EAZA NEWS 54 - European Association of Zoos and Aquaria

EAZANEWS
quarterly publication of the european association of zoos and aquaria
april may june 2006
5
In situ conservation
data collection
7
Creative Rhino
Campaigning
11
A zoo without signs
12
White-footed
tamarin conservation
programme
23
Roof of the world
26
On RCPs and
population sizes
14 Restoring a population of peregrine falcons
54
2 0 0 6
21 A new facility for Orinoco river dolphins

eaza news 54
2006
02
who is who in eaza
EAZA Executive Committee
chairman Leobert de Boer, Apenheul Primate Park vice-chairman Simon Tonge, Paignton
Zoo secretary Eric Bairrão Ruivo, Lisbon Zoo treasurer Ryszard Topola, Lodz Zoo
chair eep committee Bengt Holst, Copenhagen Zoo chair membership & ethics committee
Lars Lunding Andersen, Copenhagen Zoo chair aquarium committee Jürgen Lange, Berlin Zoo
chair legislation committee Ulrich Schürer, Wuppertal Zoo advisor Gunther Nogge, Cologne Zoo
EAZA Executive Director
Koen Brouwer, EAZA Executive Office, Amsterdam
EAZA Standing Committees Chairs
eep committee Bengt Holst, Copenhagen Zoo
membership & ethics committee Lars Lunding Andersen, Copenhagen Zoo
aquarium committee Jürgen Lange, Berlin Zoo
legislation committee Ulrich Schürer, Wuppertal Zoo
EAZA Specialist Committees Chairs
veterinary committee Jacques Kaandorp, Safaripark Beekse Bergen
research committee Gordon McGregor Reid, Chester Zoo
conservation committee Pierre Gay, Zoo de Doué
education & exhibit design committee Henk Hiddingh, Emmen Zoo
committee on technical assistance & animal welfare Dominique Tropeano, Colchester Zoo
committee on pr & marketing Jörg Adler, Münster Zoo
EAZA Council Members 2004 - 2006
austria Andreas Kaufmann, Natur- und Tierpark Herberstein belgium Roland Van Bocxstaele,
Antwerp Zoo croatia Mladen Anic, Zagreb Zoo czech republic Vladislav Jirousek, Jihlava
Zoo denmark Henrik Herold, Randers Zoo estonia Mati Kaal, Tallinn Zoo finland Seppo
Turunen, Helsinki Zoo france Jean-Jacques Boisard, Réserve Africaine de Sigean · Françoise
Delord, Parc Zoologique de Beauval · Michel Hignette, Aquarium du MAAO, Paris germany
Bernhard Blaszkiewitz, Tierpark Berlin-Friedrichsfelde · Wolfgang W. Gettmann, Aquazoo
Düsseldorf · Gunther Nogge, Cologne Zoo · Ulrich Schürer, Wuppertal Zoo greece Andreas
Sioulas, Rhodes Aquarium hungary Ilma Bogsch, Budapest Zoo ireland Leo Oosterweghel,
Dublin Zoo italy Gloria Svampa Garibaldi, Punta Verde Zoo latvia Rolands Greizins, Riga Zoo
lithuania Vaclovas Dumcius, Kaunas Zoo netherlands Leobert de Boer, Apenheul Primate
Park · Henk Hiddingh, Emmen Zoo norway Arne Magne Robstad, Kristiansand Zoo poland
Ryszard Topola, Lodz Zoo portugal Eric Bairrão Ruivo, Lisbon Zoo russia Vladimir V. Spitsin,
Moscow Zoo slovakia Miloslava Savelová, Bratislava Zoo slovenia Zdenka Barbara Ban
Fischinger, Ljubljana Zoo spain José Ignacio Cobo, Zoo Aquarium Madrid sweden Hans-Ove
Larsson, Skansen Foundation switzerland Felix Weber, Goldau Zoo turkey vacancy
ukraine Yevgen Kyrylyuk, Kyiv Zoo united kingdom Jo Gipps, Bristol Zoo · Ken J. Sims,
Thrigby Hall Wildlife Gardens · Simon Tonge, Paignton Zoo · Dominique A. Tropeano, Colchester
Zoo
Standing Committee Chairs co-opted in Council
Lars Lunding Andersen, Copenhagen Zoo · Bengt Holst, Copenhagen Zoo · Jürgen Lange, Berlin Zoo
Specialist Committee Chairs as observers in Council
Jörg Adler, Münster Zoo · Pierre Gay, Zoo de Doué · Gordon McGregor Reid, Chester Zoo ·
Jacques Kaandorp, Safaripark Beekse Bergen
member of
colophon
EAZA News is the quarterly magazine of the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA)
Editorial Board Chairman EAZA Bert de Boer Executive Director Koen Brouwer Chairman Membership & Ethics
Committee Lars Lunding Andersen Managing Editor Jenny van Leeuwen (jenny.van.leeuwen@nvdzoos.nl) Editorial Staff
Corinne Bos, Koen Brouwer, Bart Hiddinga, Catherine King Education section Robert van Herk, Helena Olsson Campaign section
Martijn Los Design Jantijn Ontwerp bno, Made, the Netherlands Printing Drukkerij Van den Dool, Sliedrecht, the Netherlands
ISSN 1574-2997. The views expressed in this newsletter are not necessarily those of the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria.
Deadline EAZA News 55: 17 May 2006
Printed on TREE-FREE paper bleached without chlorine and free from acid
eaza executive office
FROM THE EDITORS
The founding of EAZA in 1988 increased cooperation
between European zoos. EAZA is also constantly seeking
ways to improve this level of cooperation. Today the
level of inter-institutional cooperation accomplished
by EAZA member institutions is quite remarkable and
very special. Animals are mostly donated or exchanged
instead of sold, and successful experiences and knowledge
are shared. In no other field are companies so
open and willing to help each other. In no other branch
is the competitor treated as such a good friend. This
approach should be applauded, cherished and when
possible expanded.
In this issue of EAZA News, again, many articles directly
or indirectly demonstrate this cooperative and open-minded
attitude of EAZA institutions in sharing information
and experiences, exchanging animals, cooperating for
conservation etc. We truly can be proud to be part of
such a cooperative and generous ‘EAZA zoo family’!
Besides promoting and stimulating inter-institutional
cooperation, EAZA also seeks to increase cooperation
with other regions and with zoo related associations and
European authorities. Such cooperation is one of the
basic elements needed to conserve nature worldwide.
In this issue and in the next issue of EAZA News we
highlight a recently established partnership with the
important regional zoo and aquarium association in
Latin America, ALPZA. This partnership is a clear example
of increased cooperation between two regions and of
building partnerships that benefit nature conservation.
Please remember that EAZA News 56 will
be dedicated to ‘Sustainability’ and that
your contributions to this issue can already
be sent to jenny.van.leeuwen@nvdzoos.nl
c/o Amsterdam Zoo, PO Box 20164, 1000 HD Amsterdam, The Netherlands Website: www.eaza.net e-mail: info@eaza.net
Membership Services & Accreditation tel: +31 20 520 07 53 fax: +31 20 520 07 54 e-mail: corinne.bos@nvdzoos.nl
Collection Coordination & Conservation tel: +31 20 520 07 50 fax: +31 20 520 07 52 e-mail: bart.hiddinga@nvdzoos.nl

04
11 12
photo rob doolaard (izp)/rotterdam zoo photo dolfinarium photo eric bairrão ruivo
21
photo peter rasbach
c
Conservation Forum 32 publications
36 eaza awards
photo tom svensson/nordens ark
contents
Colophon · Who is Who
01
02 from the editors
03 contents
ISIS European liaison · Avian Influenza · Viva España · EEP Committee · First Madagascar Campaign meeting 04 from the eaza office
Distribution of Shellshock funds · Update on the EAZA in situ conservation database project 05 from the eaza office
06 from the eaza office
Offer to use Austrian campaign posters · Bushmen Art · First fundraising results! 07 eaza rhino campaign
Rhino mufti day at Kings House School · Rhino calendar great success 08 eaza rhino campaign
Bronze braille and ice rhino sculptures at Budapest Zoo · Generous donation to celebrate 50th anniversary of Opel Zoo 09 eaza rhino campaign
Rhino campaign marketing without rhinos · Rhino campaign stamp as collectors item 10 eaza rhino campaign
A zoo without signs · Just another educator 11 education
The white-footed tamarin conservation programme in Colombia 12 conservation
13 conservation
Restoring the population of peregrine falcons in Sweden through captive breeding 14 conservation
15 conservation
Eric Bairrão Ruivo 16 interview
Zürich · Krefeld 17 births and hatchings
Usti nad Labem · Wuppertal · Dresden · Berlin 18 births and hatchings
Rhenen 19 births and hatchings
Puerto de la Cruz 20 births and hatchings
Rio Negro at Duisburg Zoo 21 new enclosures
New elephant house in the Ostrava Zoo 22 new enclosures
Roof of the world 23 new enclosures
Sharing information through a Digital Zoo Resource Centre 24 research
25 research
On Regional Collection Plans and population sizes 26 collection planning
To expand or not to expand, that’s the question! 27 collection planning
28 collection planning
Breeding programme management 29 collection planning
Programme Updates · ZIMS construction walkthrough 30 collection planning | isis
31 books |directory updates
14
eaza news 54
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eaza news 54
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04
from the eaza office
ISIS European liaison
Sander Cozijn began as full-time ISIS European liaison on 1 March
2006, following an application procedure in which a fair number of
candidates rallied for the position. The ISIS European liaison’s
primary task will be to provide technical support to ISIS members
in Europe. Promoting ISIS membership and supporting the
implementation of ZIMS in Europe are also obviously high on the
agenda. Although formally an ISIS staff member, Sander will be
based at the EAZA Executive Office in Amsterdam. We are confident
that with filling this position, the service provided to European ISIS
members will get a significant boost and this in turn will help EAZA
members to make better use of the benefits of ISIS membership.
Avian Influenza
In view of the presence of Avian Influenza (AI; H5N1) in Europe, many
zoos have taken measures to protect their birds from infection. EAZA
strongly encourages its bird-keeping members to consider applying for
permission from their national government to be able to vaccinate
their zoo birds at risk, especially in those countries where an outbreak
of AI has occurred or might be expected in the near future.
As far as EAZA has been informed, vaccination of zoo birds has taken
place in the following countries as of 20 March 2006: the Netherlands
(4,500 birds in 14 EAZA member zoos!), Switzerland, Portugal,
Belgium, France, Spain and Sweden. Preparations to vaccinate are
on-going in Austria, Denmark, Hungary and the United Kingdom.
First Madagascar Campaign meeting
photo rob doolaard (izp)/rotterdam zoo
The EAZA Madagascar Campaign Working Group conducted
its first productive meeting in snowy Zürich on 17 and
18 January 2006. Aims of the upcoming 2006/7 campaign
include alerting EAZA zoos and aquaria to the Malagasy
flora and fauna, as well as encouraging EAZA members to
develop long-term, twinning relationships with national
parks in Madagascar. Public directed aims include, amongst
others, raising awareness, the promotion of responsible
Viva España
Koen Brouwer – our executive director
– will be leaving EAZA in July 2006 and
will begin as the general director of
Bioparc Valencia, a zoo currently under
construction in Spain. He will start his
new job on 1 October 2006 and will be
working with his new team in preparing
the zoo for the official opening in the
second half of 2007.
Koen Brouwer has served EAZA as executive director since 1995. As
much as he looks forward to this wonderful, new challenge, he will
also very much miss working in his current and very exciting EAZA
job, with his staff and many international colleagues and friends in
Europe and the rest of the world.
In order to avoid the risk of the EAZA director position being vacant,
the EAZA Executive Committee drafted a profile for the successor
director and circulated an advertisement in January 2006.
The Executive Committee has now invited several applicants
for interviews, and it is hoped that a suitable candidate can be
selected before the EAZA Spring Council meeting on 23 April 2006.
EEP Committee
The EAZA Executive Office hosted the annual mid-year EEP
Committee meeting on 10 March 2006. The Committee had to deal
with a very large agenda, with a number of topics that required
substantial discussion. Non-EAZA EEP participation was once
again discussed, as this continues to be a difficult topic with many
different angles and points of view. Other topics included the further
implementation of the EAZA response to the World Zoo and Aquarium
Conservation Strategy (WZACS), the global amphibian extinction
crisis and what EAZA and its members can do to combat this global
conservation catastrophe, and the development of a strategy to better
promote the ‘EEP spirit’ within the wider EAZA community. It was
a productive meeting, resulting in numerous actions that you will
certainly hear about over the coming months.
ecotourism to Madagascar and fundraising for projects.
EAZA members, conservation organisations and other
relevant parties have recieved an invitation to submit
proposals for projects to be supported in the framework of
the campaign. Members of the core group include Lesley
Dickie (ZSL), Alex Rübel, Martin Bauert, Robert Zingg and
Roger Graf (all of Zürich Zoo), Quentin Bloxam (Jersey)
and Corinne Bos and Martijn Los (EAZA Executive Office).
Applications for funds in support of conservation projects for Malagasy flora and fauna can be submitted until 15 May 2006.
For details please refer to the EAZA website.
photo samuel furrer/zürich zoo

