Observations and opinions concerning zoos, evolution, nature conservation and the way we treat/support the ecosystems which are supposed to serve us.

 

 

 

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201513Dec15:12

Did we save ourselves from climate change at Paris?

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published 13 December 2015 | modified 12 November 2017

Earth has been around for about 4.6 billion years, and it experienced many changes during that period of time. Its history, including the development of ecosystems, can be unravelled by looking at life's remnants in its rock layers. Geologists have marked each period with a meaningful title, such as Cambrian, Jurassic, Holocene and Pleistocene.

Today, scientists argue that we have started a new and even more historic period in the Earth's story: the Anthropocene. For the first time in the planet's history, one species is its primary designer - humans. And this species has a very destructive behaviour. We are destroying our own species' future. We are on the verge of the point-of-no-return. Unless....


Can we stop the process depicted in the animation above?

Well, yesterday, after several earlier attempts which failed miserably the World's 195 leaders reached an historic agreement on climate change at the COP21 in Paris. An agreement by the way that - due to its last minute effort - shows that humans as a species lack a considerable amount of responsibility towards future generations. Already in 1972 the Club of Rome said there was a limit to growth, and that precautionary...

201513Nov15:16

Don't humanise zoo animals

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published 13 November 2015 | modified 17 August 2024

selection of publications of births at zoosA couple of days ago an interesting interview was published in a Dutch newspaper with the director of Amsterdam Zoo (Natura Artis Magistra), Haig Balian. Being a Dutchman with Armenian roots and a background as a successful film producer he is an atypical zoo director, though he has studied biology in his early days. Being the odd one out compared to other zoo directors doesn't mean his opinions are odd as well. In fact his down-to-earth policy regarding the anthropomorphism in public...

201503Jul10:30

Tiger T-24 in India's Ranthambore Tiger Reserve killed again, and is now expelled

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published 03 July 2015 | modified 03 October 2024

Tiger T24 RanthamboreOn 25 November 2012 I wrote about Tiger T-24 who supposedly lost his fear of man after having been treated for its wounded paw caused by a barb splinter and thorns in 2009. He became a 'man-eater' and had allegedly killed three man in the Ranthambore Tiger Reserve since 2009. Some were questioning if T-24 really was the culprit of the death of these men, but it was decided to let the tiger stay in the Reserve and monitor T-24's behaviour more closely. All this according guidelines issued by...

Goal: 7000 tigers in the wild

Tiger range countries map

 

"Tiger map" (CC BY 2.5) by Sanderson et al., 2006.

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about zoos and their mission regarding breeding endangered species, nature conservation, biodiversity and education, which at the same time relates to the evolution of species.