Latin America
Related: About this forum'A great joy': Cuba's National Zoo sees surge in pandemic baby animals
Newborns include leopards, bengal tigers, zebras, giraffes, antelopes and oxen, more than 10 births of high-value species
White tiger cub Yanek plays with her mother and siblings at the National Zoo in Havana. Photograph: Yamil Lage/AFP/Getty Images
Reuters in Havana
Thu 28 Oct 2021 15.02 EDT
Zookeepers at Cubas National Zoo say several species of exotic and endangered animals took advantage of the peace and quiet brought on by the coronavirus pandemic for romantic encounters that resulted in a bumper crop of baby animals.
The newborns include leopards, bengal tigers, zebras, giraffes, antelopes and oxen, a rarity officials attribute to the many months the zoo was closed during the pandemic, said zoo veterinarian Rachel Ortiz.
Although the pandemic has been negative for humans, in the case of zoos it was beneficial, Ortiz told Reuters. In particular our park has had more than 10 births of high-value species, in danger of extinction and that may at some point restore biological diversity.
Ortiz said that during a normal year, the prying eyes of too many visitors who flock to see the zoos exhibits limit reproduction. The National Zoo is a favorite attraction for Cubans, with 1,473 specimens of more than 120 species, including large animals such as elephants and rhinos.
More:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/oct/28/cuba-national-zoo-baby-animals-pandemic
Irish_Dem
(45,640 posts)Should zoos even exist now?
mopinko
(69,806 posts)at this point, they are the ark for many endangered species.
and it is just a fact that humans dont care about things they have never seen. no one wanted to save the whales until they met shamu. a fact.
for the most part, tho, they are scientists in charge of zoos these days, and this data will not go unnoticed.
Irish_Dem
(45,640 posts)Seems counterproductive to build an ark to increase animal reproduction, but then allow variables which do not load on species viability.
mopinko
(69,806 posts)people do.not.care. about something they've never seen.
connecting to nature is essential for a sane human. never connecting breaks us.
we're as deserving of having our needs filled as those animals. we are part of nature. we need to be part of nature, even if it is a little artificial microcosm.
kids need to see these creatures. meet these creatures and care about these creatures.
esp kids in bleak parts of big cities, like mine.
we have 2 great zoos. they have utterly remade themselves in my lifetime to give these animals the best possible lives.
i'll be curious if this is repeated, and to what degree in other zoos.