The rare white tigers were born last month at the Safari Zoological Park in Caney, Kansas, just north of the Oklahoma border.

When their mother refused to have any contact with the little ones, the park’s resident Golden Retriever “Isabella” stepped in and took over their care and feeding.

Isabella was perfect for the role of wet nurse since she had just weaned a litter of puppies.

The Safari Zoological Park is a privately owned conservation program that is home to tigers, lions, bears, primates and other animals. The park invites interested individuals to sponsor a particular animal, or one of its ongoing habitat projects.

Professor Rosaleen Duffy and Dr Lorraine Moore from the University’ s School of Social Sciences say many problems have endured since the ending of the logging trade which employed virtually all Thai elephants in 1989.

The ban made 2,000 animals and their Mahouts - or trainers - unemployed overnight, forcing many onto the streets to beg for cash.

Image above caption: Elephants with their Mahouts.

Credit: Manchester University

Though transferring to the tourism trade has improved working conditions for many elephants, their future remains under a cloud argues Professor Duffy.

“Despite the move into tourism, we have found evidence that street walking persists in some areas and that can be traumatic for the animals and a nuisance for humans,” she said.

“And the almost total reliance on the tourist trade makes the Thai elephants especially vulnerable to a downturn in the market.

“If that happens more are forced onto the streets or into inappropriate activities in towns.

“The December 2004 tsunami had - at least to some extent - that effect. The rising oil prises of today are bound to affect air travel and hence tourism as well.

“The elephants are very important in Thai culture, and mahouts generally only beg on the streets with their elephants as an absolute last resort.

“It’s a sad outcome for these once proud animals and their trainers.”

A powerful symbol of the problem is provided by a video of a baby elephant used to attract people to a Flintstone themed bar in the Phuket resort - taken by Professor Duffy.

The animal is made to stand outside the bar each night to attract customers. “This a very questionable practice as at night baby elephants will be scared by the lights,” she said.

“They shouldn’t be forced to stand on concrete for long periods of time as it will damage their feet and be extremely painful according to Dr Moore. “I also witnessed other poor treatment: for example elephants trained to stand on their heads during a show. “This is bad practice as the elephant’s head is not designed to take its body weight in this posture.

“In addition, a minority of the elephant camps do not provide proper working hours or conditions for their animals.”

However, the picture is not all bad: mistreatment of elephants was far more prevalent in the logging industry than in tourism.

According to Professor Duffy and Dr Moore, many of the elephant camps in Thailand treat their animals well.

And the 2000 elephants employed in today’ s Thai tourism industry may be used to add the declining elephant gene pool of 1000 wild elephants.

A scheme which trains captive elephants to survive in the wild is undertaken at the Thai Elephant Conservation Centre (TECC).

TECC is also experimenting with alternative schemes to generate income from elephants including elephant dung paper and elephant dung fertiliser.

A TECC project with University of Chiang Mai has found that when autistic children are allowed to interact with the elephants their condition improves.

Mae Sa elephant camp has an elephant nursery which is engaged in artificial insemination.

The Manchester team hope to repeat their research in Botswana later in the year and aim to publish advice for tourist companies and guide books working in both countries. Some southern African countries are starting to train African elephants for elephant back safaris.

Professor Duffy added: ” We hope this project will provide the impetus for travel companies and travel guide authors to provide information to their clients and readers on how and where to report cruelty to elephants.”

source: University of Manchester.

The journal paper, ‘Cow Power: The Energy and Emissions Benefits of Converting Manure to Biogas’, has implications for all countries with livestock as it is the first attempt to outline a procedure for quantifying the national amount of renewable energy that herds of cattle and other livestock can generate and the concomitant GHG emission reductions.

Livestock manure, left to decompose naturally, emits two particularly potent GHGs – nitrous oxide and methane. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, nitrous oxide warms the atmosphere 310 times more than carbon dioxide, methane does so 21 times more.

The journal paper creates two hypothetical scenarios and quantifies them to compare energy savings and GHG reducing benefits. The first is ‘business as usual’ with coal burnt for energy and with manure left to decompose naturally. The second is one wherein manure is anaerobically-digested to create biogas and then burnt to offset coal.

Through anaerobic digestion, similar to the process by which you create compost, manure can be turned into energy-rich biogas, which standard microturbines can use to produce electricity. The hundreds of millions of livestock inhabiting the US could produce approximately 100 billion kilowatt hours of electricity, enough to power millions of homes and offices.

And, as manure left to decompose naturally has a very damaging effect on the environment, this new waste management system has a net potential GHG emissions reduction of 99 million metric tonnes, wiping out approximately four per cent of the country’s GHG emissions from electricity production.

The burning of biogas would lead to the emission of some CO2 but the output from biogas-burning plants would be less than that from, for example, coal.

Authors of the paper, Dr. Michael E. Webber and Amanda D Cuellar from the University of Texas at Austin, write, “In light of the criticism that has been levelled against biofuels, biogas production from manure has the less-controversial benefit of reusing an existing waste source and has the potential to improve the environment.

