood transfusion using one of the zoo's previously rescued mountain lions.

"Based on her initial exam, it appears she hasn't eaten in weeks. She is excruciatingly thin. To survive, her body resorted to consuming its own muscle mass. She is also suffering from extreme dehydration and her temperature was so low it couldn't even be read, But she survived her first night, which was critical. We can already tell she has a feisty spirit and an obvious will to live, and we're thankful for that," VP of Veterinary Services at the Oakland Zoo, Dr. Alex Herman said in a statement.

Emaciated Mountain Lion Cub Recovering at Oakland Zoo After 5-Day Search to Save Animal

Kelli Bender
Wed, April 13, 2022

rescued mountain lion cub

Oakland Zoo

The Oakland Zoo has a wild new resident.

According to an April 12 release from the zoo, the California facility is currently caring for an emaciated mountain lion cub found in critical condition in San Mateo.

Hikers first spotted the ailing animal, estimated to be between four to five months of age, in the Thornewood Open Space Preserve on April 5. Because the baby animal appeared to be orphaned and ill, wildlife biologists from the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) worked in a joint effort to find the cub and rescue her.

The wildlife biologists set up cameras and patrols to help locate the cub, and after five days of searching, the agencies found and safely secured the orphaned baby animal. Wildlife biologists then transported the cub, named Rose by her rescuers, to the Oakland Zoo, where a veterinary team was standing by the assist the animal.

Rose arrived at the zoo covered in fleas and ticks and weighing only 8.8 pounds, over 20 pounds shy of what a healthy female mountain lion her size should weigh.

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"Based on her initial exam, it appears she hasn't eaten in weeks. She is excruciatingly thin. To survive, her body resorted to consuming its own muscle mass. She is also suffering from extreme dehydration, and her temperature was so low it couldn't even be read. But she survived her first night, which was critical. We can already tell she has a feisty spirit and an obvious will to live, and we're thankful for that," Dr. Alex Herman, the VP of veterinary services at the Oakland Zoo, said in a statement about Rose's first days at the zoo.

Currently, the zoo is continuing to provide around-the-clock care to the cub to aid with her recovery. Rose is receiving regular blood tests to determine if she will need a blood transfusion from one of the healthy, fully grown, rescued mountain lions living at the zoo since the baby animal's red blood cell count is low.

Rose is also receiving fluids and hydration intravenously at the zoo and has several keepers helping her safely regain weight through bottle feedings and small meals. The cub's positive reaction to treatment so far has the Oakland Zoo cautiously optimistic that the mountain lion will recover.

CDFW shared that mountain lion sightings are rare in California since the creatures are usually elusive. The wild cat doesn't often pose a threat to humans, but individuals who fear a wild animal is in danger or a "public safety issue" should contact local law enforcement instead of attempting to intervene.

"We appreciate the hiker and the team at Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District who alerted us to the mountain lion cub and its condition. The Santa Cruz Mountains provide good habitat for mountain lions, but it's rare to see a mountain lion because they're elusive creatures. If you see a mountain lion, do not approach it. Adult animals, when out hunting prey, may leave offspring somewhere safe for up to days at a time. Seeing a young animal by itself does not indicate that it is an orphan, and intervention is appropriate," CDFW biologist Garrett Allen said in a statement.

Rose will not be releasable, even if her recovery goes well, the Oakland zoo shared. In the wild, mountain lion cubs stay with their mothers for up to two years, learning how to hunt and survive. Without these skills, the cub cannot survive on their own.

The Oakland Zoo and CDFW will work together to find Rose a good home when the time is right, likely at another Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) accredited zoo.

This is the eighteenth orphaned mountain lion cub Oakland Zoo rehabilitated with help from CDFW since 2017. Three of the felines, Coloma, Toro, and Silverado, stayed at the Oakland Zoo after their recovery and can be seen at the zoo's California Trail section.

