There are around 172 species of small carnivores and although only 23% of these have been given the most threatened categories in the IUCN Red List, most wild populations are declining because of habitat loss and fragmentation, and human exploitation. The articles in this volume describe the conservation status of a number of small carnivores at the time of writing, and research studies and surveys that have been carried out. Such work will not only increase our knowledge and expertise for caring for these species in zoos and aquariums, but the information will also facilitate conservation activities with wild populations and habitats. (Photo: Asian small-clawed otters Aonyx cinereus. Nicole Duplaix).
Strategic collection planning is essential for zoos and aquariums globally. As organizations whose primary source of income may be from visitors, zoological collections may be tempted to select large, charismatic mammal species to maintain visitor interest. Zoos and aquariums aim to breed sustainable populations of species, many of which are not mammals. While zoo advertising and marketing often showcases megafauna, there is little research on the current composition of zoo collection plans or their evolution. To investigate zoo collection planning from a global perspective, we analysed the taxonomic composition of collections in theInternational Zoo Yearbook’s list of ‘Zoos and Aquariums of the World’ from 1960 until 2018. Average proportions of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish and invertebrates were calculated for each collection per year. Analysis revealed that in terms of species prevalence, birds were best represented, making up 31·37% of the average collection. Amphibians, by contrast, made up only 2·78% of the average zoo species. Temporal analysis revealed a significant decrease in the proportion of bird species housed in collections (P < 0·001), while a significant increase was observed for fish (P = 0·001) and invertebrates (P < 0·001). Additionally, the average number of species housed in each collection has decreased by almost a third, from 329 spp in 1960 to 225 spp in 2018. This study suggests that zoos have reduced the diversity of animals that they keep, possibly in pursuit of sustainable populations of fewer species. However, zoos and aquariums should reflect on the implications of the poor representation of the amphibian taxa.
Zoological institutions play an ever‐greater role in awareness of biodiversity and are increasingly involved in conservation initiatives. The Binturong Arctictis binturong is an elusive and poorly known carnivore of the family Viverridae, found in South East Asian ecosystems. This species, affected by diverse human‐related threat processes, is listed as Vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List. This paper reports on the collaborative efforts involving the Binturong European Endangered Species Programme, the French non‐governmental organization ABConservation, the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria, the zoo community and researchers at the Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris (France), all aimed at the conservation of Binturongs. The resulting multidisciplinary initiatives allow the development of an integrated conservation programme for this species in Palawan (Philippines), including community awareness, education programmes, research projects and empowerment of range communities in nature conservancy. Zoos contributed significantly to the development of the field initiatives of ABConservation. Participation of zoos in field programmes for conservation is beneficial for both parties, because zoos support conservation through funding, raising awareness and expertise, and at the same time they acquire increased knowledge about the species they have in their care, and gain relevance in defining their role and missions.
Owston’s civet Chrotogale owstoni is categorized as Endangered on The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The species is the only member of the genus Chrotogale and is restricted to Vietnam, Lao PDR and southern China. Its restricted distribution, taxonomic status as the sole member of its genus, declining conservation status and the known absence of any effective protection within its range make the Owston’s civet a global priority for carnivore conservation. In April 2019, 57 stakeholders, including civil society organizations, zoos from Europe and the region, representatives of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Species Survival Commission (SSC) and the Vietnamese government, gathered in Hanoi, Vietnam, to identify what priority in situ and ex situ actions are needed to avert the extinction of Owston’s civet. The result was the development of a 10 year conservation strategy for this species, part of which includes establishing a conservation‐breeding programme. Conservation‐breeding programmes for globally threatened species in South East Asia are on the whole failing because of poor planning, conflicting institutional objectives and lack of resources. This short report summarizes some of the outputs from the conservation‐planning workshop, and how zoos and other facilities can support the recovery of Owston’s civet in Indochina.
The Asian small-clawed otter Aonyx cinereus is classified as Vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of the presence of visitors on the behavioural repertoire of three Asian small-clawed otters at Cattolica Aquarium, Italy. Observational data sampling took place over two periods of 11 days each. The first period was in August when the Aquarium was open and there were visitors present (open period = OP). The second period was between September and October, on days when the Aquarium was closed to visitors (closed period = CP). Focal sampling was integrated with behaviour sampling during data collection. To evaluate the significant differences in frequency and duration of behaviours during the OP and CP periods, a Wilcoxon Signed Rank test was performed. The results of this study showed that the absence of visitors stimulated significant differences in frequency and duration of activity (such as ‘locomotion’ and ‘waiting’) and social behaviours (such as ‘play’). The otters also spent significantly more time visible than ‘out of sight’ when there were no visitors present. This preliminary research provides information that may influence the way zoos and aquatic parks manage their otters, and contributes to the improvement of the welfare of animals in human care.
