CZA ex-situcza.nic.in/Ex-situr updates July 2012 (small).pdf · Ex-situ & In-situ linkages: ... Manikdoh, Maharashtra Common leopard 2004 17. People for Animals Shelter House, Wardha,

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CZA

A Quarterly Newsletter of the Central Zoo Authority July 2012 (Volume 1, Issue 2)

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ex-situupdates

2

Partner Institutions

Editorial BoardChief Patron Jayanthi Natarajan Minister of State (I/C) Ministry of Environment & Forests & Chairperson, CZA Government of India

Chief Advisor Jagdish Kishwan Additional Director General of Forests (Wildlife), Ministry of Environment and Forests Government of India

Editor in Chief B.S Bonal Member Secretary, CZA

Editorial Technical Dr. Brij Kishor Gupta Evaluation & Monitoring Officer,CZA

Editorial Coordinator Dr. Naim Akhtar ScientificOfficer,CZA

Editorial Consultants Himanshu Malhotra & Sabina Kidwai

Cover photograph

Contents

School of Planning and Architecture

Photo credit: Dr Vibhu Prakash

Rescue and Rehabilitation of Wild Animals

Veterinary Care of Animals in Zoos

Ex-situ & In-situ linkages: Conservation of the Red Panda

Standardisation of Record Keeping in Zoos

Zoo News

Global News

CZA News

The Long Billed Vulture or the Indian Vulture (Gyps indicus) is listed as critically endangered by IUCN Red list and also listed Protected in Schedule I of the Wild Life (Protection) Act 1972. It is a typical vulture, with a bald head, very broad wings and short tail feathers. The species breeds mainly on cliffs, but is known to use trees to nest. Like other vultures it is a scavenger, feeding mostly from carcasses of dead animals. The Central Zoo Authority supports the Vulture Conservation Breeding programme to breed these vultures at the Vulture Conservation Breeding Centre at Pinjore in Haryana

Disclaimer: The views expressed in the articles are the personal views of the authors

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The 26th meeting of the Central Zoo Authority was held on 20th March 2012. The maiden issue of ex-situ updates was released by the Hon’ble Minister of State (IC), Environment & Forests, Government of India, Smt. Jayanthi Natarajan, the Chairperson of the CZA, along with another publication of the CZA “Protocols on Transportation of Wild Animals”. The memorandum of understanding (MoU) to be signed between the CZA and Leipzig Zoo, Germany for cooperation between zoos was also approved in principle at the aforesaid 26th meeting.

This, second issue of the quarterly ex-situ updates seeks to focus on the importance of rescue and rehabilitation, conservation breeding of wild animals and veterinary care in zoos. India’s wildlife is today facing increasing pressures due to developmental activities as well as natural calamities, and this often leads to animals being displaced, injured or stranded. Rescue and rehabilitation centres are the need of the hour to ensure that wild animals which are rescued are nursed and if possible eventually released back in the wild. The National Zoo Policy, 1998 emphasized on the point that zoos must act as rescue centres for displaced or orphan animals. Each state should have a rescue centre to deal with rescued wildanimalspeciesaswellasfacilitiestodealwithanimalsnotfitfordisplayina zoo.

Veterinarycareofanimals inzoosshouldnotbeconfined to treatmentofsickanimals by veterinarians. It should be an indispensable, regular and specialized function which supports the sustained health of zoo animals at several levels. A proper diet and veterinary care are essential for the conservation breeding of any species. The achievements of the Red Panda project at Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park, Darjeeling are a clear indication of what scientificmanagement and veterinary care can contribute to animals in captivity under the Conservation Breeding Programme.

TheCZAendeavours tobringascientificapproach intozoomanagementandhas organized workshops that emphasize outreach for zoo educators and zoo designing and landscaping with immersion enrichment of enclosures for architects. Playing its important role in conservation of endangered species, the CZA sponsored a symposium, “Developing a Regional Response to the Conservation of South Asia’s Critically Endangered Vulture Species”, in collaboration with the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun and the IUCN at Delhi on 3 and 4 May 2012. The Regional Declaration on the Conservation of South Asia’s Critically Endangered Vulture Species was adopted at the symposium after deliberation. As followupaction, thefirstmeetingof theRegionalSteeringCommitteewasheld on 5 May 2012, and a consensus was reached on the terms of reference and composition of the Regional Steering Committee.

Standardized data collection in zoos for better management can be ensured through the use of software such as ARKS and now ZIMS 2012. The Member Secretary, being a member of the Board of Trustees of International Species Information System (ISIS), emphasized the need for proper Record Keeping through the use of ISIS software.

Policy, Rules and Guidelines of Central Zoo Authority

1. Guidelines for prioritizing grant offinancialassistancetozoos

2. Guidelines/ norms for maintenance of rescue centre housing rescued animals of circuses

3. Guidelines for utilization of volunteers in zoo management in India

4. Guidelines for grant of approval by the Central Zoo Authority for establishment of new zoo under section 38H (1A) of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 5. Guidelines of the Central Zoo Authority for facilitating effective andScientificManagementof Zoos in India 6. Guidelines on animal housing, upkeep, hygiene and healthcare 7. Guidelines on tranquilization of animals in zoos 8. Guidelines on post-mortem and disposal off carcasses 9. Guidelines on euthanasia of a zoo animal 10. Guidelines on recordkeeping 11. Guidelines on safeguards against animals escaping from the animal enclosures/zoo 12. Guidelines on release of zoo animals into the wild 13. Guidelines on Research activities in zoos 14. Guidelines on use of innovative exhibit design and barriers for holding and display of animals and birds

(B.S Bonal)

FROM THE DESK OF MEMBER SECRETARY

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Photo credit: Brij Kishor Gupta

Rescue and Rehabilitation of Wild Animals

-B.S. Bonal and Brij Kishor Gupta

India’s wildlife is facing increasing pressures due to developmental activities such as agriculture, grazing and expansion of human habitations. Naturalcalamitiessuchasforestfires,floodsandcycloneshavecompoundedthe problems, hindering movement to safer habitats. Animals succumb to such changes and pressures or get displaced, injured or stranded. Many such animals eventually end up either in over-crowded zoos or in the hands of untrained personnel. Though some species are able to adapt to these changes, a vast majority succumb to the pressures. Often animals tend to stray out of their diminishing habitats in search of food or shelter, into villages adjoining forests or sometimes into urban areas away from the forests. The general practice has been to place rescued animals in over-crowded zoos or ill-equipped animal care centres. There is increasing public opinion to see the return of these rescued wild

animals to their natural habitat instead of their being deposited in zoos. The reputation of zoos gets tarnished when rescued animals, for want of space, are housed in substandard enclosures. With many of India’s endangered species being found in discrete, fragmented populations, every loss means a further reduction of the effective population size. Rehabilitation is a wildlife management tool which, if strategically used, can significantlycontribute to the conservation of endangered species.

The National Zoo Policy, 1998, while laying the objectives to be achieved by zoos, has clearly stated that “the zoos shall continue to function as rescue centres for orphaned wild animals, subject to the availability of appropriate housing and upkeep infrastructure. Where appropriate housing and upkeep is not available, the State Government and the Central Government would

ascertain the setting up of rescue facilities in off-the-display areas of the zoo, subject to the availability of land”. According to the Recognition of Zoo Rules, 2009, the term “Rescue Centre” means an establishment for the long-term care of the animals specified in the schedules of the act.

The Central Zoo Authority, in its guidelines for scientific managementof zoos has also clearly stated that the State Government should have a rescue centre to deal with rescued wild animal species and orphaned, infirm captive animals not fit fordisplay in the area/locality/ecosystem where the rescue centre is located:

1. All rescued sick or injured wild animals should be rehabilitated back in the wild or in a regular lifetime care facility/zoo/rescue centre within 30 days of treatment/healing depending upon the condition/suitability of the individuals.

