North American Zoos Obtaining New Animals

But river dolphins are probably the cetacean best suited for captivity.

 

Yes they are, that's the situation with a lot of rarer cetacean species. River Dolphins would be better than bottlenose dolphins, Strap-toothed whales would be better than Orca whales, Commersons Dolphins can be better than white-sided dolphins. The problem is the import of River Dolphins is legally very difficult (maybe even illegal) and the same can be said about the other species. Also, the public really doesn't care, if it's not a bottlenose dolphin or Orca people don't care. And importing species from the wild, especially cetaceans, can anger the public easily. The species I named earlier are the ideal species: they don't need large pods, they are unique, and have manageable sizes. But actually legally acquiring them takes a miracle (a stranding event) and approval from the public and then approval from fish and wildlife.

 

I agree with this. I'm not a big fan of cetaceans in captivity, but I feel like it makes sense with river dolphins.

 

He had permits from Panama's wildlife department, yes, but there are endemic levels of corruption that exist within that entity and that in itself doesn't really mean anything.

Yes, I've repeated it several times because it is very illustrative of a mindset and attitude that sadly continues to linger in some North American and European zoo directors, the myopic obsessiveness and immaturity of a 12 year old stamp collector, the pathology of a narcissist and the arrogance of a neocolonialist.

He went ahead with his "plan" against the better judgement and warnings of several scientists, conservation organizations (including ZSL), the IUCN and AZA and it ended in justifiably angering the local community and causing the death of two of these animals.

 

No, I am not lying, we simply differ in our opinions on this matter.

You are apparently content to just accept at face value what occurred because it has the appearance of legality whereas I am not.

You will be well aware of the corruption that exists within Latin American as a region and within governmental environmental agencies and Panama is notorious as being a country where corruption and bribery are the norm.

Back in the days of Noriega daily shipments of cocaine disguised as other cargo passed through Panama on their way to the USA with the flick of a pen and all the right "permits" by knowing officials (and if anyone complained they just ended up dead) and Panamanian banks launder money from corrupt politicans, drug cartels and terrorist organizations the world over with all the right "permits".

Greasing the palms of officials within these agencies with fat wads of dollars so they can sign a permit does not in itself guarantee or legitimise the legality or prop up a sketchy and highly questionable venture.

 

I will ask... how difficult is it to get to Isla Escudo de Veraguas with the intention of seeing/photographing pygmy sloths? Very difficult?
I would appreciate insight greater than mine

 

I think the best thing to do would be to just cooperate with European zoos.

And as for river dolphins, one could perhaps make a deal with range countries that we can hand-rear any found orphans or injured animals to make a captive population.

 

somehow between creating a dolphin-nursery in say Venezuela and shipping hurt dolphins over to Europe... one seems more economically sensible to me

Though I suppose you could create a breeding population that could potentially be shipped overseas at some point...

 

Definitely. I think global species management is the future of zoos. There are a number of populations that the US and Europe collaborate on including some programs that list animals from both continents (particularly primates and dhole, I've heard) as well as some exchanges such as the elephants from Dublin, there's relations with Australia to import/export seem to be improving between multiple recent discussions (the Platypus years ago, Tasmanian Devils potentially returning to multiple facilities, Quoll cooperation in Europe, recurring rumors about Quokka and Bilby) and haven't a few animals been exchanged between Europe and Asia recently?

 

Australia is generally amenable to discussing exports to reputable zoos, so long as there's captive-bred individuals to send. It has a good deal more to do with available space and facility interest.
Quokka is no longer rumor though, Wilhelma received some around the turn of the year.

 

That's great to read, I heard until fairly recently that Australia was not really willing to send out animals.