© Creature Comforts - Aardman Animations
Distribution of Shellshock funds
Half a year after the official closure of the EAZA
Shellshock Campaign, the vast majority of participants
have transferred their collected funds to the campaign
account.
This initiated the next phase of the campaign in which
money is distributed to selected turtle and tortoise
conservation projects. It was decided at the Shellshock
Planning Group meeting in Bath, during the EAZA Annual
Conference 2005, to allocate further funds to the five following projects:
– Leatherback Ocean Wanderer (LOW), Gabon;
– Chitwan Turtle Conservation Project, Nepal;
– Angkor Centre for the Conservation of Biodiversity (ACCB), Cambodia;
– Madras Crocodile Bank Trust, India > Hatching and head-start
programmes for endangered chelonians in India;
– Conservation International, USA > Turtle and tortoise capacity building
in Vietnam, Cambodia and Myanmar.
These five projects have now received a total funding of approximately
€60,000 from Shellshock. Some projects may receive further support in the
future, others have already received the full support needed for the project.
Besides these projects, another project already received funds early in 2005:
a donation of €9,000 was provided to the Turtle Conservation Project in
Update on the EAZA in situ conservation database project
The conservation database project began in 2001, with the aim of providing reports and analyses regarding conservation projects supported by the
EAZA zoo community, thus enabling members to network with each other and to encourage them to become more involved in conservation.
Two data collection rounds
The first version of the data collection CD-ROM was launched at the
EAZA Annual Conference in Prague, September 2001. During the first
round of data collection in 2002/2003, 85 members provided data to the
project. This is approximately 34% of the EAZA membership. Only 33
institutions provided data electronically via the data collection CD-ROM,
while 52 members provided data by standard questionnaires.
The database went into a review and updating phase after the first round
of data collection as it did not provide the reports and analyses expected.
However the project was halted until it changed hands in May 2003
because of unforeseen problems with the software. The second version
of the data collection CD-ROM was launched at the EAZA Annual
Conference in Bath, September 2005 to improve existing data quality as
well as to collect new information.
The deadline for the second data collection round has passed, and a new
stage of review and updating is being conducted before analyses and reports
will be made available for members. These will be sent to all participating
institutions and will be made available through the EAZA website.
Where are we now?
So far 49 EAZA members have provided data electronically in the second
from the eaza office
Kosgoda, Sri Lanka to support the victims of the 2004 tsunami in southeast
Asia and their turtle conservation activities.
The above means that in total about €69,000 has been distributed to the
projects so far. The total Shellshock Campaign fundraising amount will most
likely exceed €300,000 (the exact results will be published in EAZA News 55)
so much more money is available to support in situ conservation projects.
The Shellshock Planning Group is now identifying suitable projects to
distribute the money to as soon as possible. More detailed updates on the
distribution of funds and reports from the supported projects will follow
in future issues of EAZA News and will be placed on the EAZA website.
photo guy-philippe sounguet
round of data collection initiated in 2005. This is approximately 20% of
the EAZA membership. Of the 49 institutions, 17 institutions (34%) are
new participants to the project, meaning that this is the first time they
have submitted data.
In total 102 institutions (approximately 35% of the total membership) have
provided data to the project. Figure 1 (see page 6), showing the number
of institutions that submitted data during 2002/2003 and 2005, illustrates
the low number of participants compared to total number of members
in each country. Unfortunately, a reduction in participants in the second
data collection round compared to the first round is also evident.
Figure 2 illustrates the percentages of participating members in each
country during each data collection round. Only 11 of the 23 participating
countries from 2002/2003 submitted data in 2005. See Figure 3 on page 6
for a list of participating members in the data collection round in 2005.
There are currently 448 conservation projects within the database and the
project profiles for each project will be made available as a searching tool
on the EAZA website within the near future. The next stage is to make
the database available online in time for the next data collection round at
the end of 2006. Making the database available online will significantly
improve the project as there will no longer be a time-delay in receiving
eaza news 54
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eaza news 54
2006
Number of EAZA members
06
55
50
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
from the eaza office
Figure 1: The total number of EAZA institutions in each country and the number of institutions that submitted data during 2002/2003 and 2005.
Austria
Total no. of EAZA members Participated in 2002/2003 Participated in 2005
Figure 2: The percentages of member institutions for each country that submitted data during 2002/
2003 and in 2005.
% submitted during 2002/2003 % submitted during 2005
Austria
Belgium
Belgium
Croatia
Croatia
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Kazakstan
Kuwait
Latvia
Lithunia
Netherlands
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Russian Federation
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Turkey
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom
Yugoslavia
information, day-to-day updating of the database will be easier, and no local installation is
needed, which will minimise technical difficulties experienced previously among members.
One of the benefits of collecting data electronically is that it provides more possibilities for
generating reports and analyses. However, to be able to do this the quality and quantity of
data has to be of a high standard, otherwise the results will be skewed and unreliable.
Increase data quantity and quality
There has been an increase in institutions that have provided their data electronically but
there has also been a reduction in the number of members participating in the project.
Although 102 members have responded in total over the two data collection rounds, not
enough participants have edited their existing data. Only 29 EAZA institutions provided data
during both data collection rounds. The information from the 58 institutions that provided
information during data collection in 2002/2003 but not in 2005, is unfortunately making the
data somewhat less reliable for analyses. Therefore all project data from the 58 institutions
are being checked so that they can be used in analyses together with the new and edited data.
The low response to the project in 2005 may be because members have not seen any outputs
from the project. We would therefore like to stress that the database is still a developing
tool, but without data we can not test the database properly. To increase data quality it is
important that all members who are participating edit their existing data, and to increase data
quantity it is important that all members who have not yet participated supply their data.
Please contact Katrine Garn (kg@zoo.dk) or William van Lint (william.van.lint@eaza.net) for
more information.
Hungary
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Kazakstan
Kuwait
Latvia
Lithunia
Netherlands
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Russian Federation
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Figure 3: List of participating EAZA members in the latest
data collection round in 2005.
EAZA shortname (Country)
ALFRISTON (UK)
AMERSFOORT (NL)
ANTWERPEN (BE)
AUGSBURG (DE)
AUNEAU (FR)
BANDHOLM (DK)
BASEL (CH)
BOCHUM (DE)
BRISTOL (UK)
CHAMPREPUS (FR)
CHESTER (UK)
CHOMUTOV (CZ)
COLCHESTER (UK)
KOBENHAVN-ZOO (DK)
DECIN (CZ)
EMMEN (NL)
EPE (NL)
ERFURT (DE)
FED-BIAZA (UK)
FED-NVD (NL)
FUENGIROLA (ES)
GORLITZ (DE)
HANNOVER (DE)
HILVARENBEEK (NL)
Sweden
INNSBRUCK (AT)
KERKRADE (NL)
KOLN (DE)
KRENGLBACH (AT)
LA-FLECHE (FR)
LANDAU (DE)
LEEUWARDEN (NL)
LES-MATHES (FR)
LILLE (FR)
LISBOA-ZOO (PT)
MECHELEN (BE)
MULHOUSE (FR)
MUNSTER (DE)
OSNABRUCK (DE)
OSTRAVA (CZ)
OVERLOON (NL)
PAIGNTON (UK)
RHEINE (DE)
RHENEN (NL)
RIGA (LV)
ROMAGNE (FR)
SALZBURG-ZOO (AT)
SANTILLANA (ES)
WIEN-VIV (AT)
ZURICH (CH)
We hereby thank all institutions that provided us with their data in
2005 and would like to call for the urgent attention of those who have
not yet done so.
Switzerland
Turkey
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom
Yugoslavia

eaza rhino campaign
On 10 April 2006, 101 EAZA members are officially registered for participation in the Save the Rhinos Campaign. This
is still considerably less than the campaign target of 150 participants, and we would therefore like to urge interested
EAZA members to register as soon as possible. By making your campaign participation official, it will be easier for
you to remain up to date on campaign activities through the special campaign newsletter and the support of your
regional representative.
Most participants start their campaign activities in spring, so quite some EAZA members are currently in
the last phase of their campaign preparation. For those of you that still need inspiration on campaign
activities, the below articles will surely inspire you. As you will read, members are getting more and more
creative and activities range from selling special rhino stamps, calendars and cartoons, to preparing
rhino ice sculptures and exhibiting a rhino skeleton, to involving artists, schoolchildren and blind
people in the campaign.
Most certainly Opel Zoo Kronberg has shown its commitment to the campaign: they recently
announced a donation of €50,000 for the campaign in celebration of their 50th anniversary in 2006!
Offer to use Austrian campaign posters
As in the previous EAZA Conservation Campaigns, Vienna Zoo has prepared a special campaign exhibition for
Austrian EAZA members. Six Save the Rhinos posters were made in both English and German. Vienna Zoo
kindly offers the use of the exhibition to all other Save the Rhinos participants.
For more information or if you are interested to use the exhibition, please contact Gaby Schwammer
(g.schwammer@zoovienna.at).
Bushmen Art
The wooden rhinos sold during the Save the Rhinos Campaign are made by bushmen from the Ombili Foundation in
Namibia. Bushmen have lived in southern Africa for thousands of years. Being nomadic, they lived close to nature,
never depleting the natural resources. Nowadays, bushmen are facing tremendous difficulties in modern society.
Each hand-made wooden rhino is a unique piece of art made from Tambuti, an indigenous plant grown on farms.
The bushmen receive US$1 (€0,90) for each rhino.
The bushmen were informed about the purpose of the Save the Rhinos Campaign when contacted about purchasing items from them for the
campaign. They are very proud to contribute to rhino conservation themselves, to help save a species they highly respect and with which they
have always lived. For more information and orders, please contact Friederike von Houwald (vonhouwald@zoobasel.ch).
First fundraising results! The Save the Rhinos Campaign is off to a flying start thanks to
several EAZA members that have already been able to transfer money to the Save the Rhinos account.
Save the Rhinos Fundraising Certificates
Georg von Opel Zoo (Kronberg)
Blackpool Zoo
Amneville Zoo
Colchester Zoo
Marwell Zoo
Vienna Zoo
Amersfoort Zoo
CERZA (Lisieux)
Lille Zoo
€35,000.-*
€2,250.-
€2,000.-
€2,000.-
€2,000.-
€1,800.-
€1,799.38
€1,000.-
€760.-
* excluding annual donations of €5,000.- for the next three years
Platinum certificate
Bronze certificate
Bronze certificate
Bronze certificate
Bronze certificate
eaza news 54
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© Aardman Animations 2004
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eaza news 54
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eaza rhino campaign
Rhino mufti day at Kings House School
source Gill Blackgrove
Kings House School in Richmond-upon-Thames, United Kingdom, selected Save the Rhinos as subject for their half term ‘mufti day’,
a traditional fundraising event. At the mufti day school children are permitted to wear casual clothes rather than uniforms. The school
assembly that day included a power point presentation by the head of science on the Save the Rhinos Campaign. Furthermore, a total
of 190 Save the Rhinos t-shirts were sold, not only for school children but even for parents and younger siblings. For each t-shirt UK£2
(€3.10) was added onto the price to raise money for Save the Rhinos. Those who did not buy a t-shirt made a voluntary donation to the
campaign. A total of UK£600 (€930) was raised through the mufti day at Kings House School. This amount is excluding the 10% of sales
proceeds from the t-shirts donated to the campaign by commercial company Something Different.
Rhino calendar great success
source Francesca Colautti and Katia Dell’Aira
At Parco Natura Viva (Bussolengo) two departments, marketing and education, are working
together to make a success of the Save the Rhinos Campaign. Preparations already started at
Christmas time and several activities have been planned for 2006, aiming to reach different
audiences: authorities, visitors and media. But the development of an activity plan is still in
progress, as new ideas keep coming up!
A first result of the activities was the creation of a 2006 rhino calendar with campaign images,
in situ rhino information and the results of conservation efforts. Authorities, journalists and the
‘friends of the park’ received the calendar together with the 2006 Christmas greetings. The 2007
version of the calendar will be sold in the zoo shop as well. People really seem to appreciate it!
Also the front page of the zoo's leaflet is dedicated to the campaign; more than 600,000 copies
will be distributed, not only to visitors but also to hotels, campsites and tourist information
offices in the area. To continue with the campaign pr, a press release was sent in the beginning
of February 2006. The message was well received and picked up by several journalists. RAI 1, the
first Italian national TV channel, visited the zoo in March 2006 to film for a special programme
dedicated to Save the Rhinos. A press conference to announce this was planned on 22 March and
the campaign certainly was an important topic.
Visitors will be involved in the campaign in many ways. For example through special gadgets
that may be given to visitors that donate to the campaign and through activities such as
recycling workshops during which children create a rhino with recycled materials.
Parco Natura Viva feels that Save the Rhinos will touch the heart of the people and hopefully
contribute to the conservation and survival of this ‘great’ animal!
photos parco natura viva
photos kings house school