2. All seized wild animals should also be rehabilitated back in the wild or in a regular lifetime care facility/zoo/rescue centre, depending upon the condition/suitability of the individuals, within 30 days of the seizure after getting the permission of the court dealing with the case.

3. All rescued/abandoned young wild animals should only be reared in nurseries attached to the veterinary facilities/hospitals of recognized zoos/rescue centres.

4. Animals of wild origin shall be treated as precious commodities. Such animals shall not be permitted to stagnate at rescue centres/mini zoos.

The Central Zoo Authority has granted recognition to the 17 rescue and rehabilitation centres listed below for housing wild animals received orphaned, blind, sick or injured or rescued from natural calamities such as floods and cyclones for a certainperiod, subject to the condition that each rescue centre shall comply with the standards and norms laid down under the Recognition of Zoo Rules, 2009.

Himalayan Black Bear at a Rescue Centre

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S. No. Name of Rescue Centre and location Species Housed Year of Establishment

1. Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre, Tutikandi, Himachal Pradesh

Birds & Mammals 1958

2. Amtes Animal Ark, Gadchiroli, Maharashtra Birds, mammlas & reptiles 1974

3. Nehru Pheasantry, Manali, Himachal Pradesh Phesants & Mammals 1984

4. Nature Park at Taratola Road, Kolkata, West Bengal Mammals 1984

5. PUGMARKS – People for Animals Santiniketan Rescue Centre, Santiniketan, West Benga

Birds & Mammals 1995

6. Visakha Society for Protection and Care of Animals, Vishakhapatnam. Andhra Pradesh

Birds & Mammals 1996

7. Hanuman Vatika, Sultanpur, Gurgaon, Haryana Rhesus macaques, Common langur and Bonnet macaques

1998

8. Wildlife Rescue Centre, Gurgaon, Haryana Birds & Mammals 1998

9. Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilittaion Home, Bangalore, Karnataka

Birds & Mammals 1999

10. People for Animals Rescue Centre, Bangalore, Karnataka Birds & Mammals 1999

11. Agra Bear Rescue Facility, Keetham, Agra, Uttar Pradesh Sloth bear 1999

12. Karuna Society for Animals and Nature, Puttparthy, Andhra Pradesh

Mostly herbivores, Sloth bear and birds

2000

13. Vulture Conservation Breeding Centre, Pinjore, Haryana Vultures (White backed, Slender billed & Long-billed)

2001

14. Centre for Bear Rehabilitation and Conservation, Seijosa, Arunachal Pradesh

Asiatic black bear 2002

15. Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation, Golaghat, Assam

One-horned rhinoceros, Indian elephant & other wildlife

2002

16. Leopard Rescue Centre, Manikdoh, Maharashtra Common leopard 2004

17. People for Animals Shelter House, Wardha, Maharashtra Birds & Mammals 2008

Photo credit: Wildlife Trust of India

Rescue centres which were found to be not functioning according to the provisions of the Recognition of Zoo Rules, 2009 were de-recognized and closed. The rescue centre at Meham, Haryana was one such facility, and it was closed in 2011.

Today, such rescue and rehabilitation centres are distributed all over the country and are maintained by non-governmental organizations, individuals, societies, trusts, forest departments and municipal corporations. However prior permission must be obtained from the Central Zoo Authority and the Hon’ble Supreme Court to establish and manage new rescue centres for providing life time care for wild animals. Rescue centres provide animals all care under the supervision of the expert veterinarians and wildlife biologists working with them. These

Rescued Star Tortoises from Indonesia

List of recognised Rescue Centres

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time care facilities at seven places established by the CZA, Ministry of Environment & Forests in the off-exhibit areas of Indira Gandhi Zoological Park, Vishakhapatnam, Sri Venkateswara Zoological Park, Tirupati, Arignar Anna Zoological Park, Vandalur, Chennai, Bannerghatta Biological Park, Bangalore, Nahargarh Biological Park at Jaipur, Van Vihar National Park, Zoo, Bhopal and South Khairabari Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre, Cooch Behar District, West Bengal during the year 2000-2001. The animals are housed in large, naturalistic enclosures. All veterinary care has been provided to all the animals. Today 202 lions and 42 tigers are surviving in various rescue centres

experts are responsible for ensuring that the natural diet of the animals is provided, that they are screened for diseases and that they are medicated for any illnesses. These animals are quarantined and maintained under supervision for the first 30 days inisolation areas located away from the existing animal enclosures. Newly arrived animals are kept in isolation to avoid transmitting any infection that they may be carrying to other inmates.

Once a veterinarian is sure that an animal has recovered from shock or injury and has found it to be medically andphysicallyfit, theanimalmustbereleased back in its natural habitat, following the procedure prescribed by the Government and the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) for rehabilitation of wild animals. Animals may be found to physicallyunfitforreleaseintothewildbecause they are blind or have lost a limb or, in the case of birds, have lost a wing and thus may not survive in the wild if released. Thus such animals are housed in large, naturalistic off-exhibit enclosures for life time care.

There are rescue centres established for animals received from circuses too. The exhibition of five species,namely the lion, tiger, bear, panther and monkey, by circuses was banned in 1998 by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. More than 400 lions and tigers held by circuses were rescued and rehabilitated in life

Particulars Lion Tiger Leopard Bear Monkey TotalNo.of circuses/zoos from which animals were received

1. Animals rescued from circuses

334 87 4 12 20 457 39

2. Animals recieved through zoos

43 9 7 25 0 84 11

3. Animals that died in rescue centres

175 50 2 4 1 232 -

4. Animals shifted to bear rescue centres/lion tiger safaris

- 4 8 24 16 - -

5. Animals presently at rescue centres

202 42 1 9 3 257 Total=50

Photo credit: Brij Kishor Gupta

Details of the animals rescued from the circuses

The Central Zoo Authority has facilitated the rescue and rehabilitation of animals seized from Indian and international traders by CITES

authorities, the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau and enforcement agencies. In one episode, around 1830 star tortoises were seized by CITES authorities in Singapore during 2002-2003. Upon seizure, the consignment was flownback to India. Thereafter the tortoises were quarantined at Nehru Zoological Park, Hyderabad and released back in the wild on 15 November 2003 after their range (origin) was determined through DNA mapping, conducted at the Laboratory for Conservation of Endangered Species (LaCONES) of the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad. In an another episode, more than 600 star tortoises seized by the Government of Malaysia were brought back to India by the wildlife enforcement agencies and maintained at Arignar Anna Zoological Park, Vandalur, Chennai. Later the animals were released back in the wild.

In 2011, the Deputy Director, Wildlife Crime Control Bureau, Southern Region, Chennai received a consignment of 599 star tortoises from Indonesia. More than 150 of these died due to retained yolk sacks. The remaining animals are housed now at Arignar Anna Zoological Park, Vandalur in the off–exhibit area. The animals are undergoing treatment. Details of their rehabilitation in the wild are being worked out in collaboration with the Wildlife Trust of India, Noida. Genetic testing of these animals is under way at LaCONES, Hyderabad. The site for theirreleaseisbeingidentifiedbytheofficials of the Forest Department ofTamil Nadu, officials of Arignar AnnaZoological Park, Vandalur and the Wildlife Trust of India.

These rescue centres and rehabilitation centres not only achieve the objective of animal welfare and well-being but also provide opportunities for studying their behaviour and biology. They also convey the message among the general public of how to rescue wild animals, whom to inform and how to take care of the animals.