“Nonetheless, the logistics of widespread biogas production, including feedstock and digestates transportation, must be determined at the local level to produce the most environmentally advantageous, economical, and energy efficient system.”

Source: Institute of Physics.

According to a news release, the seizure in Joliet, Illinois included all FDA-regulated animal food susceptible to rodent and pest contamination.

“We simply will not allow a company to store foods under filthy and unsanitary conditions that occur as a direct result of the company’s failure to adequately control and prevent pests in its facility,” said Margaret O’K. Glavin, associate commissioner for regulatory affairs. “Consumers expect that such safeguards will be in place not only for human food, but for pet food as well.”

The Joliet distribution center provides pet food products and supplies to PETCO retail stores in 16 states including Alabama, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, and Wisconsin.

FDA has no reports of pet illness or death associated with consumption of animal food distributed by PETCO, and does not have evidence that the food is unsafe for animals. However, the seized products were in permeable packages and held under conditions that could affect the food’s integrity and quality.

As a precaution, consumers who have handled products originating from the PETCO distribution center should thoroughly wash their hands with hot water and soap. Any surfaces that came in contact with the packages should be washed as well. Consumers are further advised as a precaution to thoroughly wash products sold in cans and glass containers from PETCO in the 16 affected states.

If a pet has become ill after eating these food products, pet owners should contact their veterinarian and report illnesses to FDA state consumer complaint coordinators.

Temperatures inside a parked car can easily reach over 105º F on a relatively mild day, even when parked in the shade. If you see an animal that is not being properly cared for, you should call your local animal control agency.

Signs that an animal is suffering from heat stroke include:

• excessive panting and salivation
• glassy staring
• high pulse rate
• dizziness
• vomiting

If an animal is suffering from heat stroke, they require immediate veterinary attention. Immediate first aid action may include applying ice packs or cold towels to the head, neck and chest.

TIPS TO KEEP YOUR PETS SAFE THIS SUMMER

• Never leave your pet in a parked car, even if the windows are open. Even on a moderately warm day, the temperature in the car can climb to fatally high levels in a matter of minutes. Dogs and cats do not perspire; they are left “panting” for air that is so hot it brings them no relief.

• Never leave your pet without proper food, water or shelter. Think hard about your pet’s access to these three necessities, during both your presence and your absence. Remember that all your pet is wearing is a fur coat and they can suffer from the effects of heat stroke very quickly.

• Do not walk or exercise your animal in the afternoon heat. We advise dogs and other animals be walked or exercised in the early morning or later in the evening. The heat will cause premature exhaustion and the hot pavement can damage the soft padding on dog’s paws.

“This is a big loss for the Maryland Zoo and our community,” stated Don Hutchinson, President/CEO of the Maryland Zoo. “Gretchen will be missed by all of us, including the families and children who grew up with her and have visited her over the past two decades.”

Gretchen was a very popular resident of the Zoo for 21 years. She arrived from the Denver Zoo in 1987, as a one-year-old. She had abnormal hoof conformation at a very young age - her front hooves rotated slightly inward, instead of growing straight. Keepers initially trained her to voluntarily stand still and tolerate hoof trims, which allowed initial corrective trimming. In 2003, a Giraffe Restraint Device (GRD) was installed in the Giraffe House, which allowed staff more access to all the giraffes for medical exams and treatment. It was especially useful for treating Gretchen, and enabled staff to lift her feet for more extensive hoof trims.

“Gretchen was always the most easygoing giraffe and she was very interested in training, which helped her keepers take such good care of her,” commented Rebecca Gullott, mammal collection and conservation manager. “Because of the dedication and talents of the Zoo’s animal care staff, and with the help of the GRD, Gretchen’s hoof conformation abnormalities and resulting arthritis had been successfully managed through corrective hoof trimming and medical treatments. Thousands of hours of specialized care made it possible for Gretchen to enjoy a good quality of life for several years beyond what would have otherwise been possible.”

“Over the past few weeks, Gretchen’s progressive arthritis had advanced and she had begun to show some signs of discomfort,” stated Dr. Ellen Bronson, chief veterinarian for the Zoo. “We continued exploring treatments to make her more comfortable, and recently even tried several courses of acupuncture, in addition to many different medication and supplements she had received over the years. Unfortunately her arthritis had just become too advanced.”

Gretchen was estimated at 14 feet in height and 1400 pounds. She could be distinguished by her exceptionally light coloration and very sweet and inquisitive nature. Zoo staff fondly referred to her as “The Lady of The House.”

The Maryland Zoo is home to four other giraffes, females Mary (21) and Mary’s daughters Angel, (14) and Zoe (12), and young male Caesar who will be 2-years-old in August. The Zoo also recently opened the new Giraffe Feeding Station, where visitors can feed the giraffes in a face-to-face close encounter.

For more information, visit www.marylandzoo.org

The computer simulations by Snively and his co-author Andrew Cox of Villanova University offer clues as to how the dinosaurs (between 80 and 65 million years old and native to Canada, the United States and Mongolia), might have survived head-to-head combat like modern marine iguanas and musk oxen.