Bronze braille and ice rhino sculptures at Budapest Zoo
source Márta Szabon
The Hungarian Save the Rhinos Campaign was officially launched for the public and press
at a press conference on 14 December 2005. Ilma Bogsch, general director of Budapest
Zoo, presented the subject, goals and activities of the fifth EAZA Conservation Campaign.
A special rhino ice sculpture was prepared for this event, and thanks to the cold weather
the visitors could admire it for another week.
An information point, where visitors can read all about rhinos and the campaign, was
created near the main entrance of the zoo. Two special Save the Rhinos education panels
(2 x 0.5 m), also functioning as fundraising collection boxes, were placed next to the
entrance. The first supporter to donate money into the collection box was a Hungarian
celebrity: the famous Dixieland musician Sándor Benkó. The information point is
completed with a bronze rhino sculpture, shaped after the rhino ‘Lulu’, one of the two
white rhinos kept at Budapest Zoo. This sculpture has information about rhinos in braille,
to inform blind and visually disabled visitors.
The Save the Rhinos Campaign in Budapest Zoo will be continued with a rhino art
competition for children as well as adults. Besides this, many other events and activities
are planned, e.g. the organisation of rhino days with special education programmes, sales
of the campaign merchandise and a special fundraising event, for example a charity night
concert at the zoo.
photo amersfoort zoo
Generous donation to celebrate 50th anniversary of Opel Zoo
source Thomas Kauffels
eaza rhino campaign
photos budapest zoo
The Georg von Opel Zoo Freigehege fur Tierforschung e.V. (Kronberg) is celebrating its 50th anniversary
in 2006. To celebrate this occasion, the zoo’s president Gregor von Opel and zoo director Thomas
Kauffels announced that the zoo is making a donation of €50,000 to the EAZA Save the Rhinos
Campaign. Although the Opel Zoo does not have rhinos in its collection, this certainly shows a great
commitment to the conservation of rhinos. The EAZA Save the Rhinos Campaign provided an excellent
opportunity for Opel Zoo to connect with a rhino conservation field project.
After reviewing the 13 selected Save the Rhinos projects, it was decided by Opel Zoo to support
‘project E: Rhino translocation equipment for Etosha National Park in Namibia’. The donation of €50,000 is
more than enough to support the initially proposed project for black rhinos. Opel Zoo decided to ‘adopt’ the entire
project and will donate the total required amount of €35,000 in 2006. This money will be used to modify a truck and transform it into a special
customised rhino recovery vehicle. The continuation of the project in Namibia will be supported with annual donations of €5,000 in 2007, 2008
and 2009.
The rhino translocation equipment will be used to load and translocate rhinos. As Etosha National Park has one of the largest populations of
black rhinos, the truck may also be used for future planned translocation projects of black rhinos. With the donation from Opel Zoo the truck
can be modified to be ready for the upcoming capture season that starts in spring. After the modification, the truck will be fully equipped for
rhino translocations, and fitted with a lifting crane and two rhino transport crates. As an appreciation of the generous donation from Opel Zoo,
the truck will be decorated with several special stickers depicting the Opel Zoo and Save the Rhinos logos.
To further celebrate the 50th anniversary of the zoo, a week of festivities is scheduled for 16 to 24 September 2006. One of the highlights of this
week will be the official opening of a new African savannah exhibit at the zoo.
photo sri
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10
eaza rhino campaign
Rhino campaign marketing without rhinos
source Zoo Landau
Zoo Landau had very positive experiences focussing its zoo events on the EAZA Shellshock Campaign in 2004/2005. Reason enough to
align this year’s Save the Rhinos Campaign with the zoo’s events programme for 2006. However, Save the Rhinos’ main focus on rhinos
created a much greater challenge because Zoo Landau does not exhibit rhinos. Nevertheless, thanks to the creative spirit of Zoo
Landau’s personnel, a number of informative and fascinating events are planned for zoo visitors of any age.
A skeleton of a full-grown black rhino, on loan from the ‘Staatliche Naturkundemuseum Karlsruhe’, will be shown in the anteroom of
the new zoo school building in 2006. In March 2006 the rhino programme started with an evening lecture on the conservation of rhinos
in Uganda by Wilhelm Möller (‘on loan’ from Augsburg Zoo). During Easter, summer and fall holidays, rhino-related workshops for kids
will take place. The highlight will be the modelling of a life-sized white rhino that will be unveiled during the zoo’s summer festival on
2 July and occupy its enclosure on the central zoo lawn for the rest of the year. It will serve as an ambassador for its endangered relatives
in the wild and serve as reminder for their imperative conservation.
Furthermore, biologist Armin Püttger-Conradt will present his impressive slide shows on the fate of the Northern white rhino. During
another special workshop, children will create a radio play dealing with rhino conservation, which will be transmitted by one of the local
radio stations. The Friends of Zoo Landau decided to offer a selection of Living Colour’s rhino t-shirts at their planned information
stands and are hoping to raise a good amount of ‘surplus’ money to support one of the rhino projects.
All in all there will be at least six rhino related events taking place in Zoo Landau. Together with intensive public relations work, including
a link to the rhino campaign homepage from the zoo’s homepage, it is very much hoped that the campaign in Zoo Landau will make a
good contribution to the objectives of this EAZA campaign!
Rhino campaign stamp as collectors item
source Heike Maisch
photo zoopark erfurt
Although the campaign in Erfurt officially started in April 2006, Thüringer
Zoopark Erfurt was already preparing several activities long before the start
of the campaign. A permanent exhibit was prepared for the rhino enclosure,
with an indoor and outdoor area for activities such as playing, painting and
doing handicrafts. On 14 May 2006 a rhino festival day will take place.
The main aim is to have children involved in the whole process of the campaign. Children of the zoo club made piggy banks (or in this
case better: ‘rhino banks’). They used balloons, wallpaper paste and newspapers to create a body and colourful paper or egg boxes for
the horns and feet. With enough room for the children’s imagination, many different and wonderful rhinos have been created. Local
shops, kindergartens etc. will use these rhino banks to collect money.
Another toy adapted for the campaign’s needs are pins that are transformed into rhino horns. During the campaign year children can
try to throw rings around the horns. In Erfurt Zoo, this activity will be free of charge with sweets as prizes if a child succeeds. The same
principle can be applied to traffic cones. At the zoo the cones will be handed over by two policemen arriving in a police car. A group of
children will transform these cones into horns with the press attending.
Various wonderful paintings of the rhinos in Erfurt Zoo, prepared by the zoo’s artist Roy Bäthe, form another part of the campaign. One
of the paintings will be sold during the festival day, the others will be printed on letter paper, envelopes etc. and sold as sets. The artist
has also prepared a cartoon rhino calendar for 2007, which deals with rhino biology in a funny and playful way. The excellent drawings
as well as the text will make this calendar an ideal gift for everyone.
A very special campaign activity will be the release of a special issue stamp, which was initiated by the ‘Junge Briefmarkenfreunde in
Erfurt’. This stamp is only valid on the day of the rhino festival (14 May 2006) and will be printed as a limited edition. This makes the
stamp very valuable for collectors. The letter paper sets with this stamp on it will be sold at Erfurt Zoo. The zoo’s campaign team
would be happy to send a number of the letter paper sets with the stamp to other interested campaign participants. Please contact
marketing@zoopark-erfurt.de for more information.

A zoo without signs
Robert van Herk, member of the EAZA Education and Exhibit Design Committee, Rotterdam Zoo, the Netherlands
The marine mammal park
Dolfinarium (Harderwijk) is
currently experimenting with
the interesting idea of drastically
reducing the number of educational
signs. Signage still is the
most visual part of education
in zoos. Although useful,
some zoos consider signs as a
necessary evil; you need signs
and boards to get the message
across. However, these are
not always as effective as one
would like them to be. A heroic
attempt has been made by
the Dolfinarium to bring the
educational message across
without using signs.
Multifunctional medium
“We will not kick out all signage”,
explains Ida Smit, education
manager in the Dolfinarium,
“but in the end we would like
to get rid of at least 80% of the
boards.” An ambitious idea but
does the average Dutch visitor
accept this lack of signs? “We
strongly believe they do. After
all we do not give up education,
we just want to use fewer signs.
We invented an alternative
medium which should be as
educational as signs, but is
far more attractive and multifunctional.”
Interactive spots
Throughout the Dolfinarium
visitors will find so called
‘boeibakens’ (buoys). These boeibakens
are educational spots
located directly near the animal
habitats. The spots include
realistic life-scale interactive
models of the Dolfinarium’s
animals, such as dolphins, sea
lions and walruses, and interactive
elements which make sounds,
which smell, which you can touch
and which give you… stamps.
just another educator
John Fisher
Belfast Zoo, Northern Ireland
What is your personal goal as an educator?
I have so many goals! The main one is to develop the Education Centre. I
also would like to expand our education department with more classrooms
and more staff and volunteers (currently, we have two full-time educators
working at the zoo). Another thing I would like to focus on is increasing
the involvement with the local community. The zoo is run by Belfast
City Council, and I hope that in time the people of Belfast feel strongly
committed to the zoo and realise that Belfast Zoo is truly their zoo.
Stamps? “Well, the spots themselves
are nice but they are really
functional in combination with
our animal passport. Every visitor,
or at least every child, receives a
passport at the entrance in which
all animals are described, of
course in a playful way. You can
get ink stamps in your passport
at the boeibakens in the zoo.” Ida
says: “Children love searching for
these boeibakens and gathering
all the ink stamps. They use the
passport in a very interactive
way.” The Dolfinarium tends to
have all information (which you
could normally read on signs) in
the passports. “One of the big
photo dolfinarium
What is the most difficult
aspect of your work?
The lack of resources which includes
both staff and time – there is so
much to do, so many goals to achieve,
but so little time to fulfil these.
education
advantages is that you can even
send the passports to schools
weeks before the kids visit
the Dolfinarium.
The children can
learn about the
animals long before
their actual visit. The
passports become an
individual collector’s item
for the children and they take
them to school, friends and
grandparents to show it off!”
Suitable for every zoo?
This creative idea could not
be implemented in every zoo
or aquarium. The Dolfinarium
has a relatively small number
of species; a zoo with many
species would most likely have
a problem realising the same
idea. Another issue could be
vandalism. Ida comments:
“The boeibakens are used very
intensively. Indeed we still have
some problems keeping the ink
stamps in order. Because of the
popularity and the sometimes
rough behaviour of children we
do have to do some repairing.
But we are sure we can solve
this problem.” •
What do you consider your biggest success?
The most successful education programme is the ‘Native Species
Programme’. This programme allows us to focus on local endangered wildlife
such as red squirrels, hedgehogs, bats, badgers, birds etc. What pleases
me most is the establishment of an increasing number of partnerships and
projects with other local environmental organisations.
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eaza news 54
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12
conservation
The white-footed
tamarin conservation
programme in Colombia
Eric Bairrão Ruivo and Patrícia Vilarinho, Lisbon Zoo, Portugal
This programme received the 2005 EAZA Award
for Conservation during the EAZA Annual
Conference in Bath, United Kingdom.
The white-footed tamarin (Saguinus leucopus), endemic to Colombia, is threatened by illegal trade and habitat
destruction, for which protection measures are scarce. All individuals in captivity are in Colombia, either in
rescue centres for animals confiscated by the local authorities or in Colombian zoos. These captive animals have
several general husbandry problems and consequently a high mortality rate. The Saguinus leucopus Conservation
Programme, conceived by Pierre Gay (chair of EAZA’s Conservation Committee and deeply involved in several
conservation projects in Latin America), is designed to find solutions for the above problems. The EAZA Callitrichid
TAG promptly accepted Pierre Gay’s challenge of taking this programme, and Lisbon Zoo agreed to coordinate it.
See Table 1 for an overview of the goals of the programme.
Table 1:
Goals of the Saguinus leucopus Conservation Programme
- Determine the species’ wild population density and distribution, in order
to establish potential and priority areas for conservation;
- Determine causes of mortality and analyse information regarding the death
of animals under human care;
- Establish a breeding programme under human care in Colombia, building
appropriate facilities for this purpose and holding workshops to improve
husbandry conditions (general husbandry, nutrition, environmental
enrichment etc);
- Export animals raised under human care in the framework of the breeding
programme to establish a breeding programme (EEP) in Europe;
- Reintroduce animals confiscated by the Colombian authorities into their
natural habitat following IUCN reintroduction guidelines and considering
the biological characteristics of the species;
- Follow reintroduced animals using radio transmitters;
- Evaluate the illegal trade of wild species which also impacts Saguinus
leucopus;
- Find solutions for the illegal trade of wild species, e.g. through educational
programmes that raise awareness by local people of this conservation
problem, and searching for alternative sources of income which allow local
populations to cease exploiting the currently used resources.
Establishing contacts
photos eric bairrão ruivo
Eric Bairrão Ruivo, international coordinator of the programme since its
beginning, has travelled twice to Colombia to follow its development.
The above goals were set during the first trip in mid-2005. Bryan Carroll,
Bristol Zoo; Dominic Wormell, Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust
(Jersey); and Eric Bairrão Ruivo travelled to Colombia in January 2006
to establish new contacts with the local authorities, including the
Government Environmental Office, who agreed to support the development
of the Saguinus leucopus Conservation Programme. They also reinforced
the relationships with the two main regional organisations in charge of
conservation in the area where the Saguinus leucopus occur: Cornare and
Corantioquia. Both organisations will cooperate in species distribution
and population density assessments, in reintroducing animals in their
natural habitat according to IUCN guidelines, in keeping animals
available (as long as they are not eligible for reintroduction) for the
establishment of a captive breeding programme, in improving conditions of
housing and husbandry of animals kept in rescue centres, in participating
in educational programmes and in keeping their records available for the
research projects carried on in the framework of this programme.
Offspring
One of the most important achievements of this trip was the first workshop
on captive callitrichid husbandry in Colombia. Twenty-seven persons

