Zoological Parks Authority - Parliament of Western Australia - The ...

Zoological Parks Authority ANNUAL REPORT 2012
Agency Performance – Report on Operations
Directorate Reports
Life Sciences Directorate
Overview
In partnership with regional and global species
management programs, the Directorate
continued to focus on the operational and
strategic management of the diverse range of
species held by the Zoo.
In 2011‐12, significant births included two
Sumatran Orangutans (critically endangered), a
White-cheeked Gibbon (critically endangered),
two Nepalese Red Panda (endangered), a litter
of seven African Painted Dogs (endangered),
Rothschild’s Giraffe (endangered), a litter of four
Asian Small-clawed Otters (the first otters born
at the Zoo for 18 years), eight Perenties, Bilby,
Small-beaked Echidna and a Ghost Bat.
In the reporting period, various animals were
transferred in and out of the Zoo as part of
local, regional and global breeding and species
management or recovery programs. These
transfers require significant staff expertise,
preparation and coordination. Significant
moves included the transfer of one of our
male Sumatran Orangutans to Sumatra,
Indonesia, for release into the wild as part
of a reintroduction program; the arrival of a
female African Lion from Western Plains Zoo in
Dubbo; and the transfer of six Perth Zoo-bred
Bush Stone Curlews to Narembeen for release
into the Wadderin Sanctuary. New breeding
animal arrivals included a female Meerkat from
Newquay Zoo in the United Kingdom, a female
Black-and-White Ruffed Lemur from Mogo
Zoo in NSW and a male Emperor Tamarin from
Apeldoorn in the Netherlands.
Species Management
In 2011‐12, the roles of the two Curatorial
positions were realigned to enable one
position to concentrate on operational
and husbandry matters and the other to
concentrate on species management planning
and the Zoo’s extensive role in species
management programs.
In the reporting period, Perth Zoo supported
40 species management programs with Perth
Zoo staff coordinating 11 of these programs
including the global program for the critically
endangered Javan Gibbon and the regional
programs for African Painted Dog, Ring-tailed
Lemur, Western Swamp Tortoise and Shortbeaked
Echidna. The Zoo’s support varies
from holding small numbers of animals for
educational purposes (e.g. Royal Spoonbill,
African Lion) and holding post-reproductive
animals to free up spaces at breeding
institutions (such as the Tasmanian Devil), to
being amongst the most significant breeding
institutions for the species including Sumatran
Orangutan, Red Panda, Short-beaked Echidna
and Black-winged Stilt.
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Fourteen Perth Zoo staff who act as Species
Coordinators were provided with training on the
complexities of species management and the
principles of small population biology during
the year.
Outcomes
Exotic Fauna
A significant undertaking in 2011‐12 was the
preparation, transfer and release of a Perth
Zoo born Sumatran Orangutan, Semeru,
into the wild in Sumatra, Indonesia, as part
of a reintroduction program. Semeru was
released in the same area of protected
rainforest as another Perth Zoo born orangutan
– female Temara – who was successfully
released in 2006 (a world first for a zoo-born
orangutan). The reintroduction program, run
by the Frankfurt Zoological Society, is part of
international efforts to re-establish a population
of this critically endangered species in the
wild. The release of Temara and Semeru
provides the opportunity to boost the numbers
and genetic diversity of the reintroduced
population (140 as at June 2012) in the Bukit
Tigapuluh region of eastern Sumatra. The other
reintroduced animals are rescued ex-pet or
orphaned orangutans.