The authors are Member Secretary, CZA, and Evaluation&MonitoringOfficer,CZA

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The prime objectives of keeping wild animals in captivity are education and supporting conservation by breeding species threatened in the wild. A zoo is a place where animals mostly spend their entire lives in man-made surroundings and environments. It is a great challenge to zoo authorities to keep the animals happy and healthy. A zoo is a confined habitat for many species of animals that require large areas for their physiological requirements. Hence, at times, they may suffer from a lack of exercise and an inability to display normal preying behavior. In zoos, veterinarians, by virtue of their formal training in comparative medicine and population medicine, are well positioned to look after the animals’ health.

Factors such as improper housing (lack of natural light, lack of ventilation, dampness and insufficient space),sanitation (cleanliness, and removal and disposal of excretion and left over food), a lack of food or overfeeding, the rodent menace, mixing of rescued animals with the parent stock without providing a sufficient quarantineperiod or a health check-up and of course a close approach of visitors to the animals may be responsible for many type of diseases, both infectious and non-infectious, including zoonotic ones. In zoos, veterinarians, by virtue of their formal training in comparative medicine and population medicine, are well positioned to look after the animals’ health. Zoo keepers often develop an understanding of their animals and relate any behavioral change to their physical state. In the natural wild condition, diseases act as a density dependent population regulation factor and as such cause no threat. However, the ever-increasing human population and the consequent increased contact between man and animal has caused the emergence of newer diseases and has caused endemic/epidemic problems to both man and animals. The situation is even worse in zoo

animals, primarily because they are completely dependent upon man and secondarily due to the introduction of exotic species into compounds having indigenous species. Further, the stress of captivity predisposes animals to different kinds of disease. Veterinary care of animals in zoos should not be confined to the treatment of sickanimals by veterinarians from the state animal husbandry department or a private practitioner. It is an indispensable, regular and specialized function which supports the sustained health of zoo animals at several levels:

Prophylactic: Prophylaxis is minimising the factors which make an animal sick and spread a disease to healthy animals. The practice of prophylaxis requires a deep understanding of disease causing organisms, their mode of transmission to susceptible hosts and carrier or vector animals and how animals could be made strong enough to fight the disease causingorganisms. It includes proper hygiene and sanitation within and around the animal enclosures, developing dietary schedules for different species of wild animal to provide them balanced and economic food, monitoring regularly the health (recording blood parameters, examining faeces for parasitic infestations and physical examination for general health) of a few animals randomly selected for each species and regular de-worming and vaccination against commonly occurring bacterial and viral diseases. A chart has to be prepared for the schedule of these activities and has to be followed strictly.

Therapeutic: In the event of an animal falling sick, it should be examined physically and clinically. If some disease of a infectious nature is suspected, the sick animal(s) should be segregated in an isolated enclosure. Clinical materials such as blood, urine, faeces and nasal swabs or any discharges from natural orificesshouldbecollectedinsuitablecontainers with proper fixatives andtransported to a specialised laboratory for diagnosis. In the meantime, the sick animal should be provided appropriate symptomatic treatment including life saving interventions based on a clinical diagnosis. When handling the ailing

Pho

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RI

Veterinary Care of Animals in Zoos- M C Sharma,

A K Sharma, M Saini & Asit Das

Health check up of a Elephant by IVRI team

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animal, appropriate human safety measures (use of gloves, masks, gum boots and aprons) must be taken. Suitable disinfectants should be used for washing hands before and after a sick animal is handled. Attendants working in enclosures of sick animals should not be allowed to work with healthy animals. Minimise the physical stress caused to sick animals. If tranquilization is needed to restrain an animal, the dose of the chosen drug should be selected considering the physical status of the animal.

Post-mortem: A dead animal should be removed from its enclosure after all the natural orifices areplugged to avoid contamination of the surroundings. Soil or bedding contaminated with discharges should be incinerated. The animal should be subjected to a necropsy by a panel of veterinarians as early as possible. Systematic and thorough post-mortem examination is very crucial for arriving at a correct diagnosis.If needed, suitable morbid materials for bacteriological, virological, parasitological, toxicological and histopathological examinations, as the case may be, should be collected in suitable fixatives/transport media andsent to a laboratory for investigation. Representative tissue pieces no more than 0.5 cm thick should be collected from the organs exhibiting gross pathological alterations or from the organs/systems exhibiting clinical manifestations prior to death in wide mouth screw cap containers in 10% buffered formalin (10-15 times the volume of tissue to be fixed). Faultycollection of morbid samples with an improperfixativewillmakethematerialunfit for laboratory investigations.Action has to be taken very quickly if, on post-mortem examination, the disease is suspected to be of a contagious nature. Gross lesions found on necropsy should always be photographed for seeking expert opinion later. The carcase should be disposed of by incineration in the presence of the panel of veterinarians who conducted the post-mortem.

Tranquilization of the animals: Zoo

animals are frequently transported across various parts of the country under the close supervision of veterinarians. Such operations may warrant even tranquilization of animals. Sometime, certain rescue operations involving carnivore species such as the leopard or tiger are to be carried out wherein an animal must be tranquilized. Even for minor procedures, herbivores such as deer have to be tranquilized. The choice of sedative drug and its antagonists, as well as the dosage, has to be decided by veterinarians. The CZA has developed protocols for the transport of wild animals.

Human safety: Veterinarians and zoo Keepers work in close contact with wild animals. The incidence of tuberculosis, leptospirosis and rabies is quite common in wild animals. These diseases are of a zoonotic nature and can be transmitted from animals to humans working with them. From the point of view of human safety, veterinarians and zoo keepers/attendants need to be regularly vaccinated against these diseases, and their health should be monitored at regular intervals.

The Indian Veterinary Research Institute, the premier institute of

Veterinary science, has contributed immensely to different aspects of wildlife management.The National Referral Centre on Wildlife Conservation, Management and Disease Surveillance, established by the CZA at the IVRI, has been providing diagnostic, therapeutic and consultancy services to zoos as and when requested and organizing short term training programmes for zoo personnel. and the National Referral Centre has also been conducting the National Diploma Course on Zoo and Wild Animals. It has world class laboratories and expertise, including in molecular biology, for rapid DNA based diagnosis of infectious diseases. The team of scientists at the IVRI has already developed “Standards, Guidelines and Protocol on Disease Diagnosis and Cure of Wild Animals in Indian Zoos”, which are available in zoos for reference and have been uploaded to the CZA website, i.e. www.cza.nic.in. Providing veterinary care to zoo animals is challenging, and once veterinarians gain experience in wildlife medicine, they become important national human resources for the care and management of animal health in Indian zoos.

The authors are scientists at IVRI, Izatnagar, Bareilly

Photo credit: IVRI

Treatment of a Vulture

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Photo credit: IVRI

Standardization of Record Keeping in Zoos

More than 39 years ago, when zoos and aquariums were not organized and electronic data recording was not prevalent even in governments, two individuals (Drs. Ulysses Seal and Dale Makey) thought of and proposed the International Species Information System (ISIS) as an international database to help zoos and aquariums accomplish long-term conservation management goals. Their aim was to help conservation management and benefit the cause beyondpolitical boundaries. The tangible form of this dream is an international association of zoos and aquariums, now known as ISIS, a non-profitorganization that provides standard zoological data collection and sharing software to more than 800 zoos, aquariums and related conservation organizations in 83 countries.