participated in the workshop, held at Piscilago Zoo, including representatives
of six Colombian zoos, two official rescue centres, three universities
and four NGO’s. The participants made a very active contribution to the
ex situ breeding programme, as they were asked to build and environmentally-enrich
two cages according to the directives given by the project
coordinators. Two potential breeding pairs of Saguinus leucopus were
placed in these two enclosures, and one pair has already produced two
offspring.
Determining subspecies
The programme started a research project to determine if there are two
subspecies of Saguinus leucopus, as two morphological types are observed:
one with a yellow nape and one with a grey nape. Micro-satellite DNA
studies confirm a genetic difference between the two populations.
Museum specimens will now also be tested, and once the difference is
verified the two subspecies will be described and taxonomic reclassification
proposed to IUCN.
Studying wild populations
Eric Bairrão Ruivo, Bryan Carroll and Dominic Wormell, together with a
team from Fundación BioDiversa, visited the region of Mariquita, where
some wild populations of Saguinus leucopus are found both inside
the village and in the forest near the village. Population pressures and
habitat features were assessed, and it was concluded that this area is
probably the most suitable for future studies of wild populations.
Identification
As all nine Colombian zoos decided to participate in the programme, the
programme’s activity plan and budget for 2006 were revised to make it
possible to construct enclosures appropriate for breeding the species in
every institution involved, and still maintain all activities planned for this
year. It was agreed by all parties that all captive animals should be made
identifiable with microchips. The programme coordinator is collecting
funds from European zoos to provide microchips and reading machines
for the Colombian institutions, as lack of financial resources is a major
problem they face.
Fundraising
Finally, Fundación BioDiversa, the local programme coordinator, was
designated to locate a 500 to 5,000 ha estate that could serve as a
protected reserve for Saguinus leucopus, as well as to raise funds from
Colombian official authorities. The international coordinator, Eric Bairrão
conservation
Ruivo will try to raise funds among international institutions, primarily
through Conservation International.
Acknowledgements
We would like to acknowledge the following institutions for their
cooperation in the Saguinus leucopus Conservation Programme:
Apenheul (Apeldoorn), Zooparc de Beauval, Belfast Zoo, Bristol Zoo,
CEPA, CERZA (Lisieux), Chester Zoo, Doué-la-Fontaine Zoo, Faunia
(Madrid-parque), Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust (Jersey), Zoo de
La Palmyre (Les Mathes), Omega Parque (Monchique), London Zoo,
Mulhouse Zoo, South Lakes Wild Animal Park (Dalton in Furness), La
Vallée des Singes (Romagne), Zodiac Zoos and the Colombian institutions:
Fundación BioDiversa, Fundación Ecolombia, Cornare, Corantioquia,
Jaime Duque Zoo, Santa Cruz Zoo, Piscilago Zoo, Medellin Zoo, CAFAM,
Los Caimanes, Pereira Zoo, Barranquilla Zoo and Cali Zoo. •
Supporting the programme
This programme has so far been
successful in meeting its goals,
but more funds are necessary to
reach these huge expectations.
Any party interested in supporting
the programme should contact the
EAZA Callitrichid TAG chair (Bryan
Carroll: bcarroll@bristolzoo.org.uk)
and/or the international coordinator
of the programme (Eric Bairrão
Ruivo: eric@zoolisboa.pt).
All captive Saguinus leucopus need
to be identified with ISO transponders
(as required by the Colombian
official authorities), as a starting
point for the ex situ conservation
programme in Colombia. ISO transponder
readers are also necessary,
otherwise transponder identification
will totally be of no use.
Unfortunately, the Saguinus
Quarantine facilities near Corantioquia
leucopus Conservation Programme’s
budget for this year (2006) and for
next year (2007) does not enable
purchase of transponders or readers.
Therefore we have decided to make
this appeal to all EAZA members in
order to see if we can collect the
items we need: 150 transponders
for the first year (2006) and 150
transponders and three readers for
the second year (2007). If you can
provide any ISO transponders
and/or readers and/or money to
purchase them, or are willing to
contact your local supplier/manufacturer
of ISO transponders and
readers to try to convince them in
supplying a few items for this
successful conservation programme,
please contact Eric Bairrão Ruivo
(eric@zoolisboa.pt).
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eaza news 54
2006 conservation
Restoring the
population
of peregrine
falcons in
Sweden
through
captive
breeding
The peregrine falcon (Falco p. peregrinus) was a fairly common bird of prey in Sweden at the beginning of the last
century, with an estimated wild population of approximately a thousand pairs. However, a decline was already
observed in the 1930’s and forty years later only 10 to 15 pairs remained in the whole country. Primarily because
of heavy metal and PCB ingestion, the population continued to decline, and in 1976 not a single chick hatched in
southern Sweden.
14
Project Peregrine Falcon
In order to save the species from local extinction, the Swedish authorities
for nature conservation drew up plans for an ex situ breeding programme
with the aim to restore a population of 25 to 30 breeding pairs in southwest
Sweden. Project Peregrine Falcon was established in 1972 as an
initiative of the Swedish Society for the Conservation of Nature (SNF).
Eggs collected from nests in the wild were artificially hatched, and
gradually a captive stock of peregrine falcons was established. The first
successful reproduction took place in 1979, and three years later, in 1982,
the first captive-bred falcons were released in the country. Dozens of
volunteers have been involved through the years in observing falcons,
registering nesting sites, tagging fledgings and collecting egg shells for
continuing analysis.
As a joint effort by SNF and the Ornithological Society of Göteborg a
new breeding station, The Bird Centre, was opened at Tullare Hög, north
Nordens Ark is a young zoo that opened
for the public in 1989 and became a member
of EAZA in 1993. The zoo has devoted itself
to saving and protecting endangered animals
through captive breeding, participation
in ongoing reintroduction projects and
promoting education and research on
Leif Blomqvist and Christer Larsson, Nordens Ark, Hunnebostrand, Sweden
threatened wildlife. The zoo therefore focuses
on endangered species in three major areas:
endangered fauna from northern Europe,
endangered exotic animals from colder
regions and threatened old native domestic
breeds. Some of the species in the collection,
although not globally threatened, are
of Gothenburg in 1987. Thirty-six females at this facility laid a total of
1,130 eggs (72% of which were fertile) between 1974-1999. Although 279
falcons were released from 1982 to 1997, significant signs of recovery
could not be observed until the 1990’s. During the last years of the
millenium, 29 breeding pairs in southwest Sweden became established.
At that time many of the breeding cages at The Bird Centre were in poor
condition after the intensive use, and the decision was made in 1999 to
transfer the breeding activities to Nordens Ark (Hunnebostrand) where
a new facility with 11 separate outside enclosures, incubation rooms,
laboratories, an office and a kitchen were built in 1999 to 2000. The first
peregrine falcons arrived from The Bird Centre to Nordens Ark in the
spring of 2000.
Ex situ activities in Nordens Ark
photos tom svensson/nordens ark
A summary of thirty years experience
Although the most acute crisis for the peregrines had vanquished in the
late 1990’s, with 29 breeding pairs in southwest Sweden and a slowly
however, highly vulnerable Swedish fauna
and national action plans for them have
therefore been implemented. The peregrine
falcon is a good example of such a species,
and the decision to include it in our
collection plan was therefore received with
enthusiasm.

Dalarna
Figure 1: Due to ex situ breeding and
release, the peregrine falcon slowly
recovered in southwest Sweden. In
2000, the peregrine falcons occupied two
main distribution areas (see white
spots in the map): in southwest and
north Sweden. The aim of the ongoing
project is to combine the two main
areas by ex situ breeding and release,
mainly in the county of Dalarna.
recovering northern population, the main
supporter of the project, SNF, still considered
an extension of the recovery programme
worthwhile. Compared to the
historical situation, the peregrine falcon
still had a limited distribution in Sweden
with two isolated main populations:
one in the north and one in the southwest.
In order to expand the distribution
of the falcon to its former breeding
localities, it was considered worthwhile
to accelerate the species’ recovery by
linking the two populations through
ex situ activities, mainly in the county
of Dalarna (see Figure 1). Young falcons
hatched at Nordens Ark were therefore
planned to be released in this sparsely
inhabited part of the country.
Breeding and incubation
The breeding facility consists of a southern-exposed building located in
the non-public part of the zoo. Breeding this species is sometimes difficult.
The sexually dimorphic larger females tend to dominate the smaller
males and it is therefore essential to find compatible breeding pairs.
During courtship strong males offer food to the females, while submissive
males fear to feed their partners. In such cases, matings do not take place
and the females, if left unobserved, may kill their partners. If a female
takes the offered food before the male can, courting is interrupted and
matings do not occur. A string is therefore attached to the offered
chicken and as soon as the female tries to grab it, the chicken is pulled
away. Soon she learns that it is useless to try to get the chicken, and the
male gets a chance to catch the prey. When the female starts begging,
the male feeds her and mating usually occurs thereafter.
To obtain a maximum number of offspring, the first clutches from both
wild- and captive-bred pairs are collected for artificial incubation. After
removal of the eggs, females usually lay a second and even a third
clutch. Some females can therefore lay as many as 15 eggs. Eggs start to
hatch after 32 days of incubation, and are then transferred to a hatchingincubator.
Newborn chicks are transferred within 12 hours after hatching
from the incubators to a different room for drying and resting.
Rearing and release of the birds
Hand-rearing continues until the chicks are three weeks old, the most
critical time for imprinting. At that age, the young falcons are either
given to foster parents in the breeding enclosures or returned to wild
nests. After removal of the dummy eggs that the foster parents have
been sitting on, the foster parents start feeding the introduced chicks
without hesitation. This continues until the chicks are 38 days old. At
that age the chicks are released into the wild through a method called
‘hacking’. Four to five birds are placed in a wire-mesh cage, located on
a suitable mountain cliff in the wild. Here the birds are kept with a
conservation
minimum of human interference for a week. Feeding takes place only
through a plastic tube extending down from the top of the mountain.
At six weeks of age, the falcons are fully fledged and the hacking cage is
opened.
The first days are dangerous for the young falcons, many of which fall
victim to other birds of prey such as goshawks and eagle owls. Young
falcons are still dependent on their parents for several weeks during
post-fledging, and likewise, released falcons return to the hacking cage
where food is still offered daily through the tube. By using radio transmitters
we have found that in the beginning, young falcons stay within a
radius of 1 km from the hacking cage. They soon expand their flights up
to 10 km, but still return to their ‘home cliff’ for feeding. After a short
time they learn to catch their own food and feeding is stopped.
Year Hatched DNS Released
2000 6.4.4 0.0.2 4.1.1
2001 3.2.1 0.0.1 1.1
2002 6.3.1 0.0.1 6.2
2003 5.8.6 1.1 5.7.6
2004 8.9.1 0.0.1 8.9.2
2005 13.7.1 0.0.1 11.6
total 41.33.14 1.1.635.26.9
Table 1: Breeding and releasing results at the falconary in Nordens Ark
during the last six years.
Results
During the last six years a total of 88 falcons have been artificially hatched
in Nordens Ark. The chicks have had a survival rate of 89%. Of the
survived chicks, 67 (34.26.7) captive-bred and 3 (1.0.2) wild-born specimen
have been released, mainly in the county of Dalarna. All released birds
have been individually marked with both plastic coloured leg bands as
well as with metallic leg bands with identification numbers. A summary
of the results can be seen in Table 1. At the end of 2005, 14.13 peregrine
falcons were kept in the breeding facility at Nordens Ark.
Conclusion
The project has demonstrated the possibilities to restore a weak or fragmented
population through captive breeding. The breeding programme
is estimated to need four to five additional years until the two main
populations have been successfully linked. The breeding activities have
provided the staff at Nordens Ark with useful knowledge of hand-raising
methods, skills which can also be used for other species in the future.
This method can serve as a model for a number of ex situ projects too,
thus gaining useful know-how for a number of other reintroduction
projects which in the future will be required to save other threatened
species of birds. •
This article has been abridged and the references were left out of this article due to space limitations. For the original full version of the article including reference details, please refer to the ‘Magazine’ section on the EAZA website.
eaza news 54
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eaza news 54
2006
interview
Please describe your career path. My first degree was in
Anthropology, in France, but I have never worked in
that field. Soon after finishing that degree I started
studying and working in the computer business in Paris.
In 1986, I came back to Portugal and worked on many
jobs, including cinema: from actor to assistant director,
I did everything! I also worked as a computer consultant
and computer science teacher. However, as my first and
main passion always was animals (I started dissecting
frogs with my father when I was six years old and used
the swimming pool to breed frogs and snakes), when
I got the opportunity to work at Lisbon Zoo, I did not
hesitate. I started as an animal keeper in 1990 and,
some months later, I began to computerise the animal
records (kept manually at the time) using ARKS. Then
the opportunity came to start what is still today called
the Animal Collections Department at Lisbon Zoo, in
charge of animal collection planning, husbandry, facility
design, environmental enrichment, transports, records
keeping and international contacts. This ‘international
career’ stimulated me to start studying again, and I
graduated with an MSc in Biology in 2002.
“
Through the EAZA/ALPZA partnership,
EAZA members have the opportunity to
play a more important role in the in situ
conservation in Latin America.”
16
What is the most memorable or fascinating event in your
career so far? It’s hard to choose only one, I will mention
three. The first is the first species committee meeting
that I held as coordinator for the Emperor tamarin EEP.
I was so nervous and anxious that I forgot to mention
half of the topics in the agenda. I just wanted the meeting
to end, fast! Secondly, the day when the two male okapis
arrived at Lisbon Zoo in 2005, after a 13-year-long process,
was a very special moment. It can only be surpassed by
the day when female okapis will arrive!
To conclude, the recent birth of the first two white-footed
tamarins (Saguinus leucopus) in the framework of the
conservation programme that I started in Colombia nine
months ago (see pages 12-13) was also a great event!
This proves that one can do a lot with little money, little
time and little experience.
Eric Bairrão Ruivo
Position Animal Collections Manager at Lisbon Zoo Last book read
Dan Brown’s ‘Deception Point’ Last movie seen Trilogy of the
Lord of the Rings Last music CD purchased Buena Vista Social
Club (first album) Favourite celebrity Actor Corto Maltese, the
only one I know of that actively changed his destiny: as he felt
that the lifeline on his hand was too short, he used a knife to make
it longer! Hobbies Sailing, scuba diving, playing guitar, partying
with friends, and supervising the construction of my new house
What have been recent major changes at Lisbon Zoo and
what changes do you see happening in the zoo in the near
future? For the last 15 years, Lisbon Zoo has been
working on its master plan, and the collection plan was
last revised in 2004. The major facilities are currently
being improved (apes, tigers, small cats, elephants,
giraffes, a new hospital etc). New conservation and
education strategies are being designed as well. I hope
and look forward to seeing Lisbon Zoo in the ‘top 3’ of
the best European zoos very soon.
Besides your position at Lisbon Zoo, what other activities do
you have within the zoo world? Currently, I am secretary
in the EAZA Executive Committee, member of the EAZA
Council, the EAZA Membership and Ethics Committee,
the EEP Committee, the Conservation Committee, the
Technical Assistance and Animal Welfare Committee and
the EAZA Awards Working Group, vice-chair of the EAZA
Callitrichid TAG, coordinator of the Emperor tamarin EEP,
the Spiny hill turtle ESB and the Black-faced impala ISB,
and member of other TAGs and EEP species committees.
I am vice-president of AIZA (Iberian Association of Zoos
and Aquaria), member of several IUCN’s Specialist Groups
and finally, I am the international coordinator of the
Saguinus leucopus Conservation Programme in Colombia.
You are closely involved in EAZA’s partnership with ALPZA. What
do you think are the main challenges and benefits that the
Latin American/European cooperation brings? This cooperation
intends to develop ALPZA as a well-organised and
legitimate representative of Latin American zoos, playing an
essential role in the conservation of biodiversity and natural
resources in that important region of the globe, by representing
their interests and conservation efforts. It’s also
hoped that through this cooperation, EAZA members have
the opportunity to play a more active and important role
in the in situ conservation of the Latin American region,
as well as invest more resources for that purpose. The
historical, cultural and linguistic links between the two
regions are of the utmost importance for this process.
I do believe that the Saguinus leucopus Conservation
Programme is a clear example of cooperation between the
two regions and of building partnerships between Europe
and Latin America, which will be the central topic of the
next EAZA Conservation Forum in June 2006 in Angers. •

