The Zoo as a Realm of Memory

2013 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 98-114
Author(s):  
Cornelius Holtorf

The zoo is in many respects a place of remembrance. In zoos, one is reminded of one's own childhood, outstanding human and animal figures, various human cultures past and present, the genetic heritage of natural evolution and the origins of humans. Zoo animals, therefore, cannot be readily associated with wildlife in its natural setting alone. Indeed, zoos are not only about animals, as they purport to be; they are also metaphorical places and about memory. Memories are always socially conditioned and never innocent; the same holds for zoos. I ask whether zoos without colonialist and imperialist undertones are even conceivable today and if human communities could be involved in zoo management to a larger extent.

2017 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 279
Author(s):  
Sativa Sativa ◽  
Bakti Setiawan ◽  
Djoko Wijono ◽  
MG Adiyanti

Abstract: Nowadays, the majority of Indonesian people live in the dense urban kampungs. Some of those kampungs laid on the riverside, as a marginal area -- due to their low economic value of the land. They have specific conditions especially on the limitation of infrastructures and facilities for children activities in the settlement area. This research is a part of my dissertation paper, which aims to gain how children (mainly school-age children) coping with such condition. This study is a qualitative exploratory research, meanwhile, observation and interview were used as collecting data methods. Kampung Ngampilan in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, was chosen as a case area, because of its unique characteristics: located on the riverside of Winongo River, had a high density, and most people have low economics. As the result, this study found that natural setting, especially river area and its surrounding vegetation, is a focus location for children to release live stress in their settlement, due to two space aspects: thermal comfort and visual comfort. This condition was triggered by the limited area of their house so that the children prefer to go out from their house especially after attending school in the afternoon. This results will be useful as a reference for urban kampung planning, especially in riverfront area.Keywords: children, kampung, environmental press, natural settingAbstrak: Mayoritas penduduk kota Indonesia tinggal di kampung berkepadatan tinggi. Sebagian dari kampung -kampung berada di bantaran sungai sebagai salah satu area kota yang dianggap marginal karena nilai ekonomi lahan rendah. Kampung-kampung umumnya berkondisi khas dan memiliki keterbatasan infrastruktur termasuk fasilitas untuk kegiatan anak-anak di permukiman. Studi ini merupakan bagian dari disertasi penulis, yang bertujuan mengetahui bagaimana anak-anak (terutama anak usia sekolah dasar) menghadapi tekanan lingkungan. Kampung Ngampilan dipilih karena merupakan kampung kota yang sangat padat, terletak di tepi sungai, berkontur curam, dan warganya termasuk kelompok ekonomi menengah ke bawah. Kajian ini menggunakan metode kualitatif eksploratif, dan penggalian data dilakukan dengan metode observasi lapangan dan wawancara. Penelitian menemukan, seting alami kampung, khususnya sungai dan vegetasi di sekitarnya, merupakan area pilihan utama anak bermain, karena memiliki dua aspek kenyamanan, yaitu kenyamanan termal dan kenyamanan visual. Pilihan anak-anak dipicu oleh kondisi rumah mereka yang sempit, sehingga mereka lebih memilih keluar rumah sepulang sekolah atau sore hari. Temuan ini dapat menjadi acuan bagi pengembangan kampung kota Indonesia yang lebih kondusif untuk anak, khususnya kampung tepi sungai.Kata kunci: seting alami, tekanan lingkungan, kampung kota, anak


Author(s):  
Peter Mann

This chapter examines the structure of the phase space of an integrable system as being constructed from invariant tori using the Arnold–Liouville integrability theorem, and periodic flow and ergodic flow are investigated using action-angle theory. Time-dependent mechanics is formulated by extending the symplectic structure to a contact structure in an extended phase space before it is shown that mechanics has a natural setting on a jet bundle. The chapter then describes phase space of integrable systems and how tori behave when time-dependent dynamics occurs. Adiabatic invariance is discussed, as well as slow and fast Hamiltonian systems, the Hannay angle and counter adiabatic terms. In addition, the chapter discusses foliation, resonant tori, non-resonant tori, contact structures, Pfaffian forms, jet manifolds and Stokes’s theorem.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 130-145
Author(s):  
Ellen Williams ◽  
Anne Carter ◽  
Jessica Rendle ◽  
Samantha J. Ward

