'Living fossils' no longer alive
By Lu Feiran |
October 14, 2010, Thursday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
THEY were called China's "living fossils" - 15 giant salamanders, displayed at the World Expo's Shaanxi Pavilion.
Now they're dead.
Nine of the giant salamanders expired, one after the other, during the exhibition, according to the Hanzhong Aquatic Wildlife Reservation and Development Association.
The other six suffered severe liver disease and died on their way home.
However, pavilion officials say the creatures all stayed alive when on display, and died on the return trip.
The association told Xinhua news agency that the giant salamanders - some wild and some domestically raised - came to Shanghai in July from Shaanxi Province in northwest China.
Starting July 27, the animals were displayed in the pavilion for about a month. All were alive when the exhibition ended, pavilion officials told Shanghai Daily.
"But the fact was, some of the salamanders were not adapted to the climate and environment in Shanghai," said Guo Jing, deputy director of the pavilion. "And we'd never thought that the past summer would be so scorching."
The Shaanxi Xushui Biological Development Co Ltd, the provider of the biggest and oldest one that died on August 21, said the giant salamander loved a quiet and cool environment, and the World Expo apparently couldn't guarantee the condition.
During the daytime, the pavilion was air-conditioned, but the air-conditioners were powered off at night. The noise in the pavilion was another shock for the animals.
"We believe that if they had been displayed in October, the condition would have been better," said Dai Mingheng, director of the company.
Experts with the Shanghai Zoo said it's necessary to study the water in which the giant salamanders stay.
"Giant salamanders have rather high requirements for water quality," said Wu Weichun, director of the zoo's amphibian department. "Once the chemical substance index exceeds the standard, they will easily die."
The giant salamander is named "living fossil" as it appeared in the dinosaur era.
Now they're dead.
Nine of the giant salamanders expired, one after the other, during the exhibition, according to the Hanzhong Aquatic Wildlife Reservation and Development Association.
The other six suffered severe liver disease and died on their way home.
However, pavilion officials say the creatures all stayed alive when on display, and died on the return trip.
The association told Xinhua news agency that the giant salamanders - some wild and some domestically raised - came to Shanghai in July from Shaanxi Province in northwest China.
Starting July 27, the animals were displayed in the pavilion for about a month. All were alive when the exhibition ended, pavilion officials told Shanghai Daily.
"But the fact was, some of the salamanders were not adapted to the climate and environment in Shanghai," said Guo Jing, deputy director of the pavilion. "And we'd never thought that the past summer would be so scorching."
The Shaanxi Xushui Biological Development Co Ltd, the provider of the biggest and oldest one that died on August 21, said the giant salamander loved a quiet and cool environment, and the World Expo apparently couldn't guarantee the condition.
During the daytime, the pavilion was air-conditioned, but the air-conditioners were powered off at night. The noise in the pavilion was another shock for the animals.
"We believe that if they had been displayed in October, the condition would have been better," said Dai Mingheng, director of the company.
Experts with the Shanghai Zoo said it's necessary to study the water in which the giant salamanders stay.
"Giant salamanders have rather high requirements for water quality," said Wu Weichun, director of the zoo's amphibian department. "Once the chemical substance index exceeds the standard, they will easily die."
The giant salamander is named "living fossil" as it appeared in the dinosaur era.
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