BIAZA Good Zoos Pack

Good Zoos
and Aquariums
A Guide
to BIAZA
Zoos and
Aquariums
Two Schoolgirls at
The Deep Aquarium
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Good zoos do far more than simply display animals to
visitors. By encouraging an interest in wildlife, good zoos
increase people’s awareness of the threats facing the world’s
animals and how we can all take action to conserve them.
Zoos also play a vital role in conservation work, including
breeding and managing species that are in danger of
extinction in the wild, and conducting field projects to
study and protect these animals.
Yellow Tang
(Zebrasoma flavescens)
World Museum Liverpool
The aims of a modern zoo are:
• To inspire visitors to make lifestyle changes that help
protect the natural world
• To support the conservation of species and their
habitats in the wild
• To maintain excellent standards of animal welfare
• To do research which supports conservation of
threatened animals
Regent’s Park London NW1 4RY
Telephone: 020 7449 6351
e-mail: [email protected]
www.biaza.org.uk
• To cooperate in managed breeding programmes
with other zoos
BIAZA is a charitable company limited by guarantee
and registered in England and Wales, number 6789783
Registered Office Regent’s Park, London, NW1 4RY
Registered Charity number 1128168
Cover: Infant orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus)
Photo: Christoph Matzke
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Caring for animals in zoos
Animal husbandry in zoos must be carefully considered in order to ensure the welfare of an animal is
not adversely affected. For example, it is very important to give zoo animals a well-balanced diet - as
close as possible to what they’d eat in the wild. That's one of the reasons why good zoos ask visitors
not to feed the animals. Good zoos also present food in ways that keep the animals active and
interested for as long as possible.
For marmoset monkeys, for example, live crickets and mealworms are hidden inside logs as an
enrichment technique to promote natural feeding behaviour. Similarly, eggs keep mongooses busy
for hours as they try to break them, just as they would in the wild. Feeding activities are all designed
to encourage animals to forage and fend for themselves - and promote similar behaviour to that in the
wild.
Zoo keepers spend a lot of time each day cleaning enclosures and preparing food, but they also keep
a close eye on the animals and maintain daily records - noting when an animal is ready to mate, for
example, or is showing signs of being unwell. These observations are essential towards ensuring
animals are looked after to the highest standards.
Animal enclosures are designed to encourage natural behaviour. Space, and how it is used, is
important in recreating an animal’s natural habitat. For example, red pandas (Ailurus fulgens) need
branches to climb on, while hippopotami must have a pool. Gorillas prefer to be in groups, while
solitary animals like leopards are kept on their own, or in breeding pairs.
An animal’s enclosure may not look like a desert or rainforest, but to that animal it doesn't matter.
As long as they can act as they would in their natural habitat - whether they are foraging for food,
leaping from rope 'branches' or sleeping in a secluded spot - then they are much more likely to stay
active and healthy.
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Red panda (Ailurus fulgens)
Galloway Wildlife Conservation Park
Photo: Bob Fitzsimmons
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Zoos in Britain and Ireland...
Over 100 zoos in Britain and Ireland
belong to the British and Irish
Association of Zoos and
Aquariums (BIAZA).
This is an organization
which helps zoos and aquariums
coordinate breeding, share information
and skills, and promote education,
conservation and research. BIAZA and
its members also raise funds for projects
to support conservation projects in the wild.
...and around
the world
Many British and Irish zoos also belong to the
European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA) and
to the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA).
Together they are shaping the future of conservation
and education in zoos across Europe and around the world.
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European Eagle Owl (Bubo bubo)
Scottish Deer Centre
Red-ruffed lemur (Varecia rubra)
Bristol Zoo Gardens
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Good zoos work together
A single zoo cannot save a threatened species on its own. Each BIAZA zoo is likely to have strong links
with several others across Europe and, possibly, throughout the world. Working together has enabled
zoos to establish a network of animal and breeding programmes.
Each programme is run by a species coordinator from one of the zoos and is supported by experts at
other zoos. For example, ZSL London Zoo coordinates some of our current tiger breeding programmes.
