Modern
Mahouts
Taking Care
of Elephants
in Myanmar
Are Younger
and Less
Experienced |
 |
|| February 25:
2019: University of
Turku News || ά.
Traditional elephant
handling worldwide
is rapidly changing.
Researchers from the
University of Turku
in Finland and
Myanma Timber
Enterprise
veterinarians found
‘Mahouts’,
professional carers,
who look after
elephants, engaged
in a ‘trade’, such
as, carrying timber
from the depth of
the mountains into a
local market, in
Myanmar are only 22
years old on
average, with an
average experience
of three years
working with
elephants and they
are changing
elephants yearly,
which is preventing
the development of
long-term bonds
between elephants
and Mahouts.
These shifts
contrast the
traditional
elephant-keeping
system of skills
being accumulated
over a lifetime of
working with the
same elephant before
being taught to the
younger generation.
Asian elephants are
endangered but,
remarkably, around
one third of the
remaining 45,000
Asian elephants in
the world, live in
semi-captive
conditions, cared
for by handlers
known as Mahouts.
Expert knowledge of
Mahouts accumulated
over many
generations is of
great importance in
handling these
giants, essentially,
wild animals.
However, this
knowledge transfer
is now threatened:
recent societal
changes in countries
across Asia have
affected the
traditional mahout
system. Myanmar,
with the largest
semi-captive
elephant population
of 5,000, has been
thought to be one of
the last
strong-holds of
traditional mahouts
and their expert
knowledge.
Researchers
investigated how
recent political
shifts in Myanmar,
coupled with
increased
urbanisation and
improved access to
technologies, may
have, impacted the
traditional mahout
profession.
The researchers
interviewed experts
with long-term
careers, working
within
elephant-keeping in
Myanmar, as well as,
over 200 current
mahouts, employed in
the logging
industry. The Study
discovered profound
changes within the
mahout system in
Myanmar, that, may,
affect elephant
welfare and warrant
further research.
Mahouts today are
younger, less
experienced and
spend less time in
the job than in the
past. The Study,
also, found a
reduced traditional
family connection to
the profession.
‘’Although, almost,
half of the mahouts
we interviewed, had
a family member,
also, working with
elephants, it seems
that this link could
decline further in
the future, with few
mahouts wishing
their children to
follow in their
footsteps,
especially, the
younger
generation.’’ says
Doctoral Candidate
Ms Jennie Crawley,
the Lead Author of
the Study.
‘’It is really
important to conduct
further research to
understand how these
changes, may, impact
the welfare of
elephants, as
frequently changing
mahouts with little
experience in the
profession, may,
increase animal
stress and risk of
injuries. Our
findings already
allow managers to
take steps to ensure
there are no
negative impacts for
the elephants or for
the mahouts, working
with these huge
animals.’’ says
Professor Virpi
Lummaa, of Ecology,
the senior scientist
involved in the
Study.
Monitoring
implications for the
mahouts is,
particularly,
important: less than
20% of current
mahouts had spent
any time as an
apprentice before
being paired with an
elephant,
contrasting past
tradition and
recommendations of a
two-year
apprenticeship
learning period.
One important
finding was that,
despite these
changes, a
significant majority
of experts thought
that elephant
treatment is better
now than in the
past, often,
attributing these
improvements to more
techniques and
training, reflecting
well on current
elephant care in
Myanmar. The
research team hopes
that future studies
can shed light on
which parts of the
country are affected
most and where
Mahout training and
support is most
needed to improve
the co-living of
both elephants and
their dedicated
caretakers.
Caption: Asian
Elephants in
Myanmar: Image:
Jennie Crawley.
