Zoo Animals Solar Power Energy Generation Guide
Zoo Animals Released Into The Wild
By Genevieve Thomson
"I want to share their stories with young people
around the world," writes noted biologist Jane
Goodall in her latest book: Hope For Animals and their
World. "I want them to know that, even when our
mindless activities have almost entirely destroyed some
ecosystem or driven a species to the brink of extinction,
we must not give up.
Thanks to the resilience of nature and the indomitable
human spirit, there is still hope." From a biologist’s
standpoint, the most important factor in the preservation
of species is protecting these animals’ habitat, whether
it has been destroyed by farming, urbanization, predators,
poaching or global warming.
Today, government action is the top benefactor of endangered
species, but the breeding of zoo animals in facilities
across America has also saved several key species that
were once on the brink of extinction.
Active Species Preservation Programs
The San Diego Zoo has one of the most active species-preservation
programs in the nation. Their Center for Conservation
and Research raises endangered species, such as California
condors, pandas, tigers and African black rhinos.
Some of these species are bred in captivity and later
released into the wild, while others proliferate in
the zoo for their entire adult lives. To help preserve
rare animals, the San Diego Wild Animal Park has a cryopreservation
facility to freeze sperm and eggs of rare animals.
In 2009, the San Diego Zoological Society was proud
to announce the birth of a giant panda cub, a western
lowland gorilla and two endangered Grand Cayman blue
iguanas.
85 Rare Black Footed Ferrets Have Been Released Into The Wild
The Phoenix Zoo is also committed to conserving endangered
species zoo animals. For 15 years, the Phoenix facilities
have been just 1 of 5 in the nation to breed the rare,
black-footed ferret.
Thanks to their efforts, 85 of these little critters
have been released back into the wild. Phoenix is also
famous for raising endangered baby animals like cheetahs
and condors, which are typically very difficult animals
to breed in captivity.
Holding 200 Threatened Species From Around The World
In all, this 125-acre zoo holds 200 threatened species
from around the globe (including the Arabian oryx, Mexican
wolves and the Andean bear) and participates in 37 Species
Survival Plans to breed and maintain rare and exotic
animals in captivity.
Animal Rights activists are torn between whether endangered
zoo animals should be bred and released into the wild
again. Some activists argue that the animal training
is by no means sufficient at providing captive-bred
animals with the skills they need to survive in the
wild.
Released Indian Tigers Attacking Cows
In 1999, a group of released Indian tigers attacked
domestic species of cows in the area, but did an inefficient
job at killing these animals, causing untold suffering
and distress among the local population.
In other instances, the animals are released into unsafe
environments and were hunted down, killed and exploited
by the local people in poverty-stricken regions that
once thrived on the illicit trading of animal parts.
The controversy will likely continue on until there
is a review and new solutions are proposed, and new
methods of preserving animals are discovered.
About the Author:
Genevieve Thomson has written a number of articles on
Our Living Planet, Solar Power and Renewable Energy including
Endangered Animals,
Save The Earth,
Water Conservation,
Whale Watching Trips,
Solar Power System,
Solar Thermal Systems,
Alternative Power Systems,
Hybrid Car,
Recycling Programs.
Look out for new articles as they become available on this site.
Little Known Zoo Facts.....
How do zoos help endangered animals?
Mankind has been key in helping
put many animals on the endangered species act. So to
help keep these animals alive many zoos will breed and
house these animals to prevent their extinction.
Some zoos will release a portion
of the offspring back into the wild if that is what
is best for the animal and the animal’s native environment
is still intact. This is particularly great if the zoo
has a great breeding program. A good example of an endangered
species that zoos can help is the panda.
The panda is extremely endangered
due to mankind encroaching upon their habitat and through
poaching. The more pandas that can be bred and grown
in captivity before being released, the better chance
the species has for staying alive.
|
