African births and a Scottish farewell!

 

Despite the cooler weather, our African species have continued to breed successfully at Edinburgh, and we are pleased to announce yet more births this week! However, we also say farewell to an iconic Scottish species as they head for pastures new. Read on to find out more.

We are pleased to announce that a Senegal bushbaby was born on the 5^th August. The youngster has now been identified as a male and has been named Bertrand! His birth came just four months after the birth of his older brother Bobo, born on the 2^nd April. Breeding usually occurs twice a year in this species, and we are thrilled that our pair are fulfilling their full breeding potential. And, given that they have a gestation period of approximately 123 days (around four months), we can surmise that they don’t waste any time when it comes to these sort of things!

At birth, young weigh only around 0.012kg, and are often carried around in their mother’s mouth! This is one of the reasons why the keepers have only just managed to sex and name this youngster. However, they do grow quickly and become independent at around just two months old. Bertrand will no longer be seen clinging onto his mother; instead he will be bouncing around the enclosure with brother Bobo! This species is particularly adept at leaping from branch to branch, using their large back legs to make jumps of up to 5 metres at times!

Males mature at around 10 months old, and in the wild would disperse away from the parental territory at this age. Bobo and Bertrand may begin to feel pressure from their father as they mature, and are likely to be moved to another collection, where they can be paired with breeding females. Why not stop by their nocturnal enclosure and see if you can spot them bouncing about whilst they enjoy the winter in Edinburgh?

I challenge anyone to get a better picture of zoo bushbaby than this!

We are also pleased to announce the birth of a Grevy’s zebra foal on the 17^th October. The young female has been named Lois and is already out and about in the African Plains enclosure, with mother, Emily. Zebra gestation is a staggering 13 months long, after which a sizable, light brown foal is born. This colouring aids the young zebra in camouflage, helping to keep them safe whilst they are still young. The foal also begins to walk around an hour after being born. This improves its chances of survival, helping it to keep up with its mother, and escape from predators. This is particularly important in the wild, as the Grevy’s zebra has been found to be a preferred prey species of lions!

This birth is excellent news for this endangered species. With more than one breeding female in our group at Edinburgh Zoo we will keep our fingers crossed for more births to come. Watch this space!

The young foal enjoys exploring the ‘African Plains’ enclosure

Finally, we wave goodbye to the Scottish wildcats this week as they leave the zoo for another collection. Three male wildcats were housed at Edinburgh temporarily as part of our involvement with the EAZA European Carnivore and Scottish Wildcat campaigns. The presence of this beautiful, Scottish species, helped to raise awareness of their plight, and money for their conservation in the wild. However, their enclosure, which is situated directly behind the old polar bear enclosure, is now needed for development of the old polar bear enclosure into a new enclosure for a new species.

Additionally, these three bachelor boys, all born in June 2008, will now be sexually mature. They will therefore be ready to be paired with females, in order to contribute towards the growing captive breeding population of this species. Currently, there are only around 40 individuals of this wild cat sub-species kept within captivity; and with a wild population estimated at only 400 individuals, continued captive breeding efforts remain very important. We hope that Sìm, Stùibhart and Baen will settle in well to their new homes.

One of the wildcats enjoys some enrichment created by this year’s summer school

Lemurs, leopards and more…

Things are getting quieter and quieter at Edinburgh Zoo right now, but that makes it a great time to see the animals, as they enjoy the comfort of the relaxed winter months. Here’s what has been going on this week.

We are pleased to announce that five red-bellied lemurs have now arrived safely at Edinburgh Zoo and can be viewed in the monkey house. The new group consists of two males, 1 female and 2 immature lemurs of unknown sex. Spotting the female is easy as this species is sexual dichromatic (meaning males look different to the females). Females have a white belly, whereas males sport a reddish-brown coloured belly, giving rise to this species name.

Red-bellied lemurs typically live in small, monogamous family groups of up to 10 individuals. They are seasonal breeders and in their native Madagascar, they would be expected to give birth to one offspring during September or October (the start of the Madagascan summer). However, when living in captivity, in the northern hemisphere, we would expect their breeding activity to alter to fit our seasons. They are therefore expected to breed in January or February, and to give birth in April or May. We have our fingers crossed for the pitter patter of tiny lemur feet next year! This is especially important for this vulnerable species whose wild population is currently decreasing as a result of habitat loss and hunting.

The gorgeous (and rather inquisitive!) red-bellied lemur

A youngster explores its new enclosure

Two mongoose lemurs have also arrived safely and are currently housed in the walkthrough lemur enclosure, next to the Chilean flamingos. This breeding pair will share the outdoor walk-through exhibit with our red-fronted lemurs, before eventually moving into the old ring-tailed lemur enclosure with the red-bellied lemurs. The ring-tailed lemurs are currently still resident at the zoo, and as a result, this enclosure has not yet come available. The ring-tailed lemurs are expected to leave, but it is unlikely to be at any point in the immediate future, as all the arrangements for their big move still have to be made.

