Shoebills in captivity

[PossumRoach]

Chiba zoo will build a new shoebill enclosure as a part of its master plan. The plan is to make an elongated 735 square meter enclosure with a water area of 125 square meters.

Details could be found in page 9 and 17 of this pdf document.
https://www.city.chiba.jp/toshi/koenryokuchi/dobutsukoen/documents/04kihonkeikaku.pdf

 

[PossumRoach]

I don’t know if this means something or it’s just me coping over the infertile egg in Chiba but Noichi zoo has been sharing some footage of their pair Caxixi and Sasa not showing antagonistic behavior towards each other. This video from June first shows both birds clacking their bills unfortunately keepers are intervening the animals from getting close to each other to avoid a fight from happening. Of course there’s visitor footage that shows that there are still antagonistic signs.

A couple days ago the zoo showed a video of both birds resting not so far from each other. Of course seeing how the keepers might be in the enclosure I take it that the birds probably didn’t get too close to copulate.

Noichi Zoo has uploaded another video of the shoebills getting closer to each other. However when Caxixi got one step closer to Sasa the keeper immediately got in the way.

Edit: does anyone know if such interventions can hamper the chances if the animals copulating?

 

[PossumRoach]

Edit: does anyone know if such interventions can hamper the chances if the animals copulating?

Nevermind, the zoo announced that both shoebills pecked at each other resulting in both getting injuries around their bills. Caxixi has a larger wound, but she is said to be energetic and has an appetite. I hope there isn’t any underlying condition though…

 

[Il gattopardo]

Napels Zoo had the shoebill for many years as it´s logo

 

[PossumRoach]

To commemorate the 10th anniversary of the arrival of shoebills (which is also the same year the park was rebranded from Kobe Kachoen) Kobe Animal Kingdom will be hosting a shoebill symposium on October 27. The symposium will feature six presentations and a panel discussion. The presentations are titled as the following (translated using google translate):



I am not going to assume this is the first symposium on Earth, let alone in Japan, that is about shoebill husbandry and breeding. I just hope that most of the discussion could also be seen by the rest of the zoological community. It would also be nice that the zoos and researchers find that there’s more to shoebill breeding than just humidity, flight space, and individual history of shoebills.

 

[PossumRoach]

The zoo announced that the shoebills will be paired again starting this Friday, following some hormonal and behavioral surveys. The walkthrough exhibit doesn’t seem like it will be closed during the reintroduction of the shoebills.

Back at May Bongo and Marimba at Kobe were separated to keep them both solitary. However both animals were in walk through exhibits with Bongo being in a exhibit being cohabitated with other large birds and lemurs, which makes me wonder if this is even solitary in the first place.

In other news Jitto from Chiba and Sasa from Noichi have been seen carrying browse to their nests. The latter however stole browse from Kashishi causing some aggression in the form of a chase according to the keepers.

 

[Pertinax]

To commemorate the 10th anniversary of the arrival of shoebills (which is also the same year the park was rebranded from Kobe Kachoen) Kobe Animal Kingdom will be hosting a shoebill symposium on October 27. The symposium will feature six presentations and a panel discussion. The presentations are titled as the following (translated using google translate):

View attachment 729215

I am not going to assume this is the first symposium on Earth, let alone in Japan, that is about shoebill husbandry and breeding. I just hope that most of the discussion could also be seen by the rest of the zoological community. It would also be nice that the zoos and researchers find that there’s more to shoebill breeding than just humidity, flight space, and individual history of shoebills.

It would be particularly interesting to read the transcript of the last presentation on the list- on captive Shoebills and how a sustainable population can be achieved.

 

[PossumRoach]

It would be particularly interesting to read the transcript of the last presentation on the list- on captive Shoebills and how a sustainable population can be achieved.

Indeed. Alas, I hadn’t seen anything about whether or not this symposium will get recorded and get archived/uploaded online. Even if that’s the case the symposium will be in Japanese so very few of us here will be able to understand the conclusions. It would have been nice if this symposium was also online with other zoos interested in breeding shoebills sharing and exchanging information and experiences.

I do feel like it’s too soon to talk about sustainability when there hasn’t even been a breeding record in Asia. The fact that ZooTampa and Pairi’s success aren’t repeated doesn’t help either.

 

[PossumRoach]

Ever since he was brought indoors, Bongo from Kobe has been carrying browse, likely for nest building. There has bern occasions which either Bongo or Marimba have pursued the other. I can’t tell the birds apart when they are both flying.

 

[PossumRoach]

A couple years ago a biology magazine in Japan had an issue out all about shoebills. Now this issue is being published as a book. Unfortunately the book is in Japanese and I don’t expect it to bet translated in English any time soon. Despite that the content of the book seems quite interesting.