India shows its solidarity with ISIS by joining its cause with a strength of 61 institutions, which is far beyond the average. There are more than 800 member institutions among 83 countries in all. The CZA signed an MoU with ISIS to sponsor 57 major zoos and 4 institutions for providing its software for a period of 5 years initially. The then Member Secretary Dr. Brij Raj Sharma was instrumental in signing the MoU with ISIS for using its software in India, and its promotion is being continued by his successor, Mr. B.S. Bonal, and his colleagues Dr. Naim Akhtar and Dr. Brij Kishor Gupta. Being a member of the Board of the Trustee of ISIS, Mr. B.S. Bonal attended its meetings, held at Glands (Switzerland), Koln (Germany) and Buenos Aires (Argentina).ISIS members form a powerful

global network stretching across six continents, committed to the exchange ofmutuallybeneficial information thathelps members learn and achieve best practices of recordkeeping and realize their business and conservation goals. Every zoo, aquarium and wildlife-holding organization that is part of the global conservation movement could derive benefits asan ISIS member. Therefore, ISIS and CZA are serious about using standardized record keeping software such as ARKS, SPARKS and ZIMS.

There are several stories of conservation programs. Some have succeeded; others have failed. To succeed, we must monitor results in order to manage species in captivity; maintain readily available, current information on the animals and their populations; and collect data every day.ThebenefitsofusingISISsoftwareorkeeping records electronically are the following:• Information is entered once and

used many times.• Electronic files are easier to find,

saving time and effort.• In addition, charts and printouts of

a collection’s inventories can be generated in minutes.

More than 800 zoos and aquariums use ISIS software and a pooled database for the following purposes:• Managingtheiranimalinventories.• Controlling the genetic and

demographic makeup of their animal collections.

• Identifying institutions seekinganimals.

• Finding appropriate unrelated newanimals for breeding purposes.

• Discoveringfacilitieswithexperiencein breeding and raising certain offspring.

• Creatingreportsforpersonalandofficialuse.

ISIS: SoftwareISIS software has been recognized as the world-standard practice in zoological record keeping. ISIS records are accepted and preferred by international regulatory bodies such as CITES. The use of ISIS recordkeeping systems is strongly recommended by the World Zoo and Aquarium

Association (WAZA) in the World Zoo and Aquarium Conservation Strategy.

Several regional zoo and aquarium associations seek ISIS membership for their members. ISIS membership is required to seek membership in the European Association of Zoos & Aquaria (EAZA). In North America, 98% of the institutions belonging to the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) are ISIS members.ISIS accomplishes this mainly using the following software.

-Moin Ahmed and Naim Akhtar1. ARKS, or “Animal Records

Keeping System”, lets members contribute information and generate reports from the database.

2. MedARKS, or “Medical Animal Records Keeping System”, is distributed upon request to ISIS members, and it supports the keeping and collection of veterinary medical records.

3. SPARKS, or “Single Population Analysis & Records Keeping System”, supports studbook management and species analysis and is meant for use by studbook keepers.

4. ZIMS, or “Zoological Information Management System”, is the next generation ISIS software, being delivered in stages since March 2010. The ZIMS application is the world’s first real-time, unifiedglobal database of animals in zoos and aquariums. The ZIMS system will have the core animal inventory functionality needed by zoos and aquariums initially. Future releases will include information needed by veterinarians, studbook keepers and advanced functionality.

The authors are Regional Coordinator, ISIS andScientificOfficer,CZA

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Ex-situ & In-situ Linkages: Conservation of Red Panda

- Alankar K. Jha

West Bengal (WB) is unique in that it has a range of ecosystems from alpine to marine systems. The percentage of West Bengal fauna vis-à-vis the Indian fauna varies from 10% to 48% in various phyla. The most impressive statistic about WB is that this state, occupying only 2.7% of the total area of India, has more than 47% (176 species out of 372) of the mammalian faunal species. The region with the highest faunal diversity in the state appears to be the Darjeeling Himalayan region. The most important of the mammalian species is the Red Panda. The Red Panda (Ailurus fulgens) is a small mammal of the Himalaya, almost the size of a Jungle Cat (head and body length 51-64 cm; tail 28-48 cm), with a bright chestnut coat and ringed tail. It is distributed in the Himalaya from Central Nepal through northern Burma and in the mountains of southwestern China (Sichuan, Yunnan, and Xizang provinces) in the altitudinal range between 4,900 and 13,000 feet.

Not much information was available on the exact population of the Red Panda in the wild in India till recently. Rated as very rare, the Red Panda

has been found in Singalila National Park and Neora Valley National Park in Darjeeling, West Bengal, in the Singhik, Chunthang, Menshithang, Lachen, Yaksum and Lachung areas of Sikkim, and in Mehao Wildlife Sanctuary, Arunachal Pradesh. A small population of 78 animals exists ine Singalila National Park, Darjeeling (Govt. of West Bengal 2000 census). The neighboring countries of Nepal and Bhutan are supposed to have sizable populations of the Red Panda in their forests. The population of Red Pandas, along with other parameters, is being

The Red Panda lives at altitudes between 2,200 and 4,800m (7,200 and 15,700 ft), inhabiting areas of moderate temperatures (between 10°C and 25°C/50°F and 77°F) with little annual change. It prefers mountainous mixed deciduous and conifer forests, especially those with old trees and dense understories of bamboo. The IUCN estimates that fewer than 2500 mature individuals survive in the world.

estimated according to guidelines issued by the CZA. The estimate of the population will be the basis of the PHVA of the species later on this year. The population estimation depends greatly on, apart from direct sightings, scats, which are being collected in a two phase operation and are being sent to CCMB, Hyderabad, for analysis up to the individual level. The data from the scats will also be used to determine the sex ratio.

The Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park (PNHZP), Darjeeling, a member of WAZA, is situated at a location called Birch Hill in a virgin patch of forest. It is the only zoo having a stock of Red Pandas drawn from all parts of the animal’s natural range. At present about 85 zoos in the world hold more than 300 Red Pandas, and in the last two decades more than 300 Red Pandas have been born in zoos. Virtually all zoos with Red Pandas participate in a management program designed to ensure that a viable zoo population survives for the foreseeable future. Under this program, a studbook of all Red Pandas in zoos is maintained, genetic and demographic management analyses are used to determine which animals should be mated, and long-term management and research strategies for the species are developed. PNHZP was started with the primary objective of studying and conserving Himalayan fauna.

A planned breeding Red Panda program was initiated in the early 1990s as a part of the Global Red Panda Management Program. Under thisprogram,thezooreceivedfiveRedPandas from various foreign zoos to augment its existing collection of four wild Red Pandas. The Zoological Park is ideally situated within the natural range of the Red Panda. No other captive breeding facility is available in the vicinity of the habitat of the Red Panda (Ailurus fulgens). The zoological park had suitable housing facilities, expertise and success in breeding Red Pandas in captivity even before the animals from the foreign zoos were received. A Snow Leopard breeding and conservation program, started in 1986, the first ex-situ project in India,was being conducted at the park.

Photo credit: PNHZP, DarjeelingRed Panda at PNHZP

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The park had the following objectives:

• To carry out a conservation effortaimed at planned conservation breeding and multiplication to ensure the survival of Red Pandas to make efforts to restock the dwindling population of Red Pandas in Singalila National Park and Neora Valley National Park.

• To make efforts to establishsubsidiary conservation breeding centers in suitable locations in the Eastern Himalaya and strengthen the existing one.

• To provide opportunities toscientists and naturalists to study various hitherto unknown aspects of the biology/behavior of the rare species.

• To arouse consciousness amongthe public about this endangered species and to disseminate popular and scientific informationrelated to this species among the people.

•

S.No

Name StudbookNo.

