solitaire 20 - Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust

solitaire
Issue 20 (2009)
In this issue:
Tac
kling hum
an-elephant conf
lict in Sr
ackling
human-elephant
conflict
Srii Lanka
Breeding hoolock gibbons
Peruvian poison dart frogs
Developing the graduate network
Rescuing a snow leopard
Memories of Durrell
Conser
vation of Indian amphibians
Conserv
Durrell at 50
Ecotourism in the Sunderban
Ne
wsletter of the Inter
national Training Centr
e
Newsletter
International
Centre
Colm Farrington
A year of celebrations!
50
Former director Jeremy Mallinson buries a time
capsule in the new Kirindy Forest exhibit to mark
50 years of saving species from extinction.
The Trust welcomed its first trainee in
1979, finally breathing life into Gerald
Durrell’s dream of a ‘mini-university’ that
would help transfer all the knowledge
and skills that the Trust’s staff were
building up to those on the front line of
conservation. More than 1800
conservation professionals have now
attended ITC courses both in Jersey
and overseas, and we are continuing
to expand the topics we offer as well as
find new ways to support graduates
once they return home.
25
2
Gerald Durrell opened his zoo in
Jersey in 1959. Our 50th anniversary
year was filled with celebrations, from
an open day that attracted over
14,000 people, to a concert that saw
the premiere of the Durrell suite by
Derek Lawrence, celebrating some of
the species Durrell has worked with.
As we reach the end of the year, a new
exhibit has just opened in the Walled
Garden. It will be home to a variety of
Madagascar’s wildlife, and especially
species from the island’s dry forests.
30
Durrell staff and Primate Conservation Husbandry
course participants relaxing at Les Noyers.
The ffir
ir
st ffe
ew tr
ainees were housed off
irst
trainees
the site, but the Trust soon bought the
neighbouring property of Les Noyers,
Initially just a residence, over the next
few years the buildings were
transformed into a teaching centre
and in 1984 the International Training
Centre was formally opened.
Education joins the ITC!
There have always been
overlapping areas between training
and education (or Visitor Services and
Education to use its full title) at Durrell,
and last autumn the Trust’s senior
management team took the
opportunity to review how the two
departments operated and decided to
split Visitor Services and Education into
its two constituent parts. Visitor Services
took on responsibility for the animal talks
programme on site and other visitorrelated activities, while the education
staff joined the training centre to
create one department capable of
teaching anyone from 3 to 103!
Jill Key
The ITC grew in 2009 as it took on the teaching activities of the former Education
Department. Conservation Education Officer Naomi Webster describes how
the two teams have been integrated into one.
The move has allowed the training and
education staff to work more closely
together and give each other advice,
support and assistance. It is also an
exciting opportunity to review the
education activities offered now and
develop new ideas for the future.
One such activity is the brand new
Conservation Science School, a threeday course for 15-18 year olds, which
ran for the first time this summer. The
course was thoroughly enjoyed by all
the participants and we hope to run
the course twice in 2010, in February
and August.
Meet the new staff...
Conservation Education Officer Naomi
Webster attended the ITC’s summer
school in 2004, and then volunteered
with Durrell’s education department
before being offered a job. Naomi’s
responsibilities include teaching school
groups, running workshops, writing and
producing newsletters for Dodo Club
members and working on the signage
and interpretation in the grounds. She is
currently writing and directing her third
Durrell pantomime!
Mark Powell
Jo War
d , the
ard
Conservation
Education
Manager, has
been working at
Durrell since 1999.
She has a diploma
in child
development and
a masters degree in education. Jo is
responsible for the schools programme
at Durrell and also organises activities
for the Dodo Club, Durrell’s club for
junior members.
Naomi takes a bow at a performance of the first
Durrell pantomime, ‘A Parrot’s Tale’.
3
... and a reminder of the rest of us!
The ITC’
ITC’ss staf
stafff has undergone several changes over the past few years and
many of you won’t have met all of the current team. 2009 has been a busy year
for us, with new courses being added to our roster and more in development for
next year. So here’s an introduction to us all.
Mark Powell
Jamie Copsey first worked at the ITC
as Programme Development Manager
and has been Head of the department
since 2008. He has conservation field
work experience in Mauritius,
Seychelles, Sri Lanka, Trinidad and
Madagascar and recently obtained a
masters degree in anthropology. He has
worked in biodiversity conservation for
more than 15 years and is a qualified
teacher, trainer and facilitator.
Jamie (centre) as we rarely see him - in a starring
role in Durrell pantomime ‘A Parrot’s Tale’.
Dr Jill K
ey , our Training
Ke
and Network
Development
Manager, joined the
ITC at the end of 2008.
As well as developing
and delivering ITC
courses, Jill is
responsible for
coordinating the
Durrell Conservation Learning Network
(DCLN). She is a specialist in invasive
species ecology and has worked in
many places around the world.
4
Catherine Burrows has
been the ITC’s
Coordinator since 2006.
Catherine is responsible
for the advertising,
administration and
logistics of the training
programme and the ITC’s
facilties, and organises Durrell’s work
experience programme. Catherine has
a degree in English and history. She
spent three years teaching English in
Japan and is a keen traveller.