More Information:
Jennie Crawley:
email: jahcrawley1
at gmail.com: tele:
+447597004018
The Paper:
Investigating
changes within the
handling system of
the largest
semi-captive
population of Asian
elephants: Jennie A
H Crawley, Mirkka
Lahdenperä, Martin W
Seltmann, Win Htut,
Htoo Htoo Aung, Kyaw
Nyein, Virpi Lummaa:
Published in PLOS
One:::ω.
||
Readmore
|| 260219 ||
Up ||
Where
Have You
Been for the
Last Thirty
Years: I
Have Been
Surveying
the Realms
of Lark
Ascending
and Sibelian
Descending:
Now That You
Are Europe’s
Oldest
Golden Eagle
in the Land
of Pohjola
What Shall
We Call You:
Call Me The
Empress of
the Ring
Since I Have
Been
Carrying
This Ring
Since the
Spring of
1984 |
 |
|| February 22:
2019: University of
Helsinki News: Juha
Honkala Writing ||
ά. The 34-year-old
female Golden Eagle
spotted in Finland
in late January is
likely the oldest of
the species in
Europe. Annually,
approximately 100
young golden eagles
are ringed in
Finland. In January
2019, Mr Ari
Komulainen, a
Finnish nature
photographer,
captured a Golden
Eagle Aquila
Chrysaetos with his
camera in the region
of Northern Savo,
located in eastern
Finland.
The Eagle had a ring
in the left leg,
visible in the
photographs down to
the serial number.
Mr Komulainen
reported the ring to
the Ringing Centre
of Luomus; the
Finnish Museum of
Natural History,
University of
Helsinki and the
rest became part of
history. It turned
out that 34 years,
six months and 27
days had passed
since this
magnificent bird was
ringed. This is the
third-oldest bird,
ever, ringed in
Finland. In the
longevity list for
Finnish birds, this
eagle is only
preceded by a Common
Murre Uria Aalge,
aged 34 years and 11
months and a
European Herring
Gull Larus
Argentatus, aged 34
years and seven
months.
EURING, the European
Union for Bird
Ringing, maintains a
corresponding
Europe-wide list. In
the EURING ranking,
the Golden Eagle,
photographed in
Finland, takes first
place as the oldest
Golden Eagle in
Europe. The
statistics show that
that the most
long-lived bird
species in Europe
are the Manx
Shearwater or
Puffinus Puffinus,
with a record of 50
years and 11 months
and the tufted duck
or Aythya Fuligula,
with a record of 45
years and three
months.
The recently spotted
female Golden Eagle
was born in the
spring of 1984 in
North Ostrobothnia,
central Finland, as
the only nestling of
her nest. The
youngster was ringed
by Mr Jouni
Ruuskanen, a veteran
of ringing Eagles
and Peregrine
Falcons. After the
ringing, the bird
was next spotted in
1986 in Laitila,
south-east Finland,
where it scavenged
during winter.
Photographs were
taken of the bird,
from which the code
on the ring could
reliably be read.
After that, more
than three decades
passed without a
single observation.
In the interim
period, the female
Eagle reached sexual
maturity, found a
mate and most likely
bred many, many
times. Between 1913
and 2018, a total of
3,865 Golden Eagles
have been ringed in
Finland, the
majority as
nestlings. Depending
on breeding success,
on average a little
over 100 young
Golden Eagles are
ringed in Finland
each year.
Most Finnish Golden
Eagles nest in the
reindeer management
area of northern
Finland. Earlier,
the Golden Eagle was
a target of
persecution but,
these days, reindeer
owners’ associations
receive compensation
in accordance with
the number of Golden
Eagle nests in the
region.
As a result,
persecution has
decreased and the
eagle population has
slowly begun to
grow. This is why
Golden Eagles are,
gradually, settling
to nest in areas,
that they have long
steered clear of.
The Golden Eagle
remains a very rare
breeding bird in the
most extensive
forest regions of
northern Finland,
with a breeding
population of some
300-400 pairs.
