Les Stukenberg/The Daily Courier Heritage Park Zoological Society’s new enclosure for its three tamarins has air conditioning, heating, a sink, hot water, and two night houses.

By Paula Rhoden – The Daily Courier

Three cotton-top tamarins moved into a new enclosure at the Heritage Park Zoological Sanctuary this past week.

The sanctuary obtained the tiny primates about 18 months ago from a university laboratory in Wisconsin.

Sanctuary Executive Director Pam McLaren said the lab shut down and the tamarins needed a new home.

“We agreed to take a non-breeding pair,” McLaren said.

Instead of a pair, the sanctuary received three females – a mother and her two daughters.

Quik, the mother, is 16 years old, while daughters Cindy and Ziggy are 6 years old.

The three tamarins living at the sanctuary are the descendents of the importation of more than 40,000 tamarins into the United States in the 1970s.

Tamarins have colons similar to humans, and companies imported the primates for medical testing, McLaren said.

Tamarins are native to Colombia. Deforestation and the destruction of the rainforest have reduced their habitat.

The primates are on the endangered species list.

“There are quite a few tamarins in captivity, but re-introduction efforts have not been successful,” McLaren said.

Several volunteers and an anonymous donor are responsible for the new enclosure.

“The outside area, three times the size of where they were living, is state of the art for this type of primate,” McLaren said.

The inside of the new home has two night houses, allowing officials to separate the tamarins if necessary, while allowing them to still see each other.

With air conditioning, heating, a sink and hot water, the new enclosure is a multi-functional exhibit. Sanctuary officials designed and built it in a manner so that could hold other primates in the future.

“We are happy to have the tamarins in their new enclosure and out on exhibit. Once the weather warms up, they will be out all the time.

“They love little children,” McLaren said. “We are lucky to have them. They are so much fun.”

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Today, the National Zoological Gardens in Dehiwela will get three ring-tailed lemurs (lemur catta)-two females and one male-from the Rare Species Breeding Centre in London, through an animal exchange programme.

Education Officer of the Zoo Nihal Senerath told The Island yesterday that in return they had given a pair of giant squirrels and a rusty spotted cat.

“Certainly, we benefited from this deal as lemurs are rare animals”, he said.

The World Conservation Union’s (-IUCN’s) Red List Assessment has classified ring-tailed lemurs as a vulnerable species. With less than 10 per cent of the original forests remaining in Madagascar, habitat destruction is the number one factor that threatens the extinction of all lemur species.
Source :The Island

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During the event, guests will meet docents, other volunteers and zoo
staff, view a special otter enrichment, and find out why volunteering at
the Potter Park Zoo is one of the most rewarding things you can do!

The zoo’s fun and exciting environment provides many opportunities
for volunteers to find their own unique way to help out the zoo. From
assisting the zoo’s horticulturists to working as a Zoo Ambassador,
the Potter Park Zoo can match each volunteer to an area of their
interest. There are also opportunities for volunteers to assist with zoo
events such as the Rhino Romp, Boo at the Zoo, and Wonderland of Lights.

“Our volunteers provide an invaluable resource to the zoo by donating
their time and energy in support of our mission,” said Michele Fox,
Volunteer Coordinator. “They are the backbone of what makes our zoo so
great!”

Volunteer Awareness Day is free to the public. Parking is also free to
all event attendees.

No experience is necessary to become a zoo volunteer; training will be
provided. Volunteers do not handle animals directly, but are involved in
the many diverse activities that make the zoo so engaging for visitors.
For additional program details please call the Zoo Society office at
(517) 342-2710 or visit online at, www.potterparkzoo.org.

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The Zoo’s Senior Veterinarian, Larry Vogelnest, said: “The calf is slowly getting stronger and is now walking around independently and has suckled from his mother, Porntip.”

“He appears to have a lot more coordination, has great control of his trunk and is shuffling around much more confidently. The calf is also very alert, a good sign considering his eventful start to life.”

“He is still not completely out of the woods but these are all very good signs and things we wanted to see happen within the first 24 hours after his incredible birth,” said Dr. Vogelnest.

Taronga Zoo, Director, Cameron Kerr, said: “The last 24 hours have certainly been remarkable.”

