Species of the week:Canada Goose

Species of the week:
Canada Goose(Branta canadensis)

1. It is native in arctic and temperate regions of North America abut can be found in other temperate regions as it has been introduced.
2. It is distinguishable by the black head and neck with white patches on the face and brown body.
3. They are about 70-110cm in length and have a 125-185 cm wingspan.
4. They are migratory birds, migrating from Canada to the U.S.A.
5. Their migratory pattern is that of a V shaped.
6. They are primarily herbivores, eating grass and grain. They will however eat small insects and fish.
7. Canada Geese are monogamous and find their pair during the second year of their lives.
8. They lay about 2-9 eggs, with an average of five.
9. Incubation is 24-28 days and the chicks are able to walk and swim and find food as soon as they hatch.
10. Canada Goose are protected in Canada but are considered "Least Concern"by the IUCN.

Species of the week: Giant Panda

Species of the week:
Giant Panda(Ailuropoda melanoleuca)

1. It is a bear that is easily recognized by the black patches over the eyes, around the body and the ears.
2. Although  considered carnivores, the panda's diet consists mostly of bamboo with meat acting as a supplement.
3. They are about 1.2 to 1.8 m long and stand at 60 to 90 cm tall.
4. They can weight about 100-115 kg.
5. They can up live up to 20 years in the wild and 30 in captivity.
6. Pandas will eat about 9 to 14 kg of bamboo a day.
7. Panda mating season is between March and May and the female is in estrus, once a year for two or three days.
8. They give birth to one young every two years give or take and gestation lasts about 95 to 160 days.
9. Pandas do not have permanent dens but instead spend time changing locations throughout their territory.
10. Great Pandas are listed as "Endangered"by the IUCN and are conservation icons,

In response to the animal killing in zoos

So Copenhagen Zoo was in the news these last couple of weeks. First for killing a giraffe and now for killing  four lions.  Although the zoo is under fire, they claim they did nothing wrong. What they did complies with EU regulations and zoo guidelines. In fact the zoo is praised for the high standard of animal welfare and educational values they have.  This raises a particularly interesting conflict among my ideals and I would like to discuss this. I am neither 100% pro-captivity nor 100% against it. My ideals are somewhere in the middle. Some animals can be kept in captivity and show no signs of stress. Some thrive under it. Some other animals don’t. Some zoos do a great job in conservation and educations while some don’t. I suppose my ideals are that it depends on the animal, the zoo and the welfare standards.

What the zoo did, makes absolute sense on their behalf. The male lions were killed to allow for the new male they brought in to be the breeding male. The female was killed because she would have prevented the younger females from mating and she would have had complications during pregnancy. So it makes sense for the zoo to put them down. They lived a happy life and their death was quick. Is it right? Well by me no. Since as a zoo you are breeding animals you should have a responsibility towards their welfare throughout their whole life and not cut their life short. It is a duty of care that should be part of the legislation according to me. 

Although zoos can be part of the conservation effort and part of educating the public, there are some zoos that misunderstand their responsibility. People everywhere are campaigning that there are not enough lions out there in the wild but yet zoos(who are meant to educate the general public) go and shoot four. I can see that the oldest ones couldn’t contribute to breeding, and I know that it’s hard to release the younger ones. However they could either give off the younger lions to another breeding program or send them to a sanctuary or a separate enclosure. By treating the animals as property and by strategically planning pregnancies, animal transfers and new animal acquisitions you are unfortunately sending the wrong message that animals are property and that the reason they are there is for money first and the rest come before that.

By not being able to euthanize healthy animals you send the message that wildlife is respected and hat these animals are more than just an item but an entity that should be respected. In my opinion captive animals can suffer captivity if it means the welfare and prosperity of wild animals(that is of course if captivity doesn’t have extreme detrimental effects on them). By keeping your excess breeding and treat animals in such a way, you teach the general public that they should respect animals. The materialistic and consumerist approach is what’s causing habitat fragmentation, habitat loss, illegal wildlife trade and so many other reasons that certain animal species are endangered. So by removing aspects of this approach and portraying animals as entities that should be respected, the public may gain a new perspective on what keeping animals means and how much influence they have over their life.

