… international research team says zoo life erodes elephant health…
An international research team led by Guelph Prof. Georgia Mason has shown that female elephants living in protected populations in Africa and Asia live longer than those in captivity in European zoos. Since the study was published in the Dec. 12 issue of Science, the world’s leading journal of scientific research, it has been reported in more than 1,000 newspapers, magazines, and broadcast news reports around the world.
“This is the first animal welfare paper to get into Science,” says Mason, who holds the Canada Research Chair in animal welfare in Guelph’s Department of Animal and Poultry Science. She is also an associated faculty member in U of G’s Campbell Centre for the Study of Animal Welfare. “Our research shows what can be found out by analyzing objective data. We hope it provides a model for tackling similar issues with other species.”
Mason conducted the research with Ros Clubb, her former graduate student, and four other researchers from the United Kingdom and Kenya. Using data on more than 4,500 elephants, they found empirical evidence that zoos cause shortened adult life spans in both African and Asian elephants. In the most endangered species of elephant, the Asian, calf death rates were also elevated.
For this species, the researchers found that being born into a zoo (rather than being imported from the wild), being moved between zoos, and the possible loss of their mothers, all put animals at particular risk.
In a follow-up paper to be published in the journal Animal Welfare, the team reports that calf production rates are much lower in zoos. Their calculations showed that this low productivity, combined with the animals’ shortened lifespans, means that zoos are net consumers of elephants and that zoo populations will decline unless they import new animals from the wild.
The health and reproductive problems documented in zoo elephants suggest the animals suffer from both mental and physical ailments, says Mason. She and her colleagues recommend screening all zoo elephants to identify individuals that might be in trouble. They also call for an end to the importation of elephants from their native countries, recommend minimizing inter-zoo transfers, and suggest that breeding elephants should be restricted to those zoos that exhibit no harmful effects in their captive-born animals.
International co-operation takes Guelph expertise around the world
● lending expertise to the development of a new university in Botswana
● scientific advisers to the United Nations Environment Program
● founder of Canada’s Veterinarians Without Borders
● one of the first universities to manage Canadian aid projects through CIDA
● internationalism identified as an institutional objective.
DNA bar-coding involves scientists around the world
Guelph professor Paul Hebert was the first scientist to propose that a short DNA sequence from a standard gene region shared by all multicellular life could be used to identify species. He called the system DNA bar-coding and launched a plan to create the world’s first reference library of DNA bar codes for use in species identification around the globe.
The International Barcode of Life Project (iBOL) will involve more than 25 countries when fully activated. China is one of the most recent to come on board, making a commitment to raise more than $25 million for iBOL. “The Chinese Academy of Sciences also has a long history of world-class contributions to the science of taxonomy and biodiversity. Their participation in iBOL will contribute significantly to its success,” says Hebert.
Ecohealth course comes to Guelph
This summer, U of G hosts a unique 11-day course in ecohealth that was developed by faculty at Guelph, the University of British Columbia and Université du Québec à Montréal. The annual course will rotate among the three campuses, which are also building a community network of Canadian academics and researchers who have expertise in ecohealth.
This emerging field of study has developed in response to the recognition that human health and well-being are embedded in the health of the ecosystem. The course and the faculty teaching it promote a more holistic approach to solving complex human, animal and environmental issues.
Education is our mandate
U of G is participating in the development of a new university in Botswana. Scheduled to open next year, the Botswana International University of Science and Technology (BIUST) will fill the country’s need for greater access to tertiary education and address an acute shortage of scientists. Although BIUST will also offer programs in the liberal arts and business, about 60 per cent of its academic programs will be science-based.
In concert with several other Canadian universities, Guelph administrators, faculty, staff and even alumni have been involved in the design of BIUST’s core operations (academic, organizational and human resources) as well as branding and marketing strategies for the new institution.
U of G joins elite global group
Guelph’s designation as a national centre for supplemental instruction is a big vote of confidence in the University’s expertise in teaching and learning.
Only a handful of universities worldwide are designated as centres for supplemental instruction, following a model created more than 30 years ago by the University of Missouri at Kansas City. Ten years ago, Guelph became the first university in Canada to introduce supplemental instruction when it launched weekly review sessions for difficult courses. Led by senior students, these sessions help undergraduates navigate course material, connect with other students and develop learning strategies. Last year, more than 3,000 students participated.
U of G’s new designation makes it the go-to place for Canadian post-secondary institutions wanting to bring supplemental instruction to their students.
Animals need care
Veterinary technician Laura Kiemele is currently completing a six-month contract with Community Led Animal Welfare, the first animal welfare support group to work in Soweto, South Africa. She first went to South Africa to participate in a program called Vets-in-the-Wild with EcoLife International Universities Programs.
“It was a three-week trip that would change my life,” says Kiemele, who was recently honoured at the Ontario Association of Veterinary Technicians conference for her work in international animal rescue and rehabilitation. She used the $500 prize to buy supplies she’s now using in Soweto.
UN panel hears from Guelph researchers
Four members of Rural Women Making Change (RWMC), a think tank on Canadian rural issues based at the University of Guelph, spoke at the United Nations in New York City Oct. 16 to a gathering of UN staff, international NGOs and the media.
The panel discussion helped launch the second UN Decade for the Eradication of Poverty.
Anthropologist Belinda Leach says some delegates were surprised by the presentation. “They didn’t hear how great things are for rural women here in the ‘First World.’ In fact, rural poverty, a lack of opportunities and gender inequality are huge issues in rural Canada, just as they are for rural women in developing nations around the world.”
Guelph students think global
● David Lawless, a first-year biochemistry student at U of G, was one of three young Canadians selected to represent the country at an international gathering of young leaders and activists held in England in January. More than 40 countries were represented at the Road to Davos Conference sponsored by the British Council.
● Veterinary students Adrienne Weatherstone, Melissa Knowles and Charlotte Friendship are breaking ground this summer as U of G’s first Global Vets team to work in Botswana.
● Daniele Magditsch, a third-year environmental biology student, attended the inauguration of U.S. president Barack Obama as part of the University Presidential Inauguration Conference.She was chosen because of her leadership skills and attendance at the 2004 Global Young Leaders Conference.
Guelph students use business model to fight poverty
During the 2008 Guatemala semester, 17 Guelph students and economics professor Kurt Annen created a new business plan for a farm co-op in Antigua and donated $5,400 to a microcredit project with As Green as It Gets. The money is building a decaffeinating machine that will improve efficiency in processing coffee beans. Every time farmers use the machine, they pay a fee to help repay the loan, and interest payments are made in vegetables to feed children at the local EducArte School.
-
Guelph Matters Now
-
This is Our Time
-
Animal and Human Health
-
Environmental and Social Responsibility
Arts and Humanities
Expand Human Knowledge
International Co-Operation
Mobilize Leadership
Prof. Georgia Mason,
Animal and Poultry Science
"global citizenship means • protecting biodiversity • preventing disease • advancing education • sharing expertise • caring for animals and wildlife • speaking out on issues • thinking global • spreading hope "
