• Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
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• v.44 no.6
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• pp.13-25
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• 2016

This study aims to analyze the change process in order to set the improvement strategies for the zoo in the Seoul Children's Grand Park. The zoo can be reviewed through three significant time periods with noticeable changes. As a framework to analyze the major changes that happened in the zoo, this study looks at the changes in terms of the planning aspect as well as the animal welfare and program operation aspect. The findings are as follows: first, the era of general theme park turned out to have focused on exhibiting animals to meet visitor demands by expanding the zoo area of the zoo without enlarging stockyards for the animals. Second, the environmental park era created a zoo having entertaining and educational functions by arranging animal houses with the concept of zoological taxonomy and introducing animal behavioral enrichment, animal welfare programs and visitor participatory programs. The era of the zoo as an Urban Cultural Park improved old animal houses and facilities for the welfare of the animals and increased educational programs to preserve species and provide environmental education. The current status of the zoo turns out not to meet the conditions for creating an ecological zoo, which is the overall goal for contemporary zoos. The improvement strategies based on the analysis through three different eras are three-fold. First, the zoo needs to improve the boundary conditions of the animals to showcase animal wildness through landscape immersion. Second, the zoo should provide a shared environment for animals from the same habitats by changing the classification methods from the existing polyphyletic taxon to a classification that considers ecological habitat. Third, the zoo needs to develop various ecological education programs by supplementing specialists in professional education.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.139-143
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• 2009

Most captive canids and felids at Zoos in advanced countries have been examined enough to apply artificial reproductive techniques to them. We investigated reproductive hormones and vaginal epithelial cells of a 6-year-old, female coyote, hoping these data could eventually be extended to artificial insemination with frozen-thawed conspecific semen at Seoul Zoo. As a relative of pet dogs, coyote exhibited a similar appearance with only minor differences. In vaginal smear, an increase in the number of superficial cells suggests that the bitch has reached a state close to estrus. A sudden decrease of estradiol and increase of progesterone is considered as a preovulatory event. Vaginal epithelial cells and hormones might be useful for determining the optimal time of artificial insemination in coyotes' breeding.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.111-113
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• 2018

A three-month-old female African buffalo born at Seoul Zoo showed signs of abdominal distension, bulging of the perineal skin, and small stool volume compared to feed intake. Upon physical examination, atresia ani with rectovaginal fistula was diagnosed. This case was subjected to surgery under inhalation anesthesia after injecting a sedative. Surgery was performed in two steps: anal reconstruction and closing the rectovaginal fistula. First, a circular skin incision was made at the end of the rectal pouch to create an anus, and then the skin of the anus and the mucous membrane of the rectum were brought into apposition by simple interrupted sutures. Second, the rectovaginal fistula was ligated on both vulval and anal side. Antibiotics were administered on every alternate day and the sutures were removed at ten days surgery under sedation. The rectovaginal communication was closed and the calf was able to urinate and defecate normally. The animal grew to become a normal adult without any complications. This is the first case report of atresia ani with rectovaginal fistula in an African buffalo, that was successfully treated by surgical intervention.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.141-145
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• 2011

Seven male Himalayan tahrs were strongly assumed to have accidently fed on foreign bodies in 2007. At the time, zoo caretakers witnessed missing fence padding, such as carpet, plastic awning, and ropes. The incident occurred the morning after the items had been set up to protect indigenous, wild long-tailed gorals from self injury caused by head butting the steel fence. Adult male Himalayan tahrs were obviously suspected of mostly eating the paddings mainly composed of carpet, thin and long plastic awning, and ropes. Even though they had not shown digestive problems, surgery was determined necessary in order to remove any indigestible foreign bodies. Left flank rumenotomy was conducted on seven male Himalayan tahrs from April to May, 2011. After anesthesia with xylazine, rumenotomy was performed on a concrete floor, with legs and head secured by ropes. No access to water and hay prior to operation for two days was needed to make the surgical procedure done quickly. Two sheets of small hand towels protecting against inflow of ruminal contents were beneficial during surgery. Antibiotics were administered intramuscularly for seven days. No abscesses at the surgical site were found after surgery. Like domestic ruminants, wild ruminants also ingest metalic or non-metalic, indigestible foreign bodies by accident. Therefore, simplified rumenotomy must be developed to apply to those wild animals to lengthen their longevity and to advance the quality of life in captivity. This case report is the first showing how to perform rumenotomy of Himalayan tahr, a wild ruminant, in Korea.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.55 no.3
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• pp.169-173
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• 2015