Good zoos share information
Breeding some species, such as Asiatic lions (Panthera leo persica) or Chinese alligators (Alligator
sinensis), may be relatively straightforward - at least with any babies produced, keepers know who the
father and the mother are.
With other species however - such as groups of frogs or snails - this is much more difficult to work out.
Computer software has been developed specifically to figure out who the parents are of certain
offspring.
Lynx (Lynx lynx) kittens
ZSL Whipsnade Zoo
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Asian elephants (Elephas maximus)
Woburn Safari Park
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How do animals become endangered?
Some animals become endangered due to natural reasons, while other populations are damaged due
to human activity. Rising human populations and the reckless exploitation of the Earth's resources are
having enormous negative impacts on wildlife.
Humans have been burning forests, draining wetlands and uprooting
hedgerows to make more space to live and farm. We are also
guilty of dumping chemicals into our water bodies - polluting
our seas and rivers. Certain native species have been
driven to extinction when we introduce new animals
to habitats where they are not normally found.
On top of this, humans also overfish the seas
and hunt animals for pets, souvenirs and
traditional medicines
All of these human activities, and others, have
led to many species facing extinction today.
The International Union for the Conservation of
Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species
highlights animals and plants that face particular
risks of global extinction. To find out more, visit:
‘Friday’ the green turtle
(Chelonia mydas)
Oceanarium:
The Bournemouth Aquarium
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www.iucnredlist.org/amazing-species
Baby chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes)
Chester Zoo
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How can zoos help?
All over the world, organizations are coming together to
save animals at risk, and zoos have a vital role to play in
conservation work. For example species such as the
California condor (Gymnogyps californianus) and the
Przewalski’s horse (Equus ferus przewalskii), which had
become extinct in the wild, owe their survival to zoo
breeding programmes.
You can find out more about species reliant on zoos here:
www.biaza.org.uk/news/662/98/Top-Ten-Species---Full-Report
Zoos also engage with all kinds of visitors to educate them
about animals and the natural world. Part of this work
involves showing visitors how they can help, by adopting
more sustainable lifestyles. You can find out more about
the education work BIAZA zoos do here:
www.biaza.org.uk/education
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‘Tamu’ and her mother, the Rothschild giraffes
(Giraffa camelopardalis rothschildi)
Dublin Zoo
Photo: Patrick Bolger
A schoolgirl observes an
Emerald tree boa (Corallus caninus)
The Deep Aquarium
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Release into the wild
Before zoo-bred animals can be released, it is essential to ensure that there are no longer any external
threats, such as from hunting or invasive species, and that their habitat can be effectively protected.
There are very strict guidelines, produced by the IUCN, to make sure that any releases are successful.
Where we have been able to guarantee protection, endangered species, such as
the red wolf (Canis lupus rufus), have been successfully reintroduced.
The Arabian oryx (Oryx leucoryx), once hunted to extinction in the
wild, was bred in zoos and is now protected on reserves in Jordan,
Oman and Saudi Arabia.
Here in Britain, native species of zoo-bred hazel dormice
(Muscardinus avellanarius), field crickets and fen raft spiders
(Dolomedes plantarius) have been released into places where
their habitat can be safeguarded.
However, reintroduction may not always be the right way to
save a species. It is not an easy process, and takes time, money
and scientific understanding to ensure that the animals adapt
well to life in the wild.
Harvest mouse (Micromys minutus),
Chester Zoo
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Golden lion tamarin
(Leontopithecus rosalia)
ZSL London Zoo
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How zoos contribute to
conservation projects in the field
BIAZA believes field conservation is the most important way to save the planet’s biodiversity.
BIAZA zoos help with field conservation activities in a number of ways, including:
• Developing, managing and supporting field conservation projects
• Raising and donating funds to field conservation projects
• Supplying experienced staff and essential equipment for species
and habitat conservation
• Putting into action local education and conservation awareness
programmes across the world
You can find out more about BIAZA members’ field conservation work here:
www.biaza.org.uk/conservation/in-situ-conservation
Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)
Photo: Robert Allen
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Przewalski’s horses (Equus ferus przewalskii)
Eelmoor Marsh
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Design-Your-Zoo Activity
Enclosure Design
1. Use reference books or the internet to research the Oriental short-clawed otter (Amblonyx cinerea).
Make notes on its natural behaviour in the wild.