Finally, on the primate front, a yellow-breasted capuchin male arrived safely to Edinburgh Zoo last week, and our old male, Fabio, was safely transported to his new home. ‘Little Man’ has settled in well with his new social group and can be viewed in the Monkey House. He was mixed in with the resident monkeys the day after his big move, and was reportedly seen mating shortly afterwards! Gestation is around 6 months long for this critically endangered species, and so with any luck we may be welcoming some baby capuchins in to the world next summer! Watch this space!

He may not be a looker, but Little Man is already a hit with the ladies!

If you are passing by the Mansion House any time soon there will be plenty of animals to look out for, including the red river hog piglets and the pygmy hippo youngster! However, one enclosure which is unlikely to see any activity over the next few months is the European sousliks enclosure. This species is now deep in hibernation (I don’t blame them personally!). They typically take to their underground tunnels from September to March, after building up fat supplies in the summer. Unlike many other ground squirrels, European sousliks do not stock-pile food but must rely on doubling their body mass in order to see them through the long winter. They remain mostly inactive during hibernation in order to minimize energy use. They also lower their metabolic rate to a bare minimum by slowing their heart rate and breathing rate, and allowing their body temperature to drop dramatically. Research suggests that some hibernating ground squirrels may allow their abdominal temperatures to drop below freezing point for more than three weeks at a time (and survive)! However, temperatures at the head and neck always remain above 0ºC in order to maintain brain function, and ensure survival! They must also rouse themselves sporadically, in order to warm up and restore their body temperature to a normal level.

Following the end of their hibernation early next spring, keepers will finally be able to find out if the ground squirrels had any success in breeding this year. Due to their secretive nature, and under-ground living conditions, it is impossible for keepers to monitor their numbers at any other time of year. However, once hibernation ends, they will be ready for a good meal, providing the keepers with the perfect opportunity to lure them all out of their burrows and take stock of the group.

The European souslik has lost a significant part of its habitat and has disappeared from many places within its former range. Currently a reintroduction project for which zoos provide animals is being undertaken in Poland. It is therefore important that we keep and breed this species, despite their low value as a visitor attraction!

Holed up for the winter!

Another zoo resident that is seeing some seasonal changes at the moment is the Amur leopard. This critically endangered carnivore, native to the Amur valley in Russia, grows a thicker coat in winter to help it cope with extremely cold temperatures. Their coat can grow up to 7cm long at this time of year providing them with super insulation against temperatures which can drop as low as -20ºC! Their coat is also paler in colour in winter, an adaptation to help them camouflage in a snowy environment. In comparison, their summer coat grows to just 2.5cm long and is a much deeper red-yellow colour.

This seasonal change is crucial if the Amur leopards are to survive in this harsh environment. Unfortunately, it is estimated that there are only around 30 wild Amur leopards left. One might expect that this would lead to great conservation efforts focused on saving this species, but unfortunately, many Amur leopards still face threats such poaching, habitat loss and persecution.

Just recently news of more troubles for the Amur leopards made headlines, as an emergency situation was declared in a nature reserve which is thought to hold half of all the remaining individuals for this species. Funds to this reserve have been frozen for the last five months, leaving reserve staff without pay or resources. Many staff have now been forced to stop working, and even those who have offered to work voluntarily are able to do very little as there are no funds for fuel for their patrol vehicles. Patrols are necessary to protect the reserve from fires and poachers. This is especially alarming as the fire season has already started. The first fire was observed on the 8^th October and it is expected that many more will occur before the first snowfall arrives.

Conservation organizations have offered financial assistance, but the reserve management believes that the government should provide funding for wages and basic necessities. These organizations are now working hard to shorten the prolonged bureaucratic process which has led to the lack of government funds. In the mean time we can only hope that the Amur leopard population survive yet another blow.

For more information on Amur leopards in the wild please visit: http://www.amur-leopard.org/

Zane, our female Amur leopard looks non too pleased with the recent news

Remember remember…

 

November has begun, and the clocks have gone back (confusing many animals as they experience a shift in the timings of their daily routine). The dark nights are now drawing in and this week we celebrate Bonfire night (disturbing many animals even more!) With all this human activity of late, our animals have been keeping themselves quiet. But here’s what you can look out for if you are in the zoo over the next week.

This is the perfect time of year to catch a glimpse of the resident zoo European beavers. These crepuscular and nocturnal animals (when they come out varies very much from individual to individual) are rarely seen during the day light hours and so spotting them during the summer is near impossible! However, with the ever darkening nights, the beavers are now venturing out earlier and earlier each night. The zoo now closes at 4.30pm. However, on a cloudy day there is a strong chance of seeing our beavers out and about from 3.30pm onwards during winter.

Beavering away!