Zürich switzerland
In July 2004 we received a subadult female moustached tamarin
(Saguinus mystax) and a saddle-backed tamarin (Saguinus
fuscicollis) confiscated by our veterinary authority. These two animals
had been illegally imported, in all probability from Peru, by a private
person. A ten-year-old male moustached tamarin from Belfast zoo
joined the female in mid-2005, and a young was already born on
6 December 2005. The father unfortunately died when the baby was
just 17 days old. The young has nevertheless developed very well so far,
even though the mother has not always been keen to carry it around.
A giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactylus) was born on 27 January
2006. It is the first birth for the two-year-old mother, also born in Zürich.
Her mother, who gave birth to her third young on 22 July 2005, came
from Argentina in 2001. The father of both young is wild-caught and
arrived in 2004. With these breeding successes a new bloodline has been
added to the EEP breeding programme for this species.
On 11 November 2005 a visitor found a newly hatched turtle in the
Masoala rainforest exhibit. This hatchling turned out to be an
East African black mud turtle (Pelusio subniger). Twenty-three
specimens of this species had been released in the 11,000 m2 exhibit
in 2003. Clutches had been found already earlier but were incubated
artificially without success.
births and hatchings
source
robert zingg
photos zürich zoo
Ten beaded lizards (Heloderma horridum) hatched after an incubation
of 163 to 185 days during November and December 2005. The two
clutches were produced by two females also born in Zürich Zoo.
We purchased two male blue-necked tanagers (Tangara cyanicollis)
at the beginning of 2005 as we had two females, one of which arrived in
2000, and one hatched in 2001 in Zürich. We put one pair in an aviary,
and the other pair was released in a free-flight mixed species exhibit.
The pair in the aviary soon started to breed and has reared several chicks
in consecutive broods. The pair in the free-flight exhibit has now also
bred successfully, as revealed by recently fledged chicks and detection of
the nest.
Krefeld germany source
krefeld zoo website
A 30 kg weighing, male black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis) ‘Davu’
was born at Krefeld Zoo on 19 February 2006 at 01:00 h in the morning
after a gestation period of 445 days. It is the first offspring of the
15-year-old mother 'Nane', herself born at Berlin Zoo.
eaza news 54
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eaza news 54
2006
18
births and hatchings
Usti nad Labem czech republic source
petra padalikova and vera vrabcova
A female Somali wild ass (Equus africanus somalicus) was born in
Usti Zoo on 30 October 2005. She is the first offspring of the geneticallyvaluable
stallion ‘Achmed’. This male was acquired from Warsaw Zoo
to be paired with our young female ‘Georgina’ (born in 2001 in our zoo).
Achmed is the only direct living descendant of parents brought to
Nurnberg Zoo from Hai-Bar Reserve in Israel. He joined the Somali wild
ass herd at Usti without problems. Usti Zoo has been keeping this rare
species for 13 years, and the young mare, the 17th foal born in Usti, is
a satisfying achievement for us.
Great curassows (Crax rubra) have been kept in our institution since
1993, when a pair was imported from Poznan Zoo. We succeeded for the
first time in breeding this species in our zoo in the summer of 2005. We
found two eggs in a nest two metres high. The female was not interested
in her eggs, thus we put them in the incubator. After 29 days incubation
at 37.8°C and 60% humidity, one young hatched. We had to help it
break through the shell, but the chick was very lively after hatching, and
started eating immediately. Now one month of age, it can be seen that
the young curassow is a female.
The Usti nad Labem Zoo has kept the rare white-lipped deer (Cervus
albirostris) since 2000, when two males were brought from Tierpark
Berlin. Three females from Rotterdam Zoo and Tierpark Berlin joined
them in the following year, but by the beginning of 2003 only 2.1 of
Wuppertal • Dresden • Berlin germany
Two African elephants (Loxodonta africana)
were born at Wuppertal Zoo in 2005. The
female calf ‘Bongi’ was born to mother ‘Punda’
on 3 June 2005, and the female ‘Numbi’ gave
birth to the male ‘Kibo’ on 9 October 2005.
Both calves were sired by bull ‘Tusker’.
The elephant keepers assisted both females
at birth, as there was no previous birthing
experience in the group. On 31 October all
four adult cows and the youngsters could be
united without complications. The visitor
numbers of Wuppertal Zoo increased by
150,000 due to the presence of the young
elephants between 5 June and 31 October
2005. The elephant facilities at Wuppertal
Zoo are now exactly ten years old, and the
African elephants in Wuppertal were imported
from the Kruger National Park, South Africa
in 1995 when they were only two to three
years old. The Pretoria National Zoo at
that time assisted with the acquisition and
transport of the elephants.
Two more African elephant calves were born in
other EAZA zoos in Germany after the successful
births at Wuppertal. At the Dresden Zoo
a 107 kg male calf ‘Thabo-Umasai’ was born
after a gestation period of 629 days to female
‘Drumbo’ at 23:20 h on 4 February 2006. The
16-year-old Dresden elephant cow, the oldest
photo vera vrabcova
the original 2.3 remained. Last year (26 June 2005) our only breeding
female gave birth to her third offspring. As in her previous parturitions,
the mother gave birth in a remote part of the enclosure, and the young
stayed there for 25 days. The mother thereafter brought the calf to the
communal feeding area. The young was left alone for three days
and then it followed its mother. The rearing proceeded without any
problems and we are pleased that all three offspring have been females.
source
ulrich schürer/dresden zoo website/press release tierpark berlin
of the three females at the zoo, was artificially
inseminated with semen of the Colchester
Zoo bull ‘Tembo’ in 2004. Tierpark Berlin
also welcomed an African elephant birth on
17 March 2006. The female calf weighed 97 kg
at birth and is being successfully reared by her
21-year-old mother ‘Sabah’.
photo wuppertal zoo

irths and hatchings
Rhenen the netherlands source
gerard meijer
photos ouwehands dierenpark rhenen
‘Huggies’ the polar bear (Ursus maritimus) has proven to not only
be a special animal but also a good, caring mother. Born in the winter
of 1993/1994, she lost her own mother in early spring 1994 near
Wrangle Island. Russian scientists found her floating on a ice-floe
and rescued her. They looked for a zoo to take care of her, and through
the International Bear Foundation (now Alertis) in Ouwehands Zoo,
she came to Rhenen in May 1994.
The first half year she had company of a young brown bear, ‘Björna’,
hand-reared in Junsele Djurpark in Sweden. Thereafter Björna went to
our ‘Bear Forest’ and Huggies went to our polar bear exhibit. Huggies
was readily adopted by our female ‘Karin’ (born 1969 in Rhenen) and
grew up into a nice polar bear lady.
Much to the regret of her keepers she went to Kolmarden Zoo for
breeding reasons in December 1998, as we did not consider our exhibit
suitable for breeding polar bears. Huggies gave birth to her first offspring
‘Freedom’ on 6 December 2001. Swedish law changed between conception
and birth of this young, and Kolmarden could not keep Huggies
with her offspring in her exhibit without extensively rebuilding it. After
much discussion, it was decided to send Huggies and her young back to
Rhenen, where we, in the meantime, had built a new polar bear exhibit.
Huggies and Freedom arrived in Rhenen in March 2002, after a 17-hour
trip. Huggies readapted very quickly to Rhenen, even recognising her
former keeper at Rhenen. Karin, Huggies’ foster mother, was introduced
to Huggies and Freedom in July, and was accepted within a few days.
Within a few weeks Huggies even trusted Karin to now and then take
care of Freedom when looking after Freedom was too much for Huggies.
On 26 November 2005, within a week of retreating to her den, Huggies
gave birth to three pups much to the surprise of the keepers, who could
follow Huggies with an infrared camera. We counted several times during
the first few days to really be sure there were three pups. Huggies took
good care of her young from day one, and they thrived, growing like polar
bears should. After much deliberation we decided to let the pups meet
our visitors and the press on 3 March 2006, a very rainy day. That did not
stop the press from being there in big numbers.
Huggies and her offspring immediately started exploring the exhibit and
Huggies was showing off her young to all onlookers. She stayed outside
the whole day and did not mind all the activity around her, sometimes
even seeming to like the attention. Huggies and her young stayed
outside all day during the very cold weekend that followed to the great
enjoyment of our visitors. They came in droves: visitor numbers were
eight times higher than last year at the same time.
eaza news 54
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19

eaza news 54
2006
news flash
20
births and hatchings
Puerto de la Cruz spain source
matthias reinschmidt
photos loro parque, s.a.
Loro Parque Fundación’s 14-year-old Spix’s macaw (Cyanopsitta
spixii) female laid a single egg on 25 December 2005, completely
outside of the normal breeding season. This was truly an unexpected
Christmas present, from the world’s rarest parrot species, which
has been extinct in the wild since October 2000 in its home country
of Brazil, and can only be saved by means of a captive breeding programme.
This egg comes from the only active breeding pair presently
found in a zoological garden.
From day one the female was incubating well and after one week it was
possible to determine that the egg was fertile. However, for security
reasons associated with such an endangered species, the egg was
transferred after ten days to an incubator for further incubation. Here
the chick hatched after 24 days of incubation on 17 January 2006 around
20:00 h, supervised by the two biologists in charge. The little pink
chick, covered with white down and called ‘Bonita’, weighed only 13.5 g.
However, from the beginning its appetite was huge, and every two hours
around the clock, including during the night, the little bird required a
specially prepared pulp. At two weeks of age the little Spix’s Macaw
chick had already quintupled its original weight to 70 g.
23 March 2006
Two more Iberian lynx cubs born in Doñana
The chances for optimal development of this nestling are good and
the staff of the Loro Parque Fundación are optimistic that this Spix’s
macaw will grow to be an adult which contributes to the conservation of
its species. Currently in the official breeding programme of the Brazilian
Government there are only 12 living birds worldwide: five birds in
Sao Paulo Zoo, Brazil, five birds in the Loro Parque Fundación, Tenerife
(including this chick) and another pair at a private centre in Brazil.
Of these, the only breeding pair is kept in the Loro Parque Fundación.
After the two Spix’s macaws which hatched in 2004 (see EAZA News 48/
2004, p. 17 - 18), this chick represents the third success of this pair. There
are approximately eighty other living Spix’s macaws in captivity, and it is
hoped that these can also be incorporated into the breeding programme.
The recent breeding success in Tenerife forms an excellent basis to work
together with the only German private breeder who keeps this species. This
breeder plans to lend to the Brazilian Government a young male, which
will be kept in the breeding centre of the Loro Parque Fundación so that
further pairs can be established there. With such a small population it is
absolutely essential to pair unrelated birds in order to maintain maximal
genetic diversity. The breeding agreement is another important step within
the international breeding programme for the conservation of this parrot
extinct in the wild. The aim of this project is to manage the population of
Spix’s macaws in captivity so as to conserve the species and reintroduce
it to its original habitat, the so-called ‘Caatinga’ of northeast Brazil.
'Saliega', the Iberian lynx that gave birth a year ago to the first ever births in captivity of this critically endangered species, gave birth to two
more cubs on 23 March 2006. These cubs represent the second successful birth of Iberian Lynx in the El Acebuche Breeding Centre in Doñana
National Park, following the birth of the first three cubs in March 2005 (see EAZA News 50/2005, p. 29 and EAZA News 51/2005, p. 28).
The birth took place without human intervention, but cameras kept the public and experts up to date at the El Acebuche visitors centre.
This, together with the possibility of another female being pregnant at the breeding centre and the fact that there are now in total 20 (7.11.2)
Iberian lynx in the captive breeding programme, gives hope for the future of this highly endangered European species.