Prolonged and repetitive COVID-19 facility closures have led to an abrupt cessation of visitors within UK and Irish zoos for variable periods since March 2020. This study sought to increase understanding of the impact of closures and reopenings on animal behaviour, thereby broadening understanding of whether zoo animals habituate to visitors. Data were collected from June to August 2020 at two UK facilities on eight species (n = 1 Chinese goral, n = 2 Grevy’s zebra, n = 11 swamp wallaby, n = 2 Rothschild’s giraffe, n = 2 nyala, n = 4 Chapman’s zebra, n = 2 snow leopard and n = 3 Amur leopard). Behaviour change and enclosure use was variable across species but most changes were non-significant. Grevy’s zebra engaged in more comfort behaviour during closure periods than post-closure (p < 0.05). Chinese goral engaged in more environmental interactions during closure periods (p < 0.05). Grevy’s zebra spent longer than would be expected by chance closest to public viewing areas during closure periods (p < 0.008). These results suggest variable impacts of covid-19 closures and reopenings, mirroring human-animal interaction literature. We highlight the potential for some species to take longer to re-habituate to the presence of zoo visitors. As facility closures/reopenings are ongoing, we advocate a longitudinal monitoring approach. Furthermore, we recommend incorporation of physical and physiological measures of welfare where possible, alongside behavioural responses, to enable a holistic approach to answering fundamental questions on whether zoo animals habituate to visitors.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin Lanza ◽  
Melody Alcazar ◽  
Deanna M. Hoelscher ◽  
Harold W. Kohl

Abstract Background Latinx children in the United States are at high risk for nature-deficit disorder, heat-related illness, and physical inactivity. We developed the Green Schoolyards Project to investigate how green features—trees, gardens, and nature trails—in school parks impact heat index (i.e., air temperature and relative humidity) within parks, and physical activity levels and socioemotional well-being of these children. Herein, we present novel methods for a) observing children’s interaction with green features and b) measuring heat index and children’s behaviors in a natural setting, and a selection of baseline results. Methods During two September weeks (high temperature) and one November week (moderate temperature) in 2019, we examined three joint-use elementary school parks in Central Texas, United States, serving predominantly low-income Latinx families. To develop thermal profiles for each park, we installed 10 air temperature/relative humidity sensors per park, selecting sites based on land cover, land use, and even spatial coverage. We measured green features within a geographic information system. In a cross-sectional study, we used an adapted version of System for Observing Play and Recreation in Communities (SOPARC) to assess children’s physical activity levels and interactions with green features. In a cohort study, we equipped 30 3rd and 30 4th grade students per school during recess with accelerometers and Global Positioning System devices, and surveyed these students regarding their connection to nature. Baseline analyses included inverse distance weighting for thermal profiles and summing observed counts of children interacting with trees. Results In September 2019, average daily heat index ranged 2.0 °F among park sites, and maximum daily heat index ranged from 103.4 °F (air temperature = 33.8 °C; relative humidity = 55.2%) under tree canopy to 114.1 °F (air temperature = 37.9 °C; relative humidity = 45.2%) on an unshaded playground. 10.8% more girls and 25.4% more boys interacted with trees in September than in November. Conclusions We found extreme heat conditions at select sites within parks, and children positioning themselves under trees during periods of high heat index. These methods can be used by public health researchers and practitioners to inform the redesign of greenspaces in the face of climate change and health inequities.


Pathogens ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 250
Author(s):  
Tilak Chandra Nath ◽  
Keeseon S. Eom ◽  
Seongjun Choe ◽  
Shahadat Hm ◽  
Saiful Islam ◽  
...  

