I just noticed today on the ZAA website that WRS (zoo, Jurong, etc) and Resorts World Sentosa (i.e. Marine Life Park) are ZAA members. Any ideas on when this happened?
Wildlife Reserves Singapore and the ZAA
- Thread starter Chlidonias
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zooboy28
Well-Known Member
How interesting. I wonder why they would bother? They are unlikely to be Full Institutional members that happily follow all the recomendations of the ZAA (czar
).I guess belonging to a regional association will have some benefits for these institutions, it may give them more credibility as conservation organisations. This might also allow them to better access CITES-listed species (perhaps Singapore has changed its laws?) or WAZA-managed species? Actually, I have found a more likely option: they are probbaly International Associate Institutions (a relatively new category), which among other benefits, includes eligibility to recieve surplus ASMP specimens. And this costs them little over AU$1000 per year.
Hopefully this is a relatively reciprocal arrangement, and Australasian zoos are able to get some new specimens or even species from Singapore too.
I see there is a New Caledonian member now too, which is great.
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Interesting, its news to me too! Like what zooboy28 said, its probably to allow easier exchange of animals since the 2 organizations' new developments (River Safari, Marine Life Park and Wallaby Trail at Night Safari) are all sourcing for Australian species.
the only real benefit I could see for them to be in ZAA (as suggested by Zooish and zooboy28 also) is the one of it potentially making it easier for the Singapore facilities to obtain Australian wildlife. The trade going the other way (animals from Singapore to Australia) isn't going to be any different because only animals on the approved lists are going to be allowed in anyway, so its pretty irrelevant if a sending zoo is in the ZAA.
New Caledonia's Noumea Zoo is another new one (Fiji's Kula Eco Park has been a member for years) but makes more sense in that it is actually in the Pacific, even if it is a French possession. Apparently their patas monkeys came from Taronga, so not being in ZAA then certainly didn't affect them getting surplus ZAA animals. Although I guess it will now make it easier for Australian zoos to import New Caledonian geckoes.
In NZ there is now a huge push to try and make all the smaller collections holding kiwi and other natives to become ZAA members, which really serves no useful purpose for them. But then you hear about the struggles some Australian zoos have to get admitted, when they would actually be of benefit to the ZAA!
New Caledonia's Noumea Zoo is another new one (Fiji's Kula Eco Park has been a member for years) but makes more sense in that it is actually in the Pacific, even if it is a French possession. Apparently their patas monkeys came from Taronga, so not being in ZAA then certainly didn't affect them getting surplus ZAA animals. Although I guess it will now make it easier for Australian zoos to import New Caledonian geckoes.
In NZ there is now a huge push to try and make all the smaller collections holding kiwi and other natives to become ZAA members, which really serves no useful purpose for them. But then you hear about the struggles some Australian zoos have to get admitted, when they would actually be of benefit to the ZAA!
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zooboy28
Well-Known Member
And as well as the New Caledonian Geckos, maybe some cloven-feathered dovee and kagu...
The Whangarei Museum & Heritage Park (holds kiwi) is already a ZAA member, is this the one you mean? Some of the NZ ZAA members are small, especially those council-run public avaries: Palmerston North's Esplanade Avaries are quite big, but the Fielding ones are tiny. I can see the benefits of DOC liasing with just one body in regards to captive natives however, and it wuld make management of programme species easier wouldn't it?
I actually had quite a different (and more optimistic, perhaps) interpretation of this move. Singapore is a highly developed island nation that is a lot closer to Australasia than Europe or North America. I'm certain it would have world-class quarantine facilities and, perhaps most importantly, perhaps the best bird collection in the entire world.
I saw that WRS were in ZAA and immediately figured it was for them to act as a staging post (in return for wildlife and perhaps cash) for imports into the ZAA region. Particularly birds. Jurong Bird Park could provide flamingos, crowned cranes, hornbills, birds-of-paradise, toucans, crowned pigeons - basically everything that Australian zoos might want, and they can do it with impeccable disease control and known founders.
I saw that WRS were in ZAA and immediately figured it was for them to act as a staging post (in return for wildlife and perhaps cash) for imports into the ZAA region. Particularly birds. Jurong Bird Park could provide flamingos, crowned cranes, hornbills, birds-of-paradise, toucans, crowned pigeons - basically everything that Australian zoos might want, and they can do it with impeccable disease control and known founders.
That's the kiwi house I was referring to but I actually meant somewhere else (I put down Whangarei by mistake, and so I removed the comment). I think I probably shouldn't say any more, or the other things I'm thinking about DoC and ZAA. But thumbs up for Jarkari's comment.....zooboy28 said:
that certainly is an optimistic viewCGSwans said:
