WILD L IFE AUTUMN/WINTER 2017
W W W. DU RRE LL . O R G
On 23rd November 2017, we welcomed nearly 400 members and supporters to our annual London Lecture at The Royal Institution. This year we were honoured to be joined by our Patron, HRH The Princess Royal, to launch our new strategy and celebrate the 10th anniversary of this event. Dr Lesley Dickie, CEO, presented Durrell’s new strategy – ‘REWild Our World’ our exciting vision for a wilder, healthier, more colourful world. To find out more about how you can help support our new vision and to download a copy of the ‘REWild Our World’ strategy, visit durrell.org/rewild-our-world Thank you to our sponsors LastPass for sponsoring the drinks reception and Thrive Renewables for sponsoring the lecture.
W W W. T HR I VE R E NE WABLE S .CO .U K
WWW.L ASTPASS. C OM
OU R WOR L D
WELCOM E
W EL C O M E TO W ILD LIF E A UT U M N / W I N TE R 2017 This second issue of Wild Life, featuring stories from our field staff, scientists, Zoo and Conservation Academy, shows clearly just how diverse and far-reaching Durrell really is.
world’s thirst for peanut oil. You will be regaled by the adventures of some stalwart Durrell supporters who took to the high seas to visit conservation projects in Madagascar and other islands in the Indian Ocean.
The breadth and depth of our work is elegantly laid out in our new strategic plan, REWild Our World. All elements of Durrell are woven together into a powerful directive for us from now until 2025, when Gerald Durrell would have been one hundred years old – a benchmark year indeed! One vital strand of the strategy – ‘connectedness to nature’ – is well explained in this issue by our CEO, Dr Lesley Dickie.
Globally, our scientists continue to assess the conservation status of over half the world’s mammals. In Jersey our Zoo passed with flying colours the accreditation inspection by the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria, our excellent Veterinary Department contributing to the high standards required.
You will also read about our efforts to protect the mountain chicken frog in Montserrat from the ravages of chytrid fungus and about our work to save the unique species and habitats of western Madagascar, now so threatened by the
Dr Lee Durrell
H ON OR A RY DI R E CTOR
Enjoy this issue, especially the section #DOITFORDURRELL, which describes the many ways in which you are helping Durrell to REWild Our World. Thank you all your support this year, and we wish you a ‘wilder, healthier, more colourful’ new year ahead!
CO NT E N TS 2
READY TO REWILD YOURSELF AND OUR WORLD?
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EAZA DOES IT : JERSEY ZOO RECEIVES FULL ACCREDITATION
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ZOO NEWS
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DURRELL EXPEDITION TO MADAGASCAR AND THE SEYCHELLES – SENSATIONA L!
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IN FOCUS: MAL AGASY GIANT JUMPING RAT
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DRY FOREST DESTRUCTION: MENABE IN CRISIS
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ANSELME TOTO VOL AHY : CHAMPION OF GIANT JUMPING RATS
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FIELD NEWS
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MORE MINI MONKEYS ON THE WAY!
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CELINE DION – OVERLOOKED AND UNDER THREAT?
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VET TING ZOO – ANIMAL CARE ON A MICROSCOPIC LEVEL
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FROM MONTSERRAT WITH LOVE
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DODO DISPATCH
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BE INSPIRED
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THE VET DEPAR TMENT IN NUMBERS
DU R R E LL WILDLIF E C ON SERVATION TR UST is a member of the Association of Jersey Charities, membership number 69. PATR O N HRH The Princess Royal FOUND ER Gerald Durrell, OBE, LHD HON ORA RY D IRE CT OR Lee Durrell, MBE, PhD DU R R E LL WILDLIF E C ON SERVATION TR UST - UK is registered in England and Wales. A charitable company limited by guarantee. R E G I S TE RED CH A RIT Y N UM B ER 1121989 R EGISTER ED COMPANY NUM BE R 6448493 R E G I S TE RED O F F IC E c/o Intertrust Corporate Services (UK) Limited, 35 Great St. Helen’s, London EC3A 6AP P H O TO A N D ILLUST RAT IO N CR ED ITS Joe Blossom, Daniel Drakes, Estate of Gerald Durrell, Amber Eames, Bertie Ferns, Alex Fleming, Nick Garbutt, Gregory Guida www.gguida.com, Robin Hoskyns www.robinhoskyns.co.uk, Mike Hudson, Jersey Events www.jerseyevents.com, Yenni Kusumo, Tiffany Lang, Aaron Le Couteur, Fiona Marchant, Dean Maryon www.deanmaryon.com, Matt Morton, The Noun Project (Creaticca Creative Agency, Jae Deasigner, b farias, Ben Iconator, Iconika, Maxim Kulikov, Dima Lagunov, Mooms, Tomasz Pasternak, Randomhero, Eynav Raphael, Ralf Schmitzer), Charlotte Pegg, Chris Scarffe www.chrisscarffe.com, Colin Stevenson, Lance Woolaver, Tim Wright and Charlie Wylie www.wylie.je COV ER IMAGE Sumatran orangutan, Pongo abelii, Colin Stevenson
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RE ADY TO RE W ILD YOURSELF AND OU R WORL D ?
D R LESLEY D ICKIE C HIEF EXE CUT I V E OF F ICE R
DU RRE LL’S NEW V I SI ON F O R A W ILD E R , H E A LTH IE R , M O RE COLOURFUL WORLD The year is nearly at an end, and time has certainly flown. It has been a busy and eventful time, but one that has been the basis for launching our new strategic plan for the future and we are all excited about the possibilities. We recently presented the new strategy at the 10th Anniversary Durrell London Lecture, in the presence of our Patron, HRH The Princess Royal. Here we set out our new vision for ‘a wilder, healthier, more colourful world’, and our four headline mission aims: • 100 threatened species on the road to recovery • 10 ecosystems across the world’s major biomes in the process of being rewilded • 1 million people better connected with nature • 500 endangered species programmes with greater capacity to achieve their goals One of the key strands to our new strategy, and a new focus area for us, is around the idea of ‘connectedness to nature’. Our overall strategy is called REWild Our World, and to do that, rewilding ourselves is a vital step. We are creating more opportunities to do so in the zoo. At Durrell, whether in our zoo, or further afield, we can help people connect with nature and the many physical and psychological benefits that it brings. Connectedness is beyond knowing facts about nature. While it may be that knowing more about nature, whether that be the names of trees, or birds, is inherently to be encouraged; if it is only learned in a book, not in nature itself, can we really be connected and thereby affected by nature? Will that alone make us want to take action to protect our wildlife and wild places? We now know that people who measure as more connected are more likely to carry out pro-environmental behaviours, such as recycling or using re-usable shopping bags, so connectedness is something we want to encourage.
