Bolivia

Traveling to South America with a Blow Pipe? At first blush the idea seems a bit odd. But the proper use of this instrument for the tranquilization and treatment of zoo animals and wildlife is not well known, even in the countries that invented this hunting weapon.

This is why, Prof. Dr. Henning Wiesner travelled with veterinarian Miriam Wiesner and translator Alexandra Falter, who initiated the contact one year earlier, to La Paz in April 2013. The main objective of the trip was the dissemination of the distance immobilization using blowpipes as a core main- stay for treating animals at a zoo in an animal friendly and a safe way – both highlighting the theoretical and the practical.

In addition, the La Paz Zoo is presently being restructured and renovated with the objective of making it more attractive for both animals and humans. The focus is being placed on animal welfare, which is to be given an increasingly more prominent position with the goal of integrating it into the manner in which the animals are treated in the future.
Prof. Wiesner, among others, initiated the Project Condor. On the one hand the project addresses the breeding of Bolivia’s national symbol and on the other hand, the project pursues the objective of returning the offspring
of the Condors back into nature – allowing them to soar over La Paz.

In addition, the Academy recommended that a petting zoo be setup to provide the local population with a better understanding of the animals indigenous to their region. The mayor of La Paz, Dr. Luis Revilla Herrero, immediately declared his willingness to contribute funds to this endeavor. The Academy will continue to provide La Paz with support and advice.