Peter Karsten


Peter Karsten, born November 1937 in Germany, immigrated to Canada in 1962, studied agriculture and business management in Germany, Sweden and Canada. He held the position of Director of the Calgary Zoo and Botanical Garden and Executive Director of the Calgary Zoological Society from 1974 to 1994. He worked in the field of agriculture, horticulture and zoological gardens in Germany, Sweden and Canada since 1955.

His special interest has been zoo design, animal husbandry and species conservation. He was the first elected President of the Canadian Association of Zoos and Aquariums (1975/76), President of the American Zoo and Aquarium Association (1983/ 84) and President of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (1992/93). He published numerous technical papers including an internationally applied zookeeper training program. Peter Karsten provided on site consultant services to nearly 20 zoological gardens and wildlife parks in Canada, the USA, Mexico, Chile, Japan and Korea with emphasis on developing long range plans and facility design plans.

He is enjoys painting wildlife and teaching watercolour techniques. He breeds rare species of birds in his home aviaries and published a book on aviary bird breeding (2007) : Pekin robins and small Softbills - Management and Breeding. ISBN-13 978-0-888-606-8; ISBN-10-88839-606-6.

Peter's presentation embraces the establishment of a private breeding program for the genus Leiothrix. Starting with one pair of pekin robins in 1999 the program produced 114 offspring to independence with F5 generation breeding. On average 6.3 pairs were set up for breeding and 12.6 chicks were raised per year. The reproduction rate has been 100% relative to the number of adult birds.

The consistent reproduction offers an opportunity for a collaborative, long term, self-sustaining breeding program. The relevant breeding biology of the genus Leiothrix, taxonomy, behaviour, housing and special husbandry techniques for successful nesting and chick rearing is discussed in detail. The status of captive breeding for Leiothrix and potential strategies to establish collaborative breeding programs between public zoological intuitions and private breeders are examined. The case can be investigated as a working model for ex situ conservation initiatives in aviculture.

Speaker's Topic #1: Pekin Robins - a model for a small population conservation program. (Sunday only)

 

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