Penguins…and wild cats!

The gentoo penguin colony had their annual health check last week, and just like any trip to the doctors, the penguins do not look forward to this necessary part of their husbandry regime!

The keepers carry out the checks in the ‘creche’ area of the penguin enclosure (the smaller enclosure and pool, next to the larger one), and so the first step is to herd as many penguins into this area as possible. The keepers will attempt to get every single gentoo penguin in for their health check, but there are always one or two individuals who manage to avoid it and won’t go anywhere near the tunnel! To catch up these penguins would be unnecessarily stressful (for both penguins and keepers!) and so the keepers accept that some individuals don’t get checked every year. This isn’t such an issue, as every penguin is checked daily during their feed, and keepers will spot signs of illness in this way.

This year the keepers managed to health check 104 gentoo penguins. Once the penguins are in the crèche area, they are caught up individually for a full examination. Vets are on hand to help   check their lungs; the inside of their beaks; their feet and their preen glands. Feather and blood samples are also taken, and the penguins are weighed. Sometimes feet and beak measurements are also taken for data collection purposes. Such data may be useful for research purposes in the future.

A penguin has its feet checked out

These checks and samples will highlight any abnormalities that may cause problems for the penguins. They can also inform keepers and vets of any improvements or deterioration to previous or current conditions that penguins may have. From this information, the vets and keepers can work together to decide if penguins require any additional care or medicines, or if they need to be kept a close eye on.

Keepers are also looking at changing the diet of the gentoos from their current diet of whiting, to a new eco-friendly diet of MSC (Marine Stewardship Council) certified hake! As a result of this, they were particularly keen to take blood samples from the penguins for a ‘before and after’ comparison, to ensure that the diet change is working for the birds.

The cutting-edge penguin-weighing contraption!

The penguins are not the first animals to take a turn towards a sustainable diet in the zoo; the Patagonian sealions have already begun gobbling up MSC certified herring on a daily basis! Our Edinburgh zoo penguins alone consume over 50 tonnes of fish per year and so it’s important that our fish-eating species make the switch to eating sustainable sourced fish, in order to preserve fish stocks for future generations.

Inspired by the penguins new eco-friendly diet? Why not help contribute to the preservation of fish stocks too? Visit http://www.mcsuk.org/ to download a free pocket good fish guide and look out for the MSC label when shopping! Simply making the decision to eat pollack instead of cod can make all the difference! Visit http://www.msc.org/ for more information.

The MSC label – a sure-fire sign that your fish is sustainably sourced

As you many know, the RZSS is a partner in many conservation projects happening around Scotland. One of which is the Cairngorms Wildcat Project; a project which works to secure the future of the Scottish wildcat through practical conservation; raise awareness of the plight of this iconic species, and promote public support of its conservation. As part of this partnership, RZSS will be placing camera traps around the Cairngorms national park in the hope of catching a glimpse of this rare and native animal.

Our staff, up at the Highland Wildlife Park, are currently testing out the camera traps to make sure they work and to get to grips with the new technology. Over the last week the traps have been placed around the grounds to see if they would catch any of the late night visitors to the park. One morning, while going through the footage caught on the traps, (and to our great surprise!) one camera revealed what looks very much like a Scottish wildcat! They are a difficult species to identify (being very similar to tabby cats) but the cat in the image does have the tell-tale (sorry about the pun) striped tail and the size is right. Have a look and see what you think!

You can find out more information about the project and learn how to identify Scottish wildcats by going to www.highlandtiger.com.

Wild cat or not wild cat?

Budongo’s got talent!

 The Budongo Trail chimpanzees are set to become stars of the screen when they are featured in a BBC Natural World documentary this week. The 11 chimps have been taking part in a voluntary study called ‘The Chimpcam Project’ for the last 18 months. This is a joint collaboration between the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS), University of Stirling and Burning Gold Productions.

The documentary follows behavioural scientist Betsy Herrelko of the University of Stirling as she observes how the chimps react to a variety of new experiences. The chimps are introduced to video technology with footage of chimpanzees in the wild. Following this the chimps are trained to (gently!) operate a touch-screen to select from a variety of images such as the keepers preparing food or their outside enclosure. All of their  choices and reactions were logged and studied meticulously by Betsy. The final part of the project then involved placing a chimp-proof video camera into the enclosure. The camera is encased in a sturdy box with a monitor on the side so the chimps could see what they were filming. The documentary explores the extent to which the chimps are aware of what they are seeing and filming and, for the first time, we are able to see the world through a chimp’s eyes.