For information,
contact: Juha
Honkala, Senior
Museum Technician,
juha.honkala at
helsinki.fi
Ari Komulainen:
Nature Photographer:
ajkomulainen at
gmail.comCaption: Ari Komulainen:::ω.
||
Readmore ||
230219 ||
Up ||
Virginia
McKenna
Award for
Compassionate
Conservation
2018 Has
Been Awarded
to the
Director of
Congolese
Gorilla
Rehabilitation
and
Conservation
Education
|
 |
|| October 29: 2018 || ά. Mr Jackson Mbeke, the Director of Gorilla
Rehabilitation and Conservation Education:GRACE, of the Democratic
Republic of Congo:DRC, has been awarded the sixth Virginia McKenna
Award for Compassionate Conservation. The £15,000 award provides
support and recognition for outstanding individual conservationists
and carers, who place a high priority on animal welfare, while
undertaking environmental education around the world, conservation
policy or the protection of species under threat.
GRACE is the world’s only sanctuary for critically endangered
eastern lowland gorillas, which are considered one of the 25 most
endangered primates in the world, with only 3,800 remaining. GRACE
cares for 14 orphaned gorillas rescued from poachers and works to
rehabilitate them so they can return to the wild. Furthermore, GRACE
maintains 39 acres of forest for the gorillas and partners with
local communities to run education and conservation initiatives to
protect a critical population of wild gorillas living in Tayna
Nature Reserve.
As the DRC Director of GRACE, Mr Jackson Kabuyaya Mbeke manages a
team of 33 Congolese, who operate the award-winning gorilla
sanctuary and conducts GRACE’s education and community conservation
initiatives. Mr Mbeke started with GRACE when it was established in
2009 and has advanced with the project, first working as a
Logistician, then, as GRACE Centre Manager and now as the first
Congolese DRC Director. Next year, through his role at GRACE, he
will lead the first census in over a decade to get an accurate
estimate of the number of individuals, that remain in one of the
last strongholds for this imperilled great ape.
Born Free Foundation Co-Founder and Trustee Ms Virginia McKenna OBE
said, "I am delighted that Jackson Mbeke and his life-saving work on
behalf of the endangered Grauer's gorilla, has won this award. His
unswerving dedication to the conservation of these highly threatened
animals, the forests they inhabit and the communities, who share
those same forests, should be an inspiration to all. Together with
everyone at Born Free, I am determined that by supporting
outstanding individuals, such as, Jackson and his team, with both
recognition and resources, we can help make the natural world a more
compassionate and safer place."
Mr Jackson Mbeke said, “I am honoured to receive the Virginia
McKenna Award and to be recognised for the work GRACE is doing for
the gorillas. Life in the DRC can be hard; for many months I could
not sleep because I was worrying about the safety of our team and
gorillas but I had to take courage because the gorillas depend on us
and we refuse to give up on them. This award means so much to me,
the team and the local communities we partner. I can not thank Born
Free enough. This has boosted our spirits and we will work to
multiply our efforts for gorillas.”
Dr Sonya Kahlenberg, GRACE’s Executive Director, said, “Jackson has
led the GRACE DRC team through a very difficult period, navigating
the major challenges of armed conflict and now Ebola. But he never
once considered giving up. Instead, he took things a day at a time
and kept everyone focused on the important work of caring for
gorillas. Truly nobody loves GRACE more than Jackson does and I am
thrilled that his outstanding dedication to gorillas and courage are
being recognised by this award.”
Past winners of the Virginia McKenna Award for Compassionate
Conservation include: Ms Shivani Bhalla, of the Ewaso Lions Project,
for her work on human:lion conflict; Professor Anna Nekaris, of
Oxford Brookes University and the Little Fireface Project, for her
work on slow loris conservation and welfare; The Mad Dog Initiative,
a project, which aims to deliver conservation benefits to endangered
species by humanely controlling domestic and feral dogs in and
around Ranomafana National Park, Madagascar and Neotropical Primate
Conservation in Peru, tackling illegal wildlife trade by partnering
with wildlife authorities, police, public prosecutors and grassroots
organisations.
