EDITORIAL L.C. Faulkne, Editorial

e r Animal Care and Iatrogenic Animal Disease sci ntists, encou aged by a caring public, can develop technologies that accom­ e s Lloyd C. Faulkner, Editorial Advisory Board modat animal sen ibilities and also meet human needs.

e r r e er The Importance of National and International latro enic diseas s a e caused_ by the h aler, o are associat d with th apy. _ � Medical Nemesis_ _ � r lv n Illich s 1llumrnated this p oblem in humans. Although vet­ Cooperation � e s r e e s errnary care 1s not th focu of conce n, the animal health probl ms addr s ed in Jeremy J.C. Mallinson, Editorial Advisory Board Animal achines e r r Ruth Harrison's � are th esult of animal ca e technologies. e r e r e r r both in e drug reactions ar Th mo e one is aware of the p oblems facing the animal kingdom Adver� a eal but relatively small iatrog nic isk for r r e e r e . s r and in captivity, the mo e one app eciat s that th long-te m futur of animal patient . Inappropriate drugs, or improper mixtu es or combinations of the wild e r s r r e e s e national as w ll as international coope a­ health haza ds that a e not adequately appr ciat d. Co metic captive populations reli s heavily on e drug are_ animal e e e s _ e r e r r s and the willingness of peopl who are sp ­ su gery i more wid ly acknowledged as a cause of iat ogenic diseas , particula ­ tion, the so ting out of r sponsibiliti e � re r r s e cializing in the b eding of th eatened and endange ed p cies to 'farm' th ly rn pets and show animals. r er e e s e r e the best inte est of the species conc ned. How ver, it is r c­ Mo t care-associat d animal diseases esult from th inappropriate applica- stocks available in e e e e s . r r r r e thes goal can only be achieved if zoo dir ctors mov toward tion 0� echnology coupled with a cont ibuto y apathy o nescience towa d th ogniz d that r r _ � e e e adopting th policies carried out by good I ivestock farme s by pooling thei ani­ sens1bilit1es_ f food animals. Th se afflictions becam common as socioeco­ r r e es re � e r e r e data banks that nomic ond1t1ons- placed d mands on more efficient meat p oduction. mal r sou c s, sharing thei husband y t chniqu and c ating � e er e e s r e s long term. Animal sci nti ts and veterina ians have been content with int n ive will help to guid and look aft th s e e e e r s e of th Jers y Wildlif P eservation Tru t is to establi h man�gem nt systems that neglect animal sensibilities and may compromise The chief objectiv re r r e r self-sustaining breeding populations of ra and en­ public health. These p oduction systems a e commonly link d intimately with under cont olled conditions r e r r e r danger d species. During the compa atively short life of the T ust, it has become the use of d ugs th�t compensat , at least pa tially, for the animal health damage r r e e e of one of the arest zoological collections in the wo ld. th t would otherw1se r sult. Antibiotics in animal fe d is a prim example of such the custodian e e � r r e e e can b summar- a lrnkage and its_ esultant potential for comp omising human health. Th d v lopment of the conservation bre ding programs ree ized in th stages: The concerns of animal husbandmen, veterinarians, and companion animal e e e ers e er r e e s e r e r until ow hav be n cent ed on human gain o ben fit to the xclu ion of alter­ (A) Th setting up of a b e ding g oup of a speci s in th coll ction � � e s r it repr sent a self-sustaining population. native solutions which posit animal sensibilities, mic obial resistance, and public r r e e s rs e r b eeding popula­ health as coequal concerns. We have abandoned th arts of predec s o who (Bl Th dist ibution of the p ogeny such that viable r e e e e s e we forced to u tion can mat rialize elsewhere. : : dis_ ase-preventing managerial skills b caus their drugs and e e r er r e r e e re r e e r es voi has b en fi mly stablish d, tu ning wdevic s re so l1m1ted. We have elinquished our roles as good shepherds to the (C) Onc a captiv e s er e e e r e er surplu animals eith to their nativ environm nt (if such a r intro­ wond rs of chemothe apeutics, antibiotics, and bio ngine ing. r re e e e r e whe the We hav b en fre d of the const aints of technologies that limited animal duction is consider d possible) o to another suitable habitat e r s e e speci s can be studied, p oviding that such an introduction doe not care to h_ alth-promoting systems, and healing has enjoyed