Ouwehands Zoo Ouwehands Dierenpark, Rhenen

 
 
The introduction of butterflies into the central hall of the koala enclosure has been postponed for the time being. Upon closer inspection, the space has been found to be unsuitable and must first be modified. Whether these modifications will actually be carried out is still uncertain. The feasibility of this is currently being investigated by the zoo. Once there is more clarity on this, a decision will be made on whether it will proceed.

Source: ZooFlits
 
Interesting news from Ouwehands's Aquarium. We visited yesterday (and I really hoped on seeing the Giant Pacific Octopus this time :) ) but there was signing on the enclosure window about the GPO being away from the public for the time being, as she has laid eggs.

I've uploaded the signing as source to the gallery. It was very dark inside, so the picture is as good as illegible, meaning you guys still have to take my word for it. :p

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Rough translation: the GPO is in hiding, as she has laid eggs. She is protecting the eggs and caring for them and therefore is not visible to the public. The GPO lives alone, so the eggs are probably (!) unfertilized. When a GPO lays eggs, an aging process starts in her body. This is normal for a GPO, because her 'task' of reproduction is done. This also means the end of her life is nearing.

Giant Pacific Octopi are such amazing and interesting creatures... I'm going to look around for some good reading to do on this amazing species.

EDIT: I found this article from University of Chicago describing the demise of a mother octopus. Very interesting read and this explains why Ouwehands hasn't published anything on this process yet, as it is fast and probably will conclude in a few days...
 
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Upcoming export of male Clouded leopard:

Howletts will be importing a young male Clouded leopard from the Netherlands in the coming months, indicating Ouwehands Dierenpark’s male cub is set to be exported (the other two cubs in the litter are female).

Long term, there’s a possibility this male’s offspring could be rewilded:

From the WCCC newsletter:

In the coming months, a young male from the Netherlands will be joining Mirri in the UK, with hopes the pair will form a new breeding partnership for the European program. Howletts has a long and successful history with the species, and this next chapter could help rejuvenate their breeding efforts.

We are also exploring future collaborations with the Aspinall Foundation (our partners in the Cheetah Rewilding Project) to assess the potential for clouded leopard rewilding — something never before achieved globally. While these cats are far more elusive and difficult to monitor than cheetahs, the idea of seeing Mirri’s future offspring return to the forests of Asia is a powerful vision.
 
Kifaru Bwana said:
I would like to know now ... what has happened with the birds next. This whole affair has been a charade of blind bureacracy to the fact that in the Philiipines wildlife rehabilitation centers are full of confiscated wildlife including loads of rufous and other hornbills with nowhere to go next. These birds have been in the Netherlands for yonker years first at Avifauna for a good decade or so and then in some of the best housing and under husbandry care at Rhenen Zoo.
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Yunha said:
I missed this news, how sad is this. :( I hope the birds are in good care, but I think it would have been waaay better for them to have stayed in Ouwehands in specialist care. A case where the law does not equal justice, I think
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The Sulawesi Knobbed Hornbill was given to Avifauna and from Avifauna it was given to Cologne.
The Luzon Rufous Hornbills were given to Walsrode, but their aviary there could be a bit bigger.
But all of them are in good hands.
 
Paul.Haerle said:
The Sulawesi Knobbed Hornbill was given to Avifauna and from Avifauna it was given to Cologne.
The Luzon Rufous Hornbills were given to Walsrode, but their aviary there could be a bit bigger.
But all of them are in good hands.
Click to expand...
Wait a minute: the birds under litigation originated from Avifauna and the issue was that they had not been ringed properly to verify their origins (I know, I know, .... I observed ad lib how a good deal of illegal trade exists within the Philippines and quite so that most Philippine wildlife ends up in rescue centres - if they are lucky ..... -).

On reflection, our RVO / NVWA seem to have next to no knowledge nor awareness what really is the main issue: Not that these birds had no rings or could be traced to legal origins, but that the illegal trade is so grand and that only specialist collections like Rhenen or Avifauna are valid facilities to manage these birds and have them have a valid conservation breeding role and contributing to their species in a positive manner.

What happened next ..., admittedly .... I guess that the Koelner Zoo for the Sulawesi hornbills is per se a good one and Walsrode for the Luzon rufous is not too bad either. But still, the Judiciary here in the Netherlands could have read a verdict more versed in the conservation realities on the ground here and in the Philippines and what good guardianship as both Avifauna and Rhenen have done over the years should have been the measure and mark to which the Law should have been read and taken account of.
 
Kifaru Bwana said:
Wait a minute: the birds under litigation originated from Avifauna and the issue was that they had not been ringed properly to verify their origins (I know, I know, .... I observed ad lib how a good deal of illegal trade exists within the Philippines and quite so that most Philippine wildlife ends up in rescue centres - if they are lucky ..... -).

On reflection, our RVO / NVWA seem to have next to no knowledge nor awareness what really is the main issue: Not that these birds had no rings or could be traced to legal origins, but that the illegal trade is so grand and that only specialist collections like Rhenen or Avifauna are valid facilities to manage these birds and have them have a valid conservation breeding role and contributing to their species in a positive manner.

What happened next ..., admittedly .... I guess that the Koelner Zoo for the Sulawesi hornbills is per se a good one and Walsrode for the Luzon rufous is not too bad either. But still, the Judiciary here in the Netherlands could have read a verdict more versed in the conservation realities on the ground here and in the Philippines and what good guardianship as both Avifauna and Rhenen have done over the years should have been the measure and mark to which the Law should have been read and taken account of.
Click to expand...
So far I know the Luzon Rufous Hornbills went directly to Walsrode, only the Sulawesi Knobbed Hornbill was for a short time in Avifauna and if I remember correctly it had never been there before.
I doub that Walsode‘s aviary for them is much better.
 
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