Conservation News

Hornbill Project Shatters Preconceptions

Fri, 20 May 2011 15:44:15 +0100

The rural school in South Africa had their windows broken by a group of ground hornbills, leaving the school children with a real fear of the birds and the local community believing that the birds are evil spirits sent to do harm. The Mabula project team had a successful visit to the school where they not only organised for a glass manufacturer to replace the broken windows for free, but protected the glass from further hornbill attacks using tough fabric.

The project team gave a presentation to the school showing the importance of conserving this beautiful and intelligent species. This is an essential part of the project and encourages the community to become engaged with the conservation efforts for the birds.

At the same time, new radio-tracking receivers provided by Chester Zoo arrived at Mabula, allowing the team to track the birds in the wild. The project team went straight out into the field to learn to use the receivers and track the birds. The Southern Ground Hornbill is a threatened species and is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN red list and the projects ultimate aim is to re-establish the hornbills back into their historical range by 2020.

Brad and Angelina donate $2million

Fri, 20 May 2011 15:44:15 +0100

Brangelina, as the couple is known, made the donation to the N/a’an ku se Sanctuary in Namibia - the birthplace of their daughter Shiloh - after spending Christmas at the wildlife lodge.

The sanctuary is run by Rudie and Marlice van Vuuren.

“We have known Rudie and Marlice for many years and continue to be impressed by their hard work and dedication to the people and conservation of the land and wildlife of Namibia”, said Jolie.

“The new section of the project will be under N/a’an ku se and in Shiloh’s name. We want her to be very involved and grow up with an understanding of her country of birth”.

Chester Zoo has co-funded the Sanctuary’s Carnivore Research Project since 2009.

The programme works with local farmers and land owners to reduce cheetah and human conflict and protect the cheetah population in the wild.

Cheetahs in Namibia that stray out of conservation zones and on to farmland are often killed by farmers who fear they are a threat to their livestock and have become one of the world’s most threatened species.

But thanks to the international collaboration involving the N/a’an ku se sanctuary, Wildtrack, Africat and Chester Zoo, the programme has been able to pioneer a new technique to identify cheetahs from just their paw prints. This has allowed scientists to understand the movements of cheetahs and enable problem animals to be identified and relocated, protecting them for future generations.

The team has also used GPS tracking collars, fitted to a number of cheetahs, to provide evidence that they were not involved in recent livestock predation in the area.

Roger Wilkinson, Head of Field Conservation and Research, said: "We are involved in lots of outreach conservation activities that complement our conservation work in the zoo - work which helps many different species throughout the world.

"It’s great to think that some of this work has captured the imagination of Hollywood’s most famous couple and the money they have kindly donated will go a long way to helping the conservation programmes run by the sanctuary”.

Rhinos on the move

Fri, 20 May 2011 15:44:15 +0100

In a move to ensure the survival of this vulnerable species, four rhinos - one male and three females - were translocated from Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary to Manas National Park. The animals join two females that were moved to Manas in late December, and five rhinos (two males and three females) that were moved in 2008. Funding from the zoo, a conservation charity, played a part in helping the move go ahead.

Indian rhinos are a conservation success story. The species has recovered from about 200 animals in the early 1990s to more than 2,850 today. Resembling living armoured tanks, the species is a popular zoo animal – about 175 Indian rhinos live in 66 zoos around the world. As a result of increasing commitment to conservation, zoos from Europe, Australia and the United States have joined forces to support the rhino moves.

Pobitora, where the four rhinos were captured, boasts the highest density of rhinos in the world, with more than 90 rhinos in less than 18 square kilometers (4,450 acres) of rhino habitat. To minimize the chance of loss from disease and other disasters, the rhinos need to be spread among other parks. The translocations will lessen pressure on Pobitora’s rhinos for food and space, and hopefully reduce the number of rhinos straying into nearby villages which can lead to injuries to people and animals.

Moving a rhino is no easy task – the moves are the result of months of meticulous planning for every possible situation that might arise from capture to release – all with the aim of keeping both the animals and the people involved safe. Under the guidance of veterinarians, field workers, park guards, conservationists and forest department officials, the four animals were captured and released within 24 hours. Veterinarians darted the animals with tranquilizers, then transported them 250 km in crates specially-designed to hold the 1.5 to 2 ton pachyderms. Each rhino is radio-collared and will be closely monitored by WWF-India and Manas National Park staff.