As the ITC’s Hostel
Manager, Joshua
Kogi runs Les Noyers,
creating a home from
home for our course
participants and
ensuring their stay is as
comfortable as
possible. Originally from Kenya, Josh has
lived in Jersey for seven years and has
always worked in the catering industry.
Dr Eluned Price is the
ITC’s Research
Resource Coordinator.
She runs the library,
produces Solitaire, and
helps Jill with the DCLN.
After a PhD on tamarins
and field work on
primates in Brazil, Eluned worked for
Durrell as a researcher and mammal
keeper before joining the ITC. She also
writes the Trust newsletter On The Edge.
New courses for 2009
Invasive Species Management This
ia a five-day course teaching the tools
required to plan effective
management of invasive plants,
vertebrates and invertebrates in both
terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems
around the world, and the planning and
implementation of cost-effective
invasive species management
strategies.
Participants on the first Invasive Species
Management course.
Primate Conservation Husbandry A
week-long course on the skills
necessary to successfully manage
primates, particularly callitrichids and
lemurs, in captivity, and how these
techniques can support in-country
conservation programmes. Durrell has
decades of experience in the captive
management and in-situ conservation
of these species and this course is a
tremendous opportunity to pass our
accumulated knowledge on.
Getting stuck into enclosure design for
callitrichids and lemurs!
And coming up in 2010...
An Introduction to GIS for
Conservation A five-day course
designed to provide participants with
an understanding of Geographic
Information Systems and how they can
support conservation action.
Integrated Pest Management for
Wildlife Parks A three-day course on
practical, cost-effective solutions to
common pest control problems in zoos
and wildlife parks.
Reptile Veter
inar
y Car
e and Health
eterinar
inary
Care
Management A two-day course that
will address the broad range of
diseases suffered by reptiles, their
symptoms and practical methods of
treatment.
Captive Breeding and Conservation
Husbandry of Birds A five-day course
to help participants develop their skills in
practical bird husbandry and their
understanding of how such work can
help in-situ conservation.
For details of any of these courses,
please contact the ITC.
itc@durrell.org
5
Deepani Jayantha
Help a community – help elephants!
A story from Sri Lanka
Deepani Jayantha
Udawalawa National Park (UNP) in
southern Sri Lanka supports a
substantial population of the globally
endangered Asian elephant (Elephas
maximus). More than 600 elephants are
attracted to this protected area of
80,821 hectares by the reservoir inside
and the availability of grasslands; the
park supplies food and water to
animals throughout the year.
UNP’s boundary is demarcated by an
electric fence, but this is not continuous
Working bull at Pinnawala elephant orphanage.
at sections along the northern and
eastern borders. These gaps are
maintained as corridors connecting the
practised around the UNP to address
park to other protected areas including
human–elephant conflict, with the Born
sanctuaries. Free movement of
Free Foundation (BF), UK, we took a
elephants is seen along the corridors
different approach.
and in the sanctuaries, which also
contain human settlements. During such
Rathambalagama’s villagers live in
movements loner elephants usually
harmony with wild elephants despite a
come into conflict with nearby villages,
lot of crop and
particularly in the dry
property damage. It is
season. Cereals,
not uncommon to see
vegetables, banana and ‘The children know
villagers stop at a
they have benefited
paddy are the primary
water hole to watch
crops in the area.
and learn to appreciate elephants bathing
and conserve wildlife.’ under the hot sun,
Rathambalagama, a
even when hurrying
remote village at the
about
their
daily
activities.
We
northeastern border of the park, has
understood
and
appreciated
this
been affected by the elephants for
friendly interface. With the aim of
many years. No farmland has escaped
compensating the farmers for their loss,
from pachyderm crop raiders!
BF suggested a community project to
help the village school with its basic
Friendly relations Although several
needs. The expected long-term
other mitigatory measures are being
outcome is to help save the elephants,
along with the other wildlife and
biodiversity in the area.
A bull cooling himself in northern Udawalala.
6
Pr
ior
itising needs We first evaluated
Prior
ioritising
the facilities most needed by
Rathambalagama School, which has
about 270 children. Requirements were
prioritised with the help of the principal
Deepani Jayantha
Deepani Jayantha
Left: Kids used a tube well for water. Right: Now clean water is drawn from the reconstructed school
well, stored and easily distributed.
and staff members. Clean drinking
water and an electricity supply were
identified as urgent needs. The parents
put a lot of hard work into construction
and the project cost about £4800. The
second phase will be supplying reading
tables and chairs for the school library.
Wild elephants still visit the school
premises and damage the crops
students grow for their practical lessons.
We are thinking at the moment how to
control these visits. However, the school
children don’t regard this as an offence
by the animals; they know they have
benefited at the school in some other
way, and learn that appreciating and
helping to conserve wildlife is never
going to be a loss in their lives.
Deepani Jayantha
BF wishes to extend this project in the
coming years. There are more schools
in need in this area, where the
community is always affected by
human-elephant conflict. A long-term
project has been proposed to help the
community, and we believe helping the
community invariably helps the
elephants!
Deepani Jayantha graduated
from ITC in 2007 and also
attended the 2009 Amphibian
Conservation Husbandry course in
Sri Lanka. She has worked on the
behavioural rehabilitation of
juvenile elephants as well as on
sand dune restoration following
the 2004 tsunami.
