British Isles Cup Redux - League B - Bristol/Wildplace vs Jersey

The involvement of Bristol in LHSI ex-situ management / studbook and their success in captive breeding is significant in conservation terms because apparently the previous attempts outside of Australia in 2013 by both the San Diego and Budapest zoos failed quite dismally.

Bristol were the first zoo outside of Australia to successfully breed the species and from what was learned from this and applied other zoos have begun to see success with breeding the insect too and have been able to form insurance populations. This is significant but I agree with @MRJ that maintaining a species ex-situ does not fully constitute conservation as this is holistic with in-situ efforts.

I think that if you look at the in-situ work then it is clear that Victoria zoo is the driving force with in-situ research and their management plans of revegetating the island, eradication of invasive rodents, translocation and eventual reintroduction of the species.

Ultimately, it is going to be the Australian zoos that really play the decisive role in maintaining the species in the wild whereas zoos outside of the species range like Bristol will play an important but secondary role.

 

This was then more a failure of the zoo community IMO and Jersey were just responding in this way out of necessity due to lack of wider interest by zoos.

Very sad and really quite damning of the wider zoo community IMO.

 

Out of curiosity, which were the collections that kept breeding the species ?

 

How long until this tourney is over and Jersey gets victory declared for "being Jersey"?

 

Wonderfully expressed - zoos should always be wary about putting all their eggs into too few baskets. I think the Leadbeater's possum is another example - wasn't London's highly successful breeding programme wound down for much the same reason as the cloud rats? When it comes to this species, Australian zoos most certainly have not 'got this' at the moment .

 

@TeaLovingDave.... Luckily, without naming names, one of the newer collections to hold the Jumping rats quickly went on to breed them

 

Good for them and very impressed that Bristol and Shaldon were among them, but Jersey still has my vote.

How about the zoos that lacked interest? Is anyone willing to name these ?

 

Yes, suppose you are right it is difficult after 10 years, but it would be really interesting to find out which zoos these were.

 

Its not really an exhibition triumph either. A small tank with a box in one corner, which means this nocturnal species is largely invisible. There's information on the interesting backstory but the exhibit itself is very disappointing, I doubt many visitors even notice it, let alone see one.

 

That is a little strange isn't it ?

Being the first zoo outside of Australia to breed the species you would think they would make much more of it...

If this is what the exhibit / display currently looks like I am not very impressed either (though I suppose you could say it has a "personal touch" to it).

Lord Howe Stickinsect - ZooChat

Lord Howe Stickinsect - ZooChat

This looks a bit better though if a bit simple but stick insects have fairly utilitarian needs.

Lord Howe Island Stick Insect (Dryococelus australis) - ZooChat

 

Doesn't look like either of these. Just a small tank easily missed by visitors. First time I failed to see any insect. I made a comment to the zoo about the display and they said they were 'working on ideas to improve it'. Returned a year or so later- it was still just the same, but this time managed to see an insect behind the box rather than hiding inside it. They don't really capitalise on the importance of this conservation story though IMO. Main problem its a nocturnal species being exhibited in daylight conditions.

 

Well I suppose it makes a lot of sense given that the species is nocturnal that is kept in low light conditions and that this might make its tank less visible to visitors.

Maybe these pictures were taken in some kind of education or outreach centre or during a talk?

Shame really isn't it ?

I mean this is a "lazarus species" afterall and has a terrific conservation story which should be told even if it is never going to be a crowd favourite at the zoo.

 

Agree, its got a great backstory and I don't think they make the most of it as an exhibit. There is an info board telling the story but then you are faced with this tiny little tank and an insect usually hidden in a box...I imagine most people don't even stop to look. Rather like Paignton and their Kiwi. I know these nocturnal species are difficult to exhibit well (unless in a larger nocturnal house)but feel they should try something better than what they have got. Presumably Bristol's attempt to think of a better method of exhibit failed...

 

Yes, I agree and also I think that it wouldn't exactly be difficult to display it in a way which wouldn't be invasive and yet would allow visitors to have a better look.

Especially considering that it is an insect and these are far less susceptible to stress in captivity than vertebrates.