Annual Report- 2007 - Zoo Negara

ZOOLOGY15The year saw many births and exchanges / loanprogrammes which significantly increased thespecies and specimen numbers. By the end of2007, species numbers increased about 13% and19% when compared to the year 2006 and 2005,respectively. While specimen numbers increasedby 21% and 58% from the year 2006 and 2005,respectively. The total number of Mammal speciesand specimens recorded in December 2007 were94 and 565, respectively.PRIMATESThere were many births in the section throughout2007. Amongst the primate that gave birth werethe Bonnet Macaques, Silver-Leaf Monkey andWhite-Handed Gibbon.Exchange ProgrammeIn mid 2007, a pair of Patas Monkey (Erythrocebuspatas), Blue Monkey (Cercopithecus mitis) andVervet Monkey (Cercopithecus sp.) from Africa werebrought in to add on to the collection of primatespecies at the section. One female Siamang wasalso brought in for breeding purposes. All theabove primate species were from the WildlifeFauna Breeding and Research Centre in Janda Baik,Pahang.Enrichment ProgrammePrimate enrichment has been ongoing in 2007.Assistance was acquired from the ‘Way OutExperience’ volunteers to prepare, and createenrichment tools for the primates.APE CENTREApe Centre is home to 2.1.0 Bornean Orangutans,3.3.0 Sumatran Orangutans and 5.1.0 Chimpanzees.The exhibit moat houses two Giant Arapaima.Breeding ProgrammeMating has been observed throughout year 2007between the paired Sumatran Orangutan but thefemale has yet to be impregnated. Another femaleSumatran Orangutan is planneed for mating indate 2008.Observation has also been done for the Chimpanzeesand breeding programme is still ongoing. Plans toacquire a female Chimpanzee from Taiping Zoo isin the pipeline.Exchange ProgrammeA long term exchange programme with JohorZoo has been planned for breeding purpose andthis involved the exchange of one male BorneanOrangutan and Chimpanzee to Johor Zoo. ZooNegara will benefit from the first born of theBornean Orangutan and the second born of theChimpanzee.Enrichment ProgrammeThe ‘Way Out Experience’ volunteering team fromEngland, Scotland and Denmark continue theirefforts to provide enrichment for the apes in 2007.A total of 12 group of volunteers each spending amonth at the zoo, worked on various enrichmenttools for the orangutans and chimpanzees. Plans toincrease enrichment projects are in the pipeline.Training ProgrammeTwo staff from the section in colloboration withveterinaries from Taipei Zoo, Taiwan, facilitated inthe ‘Animal Training and Environmental EnrichmentCourse 2007’ (ATEEC 2007) from 19-21 November2007.MAMMAL KINGDOMThe Mammal Kingdom begins the year with anexchange programme with Melaka Zoo. It is a longterm conservation breeding programme which ZooNegara is proud to be involved in. Staff involvedin this section is trained for the job which requiresthem to be caring, dedicated and fit to accomplishour aims.Mammal Kingdom housed a number of species