Rio Negro
at Duisburg Zoo
Manuel García Hartmann, Duisburg Zoo, Germany
Orinoco river dolphins (Inia geoffrensis humboldtiana), the most northern
of the three subspecies of the Amazon river dolphin, occur in the Orinoco
river and its effluents in Venezuela and Colombia. The only specimens
kept outside South America are the two male Orinoco river dolphins that
arrived at Duisburg Zoo on 16 March 1975.
Suitable for two species
While Duisburg Zoo had long wanted to provide an improved facility for
these two old dolphins, the advanced age of the dolphins (estimated 31 and
50 years in October 2005) had always been a major concern in planning
a new facility. The life span of Inia geoffrensis in the wild is believed to
be twenty to thirty years, the maximum reported longevity in captivity
is 31 years and three months. However, finally a strategy of replacing
the river dolphins in the future with manatees (Trichechus manatus)
was chosen: the entire new facility, pool and its water life support
system were designed to fit the husbandry and demands of both species.
Black water river
The new facility called ‘Rio Negro’, after the largest black water river of
South America, was opened to the public on 13 September 2005. The
facility is a reproduction of a natural habitat in which these river dolphins
occur: a river running through South American tropical rainforest. Sixty
species of South American plants are present in the exhibit, which has a
total surface of 890 m2 , with a basin of 305 m2 water surface and 652 m3 water volume. As in a natural river, water depth varies from steep riverbanks
to 40 cm shallows to a maximum depth of more than four metres.
The life support system includes mechanical filtration by skimming and
gravel filters, a large biological filter and UV disinfection, with a current
turnover rate of less than two hours. Water and air temperature are kept
at 28°C, air humidity is over 70%.
Much to see
A large acrylic window allows an underwater view of over 19 m for the
visitors. The water surface level is at adult visitor's eye level, which
allows seeing the colour difference in the dolphins under water, where
new enclosures
the dolphins seem grey, and on the surface, where pink colour patches
are visible. These pink patches explain why the species is also called the
‘pink dolphin’.
Water-tight gates in the basin allow separation of the large pool system
into three separate pools: one large main pool (194 m2 /489 m3 ) and
two side pools (70 m2 /100 m3 ; and 41 m2 /63 m3 ). This three-poolmanagement-system
is very usual in the husbandry of other cetacean
species. The separation gates have a naturalistic design and are hardly
visible to the visitors. The visitors mainly see one large pool designed
as a river bed, its riverbanks and an island. Opposite to the underwater
viewing, one small side exhibit and a terrarium display red-handed
tamarins (Saguinus midas), channel-billed toucans (Ramphastos
vitellinus) and some other bird species, as well as ornate horned frogs
(Ceratophrys ornata) and golden silk spiders (Nephila claviceps).
Risky transfer
photos peter rasbach
A new facility for old Orinoco river dolphins
Duisburg Zoo has been pursuing the transfer of its two Orinoco river dolphins to a new, state-ofthe-art
exhibit since 1995. Finally, with the opening of ‘Rio Negro’, ten years later this ultimate
goal has been achieved!
The transfer of the two old dolphins was considered risky and was therefore
preceded by intensive veterinary monitoring and optimising of their
overall health, with special attention to the older dolphin, that has
several geriatric health conditions. The transfer went surprisingly quickly,
taking only 41 minutes. The adaptation period in the new pool also went
remarkably well. In the beginning, the dolphins were kept in a husbandry
pool which has dimensions similar to their old pool. They showed clear
stress and fear reactions to the new environment, but these reactions
soon subsided. After opening the gates the dolphins explored their
environment in the new pools gradually but consistently, soon moving
around the entire basin at ease. Their increased activity as well as their
curiosity towards the visitors and their environment is much appreciated
by the visitors, who now enjoy the beautiful underwater viewing opportunities
of Rio Negro.
We would like to express our deep gratitude to Ernesto
Boede, Acuario de Valencia, Venezuela, for sharing his insight and
for advising us during the extremely important adaptation phase! •
eaza news 54
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eaza news 54
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22
new enclosures
New elephant house
in the Ostrava Zoo
Ivo Firla, Ostrava Zoo, Czech Republic > Translation: Jana Kálnová
Features
The inner space of 435 m2 is divided: the male has two stalls, the females
have three stalls and there is a common space which can be separated
according to requirements. The inner space is equipped with a pool
(48 m2 ) with filtration, which is accessible from both the female and
the male stalls. Medical treatment of the elephants is carried out via
protected contact.
There are two outside enclosures of over 4,200 m2 with a combination
of sand and grass (clay) substrate. The outside enclosure floor adjacent
to the building is made of concrete. The outside enclosures are equipped
with a mud pool with showers, and plenty of wood that the elephants
use for scratching and for play. The enclosures are bordered by gently
sloping ditches which are accessible for the animals, and by concrete
walls. The walls are covered by soil from the visitors’ side, creating a
clay rampart planted with vegetation.
Visitors’ viewing points
Outside, the visitors can observe elephants from three viewing points.
Visitors walking through the pavilion can observe elephants on one side
and view an Indian jungle exhibit on the other side. This 57 m2 area,
with imitation rocks, a waterfall, running river and lush vegetation,
has many small animals (birds, reptiles and fishes).
photos ostrava zoo
A new house for Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) opened in October 2004. The elephants were previously
housed in an old building unsuitable for elephant breeding. The new elephant house took 19 months to build.
It is designed to hold a breeding group of one male and three females.
Enriching feeding devices
There is a great emphasis on providing enrichment equipment in the
pavilion to make the time more pleasant for the elephants and to avoid
occurrence of stereotypical behaviour. The enrichment is mainly in the
form of feeding devices, as elephants spent much time feeding. The
devices are feeding carts with hay, fruit and vegetables, feeders with
grains, hanging pulleys for greens, feeding palisades for greens and a
feeding wall. We would like to continue with similar devices in the future.
Two older female elephants are kept in our house presently, but we hope
to house a breeding group in our new elephant house soon. •

Roof
of the world
John Adams, Marwell Zoological Park, United Kingdom
Construction of the project commenced in December 2004 and was
completed in May 2005 and cost UK£640,000 (about €1,000,000).
Mainly outside
Snow leopards are hardy animals that appreciate outdoor access throughout
the year. We considered it important, for both animals and visitors,
that the outside enclosure should be larger than the original accommodation
and, more importantly, provide plenty of elements for them to
utilise. Indoor housing is mainly needed to assist with management of
the animals and to provide seclusion for the rearing of cubs.
Rocky Himalayan ravine
The consequent design simulates a Himalayan ravine with rocky outcrops
to provide places to climb on with shelters to rest in, a waterfall
and stream, and different terrains including grass, some alpine planting
and approximately 500 m2 of limestone shale beds.
The site chosen has a gentle slope, and was free from previous construction
other than a red panda exhibit. A new enclosure was also built
for the red pandas (Ailurus fulgens fulgens). The circular 150 m2 panda
enclosure is built around a mature oak tree behind the new snow
leopard enclosure, allowing us to utilise the slope of the site to screen
the red panda enclosure wall and snow leopard housing by a cliff of
artificial rockwork. The red pandas are contained by an unplastered
concrete block wall of 1.2 m high.
Features
The snow leopards are contained within a stainless steel hand-woven
mesh structure supported on metal posts, with full-height glass windows
new enclosures
photos marwell zoological park
New facility for snow leopards and red pandas
Marwell’s association with snow leopards (Uncia uncia) started in 1977 with the arrival of a
female ‘Vilkku’, from Helsinki Zoo where she was born, and a male ‘Pavel’ from Seattle Zoo.
Their accommodation in Marwell was considered ‘state-of the-art’ when it was built, and
19 cubs were successfully reared there. It was decided in 2004 to build a new accommodation
for this species as part of an on-going evaluation of cat accommodations in the park. The three
resident animals, a pair with their 2003 offspring, would be housed there in line with our policy
to normally keep a single adult pair, or the pair with their cubs.
along the main public footpath. The floor plan of the animal enclosure
is approximately 708 m2 and, although normally operated as a single
enclosure, it can be temporarily split into two compartments (of 320 m2 and
388 m2 ) by attaching a single stainless steel mesh panel. This was recently
utilised to allow us to keep the young adult female, ‘Binu’, separated
from the adult pair with their latest cub ‘Vishnu’ born in the new exhibit
on 15 August 2005. The laminated glass viewing panels are all nominally
2 m high from ground level with widths ranging from 2.4 m to 4 m, held
in aluminium powder-coated frames. The snow leopard enclosure utilised
our first extensive use of artificial rockwork, all of which was created
in situ on mesh-frames attached to the walls and to stone-filled gabions.
The snow leopard housing external walls are of double-skin construction
(an inner and outer concrete block wall with an air space between) and
contains four inter-connected animal dens and a staff service corridor.
Authentic yurtas
Marwell belongs to many conservation organisations, including the
International Snow Leopard Trust; an organisation which has worked
on over a hundred projects throughout central Asia. We are promoting
the work of the trust and one of the ways we have achieved this is by
purchasing two authentic yurtas (nomadic tents) from Kyrgyzstan, one
of the twelve countries where snow leopards remain in the wild. The
yurtas provide covered facilities in which visitors may discover more
information about snow leopards, their conservation and the people
living where the animals come from.
The park’s pair of Himalayan takin has been relocated to an adjacent
enclosure, also furbished with artificial rockwork, to complete the ‘Roof
of the world’ area. •
eaza news 54
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eaza news 54
2006
24
research
Sharing information
through a Digital Zoo
Resource Centre
Laurien Kok and Maarten Vis, student-researchers Van Hall Instituut, Leeuwarden, the Netherlands and
Koen Brouwer, project supervisor EAZA Executive Office, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
In the ‘From the Editors’ section on page 2 of this issue of EAZA News, we have already mentioned
the very special and high level of cooperation between European zoos and the fact that EAZA is
constantly seeking ways to improve this level of cooperation. In order to increase inter-institutional
cooperation, EAZA requested two students to investigate the possibility of establishing a digital
resource centre to improve information sharing amongst the members.
Education and nature conservation
The main objectives of EAZA zoos and aquaria today
are education and nature conservation. The World
Zoo and Aquarium Conservation Strategy (2005)
also states that all zoos and aquaria should strive
‘to increase inter-institutional cooperation
to enhance the use of limited resources and
to act globally.’ There is simply not enough
time left for zoos to approach their
objectives slowly, or to learn by trial and error.
Why should every zoo invent the wheel again and again?
A wealth of information
Although EAZA zoos and aquaria already share much information, many
experiences and knowledge are still lost. All EAZA institutions together
have a wealth of information and experience that is of huge value for
nature conservation. Sharing this information can make it possible for
zoos and aquaria to play the important roles they have been assigned,
namely to conserve nature and to educate people on the need for this
conservation by showing people the beauty of animals and their habitats.
Sharing information can also directly improve animal welfare, breeding
successes and the visitors’ experiences.
photo jantijn van den heuvel / rotterdam zoo
In EAZA News 53 we
highlighted the results
of three EAZA surveys
that took place in 2005.
This article summarises
the results of another
2005 survey: the ‘EAZA
survey on sharing
information through a
digital resource centre’.
photo colchester zoo
Digital Zoo Resource Centre
The ambition to share information and to cooperate with other EAZA
institutions is present. Many members take great effort and donate much
of their time in doing so. The EAZA Executive Office felt that it was
important to investigate if sharing of information could be made easier
by creating a ‘Digital Zoo Resource Centre’. But where to start, when
creating such a complicated resource centre? If there is no solid fundament
on which a resource centre could be based, it would not be very helpful.
Therefore EAZA launched a research project to investigate the possibilities
for such a resource centre in May 2005. This project dealt with questions
such as: what kind of information is wanted by the EAZA (candidate)
members?; what are the most common issues in zoos?; how can a user of
a resource centre determine the usefulness or quality of the information?;
how can the information in a resource centre be evaluated?; who can and
will provide the information to a resource centre?; in what kind of format
should the information be presented? It was very important that in the
huge criss-cross of information and interesting zoo issues, the building
blocks – the most important issues of interest – for this resource centre,
were discovered.

Questionnaire
To answer these questions, zoo related documents and literature were
studied at the EAZA Executive Office, the office’s staff was interviewed
and 48 EAZA (candidate) members were asked to fill out a questionnaire.
The surveyed EAZA institutions in general were positive towards the idea
of a Digital Zoo Resource Centre. Some 93% of the respondents indicated
that they were prepared to share information by means of this digital
resource centre (see Figure 1).
Figure 1: Interest of EAZA (candidate) members to provide and use
information through a Digital Zoo Resource Centre
0% > Does not want to provide
and use information
73% > Wants
to provide and
use information
on a regular basis
7% > Only wants to
use information
20% >
Is willing
to provide
information
only once
In the questionnaire EAZA (candidate) members were provided with a list
of 232 zoo related subjects and were asked if they could indicate which
of the topics they would find most interesting to receive information
on through a resource centre. Additionally, the EAZA Executive Office’s
employees were asked to indicate which of these subjects they found
important based on questions they recieve from zoos. The subjects that
were of most interest to the participating EAZA institutions and that were
also indicated as important topics by the EAZA Executive Office staff can
be seen in Table 1.
What’s new?
Some of the respondents expressed their fear that this Digital Zoo
research
Resource Centre would create overlap with other already existing databases
and zoo design groups like ‘ZooLex’. However, the intention of this
resource centre would not be to replace these sources of information
but to unite and complement them. The digital resource centre should
be developed and used as a starting point for a search. Through this
Digital Zoo Resource Centre, EAZA users would be linked to relevant
databases and websites, and would receive additional information from
other EAZA institutions. EAZA members would be given the opportunity
to share their experiences, give comments on the information present in
the resource centre and to rate the value of this information.
With this research project EAZA has set the first steps in the
direction of developing a Digital Zoo Resource Centre. More information
on this project will be made available on the EAZA website. •
Table 1: Important subjects according
to EAZA institutions
Important subjects*
Exhibit design
Exhibit sizes, dimensions
Housing, shelters in exhibits
European breeding programmes (EEPs)
Environmental enrichment
European studbooks (ESBs)
Conservation programmes/projects
Perching, furnituring of exhibits
ARKS, animal record keeping
Animal acquisition/disposition policy
Procedures for animal escapes
Quarantine facilities
Primates
* listed in order of importance
illustration dierenpark planckendael
photo olomouc zoo
illustration burgers’ zoo
eaza news 54
2006
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eaza news 54
2006
26
collection planning
On Regional Collection Plans
and population sizes
Bart Hiddinga and Kristin Leus, EAZA Executive Office, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Regional Collection Plans (RCPs) are nothing new within EAZA. Shortly after the establishment of
the first Taxon Advisory Groups (TAGs) in 1992 the first RCPs were produced and made available to
the EAZA membership. Previously, TAGs produced their RCPs in the format that they felt were most
suitable for their situation. This has worked quite well; all the information that one needs can be
found whenever needed. (For an overview of all the EAZA RCPs, please visit the member area of the
EAZA website) However, the EEP Committee and TAGs realised that it would facilitate use of RCPs
at institutional level if all the RCPs followed the same format, as the various documents can be
more easily compared with each other. Thus a standard EAZA RCP format has been developed and
finalised; now the TAGs are ready to adapt their RCPs to meet this standard.
One of the key components in this standardisation is the use of population sizes:
how big is our population now; is it a viable population, how big does it need to
be to be viable? And of course the important question: how do we determine all
this? We thought that you (i.e. our general membership) might enjoy an insight
into the thought process for this exercise. After all, this may be important for
the correct interpretation of the targets mentioned in the RCPs, when consulting
these in light of your own institutional collection plan.
Population Target, the new ‘buzz word’
Broadly speaking, three general concepts should be taken into account when determining a population target: 1) genetic theory, 2) demography
and common sense, and 3) the needs and wishes of EAZA institutions (i.e. space availability).
1. Target according to genetic theory
What genetic theory?
Specialists advise that the retention of 90% of gene diversity (GD)
for a hundred years is a sensible compromise between retaining a
reasonable amount of gene diversity and not needing a ridiculously
high number of individuals to do this. It is desirable to retain as much
GD as possible, because the more GD you lose, the higher the level of
inbreeding in your population and the lower the evolutionary potential
of your population. However, the more GD you wish to retain, the more
individuals you need to keep to be able to do it – and space in captivity
is always limited.
EEP coordinators and studbook keepers can perform studbook analyses
in PM2000 in order to determine how many animals are minimally
needed to reach the genetic goal. For species without a studbook,
experienced population managers can help TAGs to come up with a
ballpark number based on a few general population parameters.
RCPs available through the EAZA
website can be found in the
‘TAGs’ section in the member area.
Is a population with less than 90%GD guaranteed
to go extinct?
A population with less than 90%GD has a higher probability of going
extinct (in captivity and/or upon reintroduction), or of experiencing
other negative effects of loss of gene diversity. A higher probability does
not mean that it is guaranteed to happen; but it does mean that there is
a higher chance of it happening.
Another way of expressing what the %GD retained means, is to translate
it in terms of inbreeding. A population with 75%GD has a mean level of
inbreeding of 25%. This would mean that on average everyone is related
to a level equivalent to brother and sister.
If it is not possible to maintain 90%GD for a hundred years and/or if
many more animals are needed than there is space available for the
species, the TAG needs to decide whether to try to make the population

