Short news from European Zoos

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I can't see the idea in hybrids either. I say: Freeze their genes so we have an ultimate backup plan, and attempt to breed with the ones we have. It looks like a hopeless task, but it's not impsossible yet.
 
Let's explain the positive effects of hybridisation: instead of decreasing the genetic diversity of a small group by even carefully planned inbreeding, why not fuse the small with a healthy, only minimally different, yet compatible larger group. This will not only result in an increase of the overal genetic diversity due to new genetic material brought into the larger group, but one benefit might be a positive heterosis effect, i.e the hybrids might be healthier & better adapted to the Northern whites' habitat than pure Southern whites - or heavily inbred Northern White Rhinos. Example: Peregrine falcon reintroduction in the Eastern parts of the USA.
 
The red-capped mangabey group in Tierpark Berlin has 2 new members - one baby born in January of unkown sex and a 22 year old female from Saarbrücken Zoo. She was the last mangabey there. The group now consist of 3.5.1 animals - one breeding male, 2 male infants, 3 adult females, 2 female infants and the new baby (whose mother is already 23). The group had the problem that for many years, only males had been born - more then a dozend in a row!! The 2 females infants (born in 2006 I believe) are therefore really good news and will hopefully secure the future of the group.
 
Good news. This species has a parallel history to the Drill in the UK. Formerly exhibited but not seen for several decades until Colchester, and later Newquay zoo imported some so they can now be seen at two zoos again- they are breeding at Colchester, who have had them for longer.
 
Cross-breeding of white rhinos should not be taken lightly as these forms have more or less been separated longish.

The Dvur plan which is entirely secret .. (and sadly has come under heaps of neg media attention) would see all northern whites relocated to another African country in an effort to stimulate breeding.

I cannot divulge any further for fear of comprimising the source! :eek:
 
Yassa said:
The red-capped mangabey group in Tierpark Berlin has 2 new members The group now consist of 3.5.1 animals
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I've seen a photo of the enclosure for this group- its just a grassy area with a few worn-looking logs and branches stacked in the centre. Quite spacious but very unstimulating. Surely they could improve it?
 
They surely could, but the management in the Tierpark thinks that too much stuff into an animal enclosure is no good and distracts the visitors from the animals. It`s horrible. Many of the enclosures are spacious but so barren that it`s unbelieveble. Barren enclosures are not that bad for ungulates, but for monkeys, it`s just awful. This is one of the many reasons why I seriously hope that the director of the Berlin Zoos will be kicked out as soon as possible for all the mismanagement he`s responsible for. He`s pretty young (early 50`th) and I truly hope the animals don`t need to wait until he retires.
 
Yassa said:
They surely could, but the management in the Tierpark thinks that too much stuff into an animal enclosure is no good and distracts the visitors from the animals. It`s horrible. /QUOTE]

Yeah, I thought it was pretty awful when I saw the photo. What a way to display Forest-dwelling Monkeys!
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Prague zoo have received 7 gharial from the crocodile bank in Madras, India, in exchange for 4 Aldabran tortoise and caiman lizard.
 
5 gharials are already present at La Ferme aux Crocodiles, at Pierrelatte, France, for a few years.
This institution is implicated in a conservation program concerning Gharials in the wild.

At Pierrelatte, you may see about 300 Nile Crocodiles. Also Asian False Gharials, African slender-snouted crocodiles, African Dwarf Crocodiles , Black Caimans, Yacares, Mississipi Alligators and Chinese Alligators.
 
Hannover Zoo imported a group of Caribou (Rangifer Tarandus Caribou) from North America to go on to display at their new Alaska themed part of the Zoo (now under construction). This species of reindeer wasn't kept in Europe...
 
The german List of Zoo animals in Europe has moved to a new (and much improved) site:

ZootierlisteHomepage

I know it's in german and there's no english version yet, but if you want to browse it you can get a lot of info by just using the latin names and searching for that...
 
As the one hosting this site, I had a word with Ronny Graf, who makes most of the work there. A englisch version is in progress but thats not so fast done. But we try to make it work till Summer :)
 
kiang said:
Prague zoo have received 7 gharial from the crocodile bank in Madras, India, in exchange for 4 Aldabran tortoise and caiman lizard.
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Here is a video i found of the gharial at Prague
 
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A dusky langur has been born in Wuppertal Zoo - that means 2 young have been born there within the last 12 months and both are doing well, after no offspring for a couple of years. Maybe hope for the european langur population?

Burgers Zoo has opened a new asian rainforest complex and the plan was to keep dusky langurs with gibbons. It seems the dusky langurs were to be imported from the U.S. This plan has now failed and I don`t know what langur species will replace them - probably javan langurs, they are the most common in Europe. I am dreaming of Francois langurs, though... highly endangered and 4 young have been born in Rotterdam in the last 2-3 years.

Hagenbeck (Hamburg) has announced that again 2 giant otters have been born and are doing well, they are already a couple of months old. Seems to be a male and a female.
 
Yassa said:
Hagenbeck (Hamburg) has announced that again 2 giant otters have been born and are doing well, they are already a couple of months old. Seems to be a male and a female.
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They were born at 28th of January 2008, male: Jaó, female: Icana. Interesting, that the litter of 2007 (2,1) are togehter with the youngsters and helping the parents, Maku and Beni, with breeding like in nature!:)
 
One of the hippos died. One of the two, a male called Odongo, wouldn't drink at his mother and has to feed by hand. Unfortunately he didn't make it and died today. His sister (named Hasana) is doing well, she's fed by her mother Jetje.
 
kiang said:
Here is a video i found of the gharial at Prague
YouTube - gavialis zoo praha
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This small rock island is the most heated place of the exhibit so there are always some of them less than a meter from you. They are still immature, not even 2 meters long. 3 males, 4 females. Hopefully they will be a well reproducing group one day, Prague has been succesful reptile breeders. There's still hope for this endagered specie.
 
Pedro said:
Some news from the other Paris Zoo (Jardin des Plantes).
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and one clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa).. again, waiting for another one!
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Yes, Samara, one of the twins from first litter of the young pair from Howletts. Is she still waiting for a partner?
Her parents, in Prague only from 2006, don't waste any time and currently have an only cub in their second litter here!
 
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