HUBRIS OF A HEGEMON

‘We have offended a nation’: Miami zoo’s treatment of kiwi bird enrages New Zealand

Zoo apologises after videos of a bird being handled and petted by guests under bright lights prompted uproar in New Zealand

Tess McClure in Auckland

THE GUARDIAN AUSTRALIA

Wed 24 May 2023 

The treatment of a kiwi at a Miami zoo has enraged thousands of New Zealanders, who launched a furious campaign to bring their national bird home and prompted the zoo to apologise.

Videos of Pāora – a kiwi bird housed by Zoo Miami – being handled and petted by guests under bright lights emerged on Tuesday, to almost immediate uproar in New Zealand.

Reclusive and nocturnal, kiwis are beloved in New Zealand to the point that the flightless, rotund, nocturnal ground-dweller has become the country’s national icon.

The footage went viral within hours – sparking a 9,000-person petition, a flood of complaints to the zoo, a government intervention from the Department of Conservation and comments from the prime minister.

On Wednesday, zoo spokesperson Ron Magill said the zoo had “made a huge mistake here”. After receiving a flood of complaints, “I immediately went to the zoo director, and I said, we have offended a nation,” he said in an interview on national radio.

Later that day, prime minister Chris Hipkins weighed in on the incident, saying it “shows a lot of Kiwis take pride in our national bird when they’re overseas”.

“The New Zealanders who witnessed what was happening there caught it pretty quickly,” he said. The prime minister added that the zoo had “made public statements of regret on what’s happened, and I acknowledge that and thank them for taking it seriously”.

Americans may have been surprised by the immediacy and volume of the fury on behalf of the kiwi – but New Zealand is unusually dedicated to the welfare of its endemic birds.

The country’s early breakaway from other land masses means that it has no native land mammals, and is instead populated instead by a vast array of birds. Many are now endangered, and there are ongoing national campaigns to wipe out predators and save them. The kiwi holds a special place in the hearts of New Zealanders. It is considered a taonga (cultural treasure) by Māori.

Pāora, the Miami bird, was hatched in the US as part of a breeding program.

The zoo had begun charging guests US$25 for a “kiwi encounter” to meet the bird. In a video posted to the zoo’s social media, a handler cuddles Paora, scratching his head and showing him off to a group of visitors, who feed him worms. “He loves being pet, he’s like a little dog and he loves his head being pet,” they say.

One viewer immediately launched a petition to “Help Save This Mistreated Kiwi,” arguing that he was “subjected to bright fluorescent lighting 4 days a week, being handled by dozens of strangers, petted on his sensitive whiskers, laughed at, and shown off like a toy”.



‘Intrinsic to our identity’: kiwi brought back to Wellington’s wilds


Within less than a day, more than 9,000 people had signed. Others launched an email campaign to the zoo, with some calling for prime minister Chris Hipkins to speak directly to the US ambassador and intervene. New Zealand’s department of conservation stepped in on Tuesday, saying a statement “We would like to thank everyone who has raised concerns about Paora, the kiwi at Miami zoo”, and that the department would be “discussing the situation with the American Association of Zoos & Aquariums”.

Less than 24 hours later, Paora was returned to darkness. While the bird would not be repatriated to New Zealand, the “kiwi encounter” would be ended immediately, and Paora no longer exposed to fluorescent lights, the zoo said. “We listened to everyone who wrote to us – and there were a lot,” Magill said.

In a lengthy apology to one complainant, the zoo said they were “deeply sorry” and that the kiwi encounter “was, in hindsight, not well conceived”.

“It is especially painful to all of us to think that anything that has occurred here at Zoo Miami would be offensive to any of the wonderful people of New Zealand.”

A Miami zoo had to apologize to New Zealand after thousands online said it offended the country with its treatment of kiwi birds

Hannah Getahun
May 23, 2023


Zoo Miami issued an apology for its treatment of a kiwi that was part of a wildlife encounter experience.

 
After videos online surfaced of the experience, people began a petition to rescue the bird.

 
The kiwi is no longer being used for wildlife encounters, the zoo confirmed.

A campaign led by outraged social media users and New Zealand's Department of Conservation to raise awareness about the treatment of a kiwi in captivity resulted in a Miami zoo issuing an apology for offending a nation.

Pāora, a kiwi hatched at Zoo Miami, had been part of a wildlife encounter program with the zoo, where guests would get the chance to pet New Zealand's flightless bird for just over $20.