A call for the Virginia McKenna Award for Compassionate Conservation
2019 will be announced in the New Year.
About Born Free: Born Free’s mission is to ensure that all wild
animals, whether living in captivity or in the wild, are treated
with compassion and respect and are able to live their lives
according to their needs. Born Free opposes the exploitation of wild
animals in captivity and campaigns to keep wildlife in the wild.
Born Free promotes Compassionate Conservation to enhance the
survival of threatened species in the wild and protect natural
habitats while respecting the needs of and safeguarding the welfare
of individual animals. Born Free seeks to have a positive impact on
animals in the wild and protect their ecosystems in perpetuity, for
their own intrinsic value and for the critical roles they play
within the natural world.
Caption:
Jackson Kabuyaya Mbeke at the Sanctuary he leads: The Director of
Gorilla Rehabilitation and Conservation Education:GRACE: The
Democratic Republic of Congo:DRC: Image: Born Free:::ω.
|| Readmore || 301018 ||
Up ||
Born Free
Invites for
Public
Support as
It Launches
New Aviation
Plans to
Reduce
Poaching:
Support the
Dragon
Initiative |
|
|| October 10: 2018 || ά. The illegal wildlife trade is estimated to
be worth as much as £15.5 billion a year with organised crime groups
seeing wildlife as a low risk, high-value commodity. Now, ahead of
the Illegal Wildlife Trade:IWT Conference in October, Born Free is
calling on the public to help them provide rangers with the ultimate
tool to fight back against wildlife crime, a Dragon! Allowing
rangers to patrol vast areas of land in minutes rather than weeks
and to scope out seemingly inaccessible land to protect wildlife, a
Dragon GBT 1170 is an auto-gyro light-aircraft, which will help Born
Free and its partners, have a major impact on poaching.
This will transform the reach and capacity of intelligence, using
live-tracking technology, secure data, video and voice
communications with rangers and control points on the ground and
high-performance, conventional and infra-red optics. Born Free is
teaming up with Chimera Aviation to launch these ‘dragons of the
sky’ for ranger patrols. The aircraft, first seen being flown by
James Bond, since used by special military units, can take off in
areas the size of a small garden, are quiet, can fly safely at low
speeds and can carry a pilot, a passenger or observer and technical
equipment.
Mr Howard Jones, the CEO of Born Free, said, “Sometimes, the
campaign against poaching and other illegal activity, has felt like
a debilitating, endless battle. Rhinos are systematically targeted
by poachers for their horns. Fewer than 29,000 remain and between
2008 and 2017, more than 7,000 were killed by poachers in South
Africa alone. And, as our Born Free ‘Elephants in Crisis’ campaign
earlier this year highlighted, an average of 55 African elephants
are killed by poachers every day for their tusks. That’s about one
every 25 minutes.
Despite the fact that men and women around the world are putting
their lives on the line to tackle the dreadful crimes of illegal
wildlife trade and poaching, it just isn’t possible to deter and
protect, all day, all night and every day. To cover these vast and
challenging areas, to, then, fight through thick vegetation in time
to reach poachers or, to prevent their presence in the first place,
has seemed, almost, impossible.
Deploying the Dragon will transform our capability and help turn the
current balance on its head. This will allow our rangers to protect
extensive areas safely, economically and efficiently, with
much-enhanced surveillance capacity and flexibility, when compared
to other aircraft.
We are launching the Dragons at Shamwari Private Game Reserve in
South Africa, the home of our two big cat sanctuaries and a 250km
haven for wild animals, which has some of the most advanced
anti-poaching units in South Africa and on the front-line at Garamba
in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
We are hoping that, with public backing, we can prove this method of
poaching reduction is effective and roll out the Dragon initiative
in 10 other key areas of Africa, including, Kenya, Ethiopia and
Zambia within the next 12 months and provide training for all local
pilots and rangers.”
