International delegations visit the Zoo

Transcription

1 11 A delegation from Moscow recently paid a visit to the Pretoria Zoo. Photographed from left to right are: The Zoo's Deputy Director: Visitor Services, Mrs Sarita Cronje, the Councillor of the Russian Embassy, Mr Sergui Potekhim, the First Secretary of the Embassy of the Russian Federation, Ms Tatiana Kochergina, Her Worship. the Metro Mayor, Councillor Mrs Nombuyiselo Ngele, the Chief of the Department of the Deputy Mayor of the Moscow Government, Ms Eugenia Karlova, the Zoo's Director, Mr Willie Labuschagne and the Senior Specialist for the Directorate of Foreign Relations for the Moscow Government, Mr Andrei Chizhov. International delegations visit the Zoo A delegation of the Vice-Premier of Beijing visited the Pretoria Zoo in October last year. They are (from left to right): The Director of Fengtai District in Beijing, Mr Junyan Guo, the Division Chief of the Beijing Security Division, Mr Huaida Zhao, a staffer from the Foreign Affairs Office of the People's Government of Beijing, Ms Qian Zhang, Metro Mayoress, Mrs Kedibone Maluleka, Zoo Director, Mr Willie Labuschagne, the Zoo's Deputy Director: Visitor Services, Mrs Sarita Cronje, the Vice-Mayor of Beijing, Mr Xuenong Meng, Her Worship the Metro Mayor, Councillor Mrs Nombuyiselo Ngele and the Deputy Director of Foreign Affairs of the People's Government of Beijing Municipality, Ms Saina Zhang.

2 12 Cute, huh? This scimitar-horned oryx calf was born at the Pretoria Zoo in March this year. This antelope is endemic to North Africa, especially Chad. These animals are listed as endangered by the Union for the Conservation of Nature. The classification indicates that the survival of this oryx sub-species is threatened in nature and is unlikely to survive if causal factors remain.

3 13 WHO IS... TH E zoo's D.I RECTOR, WI LLI E LABUSCHAGN E? He's flamboyant and a character in his own right. His trade mark is his jovial ties that he wears with wild abandon! He is the Zoo's Director and CEO, Willie Labuschagne... and this time he bears ALL for Zoon! His office is decorated with a rich burgundy carpet and warm wood paneling. His desk is a haven of memorabilia, files, papers and daily chores. Notwithstanding the seeming clutter, order reigns supreme. He will always make time to speak with any member of staff despite his heavy work load. He is the Zoo's Director, Willie Labuschagne. His dream to make a difference started when he was a mere lad of four on his parents' farm in Volksrust when he realised that he wanted to be a biologist and nothing else. "My father was a great influence on my decision as he was the biology teacher at Hoerskool Volksrust. He later joined the National Parks Board and so I was exposed to conservation from a very early age". When he left school and the time came to make Zoo Director, Mr Willie Labuschagne a career choice, Willie decided he wanted to be a biologist. He completed his BSc and went on to complete his Honours and his Masters degrees on cheetah in the Kalahari. Marriage soon followed and Willie and Irene settled in the Cape. He was then working at the Grootfontein Research Institute as a senior entomologist (study of insects). He says, "But my wife was a city girl and couldn't settle into small town life and I realised that we would have to move". He saw a post advertised at the Johannesburg Zoo requesting a zoologist and he applied. Says Willie: "I wasn't sure what the zoo would offer me. I wasn't particularly anti-zoo, but I was just uninformed as to the role dynamic zoos play in conservation". Willie says that there is no better place to reap the rewards of conservation than at a zoo - the birth of endangered species can be measured in full percentages in comparison with the world species population. When Dr Brand retired as the Director of the Pretoria Zoo in 1984, Willie realised that this would be an ideal career opportunity and has occupied that seat for the past 14 years. As far as his future is concerned, he says, "I have no intention of leaving the Zoo soon, because there is nothing in South Africa that can offer me the same challenges".

