Calgary Zoo lauded by journal for its scientific work
Posted Jun 18, 2013 11:53 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The Calgary Zoo is being lauded as one of five global examples for its conservation work and robust research programs.
It’s an honour from “Nature”, a leading scientific journal that cited Calgary as the only Canadian institution on its list.
Other facilities mentioned include the San Diego Zoo, the Smithsonian Institution’s National Zoo in Washington DC, the Antwerp Zoo and the London Zoo.
Director of Animal Care Dr. Jake Veasey says it’s not a surprise to him and adds it’s definitely one of the reasons why he came to Calgary.
Veasey believes many in the city don’t even realize that there is a hidden between Memorial Drive and 9th Avenue Southeast.
“We haven’t done as good a job as we could do in promoting these activities becasue there’s definitely a skillset and an active team here that Calgarians can be very proud of,” he explains.
“The vision of the Calgary Zoo is to be Canada’s conservation leader and our mission is to take action and inspire action to secure wildlife and wild places,” says Veasey. “And the zoo really does encompass all of those things.”
The Calgary Zoo current has a team of 16 scientists as well as veternarians and even their president who does some science on their side.
And with countries like Ghana, Kenya and Antarctica, he adds there is really no limit as to how far they will go in the name of conservation.
Right now work is underway to save such species as the penguin, the snow leopard, the mountain bongo and the hippo.
They’ve also established working relationships with several international institutions including a training college in Tanzania, which is the school for all game scouts in east Africa.