E-mail: deepanij@yahoo.com
Elephant damage in paddy fields.
7
Marco Enciso
The Marañón poison dart frog:
concerns and opportunities
The Marañón poison dart frog
(Excidobates mysteriosus) is endemic to
the upper Marañón river basin, near
Cordillera del Cóndor in the northeastern Peruvian Andes. Originally
Dendrobates mysteriosus (Myers, 1982),
it has recently been reclassified
(Twomey and Brown, 2008).
The frog is categorised by the IUCN as
Endangered, because it is threatened
by habitat loss and fragmentation and
the illegal collection of individuals for
export to countries such as the USA
and Germany. Conservation action is
therefore needed.
The frog in its typical habitat, bromeliads.
a Brazilian veterinarian, Peruvian
biologist Germán Chávez, and myself.
The first step was to
contact people in the
type locality, Santa Rosa
de la Yunga, in Jaén
province, department of
Cajamarca. During our first
field trip in May 2009,
helped by German
herpetologist Claudia
Koch, we contacted Mr Napoleón,
manager of the Asociación de
Conservación y Ecodesarrollo Rural
(ACONDECOR), who keeps watch over
a little conservation area known as El
Tupire, where there are several patches
of E. mysteriosus habitat. This species is
closely associated with bromeliads of
the genus Aechnea, which live mainly in
precipices and rocky areas, and also in
some trees. We also evaluated other
areas, such as Cerro Casapita and La
Yunga, where the first individuals were
recorded by Rainer Schulte in the 1980s
(Schulte, 1990).
‘Mr Napoleón
keeps watch over a
little conservation
area known as El
Tupire.’
Marco Enciso
Field work A grant
sponsored by
Conservation
International (CI) and
the Asociación Peruana
para la Conservación
de la Naturaleza
(APECO),‘Programa Iniciativa de
Especies Amenazadas Becas
Koepcke’, has enabled us to study the
species in its natural habitat, update its
population status and distribution
patterns and investigate any infectious
diseases that might be present. The
research team consists of Sibylle Duran,
The beautiful Marañón poison dart frog from
Peru.
8
We observed that in most areas
(except El Tupire), the principal threat to
E. mysteriosus is deforestation. The local
people are destroying the mountains
where Aechnea plants live, in order to
cultivate coffee, oranges and other
Marco Enciso
To assess health status, we collected
several skin swabs from the ventral
zone of the frogs. Seventeen samples
were subjected to bacteriological
isolation in the Laboratory of Veterinary
Bacteriology, Universidad Nacional
Mayor de San Marcos (UNMSM) in Lima,
Peru. One sample was positive for
Aeromonas sp., a bacteria that causes
an important disease called ‘red leg’.
The species is endemic to the Peruvian Andes.
fruits, and for cattle ranching. Mr
Napoleón’s labours could be
reinforced by the creation of more
conservation areas, or other
conservation initiatives in the locality, to
maintain the habitat of the species.
Geogr
a phic v
ar
iation? We found
Geogra
var
ariation?
more than forty individuals, but although
this number seems quite high, it is very
dependent on habitat conservation.
We also observed some colour
variation in individuals from different
localities, expressed in the dark
background pattern of some
populations. Molecular studies could
help elucidate this.
For chytridiomycosis PCR analysis, 21
samples will be sent to the Veterinary
Diagnostic and Investigational
Laboratory at the University of Georgia,
USA. In a previous study, Twomey and
Brown (2008) found no evidence of
Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, the
fungal agent of chytrid disease, in eight
samples. We believe that the species’
habit of using bromeliads could be
protecting it from chytrid, but more
data are needed.
The Marañón poison frog is a flagship
species that deserves urgent
conservation action to maintain wild
populations. In order to do this, more
research is needed, as well as a strong
programme of environmental
education with the local people.
References
Schulte, R. (1990). Redescubrimiento y
redefinición de Dendrobates mysteriosus
(Myers, 1982) de la Cordillera del Cóndor.
Boletín de Lima 70: 57–68.
Twomey, E. & Brown, J.L. (2008). Spotted
poison frogs: rediscovery of a lost species
and a new genus (Anura:
Dendrobatidae) from northwestern Peru.
Herpetologica 64: 121–137.
Marco A. Enciso attended the 2009 Amphibian Biodiversity and
Conservation course in Bolivia. He is a Peruvian veterinarian with
a Masters degree in ecology and conservation and interests in
amphibian ecology and disease. He is currently an associate
researcher of the Division of Herpetology of the Centro de
Ornitología y Biodiversidad (CORBIDI), in Lima, Peru.
E-mail: marco.enciso@gmail.com
9
Mir M. Mansoor
Rescuing a female snow leopard
On 28 November 2008 local residents
of Nimo – a village of about 150
households situated on the banks of the
Indus river, about 35 kilometres from the
town of Leh – informed the wildlife
authorities that a snow leopard had
barged into a sheep barn during the
night and killed 22 of the 29 sheep in
the flock, and was still there.
