výroční zpráva 2009 ( 4,12 MB ) - Zoo Ostrava

48Rearing the cinereous vulture at Ostrava ZooRenáta HalfarováThe cinereous vulture (Aegypius monachus) resides in the mountain ranges of Asia, more rarely thoseof Europe, up to 4,000 metres above sea level. This vulture is listed as Near Threatened under the IUCN Red Listof Threatened Species. The fact that the reared bird could be released into the wild in the French Alps, thusreinforcing the restoring wild population in Europe is seen as the most important contribution.In the most recent period, Ostrava Zoo has kept cinereous vultures since 2002, with however setting upa breeding pair being the issue in the beginning. This was made with success in 2006, when the zoo obtaineda young pair as an exchange for an adult female within the breeding cooperation, i.e. European conservationbreeding programme - EEP. The birds had been successfully put together in Planckendael. Soon after theimport, the birds could be seen getting along very well. The male originates from Arnhem Zoo, where hehatched on 19 May 2003, while the female hatched in Mulhouse on 10 May 2002. The birds were directlyplaced in a shared aviary sized 11.9 by 6.9 m, with the minimum and maximum height of 2.8 m and 4 m,respectively. As the aviary is located in a common block of aviaries, it was visually separated from the othersusing a reed mat installed on its side up to the 1/3 of its height. In the rear highest part, there is a woodenplatform.During their first nesting season (2007), the birds were showing no special activities; nonetheless, they wereapparently harmonising, grooming and sitting close to each other all the time. The following season (2008),we supplied softwood and hardwood twigs of varied size, sheep, llama and camel hairs and other nestingmaterials into the aviary. The birds were first lacking any interest in this, but in early March, mating wasobserved. This time the birds started showing interest finally in the nesting matter as well, which howevertook a few days and the nesting activity ended as of mid March. The aviary was checked, with found twigscollected on the platform, but the nest remained unfinished.Considering the fact that the birds had reached maturity, the 2009 nesting season was the one with firstserious attempts at nesting expected. Therefore, nothing was left to fortune and the base of the nest wasbuilt by the staff, still retaining the opportunity of finishing by birds. The nest base consisted of birch twigsarranged on the wooden platform so that they were forming the nest, with conifer twigs added on the topto make the nest soft. The very top was covered with sheep wool. Nesting materials were thrown around thenest as well. In late January, the diet was enriched with a higher rate of live food and 1 ml of PROMOTOR perbird plus PLASTIN added.At the end of February, both birds became interested in the materials supplied and actively involved infinishing the nest, so everything looked very promising. Nonetheless, everybody was much surprised seeingthat the female sat down on the nest on 7 March 2009, taking turns with the male in sitting on the eggs inthe beginning. However, seeing a keeper, the birds became too nervous, trying to lift up, so any entry wasrestrained to supplies of food and fresh water. The nest was inspected only on 26 April using only a slot in therear wooden wall of the aviary; the time was good as both birds were out of the nest. The date of clutch wasderived from the date when the female first sat on the nest, which was 7 March 2009. A thin voice was heard