Lost in Translation and in Transition – A Romanian Zoo Assistance Project

J. Wright, General Curator

Hattiesburg Zoo

Mississippi , USA

jwright@hattiesburgms.com

In 2005, I was invited to spend two weeks assisting Laura Simms, an American storyteller, at a small zoo in Buhusi , Romania . She had stumble across this zoo during one of her travels and discovered it was not unique in the challenges of transitioning animal care and education from post communistic methods. During my visit, my objective was to instruct and work along with the zoo staff to improve their husbandry skills, exhibits, and safety as well as determine possible directions for the zoo.

In 2006, I return and joined with other volunteers, from the United Kingdom , to continue to improve conditions with the zoo. Since the time of my last visit, the Buhusi Zoo and Governing Authorities determined it was best to close the facility, as it would be unable to meet recent adopted EU standards. Although the zookeepers had improved conditions, our group now had a new objective in re-homing the collection. . Over the next couple of years the European volunteers worked with various organizations and found new homes with better conditions in Romania , Europe and Africa , for Buhusi Zoo’s collection.

Since this visit in 2006, I have been in contact with Malcolm Hyett of the Federation of Zoological Gardens and Aquariums in Romania . Through this contact we have formulated the idea of having a husbandry/zoo workshop in Romania . Our goal is to invite other professionals to share their skills and knowledge with Romanian zoo professionals. In April 2009, I have planned to travel to Romania and meet with Malcolm, various zoo leaders, and various governmental officials to determine the probability, interest and support for an international effort for a Zoo Workshop.

This paper discusses my history and time in Romania on this project and the potential to dramatically change the zoo profession in Romania . Also we hope to affect generations of Romanians about the environment around them and its importance to conservation efforts of European wildlife.