EAZA Tiger Campaign extended to 2004 Contents - European ...

As this information is necessary for
management decisions, the TAG decided
to establish, update and computerise
studbooks for all potential candidates to
be kept in European zoos in the future
as listed in Table 1.
In the past inappropriate captive
environments were blamed for many
behavioural problems in ursids. Thus, to
meet the second goal, conditions had
to be improved so that captive bears
develop into appropriate behavioural
and morphological representatives of
their wild conspecifics. Consequently
husbandry guidelines, with recommendations,
were written. These guidelines
were based on good practice in zoos,
on information extracted from husbandry
surveys and on conclusions
drawn from published work on bear
biology in the field. The English version
was translated into several languages
to facilitate its distribution and use in
EAZA range countries (see Table 1).
Collection plan
The EAZA Bear TAG includes seven
bear species, none of which is under
immediate threat or in need of ex situ
breeding to prevent extinction at
species-level. Currently zoos in the range
countries are refuges for confiscated
bears, illegally removed from the wild
or for bear cubs orphaned during legal
hunting sessions. Nevertheless illegal
hunting plus habitat degradation pose
real risks for the long-term survival of
ursids. Consequently, spreading information
on bear behaviour and habitat
needs is most important. The TAG
survey of EAZA members indicated
that brown bears (Ursus arctos) constitute
40% of the captive European bear
population and have a high educational
value, particularly where the species
occurs naturally (in the majority of
EAZA range countries). This led to the
Collection Planning
TAG recommendation that most of the
spaces available in Europe be reserved
for native species and populations: brown
bears, polar bears (Ursus maritimus)
and the Asiatic black bear of the
Russian Far East (Ursus thibetanus
ussuricus). It was concluded that only
relatively small populations of the tropical
bear species should be maintained
and that it was crucial to maintain
close cooperation with zoos in range
countries or managed programmes in
other regions (AZA) to preserve genetic
diversity in these species.
The combined studbook data indicated
that approximately 1000 bears were
living in approximately 250 enclosures
in about 150 locations distributed over
more than 20 EAZA range countries.
When minimum enclosure standards we
had set were integrated into the collection
planning process we concluded
that only half of the enclosures were
suitable for breeding or keeping more
than one or two animals.
The next steps
The EAZA Regional Collection Plan for
bears will soon be published, and then
implemented. Information gained over
the past years in conferences and workshops
with bear conservationists (see
Table 1) indicates that bears in EAZA
zoos will not be needed for reinforcement
of wild populations in the near future.
Research and long term monitoring of
released wild-born orphans should first
be undertaken. Conservation education
based on captive bears will have far
higher priority during the next few
years. Consequently, the TAG needs to
develop and spread its messages on the
in situ situation, on the one hand, and
on the other hand, needs to stimulate
even more improvement of the captive
environment; to close the gap between
the number of appropriate spaces and
the number of bears. In order to achieve
EEP committee
The following new EEPs, ESBs,
new EEP coordinators and European
studbook keepers were approved:
NEW PROGRAMMES
BLACK MARSH TURTLE ESB
(Siebenrockiella crassicollis)
Mr. Aleksander Niwelinski, Plock Zoo
MALAYAN BOX TURTLE ESB
(Cuora amboinensis)
Mr. Aleksander Niwelinski, Plock Zoo
BANK CORMORANT EEP
(Phalocrocorax neglectus)
Mr. Bart Hiddinga, NFRZG, Amsterdam
LIVINGSTONE’S FRUITBAT ESB
(Pteropus livingstoni)
Downgraded from EEP with coordinator
Dominic Wormell, Jersey, to ESB with
coordinator Mr. Will Masefield, Jersey Zoo
NUBIAN IBEX ESB
(Capra nubiana)
Mr. Hanakova Lenka, Bratislava Zoo
NEW STUDBOOK KEEPERS
TURKMENIAN MARKHOR ESB
(Capra falconeri heptneri)
Ms. Paula Holma, Helsinki Zoo
these goals the TAG will facilitate and
intensify contacts within the zoos and
between zoos and the field researchers
and conservationists.
New TAG chair
Lydia Kolter thanks the EAZA Bear
TAG members for their excellent
cooperation, support and cohesion
over critical questions during the past
ten years. She will pass the position
of the Bear TAG chair to José Kok.
José was pre-destined to undertake
the tasks to come, for several reasons:
her background is as an educator; for
two years she has been the European
brown bear studbook keeper and she
works in the Department of Biology
and Education at Ouwehands Dierenpark,
Rhenen, the Netherlands with its
exemplary new enclosures for bears.
EAZA News 43 – 2003
27
July - August - September