greater d mand than r r r e cause any imbalance in nature. p evention. A med with new knowledge, new d ugs, new d vices and skills e e e r e r se e er s e e e e e e Th animals in th Trust's collection r p es nt a good c oss ction of n­ vet inaria hav com to be highly regarded as heal rs. W have att mpt d t� ere s e e e e � - r es r e s dang d specie . In some cas s, these hav be n loaned to the Trust by various mak med1crne compensate for poo liv tock management and i r spon ible e e e s e e e e s governments. For exampl , th pink pig on, Rodrigues fruit and fody, the et hu �andry. W have be n abl to perform medical and surgical wond r for e er e e r s � r e Round Island's Gu nth 's g cko,_T lfai 's kink and boa are all on loan from the owners who refused the esponsibilities of human stewardship. r er e e r Mau itius gov nm nt; St. Lucia parrots from the St. Lucia government; and the The technologies that lure us from th esponsibilities of proper concern for r e e e e e . r r r pigmy hog f om th gov rnm nt of Assam. In other cas s, th Trust acts as an ex­ animals _can also erode ou humanistic rega d for the value of life itself. D ugs e e r r r r s e e e t nsion or as one of the ext nsions to othe o ganizations' breeding p og ams, a d ?ev1ce properly d velop d with the aim of less ning pain and lending more r e � e e e e e.g., Hawaiian goose and white-winged wood duck f om th Wildfowl Trust, Ed­ d1g�1�y to death ma�e it 'easi r' to take lif and to make d ath d cisions. Many r r e r s re er wa ds' f om the World Pheasant Association, th Congo peacock f om dec1 1ons to euthan1ze are made with animal welfa as the foremost conc n. e r e r s e e th Royal Antwe p Zoological Soci ty, Sumatran f om the Zoological Yet, 'good death' drug and d vices often facilitate these d cisions for the con­ e r e e _ e r v nience of people, leaving the question of animal w lfa e aside. Soci ty of London and the golden tamarin f om th National Zoological e International Journal for the Study of Animal Problems Park, Washington, D.C. Th advent of the is a r e r s er In the absence of fu ther importations of rare animals from the wild, h althy sign that there is a body of vete inarians, animal scienti ts, and oth s e e r r s r e e e will undoubt dly have to pool th i animal esource , for with the majority of who ca e about ani�al s nsibilities. As an educator, I am ncourag d by the e e e r e e e er r sp ci s, no one zoo or ven small g oup of zoos can in th long run hop to kno ledg that vet inary students, animal science students, and other schola s r e r r r r � e e r are rncreasrngly_ sensitiv to the problems of animals. Vet rina ians and animal gua antee th type of rese voi and viable gene pool that is necessa y to epre- 75 74 J STUD ANIM PROB 1(2) 1980 INT I STUD ANIM PROB 1(2) 1980 INT NEWSi!!!.l tion exists between large numbers J.J.C.Mallin,on of cats and better control Editorial REVIEW on a given farm. (3) Attempt to socialize the cats by cultivating a small colony of gen­ sent a self-sustaining population. tle, friendly cats that will accept The Jersey Trust is doing everything possible to create extensions to its con­ handling by a veterinarian or other servation breeding programs. To date, cooperative agreements involving breed­ humans. ing loans of the following species have been entered into with the corresponding (4) Vaccinate cats against distemper organizations: and rabies. Frankfurt Zoo and West Berlin Zoo, Federal Republic (5) Do not leave kittens on farms as Jamaican hutia: of Germany; , UK; Philadelphia Zoo, USA. they are even less equipped to Twycross Zoo, UK. deal with the stresses of barn I ife. Lowland gorilla: The Wildfowl Trust, UK. (6) Seek other methods of rodent con­ Meller's duck: Gauhati Zoo, Assam; Zurich Zoo, Switzerland. trol. Pigmy hog: Chicago Zoo (Brookfield) and National Zoo, Washington,Spectacled :USA; Zoo, USSR; Zurich Zoo, Switzerland. In essence, the care of barn cats Altreu National Park, Switzerland; Helsinki Zoo, COMPANION ANIMALS should duplicate the care given by Finland;Waldrapp Norfolk ibis: Wildlife Park, UK; Philadelphia Zoo, USA. any responsible companion animal Zoo, ; Cleres, France; The owner. The barn cat may be 'wild' in White-earedPheasant Trust, pheasant: UK; The Seattle Zoo, USA. Barn Cat Care the sense of being less habituated to At present, the Trust has over eighty animals belonging to ten species on Barn cats are often thought to contact with people, but