Summer 2009 - Perth Zoo

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8 Puteri’s Princess At 10:40 am on 20 October, Perth Zoo welcomed its 27th Sumatran Orangutan, Teliti (Indonesian for to be careful and thorough) into the world as part of its worldrenowned breeding program. Weighing just 1.6 kg, female Teliti was born to 39-year-old female Puteri (Indonesian for princess) who was the first Sumatran Orangutan born at Perth Zoo in 1970. She is also the mother of Temara, the first zoo-born orangutan to be released into the wild in the protected Bukit Tigapuluh National Park in Indonesia as part of an orangutan reintroduction program. Teliti and Temara’s father is 34-year-old Hsing Hsing who has been at the Zoo for 26 years. He has fathered four orangutans since coming to Perth Zoo from Singapore in 1983. As with the Zoo’s pregnant orangutans in the past, keepers use a standard human pregnancy kit to determine pregnancy. Puteri was confirmed pregnant in May this year and the birth has been eagerly anticipated ever since. Perth Zoo Exotic Mammals Curator Leif Cocks says the pregnancy went extremely well and the birth was very quick and hassle-free. “Puteri adores Teliti, cradling and feeding her when she is hungry or appears to need reassurance,” Mr Cocks said. “Teliti is hanging onto Puteri without assistance and is strong and alert which are all good indicators of a very healthy, young orangutan.” Teliti will start eating some solid foods, such as tropical fruit, at about five months of age but will continue to suckle for the next five to six years. She is the third orangutan born at the Zoo over the past five years. With the success of reintroducing Temara into the wild, Perth Zoo has had a positive response to the Don’t Palm Us Off advocacy campaign, however more signatures are needed. Don’t Palm Us Off aims to change food-labelling legislation in Australia and New Zealand, mandating the labelling of palm oil on all food products. But why is this an issue? Approximately 6,000 orangutans are killed each year, mostly due to the destruction of their habitat. The primary reason for this is the increasing demand for oil palm plantations which results in large-scale clearing of rainforests in Indonesia and Malaysia. Currently, palm oil can simply be labelled as vegetable oil and is found newspaw s | Summer 2009/10 successful breeding programs like that at Perth Zoo assists with the re-establishment of extinct populations of Sumatran Orangutans in protected areas. Teliti was named by nine-year-old Calvin den Boer in a competition run with . Come and see Puteri and her precious daughter in the Sumatran Orangutan exhibit, located in the Asian Rainforest. in a wide variety of products including chocolate, bread, detergents and cosmetics. This means you don’t know if you’re buying products that contain palm oil. Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) has the power to change food-labelling legislation. However, in order to justify this change FSANZ needs to know that you want the right to choose. That’s why we want to hear from you. Once palm oil is clearly labelled, we can seek to have tighter regulation of the palm oil industry and drive the demand for sustainable palm oil which doesn’t lead to the destruction of rainforests, the deaths of orangutans and other animals or the exploitation of workers. Puteri with baby Sumatran Orangutan. Photo: Derek Smith Visit to read more about this campaign and add your name to the online petition to call for the labelling of palm oil.
Photo by Phil England How to Build a Crocodile-friendly Garden The new outdoor extension to Simmo the Estuarine Crocodile’s exhibit in the Australian Wetlands sees one of Perth Zoo’s biggest stars with a new heated billabong and feeding platform with masses of plants and rock to replicate the Kimberley region of Western Australia. Since its opening on 26 September by Minister for the Environment Donna Faragher, the exhibit has proved to be very popular with visitors, especially during Croctober (the month formerly known as October). Visitors are able to watch Simmo from a 12 metre long glass viewing area. During the summer months, one of the most spectacular sights for visitors will be Simmo’s Sunday feed. Summer 2009/10 | newspaw s 9
Page 1 and 2: Puteri’s Princess Perth Zoo’s O
Page 3 and 4: Ultrasounding Perth Zoo’s Botanic
Page 5 and 6: Rough terrain in which the field wo
Page 7: New Quokka Breeding Program Quokkas
Page 11 and 12: cliffs were placed around the exhib
Page 13 and 14: A Day in the Life of… Cassandra B
Page 15 and 16: New Ghostly Arrivals Born on 27 Oct
Page 17 and 18: What’s on Go to ‘what’s on’
Page 19 and 20: Assorted soft toys. Prices vary. Th

Summer 2009 - Perth Zoo

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