more viable (e.g. by improving the population parameters, importing
founders, cooperating with other regions etc.), or to go for a more
relaxed genetic goal, or even drop the species from the RCP all
together. These decisions are made on the basis of what is practically
While PM2000 may indicate that only a very limited number of animals
is needed to reach the genetic goal, this may be a very risky affair in ‘real
life’. Very small populations, often spread over a few institutions, are very
vulnerable to catastrophes (e.g. disease, fire, and flooding) and other
random events (e.g. years with uneven sex ratio at birth). In such cases it
possible in terms of time, effort, money, opportunity, availability etc.,
in comparison to the purposes and relative importance of the species to
the TAG according to the selection criteria employed by the TAG in the
making of their RCP.
2. Target according to demography and common sense
To expand
Many programmes are in need of additional participating institutions. A
list of these programmes is included below (see Table 1 on page 28). Those
which are marked with * are programmes with specific needs, e.g. looking
collection planning
would be wise to increase the target population in order not to put ‘all
the eggs in one basket’. Additionally, the biology of the species in question
should not be forgotten! For example the target population size may
be influenced by a minimum group size, structure or dynamic that is
important for good breeding results or species-specific social behaviour.
3. Target according to demand for the species
There may be a need to keep more individuals than are necessary for
genetic and demographic reasons. In the case of very popular species
that many zoos want to keep, the TAG will have to decide if keeping a
Implementing the RCPs
The RCPs are the result of very careful considerations by the responsible
TAG, taking into account many different issues for each species. In
addition to determination of population sizes many other considerations
are taken into account during the Regional Collection Planning
process, e.g. our experience with keeping and breeding the species,
its conservation status, its educational value, and much, much more.
Producing an RCP is much work and demands considerable dedication
from the members of the TAG. But, obviously, producing the Regional
Collection Plan is just the beginning: once the RCP has been published
it is the responsibility of each and every EAZA member institution to
refer to the RCPs and, whenever possible, apply them to its animal
collection. Please consult the relevant RCP when considering changes
in your animal collection, be it bringing a new species in or removing
a species. The RCPs are not ‘law’ within EAZA; nobody can, or will,
force any institution to remove a species from its collection or add
one to it. But keep in mind that the RCPs can only work if we all
greater number of individuals creates competition for exhibit space with
more important species. It is also possible that there is currently insufficient
space available for a species that is deemed important by the TAG.
address and implement them in our own institutions whenever possible.
The RCPs are based on careful considerations, and every EAZA member
may participate in the production of an RCP through the TAGs. RCPs are
living documents that are regularly updated: if you feel that changes are
needed in a particular RCP, do approach the relevant TAG and share your
point of view. It is important that the RCPs represent the broadest possible
standpoint of the entire EAZA membership. After all, taking the RCPs
seriously and implementing them in our institutions is in the interest of all.
Our resources are limited – very limited. We do not have endless space
for keeping all the different species we may like to keep. We have to
make choices to ensure the viability of the animal populations we work
with. Implementing RCPs may seem to lead to a reduction in the number
of species kept in our zoos, and some may say that that is a pity.
However, it is important to keep in mind that this is the short term
consequence: in the long run, making those choices now is likely to
mean that we will in fact have more species to work with than if we
would not make these choices. •
To expand or not to expand,
that’s the question! EEPs and ESBs in need
Are you updating your institutional collection plan? Seeking to add more EEP or ESB species to your collection?
for institutions that are willing to keep a single-sex group. It is important
to get in touch with the coordinator or studbook keeper first before making
a decision to participate in an EEP or ESB. In fact, in the case of an EEP
it is even compulsory that you contact the EEP coordinator once you
eaza news 54
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eaza news 54
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28
collection planning
have decided that you wish to start working with the species. Coordinators
and studbook keepers can help you with useful advice on the husbandry
of the species in question, and can inform you about specifics that are
relevant to their programme. Some programmes may have quite specific
requirements or there may be a waiting list of zoos that want to start
working with the species, and it may be a few years before animals will
be available.
Table 1: Programmes looking for additional participants
English name (Scientific name) Programme*
Mountain chicken frog (Leptodactylus fallax) ESB*
Radiated tortoise (Geochelone radiata) ESB*
Malayan box turtle (Cuora amboinensis) ESB
Black marsh turtle (Siebenrockiella crassicollis) ESB
Malaysian giant turtle (Orlitia borneensis) ESB
Rhinoceros iguana (Cyclura cornuta) ESB*
Utila spiny-tailed iguana (Ctenosaura bakeri) ESB*
Cuban boa (Epicrates angulifer) EEP
San Francisco garter snake (Thamnophis sirtalis tetrataenia) ESB*
Rockhopper penguin (Eudyptes chrysocome) ESB
Goliath heron (Ardea goliath) ESB
Cabot’s tragopan (Tragopan caboti) ESB
Edward’s pheasant (Lophura edwardsi) EEP*
Malayan crestless fireback (Lophura e. erythropthalma) ESB
Blue crane (Anthropoides paradisea) ESB
Sunbittern (Eurypyga helias) ESB
Socorro dove (Zenaida graysoni) EEP
Luzon bleeding heart pigeon (Gallicolumba luzonica) ESB
Mindanao bleeding heart pigeon (Gallicolumba criniger) ESB*
Yellow-faced amazon (Amazona anthops) ESB*
Buffon’s macaw (Ara ambigua) EEP
Von Der Decken’s hornbill (Tockus deckeni) ESB
Wrinkled hornbill (Aceros corrugatus) EEP
Brush-tailed bettong (Bettongia penicillata) EEP*
Emperor tamarin (Saguinus imperator) EEP*
Grey-legged douroucouli (Aotus lemurinus griseimembra) ESB
Red-legged douroucouli (Aotus azarai boliviensis) ESB
White-throated capuchin (Cebus capucinus) ESB*
Black-capped squirrel monkey (Saimiri boliviensis) EEP*
Drill (Mandrillus leucophaeus) EEP*
Gelada baboon (Theropithecus gelada) EEP*
Giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla) EEP
Aardvark (Orycteropus afer) ESB*
Sloth bear (Melursus ursinus) EEP
Wolverine (Gulo gulo) EEP
European mink (Mustela lutreola) EEP*
Oncilla (Leopardus tigrinus) ESB
Amur leopard (Panthera pardus orientalis) EEP*
Persian leopard (Panthera pardus saxicolor) EEP*
Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae) EEP
Onager (Equus hemionus onager) EEP*
Bactrian wapiti (Cervus elaphus bactrianus) ESB
Forest reindeer (Rangifer tarandus fennicus) ESB
Reticulated giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis reticulata) EEP *
Kirk’s dik-dik (Madoqua kirkii) ESB*
Lesser kudu (Tragelaphus imberbis) ESB*
West African sitatunga (Tragelaphus spekii gratus) ESB
Greater kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros) ESB*
Addax (Addax nasomaculatus) EEP*
Nile lechwe (Kobus megaceros) EEP*
Musk ox (Ovibos moschatus) EEP
Blue sheep (Pseudois nayaur) ESB*
Kirk’s dik-dik
* Programmes that have restrictions for new participants concerning animals and/or additional conditions for participating
photo rob doolaard (izp)/rotterdam zoo
Not to expand
Contrary to the programmes in Table 1, there are also several EEP and
ESB programmes that do specifically wish not to expand (see Table 2).
A reason for this may be that the species in question may compete
with other species for space in EAZA zoos, and the responsible TAG has
advised that the population should not grow beyond its current numbers.
If you are contemplating adding a species that is listed below, please
reconsider. Your institution would be of greater assistance in achieving
the goals of the Regional Collection Plan by taking on another, perhaps
closely related and similar, species instead. Please do get in touch
with the relevant EEP coordinator or ESB keeper to find out why this
programme does currently not need additional participants, and whether
this is perhaps likely to change in the future. Please also check the
Regional Collection Plan of the relevant TAGs for ideas about species
that you could feature in your institutional collection plan instead.
Table 2: Programmes not looking for additional participants
English name (Scientific name) Programme
Spiny hill turtle (Heosemys spinosa) ESB
Black stork (Ciconia nigra) ESB
Marabou stork (Leptoptilos crumeniferus) ESB
Blyth’s tragopan (Tragopan blythii) ESB
Red-bellied tamarin (Saguinus labiatus) ESB
European otter (Lutra lutra) EEP
Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) ESB
Amur tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) EEP
Snow leopard (Uncia uncia) EEP
Przewalski’s horse (Equus ferus przewalskii) EEP
Baringo giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis rothschildi) EEP
Blue duiker (Cephalophus monticola) ESB
Important
This overview is based on a survey among EEP coordinators and ESB
keepers that was recently carried out by the EAZA Executive Office.
Information for all programmes could not be supplied in time for
appearance in this edition of EAZA News, thus a more comprehensive
list is likely to be available by the time you read this. Furthermore,
the needs of the various EEPs and ESBs will likely to change with time.
Thus this overview will be regularly updated, and the most current
version can be found in the member area of the EAZA website. •