its basic wel­ breeding loan to eighteen different collections and is seeking to include species represent the pinnacle of domestic fare needs are no different from those such as the Guenther's gecko, the Telfair's skink and the Jamaican boa in other feline independence, but in truth,'the of the most docile house cat. breeding agreements. Animals are sent on loan to other organizations without barn cat fares no better than any any financial transaction, for it is considered that the disposal of endangered spe­ other domestic cat in coping with LABORATORY cies for specific conservation breeding programs should in no way be handi­ hunger, disease and physical injury. ANIMALS capped by financial factors. In all cases, the chief priority must be to place the The domestication process has animals as advantageously as possible for the entire species. created an animal which, while re­ Alternative Carcinogen Detection In November 1976, those of us responsible for the welfare of gorillas in the taining many wild characteristics, The Felix-Wankel Awards are British Isles and Ireland staged a meeting, the first of its kind, to organize for the cannot be considered truly self-suffi­ given for research in animal welfare benefit of the long-term management and breeding of the then fifty-seven cient. Inadequate shelter, mice in or in the development of alternatives gorillas in our twelve collections. This meeting developed into what is now short supply, farm accidents and in­ to laboratory animals (See Int J Stud known as the Anthropoid Ape Advisory Panel which has subsequently held two creased susceptibility to disease con­ Anim Prob 1 :63, 1980). Professor Hans meetings. Panel members and their respective fields of expertise include: Mr. tribute to the high mortality rate Marquardt (University of Hamburg) Roger Wheater, Director of (Chairman of the Coordinating Com­ among barn cats. The public may also and Professor Bruce Ames (University mittee); Mr. Geoffrey Greed, Director of (); Miss Molly compound the problem by foisting of California, Berkeley) received Badham, Director of Twycross Zoo ( and ); and Dr. Jeremy unwanted kittens on farmers who awards in 1977 for their research into Mallinson, Zoological Director of the Jersey Trust (gorillas). National studbooks neither need them nor have the the development of in vitro tests for have been published, and scientific advisors appointed. We are optimistic that resources to care for them. detecting potential carcinogens. Pro­ this sort of national cooperation and coordination will aid these species in the The Humane Society of Harford long term. Likewise, the Conservation and Breeding subcommittee of the British County, Maryland recently pub Iished fessor Marquardt's work employs mammalian cell culture systems, Zoo Federation, under the chairmanship of Dr. Janet Kear, does as much as possible an article which contained several to promote and guide the animal breeding programs carried out in British zoos. suggestions to farmers and the gener­ while Professor Ames has concen­ As the general public becomes more aware of the need to conserve wildlife, al public for upgrading the care of trated on using a bacterial (Sal­ zoos will be judged more and more on their 'track record' for contributing to the barn cats (J. Townsend, Humane monella) test, now commonly known welfare of the animals represented in their collections. I believe that the future of News, Fall 1979, p.4): as the Ames test. animals in zoos will depend increasingly on national and international coopera­ Much of the impetus for develop­ tion and coordination. Much of this will, in turn, depend on the integrity and (1) Supplement the cats' diet with ing short-term in vitro carcinogenicity good will of the people in charge of the collections concerned. In the final commercial cat food. Hungry cats screening procedures stems from con­ analysis, real success will come only if zoo directors, conservationists, academics do not hunt any more intensively sumer and regulatory pressures to test all chemicals which are currently and those genuinely interested in the welfare of the animal kingdom cooperate (and thus do not make better wholeheartedly with others working in their respective fields. mousers) than well-fed cats. in widespread use or which are about (2) Alter barn cats. No firm correla- to be introduced into the environ- 76 INT I STUD ANIM PROB 1(2) 1980 INT J STUD ANIM PROB 1(2) 1980 77