Cindy settles in to watch some TV!

 Betsy Herrelko, explains:

“The Chimpcam Project was designed to let the chimps take us on a tour of their minds. We created studies and activities, but what happened after that was completely up to the chimps. We were along for the ride, hoping to learn a bit more about how they viewed the world. Being able to view life as the chimps see it is something that I will never forget.

We set out to accomplish an enormous task and we’ve learned a tremendous amount about starting a research programme like this one (with chimps new to research, training, and their surroundings). This group of chimps has come a long way in the past 18 months! They are quite the characters – funny, clever, and sometimes a bit quirky. I only hope they’ll be interested in working with me in the future.”

 Natural World – The Chimpcam Project will be shown on Wednesday 27 January, 8pm-9pm on BBC 2

Qafzeh gets a closer look at the new toy!

Finally, we are also pleased to announce (at last!) that a thick-billed parrot chick hatched on the 15^th August last year! Following fledging, the chick was initially kept off-show, as it was having trouble perching and required veterinary treatment. It is believed that the chick might have had this trouble as a result of being a bit restricted inside the nest box. However, it is now fully recovered and can be seen on-show with the other thick-billed parrots, next to the monkey house. Thick-billed parrot chicks develop slowly and are cared for by both parents. They stay in the nest for two to three months before they fledge and the parents continue to feed them for a short time while they learn to forage for themselves. Thick billed parrots are hatched with pale beaks that darken as they grow older. Our chick still has a pale beak so he is easy to distinguish from the others!

Spot the chick with the white beak!

 

Primate Power!

 

Edinburgh Zoo holds a huge variety of primate species, and this week, it’s the primates that have been making the news. Here’s what’s been happening…

We are pleased to announce that yet another Guinea baboon has been born on the 2^nd December. 13 year old Karroo is the mum to the latest arrival, making this the third surviving youngster to be born at Edinburgh zoo, since the troop moved here last year. None of the youngster have yet been sexed or named, as the troop does a good job of protecting their youngsters and keeping them close! We will let you know when we have an update on the young.

The Guinea baboon troop just keeps on growing!

The younger of our two male L’Hoest’ Monkeys, ‘Kizizi’ has recently been permanently removed from rest of the family group. He is now housed in his own enclosure on the far left corner of the Monkey House. This is because Kizizi is now a mature male. In the wild, L’Hoest’ monkeys typically live in female dominated groups, with just one mature male. When male offspring reach sexual maturity they disperse away from their maternal group. This natural behaviour helps to prevent in-breeding. They will then seek out other female dominated groups to breed with, although they will sometimes only stay with them for short time, such as two weeks. They may spend the rest of their time living solitary.

Kizizi’s old family is made up of a mature male and female, and their young daughter, born this time last year. As Kizizi has now grown up, the mature female is unlikely to tolerate both his and the other mature males presence in her territory. As a result Kizizi has now been moved out. He should adapt relatively well to a solitary lifestyle. However, we do hope that we will be able to pair him with another female in the future.

All by myself!

And finally, we are thrilled to announce that lesser galago (other wise know as a bush baby) twins have been born on the 5^th January! This makes another addition to the lesser galago’s recent run of breeding success, following youngsters born in April and August last year. All of the recent offspring have been born to the same set of parents; 6 year olds Bobby and Beatrix. The two youngsters born last year were both male, and so we hope that the newest additions may be female, in order to even out the sex ratio! However, it may be a few months until keepers can get close enough to the twins to identify them, so you will just have to watch this space!

Why not pay the galagos a visit next time you are in the zoo? Their nocturnal enclosure is very effective and they can often be seen bouncing around their enclosure during daylight hours. They will even peer out through the observation slits to get a closer look at you! The babies will be bouncing around before long, but in the meantime, they have been spotted poking their heads out of the nesting box on the right wall of their enclosure!

Another attempt at capturing the bush babies on film!

 

South American Sizzlers!

 

This week we bring you news from some of our South American species, who haven’t been stopped by the cold weather of late!

The King penguin chick is doing well, and keepers have now begun feeding it small whiting. The chick is starting to recognise these small fish as food and once the fish is in its beak it gobbles it down pretty fast! This is great news as the chick’s parents find it quite demanding feeding the ever-hungry chick. More and more now it will rely on the fish that the keepers feed it.

