WAZA News 1/10
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February 1/10 2010 WAZA in support of goal to lower CO₂ emissions below 350 ppm. | © ZSL WAZA news 1/10 Gerald Dick Contents Editorial Hopenhagen 350 Report ........... 2 Dear WAZA Members! Launch of the Year of Biodiversity ......................... 3 First of all, I’d like to wish you a happy Droughts, Deserts and prosperous New Year! and Water Resources ................4 The Plant Side of Life: .............. 5 The year 2010 is dedicated to biodiver- sity conservation internationally and South American Camelids .........7 the international zoo and aquarium ZOO’S PRINT Celebrates ..........9 community is best prepared to meet this AMACZOOA .......................... 10 challenge. WAZA members now have JAZA......................................11 more than 160 conservation projects African Zoo Sponsorship..........13 as WAZA branded projects. All projects ARAZPA is No More! .............. 14 are presented on the WAZA website as well as in the first, new WAZA book. © Meibaum Book Reviews ........................ 15 The book is a tribute to WAZA’s 75th An- Gerald Dick at St. Louis conference. Announcements… ................. 16 niversary and is a beautiful contribution of the international zoo and aquarium Copenhagen climate change summit, WAZA website .......................19 community to the International Year of December 2009. 788 persons of senior New WAZA Projects Biodiversity, declared by the United Na- management from 249 institutions Education in Cameroon .......... 20 tions. You will find a review of the book signed the WAZA climate change peti- Dorcas in Senegal ...................22 in this edition of the WAZA News and tion, which was sent to UN Secretary Greater Bilby, Australia ...........23 I sincerely hope that all members order General Mr. Ban Ki-moon prior to the Monitor Lizards ..................... 24 copies and also tell their friends and meeting. A task force will now follow Osununú, Argentina ............... 25 colleagues about it. The WAZA artwork up on climate issues for both WAZA Eurasian Spoonbill, Croatia .....26 poster on biodiversity is also available and CBSG. Water Management and by purchasing the poster, you sup- in Colombia ............................27 port the work of WAZA. Using the above Last but not least, the WAZA Executive Semen Bank, materials will help us spread the word Office will move to IUCN headquarters Rhinos & Elephants ................28 about the role of our community in bio- in Gland this May and will subsequently Recent updates...................... 29 diversity conservation, both internally benefit from day to day contact with Membership Applications ....... 30 and externally. In addition, you will find the World Conservation Union, the a biodiversity resource manual on our Ramsar Convention and other conser- Obituary: website, which was kindly put together vation partners. In addition, there will Peter Weilenmann ..................32 with support of IZE. be many other synergies from which WAZA will benefit. WAZA has been very active in pro- moting an agreement to reduce CO₂ Gerald Dick emissions below 350 ppm for the WAZA Executive Director Imprint Edition: 500 copies © WAZA 2010 Editor: Gerald Dick, WAZA Executive Office Lindenrain 3 This edition of WAZA News CH-3012 Bern is also available on Switzerland www.waza.org (members’ area). phone: +41 31 300 20 30 fax: +41 31 300 20 31 WAZA is a registered interest repre- sentative with the European Commis- Layout and typesetting: [email protected] sion, ID number 30556573017-18. Print: Agentura NP, Staré Město, Czech Republic Printed on FSC paper. ISSN: 1662-7733 WAZA news 1/10 1 Mark Penning The President’s Page technical response ability and capac- ity, and optimally use our information dissemination networks to deliver our message. We wish the team well for the enormous task ahead. The other major event over the last few weeks was the decision by the Indian Government to transfer all elephants currently held in Indian zoos to forestry camps. Amid fears that this will be interpreted as a com- mentary on the principle of holding elephants, WAZA is observing the situation closely and will stay in con- tact with the Central Zoo Authority of India (a WAZA member organiza- tion). The decision appears to be part of a wider exercise that may involve © WAZA some 3,000 elephants in temples and Mark Penning and eagle ray (Aetobatus narinari). private hands. As we begin another year and a new has been established, and will liaise The WAZA position is that, whilst decade, it is hoped that the eco- with regional association heads and elephants present unique challenges nomic situation around the world will CBSG regional networks on climate relating to their care and breeding maintain a degree