Jersey zoo » Durrell (Jersey) Zoo

02-10-2007

Back from my trip to Jersey on Sunday. Regarding the gorillas, I don't really have a lot to add to the already comprehensive info in this thread other than YK has settled back into the group after his operation and appears to have made a full recovery. The keepers are hopeful he will still be able to mate.

Durrell are currently fundraising for a couple of new projects, although I get the impression that these are still in the early stages and there is no timetable yet. One is a new gorilla house, the other is a tropical house with mixed species. They also have a small scale amphibian lab planned but this won't be open to the public.

The zoo is certainly a different experience to any other zoo I've been too. They are much more serious and focussed on the conservation message. There are noticeably fewer kids than at other zoos, which could be a good or bad thing depending on your perspective. The talks were really interesting and the gardens beautiful, especially the central valley. Some of the enclosures are starting to look a little tired, but the reptile and amphibian house is a gem, the orang-utan and gibbon islands look great and First Impressions isn't bad either (alas, those short-clawed otters are still there!)

Fair play to them for focussing on in-situ conservation. I think they have the balance between popular animals and endangered species about right. They've been losing money for a good few years now, so they had to do something to pull in more punters - either that or cut back on their conservation work, which clearly wasn't an option.

03-10-2007

Yes, its always pleasant to visit for that very reason! (Even the cafe sells top quality food unlike most zoos...). The lack of children I think is due to it being an Island with only so many schools/resident children, while for holidaymakers Jersey is still a relatively expensive destination and so not that popular.... I think these are important factors which may have contributed to them to losing money over the years.

03-10-2007

Absolutely! Easily the best lunch I've ever eaten in a zoo. Although they seemed to be cooking far too much food for the number of visitors that day... (Incidentally, the worst meal in a zoo I've ever had was at Prague Zoo earlier this year, but you can't really complain when the admission fee is less than £2 and lunch under £1)

There's not a lot to interest very young children apart from the playground, but I think it's a fantastic educational day out for older children. There was a large group of teenagers on a guided tour clearly engrossed in the conservation issues and asking the guide lots of pertinent questions about the design of the enclosures.

03-10-2007

I loved jersey zoo. It has so many unusual species. But then I am a bit of an unusual teenager! Not many teens would be going to a zoo like jersey hoping to see echo parakeets, narrow striped mongooses and lesser antilles iguana!

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Jonathan Beilby-www.zooscene.co.uk

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03-10-2007

I really enjoyed seeing the rare species too. Enjoyed the echo parakeets keeper talk and got some nice photos of the Lesser Antillean and Utila spiny-tailed iguanas, but the mongooses didn't want to be seen. I also spent quite a while looking for the hornbills but She Who Must Be Obeyed was getting restless so we had to leave

03-10-2007

That's the very sort of thing(over a long period of time) that leads to financial loss... Jersey is probably the least commercial zoo I've ever come across. Coupled with that there are only so many people on Jersey, or on holiday visiting it.(nearly ALL holidaymakers there do go to the zoo, I believe.) But there's no big City nearby for families to come flooding in at Weekends or school holidays.

When Gerald Durrell located his zoo in Jersey, I doubt any of that was considered. Did you know he nearly set it up in Bournemouth but the Council refused him permission(in hindsight that was a bad mistake on their part...)

I think the island location as well as Durrell's ethics both contribute to the 'cultured' feel of Jersey Zoo. Its so refreshing after the usual zoo atmosphere.

13-10-2007

It's not that Ya Kwanza didn't dominate the girls because in fact they still display when in oestreus and Sakina often follows him around (Bahasha even follows him around when not in oestreus, she's lovestruck!) it's Ya Kwanza himself that is just not interested in them. His favourite obviously is Kahilli and he's just far too monogamous! Sad news though, Ya Pili (4 year old female YK x HK) died yesterday morning

14-10-2007

Wow, that's very bad news about YaPili. Do you know why she died?
It means YK (and his father) have only the one descendant now- Mapema.

Regarding YK's behaviour with the females, do you know if there any plans to exchange him or bring another male into the group? I've never understood why he's only interested in Kahilli. They really need another male for the other three....

15-10-2007

Virus is all they know at the moment, but was fairly sudden so obviously testing will be done. There are no plans for bringing another male but I guess now would be the right time before (if she does) Kahilli gets pregnant again. It's made sadder from the emotionally unattached view that Ya Pili was genetically very important. I'm not very emotionally unattached though, keep crying!!

15-10-2007

It is very bad news

My main hope is that perhaps sometime they split the group and have a new male for the three non-breeding females. Or perhaps send them away individually for mating at another zoo? It seems a great shame to have three females in a non-breeding situation for so long.

