After the sandpipers at Slimbridge, now we have the story of Durrell importing 22 Critically Endangered orange-tailed skinks to the UK. These animals are from Flat island in Mauritius, where they are down to critically low numbers, due to predation by the invading Indian musk shrew. BBC Nature - Rare skink saved from extinction in Mauritius
Pro-active action is always the best defence. However, as the article will transpire there still is a wild population established on another island, just not on its native Flat Island. And for any species it is good to have a reserve ex situ population. Get the technique down of breeding and start headstarting ...
I'm stunned that there isn't more interest in this genuine active conservation effort BBC iPlayer - Christina Ghidoni: 13/06/2011 A short BBC Jersey interview about the orange tailed skinks between 1:35 and 1:40.
I'm certainly interested (both with these and WWT's Spoon-billed Sandpiper effort!). We've had a great example today with the Arabian Oryx of how captive breeding can turn a species' decline around - I can only wish both Durrell and WWT the best of luck with their projects. (And JerseyLotte - we expect all the skinky gossip! )
We all know that Jersey/Durrell have an unmatched record with these little known but highly endangered species. The reptiles from Round Island, the Monserrat oriole and the Alaotra gentle lemur (to name but a few) may not be as spectacular as the Arabian oryx, but they deserve equal recognition. Success with these skinks can't be taken for granted, but the track record of JerseyLotte and her colleagues can give us confidence for the future of the species. It's good to know that a relatively small organisation can mount such a series of important initiatives. Other zoos would do well to follow this example. Alan
I'm very interested to find out more about the Orange-tailed Skink, but can't find it in aqny of my books. Does anyone know the scientific name?
