February 1/12 2012 Re-birth of Paris Zoo | p 3 Project Seahorse | p 5 The Ocean Project | p 8 ). Hippocampus histrix © Bettina Balnis / Guylian Seahorses of the World 2010k World Seahorses of the Guylian © Bettina Balnis / Thorny seahorse ( WAZA news 1/12 Gerald Dick Contents Editorial 77 Years: Happy New Year to You Happy Birthday WAZA! ............ 2 and Happy Birthday WAZA! The Re-Birth of Paris Zoo .......... 3 Saving Seahorses ..................... 5 I wish all WAZA members and friends The Ocean Project....................8 of WAZA a very Happy New Year and New Gorilla Council all the best for your conservation Established ............................11 endeavours! My Career: This year is a very special one, because Helmut Pechlaner .................. 14 it is 77 years ago that an International WAZA Interview: Association of Directors of Zoologi‑ Debra Erickson ...................... 18 cal Gardens was formally established Zoos, Aquariums & Botanical in Basel. After working more than one © Michal Stránský Gardens in Mesoamerica ........ 20 and a half years in the dusty archives Gerald Dick during interview, Prague. Book Reviews .........................21 of WAZA’s executive office and after Thailand Flooding ...................22 organizing input of past WAZA presi‑ Year of the Bat Activities .........23 dents and prominent figures of the zoo This Anniversary Edition of WAZA News Announcements .................... 30 and aquarium community, the book is covers an unusual variety of contribu‑ World Zoo & Aquarium printed and available: “77 Years – The tions, ranging from gorilla conservation Conservation Database ...........32 History and Evolution of the World to seahorses and the Ocean project to Obstacles to Global Association of Zoos and Aquariums, bats conservation contributions to five Population Management ........ 34 1935–2012”. new WAZA branded projects. WAZA First Eld’s Deer Fawn By the time you receive this edition has entered a formal cooperation with Born in vitro ........................... 35 of WAZA News, as WAZA member CITES, right after 10 years, when the Update: you will have received a free copy of first negotiations started in Santiago International Studbooks ......... 36 the book already. This is also meant de Chile. Exchange and transport of WAZA Projects as a big thank you for the support of animals will now get more high ‑level Crocodile and Hippo WAZA over the many years by most attention. Last, but not least, WAZA Conservation ......................... 37 of you. This documentation will also was asked to provide coordinative Blue-throated Macaw help to better understand the roots support for the emergency relief action Conservation ......................... 38 of international cooperation and the during the big Thailand floods, a big Amphibian Breeding formal setting up of our community on thank you goes to all supporters! and Awareness ...................... 39 a global basis. It also shows how im‑ Please save the date for the 67th WAZA Sungazer Conservation .......... 40 portant conservation was from the very Annual Conference to be held in Mel‑ Tarsius Project ....................... 41 beginning and makes us better under‑ bourne, 7–11 October 2012 and I hope Recent Updates ..................... 42 stand where we are right now. I wish to see you there!. New Member Applications ...... 43 to thank Laura Penn who prepared the text based on the archive research and Gerald Dick Markus Gusset who organized photos WAZA Executive Director and old documents for the print as well as critically reviewed the publication. Imprint Edition: 550 copies © WAZA 2012 Editor: Gerald Dick, WAZA Executive Office IUCN Conservation Centre This edition of WAZA News Rue Mauverney 28 is also available on CH-1196 Gland www.waza.org (members’ area). Switzerland phone: +41 22 999 07 90 Founding Member fax: +41 22 999 07 91 Printed on FSC paper. Layout and typesetting: [email protected] Print: Agentura NP, Staré Město, Czech Republic ISSN: 1662-7733 WAZA news 1/12 1 Jörg Junhold The President’s Page In times like these when we are fac- ing a worldwide economic crisis, it is always harder to get the public inter- ested in species and habitat conserva- tion. People question whether animal problems should be considered among the most important issues of the day. We, as a zoo community, all believe that they should! Several evaluations like the 2010 TEEB study (The Economics of Ecosystems & © Zoo Leipzig Biodiversity), indicate the substan- Jörg Junhold at Kiwara Savannah, Zoo Leipzig. tial economic impact that healthy environments have for humans. Los- ing their biological services involves the establishment of new studbooks, In December 2011, WAZA had the spending a lot of money to “repair” we can make better choices by select- privilege of signing a Memorandum natural systems. ing those species more vulnerable of Understanding with the CITES Sec- to climate change. Furthermore, nu- retariat. This was an important step The UN Climate