“The mother’s name, ‘Porntip’ means ‘eternally blessed’ in Thai, and I can tell you, all the Zoo staff certainly feel blessed at the moment. There is definitely a feeling of magic and excitement in the air.”

The elephant team reported that overnight, Porntip proved to be a wonderful mother, helping to settle the newborn down for a night time sleep before lying down close beside him.

“Porntip is also receiving a lot of attention from Thong Dee, mother to Taronga’s other Asian Elephant calf, Luk Chai. Being the first two elephants to ever give birth at Taronga they now have a shared experience to draw upon, “Cameron said.

“Importantly, the infant is taking a lot of interest in the older elephants and Australia’s first elephant calf ‘Luk Chai’ which was born last July,” said Cameron.
“I am told the calf is very curious and has been reaching out to its herdmates who have spent the night in the stalls next door.”

“Our three other females and Luk Chai even abandoned their breakfast in the paddock this morning to be with him. This is simply unheard of but they just can’t tear themselves away from the new arrival.”

“This morning, our keepers introduced the calf to ‘aunty’ Pak Boon, his mother’s closest companion. She is normally a real tomboy but this morning showed us another side to her personality, as she slowly and gently caressed the calf.”

The calf and his mother, Porntip will be staying in the warm barn today and 24 hour monitoring and care will continue for some time to come.

Taronga’s Elephants are part of Australia’s first national Conservation Breeding Program for Asian Elephants, whose numbers in the wild may have slumped to as low as 34,000 across their home countries in Asia.

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The Zoo’s Senior Veterinarian, Dr Larry Vogelnest said: “The calf has already had some contact with the other elephants in the herd, touching trunks with the older females and also the zoo’s first calf, Luk Chai, an eight-month old male.”

“The others are very excited and curious, reaching out to him with their trunks whenever he gets close.”

“Porntip is already showing signs of being an excellent mother, trying to help him suckle although he hasn’t quite managed to suckle yet. She’s in good health and has been getting to know her calf, gently touching the young animal with her trunk.”

The Birth Team has reported that in between sleeps, the calf began taking its first steps mid-morning and is moving around the birthing pen in the Elephant Barn.

Dr Vogelnest said: “We’ve been able to give him several litres of colostrum, the important first milk for newborns and we think he weighs between 90 and 100 kg.”

“Our initial impressions are that he is stockier than Luk Chai but maybe not as tall.”

The zoo’s Director Cameron Kerr this afternoon said: “The Zoo’s elephant team are focussing entirely on supporting the calf through the critical first 24 hours and we’re asking for patience and understanding while they endeavour to give the youngster its best chance of survival.”

“Advice from world elephant reproduction expert, Dr Thomas Hildebrandt of the Berlin Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Health is that such an outcome after a protracted labour has never been seen before. He said the birth will completely re-write the elephant birth text books.”

Dr Vogelnest said: “The early indications are that the calf survived the protracted labour in a coma. That unconscious state would explain the complete absence of any vital signs during all the checks and examinations we conducted during the labour and led us to believe the calf had not survived.”

Elephant Manager, Gary Miller, said: “When the keepers learned the calf had survived this morning, the looks of disbelief on our faces were quite a picture. We couldn’t believe that this could be true.”

The other elephants in the herd, Pak Boon, Tang Mo and Thong Dee, as well as the older calf, Luk Chai, have been gently caressing the newborn with their trunks, touching trunk tips and very interested in the new calf.

Dr Vogelnest said the Birth Team was taking everything moment by moment and the first 24 hours is critical to the calf’s future.

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On Monday the birth team led by the Zoo’s Senior Veterinarian and the world-leading expert on elephant births, Dr Thomas Hildebrandt, told the media that they believed that the calf had not survived.
After six days of intensive effort by Porntip, keepers and veterinarians found none of the five vital signs that would have indicated the calf was still alive..
Dr Hildebrandt said that “should the calf be born alive, it would be a miracle”.
Mr Kerr said: “While this is incredible news, the young calf still has a long way to go. Our vets are now working to determine the possible effects of the protracted labour on the calf.”
“There are no guarantees of its long-term survival at this early stage but we hope that its birth against the odds will stand it in good stead.”
“We will provide more information on the calf’s progress as it becomes available.”
The other elephants in Taronga’s herd, Pak Boon, Tang Mo and Thong Dee, together with eight month old Luk Chai, are calm and in the barn.

