What species are not allowed to be bred in zoos inthe UK and why?

Good point, totally agree about domestic cats and their impact on biodiversity.

 

Sorry, I really have to ask this, how the hell has South-lakes not been shut down because of irresponsible management?

 

How about Reeves' muntjacs (Muntiacus reevesi)? Isn't there a wild population around in the UK of this species?

 

It's an important point but I don't think it's reasonable to suggest that this has anything to do with the invasive species act. It's clearly a separate - although very important - issue.

 

I think they are clearly separate issues as I said in my previous post. No, I do not accept that the issue of the impact of domestic cats is relevant to legislation concerning invasive species. It is no doubt something to be addressed but I don't think this legislation is the place to do that.

And you are distorting my views. I am not dismissing problems and I am not here to defend the legislation, I simply do not accept that it is utterly without merit or 'made a mockery of' because it is flawed and I accept that it is not perfect.

 

Good to hear that they turned it around but my god...what a place it used to be..

Endangered species practically being given as snacks to others for "mixed species exhibits", aggressive constrictor snakes being put in the public walk through enclosures and the introduction of invasive species like coatis.

It really seems that it was once in a league of its own in terms of just total chaos, stupidity and willing negligence.

 

Agoutis and prarie dogs too ?!... haha... ok , yes , Southlakes really were in a destructive league of their own

I'd love to know what the story behind the yellow anaconda being put in the walkthrough enclosure was.

 

Yes, they are widespread and locally common in England. The wild population in China was also recently classified as Vulnerable by the IUCN. Muntjac were included in the European legislation for the (rather unlikely in practice) possibility of being transported and released in the mainland Europe.

In the UK muntjacs has been already common in the wild for the long time, so keeping and possibly releasing them has no influence on their status in the wild. But now the Muntjac has remained banned in zoos in the UK which makes no sense at all. Grey squirrel and Egyptian goose are in the same situation in the UK.

Similar idiotic situation concerns e.g. raccoon in Germany, which is long established and very common in the wild, but is banned because it could be invasive in Spain. Or American bison which is banned Europe-wide for the purpose of protecting few extremely local (unfortunately) groups of European bison from the off chance of an American bison farm starting nearby and a bison escaping and not being recovered. For this extremely local situation the American bison is banned all over Europe. Which is likely dead law.

 

I believe the racoon has already been recorded as being an invasive species in Spain though I'm not sure if it has effectively established itself within the country yet.

When I lived in Madrid (about 5 years ago) I remember they were being reported as being roadkill and seen in National parks along with skunks.

 

I hadn’t registered that American Bison had gone on the banned list. Rather a shame, if true.

 

Can you send that to 'Quote, Unquote'? (BBC Radio 4 - Quote... Unquote, Steven Isserlis, Anna Ptaszynski, Sophie Duker) It's one of the best quotes I've heard in years

 

Is there any capacity for EAZA or BIAZA to appeal the bans across the EU and UK, or at least lobby to amend certain aspects of it? Or have either organisations been involved as professional bodies when the act was being drafted?

 

Anyone younger or new to ZC should read some of the posts from 2005 (circa) onwards about SLWP. It was an example of how not to do things the majority of the time. It's also an excellent example of how changes can and do improve collections/zoos. As a 'general enthusiastic zoo visitor' 'and grade B nerd' with no hands on experience of zoo keeping I knew it was wrong back then. Read the historic posts on ZC, they are in my experience honest, accurate and just possibly helped the change management.