The content of the book goes as follows.


also Pelidaiza, for those who can’t tell, is Pairi Daiza being translated by google translate from the katakana spelling of the park’s Japanese name.

 

[Steve Robinson]

Well it is a bit late but Nasu Animal Kingdom has sent female Caxixi (pronounced Kashishi) away to Noichi Zoo for breeding purposes on 19 December of last year leaving Nasu without shoebills. Breeding obviously (and sadly) didn’t happened but male Sasa has been seen a few days ago standing over and laying down on a piece of plastic. Caxixi was also seen carrying forage a few months ago but the birds don’t really have a nest.

When I visited Nasu Animal Kingdom a few years ago Sato-san showed me two Shoebills recently arrived from Tanzania.

They were both off-show, but separately at the time. One had a minor injury to it's foot.

They were said to be a true pair. Do you know what happened to these birds @PossumRoach?

They were truly magnificent.

 

[PossumRoach]

When I visited Nasu Animal Kingdom a few years ago Sato-san showed me two Shoebills recently arrived from Tanzania.

They were both off-show, but separately at the time. One had a minor injury to it's foot.

They were said to be a true pair. Do you know what happened to these birds @PossumRoach?

They were truly magnificent.

If you did see these birds in 2018 when Nasu’s Wetland exhibit was opened then you are referring to late male Asalato and the female Caxixi/Kashishi. However since you said recently from Tanzania so I assume you are referring to the time when these birds were first brought to Japan in 2013 before they were sent to Kobe. According to the Tokyo shoebill club, the park imported 2.1 animals that year under the impression that they were 1.2. So could have possibly seen Bongo at the time as well, but in the end Asalato and Kashishi were paired together.

Asalato unfortunately passed on after a few months the Wetland exhibit opened. I have never come across the reason of death.

The individual with the foot injury is Kashishi. Ever since Asalato’s death, she has been transferred back to Kobe once in 2021 in an attempt at getting her paired with Bongo. Since 2022 she has been living in Noichi with Sasa. They are currently separated now since it’s winter/dry season now.

It must’ve been an honor to have met the late Sato Teysuya-san. I never would’ve thought any member of the forum would have met him since he isn’t a much discussed in the forums here.

 

[Steve Robinson]

If you did see these birds in 2018 when Nasu’s Wetland exhibit was opened then you are referring to late male Asalato and the female Caxixi/Kashishi. However since you said recently from Tanzania so I assume you are referring to the time when these birds were first brought to Japan in 2013 before they were sent to Kobe. According to the Tokyo shoebill club, the park imported 2.1 animals that year under the impression that they were 1.2. So could have possibly seen Bongo at the time as well, but in the end Asalato and Kashishi were paired together.

Asalato unfortunately passed on after a few months the Wetland exhibit opened. I have never come across the reason of death.

The individual with the foot injury is Kashishi. Ever since Asalato’s death, she has been transferred back to Kobe once in 2021 in an attempt at getting her paired with Bongo. Since 2022 she has been living in Noichi with Sasa. They are currently separated now since it’s winter/dry season now.

It must’ve been an honor to have met the late Sato Teysuya-san. I never would’ve thought any member of the forum would have met him since he isn’t a much discussed in the forums here.

My one and only trip to Japan was in 2014 and there were only the two birds in off exhibit ICU type containment at Nasu. Mr Sato spoke often of Kobe but I did not get to see it.

Sato-san was a very knowledgeable and generous host and I enjoyed my time with him. I have heard that he has since died - is that correct?

My visit to Nasu was at the beginning of winter - in fact, to my surprise, the first snow of that season fell on my first day there.

So many stories - the park was closed to visitors for it's winter hiatus so Mr Sato opened the restaurant especially for our lunch. It felt quite bizarre to be eating a magnificently prepared Wagyu beef meal and all the trimmings whilst overlooking great green bundles on a distant part of his property. Upon enquiry I was told that they covered piles of nuclear waste from Fukushimi and that Mr Sato was paid handsomely to allow it to be stored there!

 

[PossumRoach]

Sato-san was a very knowledgeable and generous host and I enjoyed my time with him. I have heard that he has since died - is that correct?

Sato-san passed on March 6 due to a heart failure. Based on the footage I saw of him from last year he seemed like he was still active in the management of the park. It’s a shame he won’t get to witness shoebills being bred in Japan, be it in one of his parks or elsewhere in the country.