Look out for them feeding on vegetation, bark and buds, or working on their ever-growing lodge. You are most likely to spot them in the water, where they feel safest. They are excellent swimmers and are capable of remaining submerged for up to 15 minutes (when still) or 5 minutes (when swimming). So, you may have to wait a while for them to pop up for air! They prefer to remain in or near water at all times, as submerging is the best way for them to avoid their predators in the wild. They are elusive creatures, and for that reason it is advisable to stay as quiet and still as possible when around them. However, they won’t hesitate to let you know if you have disturbed them, by using their large, flat tails to give the water an almighty slap!  Why not pay our pair a visit in the old duck ponds, opposite the painted hunting dogs? We also currently have a lone individual living in the enclosure next to Pallas cats (not the one with the tigers in it!) that you may be lucky enough to spot.

In their element

Given the colder temperatures and darker days, now is also a great time of year to spot our wolverines. These crepuscular animals come out at dawn and dusk, and so are more likely to be seen early morning or late afternoon. Our male wolverine, 4 year old Logan is currently sharing enclosures with female, 5 year old Pige. You may recall that these two individuals were mixed together much earlier this year. Keepers reported that the two appeared to be greatly enjoying one another company; a great sign for their potential breeding prospects. However, no pregnancy resulted from these interactions in the end. Wolverines become sexually mature at the age of 2 – 3 years old, so perhaps this young pair have not yet got the hang of all this breeding malarkey!

Despite their solitary status in the wild, these two individuals appear to get on so well, that keepers have now decided that they can be mixed together on a much more long-term basis. The pair share two enclosures between them, so there is always plenty of room available, should they choose to spend some time alone. Keepers will keep a close eye on the pair, and if they exhibit any signs of aggression or territoriality towards each other, they will be separated once again. However, this more permanent living arrangement should provide the young pair with plenty of opportunities for breeding if, and when the female comes into oestrus.

Ever alert!

In the wild, wolverines would typically breed between May and August. They then utilise delayed implantation.  This means, that after the egg is fertilized, the embryo is not immediately implanted on the uterus wall (as it would be in the case of most mammals).  Instead, it floats in the uterus until November to January. Gestation then takes only another 30-50 days, with kits usually being born late winter. Delayed implantation is used to prevent youngsters being born during the height of winter when food may be scarce. In fact, when food is scarce, a high percentage of a population will choose not to have young at all. Some females may not reproduce even when food is apparently abundant, because raising young results in such a large loss of energy for wolverine mothers. However, that being said, wolverines do not face the same stresses in captivity, as food is always abundant. We do not know if delayed implantation is used at all in captivity, or indeed if these breeding seasons are adhered to so strictly.

There are less than 100 wolverines currently kept in zoos worldwide, and so breeding this species would not only significantly contribute to the captive population, but also help the zoo community to learn more about this species and their breeding behaviours in a captive environment. We have our fingers crossed that our young pair will produce some kits in the near future. Watch this space!

Showing their softer side!

Why not visit Edinburgh Zoo or the Highland Wildlife Park in November, and bring your children for FREE! 

To take advantage of this offer you must present the Kids Go Free voucher (downloadable from the Edinburgh Zoo and Highland Wildlife Park websites) to gain your free admission.

We also have lots of fun, family-friendly activities planned for November, including a production of everyone’s favourite pantomime, ‘Cinderella’ on 22 November, and the Imagination craft workshop on 14 and 15 November. For full details visit: http://www.edinburghzoo.org.uk/news-and-events/events/articles/event_0061.html

 

Primates…and a polar bear!

 

This week has seen lots of changes for the primates at Edinburgh Zoo. Read on to find out more about which of our species have been making the news! And of course, we couldn’t forget to update you on our favourite polar bear, Mercedes, and how she is settling in at the Highland Wildlife Park!

We are pleased to announce that Mercedes, the polar bear was released into her main enclosure for the first time on Tuesday 20th October. Despite all our cautiousness, Mercedes herself seems to have taken her big move all in her stride. She was ready to explore her new surroundings early Tuesday morning, after a very smooth move on Monday. And boy, has she been making the most of her new enclosure! She has been spotted by both the public and media alike, roaming around her new surroundings, rolling in the grass and swimming in her pool! She has apparently also been startled by a few rabbits! This is perhaps something of a new entity to her. And despite her timidness around small rodents, her mere presence has put all the surrounding hoofed animals on high alert, although she appears oblivious to them!
We are thrilled that after such a long stay at Edinburgh, she has responded so well to the change in her surroundings. We can’t wait to see how she reacts to the first heavy snow fall now!

 
Last morning at Edinburgh Zoo – Mercedes obviously didn’t see the need to scrub up for her big move!
 

Being lifted onto the lorry

 
Steady!
 

Keeping a curious eye out!

 
Leaving the zoo
 

On the road, heading north

 
Arriving at Highland Wildlife Park
 

Touching down in her new home

 
Exploring her off-show area for the first time
 

Looking surprisingly relaxed after such a big day!

Plenty of images and footage of Mercedes in her on-show enclosure have now been released by the media. An internet search should bring up lots of great viewing!