Sex Sire Dam Date of Acquisition

Birth Death

1. Basant 8649 M Wild Wild - 1 June 1982

2 July 1997

2 Amita 8221 F Wild Wild 1 June 1982

4 July 1997

3. Chanda 8222 F Wild Wild 1 June 1982

10 Oct 1995

4. Divya 8648 F Wild Wild 1 June 1982

10 July 1985

5. Oscar M 1April 1993from Rotterdam

29 June 1992

6. Hari 9302 M 10 Nov 1994 from Rotterdam

30 June 1993

27 Nov 1997

7. Gora 9305 M 8865 8824 10 Nov 1994from Koln

25 June 1993

24 Mar 2009

8. Indira 9930 F 10 Nov 1994from Madrid

26 June 1993

15 Sept 2008

9. Omni 9404 M 25 Dec 1996from Belgium

17 July 1994

25 Oct 2007

10 Prity 9430 F 25 Dec 1996 from Rotterdam

26 June 1994

shifted to Gangtok 14 Mar 1997

Reintroduction In 2003, two females (coded as F001 and F002, house names Sweetie and

Photo credit: PNHZP, Darjeeling

The Zoo started with the following founder stock of Red Pandas:

Year No. of

Births Year No. of

Births

1994 2 2003 3

1995 2 2004 0

1996 3 2005 0

1997 3 2006 1

1998 6 2007 1

1999 7 2008 2

2000 2 2009 0

2001 5 2010 2

2002 0 2011 1

The record of Red Panda births over the years, compiled from the National and International Studbooks

The first successful (planned)breeding of Red Panda was achieved on 20 June 1994, when two cubs, ‘Ekta’ and ‘Friend’, were born to ‘Basant’ and ‘Amita’.

26° 31´– 27° 31´ N is located on the northwestern border of Darjeeling, India) towards the ultimate goal of any conservation breeding program.A soft release facility was constructed at Gairibas (2626 m), in Singalila National Park, with help from the CZA and Forest Department, Government of West Bengal (GOWB). F001 and

Mini, International Studbook numbers 97117 and 9880) were selected from the population of 22 Red Pandas in Indian zoos for release in their native habitat at Singalila National Park, (Singalila National Park 87° 59´ –88° 53´ E and

Red Panda at PNHZP

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F002 were maintained, observed, and acclimatized there before their finalrelease on 14 November 2003. The health of the two females was checked, and they were radio collared before the finalrelease.Thenecessaryclearanceswere obtained from the Government of India and CZA. The Wildlife Wing of the Forest Department, GOWB, and PNHZP, Darjeeling, conducted a pre-monitoring and feasibility study. Assessment of the taxonomic status and genetic variability of the animals to be released was performed with LaCONES at the Center for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, India. Complete health check-ups of the animals were conducted as per schedule.

The release site at Gairibas was selected on the basis of a pre-release survey. The density of Red Pandas in the area was higher than in other parts of Gairibas. A high density was one of the criteria because the two females needed to find respectivemates. Sufficient care was taken towatch and protect the center against predators. The area, over 5 ha in extent, was surrounded by straight iron sheets, and the shrubs and trees near it were removed to check against the escape of captive animals. The animals were shifted there in mid-April for acclimatization. Their food was modifiedatthezoosoastomakethemmore dependent on a natural diet. There was a small enclosure within the soft release center, which housed the animals in initial one month, and slowly they were allowed to go out. By the time of the release, the animals were completely dependent on the natural food available in the enclosure, which included bamboos and wild fruits and berries. The actual release operation was carried out on 14 August 2003, which is the foundation day of the park.

The Red Panda were monitored using the non-triangulation location technique known as the Homing-in on the Animal Method. F001 and F002 were monitored on alternate days by the Wildlife Wing of the Forest Department of GOWB.

ObservationsThrough radio-collaring and monitoring, the births, deaths,

movements, and, to some extent, the behavior of the captive female Red Pandas were recorded. It was found that F002 was more mobile than F001. F001 stayed in the release area and settled in an area referred to as the Middle Area in this text (average altitude 2800 m). Although she did explore the adjoining areas in November and December to some extent, she spent 80% of her released time in the Middle Area. It has also been recorded that F001 started interacting with wild pandas much earlier than did F002. The first wild Red Panda sighting inF002’s area was on 18 November 2003. She was sighted with wild Red Pandas in the Middle Area on 4 December 2003. There were further sightings on December 13, 21 and 13. She was sighted with a wild Red Panda on 1, 16 and 23 January. The dates of sightings in February were 9, 11, 13, 20, 23, and 25. Despite all the positive signs of the adjustment and survival of F001 in the wild, the project lost her when she was predated upon and her remains (skull, a portion of her tail, and paw), along with the attached collar, were found on 15 March 2004. F002, on the other hand, as previously mentioned, was very mobile. She remained below the release site for 6 days in November and traveled about 2 km away from the release site. Her movement over such a long distance from the released site to a quite unknown area made tracking andmonitoringherdifficult initially. InDecember, she settled in an area 1–1.5 km from Gairibas in an area locally knownasMRRoad.ThefirstwildRed

Panda was seen in the MR Road area on 4 December 2003. However, F002 wasfirstseentogetherwithawildRedPanda on 17 February 2004 and then on 26 February, 11 March, 1 April, and 3 April 2004. She gave birth to a cub in a tree hollow on 7 July 2004.

The supposition that the selected release site was good is supported by the fact that F002 got her mate almost as soon as she came to the area. She also did not venture much from it, indicating that shewas satisfiedwiththehabitat.Thereforetheidentificationby the pre-release survey of the release site as a good habitat with a high density of Red Pandas was correct. However, the upper reaches of the area were disturbed owing to its proximity to a trekking road. This was a matter of concern for the safety of the animal. This could be a lesson to be cautious in future ventures. It was feared that the captive bred animals would have lost their basic instincts and that their behavior would not be tuned for survival. The behavioral activities, movements, and, ultimately, the birth of a cub, however, showed that the female pandas could survive in the wild.

Constraints and Future StrategiesThe use of captive breeding in species recovery has grown enormously in recent years but without a concurrent growth in the appreciation of its limitations. There are problems with (1) establishing self-sufficientcaptive populations, (2) poor success in reintroductions, (3) high

Photo credit: Brij Kishor Gupta Red Panda being released

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costs, (4) domestication in captivity, (5) preemption of other recovery techniques, (6) disease outbreaks, (7) maintaining administrative continuity, and (8) a lack of coordination as well as data in Indian zoos have all been significant deterrents inreintroduction programs. Efforts are still directed at ‘prize’ animals such as the Tiger and Elephant. Very little effort is aimed at the Red Panda or similar small animals. While the park does not have a dearth of Red Pandas and budgetary support is not a cause of concern, long term planning and its ultimate implementation may delay the program. Over the past few years, a very good working relation has been established with Gangtok Zoo, with both animals and data being exchanged. Internationally also, of late, exchange program have increased in number, with one exchange of animals having taken place with Auckland Zoo and one with Adelaide Zoo in the pipeline. These exchanges will enhance the gene pool. The female from Auckland has already been paired with a male from the Indian wild gene pool. Another four females will be paired similarly, and this year is expected to yield very good results.The program is on the right track, and with a PHV analysis slated for later this year with the CZA acting as a guiding beacon, more scientific efforts are

on the anvil to save the population. The reintroduction program suffered for a few years for want of funds for conducting census operations. The GOWB wanted to know the impact of a reintroduction program. The current analysis of scats will help us in not only understanding the population dynamics but also the impact of the four animals

The author is the Director, Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park, Darjeeling

Name of the

Zoo

M F Unknown Total

PNHZ Park Darjeeling

10 5 0 15

HZ ParkBulbuley Gangtok

6 5 3 14

Worldwide, the species is kept in 185 various zoos, with a population of 466 animals (225 males and 241 females).

