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Leibniz-IZW condemns Russia's attack on Ukraine

The Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research strongly condemns Russia's attack on Ukraine. The Leibniz-IZW employs Ukrainian scientists, is very concerned about our scientific colleagues in Ukraine and will support scientists in Ukraine to the best of our ability.

The Leibniz-IZW is an internationally renowned German research institute. It is part of the Forschungsverbund Berlin e.V. and a member of the Leibniz Association. Our goal is to understand the adaptability of wildlife in the context of global change and to contribute to the enhancement of the survival of viable wildlife populations. For this purpose, we investigate the diversity of life histories, the mechanisms of evolutionary adaptations and their limits, including diseases, as well as the interrelations of wildlife with their environment and people. We use expertise from biology and veterinary medicine in an interdisciplinary approach to conduct fundamental and applied research – from the molecular to the landscape level – in close dialogue with the public and stakeholders. Additionally, we are committed to unique and high-quality services for the scientific community.

+++ Current information on African swine fever: The Leibniz-IZW conducts research on the population dynamics, on models of disease outbreaks in wild boars and on the ecology and human-wildlife interaction in urban areas. African swine fever is a reportable disease in domestic swine and therefor is the purview of the respective federal state laboratories and the Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut (Federal Research Institute for Animal Health) FLI. +++

News

26.03.2014 15:55

One Horned Rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis). Photo: Steven Seet/IZW — Rhinoceros unicornis. Photo: Steven Seet/IZW

Indian rhinoceroses: Reproductive tract tumours reduce female infertility in early stages

Reproduction of the Indian rhinoceros faces greater difficulties than was previously recognised. Researchers from the German Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research Berlin (IZW) together with American colleagues discovered that benign vaginal and cervical tumours cause infertility even in young females. This substantially affects breeding success in zoological gardens.

24.03.2014 10:36

IZW Alfred-Kowalke-Str. — IZW. Photo: Steven Seet/IZW

The Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW) was positively evaluated

The Senate of the Leibniz Association has published the results of the external scientific evaluation of the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW), Berlin, Germany. It commends the institute for its excellent work and recommends that the government should fund the institute for another seven years.

11.03.2014 10:21

Carollia sowelli. Photo: Karin Schneeberger/IZW — Carollia sowelli. Photo: Schneeberger IZW

Light pollution impairs rainforest regeneration

Increasing light pollution in tropical habitats could be hampering regeneration of rainforests because of its impact on nocturnal seed-dispersers.

05.03.2014 23:00

Eurasian lynx. Photo: Johanna Painer/IZW

The Eurasian lynx as a key to the conservation and future viability of the endangered Iberian lynx

Understanding the mechanisms which control reproduction in lynx is essential for their continued viability and effective conservation.

13.02.2014 15:00

Orang-utan with infant. Photo: Andrew Hearn & Joanna Ross

Orang-utans on the ground

An international team of scientists studied how Bornean orang-utans cope with habitat modifications caused by logging in rainforests

Knut the polar bear’s medical legacy

Knut, the polar bear of the Berlin Zoological Garden, drowned in 2011 after suffering seizures and falling into the enclosure pond. Necropsy and histology at the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research suggested the cause was encephalitis most likely due to viral infection. After one of the most intensive investigations in veterinary history for a single animal, utilising state-of-the-art pathological techniques and high-throughput next-generation molecular sequencing methods, the conclusions of the investigations are presented.

14.08.2013 15:39

Gemsbok (Oryx gazella gazella) in the Kunene region in Namibia. Photo: David Lehmann (IZW).

Eating poisonous plants saves life of gemsbok in Namibian desert

In drought periods browsing springbok (Antidorcas marsupialis) feed on all plant material they can find, while grazing gemsbok (Oryx gazella gazella), in contrast, switch their diet to a high proportion of poisonous plants – and they survive. These findings were just published in the scientific online journal PLOS ONE.

11.07.2013 11:37

Rhinoceros unicornis | Foto: LeitnerR - fotolia.com .

Imaging techniques can improve management and husbandry of rhinoceroses

High-resolution computed tomography and digital radiography in captive rhinos reveal that bone pathologies in the feet of these pachyderms are highly prevalent and diverse.