4 14 SNAKES ALIVEI The Pretoria Zoo's Reptile Park was recently abuzz with the arrival of six snakes from Stigtings Aap in the Netherlands. The snakes were a donation from this organisation that seeks to find safe havens for confiscated reptiles and primates. The carpet python - a spectacular-looking snake. Carpet pythons are non-venomous, but asphyxiate their prey The Zoo received a female carpet python who has become a mate for the male carpet python that the Zoo already has. These snakes are commonly found in Australia and New Guinea in dry forest areas and steppes. These reptiles grow to be about three-metres in length. Carpet pythons are good climbers that readily feed on small animals. The carpet python that the Zoo received was kept in a night club in the Netherlands. Members of Stigtings Aap convinced the owners of the snake that a Zoo would be better suited to cater to the snake's needs. The Zoo also received a water python, a female Burmese python and two corn snakes from Stigtings Aap. The organisation also sent the Pretoria Zoo a boa constrictor. This particular snake was a pet that grew to be too large for the owners to maintain. It was subsequently thrown out of a flat's window and ended up at Stigtings Aap. Boa constrictors are found in central and South America and inhabit dry areas and cloud forests, frequently close to human habitation. They grow to be about 2, 5 metres long.

5 15 Blue crane breeding goes from strength to strength Blue cranes have become a threatened bird species in South Africa - the reason being the poisoning and persecution of our national bird by farmers. The Pretoria Zoo has once again taken a positive leap forward with a suecessful breeding programme of these graceful birds. Three blue crane chicks were born at the Pretoria Zoo early this year as a result of the Zoo's active artificial insemination programme. Photo courtesy of the Pretoria News Conservator Frank Rowland with two of the three blue crane chicks hatched this year Two years ago, the Zoo started an artificial insemination programme and successfully hatched two blue crane chicks. The Zoo's Chief Veterinarian, Dr Ian Espie says the artificial insemination is an intense procedure. He says theai starts as soon as the female blue crane starts laying eggs. As soon as this is in progress, conservation staff stimulated the male to ejaculate semen. This is done biweekly. The collected semen is then diluted and immediately the female is inseminated with this semen. This collection of semen and the insemination of the female takes place until the female has stopped laying her eggs. The chicks hatched from this programme will either be housed at the Zoo or be placed in ex-situ breeding programmes elsewhere.

6 16 EeA Euddy! Nord '11 V'riel1d! The Friends of the Pretoria Zoo are a dynamic group of people who strive to make the Zoo a better place. The Friends of the Zoo get the opportunity of participating in various exclusive events and get-togethers throughout the year. For a mere R per annum (family membership) or R per annum (individual membership), a Friend of the Zoo receives three free entries to the Pretoria Zoo and one each to the Lichtenburg and Potgietersrus Game Breeding Centres. A Friend also receives three free parking vouchers and has the opportunity of riding the Zoo's tractor train once for free. Friends also get four copies of the Zoon posted to them. **** Die Vriende van die Dieretuin is 'n dinamiese groep mense wat strewe om die Dieretuin te verbeter. Vriende van die Dieretuin kry die geleentheid om deel te neem aan eksklusiewe gebeure wat by die Dieretuin plaasvind gedurende die jaar. Vir 'n skrale R per jaar (gesinslidmaatskap) of R per jaar (individuele lidmaatskap), kry 'n Vriend van die Dieretuin drie gratis toegange na die Pretoria Dieretuin en een toegang elk na die Lichtenburg en Potgietersrus Wildteelsentrums. Vriende kan ook drie maal gratis in die Dieretuin se parkeerterrein parkeer, en een keer op die trekkertrein ry. Vriende kry ook vier eksemplare van die Zoon deur die pos. For more information, call the Friends Co-ordinator Angeline Cloete at (012) x 244 Virverdere inligting, kontak die Vriende Koordineerder Angeline Cloete by (012) x 244

7 , 17, After many years of intense negotiations, the moment has arrived... the koalas are coming! Negotiations with the Australian government for the attaining of these marsupials started in The previous political dispensation prevented these talks from being realised sooner. Zoo Director, Willie Labuschagne says, "The Pretoria Zoo had to prove its credentials to the Australian authorities. The government only accepts, what they call, category A institutions. This category is based on stringent selection criteria". Four koalas will be arriving on South African soil in September this year. They will be sent to the Pretoria Zoo from the Taronga Zoo in Sydney, Australia. Once here, they will be housed in a state-of-the-art indoor and outdoor enclosure, the design of which had to be approved by the Australian government. Although not an endangered species, the koala enjoys a modicum of protection by the Australian authorities. The contractors arrived on the site early in January 1999 and the work began in all earnest. It is envisaged that these marsupials will be on pubhc display in October this year. So be sure to visit the Pretoria Zoo and pay a visit to our friends from the land down under as they will be the only koalas in Africa! Na vele jare se intense onderhandelings, is die oomblik uiteindelik hier... die koalas is oppad! Vier koalas sal in September vanjaar in Suid-Afrika aankom van die Taronga Dieretuin, in Sydney, Australie. Met hul aankoms in ons Jakaranda-stad sal hulle in 'n moderne eenheid gehuisves word. Die eenheid sal uit 'n binnens- en buitenshuise uitstalling bestaan. Die ontwerp van die eenheid moes eers deur die Australiese owerhede aanvaar word voordat die boukontrakteurs kon begin werk. Alhoewel koalas nie 'n bedreigde spesie is nie, word die diertjies deur die Australiese regering beskerm. Die boukuntrakteurs het reeds vroeg in Januarie vanjaar met die bouwerk begin en dit word beoog dat die koalas teen Oktober deur die publiek gesien sal word.