I said it in the Nasu thread before but while his loss might not be as noticeable in the greater zoo community (or at least not much on this website) it’s a great loss in Japan. Both Nasu and Kobe Animal Kingdom are now directed by Hibashi Kazuaki, former director of director of Saitama Children’s Zoo, Chikozan Children’s Zoo, and Inokashira Park Zoo along with being responsible for the educational activities in Nasu prior to being appointed as director. I am however, not sure about the current management of Sato’s other business Animal Escort Services.

 

[Steve Robinson]

Sato-san passed on March 6 due to a heart failure. Based on the footage I saw of him from last year he seemed like he was still active in the management of the park. It’s a shame he won’t get to witness shoebills being bred in Japan, be it in one of his parks or elsewhere in the country.

I said it in the Nasu thread before but while his loss might not be as noticeable in the greater zoo community (or at least not much on this website) it’s a great loss in Japan. Both Nasu and Kobe Animal Kingdom are now directed by Hibashi Kazuaki, former director of director of Saitama Children’s Zoo, Chikozan Children’s Zoo, and Inokashira Park Zoo along with being responsible for the educational activities in Nasu prior to being appointed as director. I am however, not sure about the current management of Sato’s other business Animal Escort Services.

Thank you for confirming that sad news.

Mr Sato was very keen to acquire Wombats for Nasu - hence my visit at his invitation. Unfortunately he had already completed his Wombat enclosure before we met. It was not suitable, nor compliant, for the species - the provision of a good sized swimming pool for the Wombats was a bit of a giveaway - and our collaboration could not go ahead. Despite that, he remained a very congenial host and showed me some parts of ancient Japan that I would not otherwise have visited.

He told me about some children's zoos in Japan that kept Common Wombats, and had bred them, and he gave me the impression that he would source his Wombats from one of them. I wonder if he ever did? Apparently those zoo had sourced some Wombats from an Australian zoo some time previously and had the assistance of a very knowledgeable lady keeper from this country to help them get established. They were breeding in that/those zoos.

Could it be that his successor was formerly directing one or some of those zoos?

 

[PossumRoach]

To commemorate the 10th anniversary of the arrival of shoebills (which is also the same year the park was rebranded from Kobe Kachoen) Kobe Animal Kingdom will be hosting a shoebill symposium on October 27. The symposium will feature six presentations and a panel discussion. The presentations are titled as the following (translated using google translate):

View attachment 729215

I am not going to assume this is the first symposium on Earth, let alone in Japan, that is about shoebill husbandry and breeding. I just hope that most of the discussion could also be seen by the rest of the zoological community. It would also be nice that the zoos and researchers find that there’s more to shoebill breeding than just humidity, flight space, and individual history of shoebills.

The symposium happened two days ago. It got full attendance before the registration period was over. So far the closest thing to a transcript is a twitter stream in Japanese by a participant.

 

[PossumRoach]

A keeper mentioned that, of the 18 Shoebills in captivity, only two have not currently got partners, those being Abou and her brother, which means they will sadly never be able to find a partner for her.

@Kalaw I am responding to this statement on this thread because I don’t want to fill the Exmoor thread with extra shoebill trivia, but I counted around 23 shoebills in captivity with 1.2 unpaired individuals in Japan and the single male in Singapore. Unfortunately I doubt any of these places would be willing to give away their animals.

 

[StellarChaser]

Do those Japanese facilities come up with any potential plans for breeding Shoebills?

 

[PossumRoach]

Do those Japanese facilities come up with any potential plans for breeding Shoebills?

Considering that there was a symposium where information was exchanged about shoebill breeding mentioned on this thread, yes there are still attempts at breeding shoebills.

To commemorate the 10th anniversary of the arrival of shoebills (which is also the same year the park was rebranded from Kobe Kachoen) Kobe Animal Kingdom will be hosting a shoebill symposium on October 27. The symposium will feature six presentations and a panel discussion. The presentations are titled as the following (translated using google translate):

View attachment 729215

I am not going to assume this is the first symposium on Earth, let alone in Japan, that is about shoebill husbandry and breeding. I just hope that most of the discussion could also be seen by the rest of the zoological community. It would also be nice that the zoos and researchers find that there’s more to shoebill breeding than just humidity, flight space, and individual history of shoebills.

 

[PossumRoach]

Last month Chiba Zoo has installed an elevated nest which the birds did not used until a couple days ago. Shizuka (0.1) was displaying nesting behavior according to a post that was shared a few hours ago.

Let’s hope this year is Chiba’s year.

In other news Noichi has made a post on early March that Kashishi (0.1) has started to molt around the same time as Sasa (1.0). This might be an important detail, since that means that the cycles of the birds are close to each other.