EAZA News 57-12 - European Association of Zoos and Aquaria

eaza news 57
2007
18
births and hatchings
Wuppertal germany source
ulrich schürer and alexander sliwa
Two Baird’s tapirs (Tapirus bairdii ) were
born in Wuppertal Zoo in 2006. The first
offspring, male ‘Chico’, was born on 18 January
to eight-year-old female ‘Susanna’. The
second calf ‘Moli’ was born on 3 October to
‘Tanya’ and 13-year-old male ‘Tonka’. Tanya
was born in San Diego Zoo in 1980 and this
is her second young, the first being Susanna.
Wuppertal Zoo is the only European zoo
keeping this species and consequently is
participating in the North American breeding
programme. Only some ninety Baird’s tapirs
are kept worldwide, with an estimated population
of less than 5000 animals in the wild.
Another important breeding event in
Wuppertal Zoo’s 125 th anniversary year occurred
in the Asian golden cats (Catopuma
temminckii ). On 19 June 2006 a young female
was born for the first time in three years. The
Paradise Wildlife Park (Broxbourne) is currently enjoying successful
breedings in its primate section. Most recently a pair of silvery
marmosets (Callithrix argentata) produced its fourth set of twins on
21 November 2006. The breeding pair also produced twins in April 2006
and two sets of twins in 2005. Among the tamarin population also housed in
the Rainforest Experience, the cotton-top tamarin (Saguinus oedipus)
male ‘Furby’ and female ‘Ellie’ produced a single offspring on 7 May
2006. Their first offspring were healthy male twins born on 24 April 2004.
The pied tamarins (Saguinus bicolor) have also been busy; male ‘Olaf’
and female ‘Elvira’ produced a single male born on 10 October 2006.
This newborn joins the single male born to the pair in October 2004.
The red-bellied tamarins (Saguinus labiatus) are part of the ESB
and an offspring from a successful pairing of male ‘Bruce’ and female
‘Kiera’ is expected. This pair produced a single offspring on 8 July 2006
which joins the twin brothers born in 2005.
Friday 28 July 2006 was an important day for the team at Paradise
Wildlife Park. The successful pairing of the park’s snow leopards
(Uncia uncia), male ‘Aron’ born on 5 May 2003 and female ‘Kush’ born
on 19 May 2003, resulted in the birth of one healthy cub. The event was
witnessed by head keeper Colin Elcombe, as he checked the enclosure
late that evening. Kush has taken to the demands of motherhood
extremely well and is proving to be an excellent first-time mother.
This was both Kush and Aron’s first offspring with both cats being three
years of age. Aron, (originally from Basel Zoo), has been kept separated
from Kush (originally from Santago Cat Sanctuary) and their cub, in
keeping with normal wild behaviour.
mother ‘Feline’ was born in Wuppertal Zoo in
2002 and is taking good care of her first offspring.
The eight-year-old breeding male ‘Jakarta’ was
imported from Melbourne Zoo and arrived in
Europe nearly two years ago in the framework of
an international golden cat exchange programme.
photo wuppertal zoo
In the bird section the breeding of a purplethroated
fruit crow (Querula purpurata),
which is probably a world’s first, and the
rearing of two male Andean cocks of the
rock (Rupicola peruviana), all in 2006, is
most noteworthy.
Broxbourne united kingdom source
press releases
Aron will be reintroduced when the cub is 15 weeks old, and it is hoped
that the cats can remain as a family unit until the cub matures at
around 18 months. The cub received its first cat flu vaccinations at nine
weeks, and weighed in at a healthy 3.4 kg. The cub was sexed as a male
during the second inoculation that took place on 2 October 2006.
The wild population of snow leopards is estimated at below 2500 mature
breeding individuals, with a declining trend.
photo paradise wildlife park