Immediately, a team of wildlife officers
The wounds were cleaned and disinfected.
was dispatched to rescue the trapped
animal. Since I was about 600 km away,
the Wildlife Warden concerned, Mr Tahir
Shawl, contacted me for advice on
female aged about three or four years.
tranquillising equipment and drugs and
She had two large open septic wounds,
remained in contact till
one on the lateral
this precious animal was
‘Given our knowledge aspect of the thigh
successfully captured.
measuring 3 x 4
of the behavioural
inches, and other on
The weight of the snow
the dorsal aspect of
biology
of
this
leopard was estimated
the lumbar region
species, the chances
to be around 35 kg. The
measuring 10 x 12
tranquillising agent used
of a fight with
inches and involving
was Hellabrunn mixture
superficial muscles.
another
snow
leopard
containing xylazine at 1
The animal was
are remote.’
mg/kg body weight and
transported
ketamine Hcl at 7mg/kg
straightaway to Leh
body weight, and was administered
Wildlife Office for immediate treatment
using a blowpipe from a distance of 15
and two local veterinarians were called
metres.
in to assist.
Mir M. Mansoor
On physical examination, the captured
snow leopard was found to be a
The snow leopard was sedated before being
removed and treated.
10
Line of treatment The hairs around
both the wounds were trimmed and the
wounds were irrigated with povidone
iodine. This was followed by a thorough
application of antiseptic cream. The
wounds were left open and a longacting antibiotic (ciprofloxacin at
15mg/kg body weight) was given
intramuscularly. Finally, the animal was
moved into a cage with proper
bedding in a warm dark room.
The snow leopard regained
consciousness three hours after it was
sedated. She was transferred to a large
cage next morning and food and
water were offered, to which she
Attacked by dogs? Although the
wildlife warden reported a suspected
fight between this animal and another
snow leopard, given our knowledge of
the behavioural biology of this species,
the chances of such a fight are very
remote. Looking at the nature of
wounds inflicted on the animal, it is
much more likely that this female snow
leopard might previously have come
across some Zanskari nomads’ dogs,
which are famous for protecting their
flocks from wild predators. As it could
not then hunt its natural prey
in the wild, the snow leopard may have
taken the chance to catch some easy
prey, leading it to enter the sheep barn.
Mir M. Mansoor
responded positively. Some
supplementary medicines, including
Topicure wound spray, and a complete
diet chart were prescribed for the
recuperating animal.
The snow leopard regained consciousness and
was transferred to a large cage to recover.
Dr Mir M. Mansoor is Chief Wildlife Biologist and Vet in Jammu and Kashmir State
Wildlife Protection Department. He graduated from ITC in 1997.
E-mail: mirmansoor2002@yahoo.co.uk
Many congratulations!
Congratulations to Brij Kishor Gupta
(brijkishor68@yahoo.com), who was
made a Fellow of the National
Academy of Biological Sciences (NABS)
for 2008 at Chennai, India on 30th July,
2009, in recognition of his contribution
to ex situ conservation of wildlife.
ad Wah
yudi
And to Rachm
Rachmad
ahyudi
(wahyudirachmad@googlemail.com)
of the Sumatran Orangutan
Conservation Programme (SOCP), who
achieved his first goal after returning
home from Jersey of getting married,
and has now followed it up with the
birth of his daughter, Fauzanera Kulla
Azmina.
nando Lim
a
And finally, Fer
ernando
Lima
(phernando@ipe.org.br) defended his
master’s dissertation “Estimativas de
abundância e densidade populacional
da jaguatirica através de modelos de
marcação–recaptura: estudo de caso
nos remanescentes florestais do Pontal
do Paranapanema, São Paulo” (Ocelot
density and abundance through
capture–recapture models: case study
in Pontal do Paranapanema forest
fragments) in June. His work will be very
useful in developing methods for
estimating the size of small populations
isolated in forest fragments.
11
Brij Kishor Gupta
Conserv
ation Action Plans for
Conservation
India’
s amphibians
India’s
In January 2009, the Central Zoo
Authority (Ministry of Environment &
Forests, Government of India)
organised a two-day workshop in
Mysore to develop an in-situ and ex-situ
Conservation Action Plan for
amphibians. The workshop was
attended by more than 35 amphibian
experts, including zoo biologists,
university scientists and field biologists.
Tar
geting species With the help of the
argeting
A panel discussion underway at the workshop.
workshop participants, an expert group
of the country was also taken into
evaluated a list of 151 species
account.
obtained from the CAMP/GAA
assessments for India. The major criteria
Zoos in different regions will be able to
used were ‘clarity in taxonomy’ and
participate in ex-situ conservation
‘declining in native habitat’, and the
breeding, which should greatly help the
group finalised two lists:
development of a
one of 11 amphibian
vibrant conservation
‘This should help
species that will help in
programme for India’s
initiating conservation
develop a vibrant
amphibians.
breeding, acquiring skills
conservation
and establishing
The workshop also
programme for
infrastructure in India,
identified the need for a
and the other of 16
India’s amphibians.’ nationwide inventory of
amphibian species that
amphibians and
will be long-term targets
assigned responsibility for
for ex-situ conservation
this to the Wildlife
breeding. Coverage of different parts
Institute of India, Dehradun, national
Brij Kishor Gupta
universities and other agencies
involved in herpetological studies.