02-11-2007

The latest news form Jersey Zoo and the Durrell Wildlife Preservation Trust

Conservation projects in which the Trust is involved include,

Assam: Pygmy Hog (Porcula salvanius)
Borneo: Bornean Orang Utan (Pongo pygmaeus)
Bolivia: Spectacled Bear (Tremarctos ornatus)
Brazil: Black Lion Tamarin (Leontopithecus chrysopgya)
Dominican Republic: Hispaiolan Solenodon (Solenodon paradoxus)
Galapagos Islands: Floreana Mockingbird (Nesomimus trifasciatus)
Madagascar: Madagascan Side-necked Turtle (Erymnochelys madagascariensis)
Mauritius: Durrell's Night Gecko (Nactus durrelli)
Tanzania: Morogoro Tree Toad (Nectophrynoides viviparus)

Recent research has confirmed that B.H.Hodgson was right to classify the Pygmy Hog in the genus Porcula, this genus has been recently reinstated. The Pygmy Hog has a skull and teeth which differ from pigs of the genus Sus. A reintroduction programme is planned for 2008.

A programme for the endangered Floreana Mockingbird (Nesomimus trifasciatus) is planned. This species has a population of 140 birds, and is extinct on Floreana Island itself. Durrell Wildlife is already involved with conserving the Galapagos Mockingbird (Nesomimus parvulus) and the Mangrove Finch (Camarhynchus heliobates). Aviaries for the finches are being built at the Charles Darwen Research Station on Santa Cruz and this is where the mockingbirds will hopefully be bred. The Trust is planning to bring Mockingbirds to Jersey Zoo so that the staff can gain experience with working with them.

A survey of the Centre Hills forest on the island of Montserrat has confirmed the existance of three species previously thought to have become extinct. The Montserrat Giant Galliwasp (Diploglossus montiserrati) and two endemic plants were recorded, along with 600 beetle species not previously known to occur on the island. The Trust is working with the government to have the area declared a National Park.

A reintroduction of Mauritius Fodys (Foudia rubra) has been established on Ile aux Aigrettes. The population has grown from 100 to 150 in the last five years, and a reintroduction on Round Island is next on the agenda.

Also released onto Ile aux Aigrettes is a small colony of Telfair's Skink (Leiolopsima telfairi) which has also been reintroduced to Gunner's Quoin, and Durrell's Night Gecko (Nactus durrellli) have been released onto the tiny island of Ilot Chat.

The EAZA campaign for 2008 is the Year of the Frog. Durrell Wildlife will be involved with both in-situ and ex-situ conservation of Amphibians. Two shipping containers will be arriving at Jersey Zoo, one is to be used exclusively for the Agile Frog (Rana dalamatina) conservation programme, and the other for tropical frogs. Public viewing areas will be provided.

2000 Agile Frog tadpoles and froglets were released into the wild in two ponds on Jersey. The spawn was removed from the pools and hatched out at the zoo.

02-11-2007

Great news!!

Will they ever have any big expeditions to madagascar again? I loved the film that was produced. I have it on DVD.

__________________
Jonathan Beilby-www.zooscene.co.uk

(Join the hornbill group-www.zoobeat.com/group.php?groupid=2)

03-11-2007

Maybe, I am breaking a tradition here. But why would Jersey need to hold on to its gorillas if they have not been breeding successfully for so long? Is it not time to give the 3 females that display to him a chance at another zoo instead so their genes will become represented better in the zoo population? Is Bekesbourne or the new family group at Port Lympne not a good home?

Jersey already has a breeding group of orangs so a high profile ape species is in the collection. So there would be no love lost on them.

Ya Kwanza could stay as part of a male bachelor grouping. And his genes be preserved by electro-ejaculation and freezing (the frozen zoo). I think much of it has to do with his history of social ineptitude (his early upbringing in Oz).

03-11-2007

AI is not working well with gorillas, just in contrary. I am not aware of any other gorillas sired by AI then Ya Kwanza. I agree that the other females (at least the genetically valueable female from Melbourne) must be given a better chance to breed, but Ya Kwanza is much too important genetically to make him a leader of a bachelor group!!! Send the females with whom he is not breeding away and add one or two more young females and see if he will breed them. If not, he will probably/hopefully have another baby with Kahili which would really be important for the european population.

03-11-2007

Finally, some informative news on Jersey Zoo's in situ conservation projects. I wish they would put more effort into putting it out on their website though! It is rarely updated and gives the impression nothing is happening at Jersey anymore ... which is so far away from the truth. We need not only orchestrators (the purveyors of science in situ), we need communicators to bring their message across!!!!!