On the subject of ducks, I really think it would be excellent if (providing the breeding programme at zoo Itatiba is successful) more Brazilian zoos including the Rio Bioparque could get into keeping and breeding the Brazilian merganser. This is such an incredibly endangered and rare species and subject to so many threats in its wild state in Minas that I really think the ex-situ programme should be of one of the highest priorities possible.
Oh yes, totally agree. If I'm not wrong, Itatiba is the only zoo in the world that keeps the species, right? It would be really great if other institutions, specially the country's major zoos, started keeping them, and exhibiting it to the public too (of course, considering all the needed aspects).
Yes, I don't know what is going on there with it only being at Zoo Itatiba. I think they did successfully breed it too a couple of years back so why haven't some of the offspring been spread out as an insurance population across other zoos ? Seems a bit odd to me , kind of possessive / proprietal, and not to mention very risky too. But perhaps I shouldn't judge so quickly as I have only a very rough idea of what is going on with that species in terms of ex-situ / situ-conservation so I'm not really clued in but yeah it would be interesting to find out more about what is being done.
Yes, I agree. If for some motive Itatiba stops having success with the breeding of the species, and all the remaining ones die, they will be gone from captivity... At least for a good while (untill one individual is rescued or something, if we're lucky), so it's indeed dangerous to not "share" them with other zoos. They keep at least 25 individuals, for what I know. I also haven't read more deeply about the issue of the conservation of this species, but I'm always in favor of spreading needy species to as much zoos as we can (of course, only for institutions that have conditions to develop a decent work with the species).
I think I heard this in one of their live streams, but their official website confirms it in the following post (from 2019): Zooparque - Você conhece o Pato-Mergulhão?
Thanks David ! That is so weird that they haven't been sent to any other zoos in the country, I just find it really very odd indeed... Of course this species has some quite specific captive requirements in that it needs large aviary style enclosures that are located behind the scenes to prevent stress from visitors that could adversely affect them. But there are several other major zoos in the country like SP and BH zoo which could provide such conditions too.
Yes, I agree. Both BH and SP have good experience in breeding shy species, just like the Lear's macaw and the black-lion tamarin, so the merganser would find great structure to thrive in these institutions. I honestly think Itatiba should plan to transfer some of their individuals in a near future...
Exactly, they have a very good track record of breeding very highly strung species with very specific captive requirements that might not be able to be provided by an average zoo. In the case of SP zoo it even has an off-site private captive breeding center precisely for this reason. Isn't zoo Itatiba owned by a German or a Swiss ?
Hmmm, not sure. This is surely the case of Pomerode, but I have no idea about Itatiba. I know they have a sibling zoo in Austria, that belongs to the same owner.
Apparently it is partnered with an Austrian zoo called Zoo Schmiding and run under the same ownership and board. Ok, I'll have to bite my tongue on this matter Especially regarding the lack of this species in other institutions in the country, lol .... I just think there is something a little bit dodgy about all this .
I agree, as I said before from an outside perspective (and granted I don't know the instituion or its staff) it looks a little propietral and perhaps a stronger term too. But, I guess I would need to know the full context of the situation in order to make an informed judgement / opinion on this place, and it might well be that there is some justifiable reason for this.
Yeah, sure. Zooparque Itatiba looks like a pretty decent institution. I'm also giving my opinion as an external viewer. I would actually really like to visit this zoo soon.
It looks like a great zoo indeed and even if it sounds a bit dodgy because of the Brazilian merganser thing I don't fully know the situation so will hesitate before judging. Pedro Ynterian it seems isn't so quick to judge this zoo and he is quoted as apparently hating this place. Also really want to visit and if possible (which may be difficult) to see the mergansers that they breed behind the scenes.
Sure, and even if this issue of the merganser includes some particularly "different" politics of transference, the zoo still has really good points... Really worth a visit, for what I know. Pedro Ynterian hates Belo Horizonte zoo too. He said the crew treats the gorillas bad (I didn't know gorillas would breed 4 times in 7 years being bad treated ) and some other ridiculous atrocities. I doubt he ever visited most of the zoos he talks trash about. He tends to spread hate against every zoo in the world, except for his private China walls themed ménagérie (he would probably have hard and bombastic critics for Jersey, Woodland, Jacksonville, London, Cincinatti, San Diego, etc if one asks him).
Yes, exactly, that is the main thing to consider. They have managed to successfully breed the species and have over 25 individuals in captivity and that insurance population is ultimately good for the survival of the species and is what counts (though it would be very prudent to spread it out amongst several institutions to avoid risk). I'm looking forward to go and visit this zoo, it isn't too far away from me either so the prospects are good. I think he hates every zoo, he classes them all under the same umbrella as "prisons" and you are absolutely right, lol. I bet that in his mind not even Jersey zoo compares with his magnificent "sanctuary" with its wonderfully aesthetic walls that look like something from the Israeli / Palestine border.
Pedro's mind is different from everyone else's. It's so curious that his thoughts never go in the same direction of all the decent conservationists and institutions in the country . Him and Luisa M*ll might be such missunderstood geniuses... You're right, his walls are much more like Palestine/Israeli stuff than ancient chinese, and his "enrichment" looks like my kindergarten school's playground.
Can you believe that this man actually calls himself a "conservationist" while consistently downplaying and criticising the work of my colleagues who work hard to build insurance populations of endangered and critically endangered species in zoos ? He states on his blog numerous times that he doesn't believe that species should be taken into captivity / zoos for ex-situ conservation purposes and that it would be better and "kinder" if we just allowed them to slip away "gracefully" into extinction in the wild. So considering those beliefs how is it that he arrogantly appropriates the label conservationist or that he thinks that this is acceptable ? What does he conserve and what on earth has he ever done for conservation ? As far as I'm aware he has not done anything at all with his wealth to conserve Brazil's Atlantic rainforest or for the conservation of primates in the wild in this area of the country like the Southern muriqui, black lion tamarin, brown howler monkey and buffy tufted marmoset.