However, the chick still has some way to go as it hasn’t yet started coming up to the keepers for fish like so many of the other penguins do. This is likely to be the influence of the chick’s parents, particularly his father, who spends the most time with the chick. He is a wary bird, and the chick will follow his father’s lead when learning how to interact with penguins and keepers alike.

Penguin chicks typically moult their fluffy brown chick feathers in favour of waterproof, adult feathers anywhere between 10 – 13 months old. It isn’t until this age that they would learn to swim and begin eating whole fish, in the wild. Penguin parents in the wild, therefore must take the full burden of feeding their chicks right up to this time. However, as the chicks become more independent, their parents will make prolonged foraging trips at sea, and feed their chicks far less frequently. Some may go up to three months between feeds! Luckily, our zoo chick needn’t worry about going so long without food, as he will be offered food by the keepers every single day!

Why not pay him a visit, and watch him mixing with the other adult King penguins and feeding from the keepers?

 

Baby mingles with the King penguin crowd

The two brown capuchin monkey babies over on the west side of Living Links have also been getting on well. The older of the two, born in September, has now been identified as a male and named ‘Inti’. The younger, born in October has not yet been sexed, but it is suspected that the youngster may be female. The recent cold temperatures have not deterred the Capuchin monkey group from their usual activities, despite having a tropical native habitat. They have in fact been making the most, of the snow, even playing in it at times, as this video link shows!

Living Links at Christmas from Mark Bowler on Vimeo.

 

‘Kato’ looks pleased as punch with the snow!

Zoo Open!

Edinburgh Zoo has been closed for several days due to inclement weather.  Today, 7 January at 10 am, the Zoo will be partially opened to the public. 

Details

Parts of the Zoo park will remain closed due to icy pathways, but many of our most popular attractions will be open.  Stripes café will also be open to the public.  The Zoo car park will remain closed to the public.

The admission price today will be a flat fee of £5 for both adults and children.

If you have any questions, please call ahead on 0131 334 9171.  Zoo staff will also be on hand in the park to answer your questions.

We look forward to your visit!

The Big Freeze

 

You may sick of hearing about it, but there’s certainly no way of escaping it, Britain is experiencing the longest spell of cold weather conditions in quite some time! And, despite the chaos this has caused, many of us are enjoying the novelty factor and the picturesque sights the snow has created. Unfortunately, Edinburgh Zoo has been closed since Christmas day, and the Highland Wildlife Park has had to shut their main reserve to visitors. Zoo life has therefore been pretty quiet of late, so this week we thought that we would share some of the winter sights from both parks, and give you a glimpse of just how the animals are coping with the big freeze!

A Guinea baboon forages in the snow; but doesn’t stay out for long!

A Darwin’s rhea braves the cold temperatures

The beaver pond is frozen over

The sea lions have fun breaking through the ice in their pool

The Budongo Trail is a winter wonderland, but with the moat frozen, the chimpanzees must be kept inside

The cold snap is a breeze for the Scottish wildcats (still resident at the zoo!)

The penguins are in their element!

Mercedes, the polar bear enjoys her first deep snow since leaving Canada over 25 years ago

This cheeky robin had a lucky escape after trying to pinch some of Mercedes’ food (photo courtesy of Andrew Smith)

Winter Babies!

 

Welcome to the last zoo blog of 2009! What a year we have had, and we are pleased to finish it with some great news of yet more successful breeding at the zoo this year. Please note that there will be no blog update next week due to staff holidays. But don’t forget that (weather permitting!) the zoo is open 365 days a year, and that includes Christmas day too!

Firstly, we are thrilled to announce that a king penguin chick hatched out at Edinburgh Zoo on the 22^nd October to the red-banded female and the yellow-banded male! This is the first king penguin hatchling in five years and was very unexpected!

King penguins are notoriously difficult to breed. If a king penguin lays an egg the others can become jealous and try and take the egg for themselves, resulting in the egg becoming damaged. However, both parents doted on their egg during its two month incubation period, and successfully protected it on their feet, passing it between the two of them frequently. Keepers were extremely pleased that the pair cared so well for the egg, after making a conscious decision to leave the egg with its parents, rather than artificially incubating it. However, they were still surprised when a chick hatched, as, despite mating in the past, this pair had only ever produced infertile eggs.