of stability and change. in zoos and other closely managed that the lessons learned over the past situations such as forestry camps, we year will be of benefit to our society. The Copenhagen COP-15 meeting believe that it is possible, with ap- The ramifications of the economic was a disappointment! Paul at- propriate investment in facilities and meltdown have been interesting – at- tended the meeting, and presented trained staff, to provide an excellent tendance figures at many zoos and WAZA’s stance that a reduction of quality of life for this species. WAZA aquariums have gone up substantially, atmospheric CO2 to the safe level of members have taken a leadership perhaps with people choosing local, <350 ppm is the only way to give the role in the ongoing research into rather than international travel, and international conservation com- and implementation of improved indications of the per capita spend munity a real chance to manage the standards in the care of closely man- going down. Is it my imagination, or negative effects of climate change on aged elephants. We believe that zoo are people spending more on experi- the natural world. Sadly, the out- visitors who are able to watch these ences rather than on “things”? Could come fell well short of a satisfactory magnificent animals in well-managed we perhaps be moving away from the conclusion, even in the context of and well presented situations are rampant consumerism that charac- the less ambitious secondary target. much more likely to take an interest terized the previous decade? This will Besides a vociferous case made by in their conservation. That said, we be an interesting year! small island states and some African fully support initiatives that will im- countries for the 350 ppm imperative, prove the well-being of all animals! The year 2010 is the International Year there was very little reference to safe of Biodiversity, and members will no CO2 levels and the critically important It is fortuitous that the WAZA Coun- doubt recall that the WAZA Council natural systems issues. cil’s mid-year meeting will be in Sri chose Paul Pearce-Kelly from the Lanka, a country with similar ele- Zoological Society of London to lead The meeting has certainly highlighted phant welfare issues, and members of a combined CBSG/WAZA Task Force the imperative for zoos and aquari- Council will meet with the Sri Lankan in developing a zoo and aquarium ums to show both the general public authorities to discuss these. As stated response to the dire threat of climate and world leaders the critical impor- previously, this promises to be an change. The Task Force is being tance of natural systems and associ- interesting year! championed by Bob Lacy and Gordon ated biodiversity. A follow up meet- McGregor Reid, with the support of ing is planned for Bonn in six months I wish you all a happy, successful and the WAZA Executive Office, Council from now and a full COP meeting in prosperous 2010. and the Conservation and Sustain- Mexico in a year. Paul and the Task ability Committee. A Steering Group Force will help us to improve our 2 WAZA news 1/10 Paul Pearce-Kelly – Chair WAZA & CBSG Climate Change Task Force Hopenhagen 350 Report A short report on the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, 15th Conference of the Parties meeting in Copenhagen Actually, Cop out at Copenhagen might be a better title for summaris- ing the outcome of this critically im- portant meeting. Despite the efforts of many NGOs, UNFCCC, govern- ment delegations and concerned © Paul Pearce-Kelly individuals the resultant non-legally Poster expressing hopeful sentiments for a successful binding, non-regulated Copenhagen outcome to the COP15 Copenhagen meeting. accord, drafted by four just countries, was not even agreed upon or unani- mously supported by all nations. This A blunt summation could read – too is especially worrying considering high a threshold target, too narrow The following WAZA that the temperature threshold tar- an issues range and too little a re- statement (and associa- get being negotiated was 2 degrees sponse. That said, we at least have ted petition) on Climate Centigrade which, if realised, would clarity as to the context in which we Change action Novem- take us far beyond the 350 ppm CO2 have to operate in terms of moving ber 2009 was delivered threshold level considered essen- forward. It also highlights the case to UN Secretary General tial for avoiding the unmanageable that far too many people still doubt for dissemination climate change scenarios for natural the science of climate change and to world leaders. systems, biodiversity and humanity. remain unaware of the true implica- How could such an unsatisfactory tions for species, ecosystems and An urgent message situation have come about? humanity. It certainly