The status of the Red Panda in Indian zoos as of now is as below:

The Conservation Breeding Center at Sepahijala Zoo has been succesful for the second time in birth of endangered Clouded leopard. The female Clouded Leopard gave birth on 2-6-2012 to three cubs out of which two survived. Now the total population of Clouded leopard at Sepahijala Zoo is 6:9:3.

Giraffe Khushi, aged 7 years, gave birth to a second calf on 14/04/2012. Khushi arrived at Sri Chamarajendra Zoological Garden on 07/10/2007 from Lucknow Zoological Garden at the age of 2½ years. It was paired with Mysore zoo born hand-reared Giraffe Krishnaraja, aged 15 years.

released in the park in 2003 and 2004. The park has also been given a short term research project in which data will be documented and various studies conducted on Red Pandas. This year’s births will be recorded with the help of infrared CCTV cameras, which will give us insights into the behaviors of the mother and cub, hitherto unstudied in India.

GLOBAL NEWS San Diego Zoo, California USA has a new addition to their family and has made it possible for the world to meet him through a web cam. Saticoy, a condor, hatched on March 10, 2012 and the birth was witnessed by over twenty thousand web viewers. Condors have been on the California endangered species list since 1967 and declined to only 22 birds in 1982. The California Condor Recovery Program began in the mid 1980’s. Today there are approximately 386 condors.

The Brookfield Zoo family has gone bigger with the birth of a female bison calf. This is the first calf born in Brookfield Zoo, USA since the early 1970

Zoo News

Photo credit: Brij Kishor Gupta ∼

The International Training Centre of the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust (Jersey, British Channel Islands) will run a series of training courses designed for zoo and field conservation professionals. In September they will run a five-day Conservation Education and Evaluation course, designed for conservation educators working in zoos. In the same month they will also run a course on Managing Infectious Disease in Conservation Programmes, designed for zoo and field-based vets to equip them with the skills to manage disease outbreaks in captivity and in the wild. For further information contact www.durrell.org/training

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LEOPARD RESCUE TRAINING PROGRAMME

The Leopard Rescue Center at Manikdoh, Junnar, Pune in collaboration with Society for Wildlife Conservation, Education and Research (WildCER), Maharashtra State Forest Department and Wildlife SOS organised the Leopard Rescue Management and Training Program from 29 December 2011 to 31 December 2011. The objective of the training program was to educate and train the veterinarians in rescue and management of leopards in captivity and rehabilitation. In all, 20 participants from all over Maharashtra were selected for this training program.

NANDANKANAN THE FIRST ZOO TO BREED

RATELThe ratel or honey badger (Mellivora capensis) is an endangered mammal included in the Schedule-I of Wild Life (Protection) Act 1972. The ratel is the largest mustelid found in India. It lives in the dry and moist deciduous forests of our Country. It weighs about 8-10 kilogram and usually breeds during the summer months. The animal is noctournal and lives in burrows during the day time. The population of ratels has declined in the country due to habitat destruction and poaching. There are 8 ratels in six Indian zoos including one pair in Nandankanan. Nandankanan Zoo has achieved thedistinctionofbeingthefirstZooin the Country to have successfully bred ratel in captivity. A special enclosure in Nandankanan Zoo was constructed in October 2011 to house the ratel pair. The mating was observed on 19th & 20th of December, 2011 and the ratel baby was born on 4th February, 2012 after a gestation period of 45 days.

A TRAIN IN THE NAME OF NANDANKANAN ZOO

NandankananisthefirstZoologicalPark in the country after which a train namely ‘12815/12816 - Puri - New Delhi - Puri Superfast Express’ has been renamed as ‘Nandankanan Express’ to mark the Golden Jubilee Celebration of Nandankanan. Zoological Park.

Leopard cub rescued from Uttar PradeshfindsahomeinNationalZoological Park Delhi.

National Zoological Park Delhi has a new addition - a baby Hippo born on 30th May 2012.

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Photo credit: Nandankanan Zoo

Photo credit: Nandankanan Zoo

Zoo News

Striped hyena was successfully bred for the third time at Mysore zoo

The Tata Steel Zoological Park, Jamshedpur is today the proud owner of 5 (2 males and 3 females) pure bred South African lions commonly called Kruger lions. This was part of a collaboration with National Zoological Gardens of South Africa. The animals are doing well in the Zoo.

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Workshop on “Zoo Designing and Landscape Architecture”

The Central Zoo Authority organized a workshop on “Zoo Designing and Landscape Architecture” for engineers and architects of zoos and consultants/entrepreneurs working with zoos at India Habitat Centre, New Delhi from 24 to 26 February 2012 in collaboration with the School of Planning and Architecture (SPA), New Delhi. The workshop was coordinated by Prof. S. Suneja of SPA. The workshop was inaugurated by the Additional Director General of Forests (Wildlife), MoEF, New Delhi and Chairman, Technical Commitee of the CZA, Shri Jagdish Kishwan. During the workshop, Prof. A.K.Sharma, Director of SPA, Prof. Neelima Risbud, Dean of Studies, Prof. A.K. Sharma, HoD, Landscape Architecture, SPA, New Delhi and Shri S.C. Sharma, Founder Member Secretary, CZA delivered the inaugural addresses. The workshop was structured into lecture sessions and a field visit, tothe National Zoological Park, Delhi.Mr. B.S. Bonal, Member Secretary, CZA emphasized in his speech the importance of organizing a workshop on zoo designing and landscape architecture. He stated the zoo engineers and architects should have at least a minimum understanding of zoo priorities, the existing guidelines,

costs and work ethics when designing enclosures and planning landscapes to ensure that animals get the best naturalistic, environmentally enriched enclosures. Landscape planning of zoos should be done in such a manner that all the animal enclosures are immersed in nature. Dr. Brij Kishor Gupta,Evaluation&MonitoringOfficer,CZA explained the rules, norms and guidelines of the CZA in his talk on “Zoo Designing and Master Planning” and how zoo directors frequently ignored them when preparing their respective master plans.

Mr. Jon Coe, invited speaker from Australia and eminent landscape architect, has vast experience with working with zoos across the globe. In hisfirst talk,on“ZooEnvironment forPeople, Plants and Animals”, Mr. Coe emphasized how the zoo environment is important for people, plants and animals and can be protected and restored for sustainable use and conservation. He highlighted how landscape immersion and design of views and sight lines are critical for zoo visitors. Jon Coe’s second talk covered “Animal’s and Keeper Perspective with Facility Design” issues. The speaker dealt with environment enrichment of animal exhibits and with execution in the field to encourageanimal movement and activity.Ms. Monika Fiby, invited speaker from Austria and Project Manager,

Zoolex, spoke on “Peculiarities of Planning Zoos”. She explained the tasks of zoos, and various zoo user groups and their needs, zoo planning as collaborative work, the purpose of exhibits, the planning process, prerequisites for physical zoo planning, the master plan as a part of planning, the use of master plans and the scope of master plans. In her second talk, “Design for Education”, Ms. Monika dealt with the present practices of imparting conservation education in zoos informally, time allocation of visitors, group composition, gender composition, interest in topics, observation time, visitor circulation, space distribution, animal viewing, exhibit immersion, mixed species exhibits and exhibit style. In another talk, on “Planning for Enrichment”, she spoke on how to plan the enrichment of enclosures in zoos. For planning and construction purposes, the distinction between built-in and changeable enrichment is helpful.