Following the hatching of their precious bundle, the keepers fenced off the parents and their new chick from the other king penguins, to help protect it from any jealous peers. The parents continued to take great care of their new born, with Mum diligently keeping the chick on her feet for the first week and Dad keeping a close vigil. Keepers made frequent trips to the family’s little pen to ensure that Mum and Dad had plenty of food and to ensure the chick was healthy. The were thrilled to find that the family were doing very well, with the chick steadily putting on weight and growing at an impressive rate!

Almost the size of Mum and Dad already!

Recently, they have been letting the growing chick into the enclosure for an hour or so each day to gradually introduce it to the rest of the group.

The chick will be easy for visitors to spot as it’s covered in fluffy brown feathers. It will keep these feathers until it’s around 10 months old, after this time it will develop its waterproof black and white coat. The chick still doesn’t have a name as it’s still too young to tell if it’s a boy or a girl.

Lynda Burrill, Penguin Keeper, said:

“This chick was a total surprise to us. King penguins normally lay eggs in June and July but this egg arrived in late August. In October the chick started to break out of the egg and a couple of days later the new arrival emerged! It’s a feisty little character – if one of the other adults gets too close it will stand up for itself and have a peck at them. It will hopefully be fully integrated into the group in the next week or so.”

 

Not to be messed with!

We are also pleased to announce that a Gelada baboon baby was born on the 11^th November to ‘Bafra’, a first time mum at just five years old! Despite not yet knowing the gender of the youngster, it has been named ‘Chabwera’, a traditional African name. This follows previous breeding success, as three babies were born in February and March this year. We are thrilled that this baboon troop is doing so well, and that ‘Malachi’ the dominant male, has continued to father offspring. The baboons have a large, hillside enclosure, with plenty of room for the troop to continue growing.

This is important as the wild population of Gelada baboons is decreasing, and, among other threats, they are particularly at risk from suffering the adverse effects of climate change. In the wild, this species has a small range and is restricted to life on the highlands in Ethiopia, where their food of alpine grasses grows. These grasses grow only under certain temperature and moisture conditions. Warmer temperatures and changing rain patterns, including widespread droughts, mean poorer quality grass, and less of it. As a result, Gelada baboons may find themselves being pushed higher into the mountains, in search of suitable climes and good quality food. However, the mountains are only habitable to a point, and if this trend continues, the baboons may find themselves losing their habitat altogether.

We would hate to loose this unique species. Why not pay the Edinburgh troop a visit to find out why they’re so special and keep an eye out for young Chabwera, most likely found clinging onto Mum’s belly!

 

Baby sporting the distinctive Gelada baboon red chest

And finally on the birth front we are pleased to announce the birth of another Grevy’s Zebra foal born on the 11^th November. The youngster has been identified as a male and has been named ‘Alingum’. His mother is Daniella, a 7 year old female, who arrived at Edinburgh Zoo just last year. We are pleased that she has settled in so well to her new group, and has already produced offspring.

This news follows the birth of a female foal, Lois, in October to the other adult female, Emily. We have no doubt that Lois will enjoy having the company of another youngster on the African Plains, and we hope to see the two frolicking around together very soon. Why not pay them a visit on their African Plains enclosure, at the top of the zoo? (We advise catching the Hilltop Safari bus at this time of year though!)

 

The foals and their mums investigate the snow

Movers & Shakers!

 

With just nine days to go ‘til Christmas, reindeers have once again been making the headlines at Edinburgh zoo! However, they haven’t been helping Santa; instead they’ve been busy pioneering new veterinary techniques! Read on to find out more about that, and all the moves that will be taking place in the zoo over the next weeks.

In preparation for the arrival of a new species to the zoo in early summer 2010 (still to be announced!) work will soon be commencing on the old polar bear enclosure, and the surrounding area. However, before this happens, many of our zoo animals living nearby will need to move from their current enclosures, to temporary accommodation. This maybe because their enclosure will be lost or modified in the changes that are to be made, or it may just be to minimise the disruption and disturbance to the animals themselves (none of us like living next door to a building site!)

So, over the next few weeks, you may spot the following animals moving:

• The pair of red-fronted macaws, along with 3 ocellated turkey and a pair of Azara’s agouti will join the thick-billed parrots in their enclosure, next to the monkey house.
• The pair of argus pheasants will move to the aviaries behind the Rhino house, and in turn the family of Cochin Chinese red jungle fowl will move from those aviaries to Rainbow Landings.
• The swamp wallabies will be moved from their enclosure opposite the Darwin’s Rhea near the front of the zoo to the enclosure opposite (the now infamous!) Barbary Rock.
• And finally, the pair of kookaburra will unfortunately have to move off-show for the duration of the works.

