Umzug einer Galapagos-Riesenschildkröte aus dem Zoologischen Garten in die Zoologische Sammlung

Galápagos-Riesenschildkröten sind ausschließlich auf dem Galápagos-Archipel im Pazifischen Ozean zu finden. Dort leben sie sowohl in regennassen Regionen als auch in Gebieten mit spärlicher Vegetation. Sie sind tagaktiv und wandern vom Hochland zu ihren Eiablageplätzen in wärmeren Küstengebieten. Sie können ein sehr hohes Alter erreichen, in der Regel werden sie 50–80 Jahre alt. Im Jahr 2020 verzeichnete das Europäische Zuchtbuch für Galápagos-Riesenschildkröten 108 Tiere in 23 Zoos und Einrichtungen. In Europa wird diese Art in 12 Zoos gezeigt, darunter in Rostock und Hoyerswerda. Im Jahr 2012 wurden im Rostocker Zoo fünf Tiere gehalten, die alle aus dem Zoo Zürich kamen. Im Juni 2019 wurde eine der fünf Schildkröten, Elvida, tot in ihrem Gehege aufgefunden. Elvida wurde zur Sektion an das Leibniz-Institut für Zoo- und Wildtierforschung in Berlin übergeben. Danach wurde sie im Museum für Naturkunde Berlin präpariert. Die Präparation erfolgte mit einem Imprägnierverfahren, bei dem das Wasser der Zellen durch Polyethylenglykol (PEG) ersetzt wird. Seit Dezember 2020 ist das Exponat der Galápagos-Riesenschildkröte Elvida Teil der Zoologischen Sammlung der Universität Rostock, wo es den Studierenden für Lehrzwecke zur Verfügung steht und Teil der Ausstellung ist. Relocation of a Galapagos giant tortoise from the Zoological Garden to the Zoological Collection Abstract: Galápagos giant tortoises are found exclusively on the Galápagos archipelago in the Pacific Ocean. There they live both in rain-wet regions and in areas with sparse vegetation. They are diurnal and migrate from the highlands to their egg-laying sites in warmer coastal areas. They can reach a very old age, usually they live 50–80 years. In 2020, the European Studbook for Galápagos giant tortoises listed 108 animals in 23 zoos and institutions. In Europe, this species is kept in 12 zoos, including Rostock and Hoyerswerda. Five individuals were kept at Rostock Zoo in 2012, all of which came from Zurich Zoo. In June 2019, one of the five tortoises, Elvida, was found dead in her enclosure. Elvida was handed over to the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research in Berlin for dissection. After finishing the dissection, it was prepared at the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin. The preparation was carried out with an impregnation procedure in which the water of the cells is replaced by polyethylene glycol (PEG). Since December 2020, the exhibit of the Galápagos giant tortoise Elvida has been part of the Zoological Collection of the University of Rostock, where it is available to students for teaching purposes and is part of the exhibition.

Pemphigus foliaceus in Arabian oryx (Oryx leucoryx)

Pemphigus foliaceus (PF) is an autoimmune acantholytic skin disease described in humans, dogs, cats, horses, goats, and sheep. From 2003 to 2016, six Arabian oryx ( Oryx leucoryx) at the National Zoological Garden in Pretoria, South Africa, developed progressive, bilaterally symmetrical, hyperkeratotic skin lesions and pustules consistent with PF. Lesions were similar to those observed in domestic animals and primarily affected the pinnae, face and nasal planum, distal legs, and tail tip. Histological evaluation of suspect PF skin lesions in affected animals, evaluation of medical records for treatments received, causative agents in the diet and environment, and special stains for infectious organisms yielded no consistent inciting cause. The Arabian oryx is a species highly adapted to arid environments of the desert and has recently survived from a severe genetic bottleneck; both of these factors may have contributed to the development of PF in these animals.

Staphylococci and fecal bacteria as bioaerosol components in animal housing facilities in the Zoological Garden in Chorzów

Zoos are places open for a large number of visitors, adults and children, who can admire exotic as well as indigenous animal species. The premises for animals may contain pathogenic microbes, including those exhibiting antibiotic resistance. It poses a threat to people remaining within the zoo premises, both for animal keepers who meet animals on a daily basis and visitors who infrequently have contact with animals. There are almost no studies concerning the presence on the concentration of airborne bacteria, especially staphylococci and fecal bacteria in animal shelters in the zoo. There is no data about antibiotic resistance of staphylococci in these places. The results will enable to determine the scale of the threat that indicator bacteria from the bioaerosol pose to human health within zoo premises. This study conducted in rooms for 5 animals group (giraffes, camels, elephants, kangaroos, and Colobinae (species of monkey)) in the Silesian Zoological Garden in Chorzów (Poland). The bioaerosol samples were collected using a six-stage Andersen cascade impactor to assess the concentrations and size distribution of airborne bacteria. Staphylococci were isolated from bioaerosol and tested for antibiotic resistance. In our study, the highest contamination of staphylococci and fecal bacteria was recorded in rooms for camels and elephants, and the lowest in rooms for Colobinae. At least 2/3 of bacteria in bioaerosol constituted respirable fraction that migrates into the lower respiratory tract of the people. In investigated animal rooms, the greatest bacteria contribution was recorded for bioaerosol fraction sized 1.1–3.3μm. Bacterial concentrations were particularly strong in spring and autumn, what is related to shedding fur by animals. Among the isolated staphylococci which most often occurred were Staphylococcus succinus, S. sciuri, and S. vitulinus. The highest antibiotic resistance was noted in the case of Staphylococcus epidermidis, while the lowest for S. xylosus. In addition to standard cleaning of animal rooms, periodic disinfection should be considered. Cleaning should be carried out wet, which should reduce dust, and thus the concentrations of bacteria in the air of animal enclosures.