An unidentified species of frog from the Western
Ghats.
12
Protected area management A
recommendation was made that the
Ministry of Environment & Forests and
State Forest Departments should put
out a general prescription for wildlife
management in Protected Areas (PAs)
that are located in high rainfall areas to
carefully regulate the creation of new
check dams and gully checks, with the
aim of preventing soil erosion, which
compromises crucial amphibian
habitat. Development projects such as
dams in and around PAs should also be
The 16 target species identified for planned conservation breeding programmes,
and the 11 species selected for each zoo to start to exhibit and standardise
protocols. (All = all India; Pen = Peninsular; WG = Western Ghats; NE = northeastern;
AN = Andaman & Nicobar Islands; H = Himalayas.)
Zoo
Practice species
Tar
get species
arget
Arignar Anna
Zoological Park,
Vandalur, Chennai
(Tamil Nadu)
Eyphylctis cyanophylctis (All)
Hoplobatrachus crassus (All)
Hoplobarachus tigrinus (All)
Nasikabatrachus
sahyaderensis (WG)
Melanobatrachus indicus (WG)
Tylotoritan verrucosus (WG)
Fejervavya murthi (WG)
Indirana phrynodima (WG)
I. gundia
Nandankanan
Zoological Park,
Bhubaneshwar
(Orissa)
Eyphylctis hexadactyla (All)
Micrxalus kotigehavernsis (WG)
Indirana charls darwini (AN)
Philatus chalazodos (WG)
Madras Crocodile
Bank Trust,
Mamallapuram
(Tamil Nadu)
Bufo melanostictus (All)
Bufo stomaticus (Pen)
Philatus ponmudi (WG)
P. shillongenesis (NE)
Rhacopharous
pseudomalabaricus (WG)
Chennai Snake
Park, Chennai
(Tamil Nadu)
Uperodon systoma (All)
Fajlrarya spp. (H)
Bufo himalayanas
Pedostibus kempii (NE)
Scntiger occidentalis (H)
Hoplobatrachus tigerinus (All)
Rajiv Gandhi
Microhyla rubra
Zoological Park,
Microhyla ornata
Pune (Maharashtra)
examined by experts for impacts on
amphibian breeding habitats.
Options also need to be explored for
creating new conventional PAs,
conservation reserves and community
reserves dedicated to amphibian
species in different parts of the country.
Wildlife biologists should be attached to
these areas to produce species
inventories, monitor amphibian
populations, enumerate impacts on
amphibian populations and demarcate
crucial breeding habitats for
amphibians. The workshop also
suggested revising the Indian Wild Life
(Protection) Act, 1972 to include more
species.
Rana hexadactyla (Pen)
Finally, all concerned – government and
state departments, the CZA and zoo
operators – need to take steps to
sensitise policy makers, managers, zoo
staff and visitors about the problems
facing amphibians and the steps we
need to take to address them.
Brij Kishor Gupta works
for India’s Central Zoo
Authority and is closely
involved in developing
amphibian
conservation plans in
the country.
E-mail: brijkishor68@yahoo.com
13
The Sunderban delta is a unique
10,000 square kilometre forest and salt
water swamp forming the lower part of
the Ganges delta. This natural resource
is shared by both Bangladesh and India.
Sunderban, the Indian portion, is 6–9
metres above sea level. This tidal
estuary covers an area of over 4000
km2, about 2300 km2 of which is
mangrove forest. The area was
declared a national park in 1984.
Subhransu Pan
Ecotourism in the Sunderban delta
Tourist launch in Sunderban Reserve Forest.
Watching an animal in its natural habitat
Biodiversity UNESCO declared the
is an exciting experience that serves as
Sunderban a Global Biosphere Reserve
a strong motivation for conservation
in 2001 because of its rich
among tourists. Those
biodiversity. It is the largest
‘Although
employed in tourism also
contiguous mangrove
have an interest in helping
beneficial
so
far,
forest, with 334 plant
conserve animals and
ecotourism now to
species. The Sunderban is
their habitats.
also host to a large number constitutes a
of animals within its forest
growing threat to Tourism can provide funds
and marine habitats, and is
for conservation through
biodiversity.’
the last stronghold of the
entrance and permit fees
Royal Bengal tiger.
and generates employment for the
Subhransu Pan
Ecotourism: benefits Sunderban
became a World Heritage site in 1987
and thus an attraction for both
domestic and international tourists, with
763 million tourist arrivals in 2004. In 2020
it is estimated that there will be 1.6
billion. Domestic tourism has risen faster
than international tourism and the
benefits have been multidimensional.
Spotted deer ( Cervus axis) grazing in Sunderban
Reserve Forest.
14
people around Sunderban who provide
services and accommodation to
tourists. It also promotes improvement
in other sectors of the local economy
through demand for products and
services from the tourism sector and
provides a means of earning foreign
currency.
