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commercialized since 2002. In 2010, the area under rice hybrids was increased to nearly 200 000 ha and the yield advantage was two tons per ha. Based on this achievement, the Philippines government has lauched an ambitious plan. The target is to expand the area of hybrid rice to one million ha by 2012. Even in USA, the super country, hybrid rice also has greater yield advantage (>20%) over their local varieties. The area under hybrid rice was 400 000 ha in 2010.
These facts clearly show that hybrid rice technology developed by China is also effective to greatly increase rice yields worldwide. If 50% of the conventional rice is
replaced by hybrid rice, and estimating on a 2 t/ha yield advantage of hybrid rice, it is estimated that the total rice production in the world will be increased by another 150 million tons of rice which can feed 400 million people each year.
Therefore, I firmly believe that hybrid rice, relying on scientific and technological advances, and the efforts
from all other aspects, including governments, private sectors, NGOs and particularly from FAO and IRRI, will have a very good prospect for commercial production, and moreover continue to play a key role in ensuring the future worldwide food security in the new century.
Rehabilitation is a process involving sick or injured animals
displaced from the wild to nurse them back to fitness in
captive condition and subsequently release them back into the wild, with their welfare being the underlying concern. The programme could be categorized at different levels by individual rehabilitation, species, community or biodiversity level. There should be clarity of thought on whether it is the conservation of species or the welfare of individuals that takes priority. Rehabilitation is for individual animal welfare, but simultaneously addresses conservation related issues. The massive destruction of the forest has resulted in animals coming out from their ‘homes’ and getting knocked down by trains or road vehicles, entering into housing areas and thus they become a threat to the public. Those who keep them as pets, hand them over to zoos or simply
abandon them when they grow fiercer, and if they fall sick,
the public is not in the position to give medical care. This is when poachers come into the picture, and these poor animals are killed for their meat or for medicinal value. Thus, there is an urgent need to have such a centre so that a home with proper medical attention can be found from them. Such centers already are established in Thailand, Indonesia, India, Vietnam and China, particularly focusing on birds of prey, wild cats, primates, ungulates and other species. We must understand that the department and zoos for that matter have limited space, limited facilities, and cannot accommodate the increasing numbers of such
animals sent, found or confiscated. If no attempt is made
to protect them, it can be foreseen that the population of wild animals would continue to decrease. Besides being sent there for protection, animals at the center could also be used by universities to conduct studies, especially to look into emerging viral, bacterial and parasitic diseases.
Wildlife rehabilitation is becoming more common in developing countries. This is complicated by local economic, cultural, and health concerns. Like zoos and wildlife management agencies, wildlife rehabilitation is neither good nor bad. There are excellent programme and unacceptable programmes in both developed and developing nations (Anon 1999). Programs in developing countries are confronted with: (1) High costs relative to local living standards; (2) Differences in political priorities
from those in developed countries; (3) Cultural attitudes with different values placed on animals and among various species; (4) Limited technological resources; (5) Threatened or endangered species; and (6) Species and situations that pose serious health concerns for animals and humans. Unlike the typical rehabilitation center in developed countries, programme in developing countries rarely receive animals because they are sick, injured or
orphaned but more frequently handle animals confiscated
form the pet or commercial trade by law enforcement
officials. This difference affects the approach needed for
rehabilitation programmes.
Veterinarians and rehabilitators from developed countries participate in helping to develop wildlife rehabilitation programme and have an ethical obligation to promote
approaches and practices that will truly benefit wildlife rather than benefit any organizational or personal agendas
(Anon 1999).
In addition to the many considerations involved in rehabilitating wildlife in developed countries, we need to be aware of other issues inherent to working in different cultures and environments and with different species if we are going to be truly successful. Many of the major issues can be categorized as: (1) Animal welfare concerns; (2) Local attitudes; (3) Professional development; (4) Ecological and population issues; (5) Politics; and 6) Financial issues.
Animal Welfare Concerns
A common reason for rehabilitating and releasing wild animals is the increasing concern in modern societies for the individual animal’s well-being (Robston 1992; Sikarskie 1992). This concern has led to the development of some very well managed rehabilitation programmes in North America and Europe, facilitated by the political, economic, and cultural environments in which they developed. In developing countries, the international community and sensitized local individuals also see animals being kept in less than desirable situations and want to see something done about it. Financial resource and/or attitudes towards