2. Design an enclosure for these otters using the guidelines below. Remember to consider the number
of otters you will keep.
Design an enclosure for these otters using the guidelines below.
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a:
Otters are part of a conservation breeding programme.
b:
Otters need a land area three or four times larger than the water area.
c:
They need a water area that they can enter and leave with ease.
d:
Otters need somewhere which will provide shelter, warmth and a place for giving birth.
e:
Otters like to scent-mark their territory. What can you provide for them to do this?
f:
How can you encourage the otters to forage for insects in their enclosure?
g:
What barrier will you use? Remember, otters can climb and dig burrows.
h:
How will you make the enclosure accessible for keepers?
Oriental short-clawed otters
(Amblonyx cinrea)
WWT Washington Wetland Centre
Photo: Ron Bell
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Animal Fun Facts quiz
Animals come in all shapes and sizes - from tiny coral polyps to whales, the largest animals that have
ever lived. Some live a few hours, others over a hundred years. Some produce millions of young,
others produce just one at a time. See if you can answer the following questions on the amazing
animals that share our earth.
1: Which animal lives the longest?
A
Tortoise
B
Chimpanzee
C
Elephant
2: Which is the smallest mammal?
A
Weasel
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B
Bat
C
Mouse
3: Which lays the largest number of eggs?
A
Python
B
Sturgeon
C
Swan
4: Which has the largest wingspan?
A
Golden eagle
B
Mute swan
C
Albatross
5: Which is the rarest in the wild?
A
B
Bali starling
Giant panda
C
Asian lion
6: Which is the most destructive?
A
B
Cockroach
Elephant
C
Human
7: Which animal is the fastest?
A
B
Cheetah
Swift
8: Which is the largest group of species?
A
Beetles
B
C
Birds
Fish
9: How many snake species in Britain?
A
B
Three
C
Nineteen
Fifty-four
10: Which has the most widespread distribution?
C
Spider
A
B
Mallard
C
House mouse
Mosquito
Find more fun zoo-related activities here: www.biaza.org.uk/education/schools-downloads
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Answers 1:
2:
3:
4:
A giant tortoise (152 years)
Kitti’s hog-nosed bat (2g)
Atlantic sturgeon (over 3 million)
Wandering albatross (3.63 metres)
5:
6:
7:
Bali starling (only 10 left)
Human
Spine-tailed swift (106mph)
8: Beetles (over 300,000 species)
9: Three (adder, grass snake and smooth snake)
10: The house mouse
Use the web to find out more
If you’re interested in zoos, conservation and the natural world, take a look at some of the
following websites:
European Association of Zoos and
Aquaria
EAZA
www.eaza.net
World Association of Zoos and
Aquariums
WAZA I United for conservation
www.waza.org
International Union for the
Conservation of Nature
IUCN
www.iucnredlist.org
Convention on International Trade
in Endangered Species
CITES
www.cites.org
Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust
WWT
www.wwt.org.uk
Marine Stewardship Council
MSC
www.msc.org
National Trust
www.nationaltrust.org.uk
Buglife
www.buglife.org.uk
BBC Nature
www.bbc.co.uk/nature
Natural History Museum
www.nhm.ac.uk
The World Wide Fund for Nature
WWF
www.wwf-uk.org
The Wildlife Trusts
www.wildlifetrusts.org
www.wildlifewatch.org.uk
Royal Society for Protection of Birds
RSPB
www.rspb.org.uk
Do you have any questions about the work we do? Visit our website: www.biaza.org.uk
N. B. The term zoos is used throughout this report as a general term that includes the wide variety of our licensed
collections including aquariums, farm parks, bird gardens and safari parks - as well as traditional zoos.
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Red-eyed tree frog
(Agalychnis callidryas)
Chester Zoo
Photo: Douglas Sherriff
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Amur Tiger
(Panthera tigris altaica)
Photo: Stephen Meese
© British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA) 2013
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