About Born Free: Born Free’s mission is to ensure that all wild
animals, whether living in captivity or in the wild, are treated
with compassion and respect and are able to live their lives
according to their needs. Born Free opposes the exploitation of wild
animals in captivity and campaigns to keep wildlife in the wild.
Born Free promotes Compassionate Conservation to enhance the
survival of threatened species in the wild and protect natural
habitats while respecting the needs of and safeguarding the welfare
of individual animals. Born Free seeks to have a positive impact on
animals in the wild and protect their ecosystems in perpetuity, for
their own intrinsic value and for the critical roles they play
within the natural world. .:::ω.
|| Readmore || 111018
|| Up ||
Important
Victory for
the Asian
Elephants
Paves the
Way for
Increased
Protection:
Only If
Words
Translate
Into
Actions:
That’s Where
Elephant
Family and
Born Free
and Other
Such
Agencies
Must Keep On
Working
Together |
 |
|| October 03: 2018
|| ά. World
Governments today
expressed
overwhelming support
to strengthen
international laws,
that will help
protect endangered
Asian elephants. The
move comes following
undercover
investigation work
carried out by UK
charity Elephant
Family, that exposed
an emerging illegal
trade in Asian
elephant skin.
Alarmed by the
discovery of skinned
elephant carcasses
in Myanmar, Elephant
Family found that
the skin was being
turned into beads
for jewellery and
powder to treat
medical conditions
and sold online
through Chinese
language forums.
The sharing of their
findings today
helped secure a much
needed strengthening
of the laws, that
protect Asia’s
endangered
elephants. Working
together, Born Free
Foundation and
Elephant Family
informed delegates
at a meeting of the
Convention on
International Trade
in Endangered
Species:CITES in
Sochi, Russia of the
skin trade and
pushed for more
urgent attention to
tackle the
trafficking.
Representatives of
two Asian elephant
range states, Sri
Lanka and Thailand,
expressed concern
over the emerging
threat.
Speaking for Sri
Lanka, which will
host the CITES
Conference of
Parties in 2019, Mr
Ranjan Marasinghe,
the Head of
Enforcement of the
Department of
Wildlife
Conservation, said,
“As a range state we
are aware of the
multiple threats,
faced by Asian
elephants and are
concerned that the
skin issue will
expand to all range
states, if, not
stopped.”
The European Union
and United States
gained approval for
amendments to
existing text, which
included a
requirement for
investigations into
illegal trade and
improved reporting
on implementation.
‘’This is a big step
forwards for Asian
elephants, since the
discussion at CITES
is, often, dominated
by African elephant
ivory trade.’’said
Elephant Family’s
Conservation
Programme Manager Ms
Caitlin Melidonis.
“Our investigations
helped shape the
outcome of this
important meeting
but there is more to
be done. Our job now
is to ensure that
the decisions
outlined on paper
translate to
protection in the
field.”
Speaking on behalf
of Born Free
Foundation, Mr
Gabriel Fava, said,
‘’These important
developments must
lead to better
co-operation and
co-ordination across
range States and
help to identify
gaps in capacity. We
look forward to
supporting countries
to address those
needs and ensure a
sustained
enforcement response
against illegal
trade.”
Mr Justin Gosling, a
Law Enforcement
Specialist, working
with Elephant
Family, urged
caution over the
result, “Trade in
Asian elephants has
been prohibited
under CITES for over
40 years, but
poaching and
trafficking
continues and is
expanding. Countries
implicated in this
trade now need to
make concerted
efforts to
investigate the
criminal networks
and take action to
prevent further
poaching and trade.”
Next week, Heads of
States from around
the world will meet
at the Illegal
Wildlife Trade
Conference in
London. Elephant
Family will be there
to continue to
garner further
support for Asian
elephants.
The Convention on
International Trade
in Endangered
Species of Wild
Fauna and
Flora:CITES is an
international
agreement among
governments. Its aim
is to ensure that
international trade
in specimens of wild
animals and plants
does not threaten
their survival.
