Helping animals around the world

The desperate plea for help from North Africa was urgently referred to the continent’s association of zoos.

Revealing the news on Friday at a meeting of the Networking@Dunstable business breakfast group, David Field, the Zoological Society of London’s (ZSL) director of animals, said it was an indication of just how much prestige Whipsnade has around the world.

Behind the scenes, staff from Whipsnade are carrying out an amazing amount of work in some surprising places across the planet, including Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan. Experts from Whipsnade went out there about a year ago.

Mr Field said: “Kabul Zoo is a hugely important community place. It’s where people go on a Sunday to meet people and do their networking.

“We have to recognise the importance of it while encouraging animal welfare.”

Whipsnade’s work in helping to preserve species extends to educating people about learning to share their environment with endangered animals.

One of the world’s most rare animals, the Przewalski’s horse, is also seen as a tasty morsel in its native Mongolia. Mr Field explained that conservation work isn’t all about breeding the animals in this country and added: “It’s about educating people in outer Mongolia to look after the Przewalski’s horse, not to see it just as a meal.”

Whipsnade Zoo staff also get involved in lobbying governments on behalf of endangered species.

Mr Field said: “Amur tigers live in the Russian Far East. Our profits go to saving its habitat in the wild.

“We lobbied the Russian government and Putin when we heard that a pipeline was due to be placed through a sensitive tiger habitat. The pipeline’s route was altered.”

Whipsnade is also helping to save species as diverse as snails and birds. It’s also carrying out cutting edge reproduction research to help with its breeding programmes.

Mr Field showed his business oriented audience a scan carried out on a pregnant elephant, Azizah, to ascertain the health of a calf due ‘very, very soon’.”

“Doing a scan on an elephant is not the easiest thing to do,” he observed.

Whipsnade people have also helped organise rhino surveys in Nepal, that have to be carried out by people riding on the backs of elephants.

Mr Field, who said Whipsnade attracts 500,000 visitors each year was looking at ways to attract visitors all year round.

Some 30-40,000 schoolchildren visit Whipsnade each year, a number that he wants to increase.

An evangelist for quality zoos, he added that he was also keen on lobbying for better transport links and roads. He jokingly added: “When the zoo opened there was a procession of animals from Dunstable railway station.

“I promised the council that if Dunstable gets a railway station back, we will do the same again!”

Encouraging businesses to take advantage of the charity and its sponsorship opportunities, Mr Field said: “We can be incredibly proud of the work we are doing in Bedfordshire. It is work that has a global reach.”