Aim of the course
The aim of the course was two-fold: first to provide in-depth knowledge
on the use of PM2000 for practical captive population management
and second, to increase the overall capacity of EPMAG in providing
assistance for zoos in demographic and genetic management of captive
populations by ‘training of trainers’. This first course was attended by
seven participants: Elena Baistrocchi (Parco Natura Viva, Bussolengo),
Lydia Kolter (Cologne Zoo), Waltraut Zimmermann (Cologne Zoo),
Katarzina Goral (Warsaw Agricultural University), Jake Veasey (Woburn
Safari Park) and the two authors of this article.
Three-day programme
During these three days, in the atmosphere of friendly discussions,
the whole set of actions needed for captive breeding programme
management were addressed in their full complexity. The course
started with the guidance on cleaning and evaluation of pedigree
data in SPARKS. Thereafter the issue of filtering and exporting
studbook data from SPARKS to PM2000 was addressed in depth.
collection planning
Breeding programme management
Tiit Maran, Tallinn Zoo, Estonia and Olivia Walter, British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums, London, United Kingdom
The first advanced course
A three-day advanced course on captive population
management was held at the EAZA Executive Office
in Amsterdam from 30 January to 1 February 2006.
The course was kindly organised by the EAZA
Executive Office and was conducted by Kristin Leus
(Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp and EAZA),
Tanya Langenhorst (Marwell Zoo), both closely
involved in the EAZA Population Management
Advisory Group (EPMAG), and Laurie Bingaman
Lackey of ISIS.
photo eaza executive office
Main focus
The main focus, however, was on the use and interpretation of demographic
and genetic data in better decision-making for breeding
recommendations. Much time was also devoted to the use of the
PM2000 for defining genetically and demographically sound goals in
EEP programmes. The final part of the course was devoted to the use
of report templates generated by PM2000 for preparing the breeding
recommendations and the species management plans.
PM2000
The training on use of PM2000 software was elegantly combined with
reviews of the theory of captive population management. That helped
to refresh the participants’ memory on these issues and thus made it
easier for us to grasp the essence of the course.
The course showed the variety of amazing options the PM2000 software
provides for managing your captive population, but also the ‘hidden
underwater rocks’ one may hit without proper understanding of the
logic of the programme. In short, it can be said that it is a wonderful
tool in the hand of a species manager, but one has to know how to
work with it. The advanced course was a good opportunity to further
improve our skills as population managers. As fellow population
managers, we would strongly encourage all EEP and ESB keepers to
participate in future courses. •
Global action plan for amphibians Amphibians are facing great threats. About one third of the 6,000 frog, toad, salamander and
newt species are threatened with extinction, more than 120 species have likely become extinct since 1980, and 435 species have declined into a category of greater
threat during that time. Many factors behind the extinction of frogs are still not well understood. However, it is known today that, in some parts of the world,
there is a fungus causing the quick extinction of every amphibian species throughout the range. Experts are convinced that, in many cases, the only solution is to
conserve them in zoos and aquaria with the hope that the species can be reintroduced to the wild at a later stage. This will require a massive coordinated effort,
but it is a key solution in addressing the global amphibian extinction crisis.
Experts of the Conservation Breeding Specialist Group, representatives of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums and other stakeholders met from 12 to
15 February 2006 at El Valle, Panama, discussing how a global action plan for amphibians should be implemented. They recommended criteria for prioritising
species and best practices for breeding facilities, and determined the capacity for rapid response. The meeting envisioned a WAZA-led effort with multiple
partners that offers a de-centralised approach with multiple breeding facilities. There was a presumption in favour of the breeding taking place in the range
countries of the species concerned. However, the value of backup facilities outside the species’ range was recognised. The balance between the size of facility,
economics and vulnerability will be determined. The meeting acknowledged that this ex situ effort is a ‘stop-gap’ measure, and called to governments, the
Amphibian Specialist Group of the World Conservation Union and other stakeholders to strive for a rapid response to help address the amphibian extinction crisis.
eaza news 54
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news flash
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eaza news 54
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isis
30
collection planning
CHANGES TO EXISTING TAGs
EAZA Penguin tag
Miguel Bueno (chair), Madrid Zoo and Ivan Briones
Deriat (vice-chair), Faunia (Madrid-Parque)
EAZA Rhinoceros tag
Lars Versteege (vice-chair), Safaripark Beekse
Bergen (Hilvarenbeek)
CHANGES TO EXISTING EEPs
Moluccan cockatoo eep
(Cacatua moluccensis)
Sandra Devaney, Dublin Zoo
Citron-crested cockatoo eep
(Cacatua sulphurea citrinocristata)
Sandra Devaney, Dublin Zoo
White-fronted marmoset eep
(Callithrix geoffroyi)
Agustin Lopez Goya, Faunia (Madrid-Parque)
Goeldi’s monkey eep
(Callimico goeldii )
Bernhard Holdijk, Wissel Zoo (Epe)
Black-capped squirrel monkey eep
(Saimiri boliviensis)
Jan Vermeer, La Vallée des Singes (Romagne)
Western lowland gorilla eep
(Gorilla gorilla gorilla)
Frank Rietkerk, Apenheul (Apeldoorn)
Banteng eep
(Bos javanicus)
Francois Huyghe, CERZA (Lisieux)
programme updates As approved by the EEP Committee
ZIMS construction walkthrough
Michele Peters, ISIS, Minnesota, USA
Previewing ZIMS
During this walkthrough, a member of the ZIMS software developer team
from CGI demonstrated how some parts of the application will work,
including screens that will be used in taxonomy, enclosures (systems and
maintenance), animal information and studbooks. Even though attendees
saw only limited examples of the full ZIMS application, they were impressed
by what ZIMS will do for their institutions. Participants provided CGI with
many constructive comments about the existing navigation and presentation
of information. This process will help us assure that the final ZIMS
software will provide our community with what it needs. Meeting participants
also helped ISIS create scenarios of basic work functions for which
zoos and aquaria will use the ZIMS application. ISIS will use these
scenarios during user acceptance testing to ensure that the ZIMS programme
is applicable and useful to zoos and aquaria around the world.
ZIMS Project timeline
ZIMS software developer CGI has asked for an extension in the
NEW ESBs
Lesser Antilles hercules beetle esb
(Dynastes hercules hercules)
Jean-Yves Robert, Muséum de Besançon
Red-crested turaco esb
(Tauraco erythrolophus)
Louise Peat, Cotswold Wildlife Park (Burford)
CHANGES TO EXISTING ESBs
African dwarf crocodile esb
(Osteolaemus tetraspis)
Wolf-Dieter Engelmann, Leipzig Zoo
White-throated capuchin esb
(Cebus capucinus)
Jan Vermeer, La Vallée des Singes (Romagne)
Employees from ZIMS early adopter institutions and zoo and aquarium subject matter experts
who have been involved in the ZIMS project, previewed the ZIMS application during a ‘construction
walkthrough’ in early February 2006. Representatives from the EAZA region included Frands Carlsen and
Anne Huniche, Copenhagen Zoo; Duncan Bolton and Warren Spencer, Bristol Zoo; Ulrike Rademacher,
Wilhelma (Stuttgart); and David Brunger, Chester Zoo.
ISIS elects new board members
ISIS welcomes new 2006 Board of Trustee
members Chris West, The Royal Zoological Society
of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia; Franck
Haelewyn, Lille Zoo, France; and Christopher
Andrews, Steinhart Aquarium, San Francisco, USA.
The African Association of Zoos and Aquariums
(PAAZAB) also chose a new representative to the
ISIS Board, Mark Penning.
ISIS wants to thank long-serving ISIS Trustees
who have just completed their terms on the ISIS
construction phase of the ZIMS Project. Upon starting construction,
CGI is realising the complexity of development and has asked ISIS
for additional time so that it can complete the construction phase
of the project at the high level of quality we expect. We are currently
working with CGI to put measures in place to verify that any future
timelines will include ample time for a superior product to be
completed. ISIS will post notifications of revised timelines for the
project on the ISIS website (www.isis.org) as soon as dates have been
confirmed.
ZIMS readiness assessment survey
Responses to the ZIMS readiness assessment survey show that ISIS
members are excited to start using ZIMS, but that many institutions
have more preparation to do, especially in the area of data quality.
This is an important step in guaranteeing that ZIMS will represent
‘one, global, accurate, comprehensive, real-time, specimen and
collection information system’ as promised.
Board: Jo Gipps (vice-chair), Bristol Zoo, United
Kingdom; Laura Mumaw, Melbourne Zoo,
Australia; Hans-Ove Larsson, Skansen Foundation,
Sweden; and Dave Morgan of PAAZAB, who
generously shared their time, good judgment and
fundraising skills. •

directory updates
In EAZA News announcements are published of books that have relevance to zoo staff and other people with a professional
interest in zoos. On the EAZA website more information can be found on these books as well as on the publishers.
Richard Weigl (2005)
Longevity of mammals in captivity; from the living collections of the world
This publication contains many data on historical and present longevities of captive mammals. Some of the data have never been published
before, and many extinct or very rare species and subspecies are included. All of the 3,398 taxa of 25 mammalian (all orders except shrew
opossums, order Paucituberculata) have been exhibited in zoos and other institutions. The records provide exact dates of arrival, birth,
movement out of the collection or death dates, showing day, month and year. Anecdotal records have not been included.
Pages: 214. ISBN: 3-510-61379-1 (pb). Price: €29.80.
To be ordered from: E. Schweizerbart'sche Verlagsbuchhandlung (www.schweizerbart.de)
James Ferguson-Lees and David Christie (2005)
Raptors of the world; a field guide
‘Raptors of the world’ (Helm, 2001) is the definitive handbook to this popular group of birds. This new field guide is based on and uses all of
the plates from Raptors of the World. The field guide contains a concise, revised text on facing pages, to create a conveniently-sized, lightweight
field reference covering all 320 raptor species. The guide book also has an updated colour distribution map for each species. Much
of the extensive introductory material has been retained in this guide, with the addition of a complete species list containing all subspecies
and brief details of their ranges. This clear and concise guide will provide easy identification and insight into this fascinating group of birds.
Pages: 320. ISBN: 0-7136-6957-8 (pb). Price: UK£19.99.
To be ordered from: A&C Black Publishers Ltd. (www.acblack.com)
Julian Caldecott and Lera Miles (eds.; 2005)
World atlas of great apes and their conservation
This atlas provides a comprehensive overview of what is currently known about all six species of great apes: chimpanzee, bonobo, Sumatran
orangutan, Bornean orangutan, Eastern gorilla and Western lowland gorilla. Created in association with the Great Apes Survival Project
(GRASP), this book gives a thorough background on ape behaviour and ecology for each species, including detailed habitat requirements,
the apes' ecological role, and the possible consequences of their decline. The book also offers a full description of the threats, current
conservation efforts, and additional protection needed for each species across its entire range. Many full-colour maps and illustrations
make the abundance of information accessible to a broad readership.
Pages: 456. ISBN: 0-520-24633-0 (hb). Price: UK£29.95.
To be ordered from: University of California Press (www.ucpress.edu)
Michael Newton (2005)
Encyclopedia of cryptozoology, a global guide to hidden animals and their pursuers
On every continent and in every nation, animals unrecognised by modern science are reported on a daily basis. People passionately pursue
these creatures – the name given to their field of study is ‘cryptozoology’. Coined in the 1950's, the term literally means the science of
hidden animals. What makes an animal of interest to cryptology is that it is unexpected either in its existence, or in its location of existence.
Presenting a ‘flesh and blood’ view of cryptozoology, this reference work excludes discussion of mysterious zoological phenomena.
Here, 2,744 entries are listed, the majority of which each describe one specific creature or type of creature, reported from a wide variety
of locations worldwide and throughout history. Other entries cover 742 places where unnamed cryptids are said to appear; profiles of
77 groups and 112 individuals who have contributed to the field; and descriptions of objects and events important to the subject.
Pages: 576. ISBN: 0-7864-2036-7 (hb). Price: UK£67.95.
To be ordered from: Eurospan (www.eurospan.co.uk)
personalia
——————————————————————
Dipl. Biol. Wolf-Dietrich Gurtler retired as
zoological manager of ZOOM Erlebniswelt
(Gelsenkirchen), Germany, and has been
replaced by Dr. med. vet. Sven Kilian. Mr. Gurtler
will still be employed as scientific coordinator of
the zoo.
——————————————————————
Mr. Henrik Johansen has been appointed as
director of Aalborg Zoo, Denmark.
——————————————————————
Mrs. Nermin Syoyrcy is the new director of
Bursa Zoo, Turkey, as of February 2006.
——————————————————————
Dr. Christelle Vitaud is the new manager of
Safari de Peaugres, France, as of 1 March 2006.
——————————————————————
Mrs. Ana Oliveira and Mr. Joao Falcato are theI
new EAZA contact persons for Oceanario de
Lisboa, Portugal.
——————————————————————
Mr. Geer Scheres is the new EAZA contactn
person for the Cracid Breeding and
Conservation Center, Belgium.
——————————————————————
Mr. Wim Verberkmoes is the new director and
EAZA contact person for GaiaPark Kerkrade
Zoo, the Netherlands.
——————————————————————
Mr. David Field is the new EAZA contact person
for London Zoo (ZSL) and Whipsnade
Wild Animal Park (ZSL), United Kingdom.
——————————————————————
Mr. Peter Sampson is the new EAZA contact
person for Paradise Wildlife Park, United
Kingdom.
——————————————————————
Mr. Richard Osterballe is the new chairman
of the Danish Association of Zoos and
Aquaria (DAZA), Denmark.
——————————————————————
books
addresses and
telephone/fax numbers
——————————————————————
The new fax number for Zoo Schmiding,
Austria, is: +43 7249462722
——————————————————————
The new phone number for Dublin Zoo,
Ireland, is: +353 14748900
——————————————————————
The new address for Rotterdam Zoo, the
Netherlands, is: Blijdorplaan 8, 3041 jg Rotterdam
——————————————————————
The new contact details for the Danish
Association of Zoos and Aquaria (DAZA),
Denmark, is: c/o Givskud Zoo, Loveparkvej 3
7323 Givskud, Denmark, Phone: +45 75730222,
Fax: +45 75730321
——————————————————————
terminated membership
——————————————————————
Gotlands Djurpark, Sweden (zoo closed)
eaza news 54
2006
31

eaza news 54
2006 publications
As many as 31 Studbooks, 3 Husbandry Guidelines
and 4 other publications have been received by the EAZA
Executive Office in the period January - March 2006. We are
very grateful to all who have contributed to these valuable
publications and are happy to have received these in printed
format at the EAZA Office in Amsterdam.
For a full list of received publications of interest, please refer to
the EAZA website (‘Magazine’ section). Announcements of newly
received publications are posted on the EAZA website on a
regular basis. Please continue to send us your printed versions
so that we can incorporate these in the online publications’ list.
Conservation Forum
‘Conservation and Partnerships: creation of a European and
Latin American network’ is the theme of the conservation forum
organised by Doué-la-Fontaine Zoo in cooperation with EAZA.
This third bi-annual forum on in situ conservation projects
for European zoos and aquaria will take place in Angers from
30 May to 2 June 2006. ‘Dreamnight’ will be held at Doué-la-
Fontaine Zoo on the evening of the last conference day.
Deadline for registration is 30 April 2006. For more information
please refer to the EAZA website (‘Conservation’ section).

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The source of balanced quality diets and supplements
P.O. Box 705, Witham, Essex, CM8 3AD, England
Tel: +44 (0) 1376 511260 Fax: +44 (0) 1376 511247
France: Tel: +33 (0) 1 30 10 94 94 Fax: +33 (0) 30 10 94 99
Web-site: www.mazurifoods.com
Agents: We have a number of agents throughout Europe – for details contact the Witham office.

eaza awards
EAZA handed out one award in the category of ‘Professional Excellence’ during the 2005 EAZA Annual Conference
in Bath. Nine awards were presented in the ‘Institutional Excellence’ category, which focuses on conservation,
education, exhibit design and research. Please find below summaries of the two projects receiving the 2005
EAZA Research Awards. The winners of the EAZA Exhibit Awards and the EAZA Education Awards were presented
respectively in EAZA News 52 and 53. The other award winners will be presented in the next issue of EAZA News.
Espace Animalier de la Haute-Touche (Obterre) –
Reproductive biotechnology for endangered wild species
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species categorises almost forty
cervid subspecies as ‘threatened with extinction in their natural
habitat’, and 14 subspecies in the genus Cervus as ‘endangered’
or ‘critically endangered’. This clearly indicates that, in addition to
in situ conservation measures, ex situ conservation efforts are
urgently needed to guarantee this group’s survival.
In parallel with ex situ conservation programmes based on classical
management in Espace Animalier de la Haute-Touche, research studies
are performed by the Muséum National d’Histoire Naturel and the
Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA) in developing
assisted reproductive technologies on common species, such as red
deer (Cervus elaphus) and sika deer (C. nippon). This resulted in the
first birth of red deer calves in Europe by implantation of embryos
derived from in vitro production to red deer.
photos espace animalier de la haute-touche
London Zoo (Zoological Society of London) –
Genetic relatedness in group-managed species
As part of the international effort to develop the new generation
of species conservation software, the ‘Zoological Information
Management System (ZIMS)’, the ZSL Research Group for Population
Management has been working in partnership with EAZA, EADISC, ISIS
and CBSG to address the most technically demanding aspect of the
ZIMS development process: genetic relatedness tracking and analysis
of group-managed species.
The ZSL Research Group for Population Management has succeeded in
developing complex mathematical models and demonstration software
tools for determining genetic relatedness in group-managed species.
This achievement constitutes a major research breakthrough that will
greatly enhance the conservation community’s ability to help every
animal group, from invertebrates to mammals.
EAZA Research Award 2005 EAZA Research Award 2005
Espace Animalier de la Haute-Touche (Obterre) –
Reproductive biotechnology for endangered wild species
London Zoo (Zoological Society of London) –
Genetic relatedness in group-managed species
photos rob doolaard (izp)/rotterdam zoo
eaza news 54
2006