Phew! We are sorry for any inconvenience that this shuffling around may cause you. However, we can promise that it will all be worth it in the end! Watch this space for more news on changes and new additions to our collection here at Edinburgh Zoo!

This chap won’t be on show for a wee while!

On a similar note, we can also report that two Barbary macaques have recently been moved down to the monkey house, from Barbary rock. The pair in question includes the male that recently escaped the rock enclosure, along with an older female to keep him company! Why not pay these cheeky pair a visit in the monkey house, and get a close up look at this iconic species?

Banished from Barbary rock!

Meanwhile, you may have spotted one of our reindeers making the headlines earlier this week! Eskimo, a male reindeer has recently received life-saving treatment making him the first reindeer in history to receive keyhole surgery (and just in time for Christmas!).

Zoo keepers and vets had noticed that 8 year old Eskimo had retained one of his testes inside his abdomen. They believed that this was affecting Eskimo’s production and flow of testosterone and, as a result, he was showing submissive behaviour and being bullied by the other male reindeer in the herd. He had also started to show some abnormal and delayed antler growth and development, sparking fears that the retained testicle may have been developing into a tumour, giving off abnormal hormones, and that this could become life-threatening.

Thankfully, zoo vets were able to remove the retained testicle using pioneering keyhole surgery techniques. Removing the testicle will halt any abnormal hormone production and the vets were relieved to find that the retained testicle had not yet developed a tumour. Hopefully Eskimo will return to full vigour just in time for Christmas!

Although keyhole surgery is routine in humans, the standard procedure in animals is still open abdominal surgery.  The minimally invasive nature of keyhole surgery means there are numerous benefits for animals and humans alike, such as a reduction in post-operative pain, a faster recovery and reduced post-operative care.  It also has a decreased risk of infection after surgery and a lower risk of any wound complications. 

Romain Pizzi, leading veterinary surgeon for the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, based at Edinburgh Zoo, said:

“The operation was been a great success and Eskimo has made a speedy recovery. We were especially pleased with how quickly Eskimo recovered after surgery, he was standing and happily eating lichen again within 10 minutes of recovery from anaesthesia. He hardly seemed to notice he had even had surgery. This would simply not have been possible with traditional open abdominal surgery, as the long wound would have been much more painful and debilitating.

Keyhole surgery is still very uncommon in veterinary medicine, even amongst common species such as dogs, cats and horses, so for keyhole surgery to be carried out on a reindeer shows a great advancement in veterinary surgery. I hope Eskimo’s experience helps raise its profile and encourage more veterinary surgeons to look into it as a standard surgical procedure.”

Eskimo, on the road to recovery, with zoo vet, Romain

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Monkey madness!

 

It’s all about the monkeys this week, with both good and bad news to report from the primate front. Read on to find out more.

We are pleased to announce that several of our squirrel monkeys over in Living Links have been giving birth this month! In the west group, Gerda, an experienced mum (and grandma!) gave birth to the first youngster of the season on the 9^th November. She was then swiftly followed by Jasmine, Harlette, Georgette and Roca who all gave birth within the space of just a few weeks, totalling 5 babies in all.

Over in the east group of squirrel monkeys, Tatu kicked things off by giving birth on the 15^th November and was then quickly followed by Elie and Maya, totalling 3 babies to date. With three adult females still left without youngsters in this group, we expect that there may still be more births to come!

These mothers can be seen carrying their youngsters around on their backs, and feeding them milk on a frequent basis! However, all the females within a social group will assist in caring for the young, and so you may spot youngsters hopping from one monkey’s back to another! This provides a fantastic learning experience for both the young (who get to observe and interact with lots of different individuals) and for inexperienced females, learning the art of parental care. Unlike some other primates, squirrel monkeys can also climb from birth, and are therefore less dependent upon their mothers. You may spot some brave youngsters taking their first climbing lessons if you pay them a visit!

The young have not yet been sexed by the keepers, as they cannot get close enough to the tiny youngsters! Squirrel monkeys are weaned anywhere between six and ten months, but are likely to stay with mum for the full ten month period. For this reason it may still be a few months until keepers can identify the youngsters and give them all suitable names. Nevertheless, we will keep you updated on their progress right here!

Why not take a trip over to Living Links and see if you can identify any of the parents and youngsters yourself? Nearly all the adult squirrel monkeys wear a necklace with coloured beads, and identification information is available.