T H E RE SE AR C H I S I N – ‘T REE- H U G G I N G ’ I S A C T UALLY G O O D F O R YO U . However, the idea of ‘connectedness’ can sometimes feel a little bit ‘woolly’. How do you measure connectedness you might ask? Is that not all a bit ‘tree huggy’? Well the good news is that we can measure how connected people feel, and that hugging a tree may be a pejorative stereotype but recent research shows it really is good for us. A study in Japan, where people were physiologically assessed when
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touching different materials (wood, tile, marble and stainless steel), demonstrated that anxiety measures were reduced when touching wood. In addition, there are a number of different ‘nature connected’ scales in which you can get a score of connectedness; thereby we are able to track if different interventions (having a 15 minute walk each day in a green or blue landscape) makes people feel more connected. We have begun collaborating with the Nature Connectedness Unit of the University of Derby, and they recently came to run workshops and give presentations to the Durrell team on this topic – a fascinating few days. They have found that there seem to be five clear pathways to connection; contact, emotion, compassion, meaning and beauty. We are examining how these five pathways can be applied in our work. We know that many of these pathway types are already present in our zoo. Seeing our orangutans, or tiny brightly coloured poison dart frogs, stimulates us to the beauty of nature, and can sometimes take our breath away. Talking of taking our breath away, smelling the bats and plants in the Island bat roost, whether you find it a nice or not so nice experience, is an engaging activity, far more real than learning about bat facts in a book. Contact can take the form of hearing the amazing bird song in our Jewels of the Forest exhibit or the howler monkeys, as they noisily proclaim their territories. We can feel a myriad of emotions: joy as we watch Indigo, the youngest member of the gorilla family, as he plays with boxes and creates mischief; but we can also interpret meaning when we see him gently sleeping next to his father. Compassion comes as we look at these living, breathing animals, some amongst the last of their kind if we cannot change human behaviour, and feel that potential loss deeply. However, we want to go even further and make sure that these pathways to connection are present when we design new enclosures, enclosures that bring people and animals closer together. That will be our future zoo.
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Three venues which each offer a warm welcome, exquisite dining and unique surroundings. Create your most cherished moments with us. Open for casual dining, private hire, weddings and events. THE FARM HOUSE 01534 861 697 - www.thefarmhouse.je
THE BOAT HOUSE 01534 744 226 - www.theboathouse.je
THE TREE HOUSE 01534 741 177 - www.thetreehouse.je
W W W . T H E B O A T H O U S E G R O U P. C O M
@ T H E B OAT H O U S E G R O U P
Both our new sites are now open. L’Auberge du Nord at The Farm House, St John and La Marquanderie at The Tree House, St Brelade.
ZOO INSPEC T ION
EAZA DOES IT: JERSEY ZOO RE C EI V E S FU L L A CCREDITAT ION Zoos of the 21st century have an enormous responsibility for the work they do in conservation, education and science. However, zoos are also under scrutiny on standards of animal welfare, health and safety, ethical policies, and public safety, including animal escapes. It is vital that high standards are maintained in all these areas, and this is a great concern of the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA) of which Jersey Zoo is a long-standing member. Several years ago EAZA introduced a system of accreditation inspection with a 10 year programme to inspect all its members. This June was the turn of Jersey Zoo. The scope of an EAZA inspection is very broad, looking at animal welfare standards, quality of animal husbandry, veterinary care and systems for reporting illness, security of animal enclosures, public safety around the site, public amenities such as loos and the restaurant, health and safety of staff from working protocols to risk assessments, emergency procedures, education programmes, field conservation programmes, and compliance with national and international regulation and legislation. Our job as inspectors is to go behind the scenes as well as front of house: we scratch below the surface, question staff at all levels in the organisation and get to see every square metre of the zoo. Along the way, I met some old colleagues, some of which I haven’t seen for many years, plus those I meet regularly at conferences.
W E S AW I N C R E D I B L E C O M M I T ME NT T O W I L D L I F E CO N S E RVAT I O N AT AL L LEVELS A N D A C R O S S T HE O RG ANI SAT I O N. So what of the inspection itself? We were a team of three, a rapporteur from the EAZA office, an international inspector who is CEO of a Swiss zoo, and me, the national inspector. The inspection is meant to be a positive experience; praise where it’s due and constructive criticism where it is needed.
We then started our tour at the zoo entrance and followed the typical visitor route, seeing behind the scenes in every animal house, looking at where diets are prepared, talking about cleaning and feeding regimes, looking at the keeper day diaries and discussing their breeding programmes. We visited the Durrell Discovery Centre, saw an education session in action, and sat down to hear more about the enthusiastic plans for the education provision at Jersey Zoo. We saw the Reptile House and heard about the range of conservation programmes being undertaken. Similarly we went behind the scenes to look at bird breeding and holding areas, inspecting the kitchens, looking at diets and talking to keepers. This pattern took us around the zoo for the rest of the day, finishing at the Durrell Conservation Academy. We then headed off to Sorel Point to see the release site for the choughs, a great achievement for Jersey Zoo and the local wildlife of Jersey! The following morning, we saw the organic farm, the maintenance and food storage yard. This was all very different to the facilities that were there when I worked at Jersey Zoo, underlining the point that no good zoo will stand still, it must always move forward and strive for improvement. And the result? We saw incredible commitment to wildlife conservation at all levels and across the organisation. There is continuous improvement in welfare and husbandry standards being explored all the time, from diets to excellence in veterinary care. But of course, no zoo is without its challenges, and as always there are areas for improvement that fresh pairs of professional eyes identify. The knowledge and enthusiasm of the staff is a huge asset and will carry the zoo forward. As someone who spent much of his working life at Jersey Zoo, I was really pleased to see Gerald Durrell’s legacy still being carried out so effectively through the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust at Jersey Zoo. Jersey Zoo received full EAZA accreditation.
Having met Lesley Dickie and the Chair of Trustees for dinner after we arrived, the following morning we met the senior management team, and went through the inspection information questionnaire and pack that we had been sent in advance. It was good to see that quite a number of queries were already being dealt with.
Dr Bryan Carroll, CEO Bristol Zoo and EAZA Inspector
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N EW S
ZOO N E W S A SU M M E R CON C ER T Thank you to St Michael’s Preparatory School, Jersey, who performed their summer concert ‘Durrell & Other Friends’ in July, raising funds in aid of Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust. The concert included readings from Gerald Durrell’s books as well as a number of animal-themed musical pieces from the Durrell Suite written by Derek Lawrence.
N EW AR R IVAL S 2017 has been a bumper year for births at the zoo. We’ve welcomed many new animals into our zoo family, including…
A chick to our white-naped crane couple, Mr and Mrs Chester, whose plumage has slowly been turning from grey to white.
Eight Livingstone’s fruit bats – a much needed boost to animal numbers for the most critically endangered mammal at the zoo.
Six giant jumping rats, all to the same pair.
A radiated tortoise hatchling, the first offspring of Astrid, our 15 year old female radiated tortoise. You can adopt Astrid by visiting durrell.org/ adopt
A baby bokiboky (pronounced Boo-ky Boo-ky), a Madagascan narrow-striped mongoose. One chough chick hatched at the zoo, and four chicks fledged in the wild at Sorel.
