AI has at least as many cons as pros and I am with Zebraduiker, pretty much against it. It makes it possible to breed rhinos and other animals without shipping them around, yeah, but you have to knock them down each time you try, both the male AND the female, and it can take a LOT of tries before an animal finally gets pregnant. The risk of loosing an animal is way too high to use AI on a regular basis. They tried it in Dvur Kralve with the super-super-rare northerrn white rhinos, but a number of tries didn`t work, and it`s just way tooooo risky to knock these animals down on a regular basis. It`s the same for giraffes and most other animals.
Zoo Basel what's happening at Basel?
- Thread starter Pertinax
- Start date
MARK
Well-Known Member
From what I have seen on tv zoo animals are not knocked down at all they are trained to except the procedures and seemed to get used to idea
CindelP
Well-Known Member
Well, let me disagree ...
AI should not be a current way of breeding animals BUT it should be an option, especially when we're dealing with risky populations and endangered species.
AI allows to get females pregnant without streesing animals on shipment - and I supose we all agree, that in most cases, ship is more traumatic and stressfull than AI.
Plus it helps a LOT to increase genetic diversity.
To get an decent AI in a female is NOT necessary to put her down. Animals can be taught to stand while they are inseminated.
Some elephants and other animals do this and is very easy for them.
Giraffes .. well, it should be quite hard, as they're nervous animals, to teach them to stand but not impossible. Also it's quite risky to put a giraffe down, not due narcotics but due their morphology. But, again, it's not a very big issue also - especially when compared to 10 years ago.
Many giraffe are put down to be transported or captured.
So, as stated above I do firmly believe that AI should be an option to certain species under certain needs.
It's not natural, you're right. But it's also not natural to keep them in Zoos or to feed them artifically or to choose their mates and so ...
We are responsible for the animals we keep. Nothing on this is natural and it's we that have to decide what is best for them.
If AI is a way to save them ... bring them on! I'm all in favour!
And one last paragraph .. now that everyone is worried (at last!!) with sub-species, this makes AI even more important!
ANyhuis
Well-Known Member
If anyone can help me, I'm putting together a database with statistics of some of the world's top zoos. Essentially, I need the annual attendance figures for the following Swiss zoos:
Zoo Zurich, Zoologischer Garten Basel
Can anyone help me? Is there a good internet source where these can be looked up?
Zoo Zurich, Zoologischer Garten Basel
Can anyone help me? Is there a good internet source where these can be looked up?
Work on the ape outdoor enclosures has now started - the apes have been moved out, the orangs have gone to a German zoo, and the chimps and the gorillas are staying in a large facility in Basel, used at times for storage, at times for other animal groups - it doesn't belong to the zoo, but is close, allowing the keepers to still look after the animals.
There are no more Himalaya Tahr, and the crab-eating macaques are going to move into their enclosure (which has been altered).
Last year, Basel Zoo had it's first baby porcupines, the result of a lot of trying. Another first for Basel was offspring from the red titis.
The giraffe outdoor enclosure is finished, and visitors now have an interesting perspective of them - you look at them from above!
There's a new okapi bull, a very friendly young man from Berlin - he is still fairly new, but is getting to know Xina, the female - so hopefully there will be another young in the not too distant future.
There are several new species of fish in the aquarium. The zoo recently unveiled plans of a big aquarium outside the actual zoo, but very close by. It will be an "oceanium" like the ones found in Barcelona or Lisbon, showing coral reefs and sharks, as well as many other species, and will give an insight into life in the oceans.
The plans are made, but permission has not yet been granted, so this may or may not happen.
There are no more Himalaya Tahr, and the crab-eating macaques are going to move into their enclosure (which has been altered).
Last year, Basel Zoo had it's first baby porcupines, the result of a lot of trying. Another first for Basel was offspring from the red titis.
The giraffe outdoor enclosure is finished, and visitors now have an interesting perspective of them - you look at them from above!
There's a new okapi bull, a very friendly young man from Berlin - he is still fairly new, but is getting to know Xina, the female - so hopefully there will be another young in the not too distant future.
There are several new species of fish in the aquarium. The zoo recently unveiled plans of a big aquarium outside the actual zoo, but very close by. It will be an "oceanium" like the ones found in Barcelona or Lisbon, showing coral reefs and sharks, as well as many other species, and will give an insight into life in the oceans.
The plans are made, but permission has not yet been granted, so this may or may not happen.
The storage facilities are just large rooms that belong to Novartis, the pharmaceutical company.
They're about 150 square metres, and because they were used to keep animals in in the past, they have facilities for keepers, kitchens, etc as well, which makes life easier.
You'll love it - the Etosha house is one of the best displays I've seen.
i am intrigued by this storage facility in Basel, i have visions of the gorillas and chimps being crated up and wheeled away, think the end of raiders of the lost ark
I wonder how the Apes will adapt to the change of scene. Some, like the two old female Gorillas Goma & Kati have lived in that one house over forty years. They are pretty old to be moved.
Does anyone know what the timeframe is for completing the new outdoor enclosures and renovation of the ApeHouse?
Kati (49), the grand dame of the gorilla group has passed away.
Oh no!!
Do you know when or why? As I mentioned Goma & Kati had been in the same House over forty years.Oh no!!
Grand dame Kati had been poorly for several weeks and continued to detoriate in recent weeks.
I believe her death has been not completely unexpected as known medical conditions due to old age played a big part in it. I have seen the preliminary post-mortem findings somewhere ..
Will get back to you all on that!
The Great Ape House is up for a complete overhaul. The gorillas will move out to a private facility close by. The orangs have temp left for Gelsenkirchen.
Yes but have the Gorillas already been moved out now? Did Kati die in the ApeHouse or the temp quarters?