About Elephant
Family:
Elephant Family is
an international NGO
dedicated to
protecting the Asian
elephant from
extinction in the
wild. In the last
fifty years their
population has
roughly halved and
90% of their habitat
has disappeared.
Poaching, a growing
skin trade and
demand for
wild-caught babies
for tourism remain a
constant threat
along with the
deadly and
escalating conflict
between people and
elephants for living
space and food.
Elephant Family
funds pioneering
projects across Asia
to reconnect forest
fragments, prevent
conflict and fight
wildlife crime.
Since 2002 Elephant
Family has funded
over 180
conservation
projects and raised
over £15m through
public art events
for this iconic yet
endangered animals.
About Born Free:
Born Free’s mission
is to ensure that
all wild animals,
whether living in
captivity or in the
wild, are treated
with compassion and
respect and are able
to live their lives
according to their
needs. Born Free
opposes the
exploitation of wild
animals in captivity
and campaigns to
keep wildlife in the
wild.
Born Free promotes
Compassionate
Conservation to
enhance the survival
of threatened
species in the wild
and protect natural
habitats while
respecting the needs
of and safeguarding
the welfare of
individual animals.
Born Free seeks to
have a positive
impact on animals in
the wild and protect
their ecosystems in
perpetuity, for
their own intrinsic
value and for the
critical roles they
play within the
natural world.
About Asian
Elephants: Asian
elephants are found
across 13 range
states and number c.
46,282. The largest
population of wild
elephants, c27,312,
live in fragmented
pockets in the south
west, north and
north east of India,
the smallest
population of c.118
live in Vietnam.
Pregnant for 22
months, breeding
females have one
calf every two to
four years. As a
slow breeding
species losing
breeding females and
calves is a
sure-fire route to
extinction. Female
calves tend to stay
with the herd while
males disperse at
between 09-12 years
old. Smaller than
their African
cousins only adult
males carry tusks,
few big tuskers
remain. :::ω.
||
Readmore ||
041018 ||
Up ||
Apparently: Basking in Shark Tale |
 |
|| September 26:
2018 || ά. A
team of
scientists,
including, two
from the
University of
Roehampton, has
discovered that
basking sharks,
hundreds of
which live off
the shores of
Cornwall,
Ireland and
Scotland, can
jump as fast and
as high out of
the water as
their cousin,
the famously
powerful and
predatory great
white shark.
Basking sharks,
the second
largest fish in
the world
reaching lengths
up to 10m, 33ft,
have previously
had a reputation
for being slow
and languid as
they scour the
sea for their
staple diet of
plankton.
The research
used video
analysis for
both species to
estimate
vertical
swimming speeds
at the moment of
leaving the
water.
Furthermore,
they fitted one
large basking
shark with a
data recording
device to
measure speed,
movement and
which, also,
stored video. At
one point during
deployment of
the recording
device, in just
over nine
seconds and 10
tail beats, the
basking shark
accelerated from
a depth of 28m
to the surface,
breaking through
the water at
nearly 90
degrees.
The shark
cleared the
water for one
second and
peaked at a
height of 01.2 m
above the
surface.
To achieve this
breach, the
basking shark
exhibited a
six-fold
increase in tail
beat frequency
and attained a
top speed of
approximately
05.1 m:s. This
is more than
twice as fast as
the average
competitor in
the Olympic
men’s 50m
freestyle swim.
The videos from
boats and the
land of both
basking sharks
and great whites
breaching showed
similar speeds
of breaching in
other
individuals.
The basking
shark videos
were recorded in
2015 at Malin
Head, Ireland.
The white shark
videos were
recorded in 2009
at two sites in
South Africa,
during predation
attempts on Cape
fur seals using
seal shaped
decoys.