Radiated tortoise
Red-billed chough
Giant jumping rat
White-naped cranes
SU M M E R L I VI N G Some of our animals found ingenious ways to cool down during the heatwave. The macaques spent most of their time in the pond, and Quechua, the male Andean bear, enjoyed many dips in his moat. And the bears and apes were treated to ice lollies made of fruit.
UPC OMING ZOO EV ENTS DURRELL CHALLENGE – 13 MAY 2018 Jersey Zoo is once again hosting the Durrell Challenge. The 13k road race requires some super-human strength, with Jersey’s own Superman and Durrell Ambassador, Henry Cavill leading the way through Jersey’s beautiful country lanes and ending up at Jersey Zoo. Register at doitfordurrell.com After the race, Jersey Zoo will be open to all for the Really Wild Day, where you can connect to nature and let loose your wild side! Kick off your shoes – feel the grass between your toes, dance, eat and drink in the lush, natural surroundings. Let the children roam our barefoot-walking trails. Let us nurture their nature connectedness with wilderness story-telling and activities. Children under 10 can join in the Superhero Safari sponsored by Appleby, where they will be on an important mission to find all our superhero animals scattered around the zoo and discover their super powers.
BIO BLITZ – MAY 2018
K E E P U P T O D AT E & SIGN-UP FOR ENEWS: DURRELL.ORG/NEWS
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Counting the animals in a zoo isn’t as easy as you might think! We already know how many hornbills we have, we’ve already counted the chameleons and tallied up the tamarins. What we need to do now is record the wrens, identify the invertebrates and ponder the plants! Every year we investigate what plants and animals choose Jersey Zoo as their home and what makes it great for local wildlife. Come and help the experts with the Bioblitz 2018!
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NEWS SUP E R H E R O E S SPRIN T IN SPRING A big well done and thank you to all the runners and fundraisers who took part in the Durrell Challenge in May 2017. The race saw over 500 runners take to the 13k, truly challenging route from Victoria Park, St Helier through Jersey’s beautiful green lanes up to Jersey Zoo. Nearly 30 VIP runners from 17 countries were committed to raise funds in excess of £1,000. A big thank you to all the runners and to Jersey’s own Superman and Durrell Ambassador, Henry Cavill.
BRA N CHING OUT Our howler monkeys have been exploring their extended surroundings, thanks to new rope access to a sweet chestnut tree, bordering the public path. The freer they roam, the closer and more connected our visitors feel to our animals.
RUM B O L L TR AVEL AWA RD WIN N E R 2017 Congratulations to Hannah Clarke, the winner of the 2017 Rumboll Travel Award. Hannah will be heading to Tasmania to work with the orange-bellied parrot, a species heading towards extinction with an estimate of just 14 birds left in the wild. Hannah will visit a release site for captive-bred parrots in Tasmania and help with survey work and supplementary feeding efforts.
SILVERY MAR MOSETS Our free-ranging golden tamarins have recently been joined by two silvery marmosets, new additions to our collection. The marmosets were released into Tamarin Woods in April and have been getting to know their new home. Their beautiful silver coats make them a particular delight to spot through the leaves.
W I L DFL O W E R S The zoo was awash with colour as the wildflower meadows by the Firefly and Dodo cafes burst into life this summer. These patches of biodiversity have been attracting a plentiful supply of bees and are a beautiful addition to the parkland.
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DU RRE LL EXPED I TI ON
TO M A D A G A S C A R A N D T H E S EY C H EL L ES – S EN S AT I O N A L ! by Anthony Dessain
Our trip in March 2017 took us on board Island Skye from Dar es Salaam to the Comoros Islands where some of the poorest people on earth live yet have the greatest smiles. Situated off the southeast coast of Africa, Madagascar is the fourth largest island in the world. From Madagascar we sailed to Aldabra Island (described by David Attenborough as “one of the wonders of the world”), and then to the tiny atolls of Alphonse and Aride and finally to Mahe in the Seychelles. All these places are unique because of their remoteness. Their isolation has provided them with quite exceptional species of animals not found anywhere else on earth. In Madagascar, we walked in tropical forests and drove through open grasslands, saw ploughshare tortoises now numbering only a few hundred in the wild and which are sought by poachers to sell for export as trophies. The tortoises are under armed guard with razor wire to protect the breeding centre. Geckos, giant spiders, huge fruit bats hanging wild overhead, lemurs in the trees and snakes were everywhere on our forest walks. Aldabra is the home of the white-throated rail, the only flightless bird left in the Indian Ocean. Without help, it could become another dodo. In Aride, the birds nest on the ground – and there are no, and never have been, cats or rats. Security is tight – one pregnant rat and that’s it. The birds are so tame and unafraid they remain on their branches when we are feet away. The warm blue sea, amazing sunsets, heat and tropical sunshine, pristine coral beaches on uninhabited islands protected by breaking surf on the reefs created a picture of timeless beauty. Zodiacs ferried us through reefs, on to beaches and into lagoons where we were able to experience the magic of seeing some of the best coral in the world close at hand as we drifted gently in the warm currents crowded with tropical fish of all shapes, sizes and colours. Sadly even here, some coral is bleaching, caused by slight sea warming. On board we were treated to illustrated talks on subjects ranging from protecting and rebuilding coral reefs, the uniqueness and history of the islands and oceans, the geology and continuing volcanic activity, climate and weather systems. All our senses were engaged in the extravaganza of the expedition – the sights, the sounds, smells, tastes, touches and temperatures. We became part of the landscape, immersed in nature. We were in awe of the total dedication of the expert conservationists – scientists at the edge of new research, uncovering unknowns and seeking to share that knowledge and passion. To see life on an outstation, isolated and cramped, surrounded by nature with basic living conditions for months on end was a humbling experience. The life of a conservationist is truly a vocation.
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In Aldabra the interaction of the frigates and boobies is extraordinary. The boobies catch fish to fly it back home. The frigates have poor water-proofing and cannot land in water. They ambush the boobies in the air and steal their catches from their mouths! Both live side by side and as a quid pro quo the frigates build the nests for the boobies. They live in competitive harmony in their mangrove breeding colonies. There we saw sting rays, giant turtles eeking out a life from the harsh arid limestone coral rock and dry vegetation and the bleached skeleton shells of dead tortoises – a reminder there is no life without death. We saw terns, turtle doves, brown noddies, green-backed herons, white-throated rails, crab-plovers and pied crows and many more besides. We saw not just birds, but also robber crabs, perhaps the world’s largest terrestrial arthropod. They can tear apart coconut shells with their powerful pincers. Ghost crabs and rock crabs were there too.
“FROM NOW ON, THE DANGERS THREATENING AL DAB RA CAN ON LY INCREASE. IF IT IS TO SURV IV E UNDAMAGED, HUMANITY AT L A R G E W IL L HAV E TO B E CONV INCED THAT AL DAB RA IS ONE OF THE W ORLD ’ S GREATEST SURV IV ING NATURAL TREASURES.” SI R DAVI D AT T EN B OR OU GH In 1964, plans to turn this whole area into a huge military airbase were defeated by conservationists. Once gone, it has gone for ever. The total dedication and passion of the experts we met was an inspiration. More are needed to pursue this hard but fulfilling life. Few are allowed to visit these remote islands. We were the privileged few, Everyone’s recollections and experience of the sensational Durrell expedition will last many years.