Some of the other speakers were Shri. S.C. Sharma, Founder, Member Secretary, CZA who shared about his experiences on “Master Planning for Development of Zoos: Indian Perspective”, Shri S.K. Patnaik, member, CZA who shed light on “Principles of Master Planning for Indian Zoos”, Prof. Dr Rommel Mehta of the SPA who spoke on “Broad Guidelines on Planning and Architecture” and Dr. Meenakshi Dhote of the SPA who spoke on “Biodiversity and Landscape Architectures: Role Played in Zoo Designing”. An overview of the National Zoological Park, New Delhi was presented by Mr. Amitabh Agnihotri, its Director. On the second day of the orientation workshop, the delegates were divided into groups to study the areas at the National Zoological Park, Delhi, with the objective of analyzing the present conditions and developing recommendations for the respective enclosures. The orientation workshop was concluded on the third day with discussions and presentations of recommendations for the respective enclosures by all the groups. These were reviewed by the facilitators. At the end of the workshop it was recommended that such workshops be organized frequently by the CZA.

CZA News

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S. K. Patnaik addressing the participants

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VULTURE SYMPOSIUM

In a ground breaking step towards vulture conservation in South Asia, the governments of Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Pakistan adopted a Regional Declaration on the Conservation of South Asia’s Critically Endangered Vulture Species in Delhi on 4 May 2012. The four governments agreed to take stringent measures to remove toxic, “vulture killing” drugs from the environment, including diclofenac, identified as the singlemost important cause for the catastrophic decline of vulture populations across South Asia.

Recognising the need to scale-up conservation breeding and reintroduction programmes, the governments also agreed to create transboundary Vulture Safe Zones to conserve vulture populations in the wild. A South Asia Regional Steering Committee for Vulture Conservation has been established to coordinate and guide these measures.The symposium focussed on three vulture species that are now facing extinction in the wild: the White-rumped Vulture (Gyps bengalensis), the Indian Vulture (Gyps indicus) and the Slender-billed Vulture (Gyps tenuirostris). All three species have been included on the IUCN Red List as Critically Endangered.The symposium was organised by the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF), Government of India, and the Central Zoo Authority

of India (CZA). Coorganised by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII-Dehradun), Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS-Mumbai) and IUCN, International Union for Conservation of Nature, the event saw the participation of some of the world’s leading vulture experts, senior government representatives from the four countires and national and international NGOs and members of the civil society.

Welcoming the development, Mr P R Sinha, Director, WII said, “The range countries in South Asia have been working on vulture conservation ever since the alarming drop of the populations was noticed. However, the realisation that one country alone would not be able to tackle such a serious and transbounday issue was a start to this process of collective action to save the various species of vultures under the threat of extinction.”Dr Jagdish Kishwan, Additional Director General of Forests (Wildlife), MoEF, stressed on the institutionalisation of a regional network where government officials,scientists and NGOs can come together to save the vulture populations in South Asia. “There are issues and bottlenecks in the conservation of the vulture,” he said. “All the countries in the region have towork togetherwithclearlydefinedrole for each. International agencies can make this collaboration efective.”

Reiterating the importance to work across sectors and regionally, Ms Aban Marker Kabraji, IUCN Asia Regional

Regional Declaration on the Conservation of South Asia’s

Critically Endangered Vulture Species

RECALLING that vultures are specialized scavengers that provide a critically important ecosystem service by removing carcasses of livestock and wild animals, and carrion from the environment;

FURTHER RECALLING that vultures are an integral part of the cultures of South Asian countries, and play a central role in several of the region’s ancient religious traditions;

RECOGNIZING that South Asia’s populations of long-billed vulture (Gyps indicus), slender-billed vulture (Gyps tenuirostris) and white-rumped vulture (Gyps bengalensis) have declined by more than 99 per cent since the early 1990s;

NOTING that IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) has listed all three species as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List;

FURTHER NOTING that IUCN called for urgent measures to be taken to conserve these species, in Resolution 3.079 on the Conservation of Gyps Species of Vultures in South and Southeast Asia, adopted at the IUCN World Conservation Congress in Bangkok in 2004;

RECALLING Aichi Biodiversity Target 12, which calls for all countries and stakeholders to prevent the extinction of known threatened species by 2020 and to improve the conservation status of those species most in decline;

FURTHER NOTING that these rapid declines have been caused by human activities, in particular, the use of diclofenac (a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug) in the livestocksector;

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Director said, “We need to work with a wide range of stakeholders, including the private sector, and at regional scale to achieve long term recovery of the declining vulture population. IUCN can create the platform for multi-stakeholder engagement at the regional scale. We hope that this symposium will lead to the endorsement of a regional declaration on vulture conservation and that it will catalyze more collaboration among the range states. We hope that we will be able to access international funding to support the critical conservation actions required in the four vulture range countries.”

Support for such a collective regional effort for a comprehensive programme on conserving vultures was pledged by Mr B S Bonal, Member Secretary, CZA. “CZA has encouraged 5 zoos across the country to develop breeding programmes through financialsupport for the establishment of ex-situ facilities. CZA has also provided technical support to the vulture programme by organizing workshops for all stakeholders in Pinjore between 2006 and 2011. Accomplishments must be replicated at a regional scale, bringing together governments, relevant organizations and local communities. As borders do not exist in the wildlife world, so must they not divide our efforts to restore populations across boundaries, particularly between the 4 range countries of Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Pakistan,” he said.

The decline in vulture populations throughout the region has been directly attributed to the veterinary

COMMENDING the important steps that have already been taken byGovernments,scientificbodies,non-governmental organisations, international organisations and the private sector, including:

The ban on veterinary •diclofenac in Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Pakistan; The establishment of •conservation breeding centres in India, Nepal and Pakistan; The initiation of “vulture safe •zones” together with safe vulture feeding sites in several countries; Promoting research and •monitoring of the vulture population;

FURTHER COMMENDING the activities of SAVE (Saving Asia’s Vultures from Extinction) and its members for their notable contributions to vulture conservation in the region;

RECOGNIZING the need to intensify and significantly expandthe aforesaid efforts in order to ensure the recovery of South Asia’s wild vulture populations;

ALSO RECOGNIZING that there is an important need for enhanced regional collaboration, information sharing, exchange of experiences and lessons learned on conservation of vultures in South Asia;

We, the participants at the Symposium on Developing a Regional Response to the Conservation of South Asia’s Critically Endangered Vulture Species, held in Delhi from 3-4 May 2012, hereby agree to:

STRENGTHEN regional 1. cooperation, by: Establishing a South Asia •Regional Steering Committee for Vulture Conservation; Taking active steps to •enhance information sharing and exchange of experience

use of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug diclofenac,ingested by vultures consuming carcasses of cattle that had recently been treated with the drug. Diclofenac causes renal failure and death for vultures and due to the strength of the drug and the tendency of vultures to feed in large groups.Research has shown that just one in 760 livestock carcasses needs to contain diclofenac to cause the population decline that has been observed. Despite a manufacturing ban in Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Pakistan and a ban of its sale and veterinary use in India, research shows that this drug is still affecting vulture populations in Asia. Researchers at the symposium pointed out that while the veterinary use of the drug has been banned, it is still legal for use on humans and is sold in large multi-dose vials. As a result it continues to be purchased by vets and livestock owners and used illegally for veterinary purposes.One of the most important outcomes of the symposium was an agreement to take measures to prevent the sale of these multi-dose vials of human diclofenac. The governments also agreed to restrict the use of other veterinary drugs that are known to be toxic to vultures including ketoprofen and aceclofenac.Experts also stressed the need for large scale awareness campaigns with the civil society and the private sector, particularly the pharmaceutical industry.

According to the organisers, the steering committee is the beginning of a larger process of formulating

proposals for large funds to work on vulture conservation in South Asia. They also aim to highlight the issue at the Eleventh Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biodiversity (CBD COP 11) to be held in Hyderabad, India, in October 2012.