We are pleased to announce that the brown capuchins at Living Links have recently welcomed two new babies into their groups. First, 6 year old Sylvania from the ‘West Group’ gave birth on the 7th September. She is a second-time mum, after giving birth to a male named Mekoe just last year. We are sure that Mekoe will be glad to have a young sibling to play with! All the west capuchins have had a good look at the baby, and will know by now whether it is a boy or a girl. However, the keepers are still waiting to get a good enough view of the new youngster to tell the gender, and then give the baby a name. We will keep you posted on this once we have more information.
Sylvie’s mother and matriarch of the group, 14 year old Lana then gave birth to another youngster on 21st October. This is Lana’s 6th baby, making her a brilliant role-model mum for Sylvie! We look forward to seeing the babies growing up and eventually playing together over the following months.
Meanwhile, over the fence in the ‘East Group’, Chico has reached six months old and has become one of the most playful and popular monkeys in the zoo. He does not have another baby to play with in his group, but fortunately his brother Carlos, and the super-playful Kato have enough time on their hands to spend hours wrestling with Chico outside!

 
Baby boom at Living Links!

Next in line are the squirrel monkeys at Living Links. Squirrel monkeys are seasonal breeders, so all our adult females are likely to give birth between now and the New Year. With so many expectant mothers in the group, the keepers are going to have their hands full looking after so many babies! They successfully reared 9 youngsters in total last year, so we shall have to see if they can beat this record this time round. Stay posted for more on this!

 
The squirrel monkeys will be next!

Many of our primates, will also be seeing some changes in their surroundings over the next couple of weeks. All of our ring-tailed lemurs will be leaving Edinburgh Zoo for far-flung destinations such as China! We have decided to stop keeping this iconic lemur species, in favour of two new species; the red-bellied lemur and the mongoose lemur. There are over 2,500 of the near-threatened ring-tailed lemurs in captivity worldwide! Edinburgh Zoo has therefore decided to focus its conservation breeding efforts on lesser known lemur species, in greater need of attention. There are currently only around 100 red-bellied lemurs in captivity, and 100 mongoose lemurs in captivity. These two species are also more threatened than ring-tailed lemurs, having been classified by the IUCN red list as ‘vulnerable’.
All of our ring-tailed lemurs will be moved to other zoos under the recommendations of the European studbook keeper, and we hope that they will settle in to their new homes well. Why not pop into the zoo over the next couple of weeks to wave them goodbye?!

Finally, one of our mature yellow-breasted capuchin males, 16 year old Fabio, will also be leaving the collection in early November for Colchester Zoo. This is under recommendations of the European Endangered Species Program (a higher level of captive species management than the European studbook). Fabio may sound like he’s getting on a bit for a monkey, but yellow-breasted capuchins often live to over 30 years old in captivity, and do not mature until around 8 years old. Fabio still has many years left ahead of him, and will most likely continue to breed in his new home. We wish him all the best!
In return, another mature male named ‘Little Man’ will be arriving at Edinburgh from Colchester Zoo, as well as a breeding female from Vallee des Singes, to be paired with the new male. These new additions should help to boost breeding efforts for this species at Edinburgh Zoo, as well as ensuring that the captive population is genetically diverse, and preventing any in-breeding. This is particularly important for this critically endangered species, which has suffered an estimated 80% decrease in their wild population size over the last 3 years.
The new arrivals will no doubt provide some enrichment for our resident group of one mature female, four younger males and one younger female! We will keep you posted on how the introductions go, and when you can expect to see the new pair on show.

 
The highly intelligent yellow breasted capuchin

 

It’s all going on in the Highlands!

 

Whereas Edinburgh Zoo has been rather quiet of late, the Highland Wildlife Park has seen a recent flurry of activity! Here’s what has been going on up here!

As we mentioned just a few weeks back, the seasonal deer rut is now in full swing. The red deer at the Highland Wildlife Park have certainly been demonstrating some interesting behaviours as a result of this. ‘Snap’, the 11 year old dominant male has been doing lots of roaring, as well as chasing away the younger males. However, 10 year old ‘Thor’ who in the past has been a contender for ‘Snap’, has not been putting up much of a fight this year. This is most probably a result of damaging the brow tines (the antler ‘points’ closest to his skull) of his antlers earlier in the year, and therefore somewhat disabling his ability to fight. At least he knows when it’s a lost cause!

 

We couldn’t resist!

The red deer aren’t the only ones getting in on the action! The Bukhara deer (a threatened subspecies of Red Deer, endemic to Central Asia) have also been following suite, with ‘Esan’ the 5 year old dominant male, taking time to bellow at and chase the younger competition away. He has also been displaying to the adult female, ‘Mariam’. Bukhara deer were once on of the most threatened mammal species on earth. In 1999, they numbered just 400 individuals. However, since then, efforts to reintroduce this species to the wild, and to restore their habitat have boosted their numbers to around 1000 individuals. This is still not a huge number, and so the captive breeding of this species remains important.

 

The Bukhara deer stag

The European forest reindeer bull has also been very ‘stroppy’ of late! This is one species that you don’t want to mess with during the rut, as males can become particularly aggressive. Forest reindeer are far rarer than domestic reindeer, and can only be found wild in Northern Scandinavia. The park’s herd are part of an important conservation breeding program that supports the remaining wild population. We hope that our bull will do his bit for his species this year, and that we will welcome some young into the world next summer time.

