2019 01 Storms on the Horizon WAZA Executive Office Staff Interim CEO and Martín Zordan Director of Conservation [email protected] Chief Operating Officer Christina Morbin [email protected] Director of Communications Gavrielle Kirk-Cohen [email protected] Director of Membership Janet Ho [email protected] Interns Caitlin Ball Marta Canchal Paula Cerdán Carolina Quirós Imprint WAZA Executive Office Contacts Editor: Postal Address WAZA Executive Office Gavrielle Kirk-Cohen, WAZA Carrer de Roger de Llúria 2, 2-2 08010 Barcelona Proofreading: Spain Laurie Clinton Phone +34 936 638 811 E-mail [email protected] Layout and typesetting: Website www.waza.org Michal Stránský • [email protected] Facebook www.facebook.com/officialWAZA Twitter twitter.com/WAZA Edition: 800 copies Instagram www.instagram.com/wazaglobal © WAZA 2019 This edition of WAZA News is also available at www.waza.org Future WAZA Conferences 2019: Fundación Temaikèn, Buenos Aires, Printed on FSC-certified paper. Argentina – 3–7 November 2019 2020: San Diego Zoo, San Diego, USA 2021: Moscow Zoo, Moscow, Russia 2022: Loro Parque, Tenerife, Canary Islands Cover photo: Chase O’Brien of San Antonio Zoo assists in the evacuation of animals at the Texas Zoo, moving animals from their flooded location to a shelter in town, on Thursday 31 August 2017. © Houston Zoo ISSN: 1662-7733 1992 • 17 August Hurricane Andrew President’s Letter Caribbean and North America Category 4 Dr Jenny Gray WAZA President 1998 • 22 October Hurricane Mitch Central and North America Relocating Tasmanian devils is difficult Category 5 on a good day. In extreme weather conditi- ons, with temperatures over 40 °C and 2004 • 26 December wind over 100 km/hr, it is inconceivable. Indian Ocean earthquake This is exactly the situation faced by keepers and tsunami at Healesville Sanctuary, Australia on Saturday Thailand, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, 7 February 2009. With bushfires raging throughout India and 10 other countries the state emergency services were stretched thinly. Magnitude 9 Fires encircled the Sanctuary, at one point coming within 2 km. A lookout was posted up on the water tower, watching for smoke or spotting fires as flaming 2005 • 28 August embers landed within the grounds. Sprinklers flooded enclosures battling Hurricane Katrina to wet down the vegetation. United States Category 5 The decision was taken to evacuate the animals. Absolutely heartbreaking choices had to be made, who to take and who to leave behind? With Melbourne 2009 • 7 February Zoo and Werribee Open Range Zoo only hours away, many of the charismatic Black Saturday Wildfires animals were relocated – koala to Melbourne and dingo to Werribee. But the Australia threatened species caused the most debate. Relocating could interrupt breed- ing and jeopardise a season of offspring, however the alternative could risk 2010 • 12 January losing the entire population. Haiti earthquake Magnitude 7 The decisions that we have to take in times of disaster or emergency situa- tions reflect the larger dilemmas that face zoos and aquariums. We work with 2011 • 11 March individuals, taking decisions about every aspect of their lives, yet we must also Fukushima earthquake work at a global scale to protect species and large populations. We must make and tsunami choices, even when all species need our help. Japan Magnitude 9 This edition of WAZA News, covers emergencies and disasters. The stories are confronting and remind us of the huge responsibility we carry, as we choose to 2012 • 22 October hold animals in human care. Yet these events also demonstrate the enormity of Hurricane Sandy human capacity for bravery, compassion and kindness. Caribbean and North America Category 3 In the days following ‘Black Saturday’ we were inundated with help, funds and sick animals. Our community rose to the challenge and stood by us during a ter- 2017 • 10 September rible time. Our vets worked overtime, treating animals severely burnt in the fires, Hurricane Irma often having no option but to allow for a quick death. Staff opened their homes United States to colleagues and to recovering patients. Category 5 As we face the dawning reality of a warming planet, extreme weather events 2017 • 4 December will become more common. Today the temperature in Melbourne is forecast Thomas Wildfire to exceed 43 °C. We are as ready as we can be, but probably not as ready United States as we need to be. 2018 • 8 November I hope these stories will inspire you, and remind you to dust off your business California Wildfires continuity plan, continually refresh your staff training, and make sure that your United States equipment is all in working order. We don’t know when or where the next disaster will strike. We just know that it will. ← Smoke from the Thomas Fire, as seen from the northern border of the Santa Barbara Zoo, on 16 December 2017. Three decades of natural disasters decades of natural Three © Santa Barbara Zoo 1 Theme of issue Natural