Journal of Threatened Taxa | www.threatenedtaxa.org | 26 August
2019 | 11(10): 14247–14248
Wildlife’s
Wonder Woman
Sally Raulston
Walker
(12 October 1944–22 August 2019)
The origins of the Journal of Threatened Taxa
goes back to Zoo’s
Print, a magazine to promote zoo and animal management
in Indian zoos published since January 1986. Sally Walker founded the Zoo
Outreach Organization (ZOO) in 1985. She
initiated Zoo’s Print as the second big project after setting up ZOO ZEN,
another monthly magazine.
Her task of improving the
zoo condition in India was complicated. More than 500 zoos existed in
India. The animals in the traveling
menageries, circuses, performing-animal shows, and street collections were in
deplorable conditions of maintenance.
Sally set up the task of
tackling this humongous problem systematically. She studied available
literature on zoos in India, in the world, and anything related to the zoo
world to learn more about the aspect and the situation. She immediately
realized the lack of available literature in India, both scientific and
popular. Popular material was more easily accessed, for example, Gerald
Durrell’s books. Scientific articles were a completely different ball game
in those days. To tackle the problem of non-availability of scientific
articles, she started ZOO ZEN. She
compiled photocopies of materials from different parts of the country and the
world (of course, having received permissions for this) under different broad
categories of animal and zoo management, and sent these out at no cost to all
the zoos in India. She also traveled around the country investigating and
compiling a list of all the different kinds of animal collections and finally
prepared the first comprehensive list of zoos in India. Her database of
the zoos updated the existing one with the government of India by increasing
their number several times over. And that study led her to start a process
to initiate a national zoo policy, which eventually led to the amendment of the
Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act and the setting up of the Central Zoo
Authority (CZA).
Sally’s methods were not
haphazard. Although she was from a non-science background, her keen
scientific temper helped her process through the rough and separate factual
data from the fictional chaff. It was an era where record-keeping in
Indian zoos was nil (unfortunately, it continues to be abysmal). She, however, set up studbook-like records
for tigers, lions, rhinos, Lion-tailed Macaques, and Sangai. She visited various Indian zoos and
meticulously sifted through old communications, talking with the keepers and
querying long-time zoo staff. The studbook-like listing provided critical
insights into the provenance of the collections, movement of animals between
zoos, hybridization, among other critical components. While she
painstakingly compiled all the records, she also reached out to well-managed
zoos around the world for help. She
sought help in keeping logs, training possibilities, exchange programs for
zookeepers, and capacity building to promote scientific captive breeding
protocols in Indian zoos. She trained herself in animal record-keeping and
studbook-keeping with the International Species Information System. She traveled around the zoos to train
mid-level officers, biologists, veterinarians, and zookeepers on maintaining
careful animal records. She was setting the stage for the next push —
minimum standards for zoos under the newly formed CZA.
Sally’s quest for
improving standards were stoked from an emotional bond with the animals in
zoos. She hated animals in captivity and didn’t like zoos. She did
not blindly beat her chest about closing down zoos, nor acted dangerously by
promoting the release of animals into the wild.
She took on a rational and scientific approach to help alleviate the
unfortunate animal and zoo management practices in India. One might not
find many scientific papers published by Sally.
But, if one were to look at some of the science communications in Zoo’s
Print, it’s clear how well she understood scientific concepts. For example, her illustration of the
principles of small populations provides glimpses into the principles of
conservation biology.
Immediately after setting
up the CZA and being a member of it for the first six years, Sally pulled ZOO
from pursuing just zoo matters. She
shifted the organization’s focus into conservation planning by setting up the
first network of the Captive Breeding (now Conservation Planning) Specialist
Group (CPSG) of SSC IUCN in India. The scientific approach by CPSG paved
the way for Sally to incorporate scientific tools and models to meta-population
management. She introduced aspects such
as reproductive physiology and genetic procedures for captive animals in Indian
zoos. Simultaneously, using the predictive models and tools developed by
CPSG, Sally initiated stakeholder-led conservation planning exercises for some
of the more charismatic animals. Some
examples included the Manipur Brow-antlered Deer, Lion-tailed Macaque, Asiatic
Lion, One-horned Rhinoceros, Gharial, Barasingha and
Hoolock Gibbon. These workshops determined the probability of extinction
of the species in the wild. They also
provided specific management actions to be undertaken for habitats and
populations, and initiate a comprehensive conservation breeding program at the
national level.
By 1995, after I had
joined ZOO, Sally and I introduced and conducted a series of Conservation
Assessment & Management Plan (CAMP) workshops, a process developed by
CPSG. We modified the taxon datasheet from the many experiences of
CAMP workshops. We incorporated more
aspects of data collection to ease species assessments and included the
conservation needs portion into the evaluations. Our experience in those
workshops helped us shape the conservation engineering strategy we developed
and practice to this date. The conservation strategy included identifying
people, building taxonomic networks, training and capacity building, fund field
projects, gather data, publish in scientific journals, feed into species
assessments, use the data to promote education and outreach, and follow up the
strategies in the loop. Sally bought this concept immediately, and we
developed everything from training techniques to set up a scientific peer-review
journal. The Journal
of Threatened Taxa owes its roots to that thought
process and conservation engineering strategy.
Sally’s most significant
push was education and outreach. She did that with élan. I remember
the days when I’d walk into the office in the morning, and Sally would present
a complete educational packet that she had worked on the previous
night. While I loved to nit-pick, I would often feel bereft of not being
able to change anything. Sally, in her typical gesture, would say that she
picked up all the facts from the scientific reports I had generated; hence, the
product was perfect. We sent out innumerable education packets to many
zoos, NGOs, conservationists, educators, forest departments, academics,
institutions, individuals, and others.
Each of them developed from the data compiled from evidence in our
workshops, publications, and processes. Science was the basis for all of
Sally’s actions; hence, I dedicate this issue in her honor and
remembrance. The Journal
of Threatened Taxa would not be possible without Sally’s
encouragement and complete support. And her philosophy of keeping
scientific knowledge free is the reason why JoTT
remains a platinum open access international journal.
Sanjay Molur
Founder & Chief Editor, JoTT