After the tragic incident with the leopard at the Biblical Zoo, the question arises again why we even need zoos? International breeding research, scientific collaborations, and a wildlife hospital – this is how zoos in Israel and around the world work to preserve endangered species and increase public awareness.
By Yaakov Goldberg, Zavit – Science and Environmental News Agency
Beyond the enriching and enjoyable experience of visiting a zoo, not always and not everyone is clear about the benefit or necessity of their existence, as well as their impact on nature. In early August, Uriel Nouri, an employee of the Biblical Zoo in Jerusalem, was tragically killed by a Persian leopard attack while preparing an enrichment activity for the leopards as part of a tour for visitors. The case has raised the issue of justifying zoos and the benefit of keeping wild animals in protected and enclosed places.
To get to the bottom of the matter, we spoke with Keren Or, the zoologist at the Ramat Gan Safari Zoo. "There are two justifications for keeping wild animals in zoos – nature conservation and education. Any other reason is unethical," she begins.
People claim that zoos simply take animals from the wild.
"This is one of the myths that people always throw out, and it's simply not true. Today, zoos don't just take animals from the wild. We take from the wild in two cases – critically endangered species that have only a few individuals left, and then transfer them to a zoo to start a breeding program to restore the species, or those – usually birds – that came from the wild when they were injured and can't be returned to the wild."
How does this affect nature conservation in the long term?
"First of all, we need to understand that a single zoo cannot act alone to preserve the world's nature. The strength of zoos is in their community. There is an international community of zoos, usually on a regional basis, which allows for a lot of collaboration. We are members of the European Association of Zoos, theEAZA (European Association of Zoos and Aquaria), which links over 400 zoos and organizations in 47 countries, and operates the Conservation plans of endangered species."
They meet high standards in everything related to the way the animals are kept and cared for. Photo: Yam Seton
What does membership in such a community require?
"This requires us to meet high standards in everything related to how the animals are kept and cared for. There are ethical codes, there are specific guidelines for the care of each species that include a variety of aspects such as the size of the display and its design, social composition and the number of individuals allowed to be kept in a display of a given size, nutrition, veterinary care, and more."
"In addition, and this is the main impact, membership in the organization requires participation in breeding programs. The breeding programs are mainly focused on In endangered animals, which are also animals that are prohibited from trade. Israel, along with 184 other countries, is a signatory to CITES Convention, which aims to eradicate the trade in endangered wildlife. This means that these animals are not the property of the safari, and it cannot do with them as it pleases. If, for example, a certain species reproduces, then, as in nature, the young individual will leave the herd or parents and move to another zoo. There are also cases where breeding should be prevented for individuals whose genetics may be overrepresented in the population in the breeding program, in order to preserve the genetic diversity of the population in the breeding program. For example, we were asked to stop the breeding of the safari's male gorilla, Lucas, who will celebrate his 43rd birthday at the end of the year and who currently has nine sons and daughters and seven grandsons and granddaughters in zoos around the world."
How do breeding programs actually affect animals?
"I compare breeding programs to an insurance plan. They are a kind of insurance for animals in the wild in case something happens to them. Over the years, many species that had completely disappeared from the wild have been reintroduced thanks to zoos. For example, in the 80s in California, they saw that only a few individuals of California Condor"Therefore, they captured a number of individuals that remained in the wild, took them to a zoo in San Diego and began to breed them, similar to what is happening today with the eagles in Israel. After a few years, they began to return the offspring born in the zoo to the wild, and today this species numbers over 300 individuals."
"The condor is just one example of many. There are already several species that have been reintroduced into the wild." Black-footed ferret, Przewalski's horse, and the Sahara ram, a North African desert antelope that is now classified Endangered Once considered extinct in the wild, by the early 80s, very few rams remained, until they completely disappeared from the wild. In the following years, As part of the zoo breeding program"There have been several reintroduction events of the rams in Chad, Africa, totaling hundreds of individuals so far. In recent years, hundreds of litters of rams have already been observed in the wild."
Are all animals in zoos endangered?
"Of course not. It is very difficult to fill zoos with only species Endangered. The other animals are the ambassadors who help convey the messages. In addition, modern zoos are currently in the process of organizing the animals in the field in a 'natural' manner, that is, adapting the animals in the enclosures and displays to the biodiversity found in the natural distribution area of these animals, including combinations of several animals together. "This process helps to emphasize the need to preserve the habitat and the diversity of species living in it.
As mentioned, alongside direct actions to protect the animals, the zoo functions as an educational arm to convey messages. A comprehensive analysis of more than 50 studies Show Because visiting zoos contributes to raising awareness of nature conservation issues, and in fact may encourage pro-conservation behaviors. In addition, and unlike nature museums, will see Because the direct experience in zoos with animals has added value in raising awareness.
In practice, what does "education" mean?
"Instructional stations at the zoo, tours and conversations with handlers who explain about the animals and nature. The goal is to get visitors to know, connect with and love the animals and nature, and thereby develop the desire to protect them. There is also a lot of specific and topical content and messages, all of which are up-to-date." on the Facebook page of the safari. For example, in recent times, against the backdrop of the multiple perceptions of The monkeys and lion cubs that are smuggled into Israel "In ways that are not ways and, of course, in a clearly illegal way - we first explain what wild animals are and why they are important, about the special care they need and how illegal trade in them harms nature and threatens the extinction of certain species of wild animals, in addition to the great suffering it causes to the animals."
Another aspect that Or points out is the treatment of injured animals. "The safari, together with the Nature and Parks Authority, maintains the only hospital in the country that treats wildlife, with over 6,000 animals treated there every year. This is a very significant contribution to Israeli nature."
"In addition, we are constantly collaborating with quite a few Israeli researchers. We have an ethics committee that reviews every request, and if it is possible, we are happy to assist. We will not capture or kill an animal for research. We do not want to endanger the animals, but we have the ability to obtain very valuable information from the animals without harming them, such as blood and saliva samples that can be obtained during training. Two years ago A study was published "On the facial muscles of gorillas, which used a postmortem examination of a gorilla from the zoo."
However, despite the potential, the zoos' ability to work for nature conservation is not always fully realized, partly due to a limited budget. In this context, Or points out the economic challenge, "our biggest challenge," she says. "We make our living mainly from our visitors. The safari is a municipal corporation, which belongs to the Ramat Gan municipality, which funds it, but that's not enough. All maintenance expenses, food, medicine, and salaries come from the visitors. With the money that's left over, we can work on other programs and upgrades that will improve the welfare of the animals. The last few years with the coronavirus and the war have had an impact on our ability to realize our ambitions, but we are determined and we will get there, even if it takes longer."
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