 

A reindeer stag practices some moves!

While our male European Elk (commonly known as moose), ‘Bob’ doesn’t have any competition to engage in fighting with, we are pleased to confirm that he has recently been spotted mating with the female, ‘Lisa’. This pair made history recently by producing Britain’s first European Elk calf in over 1000 years (the estimated time that they became extinct in this country). Bob arrived at the Highland Wildlife Park just over one year ago, but he wasted no time in getting to know the resident female! European Elk are a notoriously difficult species to keep and breed in captivity. However, keepers at the Highland Wildlife Park have been working hard to ensure that they provide the best husbandry possible for our young elk family. This includes providing them with tree saplings and browse (branches from trees) to eat, as well as a special ‘moose’ pellet, for all their vitamin and mineral requirements, made palatable with orange juice! This may sound quite strange, considering that elk would be unlikely to come across an orange tree in their native environment! However, extensive research (conducted by Washington State University’s captive-ungulate facility) into elk nutrition proved that pellets were made all the more palatable for this funny species, by adding citrus pulp! We hope that as a result of all this care, and the observed breeding behaviour, we may well be welcoming another elk calf into the world. Gestation is approximately 8 months, and so we will have a long wait to see if this is the case!

 

The European Elk

We can report that Mercedes, the polar bear, has now moved up to her new Highland home at the Wildlife Park in Kingussie. Her move went very smoothly, and she had already begun to settle into her new enclosure by lunch time on Monday. Visitors to the park have already reported ‘glimsping’ her in her off-show housing area. However, we would not advise visiting the park specially to see her just yet as she will not be clearly visible for some time. She will be given plenty of time to acclimatise to her new surroundings gradually and we will let you know as soon as she is ready to greet her admiring public!

If you are planning to visit the Highland Wildlife Park this week, then you shouldn’t be disappointed! Alongside the seasonal rut, and Mercedes arrival, the RZSS Wild Bus has also driven up to offer animal handling sessions to visitors. This is great opportunity to get up close and personal with some much smaller species of animals. Places are limited, so once you have arrived at the park, please make sure to book your space for one of the sessions. There is no extra charge for this activity.

 

The RZSS ‘Wild Bus’ will make an appearance at the Highland Wildlife Park this week

Bye Bye Mercedes!

 

It seems like only yesterday that we announced our intentions to move Mercedes, the polar bear, to the Highland Wildlife Park at Kingussie. Over the last 6 months, funds have been raised, an enclosure has been constructed, polar bear training has taken place and plans have been put in to place. But at last, the time is nigh, and this is Mercedes last week on show at Edinburgh Zoo. After this time, Mercedes will be off show as final preparations are made for her big move up to her new home. Once she has arrived at Highland Wildlife Park she will be given time, away from the public eye, to settle herself in.

We would like to say a big THANK YOU to everybody who made a donation to the Mercedes appeal. We have now raised £75,000 through over 800 public donations. These donations have made it possible for us to provide Mercedes with a fantastic new ‘retirement home’, in which she can enjoy the rest of her years. She will enjoy a four acre enclosure with a natural pool, and of course, a more tundra-like climate, which should suit her down to a tee!

 

A plan for the new polar bear enclosure, situated where the old wolf enclosure once was

David Windmill, Chief Executive for RZSS, said:  

“Mercedes has been at Edinburgh Zoo for 25 years and has been a favourite with both visitors and staff and I know her keepers will be sad to see her go. However she’s still in the RZSS animal collection and the Highland Wildlife Park is a much more suitable environment for a polar bear.  

“On the day of the move Mercedes will walk into her transport crate, as she has been trained to do by the keepers. She will then travel by road to the Highland Wildlife Park. It is difficult to say when the public will be able to see her as we’re going to give her as much time as she needs to settle in. However, we hope that people will be able to see her by the end of October.

“We realise that the departure of Mercedes will leave a void at Edinburgh Zoo and the wheels are in motion to introduce new and exciting species in the coming months. We will unveil these plans as soon as the details have been confirmed.”

The 18^th October is your final chance to see Mercedes at Edinburgh, but we will keep you updated with her move and her reaction to her new home, right here.

 

Farewell Mercedes!

We are pleased to announce that a Goeldi’s monkey was born on the 6^th August. ‘Orinocho’, as the baby has been named, is the second to be born to our adult pair of Goeldi’s monkeys within the year! They also gave birth to a young male, back in February. This is a fantastic success for the pair, who were only mixed together late last year.

Goeldi’s monkeys typically live in large family groups, consisting of a dominant pair and their offspring. Offspring will often stay with their family, even after they have matured, in order to help raise younger siblings. These offspring benefit from the security of belonging to a territory, and can gain valuable breeding experience, whilst they wait for a territory to become available.