The translocations are the backbone of the ambitious Indian Rhino Vision (IRV) 2020 - a partnership among the government of Assam, the International Rhino Foundation, the World Wide Fund for Nature, the Bodoland Territorial Council, and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service - that aims to attain a population of 3,000 wild rhinos in seven of Assam's protected areas by the year 2020.

Dr Roger Wilkinson, Chester Zoo’s Head of Field Conservation and Research, said: "Chester Zoo’s conservation efforts extend beyond the zoo’s boundaries and assistance from organisations such as ours can make a real difference to species everywhere. The translocation of these rhinos is a real success story and one that we are proud to support."

It is not the first time the zoo has supported Manas National Park. In 2008 it provided funding to help reduce the risk of poaching, human-wildlife conflict, disease transmission and ultimately protecting the habitat. Community projects were also supported.

Manas National Park, once an icon among India's many spectacular wildlife reserves, was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985. As of 2010, only 911 sites in the world have been named as a place with special cultural or physical significance. Manas is home to the tiger, pygmy hog and golden langur as well as elephants, wild buffalo and Indian bison. Rhinos were once common in the park, but violent civil conflict beginning in 1989 caused massive damage to the park’s infrastructure, including destruction of anti-poaching camps, roads and villages. Until recently, the last rhino seen in Manas was in 1996.

Zoos have contributed more than half a million dollars in the past three years to rebuild Manas National Park’s infrastructure, including anti-poaching camps, roads, and bridges, in preparation for the Park’s new inhabitants. Because of the ever-present threat of poaching, guards from the local communities, which herald the rhino homecoming, have been hired to protect the park’s rhinos and other wildlife. Many of the guards are former poachers who now want to help to conserve the park’s living treasures. The funding consortium, led by the International Rhino Foundation in the U.S., Save the Rhino International in the United Kingdom, and the Asian Rhino Project in Australia, include the American Association of Zookeepers, Zoo Basel, CERZA Zoo, the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, Chester Zoo, Los Angeles Zoo, Mesker Park Zoo, Philadelphia Zoo, Stuttgart Zoo, Taronga Conservation Society Australia, Woodland Park Zoo, and the San Diego Zoo.

Success for Ground Hornbills

Fri, 20 May 2011 15:44:15 +0100

In total, 10 chicks were rescued from the wild and brought into a conservation breeding programme to be hand-reared by the team. Ground hornbills rarely manage to successfully raise two chicks; the second chick to hatch usually dies from dehydration as the parents only feed the first chick. By removing the second chick, it can be successfully raised to later be released back into the wild. So far, the project has successfully hand-reared and released 28 chicks back into the wild.

Chester Zoo has been supporting the Mabula Ground Hornbill Research & Conservation Project in South Africa since 2007. This project is working to protect the Southern Ground Hornbill which until last year was classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. This status was based on old information and did not reflect the threats the species are currently facing. Due to the work of the project, the species was re-listed as Vulnerable in 2010. Getting acknowledgement that the species is seriously threatened will help the project convince land owners, potential funders and government bodies of the urgent need for conservation action. The projects ultimate aim is to re-establish the hornbills back into their historical range by 2020. The main threat to Ground Hornbills is habitat loss, which not only diminishes habitat for them to live in but also reduces the amount of food available for the birds, which puts the chicks in particular at risk.

WAZA Project of the Month

Fri, 20 May 2011 15:44:15 +0100

Chester Zoo’s Sichuan Forest Biodiversity Project, which forms part of our China Conservation Programme was successfully accepted onto this scheme this month. This project has been supported by the Zoo since 2002 and focuses on community based conservation in and around the forest’s of Sichuan in China, home to threatened species such as the Red Panda and the Sichuan-hill Partridge.

By receiving the WAZA brand, each project can increase its global recognition and help to promote the role of zoos in wildlife conservation. For more information please visit the WAZA website

Images courtesy of Dai Bo (above) and Mamize Nature Reserve, China.

WAZA Project of the Month

Fri, 20 May 2011 15:44:15 +0100

By receiving the WAZA brand, each project can increase its global recognition and help to promote the role of zoos in wildlife conservation. For more information please visit the WAZA website

Images courtesy of Dai Bo (above) and Mamize Nature Reserve, China.