Learning to climb

You may recall we announced the birth of two Guinea baboons back in September, and we are pleased to tell you that the breeding success of this troop has not stopped there! On the 30^th October another youngster was born to mother, ‘Pachmalou’ (wears a green ear tag!). None of the youngsters have yet been sexed or named, as the troop are very protective of them. However, the youngest can be seen clinging onto her mum’s belly, and the oldest can now been seen catching a ride on their mum’s back! Keepers are still expecting at least one more birth from this troop, and we will keep you updated of any more new arrivals, right here!

We are disappointed to have to tell you that one of the Guinea baboon youngsters born in September did not make it. As with all animals, young can be particularly vulnerable, and infant mortality is common in many species. ‘Tiana’ was a young mum at just 5 years old (Guinea baboons typically mature at 4 – 4½ years old) and this was her first experience of raising young. This perhaps had something to do with the infant’s death. However, the baby’s body will be sent away for testing, so that we can determine exactly why the youngster died.

 

There are juveniles of all sizes and ages to look out for amongst the Guinea baboons

December Arrives!

 

The Highland Wildlife Park experienced the first snowfall of winter a couple of weeks ago. Keepers were looking forward to seeing how Mercedes was going to react but unfortunately it turned out to be a light dusting, which is similar to what she would have experienced in Edinburgh. Everyone is eagerly waiting for heavier snowfall.

In this instance at least, Mercedes decided to find the warmest and least snowy spot in her enclosure, and to sit out the cold snap right there! It is quite normal for polar bears to ‘den’ or find natural shelters in which to rest during the cold winter months in the Arctic, particularly during snow storms. Remaining inactive during such times helps the bears to conserve precious heat and energy, which is very important for their survival.

Mercedes behaviour will be monitored throughout the winter, and it will be interesting to note just how she responds to the snowy conditions on a long-term basis! Please let us know if you have been to visit Mercedes, and just how she was been spending her time during your visit. Pictures and videos are always appreciated!

Mercedes ‘chills’ out!

We are pleased to tell you that a male Asiatic golden cat arrived at Edinburgh Zoo on the 2^nd Decemeber, from ‘Parc des Felins’ in France. He will complete his mandatory 6 month quarantine period in the small cat house, situated next door to the old polar bear enclosure. All animals imported to Britian, from the European continent, must, by law, complete a 6 month quarantine period. This is to prevent the introduction of any alien bacteria or viruses into Britain, and is particularly important in keeping Britain rabies-free. During this time, the animals must be kept in an enclosure which meets the strict criteria for quarantine standards, and cannot be mixed with other animals (unless all the animals are able to under-go the quarantine).

We hope that ultimately this new male will be a suitable breeding partner for our young female, 1 year old ‘Swa-Fai’. Our other resident male, ‘Bruno’ is now rather old at 12 years of age (although Asiatic golden cats have been know to live up to 20 years in some instances) and is unlikely to be a suitable match for young Swa-Fai.

In preparation for the new male’s arrival, we have made some alterations to the enclosure. Asiatic golden cats are a particularly elusive species, and so the windows of the enclosure have been partially covered to make spy holes! We hope that this alteration will make the new arrival feel more comfortable and secure in his new home, and hopefully it will mean that our visitors will stand a better chance of seeing him exhibiting natural behaviours.

Why not pay him a visit and see if you can spot this near threatened species?

The beautiful Asiatic golden cat

And finally this week, we are pleased to announce that a Victoria crowned pigeon hatched on the 27^th October, and subsequently fledged the nest on the 24^th November! The young bird is now visible in the Australian aviary (the bit before you get to the koalas!).

At hatching, the Victoria crowned pigeon is naked and helpless, and requires intensive parental care and feeding. Like flamingos, Victoria crowned pigeons are unusual among birds in that they produce a milk to feed to their chicks which has a chemical composition similar to that produced by mammals. This crop milk can be produced from crop of both adults, which forms the complete diet of nestlings for the first few days of life.

After around 4 weeks, the chick has grown its feathers and resembles an adult in colour and plumage. It is, however, still a third of the size of a full-grown adult. It is at this stage that it learns to fly and leaves the nest.

These birds, classified as vulnerable by the IUCN red list, can only be found native to small areas in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. They are threatened by logging, and hunting for their meat. Unfortunately, they now only survive in forests many hours or days walk away from human habitation. Their captive breeding program is therefore incredibly important, and we are pleased to have successfully bred this species.

The largest pigeon species in the world!