At 2 months old, Orinocho will now be weaning off Mum’s milk, and beginning to eat solid foods. However, the youngster can still be seen hitching a ride on the back of its parents, and learning important lessons in Goeldi monkey behaviour! Why not see if you can spot it on your next trip to the Magic Forest?

 

The tiny adult Goeldi’s monkey

And we can also announce that yet another nyala has been born of late! On the 8^thSeptember a female named ‘Amira’, meaning ‘princess’, was born to this ever expanding herd on the African Plains. This is the fifth youngster to be born, within the last year. However, it is, importantly, only the second female to be born. Her arrival is therefore very welcome, in order to even up the male: female ratio for future breeding populations.

Nyala mature between one and two years of age. They live in small groups of up to around 10 individuals, and show no evidence of territoriality. It is likely that each one of our four adult females (all aged just 3 years) has now successfully given birth to an offspring, which is a sign of good health and welfare amongst the herd. We hope to welcome more youngsters into the herd in the future.

 

Another young nyala!

 

Stuck in a rut?

 

This week we fill you in on the wildlife story of the season: the deer rut; as well as the fledging of some rather exotic birds, and an update on the short clawed Asian otters. 

Native wildlife lovers will no doubt be well aware that we are now at the height of the seasonal red deer rut in Britain. Through out the country, these magnificent mammals can be observed exhibiting interesting (and sometimes deadly) behaviours, as they begin to breed.

The red deer herd at the Highland Wildlife Park are no exception and males can be seen attempting to herd females, roaring at one another, chasing each other off and occasionally locking antlers to engage in a fight. They do this to secure a harem of females, with whom they will then breed. These activities are so time and energy consuming that males will loose a considerable amount of weight during this time.

There are just four male red deer resident at Highland Wildlife Park, along with 20 females, all found on the Main Reserve. One of these males is just a year old and not yet mature enough to breed or to be of threat to the others. However, four year old ‘Achilles’, ten year old ‘Thor’ and eleven year old ‘Snap’ will no doubt give each other some grief. Who secures the most breeding females still remains to be seen. We will keep you updated here; but if, in the meantime, you take a trip to the Highlands yourself, then please do let us know of any interesting behaviours you may have observed (or even captured on camera!)

A HWP stag lets one rip!

Meanwhile at Edinburgh Zoo, our Eurasian tundra reindeer have also been engaged in their rutting season. The herd is now settled in their new enclosure (the old Addax field) along the far eastern boundary of the park, just beneath the African Plains. There are just two mature males resident in this herd; eight year old ‘Eskimo’, recognizable by his yellow ear tag, and three year old ‘Fakta’, recognizable by his pink ear tag (very masculine!). There are also just three mature females in this herd. These small numbers are likely to make the reindeer rut far less dramatic that the red deer’s. However, the reindeer can be seen shedding their antler velvet and occasionally chasing one another around the enclosure. Why not take a trip up to see them, and let us know if you spot any more interesting behaviours?

 

Reindeer stags lock antlers at HWP last year

You may recall, that about 1 month back, we welcomed a new short-clawed Asian otter to the zoo. Ray, was brought to the zoo to be a mate for our existing adult female, Maluku. He was initially allowed full range of their enclosure, while she was kept off-show. This was to give him a chance to settle in, explore, and to get used to her scent! Soon after, keepers caught Ray up, and placed him in a cage, within that same enclosure. This was so that he could be introduced to Maluku without the danger of the two having physical contact with one another (and perhaps reacting aggressively to one another).

This was crucial after the last attempt to bring in a mate for Maluku was ill-fated to say the least! You may remember that back in summer a new male otter escaped from the zoo, after being mixed with a rather unwelcoming and aggressive Maluku. He was eventually caught up and returned to the zoo. However, it seems that this pairing was not meant to be, as the two did not mix well with one another.

We were therefore pleased when Maluku responded far more positively to Ray’s arrival! The otters made their introductions through the cage, which enabled them to see one another, smell one another and hear one another. And once keepers were happy that the two were not reacting aggressively towards one another, Ray was set free in the enclosure once again. Since then, the new pair have been frequently spotted out and about, following each other around and playing with one another.

Short-clawed Asian otters typically live in extended family groups, with one breeding pair, and their off-spring. The female is the dominant partner, but the pair are strongly bonded and strictly monogamous. We hope that our otters may soon turn their thoughts to breeding and building up their own social group. Watch this space for more news!

 

The new pair enjoy exploring their enclosure together

We are pleased to announce that 3 lilac breasted rollers have now fledged their parent’s nest in the African aviary. These chicks, born on the 27^th August, have taken just 19 days to fledge the nest. They have purple-grey feathers and look like drabber versions of their more colourful parents! They have also not yet developed the distinctive outer tail streamers that their parents sport during the breeding season. However, it shouldn’t take long for them to develop these colours, as chicks become independent of their parents within 20 days of fledging. Why not see if you can spot them whilst they are still immature?