Adv
er
se ef
Adver
erse
efffects Although beneficial
so far, ecotourism now constitutes a
growing threat to conservation of
biodiversity in the Sunderban, both
directly and indirectly. Animals that are
subjected to disturbance will spend less
time feeding and resting and more
energy on trying to move away from
the source. Disturbances are mostly
caused by the tourists themselves, their
vehicles, motorboats etc. Evidence of
this type of behavioural change is
evident in almost all species, especially
tigers, monkeys and birds. Recent
studies have also revealed that animals
Subhransu Pan
are subject to changes in physiological
parameters, for example in stress
hormone levels, food intake, sleep and
metabolism. Disturbance is most
prominent during breeding periods and
juvenile stages, leading to overall
breeding failure, a serious threat to
population maintenance and survival.
Ecotourism is also resulting in habitat
destruction of the Sunderban. Damage
to vegetation, waste, cooking fires and
leakage from fuel tanks are affecting
both terrestrial and marine biodiversity.
Indirect effects arise from construction
for the tourism industry and the use of
natural resources to meet the demands
of tourists. Along with the unrestricted
flow of tourists, poachers are also
getting easy access in the forest.
Subhransu Pan
Taking action With the rapid growth of
tourism, steps need to be taken to
check the erosion of biodiversity:
- Allow tourism only to a level that is
affordable without loss of biodiversity
- Increase empathy among local
people for conservation
Rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) in
Sunderban Reserve Forest.
Small market at the boundary of the reserve
catering for tourists.
- Restrict construction within the
conservation area and promote
construction of non-permanent
structures
- Check vehicles and motorboats for
silencers and fuel chambers.
- Restrict dumping of waste by tourists
within the conservation area and
make aware them of the adverse
effects of this
- Strictly enforce rules and regulations
regarding ecotourism.
As Kofi Annan once said, ‘We
fundamentally depend on natural
systems and resources for our
existence and development. Our
efforts to defeat poverty and pursue
sustainable development will be in vain
if environmental degradation and
depletion of natural resources continue
unabated.’
So we should always promote ecotourism for the benefit of conservation,
not to its cost.
Subhransu Pan graduated from ITC in 1999, and is now working as Professor of
Animal Production and Management and Wildlife Management at West Bengal
University of Animal and Fishery Sciences, India. Co-author Siddhartha Shankar
Layek is a postgraduate student in veterinary science and a conservation
enthusiast.
E-m
ail: span28@rediffmail.com
E-mail:
15
Conservation breeding of hoolock
g ibbons: a success story
Hoolock gibbons are the only apes
found in India. The state of Arunachal
Pradesh is home to both species of
hoolock: the eastern hoolock (Hoolock
leuconedys) is estimated to number
about 150 animals, and the western
hoolock (Hoolock hoolock) about 200.
with the approval of the Central Zoo
Authority.
To start with, five pairs of eastern
hoolocks, and five juveniles, were
rescued from the Delo area in
Arunachal Pradesh. The rescue
operation targeted animals that had
been injured by dogs, gibbons
debilitated by heavy parasite
infestations, juveniles that had been
rejected by their mothers, or isolated
apes. Family members of the rescued
animals were also captured to avoid
displacement.
Jikom Panor
Habitat loss and fragmentation are
jeopardising the gibbons’ survival. The
major threats are the expansion of tea
plantations following a blanket ban on
timber extraction; agricultural practices
such as Jhum cultivation, a traditional
method of ‘slash and burn’; and
encroachment by populations from
neighbouring countries. All
these drastically reduce
‘Health care is
gibbon habitat, leaving
focused on the
animals stranded.
Enclosure design
Considerable effort was
made to provide
naturalistic enclosures. An
keepers rather
irregular area of 2500 m2,
Dogs kill gibbons when they than the animals.’
with a high wall and a
come down to the ground
treatment area in the
because of the huge gaps
corner, is constructed for
in the canopy. Dogs may also be the
each pair of gibbons. Lots of tall trees
sources of infestation with Toxocara,
are incorporated into each enclosure,
which affects almost all the gibbons.
connected by ropes and bamboo
bridges. Plant species eaten by
Conservation breeding Many zoos
hoolocks are planted inside the
have tried breeding hoolocks, without
enclosure, and a feeding platform is
much success. The Biological Park,
installed in the branches of a tree.
Itanagar took up the project in 2006
Feeding A diet was devised that
included both animal and plant protein
along with vitamins, minerals,
carbohydrates, sugar and fat. A variety
of tender leaves is provided. Some of
the ingredients, such as sweet potato,
were not easily accepted by the
animals. To overcome this problem
animals were given only those
ingredients until they accepted them.
Hoolock gibbons, the only ape found in India.
16
Health care The emphasis in health
care is placed on the animal keepers
rather than the animals. All keepers at
Enclosure design for hoolock gibbons.
the centre are given worm treatment
and screened for zoonotic diseases
every six months. Hygiene, both
personal and in the cleaning of
enclosures, utensils, etc, is strictly
monitored. Health problems include
viral influenza (which can develop with
poor housing, cold wet weather and a
lack of nesting trees) can be fatal if
immediate treatment is not given for
secondary infection and pneumonia.
Toxocara infection is common, and
stools are examined for parasites every
month. De-worming is only done if ova
are detected to avoid drug resistance.
Dehydration is often seen due to the
gibbons’ low water intake. Hoolocks
usually wet their fingers in dew drops or,
in captivity, bowls of water, and lick
them. They are also often seen licking
their own urine.
