Smalled-Clawed Otter Finds Favour With Lanxess
April 1, 2010 by admin
Filed under Initiatives
Lanxess Pty Ltd, the Australian subsidiary of German Specialty Chemicals Group Lanxess, has partnered with the Taronga Conservation Society Australia as a Champion Sponsor of the Small-clawed Otters. The sponsorship by Lanxess Pty Ltd will initially be for two years.
The Small-clawed Otter is the smallest otter species in the world, weighing less than five kilogram. They are commonly found in the waterways of South-East Asia in wetland systems such as freshwater swamps, meandering rivers, mangroves and tidal pools of Bangladesh, Burma, India, Southern China, Taiwan, Laos, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. Due to ongoing habitat loss, pollution and hunting in some areas, the Oriental Small-clawed Otter is classified as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Taronga Zoo currently houses five Small-clawed Otters.
Grant Wakefield, Managing Director of Lanxess Pty Ltd, said:
Freshwater is a scarce commodity which represents only three percent of the world’s water reserves. Our sponsorship will go toward conserving the Small-clawed Otter’s freshwater habitat and educating the public on conserving water and our environment.
Lanxess contributes toward preserving the freshwater habitat of Small-clawed Otters (Picture by Lorinda Taylor)
He added:
This initiative ties in with Lanxess’ focus on water as one of the central topics for 2010. Lanxess has been helping to clean and improve the use of water through our products and involvement in social projects, and we will increase these efforts.
The Taronga Conservation Society Australia is a member of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) and the Zoo and Aquarium Association (previously ARAZPA). The Taronga Conservation Society Australia contributes to the conservation of biodiversity through a range of activities spanning various programs at Taronga and Western Plains Zoo and attracts 1.5 million visitors per annum. The zoos care for approximately 4000 animals from over 350 species through a wide range of strategic conservation research, breeding and conservation projects around the world. In 2009, Taronga Zoo was voted as Sydney’s No 1 attraction by Sydneysiders and interstate visitors in the New South Wales Chamber of Commerce Survey.
Zoo Director, Cameron Kerr, said:
We’re always pleased to partner with companies with a sound commitment to corporate responsibility and to explore opportunities for us to jointly raise public awareness of environmental and wildlife habitat issues.