This is the second clutch of chicks that have fledged from our lilac breasted roller pair this year. Another chick was born back in June, making this a very successful first year of breeding for our lilac breasted roller pair. Keepers are very pleased with this success and hope that it is an indication of more to come! Typically, their breeding season stretches over 6 months in this bird’s native Africa. However, we would not expect our pair to produce any more youngsters this British season!

 

The beautiful adult lilac breasted roller

October Begins

 

As the end of September draws nearer we are beginning to feel the on-set of winter more and more. It seems that our animals here at the zoo are no different, as breeding has now stopped or slowed down for many species. Read on for an update on our flamingos and to find out which species our keepers have been mixing things up for this week!

The 4 Chilean flamingo hatchlings that we announced earlier in the summer are still with us, and are doing very well indeed. At 3 months old, they are now beginning to develop some pink feathers on the underside of their wings. Look out for them strutting their stuff!

We are also pleased to announce that yet another chick has hatched! This late arrival is still small with a thick coat of grey, fluffy feathers, and can be seen wandering around the nest site! Interestingly enough, the adult birds caring for the chick are not its actual parents. This sneaky pair were so desperate to parent that they actually ‘stole’ the chick from its natural parents! The keepers have been keeping a close eye on this little one and are happy that the chick is being cared for well. In this instance they have chosen not to interfere with this unorthodox approach to parenting!

There is still 1 egg on the nest site which could potentially hatch in the future, so watch this space for more news!

 

Flamingo chicks at 3 months old

You may recall that 2 new drills arrived at Edinburgh Zoo earlier in the year. Since then, we have reported on keepers’ efforts to slowly mix the 2 new females with our existing group of drills. Initial introductions went well, and finally, on the 14^th September all 5 drills spent the night together. We are happy to say that the next morning, all 5 were found healthy and well, and without injury!  Since then, the new five-some have been spending extended periods of time together, but have not yet moved in permanently together. We have our fingers crossed for future breeding from this group, as drills are Africa’s most endangered primate.

 

Would you want to spend a night with this?!

This week has also seen red river hog dad, ‘Hamish’ mixed back in with mum, ‘Belle’ and their two new little bundles of joy! They have been playing happy families ever since, and we can report that Hamish has not tried to squash the little ones at all!

In fact, you would never have guessed that just one year ago, things were not so rosy for this funny pair. When Hamish first arrived at the zoo and was mixed in with Belle, she did not give him the most friendly reception. In fact, she was so put out by this change in circumstance that she decided to deliver a nasty bite to a particularly sensitive area of Hamish’s anatomy!

After this, Hamish was moved out of Belle’s way and in with ‘Djembe’, our male bongo. Djembe and Hamish got along fantastically, and spent the best part of last summer together. However, last September we welcomed 2 young female bongos to the zoo, and they were eventually mixed in with Djembe and Hamish. Naturally, Djembe’s attentions became focused on the new ladies in his life, and so keepers saw this as a great opportunity to try and mix Belle into the equation once again. Under the watchful eye of the Bongos, Hamish and Belle’s relationship began to flourish. And the rest as they say, is history! We just hope the Bongos may follow their example now! 

 

Batchelor boys Djembe and Hamish

Babies and more babies!

 

The breeding success at Edinburgh Zoo has continued recently, with two more species adding to their numbers. Read on to find out more.

Over the summer a pair of twin ringtail lemur babies were born. Isalo, a female and Anakao, a male, were born on the 26^th June to mother, Claire (recognisable by the green and purple beads in the necklace she wears), and father, Sam (the only mature male in the group). This is only the second time that Claire has given birth as she is still a young mum, at just 5 years old. However, she is doing a fantastic job and is helped out by the rest of her group.

Youngsters spend a lot of their time being carried around on their mother’s back, and looking over her shoulder. However, they will not hesitate in jumping from mum’s back, onto any other lemurs! The rest of the group is usually happy to play aunty or uncle to the youngsters for a while, carrying them around and playing with them. This helps the youngsters to learn about foraging, communication, grooming and plenty of other behaviours from not just mum, but all of their peers. These two youngsters are now almost 3 months old, and are beginning to venture further away from the adults, exploring the enclosure for themselves. However, they are still easily recognisable by their small size and playful ways! Why not try and spot them next time you’re passing?

 

Mini lemurs!

We are pleased to announce that two red river hog piglets were born on the 14^th August. Red river hogs have been at Edinburgh Zoo since 2004 but this is the first year they have bred successfully. Young adults, 5 year old Belle and 3 year old Hamish are now very proud, first time parents to a boy named Sammi and a girl named Becca!

 

Proud mum, Belle, watches over Sammi and Becca

Both youngsters have yellow and brown stripy coats but when they mature they will look very different.  Adult red river hogs have a shaggy red coat, with a tufted white stripe running the length of its back. They also have long black and white tassels of hair hanging from each ear. This change in colouration helps the animals to camouflage and defend themselves in the wild. The yellow and brown stripy coat of the youngsters is perfect for blending into the undergrowth of swamps, marshes and forests in their native western and central Africa. This keeps them safe when they are too young to defend themselves otherwise. The shaggy red coat with a tufted white stripe and tassels, sported by the adults, makes them look larger to other animals. This makes them look less vulnerable to predators such as leopards, lion, hyena and pythons. The adults also sport tusks which assist them in defending themselves.