Future plans The Itanagar zoo
successfully bred three hoolock
gibbons during 2008, and reintroduction
is the ultimate goal of the project. This
breeding centre may act as a nodal
training centre for captive breeding
and management of hoolock gibbons
both in situ and ex situ in the future.
Strategies for monitoring and modifying
management practices both in
captivity and in the wild will be
developed, and plans will be initiated to
rescue and rehabilitate animals from
the Delo area and other degraded
habitat.
Jikom Panor attended the Endangered Species Recovery course in 2006 and is
the Veterinary Officer for the Biological Park, Itanagar. Please contact him for
further information on the management of hoolock gibbons in captivity,
including diet, anaesthetics and health problems.
E-mail: jikomp@yahoo.co.in
17
Memories of Jersey ...
Stas Vostoko
v
ostokov
(dvigg@mail.ru), who
trained at the ITC in
1995, has written a
fictional story in Russian
based on the time he
spent in Jersey and the
friends he made.
Gorilla
The book’s Russian title could be
translated as ‘The island dressed in
jersey’ or perhaps ‘The island in jersey’.
‘You meet a lot of funny situations when
such different people from the other
ends of the world meet in one place,’
Stas says.
The book also describes the work of the
Trust, its aims and methods, and touches
upon the history of the island. Other ITC
graduates are likely to meet a lot of
familiar people if they read the story.
The book was published
in 2007 by the Vremya
publishing house in
Moscow and has
received two national
literature prizes. Stas
illustrated the story with
his own drawings,
several of which are
reproduced here.
Aye-aye
Lion tamarin
Red-breasted goose
18
... and of Gerald Durrell
I have been fascinated by animals ever
since I can remember. My first meeting
with Gerald Durrell took place in the
school library when a friend handed me
a copy of Three Singles to Adventure.
On reaching
home I
jumped at the
book and had
the joy of
journeying to
British Guyana
with my hero. I
went past
magical rain
forests full of
birds and
beasts of
every colour
and
description. I
was with Durrell when he caught
teguxins, sloths, eels, iguanas, and, of
course, Amos, the giant anteater.
made friends with many other colourful
characters: Ulysses the Scops owl and
Quasimodo the pigeon in My Family and
Other Animals; Claudius the tapir and
Whiskers the emperor tamarin in
Menagerie Manor; gorillas Nandi,
Npongo and Jambo, and Oscar the
orangutan in The Stationary Ark. The list
is endless and includes humans like
Gerald’s family, Larry, Leslie, Margo and
Mother.
I feel that Gerald Durrell portrayed the
human race as it looked to him.
Perhaps that is what made his books so
enjoyable. His last book, Marrying off
Mother, was sentimental but it still
provides us with a fine picture of human
nature. He not only loved animals but
enjoyed life and wanted us to enjoy it
with him.
I had one more dream to fulfil – to get
associated with Gerald’s zoo, the
Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust (as it
was then). That dream was realised in
October, 1991.
Gerry, the little boy in golden Corfu, I
hope you can hunt for dung beetles in
heaven.
Bruno Melim
Shubhobroto Ghosh
(shubhobrotoghosh@hotmail.com)
graduated from the ITC in 1999. He
describes here how he first became
aware of Gerald Durrell through his
books. This is an edited version of an
article first published in March 1995, in
VOICES, The Statesman in School.
Seven days seemed too short a period
with Durrell but that was the
introduction to a friend – who would be
my hero, mentor, guru and guide for the
next six years until his death in January
1995.
As I grew up, to the consternation of my
parents and relatives, my interest in
animals, far from abating, grew stronger
by the day, and with it grew the
friendship with Gerald Durrell. I slowly
got hold of more Durrell books and
The statue of Gerald Durrell in Jersey.
19
Durrell Conservation Learning
Network
The Durrell graduate network was
established in the early 1990s. We now
have getting on for 1800 people on our
database, and with the launch of our
new web-based network we hope we
will be able to maintain regular contact
with a large proportion of them.
An ITC listserve was first established in
2000 to allow us to pass on useful
information and for graduates to use as
a means of keeping in touch and
getting support for the issues they were
facing in their own work. After a recent
rethink of the best way both for the ITC
to keep in touch with its graduates, and
to develop connections between
graduates so that they can help each
other, we have now launched the
Durrell Conservation Learning Network.
In order to be effective, training
courses must be part of a continual
process of capacity building. The Durrell
network has the great strength of being
developed from people who have all
been involved in the training
programme in some capacity. Its main
aim is to be an information exchange:
as well as graduates from Durrell
training programmes, we will be inviting
Durrell staff, members of partner
organisations, and other conservation
professionals who express interest to
join. These are Durrell’s Army - a
powerful force for change.
2009: the new network In 2009 funds
were secured from the HDH Wills 1965
Charitable Trust to promote the
network and support the development
of a new internet-based site, linked to
the ITC webpage.The aim was to
establish a system that is simple and
user-friendly, so that less skilled internet
users or those with limited access will be
20
able to utilise enough of the network to
benefit. The site is accessible to network
members via a password.
As well as the internet home for the
network, a first regional meeting is
proposed for 2010 and north-east India
has been suggested for the venue.