DURRELL EXPEDITION 2019 ANDAMANS, MYANMAR, BANGL ADESH & INDIA see page 16
C L O C KWISE F R OM T O P LEFT:
Malagasy giant hognose snake. Young cattle egret, Ampijoroa, Madagascar. Hermit crab, Aride, Seychelles. Durrell Expeditioners in Zodiac, Aldabra, Seychelles. Fairy tern, Aride, Seychelles. Beach at Ambondro Ambasy, northwest Madagascar. Seychelles magpie robin, Aride, Seychelles. Primary school classroom, Ambondro Ambasy, northwest Madagascar. Ploughshare tortoise, Ampijoroa breeding centre, Madagascar.
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I N FO C U S
MA L A G A SY GIA NT J U MP I N G R AT More than just a loyal, life-partner – it can launch itself up, three times its own height. This is equal to you leaping over a double-decker bus clear – now that’s some serious air! Sadly, the unique giant jumping rat is endangered. Its home in the Menabe dry-forests is being devastated. The Malagasy giant jumping rat lives a quiet, nocturnal life in the dry forests of Madagascar, but this is no ordinary rat and we think it deserves more recognition! Known locally as vositse, it is by far the largest rodent in Madagascar and like most of Madagascar’s weird and wonderful creatures, it is completely unique. When startled or trying to avoid predators it can leap an incredible 3ft into the air, earning it its name – the ‘jumping’ rat.
FAC T FILE COMMON NAME Malagasy giant jumping rat
SCIENTIFIC NAME
Hypogeomys antimena
SIZE Its body is 30-35cm in length and its tail is 21-25cm WEIGHT Up to 1.5kg IN THE WILD Approximately 36,000 individuals
BREEDING Unlike most rodents, it is monogamous, staying with its mate for life. Females give birth to only one or two offspring per year.
IUCN RED LIST The giant jumping rat is currently classified as Endangered. If deforestation continues to accelerate in its range, it could soon become Critically Endangered. Durrell is fighting to prevent this from happening.
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IN F OCU S
“It was about the size of a small cat, with a very long, thick, bare tail, large but delicate pink feet and huge pinkygrey ears like arum lilies… It has a mass of stiff whiskers, through which it peered like someone looking through a lace curtain” DESC RI PT I ON OF A MAL AGASY GI ANT J U MPI NG RAT F R OM ‘ T HE AY E AY E AND I ’ BY GERAL D DU RRE LL
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I N FO C U S
WHERE DOES THE GIANT JUMPING RAT LIVE? The giant jumping rat lives only in the dry forests of western Madagascar but this habitat has drastically declined. One of the largest remaining forest fragments is found in the region of Menabe, home to the last two surviving sub-populations of the giant jumping rat.
KEY MILESTONES
1ST MENABE D RY F O R E S T
1991 Durrell is the first organisation to successfully breed the giant jumping rat in captivity.
HOW DURRELL IS HELPING Durrell was the first organisation to successfully breed the giant jumping rat in captivity after Gerald Durrell brought 5 individuals from Madagascar to Jersey Zoo in 1990. Since then, Durrell has coordinated an international captive breeding programme for the species to establish a ‘safety-net’ population. In the wild, Durrell has been dedicated to the conservation of the giant jumping rat and its precious remaining habitat for almost 20 years. Field teams conduct rigorous surveys to monitor its status and work closely with local communities to engage them with conservation and support sustainable development. With Durrell’s help, the forest home of the giant jumping rat has been made an official protected area. However, this is under increasing pressure as deforestation across Menabe is reaching a critical level.
2006 A new protected area is
created to protect the species’ precious remaining habitat.
PREDICTED RANGE LOSS If the rate of deforestation continues to accelerate, the giant jumping rat could lose 87% of its range by 2025.
2012 RANGE
333KM2
2025 PREDICTED RANGE
44KM2
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2010 Forest management
is legally transferred to local community associations.
IN F OCU S
MEET ANSEL ME TOTO V OL A H Y Our giant jumping rat champion Anselme began working with Durrell in 1997 when he was a student studying the giant jumping rat. After completing his studies, Anselme joined the Durrell team and is now Project Manager for the Menabe programme. He is responsible for overseeing the monitoring of the giant jumping rat and engaging local communities with its conservation.
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I N TH E W I L D
D RY F O RE ST D ESTRUC TI ON MENABE IN CRISIS by Lucy Archer
Madagascar – one of the world’s richest, yet poorest island-nations in the world. Separated from the African continental mainland over 160 million years ago, Madagascar is the world’s oldest island and is one of the world’s mega‐biodiverse countries. This single island contains approximately 5% of the world’s known plant and animal species, many of which exist nowhere else on earth. 91% of its reptile species, 98% of its amphibian species, over 50% of its bird species, 80% of its plant species and all of its 103 lemur species are found nowhere else in the world. Sadly however, this rich area of biodiversity overlaps with one of the world’s poorest nations. It lies at 158th on the UN Human Development Index, with more than 75% of the population living below the international poverty line. These people are extremely poor and are directly dependent on natural resources for their day-to-day livelihoods and immediate survival – all of which has had devastating impacts for the country’s forests. Madagascar is in the top 20 of countries with the highest deforestation rates in the world. And its western dry forests are vulnerable. A tropical dry forest consists of mainly deciduous trees which shed their foliage in the ‘dry’ season; as opposed to wet/monsoon season. The dry forest of Menabe-Antimena Protection area, in western Madagascar is a truly special place; home to over 227 animal species and over 200 tree species. Of the animals, two are found nowhere else on earth: the giant jumping rat (Hypogeomys antimena) and the smallest primate in the world, Madame Berthe’s mouse lemur (Microcebus berthae) – which face extinction if current trends are allowed to continue. Historically, deforestation in the area has largely been driven by three main drivers: slash and burn agriculture for maize crops, uncontrolled fires to produce pasture for livestock and illegal logging for building timbers. For many people, they have no option but to engage in environmentally damaging practices as they rely so strongly on the forest for their livelihoods. Recently however, there has been a rapid increase in deforestation, driven by a demand for maize and peanut oil production to serve overseas markets; and an upsurge in people moving south to the area from the north of Madagascar, which has become unsuitable for farming due to climate change.
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It is predicted that 95% of the forest could be lost by 2025 if deforestation continues increasing at the projected accelerated rate. This will put over 400 species at risk and could be catastrophic for the mouse lemur and giant jumping rat, unique to Madagascar.
SOWI NG T HE SEEDS OF R EGENERAT I ON Durrell has been working in the dry, deciduous forests of Menabe since 1997, initially focusing on the threatened endemic species; the giant jumping rat, kapidolo and narrow-striped mongoose in particular. We then helped establish the Menabe Antimena protected area, and ran community awareness campaigns and sustainable community development projects. Improving agricultural productivity on abandoned land near primary forest reduces the propensity for cutting down more of the forest.