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MUMBAI: A 16-foot long King Cobra, which was gifted ‘freedom’ by the Bombay high court had four days before Valentine’s Day last month, has died at the Mahatma Gandhi Zoo in Solapur. On Wednesday, when the PIL filed by nature lover Gururaj Pore comes up for hearing, there will be a shocking revelation before the high court—the cobra died allegedly owing to dereliction of duty on part of the zoo administration.

“It is among the longest venomous snakes in the world and has a reputation of killing a human being with a single bite. Adequate care was not taken. It was kept in a small glass enclosure in pitiable conditions,” Pore told TOI on Tuesday.

A month ago, the Bombay high court had asked the zoo administration to quickly find a companion for the Cobra or release it in the wild. “Both the zoo administration and the NGO, which had taken up the responsibility of protecting the Cobra, have failed in their duty. As a result, the rare Cobra died in captivity. There has been a blatant violation of the Wildlife (Protection) Act,” Pore added.

The Cobra was rescued from a monk’s custody in April 2007 by forest officials. Instead of releasing it in the wild, they handed it over to the zoo administration. “Solapur’s weather was not suitable for it. Owing to the tiny enclosure, the cobra could sustain spinal injuries,” he added.

Pore alleged that proper food was not given to the Cobra. “The zoo administration made lakhs of rupees from its Cobra exhibition in the last two years. But it seems that there was dereliction of duty at all levels, resulting in its death,” he said.

“The initial post-mortem report says it was not a natural death, as several holes were found on its body. We are now awaiting the final report. The HC should fix the responsibility for dereliction of duty.”

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Baikal, who weighs 195 kilograms, is the newest tiger at the Calgary Zoo. (Courtesy Calgary Zoo)

CBC News

The Calgary Zoo has a new Siberian tiger, a large male named Baikal, after the oldest freshwater lake in Russia.

The Associations of Zoos and Aquariums recommended moving Baikal from the Bronx Zoo to Calgary under the organization’s species survival plan. The program is meant to ensure a healthy and genetically diverse population of endangered, threatened and “flagship” animals in captivity.

The zoo hopes to mate Baikal with Katja, a female tiger born at the Calgary Zoo in April, 2000.

The tiger was sent “special delivery” to Calgary by a courier, accompanied by two zoo employees. Baikal spent a month in quarantine and is now in an enclosure with Katja, Vitali and Kita.

“We are in the process of introducing the tigers to each other and Baikal is settling in to his new home,” said Tim Sinclair-Smith, a curator at the zoo. “He is a really awesome tiger and an exciting addition to the Calgary Zoo family.”

Siberian, or Amur, tigers are classified as endangered under the International Union of Conservation for Nature’s “red list.” In the 1930s only 20 to 30 such tigers remained, but today about 300 to 400 live in the wild.

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A statement from the zoo says 16 gigantic dinosaurs including a Tyrannosaurus rex will be unloaded Wednesday for an exhibit called Dinosaurs Alive, which is scheduled to open later this month.

Along with watching the robotic dinosaurs, kids will be able to excavate dinosaur fossils at a paleontologist dig site using brushes and sifters to search for clues about the lives of dinosaurs.

The Dinosaurs Alive exhibit will be at the zoo through the end of September.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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The Dallas Zoo plans to have six elephants on display just two years after animal rights activists were calling for the shutdown of an aging exhibit with just one pachyderm.

Zoo officials stirred controversy in 2008 when they said they planned to move their lone remaining elephant, Jenny, to Mexico. Activists wanted the facility shuttered and the elephant placed at a U.S. animal preserve.

Guidelines suggest zoos keep at least two elephants because they need social interaction.

The Dallas Zoo decided to keep Jenny and added a new companion, Gypsy, last year. Two African female elephants were recently brought in, and two more are expected to arrive this month.

The elephants are scheduled to go on display over Memorial Day weekend.

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