Rare species in European zoos

I take it back about Marwell, looking at their annual report the sent their last animal away last year.
 
When Kowaris first came to the UK, they were being offered to private breeders through NAPAK and other associations, so as with so many small mammal species, there may still be a thriving population in private hands.
 
on another rare zoo animal.

I recently got news that the shoebill stork in paradisio has laid an egg.
it is the second time this happens in this zoo. last time was 2 years ago.
the egg broke during maternal incubation and turned out to be infertile.

this time they'll go for artificial incubation. the egg was laid last saturday. up till now, I haven't heard of any more eggs being laid.

fingers crossed to have the first ever captive breeding of this species?
 
I believe Stuttgart have had an un fertilised egg in the past, and lost the female stork when she became egg bound
 
shoebills have been popular in zoos for a long time. Although they have never been "common" zoo animals, the lack of any breeding has to be purely due to the way they are displayed right? (and I guess many zoos only had one at a time)
 
I think few shoebills (if any) were kept in pairs in large aviary. Being big, they need proportionately big aviary. Most long-legged birds have difficulty in mating when pinioned. The problem is not lack of wing power, but male is imbalanced when one wing is shorter.

Somebody could check if wild Shoebills breed in dry or wet season. If Shoebills are dry season breeders, like White Pelicans, hey would enter breeding condsition in autumn. Hardly any European zoo has winter quarters high enough for mating and with nest material.
 
at the moment, most zoo's keep several animals, but there doesn't seem to be much chemistry between pairs except in paradisio. prague have theirs just as long, I think lowry and SD even longer. the 2 in walsrode can't stand each other from what I've heard.

breeding in the wild is not well documented, but it is believed to be the dry season. during wet season there would be risk of flooding of the nests.

interestingly the paradisio animals also mated last year during the fall, but with no effect.

I do not really believe the actual time of year is important to trigger matings, but more the weather condition. all matings we observed happened during periods of dry hot weather. late spring in 2006. spring AND fall 2007 (probably due to very variable weatherconditions) and this year also during a hot dry period of several weeks. only a week or 2 earlier than in 2006

this of course being just my theory.
 
Pygathrix said:
Does anyone know if AI might have a role in shoebill breeding?
Click to expand...

If as suggested, there are climatic considerations, the climate/temperature would need to be right for the whole breeding cycle to take place. After that possibly AI could have a role in getting fertlized eggs if the birds have mating problems.
 
I think that, at the moment too little is known about this bird's reproductive cycle and behaviour to think of AI.

if we can get a few animals to breed, maybe then it would become interesting. especially if there would be a worldwide breeding attempt.

if you look at import nrs and nrs in zoo's today, it seems they are still quite delicate. a little tube is easier to transport and less likely to die due to stress.
 
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