From the Andes to the Apennines: Rise and Fall of a Free-Ranging Population of Feral Llamas

Since 2016, a feral population of llama Lama glama has been present in Central Italy after escaping from a zoological garden and starting to reproduce. We updated demographic status and distribution of this population and investigated societal perception towards the llama presence and management in the area through a standard questionnaire. Field data were collected through direct (transects traveled by car and on foot) and indirect (newspapers, social networks and online platforms) research. The feral population appears to be declining. In July 2020, the population was represented by three individuals (one male and two females), identified also through photoidentification, most likely located within a 40-hectare area. The majority of citizens are aware of the presence of feral llamas and show a positive attitude toward them and a negative one toward management actions. The case of feral llamas in Italy is an evident example of unsafe management of a species which should have kept in a zoo and which, once set free, was able to catalyze the attention of the general public. The decline of this population limits the need of drastic management actions that, given the appreciation expressed by people and press toward these animals, would have been at risk of conflict with the public opinion. Removal action should be rapidly taken, i.e., before any demographic rebound and before the population becomes a stable feature of the local landscape.

Staphylococci and Fecal Bacteria as Bioaerosol Components in Animal Housing Facilities in the Zoological Garden in Chorzów

Zoos are places open for a large number of visitors, adults and children, who can admire exotic as well as indigenous animal species. The premises for animals may contains pathogenic microbes, including those exhibiting antibiotic resistance. It poses a serious threat to people remaining within the zoo premises, both for animal keepers who meet animals on a daily basis and visitors who infrequently have contact with animals. Unfortunately, there are almost no studies concerning on the presense, on the concentration of airborne bacteria, especially staphylococci and faecal bacteria in animal shelters in the zoo. No data about antibiotic resistance of staphylococci in these places. The results will enable to determine the scale of the threat that indicator bacteria from the bioaerosol pose to human health within zoo premises. This study conducted in rooms for 5 animals group (giraffes, camels, elephants, kangaroos and colobinae) in the Silesian Zoological Garden in Chorzów (Poland). The bioaerosol samples were collected using a six-stage Andersen cascade impactor to assess the concentrations and size distribution of airborne bacteria. Staphylococci were isolated from bioaerosol and tested for antibiotic resistance. In our study the highest concentration of staphylococci and fecal bacteria was recorded in rooms for camels and elephants, the lowest in rooms for colobinae. At least 2/3 of bacteria in bioaerosol constituted respirable fraction, that migrates into the lower respiratory tract of the animals and the people. In investigated animal rooms the greatest bacteria contribution was recorded for bioaerosol fraction sized 1.1–3.3µm. Bacterial intoxication was particularly strong in spring and autumn, what is related to shedding fur by animals. Among the isolated staphylococci most often occurred Staphylococcus succinus, S. sciuri and S. vitulinus. The highest antibiotic resistance was noted in the case of Staphylococcus epidermidis, while the lowest for S. xylosus. As the animals constitute a significant source of staphylococci and fecal bacteria, attention should be paid to thorough cleaning of their shelters.

Samoyeds at the Budapest Zoo in 1882: Exploitation or Collaboration?

The article explores the history of the exhibit of a group of five Samoyeds in the Zoological Garden of Budapest in June-July 1882. A special attention is given to issues of organizing the Samoyeds’ trip to Europe, to the prehistory of their exhibiting, to the specific cultural context presenting them in Hungary, where the Samoyeds were presented as distant relatives of the Hungarians, one of the authors of that time even wrote about “brothers in the zoo”. Particular attention is also paid to the question of whether the Samoyeds were exposed to their exploitation by the impresario, or the Samoyeds actively and voluntarily participated in this show, independently defining the boundaries of their participation. It is noted that although the texts talk about the diseases of the Samoyeds, about making them drinking alcohol, about unusual food for them, about their melancholy, and finally, about the death of one of them in the same summer, at the same time they also mention their pride in themselves, about their gaiety, enterprise, the ability to dashingly drive a sled with reindeer, etc. As a result, the indications of the texts look contradictory, which reflects both the literary structure of the studied texts and the complex reality of the exhibitions themselves, in which the Samoyeds took part in Budapest and other cities.

Spaces of Modernity: Ethnic Shows in Poznań, 1879–1914

The focus of this article is on the ethnic shows organized in Poznań, a middle-sized European city that was part of the network of German Völkerschauen between 1879 and 1914. The author places the ethnic shows in the context of modern urban experience, where the establishment of zoological garden space enabled direct interactions between actors, animals, and the audience, thus creating a distinct sensory world, a kind of enclave within an urban landscape. Based on the local press coverage, the article tracks the changes over time in how the shows evolved in form, theme, and message when covering the expanding numbers of touring groups that provided live lessons of exotic people as entertainment. A close reading of varying accounts of the Polish- and German-language press indicates that some of the described episodes were perceived differently. The article presents ethnic shows from the vantage of the rapidly transforming city at the turn of the 20th century in accordance with the economic and cultural trends operating there.