UK ENDANGERED SPECIES IN UK ZOOS OR NOT

adrian1963

adrian1963

Well-Known Member
Why are there a lack of zoo's trying to helpour own endangered animals.
Most Uk zoo's support endangered animals from all over the world with breeding programmes or supporting groups set up to study these animals.
Yet in the Uk we have many animals that are endangered and hardly any help from the UK Zoological groups

Which animals do you think should be supported by our own zoo's my list would start with the Pine Martin and Scottish Wildcat then I would say the Red Squirrel, Corncrake, Greater horseshoe bat, Leatherback Turtle, Wryneck, Capercaillie, Grey Partridge and Great Bittern and there are many more Butterflies and Moths and many more other species too.

Even some of our once common animals are now becoming very scarce Song Thrush, Skylark, Cuckoo, Water vole, European Otter, Robins and even the once very common Starling.
Do you think zoos and other establishments should start to do something before it's to late
 
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Whipsnade are working with corncrakes and have re-introduced them into Norfolk.

Chester held water voles for several years and have re-introduced them back into the wild, including the reed bed near the elephant house. They've also bred and released Harvest Mice.
 
It would be nice to see more zoos taking part in UK wildlife conservation.

However. Most endangered uk species have conservation groups helping to breed and protect particular species.
 
lechweoryx said:
It would be nice to see more zoos taking part in UK wildlife conservation.

However. Most endangered uk species have conservation groups helping to breed and protect particular species.
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This is exactly what I am on about why don't UK zoos do more to support these groups.
 
bongorob said:
Whipsnade are working with corncrakes and have re-introduced them into Norfolk.

Chester held water voles for several years and have re-introduced them back into the wild, including the reed bed near the elephant house. They've also bred and released Harvest Mice.
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Is this project still on going and why don't they make people who visit the zoo aware of the endangered species they are trying to help in the UK like they do when they help groups out in other countries
 
Dudley Zoo have a breeding programme for the great crested newt that as been on going for over ten years and have managed to put hundreds back into the local area but this does not mean to say they are safe infact if it's right what was published in the local paper the Great Crested Newt is extremely endangered now and it's main population is within the Black Country
 
I believe a couple of UK zoos are breeding Sand Lizards for release and have done so in a few places also I understand Scottish wildcats are being held more now in UK zoos, but I agree more could be done with UK species
 
Tropical Wings down in Essex has conservation links with red squirrels, ravens and purple emperor butterflies, the latter of which are being bred for release at a secret location somewhere in Essex.
Colchester Zoo also have a quite extensive breeding programme of the Fischer's estuarine moth, that are being released at several sites along the the Essex coast.
 
Pensthorpe in Norfolk has a Corncrake breeding programme but I do agree zoos probably should do more for UK wildlife.
 
adrian1963 said:
Is this project still on going and why don't they make people who visit the zoo aware of the endangered species they are trying to help in the UK like they do when they help groups out in other countries
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Native Species is still one of Chester's active field projects: Chester Zoo - native-species-conservation-programme

http://www.chesterzoo.org/media/28DC3A282D844E2B90B6F8AA14196545.ashx

Nowadays, as well as animals, there's much more emphasis on endangered native plant species, many of whcih are on display (and labelled) in the zoo grounds, such as Black Poplars on the north canal bank.
 
Paignton zoo has bred dormice for many years for release into the wild.

Bristol zoo runs a water vole release program as well as other projects for endangered british flora.

I think im also right in saying that there is a capercaillie breeding programme in place at the highland wildife park.

In addition there has been efforts to release zoo bred sand lizards and natterjack toads into the wild by UK zoos too.

I agree it would be good to see more such projects and also see more british species within zoo breeding programmes, as you suggest such as pine martens.
 
Marwell has breeding and release programmes for sand lizards that has been going on for nearly 20 years, as well as one for Natterjack Toads (though I'm not sure if they still do that one), and in the past have had programmes for reddish buff moth and water vole. They have also just completed a year long campaign to create a nature reserve in Horsham Copse, the woods to the North of the African Valley, where surveys and coppicing has already begun.

Then of course there are places that devote themselves to the conservation of native wildlife, such as Wildwood with it's breed and release programme for beavers, water voles and hazel dormice, and the New Forest Wildlife Park which rehabilitates and releases dozens of injured and orphaned otters each year.
 
I don't think anyone has mentioned the previously endangered British field cricket, which London Zoo has been breeding and releasing into the wild for years. And I can quote from the website: "ZSL has been actively involved in native species re-introduction programmes for many years and has worked to conserve wild populations of a range of animals including corncrakes, dormice, Barberry carpet moths and red kites. Zoo visitors can see a whole host of invertebrates at London Zoo’s BUGS exhibit and take a wander along the woodland walk by the Regents Canal; an area of the zoo devoted to helping save London’s native species such as hedgehogs, moorhens and water voles."

And of course ZSL does loads of research behind the scenes into the cause of declining populations, such as the virus that has affected the red squirrel population, and the one that is killing of British frogs. It's visitor entrance money that funds this sort of research which is doing more for the root causes than keeping the odd individual in captivity.
 
adrian1963 said:
Is this project still on going and why don't they make people who visit the zoo aware of the endangered species they are trying to help in the UK like they do when they help groups out in other countries
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The project is still ongoing. I don't know why they do not make visitors aware of the work being done with Corncrakes.
 
Well, there was a feature about Whipsnade's corncrakes in one of the zoo programmes on television this year so they'd not exactly hiding their light under a bushel. It was fascinating, telling us all about how the corncrakes aren't allowed to see the sky until they're released – something to do with helping them navigate home when they migrate.
 
Don't forget the crane reintroduction projects at Pensthorpe and the WWT at Slimbridge. I glimpsed some of the young cranes that were recently released by WWT in the Somerset Levels when I drove down the M5 at the end of October.

Alan
 
gentle lemur said:
Don't forget the crane reintroduction projects at Pensthorpe and the WWT at Slimbridge. I glimpsed some of the young cranes that were recently released by WWT in the Somerset Levels when I drove down the M5 at the end of October.

Alan
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Alan what species of Crane would they be?
 
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