It is predicted that 95% of the forest could be lost by 2025 if deforestation continues increasing at the projected accelerated rate.
95
%
LOSS OF FOREST
IN THE W IL D
SPECIES NAT IV E TO MEN A BE
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MAMMALS
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REPTILES
128 BIRD S
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AM PH IBI A N S
200 TRE ES
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O NTISO N TI TLE CE DCSEC U RE RVATI R EONLSCLIENW ILDLIFE EXPEDITION: A N DA M A N S , M YA N M A R , BANGLADESH AND INDIA 4 – 1 9 F E B R U A RY 2 0 1 9
Dr Lee Durrell is excited by this 2019 itinerary, saying “We regard India as one of Durrell’s ‘hot spots’; we have many people working in wildlife conservation there who trained at Durrell.”
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Travel alongside Dr Lesley Dickie, Durrell CEO
ravel with Director of The Ultimate Travel Company Martin Thompson, Amelia Dalton, ornithologist wildlife expert Andy Bunten, and Dr Lesley Dickie (CEO of Durrell) on our sixth but arguably most exciting expedition in association with the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust. • Sail aboard the 62 cabin comfortable Silver Discoverer, chartered exclusively, with an excellent expedition team, attentive service, imaginative food, a spa, gym and on-board swimming pool
TOUR PRICE FROM £9,745
• Bask in the tropical seas amongst the coral gardens of the Andaman Islands, and discover the stunning complex of dramatic temples from the ancient Arakan Empire at Mrauk Oo in Myanmar • Paddle through the vast labyrinth of creeks and channels of the Sundarbans in Bangladesh, rich in varied wildlife, and view the flocks of birdlife, from fish eagles to flamingos, on Chilika Lake in India, Asia’s largest lagoon
PER PERSON
(excluding international flights)
Dr Ros Kennerley www.theultimatetravelcompany.co.uk PR OGR A M M E OF F I C ER
Interested in joining this trip? Please contact The Ultimate Travel Company on 020 3411 4595 or email: enquiry@theultimatetravelcompany.co.uk
WIL D PR OF IL E
A N S E LME TOT O V OL AH Y C H A M P I O N O F G I A N T J U M P I N G R AT S TELL US ABOUT YOU AND YOUR WORK
WHY DID YOU WANT TO WORK IN CONSERVATION?
I began working as a consultant for Durrell in the late 1990s in Menabe focusing on the three endemic species found in the region: giant jumping rat; Madagascar flat-shelled tortoise; narrow striped mongoose. We would work for three months at a time in the field conducting surveys, walking site to site, village to village. Since starting my work in Menabe, significant effort has been made to keep these unique species in their preferred habitats. Sadly, at the moment, reducing, curbing and combating the acceleration of habitat loss is a huge challenge. We need to reduce the forest loss to more than half the present rate. In my opinion, the protection of the dry forests is paramount to the survival of these species.
I am originally from the east of Madagascar, from a city called Fénérive-Est. We were six in the family with 5 older sisters – I’m the youngest. It was our mother who took care of us. On free days, we had to help by working in the rice fields and in the forest to cultivate rice, maize and manioc to live. In order to continue my studies and in addition to the usual work, I had to practice traditional maritime fishing by working together with my brother in law. I managed to save up and pay for my studies thanks to this additional work. I still feel that I have a debt to nature, and that is why I made the decision to work in conservation. And I will stay in this area as long as I have the strength to do so.
I now work with village communities to gain their support in combating the threats facing Menabe’s biodiversity. By supporting these communities through capacity-building and the establishment of development projects, I believe we can halt the disappearance of dry forest in western Madagascar. Working with the local communities is what I enjoy most, and it makes me very proud.
I used to spend time camping in the forest with local people across the Menabe region. It was my passion and my ambition to be with nature, I enjoyed it so much it did not feel like work. I felt content every day when I came out of the tent, at dusk, to hear the cries of the animals and the songs of the birds. It gave me confidence to see that our animals are still there. It is thanks to our efforts that the
WHAT ACHIEVEMENT ARE YOU MOST PR OUD OF?
forest of Central Menabe is currently classified as a Protected Area. I have great pride for me, for the team, for Durrell to still be here in Menabe. The team is doing a great job despite the threats we are facing today. Try to imagine what would have happened with these endangered species and their habitats if our project was not located in the area. From the local communities to the authorities, they are all grateful for our efforts.
WHAT INSPIRES YOU TO KEEP GOING? We still have a job to do. The loss of the forest of Menabe poses a great risk for the survival of the species we work with. We will continue to work with these local communities who have taken their own initiative to manage their natural resources. We will continue to support them, to strengthen their capacity in terms of resource management and ensure good governance and ecological monitoring. We know that these are solutions that can work. We will continue to convince all the stakeholders and the authorities, that everyone must make their contributions because now it becomes a struggle for the good of the region and the nation.
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N EW S
F I ELD N E W S SU P P O R TI N G SA IN T LUCIA N AT IONAL TR UST
ENGAGING L OCAL CHIL D R EN IN CONSERVATION
Saint Lucia National Trust has received a serious blow to its efforts to conserve the incredibly rare snake, the Saint Lucia racer. The National Trust manages Maria Major, the small offshore island where the entire global population of this snake lives has had a sudden cut in its government funding. Durrell is now helping find ways of increasing revenue for island management without compromising the extremely fragile biodiversity there. Maria Major (right) and Maria Minor (left) off the coast of Saint Lucia P H O TO Alex Fleming
SAV I N G JE R S EY ’S SEA BIRDS As part of the Birds on the Edge project, Durrell is embarking on surveys to determine the presence of rats near seabird colonies at Plémont, on Jersey’s northwest coast. Rats are known to suppress seabird numbers on islands all over the world, and are likely to contribute to Jersey’s low populations of puffins, storm petrels and Manx shearwaters. The surveys will help determine the number of rats in the area and propose potential ways we can reduce their impact and encourage seabirds to return.
In June 2017, an excited group of school children from Saint Lucia visited a special patch of forest to learn about a critically endangered bird, the white-breasted thrasher. The children from the local Lorax environmental club travelled to an area that is less than 8km2 but is home to 80% of the global population of this bird. The trip was a great opportunity for the children to learn about the species and the threats to its habitat. PH OT O Matt Morton
R O YA L V I S I T FOR P O C H A R D P R OJ EC T
With less than 30 individuals in the wild, the Critically Endangered Madagascar pochard is one of the rarest birds on the planet – thought to be extinct until it was rediscovered in 2006, on a single lake. The 25th October is a special day for the Madagascar pochard; it was exactly 8 years ago in 2009 that the first ducklings hatched from the eggs collected from the wild. Durrell, the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust and Madagascar partners set out to save this species and restore it back to the wild. In 2016, they all celebrated the hatching of the 100th duckling – tripling the global population; and continued to work hard with local communities to ensure that the release lake is protected and restored as a healthy wetland resource. The project provides a powerful example of how saving some of the most threatened species in the world can enable whole-ecosystem recovery.