Some researchers have suggested that pachycephalosaur domes, which ranged from one to 20 centimetres thick, enabled head-butting contests as a way to attract mates, similar to the contests bighorn sheep engage in today. “Pachycephalosaur domes are unique and we can’t yet tell for certain if they butted heads, but we can test their capabilities for the behaviour with math and physics,” says Snively. He and Cox did just that by constructing three-dimensional computer models and then putting them to the test in virtual smash-ups.

Image caption above: Fossil evidence and computer simulations show which pachycephalosaurs could butt heads. Credit: Photo illustration by Chris Kriegner and Tetsuto Miyashita

In a study published in the journal Palaeontologica Electronica this month, the authors used a method called finite element analysis to simulate collisions in three kinds of pachycephalosaurs. Dome shapes immediately dropped stresses below those that would break even spindly struts of bone in some domes, and the collisions were mild enough to avoid concussions. “It turns out that nearly-adult pachycephalosaurs would be best at handling collisions,” Snively said. “Other researchers have shown that big adults and young juveniles would be worse off, because they couldn’t heal as well. We think young adults could go at it, and older adults might intimidate youngsters with their giant domes.”

The key to safe collisions wasn’t just in the domes, but behind them in the body. Special sliding joints in vertebrae of pachycephalosaurs, including Stegoceras at the University of Alberta, show their backbones could buckle from collisions and then spring back into position. “It’s a little like in giraffes, who have sideways springiness in their neck ligaments and smash the heck out of each other with their heads,” Snively noted.

source:University of Alberta.

Flocke is her name. That’s German for flake, as in snowflake. This 14-week-old cub resides at the Nuremberg Zoo, which has just released a video of her first steps outdoors. See it here.

Her half-hour romp around an empty tiger pen will prepare her for an eventual move to the polar bear enclosure. Flocke has been raised by zookeepers since her mother Vera was spotted tossing the cub around, creating concerns for the young one’s safety.

Flocke makes her official debut before zoo visitors on April 9, and her popularity is already rivaling that of another German zoo’s polar bear cub. Two years ago the Berlin zoo’s Knut, became a celebrity, and a big tourist draw for the zoo, reportedly bringing in millions in revenue. Knut was also hand-raised by keepers, after being rejected by his mother at birth. 

Read more about Flocke here.

Photo Credit: Nuremberg Zoo (from video)

The wolf population has exceeded its recovery goals for the past several years and is now thriving. Presently, there are more than 1,500 wolves and at least 100 breeding pairs in Montana, Idaho and Wyoming. The Service and States will cooperatively monitor the wolf population for the next five years, said USFWS.

As part of the USFWS’s delisting action, it designated the northern Rocky Mountain wolf Distinct Population Segment (DPS) as that area that includes all of Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming, the eastern third of Washington and Oregon, and a small corner of north-central Utah.

This action will not affect the status of any wolves outside of the northern Rocky Mountain wolf DPS. Wolves outside the boundaries of the Rocky Mountain DPS and Western Great Lakes DPS (where it was delisted in 2007) will remain listed as endangered.

A dispersing wolf would attain the status of the area it is in. For example, if a wolf dispersed to Colorado, it would be considered endangered, whereas a wolf that moves into either DPS would be a delisted wolf and under the management of the States.

Once a species is delisted a State or Tribe has sole management responsibility. The Act includes many safeguards to ensure that the wolf population will remain recovered for the foreseeable future. For example, the Act mandates the Service to monitor the wolf population for at least 5 years after delisting. This helps to ensure the population remains above recovery levels and emerging threats do not jeopardize the wolf population.

Meanwhile, annual reports and the USFWS analysis of these reports will continue to be posted on its website during that period. However, if the wolf population becomes threatened or endangered, it could be protected under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) again, the USFWS said.

Gray wolves were previously listed as endangered in the lower 48 states, except in Minnesota, where they were listed as threatened.

The wolf population in the Midwest was delisted in early 2007. With removal of the northern Rocky Mountain population of gray wolves delisted, the Service now oversees the only remaining gray wolf recovery program, the southwestern U.S. wolf population.

While wolves in national parks will remain under the management authority of the National Park Service, on national wildlife refuges, the individual refuge should be contacted, unless a prior arrangement has been made with the state fish and wildlife agency to allow wolf hunting on that refuge.

On tribal lands however, the Tribes have management authority, and they should be contacted. On other lands, where wildlife is typically managed by the respective State fish and wildlife agency, (including federal lands such as those administered by the U.S. Forest Service or BLM) the states should be contacted, USFWS advised.

source: USFWS.

The shark’s whereabouts are monitored by the electronic tracking tag it is carrying, which is delivering near real-time information on its position – information the public can track online, where his movements are updated and mapped almost on a daily basis.

The male shark, released on February 5 after 162 days at the aquarium, is the first shark released from the Outer Bay exhibit to carry two different tracking tags. All three white sharks exhibited at the aquarium since 2004 have survived and thrived following their release. (more…)