BIAZA Announces Most And Least Populay Zoo And Aquarium Animals

By Amanda Alabaster 

London, UK - BIAZA releases ‘most and least loved’ list of animals for Valentine’s Day

The British public are head over heels for penguins, mad for meerkats and wild about giraffes a new survey has revealed. But sadly, the stunningly beautiful and endangered bleeding heart dove - so perfect for Valentine’s Day – has no fans! 

The poll, carried out by BIAZA, the professional body representing British and Irish zoos and aquariums, reveals the most and least commonly adopted animals by visitors to six top zoos in 2008.
 
Among the most popular animal adoptions were tigers, gorillas, giraffes, lions and pygmy hippos. But penguins claimed the top spot, with more than 3,000 members of the British public adopting a variety of penguin species at zoos up and down the country.
 
Giraffes are the second most popular, with 951 members of the public adopting the species, and tigers came in third with 315 adoptions made last year. Meerkats are also popular with 249 adoptions in 2008.
 
The figures were compiled using data from Bristol Zoo Gardens, London Zoo, Edinburgh Zoo, the Highland Wildlife Park, Paignton Zoo and Paradise Wildlife Park.
 
Dr Miranda Stevenson, Director of BIAZA, said: “Animal adoptions are a great way for people to contribute to the important conservation, breeding and research work carried out by zoos across Britain. They also make unique gifts, particularly for animal lovers or for someone who has everything. They also make for a very novel Valentine’s Day present!”
 
The results of the survey also show the ‘least loved’ animal species which rank at the bottom of the list of annual adoptions. Among the species receiving only one or even zero adoptions last year were cassowaries (large, flightless birds), mouse deer, freshwater stingray and keas (the world’s only mountain parrot) and – particularly poignant for Valentine’s Day – the beautiful bleeding heart dove. This small white dove has a splash of deep red on its chest, hence the name.
 
Dr Stevenson added: “Many species get overlooked because others are better known or perceived as being ‘cuter’. But many of the less frequently adopted animals are no less important. Mouse deer, bleeding heart doves and freshwater stingrays are all endangered species while cassowaries and keas are both classified as a vulnerable.”
 
The cost of animal adoptions vary from zoo to zoo but generally starts at around £40 per animal for a year. For further information visit the individual zoo websites:
 
Bristol Zoo Gardens                 www.bristolzoo.org.uk
Edinburgh Zoo                         www.edinburghzoo.org.uk
Highland Wildlife Park              www.highlandwildlifepark.org
Paradise Wildlife Park              www.pwpark.com
ZSL London Zoo                      www.zsl.org
Paignton Zoo                           www.paigntonzoo.org.uk
 
 
BIAZA
The British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA) is a conservation, education and wildlife charity (charity no. 248553). It was founded in 1966, then known as the Federation of Zoological Gardens of Great Britain and Ireland, to bring together the principles and best practice of zoo animal welfare. It was the major contributor to the development of the Zoo Licensing Act (1981), the forerunner of all subsequent UK and European legislation on captive animal welfare. It represents over 90 member organisations including all the significant zoos and aquariums in Britain and Ireland. It works closely with government on many aspects of animal welfare. BIAZA is run by its members, with a governing council comprising zoo directors, curators and other professionals from the zoo and aquarium community including vets, educators and health.
 
Its vision is ‘to be a powerful force in the care and conservation of the natural world’ and its mission is to support and lead its members:
 
*       to inspire people to help conserve the natural world
*       to participate in effective co-operative conservation programmes
*       to deliver the highest quality environmental education, training and research
*       to achieve the highest standards of animal care and welfare in zoos, aquariums and in the wild
 
The bleeding heart dove
(Gallicolumba luzonica) is a small pale coloured dove, found in the tropical rainforests in the islands of the Philippines. They eat fruit, seeds and insects and spend most of their time foraging for food on the forest floor. They are related to the dodo. Their numbers are threatened in the wild mostly because of habitat degradation. The European breeding programmes for these species are coordinated by Bristol Zoo Gardens. They are being managed to provide a self-sustaining captive population and to develop important care and breeding techniques for use in the Philippines.
 
http://biaza.org.uk