8 18 o ~ CI) ;: ~ C\1 NIGHT TOURS Come and enjoy an evening of wild abandon with the creatures of the Pretoria Zoo. Tours are offered every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday evenings from 18hOO. Bookings are essential! Two-hour DAY TOURS are also presented to groups that request it. This tour starts at dawn. The entire tour travels through a section of the Zoo and arrangements can be made to visit the animal hospital and kitchen. WHY NOT VISIT THE POTGIETERSRUS AND LlCHTENBURG GAME BREEDING CENTRES? These two satellites are a haven for wildlife in their own right. Lichtenburg is just two-and-a-half hours' drive south west of Pretoria and visitors will have the opportunity of seeing, amongst others, pygmy hippos and endangered addax, Mhorr gazelle and scimitar-horned oryx. For more information contact the Centre at (018) Potgietersrus is a mere two hours' drive north of Pretoria and the centre is nestled on hectares of unspoilt bushveld. Visitors will see herds of rare tsessebe and black rhino, and lots more. For more information contact the Centre at (015)

9 Up-and-coming in focus The Pretoria Zoo will be a hive of activity this year, with the absolute highlight being the hosting of the 54th Annual World Zoo Organisation conference at the Pretoria Zoo in October About 250 delegates representing 34 countries will be present at the conference. Best of all, is that the Pretoria Zoo has been granted the honour of hosting this conference for the third time! No other zoo in the world has had this honour bestowed upon them. Another exciting event will be the launch of the new bear enclosures that have been refurbished to accommodate the two female Kodiak bears that the Pretoria Zoo received from Emmen Zoo in the Netherlands. The entire enclosure has been landscaped to mimic their natural Alaskan habitat. The camp will contain two five-metre tall waterfalls that run into a tributary of canals within the enclosure. Bears have a love for water and it was felt that a vast amount of this precious resource is necessary to keep these omnivorous creatures content. Meanwhile, the Reptile Park is holding its breath in anticipation for the opening of the komodo dragon -enclosure in October this year. These two cold-blooded reptiles were donated to President Nelson M~mdela by the President of Indonesia. Madiba handed the dragons over to the Pretoria Zoo to take care of on his behalf. Komodo dragons are the largest lizards in the world. These reptiles are carnivores and sometimes scavenge for food. Male komodo dragons grow to be a length of about three metres in length, weighing a staggering 130 kilograms. Komodo dragons are natural inhabitants of Indonesia

10 The Pretoria Zoo recently received a special delivery from the stork in the form of a Malayan tapir calf. tapirs are commonly found in Malaysia. These gentile herbivores are the largest of the tapir species. T he Malayan tapir's high contrast black-and-white colouration provides it with excellent camouflage in its shadowy forest habitat. The seemingly conspicuous colour pattern causes the outline of the tapir's body to blend in with the dark background, making it difficult to distinguish. Th is camouflage is especially important at night, when the tapir must remain concealed from the searching eyes of its natural enemies, the tiger and the leopard. Like other species of tapirs, the Malayan tapir is a solitary animal, except in the case of mothers accompanying their youngsters. It is a good climber and is totally unimpeded by steep slopes and rocky areas. Malayan tapir young remain with their mothers until they are almost fully grown. At about eight months of age, the youngster starts to make short foraging trips without its mother, but it often rejoins her at watering holes and salt licks. According to the Zoo's General Curator, Dean Helberg, the birth of this Malayan tapir calf is a success story as the Pretoria Zoo started a breeding programme for this animal about 15 years ago. In those 15 years, seven calves have been born! Destruction of their forest habitat is the greatest danger to these threatened animals.