Change Conference merous in situ conservation projects forward towards a closer collabora- in Durban is already a few months are also affected by climate change tion with this important authority. behind us, having generated mostly issues and we must help to find solu- We used the opportunity to describe unremarkable results. We must ask tions to their pressing needs. There is the many issues associated with ourselves how climate change will af- no time to waste! the translocation of animals across fect zoos in the future. What types of borders. In order to keep sustainable risks will we face and how can we best Key to our efforts is to grow the populations of threatened species, react to them? In my opinion, we have WAZA membership and to enhance we rely on the exchange of animals the ability to affect different areas. the collaboration between zoos. Both based on the recommendations of of these endeavours have recently our studbook keepers. For example, although zoos con- seen some progress. tribute to producing CO2, through I have the impression that the the business they generate and In November 2011, a high-level Secretary-General, Mr. John Scanlon, through the visitor traffic they invite, delegation of the Chinese Associa- has understood the limitations of they can act as an example for the tion of Zoological Gardens (CAZG) CITES procedures for our mission and public by demonstrating sustainable visited Europe in order to establish hopefully, we may see some improve- resource and energy use. We can aim better contact with the international ments in the future. to decrease our CO2 emissions and zoo community. They were kindly become certified with labels such as hosted by ZSL, BIAZA and EAZA and EMAS (Eco-management and Audit I would like to express my sincere Scheme). We can also educate the thanks to the hosts. I was honoured public about what we do and why to represent WAZA at the meeting in …can act as an every one of us needs to be involved. London, where we had very fruitful discussions with our Chinese col- example for the Climate change affects our core mis- leagues. In the long run, my aim is to sion. The collections that we keep convince CAZG and Chinese zoos to public by demonstra- include some species that are more become our members. Many Chinese susceptible to climate change than zoos are developing fast and have the ting sustainable others. These species with their small potential to upgrade their standard range areas and dispersal rates are of animal keeping in the future. Let resource and more threatened by climate change us help them, while at the same time, than more adaptable species. By substantially improving our collabo- energy use… looking at our collection planning and ration. 2 WAZA news 1/12 Gerald Dick – WAZA Executive Office 77th Birthday: WAZA Proudly Presents an Analysis of History and Evolution for the Years 1935 to 2012 After more than seven decades since of the founding members of IUCN At the occasion of the 77th Anniversary its formal establishment, it is time (then IUPN) in 1948 at Fontainebleau, of the organisation, WAZA presents to look at historical facts in order to France. Since then the relationship a commemorative volume, highlight- better understand where the interna- with IUCN remained an important ing milestones of the history and tional zoo and aquarium community one, today documented by a work- development of an international rep- and WAZA stands today. ing agreement and even the location resentation of the zoo and aquarium of the WAZA Executive office in the community. After quite informal meetings of Ger- IUCN´s conservation centre. IUCN´s man zoo directors in the 19th century, Director General, Julia Marton- a more international group of direc- Lefèvre, says: “As is the case with all tors formed the so-called “Confer- organizations that have a long and ence of Directors of Zoological Gar- rich history, IUCN and WAZA have dens of Central Europe”. This was the had to reform and reinvent them- real predecessor of WAZA, this group selves along the way to become the started to meet in the early 1920s and truly modern global conservation changed the name at the meeting networks that they are today. In do- in 1935 to “International Association ing so, both have built on a simple but of Directors of Zoological Gardens”. powerful idea: by working together, At this founding meeting of what was we can achieve more. On behalf of later called IUDZG and subsequently the entire IUCN family, I warmly WZO and finally WAZA a constitu- congratulate WAZA on its 77th anni- tional legal basis was adopted. versary. Today, more than ever, IUCN and WAZA stand United for Conser- Via enhancing international coop- vation.” eration, conservation was on top of the agenda of all meetings since the very early days and WAZA also made very clear political statements, for instance about the plans to build a bridge over the internationally important wetland, Lake Neusiedl, in Austria or giant panda conserva- tion in China.