The Formosan sika deer (Cervus nippon taiouanus) is an endemic subspecies in Taiwan. The original wild deer has been extinct since the late 1960s. The largest captive population is located at the Taipei Zoo. Except for infectious disease outbreaks, no systemic medical research has been reported for this subspecies. This study was conducted to analyze the medical status of the captive Formosan sika deer population, including the hematological and serum chemistry characteristics. To accomplish this, medical records for 34 Formosan sika deer from January 2003 to January 2014 were acquired and analyzed. The most common illness and cause of death was trauma, followed by gastrointestinal and respiratory disease, respectively. The hematologic and serum chemical values of healthy adults were quite different from those of sika deer (Cervus nippon yesoensis). This study provides a closer medical understanding of this subspecies and the results will facilitate its management.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.466-468
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• 2014

Polycystic kidney disease (PKD) is characterized by multiple cysts within the renal parenchyma and is a common heritable disease in humans, dogs, and cats. However, a few cases of PKD have been described in captive pygmy hippopotamuses. Bilateral PKD was observed in a 33-year-old, 198-kg female pygmy hippopotamus during its necropsy in Seoul Zoo on 15 January 2013. The diagnosis of PKD was confirmed by gross findings and histopathological examination. One kidney was slightly enlarged, and the lower portion of other kidney contained a large cyst filled with light yellow, watery fluid. Both kidneys had numerous, variably sized fluid-filled cysts of 2 to 20 mm in diameter. Considerable portions of the renal cortex and medulla were replaced by cysts. Microscopic inspection showed that the cysts were lined with low cuboidal to flat epithelial cells. The present case report of PKD in a pygmy hippopotamus is the first in Korea.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.138-141
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• 2016

The aim of this study was to diagnose the fertility of a female western lowland gorilla kept in Seoul Zoo, in accordance with age by analyzing the fecal sex hormone metabolites. The study was conducted in two period of times, when the animal was from 35 to 37 years old and when the animal was from 40 to 42 years old. Non-invasive method by using fecal samples was used for safe and efficient fertility diagnosis. We collected the feces from the enclosure at least three times a week. Then $17{\beta}$-estradiol and progesterone, which are fecal sex hormone metabolites, were measured by time-resolved fluoro-immunoassay to compare the menstruation cycle and the annual reproductive cycle. For the duration of the primary study (when the animal was 35~37 years old), irregular menstruation and high concentrations of estradiol and progesterone were observed. However, menstruation was hardly observed and the concentrations of both hormones were statistically very low in the period of secondary study (when the animal was 40~42 years old). This observed phenomenon in our study was very comparable to menopause in adult women; therefore, it was confirmed that our female gorilla has reached menopause because of the natural aging, as they become older.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.91-99
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• 2009

The concept about zoo is changing from the animal exhibition which simply contained the animals to the ecological zoo which has the function of preserving the animal species. At the central point of maintaining such role, the basic principle called the animal welfare lies obviously. Korea has applied the animal welfare principles such as carrying out the enrichment in the zoos since 2003, but there has not been any institutional device to evaluate and examine the application of the animal welfare so far. This study aims to confirm the level of animal welfare in Korea and suggest a developmental direction. For the purpose of the study, 12 zoos in Korea were evaluated according to 68 evaluating categories. 'Five Principles of Animal Welfare' in the Secretary of State's Standards of Modern Zoo Practice were selected and carried out as the evaluation categories, and the result, from the highest to lowest score given, was 'provision of food and water', 'provision of protection from fear and distress', 'provision of health care', 'provision of an opportunity to express most normal behaviours', and 'provision of a suitable enrichment' with the overall score of the entire Korean zoos being 2.86 (${\pm}$ 0.56). It was also confirmed that in order to improve the animal welfare of the Korean zoos, the animal management system must be standardized and organized. The evaluation and feedback, the active practice of animal welfare and its legislative support should be provided to establish an effective institutional device as well.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.56 no.4
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• pp.265-267
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• 2016

A one-year-old female sika deer died suddenly with no preliminary signs during exhibition at a zoo. At necropsy, the carcass was emaciated and had dried fur. Examination of the thoracic cavity revealed a diaphragmatic rupture measuring 2 cm in diameter and a fracture in the middle of the right eighth rib. The liver and lungs had irregular circular discolorations caused by diaphragmatic rupture and subsequent herniation. Dark-brown-colored ascitic fluid, hydrothorax, and yellowish hydropericardium were also observed. The cause of death was determined to be diaphragmatic rupture caused by a rib fracture, which led to respiratory imbalance and circulatory disorders.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.205-208
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• 2010

A female Saanen goat was pregnated by a Markhor (Capra falconeri) and three Himalayan tahrs (Hemitragus jemlahicus) were mismated by a conspecific male at Seoul zoo. Cross-breeding whether intentional or unintentional is considered opposite to the primary rule of species conservation. The Markhor, imported in October, 2002, having the number of chromosomes (2n = 60) same as domestic goats accidently mated with a Saanen goat. The mating time was back-calculated on the basis of zookeepers' record. The Saanen and three Himalayan tahrs (2n = 48) were successfully aborted by intramuscularly injecting 15mg $PFG_2{\alpha}$ (dinoprost tromethamine).