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P H OT O Amber Eames
25th October 2017: HRH The Princess Royal, Patron of Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust and President Rajaonarimampianina visited Antsohihy to open the Fotsimaso Interpretation Centre for the Madagascar pochard. This event marks the completion of a major phase in the captive breeding programme, so the ducks can now be released back to the wild.
NEWS SU RVE Y I N G T H E WILDLIF E O F IN DIA’S GR ASSL AND S As part of a survey to look for pygmy hogs, we put a network of camera traps in Orang National Park. We captured a few photos of pygmy hogs including some hoglets, which is great news! We also got an amazing insight into the variety of life existing in this grassland including elephant, rhino, tiger, hog deer, wild boar, monitor lizard and swamp francolin.
A C A DE M Y A C TI VIT Y
THE B IG D IFFER ENCE OUR TR AINING MAKE S
P O S I TI V E FE E D BA CK F R O M T HIS YEAR ’S C ON S E RVATI ON GRA DUAT ES
New research from the Academy shows that training is making a big difference to our conservation graduates. 86% report an increased ability to deliver effective conservation action, 89% report an improved career and 94% report increased confidence in their ability to make a difference in the world.
“The course has brought a wealth of knowledge and has been an eye opener to the opportunities that currently exist in terms of my career development. It has boosted my confidence and its impact will stay with me for a very long time” – Graduate from our world renowned DESMAN course (Durrell Endangered Species Management)
“I T GAVE ME THE TOOLS TO C R E ATE A R E AL I MPA C T I N THE C ON S E RVATI ON WORL D ”
A L U M N I S TO RIES WH E R E A R E T HEY NOW ? GERMAIN RAZAFINDRAKOTO
DESMA N GRA DUAT E
I am working as a Curator at the Botanical and Zoological Parc of Tsimbazaza, the unique public zoo in the capital of Antananarivo, Madagascar, is also a research centre for environment and education. The PGDip benefited me in that I can directly apply what we learnt in animal husbandry and captive breeding techniques and skills to save species at the edge of extinction.
JACK GREENHALGH Since completing the PGDip in 2015, I have been continuing my adventure on Mauritius. In this time, I have been working as a Conservation Biologist on the echo parakeet project. The project aims to conserve and restore the wild population of this charismatic but endangered species. In the last two years, we have witnessed the population fledge almost 500 chicks into the wild. The last two years have been the most fulfilling of my life.
KATIE MACFARL ANE 2014: During my six months on the PGDip, I gained a vast amount of experience in both theoretical and practical conservation. The weeks away at various camps around the island, working with some of the most endangered species on the planet have filled me with enough passions and knowledge to last a lifetime. On my return to Scotland, I began work in education conservation at an aquarium. I have since moved to Blair Drummond Safari Park, near Stirling, UK.
GER AL D D UR R EL L W E E K, JER SEY 2017 This year’s Gerald Durrell Week attendees had a full schedule: if they weren’t behind the scenes at Jersey Zoo, they were out exploring in the field. Whether it was searching for rare agile frogs or ant lions, or visiting the site where Durrell is releasing red-billed choughs back to the wild, the Durrell Academy team kept them busy!
K E E P U P T O D AT E & SIGN-UP FOR ENEWS: DURRELL.ORG/NEWS
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AT TH E Z O O
M OR E M I N I M ONK EY S ON THE WAY ! by Dominic Wormell, Head of Mammal Department
Two of the five black lion tamarins, which earlier this year made the epic journey from Sao Paulo to take up residence with us at our Zoo in Jersey, are thought to be expecting. Two females are showing all the signs of pregnancy and keepers are optimistic that there will be babies in the coming months. It’s fantastic news for the group, who are vital to the survival of this species in captivity. Prior to their arrival, there were just four of them left in Europe and they were at real risk of dying out. Here at Jersey Zoo, we manage the international studbook for black lion tamarins, and are working hard towards regrowing the population, aiming for between 350-400 animals. Black lion tamarins are listed as Endangered on the IUCN red list, and with just 1,600 thought to be living in the wild, we are keen to ensure there’s a species safety-net, should a disaster befall their native Brazilian population.
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The species was thought to be extinct until it was rediscovered in the 1970’s. Today it is one of the most threatened primates in Brazil. Black lion tamarins can only be found in a few isolated forest patches in the state of Sao Paulo where only 7% of the Atlantic rainforest remains. The tamarins’ fragmented wild population is under increasing pressure due to habitat destruction and the extreme effects of climate change, and has to be closely monitored and managed for them to survive. A fire or other disaster could wipe them out completely, so a captive population that can later be integrated into the wild population is essential to the survival of the species. We’re delighted that the five tamarins are now out of quarantine and one of the pairs is on show to the public. The Durrell team will be heading back to the tamarins’ native Brazil later in the year to run another workshop, so that conservationists there can learn how to breed both tamarins and marmosets in order to build up safety-net populations.
CONSERVATION SCIE N CE
C E LINE DI O N Overlooked and under threat? by Dr Ros Kennerley
We at the Small Mammal Specialist Group fondly refer to the solenodon, as the Celine Dion of small mammals. Durrell is helping to conserve over half of the world’s mammals but not just the big, charismatic crowd-pleasers. Gerald Durrell was a real champion of smaller mammals, those he called ‘little brown jobs’, that need a helping hand to ensure their survival too. Durrell is one of the main partners supporting the IUCN SSC Small Mammal Specialist Group (SMSG) and it’s a mammoth task, representing well over 2,800 species including rodents, shrews, moles, solenodons, hedgehogs and tree-shrews. Sadly, there is still a lack of even basic knowledge about how to conserve the majority of these species, and very few people working to save them.
When Lee Durrell took this great photo of Gerry holding a Russian desman (Desmana moschata) back in 1984 at the Oka Reserve in Russia, the species was considered to be doing well. Surveys in Russia since indicate that the population has declined by more than 50% in recent years and its status has changed from ‘vulnerable’ to ‘endangered’ on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Numbers have dwindled because of ongoing threats including the large number of poachers using fixed fishing nets and catching them as by-catch. The Russian desman is one of the SMSG’s Key Species and we are working hard to do more research and increase our conservation efforts to ensure its survival and the survival of so many other species. You can find out more about the SMSG: www.small-mammals.org
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T EC H C O R N E R
TECH C ORNER
VET TIN G ZOO A N IM A L C A R E O N A MI C R O S C O P I C L EVEL by Ann Thomasson, Veterinary Biologist
At Jersey Zoo, we are very fortunate to have our own laboratory where I can analyse various samples that are collected by the keepers and veterinarians, from animals kept here and from projects overseas. Part of that analysis is conducted using our fabulous Leica DM 1000 LED microscope together with the Leica LAS EZ microscope camera which allows us to take digital images of the microscopic organisms that we detect during the screening processes we undertake. Here are a few of the ‘nasties’ that we have found this year.
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TECH SECTIO CORN N T I TEL R E
This is Aspergillus, a fungus that can invade the respiratory tract of many species. We grew this on a specialised agar called Sabourauds, then cut a very small piece of the growing fungus, placed it on a microscope slide, stained it to make it easier to see, and then viewed it under 400x magnification. This organism came from a common shama thrush who had breathing difficulties. Unfortunately, it is very difficult to treat birds with this fungus.