However, videos of the experience online prompted concerns from people afraid that the animal was being mistreated by zoo staff by being exposed to bright lighting and excessive exposure.

One petition to "Save This Mistreated Kiwi" that received over 10,000 signatures pointed out the fact that kiwi are mostly nocturnal animals. The New Zealand Department of Conservation also stepped in, saying in an online statement that it would be speaking to the American Association of Zoos and Aquariums about the situation.

 

Following the outrage, Zoo Miami communications director Ron Magill told Radio New Zealand that the kiwi encounter was a "huge mistake" and that the zoo had "offended a nation." Magill also confirmed that the bird is no longer being handled by guests, and is now living in a dark enclosure.

"I am embarrassed that we're in this position. This was not well conceived when they came up with this plan. The thought was 'well, since the bird is eating and seems very healthy and doing well, that this is something that maybe we could do'," Magill told RNZ. "We were wrong."

DOC to raise concerns with Miami Zoo over treatment of kiwi

Ryan Anderson and Finlay Dunseath
 
 SCOOP NZ May 23 2023

There is concern about the treatment of a kiwi at a Miami Zoo – with the nocturnal animal being shown off under bright lights and handled by guests.

Videos seen by Stuff show the native New Zealand bird, referred to by a keeper as “Paora”, being displayed to guests under bright lights.

Paora became the first kiwi to hatch in Miami in 2019, and was named in honour of iwi leader, environmental advocate and hands-on conservationist Paora "Baldy" Haitana. He is the only kiwi at Miami Zoo.

Videos on social media show guests handling the kiwi – giving it head scratches as it sits on a table.

READ MORE:
* Video captures kiwi chick struggling to hatch from egg
* Meet Tuatahi, the first kiwi born in a breeding programme in the Netherlands
* Auckland Zoo hatches baby kiwi as Save Kiwi Month kicks off

Department of Conservation (DOC) Director of Terrestrial Biodiversity Hilary Aikman said they plan on raising their concerns with the US zoo, via the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), to try and improve the housing and handling situation.

“Kiwi are a taonga species and are treasured by all New Zealanders,” Aikman said.

“The protection and welfare of kiwi is a high priority.”

Paora, the first Kiwi chick to be hatched in Florida. (File photo)

In New Zealand there are specific standards to handle and care for kiwi, Aikman said.

The population of about 60 kiwis offshore is managed separately from the New Zealand zoo and wildlife park population, she said.

The kiwi in America are managed via their national body, the AZA, Aikman said.

Simon Hall, who owns a wilderness block where more than 100 of kiwi have been successfully reintroduced into the wilderness, said the handling of kiwis by zoo guests “doesn’t seem quite right”.

“That sort of thing is not really encouraged here.”

The behaviour wouldn’t be allowed in Aotearoa.

Ready for a one-of-a-kind encounter? Meet the Kiwi, a rare flightless bird from New Zealand, exclusively at #ZooMiami! #Kiwi #LiveZooMiami 🥝🐦 pic.twitter.com/y5Ix5xDZXd

— Zoo Miami (@zoomiami) March 20, 2023

Hall said to handle a kiwi in New Zealand, you need accreditation and – even with the supervision of an accredited person – the public are not allowed to physically interact with the birds.

From an advocacy perspective, there might be some argument for letting guests interact with kiwi, he said, but it’s not common.

In the Department of Conservation’s Kiwi Best Practice Manual, it is warned that special care must be exercised when holding and interacting with the birds.

Another video shows the kiwi running through a brightly lit enclosure to hide in the shade of a semi-closed off box.

The rest of the box is then closed by a keeper, who opens it again after a couple seconds for the guests to see that the kiwi has run inside.

Jeseka Christieson, who has started a petition to save the kiwi, said it was mind-blowing that they could treat an animal like this.

“I just feel bad for the little guy.”

New Zealand has such irreplaceable, unique wildlife, she said, and it’s so disheartening to see Paora treated this way.

Christieson wanted to see the zoo either step up its treatment of the kiwi, or send it home to NZ.