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

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Zoological Parks Authority ANNUAL REPORT 2012 Agency Performance – Report on Operations Directorate Reports Life Sciences Directorate continued Perth Zoo has been working with Frankfurt Zoological Society (FZS), the Indonesian Government and other partners in the Bukit Tigapuluh region since 2006 to protect the wildlife and habitat of this unique ecosystem. The Zoo provides staff expertise, advice and funds raised through its Wildlife Conservation Action program to support the reintroduction program, an orangutan sanctuary, wildlife protection units, education programs and wildlife surveys. Born at Perth Zoo in 2005, Semeru was chosen for the release program based on his age and temperament. He had reached the natural age of dispersal for a male orangutan and Semeru in the forest in Sumatra was confident, curious and independent of his mother, all important requirements to adjust to life in the forest. The release of Temara in 2006 provided valuable experience for the team of Perth Zoo veterinarians and keepers in their planning and preparations for Semeru. The 12 month-long preparations at the Zoo prior to Semeru’s transfer included the introduction of Indonesian fruits to his diet, enrichment items to sharpen his foraging skills and access to a large fig tree to increase his fitness and hone his climbing and nestmaking skills. Approval was gained from the Indonesian Government to transfer Semeru to Bukit Tigapuluh in October 2011. He was released into the forest in November 2011 following two weeks in quarantine. Semeru was closely monitored by Perth Zoo staff after his release and two dedicated FZS trackers continue to track to him daily, monitoring his movements and behaviours and providing supplementary food as required. He will be tracked for around two years. Semeru was fitted with a radio transmitter implant prior to his release to assist trackers monitoring him in the dense terrain. Since his release, Semeru has made excellent progress adapting to his new forest environment. His foraging activity, food intake, travel, nesting and interaction with other released orangutans is recorded daily. 36 Back in Perth, the Zoo’s renowned Sumatran Orangutan breeding program produced another two infants. Sekara (Semeru’s mother) gave birth to a male, named Sungai, in December 2011 and Pulang (a first time mother) gave birth to a female, named Lestari, in January 2012. Lestari was the 29th Sumatran Orangutan born at Perth Zoo as part of the regional breeding program. There was also breeding success with another critically endangered Asian primate species, the White-cheeked Gibbon. This species is fighting for survival in the wild with habitat destruction and poaching for the illegal pet trade the primary threats in its home range of China, Vietnam and Laos. Perth Zoo has two breeding pairs of White-cheeked Gibbons. In June 2012, the younger breeding female Jermai gave birth to her first healthy infant after her successful pairing with a new breeding male gibbon from France. Jermai has been a very good first time mother displaying excellent maternal skills. In August 2011, there was further good news with the successful reintroduction of the male White-cheeked Gibbon born to the other breeding female, Viann. Four-month-old Nakai was reintroduced to his mother, father and sibling after being hand-raised by keepers for the first few months of his life when Viann had difficulties caring for him.
Zoological Parks Authority ANNUAL REPORT 2012 Agency Performance – Report on Operations Directorate Reports Life Sciences Directorate continued Maintaining contact with his gibbon family during his human care period was extremely important with the goal of returning Nakai to his family as soon as he was strong enough. When young Nakai was reintroduced, Viann took him back immediately and the family group have remained together. Once Nakia reaches sexual maturity, it is hoped he will be paired with a female in the region and they too will breed. The Zoo continued its breeding success with the endangered Nepalese Red Panda with nine year old Tiamat giving birth to two cubs (a male and a female) in December 2011. Tiamat is an experienced breeding female with strong maternal skills. Perth Zoo has successfully bred 16 Nepalese Red Pandas since 1997 as part of a regional breeding program for African Painted Dog pup this threatened species. In addition to the breeding program, Perth Zoo educates visitors and raises awareness about the threats faced by Red Pandas including the ever-increasing human demand for land and timber which threatens this species survival in the wild. Breeding success with the African species included the birth of a female giraffe in January 2012. The trouble-free delivery by experienced mother Misha was caught on camera by Zoo keepers. Perth Zoo has successfully bred eight Rothschild’s Giraffe since 1995. Misha is the mother of seven of those calves and is captured in the famous “The Kiss” photograph welcoming the first of those offspring, Makulu, into the world in 1995. The Rothschild’s Giraffe are the most endangered of the giraffe species with only a few hundred found in Kenya and Uganda. The African Painted Dogs added another litter to their pack for the second consecutive year when alpha female Mara gave birth to seven healthy pups (four males and three females) in May 2012. This is the fourth litter born at Perth Zoo since 2005 and the second litter for Mara. The Zoo’s breeding pack of African Painted Dogs comprises seven adult males, six adult females and the seven pups. This species is threatened with extinction in Africa where its numbers have declined dramatically due to human actions including road kill, snares, culling by farmers, introduced diseases from domestic dogs and habitat loss/fragmentation. As few as 3,000 African Painted Dogs are left in the wild. In addition to its breeding program, Perth Zoo’s Wildlife Conservation Action program supports the conservation of African Painted Dogs in the wild, providing funding for anti-poaching, snare removal and community education programs in Zambia. Other new arrivals in the African Savannah in 2011‐12 included a female African Lion transferred from Western Plains Zoo in Dubbo, NSW, in January 2012, who was successfully introduced to our two resident male lions. Another newcomer, a female Meerkat from the UK, brought important new genetics into the regional population and the capacity to breed this species once again at Perth Zoo. With a major upgrade of their exhibit completed, the Hamadryas Baboons returned to their home in the African Savannah in December 2011. The group of two males and five females were held in a large off-display area during the work on their exhibit. The upgrade included new night quarters. 37
Page 1 and 2: Zoological Parks Authority ANNUAL R
Page 35: Zoological Parks Authority ANNUAL R
Page 87 and 88:
Zoological Parks Authority ANNUAL R
Page 89 and 90:
Page 91 and 92:
Page 93 and 94:
Page 95 and 96:
Page 97 and 98:
Page 99 and 100:
Page 101 and 102:
Page 103 and 104:
Page 105 and 106:
Page 107 and 108:
Page 109 and 110:
Page 111 and 112:
Page 113 and 114:
Page 115 and 116:
Page 117 and 118:
Page 119 and 120:
Page 121 and 122:
Page 123 and 124:
Page 125 and 126:
Page 127 and 128:
Page 129 and 130:
Page 131 and 132:
Page 133 and 134:
Page 135:
show all

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

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?