2008 - 2009 Annual Report - Zoos South Australia

CONTENTSYear In ReviewPresident and CEO’s ReportConservation ProgramsConservation ArkVeterinary Conservation ProgramsAssets and InfrastructureConservation EducationThe AnimalsLiving collectionsThreatened SpeciesOperationsCommunications and PartnershipsVisitor ExperiencesHuman ResourcesFinancial ReportFinalsFacilities, Equipment and Clinical Activities:Plans are afoot to refurbish Adelaide Zoo’s Animal HealthCentre as we begin to outgrow the building and laboratoryspace and need an improved post mortem facility.We are working towards plans for a new veterinary facilityat Monarto Zoo to cater for the increasing workload.In the meantime we have nearly completed a minorrefurbishment of the Monarto Zoo animal health facilitywhich allows more than one person to have office space.Thanks to very generous support from Agfa and in particularEarl Cox of Total Medical Imaging Solutions we now havestate-of-the-art digital x-ray processing at both Adelaide andMonarto. The improvement in diagnostics is immeasurableand we are very grateful for this equipment.We have some really interesting clinical cases over the lastyear in both Zoos but the outcomes were not always as wehad hoped. Sadly our favourite, Pusung, did not make it.Initially he developed an unusual constipation which didnot respond to a variety of laxatives and other treatments.Endoscopic examination by Dr Jonathan Martin diagnosed aproctitis and colitis which initially responded to prednisolone.However he developed a pneumonia and air sacculitis whichdid not respond to treatment.One of our other Orang-utans, Kluet fell from the largetower in his enclosure and sustained a fractured radius andulna. The fractures were plated with the help of Dr WarrenForeman, veterinarian from the Adelaide Animal Hospital.Unfortunately a sinus tract infection developed and underanaesthesia a piece of infected bone was removed. Antibiotictreatment continued for six weeks until we felt the infectionhad cleared.At Monarto, one of our male lions Leroy gradually becameinappetant and despite intensive examinations during threeanaesthetics, he died. Post mortem examination revealed amost unusual and inoperable laceration of the oesophagusjust caudal to the heart. Back at Adelaide, the male lionMujambi had a series of epileptic fits which are now beingcontrolled with long-term anti-epileptic drugs.We lost Eli the Syrian brown bear, who was euthanased dueto age-related severe arthritis, and two Australian sealions,one with septicaemia and another with haemorrhagicenteritis. We were very fortunate after very intensive careto save our elderly Greater Flamingo which was attacked bychildren visiting the Zoo.