The Open School of Tropical Animal

Science and Production

   12/27/2024 9:24:17 PM

3] LITTLE AWARENESS, KNOWLEDGE AND EDUCATION ON OUR NEO TROPICAL WILDLIFE

There is little knowledge of the Anatomy, Physiology, Animal Behaviour, Nutritional Needs and Husbandry of our thirty important Neo-tropical wildlife species. In addition only few scientific animal science studies have been conducted on these species in contrast to the vast scientific literatures on the imported [non-neo tropical] domestic species of livestock that have been generated by North American, Latin American, Caribbean, European, African, Asian and Australian Universities.

In the case of Australia where there is a vast repository of unique wildlife they have been actively doing research on wildlife through their Departments of Animal Science and Veterinary medicine [Anon (1978), Anon (1989), Anon (1992), Anon (1994 a & b)]. This is further reflected by the general lack of "unbiased awareness" of the existence and role within our ecosystems of these species by the general public.

A research area of the Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz

In addition the topic of "Zoos and Wildlife" are not included at present in the School curriculum, and this topic is only now marginally included in the curriculum of Caribbean and Latin American Universities. What is therefore urgently needed is funding for the research on the Anatomy, Physiology, Animal Behaviour, Nutritional Needs and Husbandry of our thirty important neo-tropical wildlife species and education and publications for the general public and farmers to be generated out of this research.