Research didn’t play a big role in the Friends of Serengeti Switzerland. We just supported one elephant research in Tanganyika National Park. But it was rather a very low-level, hands-on organization. Helpings were in check. Getting boots, getting jackets, getting binoculars and so on. We built ranger posts and during… Read More
And we can reach Swiss people and make them enthusiastic for the Serengeti and through this enthusiasm, they donate money. So I think Friends of Serengeti Switzerland is a very important organization. Read More
In Europe, we have one zoo-based conservation organizations that is really big and of great importance, that’s Frankfurt Zoological Society, to which we’ll probably come later. It is similar to the Wildlife Conservation Society in New York. And this Frankfurt Zoological Society was started by Bernhard Grzimek and he loved… Read More
And it was founded only a few years before I became vice president. And at that time, they just couldn’t find anybody else as president. And my heart belongs to Tanzania so I really enjoyed working for Friends of Serengeti Switzerland. And I’m still a little bit involved with the… Read More
And then was their main function to fund a research a person in the Serengeti?… Read More
It was more work and I don’t think that it made a significant change. Maybe later in Frankfurt, it was, I had more influence. You were vice president and then president of the Friends of Serengeti Switzerland. Read More
What did this group do?… Read More
And how did you get involved?… Read More
Why the veterinary facility?… Read More
I already mentioned that we made courses of two weeks for vet students. And so as the relationship was already established and we have had another relationship with the vet department of the University of Zurich, Zurich still has no its own zoo vet. But the zoo vet work is… Read More
Was your lecturing helpful to the zoo or helpful to you in your work at the zoo?… Read More
Well, it was not me alone. It was already director in Frankfurt and we had a co-chairpersonship with Miranda Stevenson. And it was more or less that she did the work and I gave my name. And I think, yeah, it was at that time quite successful that we set… Read More
Did someone approach you or was this something you wanted to do?… Read More
I did not, I did single lectures at University of Zurich vet department. I was approached, yes, to give items I was specialized in. Read More
And unfortunately, there are more and more colleagues who have not the professional background or the in depth knowledge. And for some, these regional collection plans are good, but as I mentioned several times, but I can’t stress it, I have to stress it, it’s dangerous that they should become… Read More
So the primate tag has been significant, the one that you’ve worked on?… Read More
A colleague assembled data, how many non-EEP species kept in European zoos disappeared?… Read More
And so far, no EEP species disappeared from European zoos. Unfortunately, this data is not published but this already shows that we are successful. Also there are a few species that probably will disappear, as the douc langur. I think there are three douc langur left in Europe and they… Read More
So I believe in collection plans, but there is a big, big danger that if they become mandatory, we cannot proceed because there are few people deciding this species is included and that species is excluded. And if new species are discovered, they might not be included. And we have… Read More
So in general, it’s quite an impressive and successful trend we have created. And so that’s probably the one point I’m most proud of, that I was part of this start of the EEPs. Later on the British colleagues joined and there are some British colleagues who still say Great… Read More