Introduction: Endoparasites in captive wildlife might pose a threat to public health; however, very few studies have been conducted on this issue, and much remains to be learned, especially in limited-resource settings. This study aimed to investigate endoparasites of captive wildlife in Bangladesh. Perception and understanding of veterinarians regarding one health and zoonoses were also assessed. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from October 2019 to August 2020. A total of 45 fecal samples from 18 different species of wild animals (i.e., 11 species of mammals: herbivores, carnivores, and omnivores, six birds, and a single reptile species) were collected randomly. Parasitological assessments were done by modified formalin ether sedimentation technique and rechecked by Sheather’s sugar floatation technique. Molecular identification of Spirometra spp. was conducted by amplifying the cytochrome c oxidase 1 (cox1) gene. Questionnaire surveys among 15 veterinarians and an in-depth interview (IDI) with a zoo officer were conducted. Results: Helminths (Spirometra sp., Capillaria sp., Ascaridia/Heterakis, opisthorchiid, strongyles, acuariid, hookworms, roundworms, and unidentified nematode larvae) and protozoa (coccidian oocyst) were identified, and the overall prevalence was 48.9% (22/45). The cox1 sequences (341 bp) of the Bangladesh-origin Spirometra species from lion showed 99.3–99.7% similarity to the reference sequences of Spirometra decipiens (GenBank No: KJ599679.1; MT122766). The majority of study participants (86.6%) agreed about the importance of endoparasite control in zoo animals, and 73.3% expressed that the one health concept should be promoted in Bangladesh. Only 6.7% of veterinarians perceived confidence in diagnosing parasitic diseases and preventing antiparasiticidal resistance. Conclusions: In the present survey, we found a considerable prevalence of endoparasites in captive wildlife. For the first time, zoonotically important S. decipiens from lion was molecularly characterized in Bangladesh. Veterinarian training is required to improve parasite control knowledge and practice. This study highlights the need for routine parasitological assessment, promotion of one health, and improvement of the implementation of current parasite control strategies in zoo animals.


Pathogens ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 428
Author(s):  
Pavel Kvapil ◽  
Joško Račnik ◽  
Marjan Kastelic ◽  
Jiřina Marková ◽  
Jean-Benjamin Murat ◽  
...  

Monitoring of infectious diseases is one of the most important pillars of preventive medicine in zoos. Screening for parasitic and bacterial infections is important to keep animals and equipment safe from pathogens that may pose a risk to animal and human health. Zoos usually contain many different animal species living in proximity with people and wild animals. As an epidemiological probe, 188 animals (122 mammals, 65 birds, and one reptile) from a zoo in Slovenia were examined for selected pathogens. Antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum were detected by ELISA in 38% (46/122) and 3% (4/122) of mammals, and in 0% (0/64) and 2% (1/57) of birds, respectively; the reptile (0/1) was negative. A statistically significant difference in T. gondii prevalence was found in Carnivora compared to Cetartiodactyla and primate antibodies to Encephalitozoon cuniculi were detected by IFAT in 44% (52/118) of mammals and 20% (11/56) of birds, respectively; the reptile (0/1) was negative. Herbivores had a higher chance of being infected with E. cuniculi compared to omnivores. Antibodies to Chlamydia abortus and Coxiella burnetii were not detected in any of the 74 tested zoo animals. The sera of 39 wild rodents found in the zoo were also examined; they were negative for all three parasites. The parasite T. gondii was detected by PCR in the tissue of two mute swans (Cygnus olor), three eastern house mice (Mus musculus), one yellow-necked field mouse (Apodemus flavicollis), and one striped field mouse (A. agrarius). Positive samples were genotyped by a single multiplex PCR assay using 15 microsatellite markers; one sample from a mute swan was characterized as type II. This micro-epidemiological study offers a better understanding of pathogens in zoo animals and an understanding of the role of zoos in biosurveillance.


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