EAZA Tiger Campaign extended to 2004 Contents - European ...

major long term funding partners in this multi-species conservation
and recovery programme for one of the globally
most endangered ‘biodiversity hotspots’ – the Central
Philippine islands.
More partner zoos needed
While expansion of breeding programmes for Visayan warty
pigs and Panay cloud rats from the Philippines to Europe
are planned for the immediate future, the longest established
of these programmes – the Philippine spotted deer
programme – is now at a critical point: with twelve zoos
now participating and the ‘new’ animals imported in
2001 adding more genetic diversity to the gene pool,
the programme urgently needs more partner zoos.
Philippine spotted deer are relatively easy to maintain in
zoos and provide few management problems. Unlike many
other deer, however, they need heated winter quarters in
Northern and Central Europe and, again, unlike many other
deer, females can be aggressive to each other. Breeding
herds of up to five or six females are possible, but usually
only by building up numbers from a founder female and her
daughters and granddaughters. Such female groups may be
stable for years, but sudden aggression directed against one
particular female, requiring its separation, or restructuring
of herds, can occur. It is thus desirable to find more partners
for the programme who can provide more than one
enclosure for the species. This will reduce the need to move
animals between partner zoos, in turn reducing unnecessary
stress on the animals – and the programme coordinator!
Conservation
On the positive side, enclosure size can be smaller than
for many other deer species, and as this species is not a
very good jumper, fences can be lower than for most other
similar-sized deer.
Partner zoos to the programme are expected to make
a one-off or yearly financial contribution to continuation
and expansion of conservation activities in the Philippines.
However, no fixed amount has been set; this will be
negotiated with each partner zoo individually based on
the partner zoo’s financial resources and desire to help.
Participation of each new zoo will have to be endorsed by
the Wildlife Authorities of the Philippines (all deer and their
progeny are owned by the government of the Philippines),
requiring a waiting period of a few months before animals
can be sent to a new partner zoo.
Zoos interested in partnering in this programme,
please contact Jean-Marc Lernould
(jean-marc.lernould@hrnet.fr) or Jens-Ove
Heckel (jens-ove.heckel@landau.de).
Photo: Rob Doolaard/IZP
Photo: Jean-Marc Lernould/Mulhouse Zoo
EAZA News 43 – 2003
13
July - August - September