Mandrills: I was told today that it's unlikely that we'll be getting a new female for the somewhat dysfunctional group (Brutus and his son and daughter, unrelated sub-adult male and unrelated social misfit female) because of an EEP halt on breeding. Makemba, the young female and focus of attention from the males, has been given a contraceptive implant.
Has anyone got any news on the injured Tiger Cubs ? - I am desperate to know how they are doing. Thanks.
I believe they are doing well. They are still being cared for at the Vet's surgery within sight and sound of each other.
Thanks Gigit, that puts my mind at rest somewhat, I wonder what the future holds for them once they are hopefully fit and well again. Would Banda accept them back after all this time?
I really don't know but I think they have room to keep them separate from Banda if the worst came to the worst. I heard a rumour (I stress a rumour!) that Tenang may be moving on. I guess he's surplus to requirements for a couple of years.
Not at all suprised to hear about Tenang's possible move. Being 1 of the highest ranked male's in the studbook he will certinley be in demand now he and Banda have 4 survivng cubs. It will be interensting to see where he goes if the move does happen.
Managabeys. Any idea when the Mangabeys might be put on show, and have they decided which species (Mangabeys or Colobus) will eventually be added to the Gorilla exhibit?
Is that what's happening? Certainly sounds interesting, wouldn't they do the mix with the colobus though as the mangabeys are rarer in captivity?
i believe the curator saw the RC. Mangabey/Gorilla mixed exhibit at Munster zoo(?) in Germany and wants to repeat it. However, Colobus/Gorilla exhibits work okay too and there's some uncertainty about which species Paignton will use. I think I would rather see the Mangabeys go into the Monkey Heights exhibit as you will be able to see them better there, and the Black/King Colobus from there(where there are currently two Colobus groups side by side) go in with the Gorillas.
The last time I asked Zoo staff when they'd be on show, I was told that they wanted to move the three male Abyssinian Colobus to other zoos and put the Mangabeys in their enclosure in Monkey Heights. So it all seems to be up in the air still. Moving them to Monkey Heights could, of course, be a temporary measure while a house is built for them near the gorillas. Time will tell!
Is that all the Abyssinian(black & white) Colobus they have left? Is the King colobus group larger than that and breeding? I suspect the Mandrill 'embargo' may involve more zoos than just Paignton.
Yes, only 3 Abyssinians remain. There are 3 King Colobus - 1.2. They had a baby a year ago. He was rejected and handreared but didn't last long. I think you're right about the Mandrills. It was mentioned that zoos like Colchester and Chester have been very successful with their breeding.
The last I heard of Chester's Mandrills is that they still intend to breed, but they were given a year off this year. (It was in March though and the policy may have changed since then).
I didn't realise the Colobus at Paignton were so depleted. I'm sure they had about six or more King colobus a few years ago- now they look rather in danger of disappearing at this rate. I imagine with Mandrills, zoos that want to keep on breeding will do so but where a zoo like Paignton need to exchange animals in order to breed again, its being put on hold. Your word- 'Dysfunctional'- is the best way to describe the Paignton group at present.
You're right. I've just had a quick look through my collection of Annual Reports. On 31/12/04 there were 4.3 King Colobus and 7.6 Abyssinian. I know that the female and baby Abyssinians all died within days of each other (virus?) but haven't found out what happened to the Kings.
Good news on the lettuce front from the zoo's website: Animal park makes plant history 28/09/2009 Television presenter John Craven, of BBC Countryfile, is to open an innovative new plant growing system at Paignton Zoo Environmental Park. The VertiCrop sustainable hydroponics installation is the first of its kind in Europe and the first in a zoo or botanic garden anywhere in the world. Guests from the UK, Canada and New Zealand will gather for the invitation-only opening at the Zoo on Wednesday 30th September. The Zoo has teamed up with the developers of VertiCrop, Valcent Products (eu) ltd., based in Launceston, a company at the forefront of global efforts to find new ways of growing plants in a world of rapidly-diminishing resources. Paignton Zoo Curator of Plants and Gardens Kevin Frediani said: “We are making history here. Installing VertiCrop at Paignton Zoo means we can grow more plants in less room using less water and less energy. It will help to reduce food miles and bring down our annual bill for animal feed, which is currently in excess of £200,000 a year.” To begin with, the Zoo will grow a whole range of herbs such as parsley and oregano, as well as leaf vegetables like lettuce and spinach, plus a range of fruits such as cherry tomato and strawberry. Reptiles, birds and most of the mammal collection - including primates and big cats – will benefit from the production of year-round fresh food. Paignton Zoo animals crunch their way through about 800 carrots a day and approximately £8,000-worth of fruit per month. Herbs are used as enrichment for many species. Chris Bradford, Managing Director of Valcent, explained: “The world population is growing, food supply is shrinking, water supplies are becoming more limited, food production is competing for land with housing and the production of fuel crops. We have to make better use of available land. “VertiCrop is the latest in plant growing technology, meeting the needs of the human population while reducing the pressure to clear precious habitat to grow crops. This technology could usher in a new era of urban horticulture.” A zoo seems an unlikely location for this ground-breaking project, but Kevin explained: “Valcent wanted to promote their technology to the public as well as to growers, and we have over half a million visitors a year. As a botanic garden, Paignton Zoo is keen to educate people about all aspects of horticulture, particularly new, environmentally-friendly inventions like this.” VertiCrop is a commercial high-density vertical growing system which increases production volume for field crops up to 20 times over but requires as little as 5% of the normal water supply. It is a non-GM solution to food problems, using trays on a looped dynamic conveyor belt and automatic feeding stations to grow plants efficiently. Copyright Paignton Zoo 2006
Excellent news, as seen in the local paper, the Herald Express: Tiger cubs are on the mend from bone disease Thursday, October 08, 2009 RARE tiger cubs in Torbay are on the road to recovery, but it may be several weeks before they return to public view. Animal experts at Paignton Zoo are treading carefully with their injured Sumatran tiger cubs, Surya and Aryo, which are being treated after they broke leg bones earlier in the year. They were diagnosed with osteoporosis and vets had to pin and plaster their limbs. The cubs were born in February. In July female cub Kemala was seriously injured in a fall and vets had no choice but to put her down. A zoo spokesman said: "The pair are now well on the road to recovery and have had the pins taken out and casts removed." They were in adjacent pens at the zoo vet centre during the early stages of treatment, but have now been put together as the first step towards moving back into the public enclosure with mother Banda and brother Bintang. Head vet Ghislaine Sayers said: "The two cubs have been mixed and after some very positive greeting noises they were soon playing together and grooming each other." It is likely to be several more weeks before the cubs are moved back to the tiger pen for contact with their mother. Curator of mammals Neil Bemment said: "The last thing we want is to do anything too quickly and risk more breaks." All the cubs, now eight months old, have been given mineral supplements and meat on the bone to strengthen their bones. Mr Bemment said: "We may mix these two with the third cub before they all go in with mother Banda, assuming she is happy to be separated from him for a short time. We know a lot of visitors and supporters are really keen to see the cubs together again, but this is not a job to be rushed."
That's good news, Gigit. I look forward to seeing them all together again. It's good that they're going to take it slowly, though I can't imagine that Banda would have forgotten her cubs in the time they've been away.