Mr Lewis Halsey,
a Reader in the
Department of
Life Sciences at
the University
of Roehampton
and one of the
scientists
involved, said,
“The results of
the research put
the basking
shark in a new
athletic light.
While there are
no recorded
incidents of
them being of
danger to
swimmers or
small boats,
unlike the great
white shark, we
now know, they
do have an
impressive
ability to swim
at great speeds
and jump clear
of the water.”
The research
team was
comprised with
Queen’s
University
Belfast,
University of
Roehampton,
Trinity College
Dublin,
University of
Cape Town, Irish
Basking Shark
Study Group and
the South
African
Institute for
Aquatic
Biodiversity.
About the
University of
Roehampton: The
University of
Roehampton,
London, is an
established
international
higher-education
institution
providing a
high-quality
learning and
research
experience with
the aim of
developing
personal growth
and driving
social change.
The University
has a proud and
distinguished
history dating
back to the
1840s and it was
one of the first
institutions in
the UK to admit
women to its
colleges of
higher
education. This
tradition of
commitment to
equality
continues to be
part of the
ethos of the
University,
which has one of
the most diverse
and thriving
communities of
students in the
UK; its 9,000
student body
includes
international
students from
over 146
countries. Today
the University
is renowned for
its broad range
of expertise
across teacher
training,
business, social
sciences, the
arts and
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Image: Apparently, this is not
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Born Free Cautiously
Welcomes the News That
Thomas Cook Is to Stop
Selling Tickets to
Facilities Keeping Orca in
Captivity |
 |
|| July 30: 2018 || ά. Born
Free has cautiously welcomed
the news that holiday
operator Thomas Cook is to
stop selling tickets to
facilities keeping
Orca:Killer Whales in
captivity. This includes the
controversial Sea World
parks and Loro Parque in
Tenerife. Sustained efforts
to inform the travel
industry over many years by
Born Free, Peta and others
have undoubtedly influenced
a decision, which Thomas
Cook states is based on a
review of the scientific
evidence.
Born Free is convinced that
the complex needs of Whales,
Dolphins and
Porpoises:Cetaceans can not
be met in captivity and
calls for an end to the
keeping of these animals in
dolphinariums. The
Foundation believes this
decision is symptomatic of a
rapidly growing shift in
public attitudes away from
the exploitation of wild
animals in captivity. “The
captive exploitation of
marine mammals, elephants
for riding, lion and tiger
cubs for petting and
primates and other species
for photographic props is
falling from favour,
particularly, in European
and North American markets
and Thomas Cook’s decision
accurately reflects the
public mood.” said Born Free
CEO, Mr Howard Jones.
Dr Chris Draper, Head of
Animal Welfare and Captivity
at Born Free, said, “The
physical, sensory and social
environment in which
Cetaceans live in the wild
contrasts dramatically with
the restricted and barren
tanks found in dolphinariums
where Cetaceans are kept
purely for human
‘entertainment’.
It is our hope that Thomas
Cook’s lead will cause
others in the travel
industry to abandon
promoting visits to
dolphinariums and that this
will mark the beginning of
the end for the captive
Cetacean industry once and
for all.
On a cautionary note, the
announcement by Thomas Cook
appears to apply only to
facilities keeping Orca: it
remains to be seen whether
they or other travel agents
respond to the risk of
suffering endured by other
Cetaceans, such as, Dolphins
and Beluga kept in captivity
and take appropriate action.
Furthermore, it is
imperative that we
investigate the keeping of
Cetaceans for entertainment
purposes across the globe to
ensure that Thomas Cook’s
decision does not simply
shift the problem from North
America and Europe to
emerging markets for captive
Cetaceans in the Middle
East, Asia and the Far East.
While there is a long way to
go, I hope, we will soon
welcome an era where the
global travel industry
starts to work with Born
Free and other welfare and
conservation NGOs, to
promote the protection and
long-term future of Cetacean
in the wild where they
belong.” :::ω.
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