Rare footage of Sun Bear mother and cub

Fri, 20 May 2011 15:44:15 +0100

A video showing rare footage of a Sun Bear with her cub in Indonesia has been released by conservationists. Chester Zoo funds researcher Wai-Ming Wong, allowing him to set up 21 camera-traps along a 100km2 study site as part of his PHD ‘Sun bears in human-dominated landscapes: Distribution, population trends and conflicts’. The forest area where the pair was spotted is called Sipurak, part of Kercini Seblat National Park, Sumatra.

Wai-Ming Wong is from Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology (DICE) - University of Kent. Kercini Seblat National Park is classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. During his project, Ming has captured other animals such as Sumatran Tigers, Malayan Tapirs and Marble Cats. Earlier this year, he captured a rare sighting of a Clouded Leopard.

Credit: Wai-Ming Wong

Mkomazi: ‘Born Wild’ book

Fri, 20 May 2011 15:44:15 +0100

Chester Zoo has supported Mkomazi in various ways over the years, presently the focus is support of an environmental education programme - this has seen the purchase of an education bus and materials, plus the salary for an education officer. Chester Zoo education staff have been key to this project, helping Mkomazi set up an education programme for the local community. Previous support for Mkomazi has included infrastructure improvements, reinforcing the fence of the Mkomazi Rhino Sanctuary and help in funding the translocation of three rhinos to the park in 2009.

The success of Mkomazi has been due to the dedication and work of Tony Fitzjohn and the George Adamson Wildlife preservation Trust. Tony Fitzjohn has recently released his book 'Born Wild', telling his personal story from the time he worked at Kora in Kenya with George Adamson (of 'Born Free' fame) to the success of Mkomazi and the newly created National Park.

Photo - courtesy of Save The Rhino International.

Philippine Cockatoo success

Fri, 20 May 2011 15:44:15 +0100

A food shortage and severe drought this season meant that only five of 15 hatchlings on the island survived. Earlier this year, these five hatchlings were rescued from starvation from Rasa Island. The wardens had a huge job on their hands; refining methods in hand-raising birds with reduced exposure to humans to avoid imprinting and then releasing them back into the wild.

Following all their hard work, the process of re-releasing the fledglings went smoothly; the released birds integrated with the wild flock on Rasa and all but one survived, making the wardens’ work a huge success, while improving their skills in hand-rearing and re-releasing.

Find out more on our Philippine Conservation Programme

Photo courtesy of Katala Foundation.

Platinum Award from EAZA

Fri, 20 May 2011 15:44:15 +0100

From 2008-2010, this was the European Carnivore Campaign which focused on two themes over the two years – ‘Living Together’ and ‘Stop Poison in Europe’. As the campaign came to end at the EAZA conference in Verona earlier this month, Chester Zoo had raised a total of €20,000 and received a platinum certificate from EAZA. The funds, along with money raised by other EAZA organisations for the campaign, will go towards European Carnivore conservation projects. For more information please visit the campaign website http://www.carnivorecampaign.eu/

Watch this space for further information on the 2011 EAZA Ape Campaign.

Otter photo credit Rob Doolaard.

Vulture photo credit Francisco Mingorance

Cheetahs caught on camera

Fri, 20 May 2011 15:44:15 +0100

Instead, the team trialled a new monitoring technique and had great success using camera traps to gather data on the cheetah activity. These camera traps produced images of cheetahs active during the day and at night in full moonlight. Camera traps are a fantastic resource used by many of our partners in the field, allowing conservationists to collect data with relative ease without disturbing the wildlife and their habitat. As temperatures start to rise again in the evenings heading towards summer in Namibia, traps will be used again in order to fit Chester Zoo purchased radio collars onto more cheetahs in the area.

The tracking of cheetahs using radio collars has been successful in gathering data on the cheetah’s behaviour. Recent research trips out in the field have shown that a 3-male coalition follow Red hartebeest herds of over 400+ individuals, and another 7 marking trees used by the males has been found. Their home range was also found to expand over the winter months, following local game migration. For more information on the project, click here

Photo credit © N/a'an ku se Carnivore Research Project

Black Rhino Conservation

Fri, 20 May 2011 15:44:15 +0100

The Rhino Mania public art charity exhibition occurs at a time when rhino poaching is rapidly on the rise globally – mainly to fuel the demand for rhino horn for use in traditional medicine, where it is misleadingly believed to have various medicinal properties.