Storms on the Horizon Andreas Ambarchian Disasters Freelance Writer and the Fire crews could not yet see the vi- AZA also obligates its members to cious inferno; however, swollen clouds perform at least four environmental- of charred smoke emanating from and weather-related emergency Art of nearby hills were an ominous sign drills per year. The drills must be that the flames were closing in. With recorded and the results evaluated. this imminent threat looming, little Any aspects of the emergency Doomsday option remained but to initiate emer- response requiring improvement are gency procedures. identified and modified, while those deemed adequate are reinforced. Prepping This scene took place near Los Ange- The European Association of Zoos and les Zoo last year early on the morn- Aquaria (EAZA) during its accreditation ing of 9 November. A huge wildfire, screenings requires evidence of There has been a noticeable fuelled by sundried scrubland, raged planning for emergencies of all kinds. increased trend in the occurrence through Griffith Park. The blaze was of recorded global natural disas- contained before it reached the zoo Another key element of an effective ter events since the beginning of but remained a potent display of the disaster response strategy is location the 20th century, with a significant ferocious power of natural disasters. specific planning, Prague Zoo Director acceleration in occurrences of Miroslav Bobek explains: “Every natural disasters since the 1970s. The zoological community is well zoo should be prepared for natural This growing trend could be due acquainted with the might of Mother disasters that are particular to their to an increase in recordings and Nature. Just months before the blaze given locality. For instance, the advances in technology and com- in L. A., Virginia Zoo was hit by Hur- Prague Zoo grounds are partly located munication tools, but it has also ricane Florence and, in December 2017, very close to Vltava River so having been attributed to climate change. Christmas preparations at Santa Bar- a detailed flood plan in place is As these weather events escalate in bara Zoo were delayed as the massive crucial for us.” intensity and frequency, zoos and Thomas Fire blazed a trail of destruc- aquariums need to be prepared for tion through the county. Mr Bobek continues: “We keep a any eventuality. number of transport boxes, wooden Meanwhile in 2011, Japan’s Aquama- boxes and crates ready in case of an Many regional and national zoo rine Fukushima was shaken by a 9.0 emergency, as well as the correspond- and aquarium associations now magnitude earthquake, the largest ing amount of anaesthetics. Animals require their members to create ever recorded in the country. The that are difficult to move, we keep in disaster preparedness plans, and aquarium was then battered by the the upper part of the zoo grounds.” some practice training drills in co- subsequent 6-metre-high tsunami. ordination with local fire and emer- A facility may also have provisions gency crews. Others have advanced The significance and frequency of the in place for the eventuality that public protocols with nearby institutions threat posed by natural disasters to infrastructure is damaged during a so that animals that do have to the zoological community is not lost natural disaster, Dr Andrea Caiozzi be evacuated can be relocated on the American industry’s regulating from the National Zoo of Chile in San- as quickly and calmly as possible. body, the Association of Zoos and tiago says: “At the zoo we have a huge Human ingenuity is often at its Aquariums (AZA). Any zoological generator that can provide enough best in a crisis, and the dedicated facility seeking AZA accreditation is energy to power a little town, so staff at WAZA member zoos and required to establish a set of rigorous electricity is not a problem for us. We aquariums have proven this time risk management strategies. also have access to a large water tank and time again as they rescue and that can give us several days’ worth of protect animals under the harshest water supplies.” of conditions. 2 Santa Barbara Zoo staff and keepers with the Thomas Fire plume in the background. The wind shifted later, sparing an evacuation. © Santa Barbara Zoo When a natural disaster strikes, a Evacuation removes zoo wildlife from Because of these difficulties, many facility must elect whether to evacu- the eye of the storm but the process facilities prefer to batten down the ate or keep the animals on site. The can be extremely complicated. Moving hatches and stay put. This was the final decision is based on a number large animals, such as elephants and recourse taken by Zoo Miami in 1992. of factors, including the degree of dif- giraffes, is impractical and may take Under siege from Hurricane Andrew, ficulty required to transport an animal days; time not always available during a flock of more than 50 Caribbean fla- and whether the use of anaesthesia is an emergency situation.