The world zoo conservation strategies represent the foremost effort made by zoos and Aquaria throughout the world to join efforts in dedicating their potentials to conservation. Their strategies, which was developed by the world zoo organization and captive breeding specialist group (CBSG) aims to supports the conservation of species, natural habitat and ecosystems. The aspects contained in the strategy are meant to complement and not to substitute other conservation efforts. The world zoo conservation strategy has been endorsed by IUCN and the world-wide fund for Nature (WWF).
The objectives of the world zoo conservation strategy are
1. To identify the conservation areas in which zoos can make a contribution and determine how this can be achieved.
2. Develop understanding and support or the conservation potential or zoos from national and international authorities and as well as other social and political bodies and organizations.
3. Convince local zoo authorities and conservation agencies that they can make an important contribution to conservation both directly and indirectly.
4. Help zoo to formulate conservation priorities and policies.
5. Promote action of individual zoos by their participation in the global zoo and other conservation network.
A zoological garden is a place where native or exotic wild animals are kept in cages and paddocks for public viewing. These animals are fed, treated for certain diseases, when ill and encouraged to breed in captivity.
There are basically two types of zoo namely
• In open range zoo, animals are free to move about on their own. Though carnivores must be separated from the Herbivores.
• In close range zoos the animals are confined in cages according to their species.
•Zoological gardens serve as places for relaxation and entertainment, places where wild animals, sometimes both domestic and wild, are exhibited and displayed for public enjoyment, recreation or viewing at a closer range. Zoo animals have always been sources of amusement to visitors due to their displays, especially, when they get excited.
The activities of these animals bring the visitors into contact with nature with a resultant relaxing effect on city life. During festive seasons, visitors troop in and cut of zoo for creations since zoo are closer to them than other wildlife recreation areas.
2. Zoos can be important centers of biological research especially in during testing and vaccine production. These have been carried out using non human primates.
3. There is the need to conserve as many as possible the representative samples of wild animals in captivity. Species that are endangered in their natural habitat can be bred in captivity over generations with a view to preserving the species (captive breeding). Zoos play an important role in wildlife conservation by presenting further unnatural extinction of species.
4. With the growth of interest in natural history, zoos acquires more definite scientific objective and this serve as centers for the study of animals including such aspect as comparative anatomy, pathology, reproduction and behaviour. In most zoos, there are posters on each cage given evolutionary and ecological information about the animals.
5. The amount of information waiting to be recorded in zoos in limitless. Certain basic data on reproduction and, in particular on the duration and periodicity of oestrous, gestation and incubation periods, development and changes during growth to maturity, animals diseases and certain aspects of animals behaviors are undoubtedly more easily studies in zoos.
6. Revenue Generation
7. Employment
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The following are the general requirement of zoo animals.
• Housing of animals
• Feeding
• Treatment of animals
• Mates including play companion
The construction of cages and enclosures should be geared towards satisfying the behavioral patterns and space requirement of animals. The zoo’s enclosures must:
1. Keep the public out
2. Keep the animals in
3. Provide the animals with a place in which it feels at home
4. Provide the public a view of the animals and how it lives
5. Keep predators out
The housing Units of the animals in the zoo should be constructed in order to mimic their national dwelling for the benefit of the animals and for the visitors i.e. nocturnal animals should be provided with places with little of darkness so that they can act (Dim or red light).
Housing in a zoo could be opened or closed depending on the species of animals. An open cage method is the method of keeping the place houseless but are caged very high (6m or 12 ft) all round and very wide. All needed facilities must be kept in place to makes the animal feel at home e.g. water, holes, grasses, a source of sunlight, a pattern to mate etc. while closed cage method, animals are kept in confinement. It must be very wide enough so as to allow the animal roan about freely e.g. this kind of method in meant for carnivores.
One of the major items in the operation of a zoo consists of the formulation, storage, preparation and distribution of nutritionally adequate food. Since the health of the animals is closely linked with its diet. for carnivores supplements containing minerals and trace elements should be used in powered form and spread on the meat.
Feeding in essential to all animals it is the process by which edible materials are ingested, digested, absorbed and utilized. Such materials (food) contain energy necessary to maintain life processes, promote growth and allow reproduction.
The feeding pattern of species in the wild must be understood so that they may reproduce in the captive situation where possible, captive animals should be fed a natural diet. The use of prepared diets alone is now generally unsatisfactory but when combined with more natural feeds they can contribute to a useful and nutritional adequate diet. The food must contain adequate carbohydrate, protein, vitamins and minerals in right proportion. Water is important within the organism. The diet given to captive animals should be palatable, nutritionally balanced, Un-contaminated, toxin free and easily and cheaply obtained.
If captive animals becomes ill, veterinary are on hand to diagnose and treat the problem. Veterinary care may include dental work, vaccinating the animals to protect them from infections and managing captive breeding programs and supervising the birth of new animals.
Quarantine refers to the principle whereby a possible carrier of disease is isolated and subjected and subjected to a series of blood tests at the point of origin and introduction. It is usually applicable when zoo animals are imported from neighboring countries where the state and occurrence of disease are sometimes unknown. Accommodation must be prepared prior to the arrival of a new specimen, this includes where the animals will undergo a period of quarantine. Staff must be prepared to care for a new species and appropriate food must be available on the animal arrival. The objective of quarantine is to prevent the introduction of zoonotic diseases (passed onto humans) and epizootic diseases from imported animals.
Quarantine may be important in the establishment of a specimen in a new collection to facilitate daily observation, immunization, parasite and disease screening and suggest possible treatment.
The measure also includes the limitation of the movement of persons who were in contact with the infection as well as those involved in the transport of skin and horns.
Efforts should be made to avoid keeping single l animals except when impossible. Mates help to reduce boredom in captivity.
In other to ensure that as few factors as possible are over looked when analyzing the species in relation to its wild environment, the following questions should be borne in mind.
1. Where in this world does the species come from?
2. In what local habitat does the animals lives, and how does it use its limbs to move about in the habitat?
3. On what does the species usually feeds and how much of its time is used in searching for food.
4. What is the normal social structure? How does this vary during the year?
5. What are the conditions that lead to the breeding?
6. Are the young particularly vulnerable to any special factors?
Finally, the proper housing, feeding, regular, checks for parasites and last but not the least well-tainted animals keepers are essential factors in keeping animals in zoos.
Factors that determine the suitability of a site for a zoo
1. Zoos should be sited away from city centers; zoos should be sited away from the busy area of the down or city. This is to avoid either the inconveniencing of animals the visitors or