 

Learning from Mum that any food is good food!

Kathleen Graham, Head Keeper of Hoofstock at Edinburgh Zoo, said, “We are thrilled that the red river hogs have bred this year. The piglets are really playful and have been chasing each other around their enclosure. Belle is also doing well and is proving to be an excellent mum to her two youngsters. We hope that this is the first of many contributions our red river hogs make to the breeding programme.”

And finally, we can now confirm that 8 Heck Cattle have arrived safe and well at Edinburgh Zoo. This new group consists of 3 males and 5 females, ranging from the ages of 7 and 1 year old. They are housed in the old Addax field and have been settling in well to their new enclosure. However, the keepers have experienced some aggression from these large cattle. They have already ripped off their water trough and one particularly challenging female has been aptly named ‘Psycho’! It appears that when you breed back a wild, ancestral animal of this size, you have to take the good with the bad!

 

Meet the troops!

What do baby baboons, a Malayan tapir, the Royal Engineers and Edinburgh Zoo’s adult class all have in common? They are all the news stories in this week’s blog entry of course! Read on to find out all the details!

We are delighted to announce the births of two baby Guinea baboons! As you might remember from a previous blog entry, a large group of 33 Guinea baboons arrived from the Zoo de Paris to Edinburgh Zoo back in July. The original group settled in very well to their new home in the old gorilla enclosure by the monkey house. Less than two months later we have had two births in the group! This brings our group to a total of 35 baboons. The two mums are called Laura and Tiana and both babies and mums are doing well! The primate keepers have not named the two babies yet as the mums are keeping a really tight hold on their babies so we haven’t spotted if the babies are boys or girls! But once the keepers know, they will choose names for the young ones and their names will start with the first initial of their mum’s name so in this case, L and T!

Female Guinea baboons give birth to one infant after a gestation period of 184 days. Our baby baboons can be seen holding on to their mother’s belly. This is where babies spend their first 6 to 12 weeks. After that they may switch to the mother’s back either sitting up or lying on her back. Guinea baboons live in large social groups although they will form small subgroups made up of one male and three to four females when they are foraging for food. Several of the subgroups gather together for the night at a sleeping site. 

It is fantastic that our troop of Guinea baboons is breeding in Edinburgh Zoo, especially since this West African primate species is considered ‘Near Threatened’ on the IUCN red list due to its small range and the loss of its habitat. The good news is that more births are expected in the zoo group soon so keep checking the blog to keep up to date with the latest arrivals!

 

Little baby Guinea baboon taking in the world for the first time!

Along with all the new arrivals this week we are also saying good bye to our young female tapir. Indah was born on the 26th of September last year and now is at the right stage to leave her mum. Indah will be leaving Edinburgh Zoo to go to a zoo in Kent. In the wild, Malayan tapirs are solitary animals and they mark out their territory by spraying urine on plants in the area.

Indah, like all other Malayan tapir babies, was born with a baby coat of brown hair with white stripes and spots. This pattern helps the babies to hide in the dim light of the forest. She has now developed her adult coat of large patches of black and white to look just like her mum! Female Malayan tapirs generally produce one calf every two years. We’ve had great breeding success with our pair of tapirs at the zoo and we hope this will continue in the future!

 
One of the first photos taken of Indah last year!

One year on, ready for the move!

If you are interested in the work that the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland carries out why not come along to our adult class which starts on Tuesday the 29^th of September 2009 and runs from 10:30am – 12:30pm. The adult class this term is part of the society’s centenary celebrations and is called RZSS – 100; The Role of the Modern Zoo. It is an 8 week introductory course on the role of the modern zoo. Topics that will be covered include a history of RZZ, zoo collection planning, animal care, in-situ and ex-situ conservation, research and zoo education. Come and discover the story of our past, present and future!

Further details and how to book are available from the Edinburgh City council website: www.edinburgh.gov.uk/internet/Learning

 

Finally, if you have visited the zoo over the last week you might have spotted some army soldiers about in the park. But visiting the animals is not the main reason why this troop is in the zoo – instead they are working on projects in the zoo as part of a Military Aid to the Civilian Community (MACC) task. Both the zoo and the soldiers benefit from the programme. The zoo receives free labour for tasks such as building a decking area for our new penguin coffee shop, a new ramp for the front of the Education Centre, a bothy for the stores area and various concrete improvement tasks around the zoo. The Royal Engineers taking part in the programme are provided with an ideal opportunity to brush up on their construction expertise before they head out to support operations in Afghanistan.  The Royal Engineers involved are known as ‘Sappers’ and are multi-skilled as soldiers, combat engineers and tradesmen. Look out for the improvements they have made around the zoo the next time you visit!

Working away building a decking area for the penguin coffee shop. Our penguins check out their work during the penguin parade!