The ASZK would like to advise it’s members that they will be holding their Annual General Meeting at the 8th ICZ Congress in Wellington, New Zealand on Tuesday 11th February, 2025.

Members can find Minutes from the 2024 AGM Here

The 2025 Agenda can be found Here

2025 is an Election year for the ASZK Committee. NOMINATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED.

If you are unable to attend the AGM but are a Full Member that would like to Vote on matters arising in the meeting a Proxy Voting form can be downloaded Here and should be sent to the Secretary at secretary@aszk.org.au by COB Friday 7th February, 2025.

Fancy yourself as a bit of an aspiring wildlife photographer? Or have you simply found yourself in the right place at the right time to snap some of your favourite animals pulling a funny face? How would you like to see your very own shots on the front cover of the Thylacinus for all ASZK members to see and shared across the ICZ website and socials for Congress members to see? It’s simple, the competition is open to anyone, so feel free to share with your friends. Here is all you need to know to get started… Rules
Categories are ‘ARTISTIC ANIMAL SHOT’, ‘ANIMALS IN THE WILD’, ‘ACTION/BEHAVIOUR SHOT’, ‘FUNNY ANIMAL MOMENTS’, and ‘ASZK 10TH YEAR PHOTOGRAPHY CELEBRATION SHOT’ – this year to celebrate a decade of wildlife with the Photography Competition let’s have fun and be creative, challenged and lucky; this category the photos must have 10 animals/10 of one species/10 different species/animals shaped in a 10. You can submit as many entries as you like. Competition opens October 14th 2024 and all photos must be submitted no later than the 22nd December 2024.

Send end all entries to photocomp@aszk.org.au ensuring the following is all included:

• Your name

• Your institution and/or address

• Title/caption of the shot/any notable details about the photo, animals in the shot.

• The category you feel your photo best suits.

• Photo JPEG file labelled with Photographer Name/Caption of Shot/Category

• Cite ‘ICZ Photo Comp’ in the subject line.

All photos must be in JPEG format and must be accompanied with a signed Photo Release Form.

Judging and Prizes

The ASZK committee will pick the two best photos in each category to show off at the ICZ conference, which will be held in Wellington, New Zealand 2025.
Then all conference delegates can select their favourites! Best of each category will be displayed on the front cover of Thylacinus – the quarterly journal of the ASZK covering interesting updates in zookeeping from across the region. *some landscape photos may not be suitable. Best of each category will also be shared across ICZ website and socials. Then, the People’s Choice (best of all categories) will earn its photographer honorary ASZK membership for a year!
Prints of the finalists may be auctioned off at the conference to assist with the Congress’s ongoing objective of supporting the professional development of keepers in their regions. So get snapping, and let your photography earn you membership! Be sure to check Facebook to see some of the entries. And make sure you get to Wellington in February 2025 to take part in the judging!

Have you ever wanted to contribute to Conservation on the ground in the Wild? Here is an amazing opportunity to volunteer to help some of Borneo’s most iconic wildlife including Orangutan and Sun Bears. Click below to find out more.

Orangutan Volunteer Program

Sumatran Ranger Project

Sumatran Ranger Project will be constructing a predator-proof livestock corral in a forest edge community in North Sumatra, in May 2023. There are limited opportunities for zookeepers to be involved in a hands-on capacity with this project, starting May 1, 2023. The trip is coordinated by Sumatran Ranger Project leader and Deputy Mammal Curator at Auckland Zoo, Amy Robbins. It is over 8 days, some of which will involve construction of the corral in addition to time spent with the ranger team on a patrol route. There is also a day of relaxation and fun, tubing and exploring the local rivers. You don’t need to be hugely fit, but a reasonable level of fitness and ability to work in the heat is necessary.  Please contact Amy directly on sumatranrangers@gmail.com for more information. Getting there is easy from Australia or New Zealand and Amy can advise you of dates and timings and assist with any other questions. See attached itinerary for a daily schedule.

Livestock Corral Itinerary 2023

The Zoo and Aquarium Association (ZAA) has put out the following information around zoo animals and Covid-19

“Australia and New Zealand are moving into a new stage of the COVID-19 pandemic in which we live with a certain amount of the virus circulating in our communities, with high vaccination rates and certain health measures protecting people.

 Through most of the pandemic, we have been fortunate to have either very low or no community spread whilst our zoos and aquariums have been open to the public, which has made the risk of our animals contracting COVID-19 incredibly low.

 As we shift to living with COVID-19, strict biosecurity protocols for the species most at risk of contracting the virus are more important than ever. Global monitoring shows that overseas whilst most cases of animals with COVID-19 seem to present with only mild symptoms, COVID-associated deaths have now been reported in a number of lions, snow leopards, and beavers.

These cases in animals are considered to have been acquired from humans and, in some instances, transmission has occurred despite staff being vaccinated and biosecurity protocols being in place.

We strongly suggest that members re-evaluate the risk to their animals with advice from their veterinarian, particularly in consideration to the species currently known to be at risk of contracting COVID-19:

• Carnivora
  • Canids – domestic dog, raccoon dog
  • Felids – domestic cat, fishing cat, tiger, lion, cougar, snow leopard
  • Hyaenidae – spotted hyena
  • Mustelids – domestic ferret, American mink, Asian small-clawed otter
  • Procyonids – coati
  • Viverrids – binturong
• Primates – gorilla, African green monkey, macaque species, baboon, grivet, common marmoset
• Artiodactyla
  • Cervids – white-tailed deer
  • Suids – domestic pig
  • Hippopotamus – common hippo, river hippo
• Pteropodids – Egyptian fruit bat
• Rodents – beaver, hamster, bank vole laboratory mice (only with more recent COVID-19 variants),
• Leporids – domestic rabbit
• Tupaiids – tree shrew

Transmission of COVID-19 from animals back to humans has to date only been reported with farmed mink. Although the virus likely originated via transmission from bats to humans, there is no current evidence that animals play a significant role in spreading COVID-19 to people. However, a cautious approach may consider potential risks around transmission from animals to humans.

We have worked with the ZAA Veterinary SAG to develop a position statement, available to read on the ZAA Portal. Please note that as new information continues to become available this position statement will not be provided as a downloadable file whilst changes continue to be made. If you have trouble accessing the ZAA Portal, please contact admin@zooaquarium.org.au

ZAA continues to monitor the roll out of the Zoetis veterinary COVID vaccine to zoo animals in the US. This vaccine is not available in Australia and New Zealand. Importation would require approval and registration by the relevant jurisdiction’s government authority. The Vet SAG are doing some early exploration of future options for vaccination in this region.”

The University of Tasmania is conducting research in to the resilience, wellbeing and mental health needs of animal care professionals. The study hopes to:

1. Identify resilience and wellbeing (both positive and negative) of animal care professionals in Australia.
2. Identify what individual and workplace resources would benefit these individuals.
3. Develop readily accessible resources to promote resilience and positive wellbeing in animal care professionals.

This subject is obviously very relevant to the zookeeping community and this study will hopefully have some very tangible results for ASZK members. Those who complete the survey can enter a draw for one of six $50 Coles/Myer gift vouchers.

If you would like more information about the study, you can read the pdf provided by the University of Tasmania here.

To participate in the study click here.

The survey closes July 31, 2020.