Photo credit CZAParticipants of Vulture Symposium

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among all vulture range countries, in all aspects of in-situ and ex-situ vulture conservation in South Asia; STRENGTHEN vulture 2. conservation breeding and reintroduction programmes, by:Ensuring rapid dissemination •of information relating to successful techniques and approaches amongst all centres in the region; Seeking to maintain and •increase the level of financialand technical support for conservation breeding received from Governments, international organizations and donors, so as to deliver the objectives for the annual production of captive-bred young;Planning and implementing the •necessary measures required at release sites;CREATE AND MAINTAIN a non-3. toxic environment for vultures, by: Removing diclofenac and other •toxic NSAIDs completely from the vulture food chain, through measures including enhanced enforcement of the ban on veterinary use of diclofenac and eliminating its “leakage” from human use by urgent measures and legislation, as appropriate, against multi-dose vials of human diclofenac; Identifying and preventing the •

veterinary use of other non-steroidal anti-inflammatorydrugs with similar toxicity to vultures as diclofenac, such as ketoprofen and aceclofenac (a pro-drug of diclofenac); Continuing efforts to identify, •promote and adopt safe alternatives to diclofenac, such as meloxicam; Monitoring and assessing the •impacts and effects of other livestock drugs on vultures, leading to active steps for preventing use of the drugs that have negative impact on vultures; Fully enforcing the legal ban on •the manufacture of veterinary formulations, retail sale and use for veterinary purposes of diclofenac; STRENGTHEN conservation 4. measures, by: Increasing the number, size and •effectiveness of national “vulture safe zones”, within which special efforts are made to remove all toxic veterinary drugs from the food chain of vultures;Cooperating to create trans-•boundary vulture safe zones, knowing that political borders do not stop vultures from crossing international borders while searching for food; Enhancing the protection and •management of vulture habitats and vulture roosting and nesting

sites; CONTINUE AND EXPAND strate-5. gically-designed awareness and advocacy campaigns, aimed at building support for vulture con-servation amongst all stakehold-ers at local, national, regional and international levels; STRENGTHEN monitoring and 6. research, by: Continuing and expanding •efforts to monitor vulture populations and breeding success on a regular and repeatable basis using road transect surveys and nest monitoring; Continuing and expanding •efforts to monitor and quantify diclofenac and other toxic drugs in cattle carcasses;Determining the safety and •toxicity of veterinary NSAIDs, if necessary by experiments on captive vultures;Promoting studies on all possible •causes of decline of wild vulture populations;Promoting studies on vulture •behaviour and ecology; CONTINUE to develop and 7. foster active partnerships amongst Governments, research institutions, civil society, private sector and international organisations to further accelerate vulture conservation in the region.

Photo credit: CZA

Agreed Arrangements for Regional Steering

Committee 1. Composition:

Chair of the National Committee •from Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Pakistan. (India to serve as first chair,on a 2 year rotationalbasis)One representative from a leading •NGO or Non governmental research institution in each country (preferably a member of SAVE)One senior representative from •IUCN (Co-Chair)Chair of the SSC Vulture •Specialist Group

Participants from India, IUCN, Nepal, Pakistan and Bangladesh in firstmeetingoftheSteeringCommittee

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UPCOMING WORKSHOPS/TRAINING PROGRAMMES OF CZA

1. Five days training programme for the veterinarians working in zoos on “Restraint of zoo animals and their transport” at Guwahati from 24-28th September,2012.TheVeterinaryofficersfrom the zoos of SAARC countries will also be participating. 2. Six days training programme for the senior level zoo personnel on “Endangered Species Recovery Course” by the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust Jersey, UK at Darjeeling, from 12-16th November2012.Theseniorlevelofficersfrom the zoos of SAARC countries will also be participating. 3. Two weeks zoo keeper level training programme on regional basis in the zoos at Guwahati, Ahmedabad, Mysore, Kanpur, Nanital, Bhubaneswar.

One representative from an •international organization (to be nominated by Birdlife) One representative from the •Central Zoo Authority, IndiaOne representative from the •Wildlife Institute of IndiaOne representative from the •UN agency facilitating the development of the GEF proposal (UNEP or UNDP)

2. Chair and Permanent Secretariat:

The position of Chair will be •rotated among the four countries on a two-yearly basis, beginning with the representative from India. IUCN will serve as Co-chair of •the Committee. This follows the successful models established by the Mangroves for the Future programme (co-chaired by IUCN and UNDP) and the Ecosystems for Life programme (co-chaired by the IUCN and the representatives from India and Bangladesh). A Permanent Secretariat will •be created within the IUCN-India office, to provide ongoingadministrative and technical support to the Regional Steering Committee.

3. Meeting Frequency: The Regional Steering •Committee will initially meet twice a year.

4. Terms of Reference: The Regional Steering Committee will serve as the umbrella body to guide and oversee vulture conservation and

A year has passed since Dr. Nawami, my daughter, left us for her eternal abode and peace, on the 30th June 2011. Through this message, I wish to extend my heartfelt thanks to one and all for extending moral support during her treatment after she was diagnosed with blood cancer and after her demise. She will remain in our memories and hearts. (B. S. Bonal)

recovery efforts in all four countries. In this regard, it will perform (inter alia) the following roles: 1) Oversee the implementation

of all recommendations from the Symposium on Developing a Regional Response to the Conservation of South Asia’s Critically Endangered Vulture Species (as set out in the record of the proceedings), and direct the development of all outputs from the symposium, including the proposed GEF programme.

2) Revise, update and monitor the South Asia Vulture Recovery Plan in light of the Delhi Declaration, as the umbrella framework for vulture conservation and recovery efforts in the region.

3) Monitor implementation of WCC Resolution 3.079 on the Conservation of Gyps Species of Vultures in South and Southeast Asia, and report to the IUCN World Conservation Congress in 2012 and subsequent Congresses.

4) Present an update on the region’s progress with vulture conservation to CBD CoP-11 in Hyderabad and subsequent CoPs, under Aichi Target 12.

5) Collaborate with SAVE on the collation of validated information, research results and vulture conservation and recovery efforts in each of the range countries.

6) Identify opportunities to enhance regional coordination and cooperation, including, for example: the harmonization of relevant policies and legislation (e.g., related to the importation, manufacturing, sale and use of drugs such as diclofenac); the creation of trans-boundary vulture safe zones; and the sharing of equipment, resources and technical expertise.

7) Help promote and document the cultural values and social impacts associated with vultures in South Asia.

8) Help identify priority research,

conservation, recovery, and monitoring projects and assist in seeking financial and technicalsupport for their implementation.

9) Indentify and monitor new and emerging threats to vulture populations in the region, and help bring these to the attention of the appropriate decision-makers.

10) Promote the active exchange of information, experience and best practices among the vulture range countries.

11) Promote education, communication and public awareness raising activities, highlighting the importance and urgency of vulture conservation and recovery efforts.

5. National Vulture Recovery Committees : National Vulture Recovery Committees will be established in each country and chaired by Government. The composition of these committees will broadly mirror that of the Regional Steering Committee, with representatives from Government, NGOs, research organizations and other stakeholders. The chairs of the National Committees will also sit on the Regional Steering Committee.

1

Central Zoo AuthoritydsUnzh; fpfM+;k?kj izkf/kdj.k

(Statutory Body under the Ministry of Environment and Forests)Bikaner House, Annexe VI, Shahjahan Road, New Delhi-110011, IndiaPhone: 011-23381585, 23073072, 23070375, Fax: 91-11-23386012

email: [email protected], website: www.cza.nic.in

Designed, and Printed by SKM Wildlife Conservation Foundation for Central Zoo AuthorityC-50 Defence Colony, New Delhi-110024, Tel: 2433000, 9811184099, email: [email protected]

Working team: Punkaj Malhotra, Abdul Gaffar