Zoo Basel – History The zoo is 140 years old. It was farmland when it started, but now it is right in the city. The zoo exists for two reasons: 1.To help breed endangered animals and provide a safe environment so they can build up their numbers 2.To provide opportunities for people to experience nature, and to learn to emotionally connect with animals and the environment, so they will love, protect and care for them. Endangered animals supported by the zoo 1.Wild donkeys 2.Brillen penguins 3.Indian rhino Domestic Animals The zoo knows that people like to touch animals but they don’t want the wild animals to be treated like pets. So the zoo has made a special section where people can pat animals like ponies, goats, pigs. There are no barriers – just open fences – and the animals can choose whether or not they want contact with humans. Wild Donkeys · Don’t need a lot of space because the zoo provides plenty of high quality food that gives them plenty of energy. In the wild they would have to search for food over a wider area; they would have to eat more to get the energy they need. · They eat the bark from branches, and hay. · The donkeys (and all zoo animals) need space to move in a circle – no dead ends or they would panic. They have gaps in the trees and rocks so they can get through, and no paths that end in a wall or fence – all paths are circular. · The zoo makes sure they can shelter from the rain. · They are endangered because of the war in Somalia. People were starving and started to hunt the donkeys for food. · They are the most endangered species in the zoo, not sure how many are left in the wild. · The zoo breeds them for two reasons: they are endangered and need to build up the numbers; also donkeys are social animals and can’t survive if there are only one or two – they need at least a group of four or five. Indian Rhino · Numbers were good, there was success breeding in the wild but numbers are dropping because of poaching. · Poachers and rangers are battling, governments have to fight poachers with soldiers. · Poachers are highly equipped with expensive guns and helicopters. · They are funded by rich people who can pay them. · Rhino horns are being moved to Asia. There was a story that a politician was cured of cancer by medicine made from rhino horns, reported everywhere in Asia by the media. Now people want horns as a cancer cure. · They are losing habitat in Nepal and India – wetlands are disappearing. · Rhino enclosure is soft, wet and muddy because rhinos need soft ground for their feet. · Captivity breeding is successful – numbers are up from hundreds to 2700 now. · 70% are in national parks. · Scientists are worried that disease will spread easily because there are so many rhinos sharing spaces. They are trying to shift rhinos, to spread them out. Brillen Penguin · They breed well in the zoo. · Their environment is stones and sand, and breeding holes. At first the zoo made the holes, but now penguins make their own and that’s good. · They used to be hunted but that’s not the problem now · They are endangered because of introduced species – especially cats who eat the chicks. · Food supply is limited in the wild – scientists know there is something wrong with the fish they eat, but they don’t know what. Maybe they have been overfished by humans, maybe they have changed their migratory routes – but penguins can’t get enough fish to eat. · Penguins (like many birds) need to be in a large group to breed. (Flamingos need a group size of 40-50). These groups are called colonies. · Bristol Zoo in England and Zoo Basel work together. · Penguin numbers have halved in the last four years – a big problem. · Zoo birds need to take malaria pills so they don’t get sick. Snow Leopards · Found in the Himalayas · Night hunters, silent, good huntes · Males behave differently in the zoo – help to raise young, but they don’t in the wild · Not often seen in the zoo because they are asleep, and they choose to stay inside · Need high enclosures to keep them in. Food Sources · Animals don’t need much food in the zoo. · The zoo provides seasonal food, similar to what they would have in the wild · Meat – they get most small animals from medical labs (rats, mice, guinea pigs) – older chickens and bigger goats that nobody wants – newborn calves that won’t survive. · Switzerland has very high standards for meat eaten by humans; sometimes meat doesn’t quite meet these standards so the zoo buys that meat.
The zoo is 140 years old. It was farmland when it started, but now it is right in the city. The zoo exists for two reasons:
1. To help breed endangered animals and provide a safe environment so they can build up their numbers
2. To provide opportunities for people to experience nature, and to learn to emotionally connect with animals and the environment, so they will love, protect and care for them.
Endangered animals supported by the zoo
1. Wild donkeys
2. Brillen penguins
3. Indian rhino
Domestic Animals
The zoo knows that people like to touch animals but they don’t want the wild animals to be treated like pets. So the zoo has made a special section where people can pat animals like ponies, goats, pigs.
There are no barriers – just open fences – and the animals can choose whether or not they want contact with humans.
Wild Donkeys
· Don’t need a lot of space because the zoo provides plenty of high quality food that gives them plenty of energy. In the wild they would have to search for food over a wider area; they would have to eat more to get the energy they need.
· They eat the bark from branches, and hay.
· The donkeys (and all zoo animals) need space to move in a circle – no dead ends or they would panic. They have gaps in the trees and rocks so they can get through, and no paths that end in a wall or fence – all paths are circular.
· The zoo makes sure they can shelter from the rain.
· They are endangered because of the war in Somalia. People were starving and started to hunt the donkeys for food.
· They are the most endangered species in the zoo, not sure how many are left in the wild.
· The zoo breeds them for two reasons: they are endangered and need to build up the numbers; also donkeys are social animals and can’t survive if there are only one or two – they need at least a group of four or five.
Indian Rhino
· Numbers were good, there was success breeding in the wild but numbers are dropping because of poaching.
· Poachers and rangers are battling, governments have to fight poachers with soldiers.
· Poachers are highly equipped with expensive guns and helicopters.
· They are funded by rich people who can pay them.
· Rhino horns are being moved to Asia. There was a story that a politician was cured of cancer by medicine made from rhino horns, reported everywhere in Asia by the media. Now people want horns as a cancer cure.
· They are losing habitat in Nepal and India – wetlands are disappearing.
· Rhino enclosure is soft, wet and muddy because rhinos need soft ground for their feet.
· Captivity breeding is successful – numbers are up from hundreds to 2700 now.
· 70% are in national parks.
· Scientists are worried that disease will spread easily because there are so many rhinos sharing spaces. They are trying to shift rhinos, to spread them out.
Brillen Penguin
· They breed well in the zoo.
· Their environment is stones and sand, and breeding holes. At first the zoo made the holes, but now penguins make their own and that’s good.
· They used to be hunted but that’s not the problem now
· They are endangered because of introduced species – especially cats who eat the chicks.
· Food supply is limited in the wild – scientists know there is something wrong with the fish they eat, but they don’t know what. Maybe they have been overfished by humans, maybe they have changed their migratory routes – but penguins can’t get enough fish to eat.
· Penguins (like many birds) need to be in a large group to breed. (Flamingos need a group size of 40-50). These groups are called colonies.
· Bristol Zoo in England and Zoo Basel work together.
· Penguin numbers have halved in the last four years – a big problem.
· Zoo birds need to take malaria pills so they don’t get sick.
Snow Leopards
· Found in the Himalayas
· Night hunters, silent, good huntes
· Males behave differently in the zoo – help to raise young, but they don’t in the wild
· Not often seen in the zoo because they are asleep, and they choose to stay inside
· Need high enclosures to keep them in.
Food Sources
· Animals don’t need much food in the zoo.
· The zoo provides seasonal food, similar to what they would have in the wild
· Meat – they get most small animals from medical labs (rats, mice, guinea pigs) – older chickens and bigger goats that nobody wants – newborn calves that won’t survive.
· Switzerland has very high standards for meat eaten by humans; sometimes meat doesn’t quite meet these standards so the zoo buys that meat.