GA4

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Kakapo Sirocco To Go On Tour?

More New Zealanders may get the opportunity to meet Sirocco the Kakapo, as the Department of Conservation is considering a nationwide tour for the bird, star of several years of Kakapo Encounters on Ulva Island. The Southland Times has the story.
Kakapo Recovery Team leader Diedre Vercoe said Sirocco had his last chance in the programme in spring but had failed to impress. "We thought because he was quite friendly ... we thought `here's a really good opportunity and he would be quite a frequent donator' but he's all talk."

Sirocco would remain on Codfish Island until August, when he would move to Ulva island for a month for this year's encounter. After that his role would probably change, with several ideas being discussed, including a national trip.

"We've decided his main purpose from this point on is going to be for advocacy ... one idea that's been mooted is that he ... visits a few places around the country so different people can see him."

Saturday, June 13, 2009

Baby Aye-Aye Lemur at Denver Zoo

Denver Zoo has been celebrating the birth of a baby Aye-Aye Lemur, only the second to be born in the USA. ZooBorns.com has the news and pictures, along with this YouTube video.
Denver Zoo is proud to announce the birth of a new aye-aye, a rare endangered primate found in Madagascar. The male infant was born Saturday, April 18, but still does not have a name. The infant’s birth is significant as it is only the second aye-aye to be born at a North American zoo as well as the first to be conceived at a North American zoo. The new aye-aye is currently in a nest box in Denver Zoo’s Emerald Forest building inside the Primate Panorama exhibit. Visitors will be able to see the youngster as he grows and becomes more self sufficient.

The newborn had a low birth weight, but Denver Zoo veterinary and primate staff diligently provided supplemental care and intense management of mom and infant. Eventually this resulted in appropriate weight gains and successful maternal care by the infant’s mother. His weight at birth was 82 grams, but he soon doubled that in roughly two week’s time to 164 grams as of May 4, 2009.
If anyone visits and gets any more pictures, do let me know as I'd be delighted to post them on the site.

Following the comments on the ZooBorns site led me to this article on the previous birth at San Fransisco Zoo, and this super video.

Friday, June 05, 2009

TV Series Launch Event at Royal Geographical Society

From this month's Save The Rhino newsletter, is exciting news of a special event at the Royal Geographical Society in London on Tuesday October 27th. Presented by Save The Rhino, join Stephen Fry and Mark Carwardine as they update us on their quest to follow up the story of the Northern white rhino from Last Chance To See. The event starts at 7.30pm, and doors open at 6.30pm.
In autumn 2009, BBC2 will be airing the Last Chance to See series showing Mark and Stephen on their journey to find species on the edge of extinction. These species are the:

Komodo Dragon
Blue Whale
Kakapo Parrot
Aye-aye
White Rhino
Manatee

On Tuesday 27 October Stephen and Mark will update us on their quest to find the Northern white rhino; the Northern white rhino lived, until recently, in Uganda, southern Chad, south-western Sudan, the eastern part of Central African Republic, and north-eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. However this has all changed and the Northern white rhino is unfortunately right on the brink of extinction due to poaching, civil unrest and corruption. Four individuals were seen in Garamba National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2006, but none have been seen there since, and no where else in the wild. There are 11 in captivity, in the Czech Republic and California, but they're not breeding. It is a desperate situation for the Northern white rhino so join us at the Royal Geographical Society in October to hear more about Stephen and Mark's journey.

To find out more about the Last Chance to See series and the Northern white rhino please follow the links.

Tickets will go on sale at the beginning of July but please e-mail fiona_AT_savetherhino.org to be notified when they do.