2 1 4
3
The above image shows three different parasites seen during faecal screening from the choughs at Sorel in Jersey. The birds were sneezing, so a sample was brought to the lab. 1 This is an egg of the Syngamus trachea parasite, a worm that lodges in the trachea and causes inflammation and irritation. This makes the birds cough, sneeze or breathe with their mouths gaping open, leading to the parasite having the common name of ‘Gapeworm’. The choughs become infected by eating insects (intermediate hosts) that carry this parasite. 2 These are called coccidia, single-celled organisms or protozoa. Some are more dangerous than others, but these do not appear to cause the choughs any problems. The choughs pick these parasites up from other birds which pass them in their droppings. 3 This is Thysanosoma actinoides, sheep parasite which the choughs have picked up when foraging for insects where the sheep graze at Sorel in Jersey. This parasite will just pass out through the gastrointestinal tract of the choughs without causing infection or any damage. 4 These black circles are air bubbles, caught up in the solution on the slide.
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N
TSERRA
T
MO
SA FE U P D ATE
EB 14 F 1 0 2 6
FR OM MONTSERRAT WITH LOVE by Dr Mike Hudson
On Valentine’s Day, February 2016 Durrell made an appeal from Montserrat with love, to fund the next phase of its mountain chicken recovery programme. Durrell’s Conservation Scientist, Dr Mike Hudson provides an update from his recent fact-finding mission on how the programme is developing and on the unfolding tale of Montserrat’s last known male and female pair of mountain chicken frogs – they’re getting closer!
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SAFE U PD AT E
Lloyd was also able to source a building for breeding insects – an old volcano shelter in which people lived, after being displaced by the catastrophic eruptions of the South Soufriere Hills Volcano between 1999-2010. This is so helpful, as we can now ensure that our frogs won’t go hungry.
“HELLO, IS IT ME YOU’RE ‘WHOOPING’ FOR?”
Many of you will already know the story of the giant Caribbean mountain chicken frog – a species driven to near-extinction by a deadly fungal disease in one of the fastest species-wide declines ever recorded. There are now only TWO known frogs on the whole of Montserrat and around 130 on Dominica. Durrell’s mountain chicken recovery programme, Saving Amphibians From Extinction (SAFE) is making sure that this charismatic frog doesn’t go from near-extinct to extinct. Thanks to funds raised in our Spring appeal, I was able to return to the Caribbean islands of Dominica and Montserrat to progress the next phase of the mountain chicken recovery programme. Our plan is to build an enclosure in the forest on Montserrat in which we will modify the environment to make it less suitable for the devastating disease – a safe haven where the species can survive, disease free. However, there is a lot to do before we can send captive bred frogs out to Montserrat, so my key tasks for the trip were to: 1. find a suitable place to build an enclosure in the forest; 2. get permission from the landowner; 3. find somewhere to breed insects to feed the frogs (in case there aren’t enough natural prey in their enclosure); and 4. determine what materials we can get on Montserrat, and what we need to bring in from elsewhere – after all, Montserrat is a tiny volcanic island with a population of only 4,000.
Whilst I was in Montserrat, of course I had to look in on our last two remaining mountain chickens on the island. Some of you might remember that previously, these two frogs (one male, one female – thankfully!) lived about one kilometre apart and would, therefore never meet naturally. Following the kind donations from the Valentine’s Day appeal last year, we were able to move the female down into the male’s territory in the hope that they might meet and breed. I wanted to make sure they were still doing OK. After completing the long walk out to the male’s territory, I sat and waited alongside Calvin Fenton, another important project collaborator on Montserrat, for the night to set in. After an hour or so, darkness fell and the forest came alive with birds and tree frogs all out to find their supper. Suddenly, it was action stations as Calvin heard the sound of the male jumping around on dry leaves and making his characteristic whooping call. Success! He survived the dry season and the limited food that comes with it. This frog is a real survivor. He was first caught in 2009 during the disease outbreak where most of his species were lost, and was an adult then making him at least 12 now. With that heartening piece of news and fuelled with optimism, we got down to more planning and fact-finding, until it was time for me to return home. Now we need to raise more funds in order to make the mountain chicken frog sanctuary on Montserrat a reality! On behalf of our star-crossed amphibious lovers, Romeo and Juliet perhaps, or Kate and Leo… Thank you so much to all of you who have already supported this cause. You can still support this project, visit www.durrell.org/safehaven - Thank you!
SO HOW DID IT ALL GO? Enduring several sweaty days trekking through the humid forest and surveying sites with Head Forestry Officer, Lloyd Martin, we considered the suitability of the terrain, asking questions like: • Is there enough space to build an enclosure? • Is it flat enough to dig ponds? • Is it too rocky to build fences? Finally, we narrowed it down to a choice of two sites, both of which look promising. Now we ‘just’ need to gain permission from the landowners and make the final choice.
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DO D O D I S PATCH
CR OSSWORD 1
2
3
4
5 6 7
8 9 10
11
12
DOWN 1 The smaller of the bat species at Durrell are …fruit bats (9) 2 The biggest species of bat at Durrell is the …fruit bat (12) 4 The Livingstone’s bats come from the … Islands (7) 10 The bat enclosure at Durrell is called The… Bat Roost (6) 11 A baby bat is called a … (3)
ACR OSS 3 The bats at Durrell are … endangered (10) 5 What is the main food for our bats in the wild?…(5) 6 A bat is a … (6) 7 Bats are sometimes called … (6, 5) 8 There are two types of bats, microbats (insect eaters) and … (fruit eaters) (8) 9 Bats are sometimes called ‘nature’s gardeners’ because they are very good at… dispersal (4) 12 Our bats are active at dawn and dusk, another (long!) word for this is …(12)
ANSWER BANK Livingstones, Comoros, crepuscaular, pup, Rodrigues, critically, megabats, seed, flying foxes, mammal, Island, fruit
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D OD O D ISPAT CH
A D AY I N T H E L I F E O F A … Name Kato Age 11 Species
Macaque Keeper
aque Sulawesi black mac LIKES He loves sweet er pp potato and bell pe likes to s ay w seeds, and al on. g in go know what’s e it DISLIKES He doesn’t likher e ot when you give th ion as he nt te at s macaque is the boss.
Name Chris Species Human Age 31 JOB Senior Mammal
Keeper - in charge of d the Macaque Section an r responsible for the howle y. monkeys and bokibok
My day starts at 8am when I make all the breakfasts for the animals. This includes a special pellet for the macaques, which looks like breakfast cereal. I don’t add any milk though; they like to eat it dry. Once I have checked on all my other animals, I have to make sure that the macaques are OK. Some of our macaques, especially Kato (the big male) are trained to come up to the mesh, and show me various parts of their bodies, like their hands and feet and bottom. This way, I can make sure that they are healthy, and if they have any injuries, I can make sure that they are healing well. Next, I clean their house. But first I have to throw some of their breakfast outside to distract them while I go inside. Sometimes it can take an hour to clean the whole building because they are very messy animals. When I’m finished, I put the rest of their breakfast inside, and sometimes give them really fun things to play with like a tyre swing, a giant ball or sometimes special things like Christmas trees!
