Durrell 2012 » Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust

03-03-2012

[QUOTE=dodogirl;530881]Badongo has mated with all three females - including Kishka!

[QUOTE]

Badongo is a nice looking male- looks pretty much adult already. No reason why Kishka can't have a baby too, unless her fertility has been reduced through having been unbred for so long-her first and only successful offspring Sakina(father Jambo) was born 26 years ago! It would be excellent for Jersey and the gorilla group if all three females did have infants at the same time.

03-03-2012

Mawar and Gempa left in September, Anette arrived November/December time.

03-03-2012

Kishka has had a stillborn in the past also, would be nice to get another of off her, also be good if Sakina reproduces in Munster also

03-03-2012

If Sakina doesn't breed at Munster, maybe they would have success with her at Jersey now there's a 'good' male there.

03-03-2012

How (groupings) do the Orangutans live since Annette arrived or does it vary?

03-03-2012

Orangutans - all open for females, restricted male access
Sakina - not sure it would be such a great idea bringing her back, she'd upset the female hierachy, females 100 x better and more bonded than when she was here
Interesting to note that two mother/daughter bonds were broken (mawar/gina; sakina/kishka) and now both ape groups are more cohesive and are mating

There is also a new lemur enclosure being developed

03-03-2012

Do you know why they transferred Mawar to Prague? She was their main breeding female so I couldn't quite understand why they did that.

Also I think the change in the Gorilla group is all down to the new male Badongo rather than Sakina having left- I think he would probably have been mating her too if she was still there- but admittedly her not being there when he arrived, may have made his acceptance by the others go more smoothly.

03-03-2012

Whilst I agree that their mating is obv down to having a new silverback, his introduction would never have gone as smoothly with Sakina around, and more importantly the girls would still be divided. All 4 animals sleep in the same quarters now, where as the old group of 5 were separated over 3 rooms. Sakina's export made this cohesian possible.
Mawar was exported for the same reasons, Mawar could not be mixed with Dana. Anette is a much more laid back individual and all females can now be mixed

03-03-2012

Thankyou for these explanations. Sounds like both groups are now better off than previously.

23-06-2012

Video about the upcoming new Lemur Lookout exhibit

24-06-2012

Yep... work on Durrell Wildlife Camp is going full speed ahead, bookings are being taken now and the launch is being planned! It's really exciting!

That was the Lac Aloatran Gentle Lemurs going into the West side of 'Lemur Lake', the East side has black and white ruffed lemurs, some very comical ring tailed lemurs and the red fronted brown lemur 'Sam' that I posted a pic of to the Durrell gallery a while back.

To the rear of the lookout platform in the video will be some red ruffed lemurs, and on the public side of the fence the planters are full of wild strawberry plants - Lemur Lake is going to be an amazing place to sit and take pics. I really like that the gentle lemurs will have their own little 'marsh'!

There are two baby ring tails clinging to their mum in the Kirindy Forest exhibit, baby meerkats in 'Discovery Desert' too.

There's a few other things that I wish I could tell you, and later this year or possibly early next year there will be much more of a Durrell media presence in the UK if all goes to plan.

The Trust is more committed than ever to it's mission of saving species from extinction.

'Durrell Day' this year centres on an attempt to break the Guiness World Record for recycling the most aluminium cans in an 8 hour period. The money from the cans will be used to plant trees as part of the IPE/Durrell 'tree corridor' project - with the sincere hope that fragmented sections of Brazil's Atlantic rainforest can be 'connected' to allow black lion tamarin populations to find each other, and preserve some genetic diversity.

Tougher tree species will be used at the edges of forest fragments - 'green hugs' - to prevent desiccation effects, and further habitat loss. Every 50 cans will plant a tree, and it's hoped there will be 250,000 cans collected... so if you are in Jersey, please save your cans and take them up on the Sunday of Durrell Day weekend (14th and 15th of July).

Also, Chester Zoo are very lucky! They have some great former Durrell people on their way to them!

24-06-2012

I'm confused as to where this new Lemur place is, is it just for guests staying to see or is it connected to the zoo? Could someone give me an idea where abouts it is?

25-06-2012

Tell us more !

25-06-2012

Hi James,

'Lemur Lake' is to the west of the manor house, east of the 'Island Bat Roost' - on 'camilia walk' and directly opposite the tamarin woods.

It's been a lemur enclosure on both sides of the pond for a good many years, but you could previously only view it as a 'walk past' type exhibit. Soon you will be able to walk past the gentle lemur 'house' and sit on the platform - with the lake below you, gentle lemurs on the bamboo level with the viewing platform (back a way to avoid interaction) to the right. On the left will be red ruffed lemurs with a feeding station back a ways but head level with the platform.

Across the lake are the black and white ruffed, red fronted brown and ring-tailed lemurs in the mixed exhibit. Whereas previously if they were at 'the back' of the enclosure you wouldn't see them - now, from the platform, you'll see the whole area.

Guests at the Wildlife Camp, however, will have the best views of all... the communal area - 'Lemur Lodge' - has the command view of the whole valley area that contains the lake, and there is a lounging deck that you could sit on and watch the whole valley or take pics. From the camp side of the lemur lodge you can see across the whole park to the orang island on the opposite side.

The west side of the camp shares it's boundary with the 'behind the scenes' part of the valley, so campers will have lemurs as neighbours! The top of the camp is a wooded area with lots of native red squirrels and birds, blackberry bushes at the boundary and wild strawberries and other forage planted around. It's going to be simply awesome!

25-06-2012

I'd have to check with the people involved first, to find out if they don't mind. But these folks are the best, both at their respective jobs, and as people.