In the end of the day unfortunately zoos have to make money to continue surviving and it is logical that in some sense they would approach a matter in a more businesslike approach. When the general public opinion changes then perhaps so will zoo management and perhaps there may be a time where zoos are no longer necessary for conservation efforts. Until that time occurs then zoos are necessary and issues over the management of animals will always be present  but it is important to recognize the particular conservation value that some zoos hold.

Species of the Week: Chinese Water Deer

Species of the Week:
Chinese Water Deer(Hydropotes inermis)

1. The adults weigh about 10-18kg and reach up to 55cm in height.
2. Instead of antlers these deer have small protruding tasks emerging from their mouth, earning them the nickname "vampire deer".
3. They are usually found near water bodies and their preferred habitat is reed beds, river shores, woodlands and fields.
4. They tend to be solitary animals, unless they are found in extreme high intensities in which case they may form pairs.
5. They usually feed on herbs and other nutritious plants.
6. Their tusks can grow up to 8cm with an average of about 5.5-6 cm.
7. They can live up to 10-12 years.
8. Their mating session is during November to December where the annual rut takes place.
9. Their gestation period lasts about 180 to 210 days and they produce from 1-7 young with the norm being two or three.
10. They are listed as "Vulnerable"in the IUCN but are abundant in some areas of the world.

Species of the week:Polar Bear

Species of week:
Polar Bear(Ursus maritimus)

1. They are considered one of the largest bear species present on Earth, with the male weighing from 350-700kg and 2.4-3m in length.
2. They can be found around the Arctic Circle and the adjacent land masses of Norway, Denmanrk, United States of America, Russia and Canada.
3. The males are larger than the females, with the females being about half the size of males.
4. Polar bears have a thick hide and fur to keep warm and their blubber is about 10cm thick.
5. Polar bears are obligate carnivores which means they only sustain themselves with meat. They hunt most animals but their preferred prey is seals.
6. They will also scavange and hunt narwals and beluga whales.
7. They usually stalk holes in the ice, waiting for their prey to appear to take a breath and they attack then.
8. Despite popular belief a polar bear's skin is black and their hair are transparent. The reason we see their hair as white has to do with the way the light reflects on the hair.
9. Mating season takes place between April and May. Fertilized eggs remain suspended until August or September and cubs are usually born from November all the way to December.
10. Polar bears are listed as "Vulnerable"in the IUCN red list. Their main threat is loss of habitat due to global warming.

Species of the Week: The Atlas Moth

Species of the Week:
Atlas Moth(Attacus atlas)

1. It is the largest moth to be ever found.
2. It can be found in  South East Asia in tropical and subtropical habitats.
3. Their wingspan can reach 25cm and they cover a total surface area of up to 400cm2.
4. They are the only insect species to successfully mimic a predator reptile as a means of defense.
5. When they hatch, they form no mouths but instead rely on their fat storage to keep them going until they mate and die.
6. After their adulthood they only live for two weeks due to their lack of mouths.
7. Their eggs are spherical and have a 2.5mm diameter. They are usually found in the underside of leaves.
8. The caterpillars are covered in fleshy spines and waxy substances to prevent predation.
9. They pupate once they reach 115mm and remain in their cocoon for 4 weeks.
10. There are no conservation issues regarding the Atlas Moth.

Species of the Week: Wolverine

Species of the Week:
Wolverine(Gulo gulo)

1. It can only be found in the Northern Hemisphere.
2. Wolverines live in boreal forests, tundras and subarctic areas.
3. They stand 30-45cm tall and weight from 9-27kg.
4. Their fur  dark and oily which makes it incredibly hydrophobic. This repels water and gives the wolverine resistance from frost.
5. They are both a predator and a scavenger. Their main prey is small mammals but have been seen killing adult deer and mouse when weakened.
6. The males will form lifetime relationships with around 2-3 females in their territory or in adjacent territories.
7. Although their mating season is in the summer, the wolverine embryo is not planted until early winter. This is to time the offspring birth to early spring.
8. Gestation period lasts around 30-50  days and two or three young are born every litter.
9. They live from 5 to 13 years of age.
10. Although listed as "Least Concern" by the IUCN there are concerns over how populations will cope with global warming.