Jersey zoo » Durrell (Jersey) Zoo

11-09-2007

I expect that goes for a lot of us.

11-09-2007

I think they clearly are, only in the field, which is a massive statement in terms of conservation value of captive breeding programmes.

24-09-2007

Jersey have just announced a first European breeding of the Haitian Giant Galliwasp (Celestus warreni). This lizard was lsited by the IUCN as critically endangered in 2006. They have 22 babies and a group of 18 adults, which originated from Nashville Zoo.

Furthur to the tuatara breeding, I have had an email back from the reptile department. The person who replied does not know of any breeding with tuataras at Jersey. He did not know what happened to their specimens and the person who would know was not at work on that day.

I've asked again, this time the old fashioned way, and written a letter. Furthur news will be posted if it becomes available.

25-09-2007

I'm going to Jersey Zoo this weekend - first time visitor!

25-09-2007

You'll be surprised at how small it is...

Can you find out if there's any news on Gorilla breeding- whether they are trying to produce some more babies from the three females who do not breed with their male?

25-09-2007

what are jerseys zoo orangutans called ?

25-09-2007

i always thought the first impressions exhibit was a great exhibit until i found out that they had put in small clawed otter in with the bears and coati, crazy that a zoo of such standing has spoiled such a notable exhibit

25-09-2007

Don`t go to South Lakes then as they have Brazilian Tapir,Coati,Agouti and Asiian short-clawed Otters in with their spectacled Bears

25-09-2007

whats going on is an exhibit not complete without those damned otters!

25-09-2007

surely part of first impressions could be created for giant otter

25-09-2007

I'd heard that the otters have moved out of first impressions about a year ago.

The silverback gorilla will not breed with 3 of the females, they are simply not compatable, for a wide variety of reasons. They have been looking at AI instead. They recently had to remove one of the silverback's testicles.

26-09-2007

Is the gorilla group now on a replacement schedule for the EEP?
How long since the last breedings? And which females are not "wanted" by the silverback?

26-09-2007

Ya Kwanza- the male- was introduced to the Jersey group as a 9 yearold blackback from Melbourne Zoo. As I see it, I don't think he ever managed to properly dominate the older and top-ranking female Kishka, or her daughter(by Jambo) Sakina. They do not mate with him. More surprisingly he also seems not to show any interest in Bambuti/Bahasha, a younger female who arrived, also from Melbourne, in 2001. They have tried AI with her(from him) but it failed.

YK does breed with Halalli Kahilli- the pivotal female in the group, and has two offspring by her. I believe when he arrived at Jersey, being similar aged she became his main playmate and the play then turned into mating- and he has not deviated from her.

I did not know about the removal of YK's testicle. It seems to me the obvious solution now would be to replace him with another male...

26-09-2007

1. I don't know but the non-breeding situation has been long term now for some time.

2. The last baby, a female,'Ya Pili', was born in 2003(YK x Hallali Kahilli) She mother-rears her offspring. Their older son is Mapema, currently in Paignton and soon to go to Duisburg. (This pair could well breed again..)

3. Kishka (born Howletts) Sakina (born Jersey) Bambuti/Bahasha(born Melboune)

26-09-2007

There is no mention of any recommended moves for Jersey Gorillas on the current EEP listing. The situation of Ya Kwanza and the non-breeding females is a long-running one- in the case of Kishka and Sakina its 14 years... Bambuti its 6... Yet as with Twycross, no recommendations are currently being made for them. (Maybe they have been in the past and been ignored).

I think it generally recognised as bad policy to add a Blackback male to a group containing established mature females, as he isn't(always) powerful enough to gain their respect. By the time he matures, psychologically, as it seems in Jersey's case, they may still have the upper hand, specially with a handreared male like YK.

Both Damisi(to Chessington) and Mapema(to Duisburg) will be entering groups with older established females, though I hear Damisi is already nearly a silverback. However, unlike Ya Kwanza at Jersey, these two males were both mother-reared, giving them a good social advantage so they should gain dominance in their new groups without problems.