ecosystems Zoo keeper What does this occupation involve

ecosystems Zoo keeper

What does this occupation involve? Zoo keepers require a number of skills to be successful. For instance they must work well both on their own and as part of a team. Having good communication skills with the animals and with your fellow zoo staff. In terms of qualifications you will need good maths and English GCSEs, with science preferred and preferably a national vocational qualification in animal care and husbandry

Why is it important for a zoo keeper to have knowledge about the ecosystems? It is important for a zoo keeper to have knowledge about the ecosystems because they deal with animals everyday and they are thrown all kinds of challenges that effect the animal in the way they eat, live and grow

how was the Red Fox introduced into Australia Foxes were introduced into Australia initially for the purpose of recreational fox-hunting. Australia's roots were British, a country where fox-hunting had been carried out for hundreds of years, but the only "sport" that hunters had was dingoes and kangaroos. Bringing foxes to the new country enabled them to still indulge their sport of fox-hunting.

The European red fox was first released in the Geelong area near Melbourne in 1845. More were introduced after 1845 as a method for controlling the introduced hare problem. It was given time to breed, which it did prolifically with no natural predators on the continent, and foxhunting started within a couple of decades.

What impact has this animal had on Australian ecosystems? Foxes cause environmental damage, by preying on many species of Australian native wildlife. Foxes include birds, small mammals and reptiles in their menu. The extinction or endangerment of native wildlife is a national disaster. Foxes significantly contribute, alongside other vertebrate pest species and the impact of man, to the extinction pressures. Effective fox control has been shown to reduce the extinction pressure and to allow population recovery

has the red fox had a positive or negative impact in Australia • Negative, yes hunters may have some fun with these red foxes but these foxes are destroying other animals habitats and they are messing up the food chain for other animals so if they have nothing to eat then the whole food chain becomes a mess.

Northern hairy-nosed wombat.

habitat Their habitat is flat, semi-arid grasslands or woodlands. They live in a harsh, hot climate which experiences frequent droughts, up to 6 years in duration. The Northern hairy-nosed wombat prefers deep sandy soils in which to dig their burrows. They where first found in Queensland.

diet Main food is native grasses (black speargrass), bottle washer grasses, golden beard grass, and three-awned grass) plus introduced buffel grass. (Buffel grass has become a threat as it outcompetes the native grasses and is fire prone and hard for the wombat to move around in. )

threats Droughts: during recent drought episodes the wombats remained robust but stopped breeding. Bushfire: the wombats stay safe in their burrows but the fire destroys the native grasses that are their main food. Dingoes: the population of 113 was reduced to fewer than 90 by dingo predation during one 2 week period in 2000. A 20 km predator fence was erected after this event. Disease: Made worse by the small total population being confined to one small area

bibliography • http: //en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Red_fox • http: //en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Northern_hairynosed_wombat • http: //www. wildlife. org. au/wildlife/speciespr ofile/mammals/northern_hairy_nosed_womb at. html