Funds raised at the Rhino Mania auction are being split between two charities: Chester Zoo’s Black Rhino Conservation Programme and the Hospice of the Good Shepherd. Chester’s Black Rhino Conservation Programme works in East Africa where Black Rhino numbers have been steadily rising over recent decades due to the work of Chester Zoo and other conservationists and charities. Poaching saw around 95% of Black Rhino killed for their horn in the 70’s and 80’s and it is likely that without strong conservation support poaching could see the end of Black Rhinos in the wild in East Africa. The generous proceeds raised from the auction will be making a very real difference to this species.

You can support our conservation efforts by adopting an animal, becoming a member and/or making a donation.

(Photo - Courtesy of Save the Rhino International).

The video below was shown at the Rhino Mania charity auction and explains the threats facing the wild Black Rhino in Eastern Africa.

Lowland Tapir

Fri, 20 May 2011 15:44:15 +0100

Chester Zoo has supported Patricia Medici's work for the Lowland Tapir Conservation Initiative for several years. Patricia and her team spent most of July and August in Baía das Pedras studying and radio-collaring Lowland Tapirs. These tapirs are classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN red list, facing many threats such as habitat destruction and hunting. Research such as this will add to our knowledge of the species so we are better able to conserve the tapirs and reduce the threats to their survival.

Like any other field worker, Patricia has many problems to overcome – these recently ranged from 4X4 truck problems, difficulties training the working dogs and a strong cold weather front coming in from the Andes! Despite all this, tapirs which were previously collared in earlier field trips were successfully tracked and vital information on their movements was collected. A big boost to the project was the capture and radio-collaring of a female tapir. This is only the second female tapir collared at Baía das Pedras and also happened to be the largest tapir they have found so far in the Pantanal. They also encountered many other exciting animals which you can view by reading the July and August blogs on www.tapirconservation.org.br. More updates on this project to follow later this year.

International Vulture Awareness Day

Fri, 20 May 2011 15:44:15 +0100

This Saturday is International Vulture Awareness Day, with conservationists raising awareness about the plight of vultures round the world.

Vultures are scavengers; they feed on dead animals and by doing this, keep the environment clean and prevent the spread of diseases amongst wildlife. As a result, they are an ecologically important species.

Sadly, some species are threatened with extinction, and losing them would have a devastating effect on the environment in which they live. Just some of the threats to vultures include poisoning, persecution and loss of habitat. Conservationists around the world are carrying about important work in the hope of preventing further declines in their numbers.

You can see 3 species of vulture at the zoo, including the Black Vulture, shown in this photograph, which we are helping to conserve through the 2010 EAZA European Carnivore Campaign

For more information on International Vulture Awareness Day, visit www.international-vulture-awareness-day.org

Photograph copywright Bruno Berthemy

Blue Throated Macaws

Fri, 20 May 2011 15:44:15 +0100

10% of the feathers on the headdress are from Blue-throated Macaws. These critically endangered birds are hunted for their feathers for this use. Chester Zoo joined forces with the Blue-throated Macaw Conservation programme, headed by Armonía/BirdLife International, who ran workshops in the region teaching indigenous people how to make artificial feathers. This project was a huge success, with orders already flying in for the production of alternative headdresses.

Making a chilli fence

Fri, 20 May 2011 15:44:15 +0100

The Assam Haathi Project, aimed at mitigating human-elephant conflict (HEC), is run by conservationists from Chester Zoo and EcoSystems-India. The project was established in 2004 and works directly with 6 villages, more than 800 households, and indirectly with many more. Since the project began not one elephant or people death has occurred in the project villages.

The video can be viewed on You Tube.

Orangs use rope bridges

Fri, 20 May 2011 15:44:15 +0100

This Bornean Orangutan in the Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary was seen using a rope bridge which was constructed in 2003. These bridges aim to help reconnect orangutan populations who have been isolated from other populations due to habitat destruction. The bridges are used to cross obstacles such as rivers to get from one area of habitat to another.

Rothschild Giraffe declared endangered

Fri, 20 May 2011 15:44:15 +0100

“It is always sad to see another species join the ‘red list’ but this status will have a knock-on effect in terms of awareness and hopefully highlight to the world that this species is in serious danger of extinction. Several conservation projects have been and will continue to work tirelessly to help this magnificent species.”

Today this sub species of giraffe can be found in Kenya and Uganda. The Giraffe Conservation Foundation (GCF) is actively supporting the Rothschild's Giraffe Project as well as other giraffe research across Africa. Chester Zoo supports this conservation activity.

For more information on the foundation’s efforts, please visit www.giraffeconservation.org or www.girafferesearch.com