Before long I start preparing the food they’ll need for the rest of the day – starting with their lunch. They really like vegetables, especially cucumbers and red peppers. In the afternoon, I try to train our macaques to do things like come into the building when I ask or sit down and stay still, just like you might do with your dog. Sometimes though, they don’t want to do any training, so I will do some gardening or build new toys for them to play with.
BEST BI T S Listening to all the different noises that the macaques make as they talk to each other and watching the young ones play. WOR ST BI T Having to clean up all of the poo – I sometimes wish they knew how to use a toilet!!
At the end of the day, I give them their dinner of leeks, chicory and either nuts, eggs or sunflower seeds. Then I say goodnight to them, and go back to the office. Everyday I write down what I did and how the monkeys behaved. By writing everything down we can learn a lot, and make our zoo even better for the animals and for you, our visitors.
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DO D O D I S PATCH
GO WILD
AT J E R S E
W W W. J E R S E YZ O O . O R G
SPOT THE DIFFERENCE
GO WLID W W W. J E R S E YZ O O . O R G
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AT J E R S E
D OD O D ISPAT CH
GO GR EEN
CHALLENGE
FREE YOUR WILD SPACES
EY ZOO
Are you ready to GO GREEN for Durrell? Durrell challenges you to help wildlife by picking up any rubbish you find when you go for a walk. Rubbish is a big problem for our wild places. Animals can eat rubbish, whether it is on a beach or in a woodland, and it can make them sick or even die. Keeping wild places free of rubbish is important for wildlife as a plastic wrapper can look like a tasty snack for a hedgehog or a turtle.
HERE’S WHAT TO DO… Grab a pair of rubber gloves and a plastic bag, and you’re ready to go!
An old plastic bag
Can you spot all nine differences?
EY ZOO
Rubber glo
ves
Choose your favourite wild place – either a beach, woodland or park – and spend about 30 minutes on a walk there. On your walk, do you notice any rubbish? If you do, pick it up and pop it in your plastic bag. Can you recycle any of the rubbish you’ve collected? Recycle as much as you can, either at home or at your nearest recycling centre.
SO, HOW DID YOU DO? Let us know how much and what kind of rubbish you collected, perhaps you could weigh it or take photos, then email us at: education.admin@durrell.org. We’d love to hear from you, and how you helped your local wildlife with this green challenge!
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# DO I TFO R D U RRELL
BE I N S PIRED At Durrell we are so grateful to all our friends, members and supporters, and we’d like to say a huge ‘thank you’ to each and every one of you. In each issue of WILD LIFE we will share some inspiring ideas of how our supporters raise vital funds for Durrell.
INV ESTEC R AINFOR EST B AL L – TAKE THAT! A huge round of applause for all those involved this September, in making happen Jersey’s biggest fundraising event of the year. An unforgettable night for the 600 plus guests. A special thanks to Elaine and Chris Fairfax for generously donating the Take That performance – they raised the roof! Final funds raised are still to be announced, with the proceeds to be shared between our orangutan family at Durrell and their wild counterparts, care of the Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme. All of this was only made possible with the support of sponsors Investec and D.G.R. Slatter, prize donors and team of 30 amazing volunteers – led by Zoe Hotton. Thank you, all!
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#D OITFOR D U RRE L L
WUN DERBAR V OL UNTEER S! We are so very lucky at Durrell to have the support of our volunteers. Take Iris and Inge, two ladies from Germany – the dedicated duo have donated hundreds of pounds to their beloved Livingstone’s fruit bats here at Jersey Zoo, and have been coming to Jersey for many years, to spend a fortnight purely volunteering with us at Durrell.
C A LL O F T HE R EWIL D GEN ERAT ION In September, Durrell put out a call for Jersey children aged 6 to 17 years to be cast in a short film to launch our new REWild Strategy. We were hoping to cast 16 children; we received over 400 submissions! We are pleased to see the support for Durrell and that our strategy resonates with so many young people and their families. Under the direction of Dean Maryon of NAUTILUS, the children voiced the call to ‘REWILD OURSELVES. REWILD OUR WORLD.’, and added a swell of hopeful commitment to Durrell’s new vision ‘for a wilder, healthier and more colourful world.’ The now complete short film premièred at Durrell’s 10th London Lecture in November; and we look forward to sharing it more widely in the new year. Like us on Facebook and sign-up to our eNews to hear more soon: durrell.org/news
#WA LKIN GWITHPAT A big, Badongo welcome back for Durrell friend and fundraiser, Pat Kucza! He recently returned to Jersey after walking across Britain in aid of Durrell. Over two and a half months, Pat walked from Land’s End to John O’Groats, climbing the three peaks along the way – always in the cuddly company of Wilson the gorilla. Thank you, Pat and Wilson for raising an amazing, £1,145. It’s not too late to donate: www.gofundme.com/wilsonsbritishadventure
GH O ST BUSTED ! This October, we hosted our first Halloween event and welcomed over 3,500 visitors in just one weekend. A special thank you to Jersey Ghostbusters and our amazing volunteers for making us all go ‘BOO!’ at Jersey Zoo. We’ve several more tricks and treats up our sleeves for 2018!
DEDICAT ED TO THE D ASH Our 10th Anniversary of Durrell Dash saw the biggest turnout yet with over 600 runners! A very big thank you to the individuals and teams who participated and to our long-standing sponsors Rathbones. With your unwavering support we raised for Durrell £10,654!
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IN NUMBERS
THE VET DEPAR TMENT IN NUMBERS
2 FULL TIME V ETS. 15 V ET ER I N A RY C OL L EA GUES A N D ST UD EN T S ON EX TEND ED PL A CEM EN T S I N T HE D EPA R T M EN T I N 2017
32 2 6 DIFFERENT S AMP LES C HECKED FO R PAR ASITES
£190, 000 T O R U N T HE V ET D EPA R T M E N T EA C H Y EA R
£ 19 LIV ING ST ON E’ S F R UI T B AT S A N A ESTH ET I SED A N D SC A N N ED TO CH ECK F OR HEA R T D I SEA SE
6 1 1 X-R AYS
137 SUR GER I E S EA C H Y EA R
2598 I N D I V I D UA L POO SA MPL ES PR OC ESSED I N OU R L A B OR AT ORY
5 D AYS TRAV EL FOR THE HEA D V ET TO CH ECK ON OUR PLOU GH SH ARE TOR T OI SES IN BALY BAY, MAD AG A SC A R (A N D A N OTH ER 4 TO T R AV EL BA CK TO JERSEY )
KEEPING THE A N I M A L S AT J ER SEY ZO O HAPPY A N D H EA LT H Y 32
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SECTION T IT L E
Stay in five star luxury…
…surrounded by some of the rarest animals on the planet. F O R M O R E I NF O RMATIO N Call us on +44 (0)1534 860097 or visit www.durrell.org/camp
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