Network mission The DCLN aims to
help ITC graduates to turn their
conservation training into conservation
actions through technical support and
encouragement.
The web-based network site was
launched in October 2009 and offers
several new ways of communicating. A
news section allows both the ITC and
graduates to pass on ideas for funding,
contribute news about conservation
issues, and celebrate activities and
achievements. Discussion forums will
help promote peer learning, generate
new ideas and provide technical
advice and support, while a
downloads section makes documents
such as articles and application forms
easily accessible.
A searchable database of network
members will be added to the website
in 2010, so that members can find other
graduates in their professional and
geographic areas.
Please join! All graduates of ITC
courses can join the network, and
ultimately its success depends on
you! If you are not already
registered, please sign up via the
graduate network section of Durrell’s
.durr
ell.or
g/netw
or
k
website – www
www.durr
.durrell.or
ell.org/netw
g/networ
ork
Dur
rell Conserv
ation A war
d 2009:
Durr
Conservation
ward
the winners
The Durr
ell Conser
vation Awar
d is
Durrell
Conserv
ard
available to graduates of the ITC who
are members of the network. The focus
of the Award is to support individuals
and to help them to become more
effective conservation biologists.
Grants may be used to launch a new
initiative or continue an existing project.
A total of £3000 was available for the
2009 funding cycle and applications
were accepted in three categories:
- Conservation projects
- Equipment
- Capacity building
Preference was given to projects which
met the following criteria:
- Clear conservation benefits
- High likelihood of success
- Clear benefits for the applicant in
terms of professional capacity
building
- Support the mission of the Durrell
Wildlife Conservation Trust
We are delighted to announce the
three winners of the 2009 awards:
Rathin Barman, Eric Ramirez Bravo
akoon. You can
and Kanchana Weer
eerakoon.
read more about their projects
overleaf.
21
Conservation projects
Rathin Barman, India (DESMAN 2009; rathinbarman@yahoo.com)
Save Eastern Swamp Deer from Extinction Threat - A
Pilot Study
With about 600 individuals left in a single population in
Kaziranga National Park in India, the eastern swamp deer
Cervus duvaucelii ranjitsinhi is facing the threat of extinction,
and creating a second population in a safer habitat has
become a top priority. Manas National Park, where the
species existed until the late 1980s, has been identified as a
suitable location. Although the deer became locally extinct
in Manas as a result of poaching during a period of unrest,
peace has returned to the region, the habitat is probably
intact and a reintroduction is planned.
Rathin’s project involves a pilot study to obtain information ahead of the
reintroduction programme. He will survey potential habitat for the species in
Manas National Park; study habitat utilisation by eastern swamp deer living in
Kaziranga National Park for comparison; assess the health of the parent
population in Kaziranga; record and evaluation protection measures in Manas;
engage stakeholders and decision makers involved in the planning process; list
potential problems and threats and methods of overcoming them; and list the
official formalities that need to be observed so that the reintroduction project
can be properly planned and executed.
Equipment
Eric Ramirez Bravo, Mexico (DESMAN2007; ermex02@yahoo.com)
Car
niv
or
es in Cerr
o Color
ado in Tehuacán, Puebla,
Carniv
nivor
ores
Cerro
Colorado
Central Mexico
When the Biosphere Reserve of Tehuacan-Cuicatlan in
Mexico was established, an area of 22,425 ha known as
Cerro Colorado was left out despite its high importance for
conservation and the possibility that it could serve as a
corridor for several species in the region. Local people are
interested in having the area declared protected and
included in the management programme as they will
benefit in terms of government aid, and have agreed to
start a monitoring programme on their properties.
The area is especially important as there are historical reports of jaguars in the
area. Confirmation of the presence of jaguars would modify the current
22
distribution of the species and help to indicate the existence of a corridor in the
area, part of a corridor that in theory connects populations in northern and
southern Mexico.
Camera traps and transects will be used to record the mammal species present
in the area. Monitoring will be done during the dry season. The cameras will be
placed along trails, dry river beds and dirt roads at a height of 30-40 cm and left
for a month, after which they will be rotated to different sites in order to cover
the most terrain possible. Photos will be used to determine relative densities of
the species, and in the case of species where it is possible to recognize
individuals, densities will be calculated. The results will be integrated with those
obtained by other groups and presented to the state authorities in order to
justify the creation of the protected area.
Capacity building
Kanchana Weer
akoon, Sr
eerakoon,
Srii Lanka (DESMAN 1999, ISM 2009;
kanchanawr@gmail.com
Scientific Publication Writing Course
Kanchana has been involved in various scientific research
projects for the past eight years, some species-specific
and others habitat or community-based. The organisation
she started, Eco-Friendly Volunteers (ECO-V) has just run its
first training course for young people.
The results of the projects carried out by Kanchana and
ECO-V have been used in local awareness programmes
and published as local project reports and some have
been presented at international conferences on
conservation biology. In order to gain more international recognition for ECO-V’s
work, Kanchana now wants to develop her scientific writing skills so that her
team’s research results will be accepted for publication in standard journals,
enabling ECO-V to communicate more effectively with the international
conservation community.
Kanchana hopes to have papers accepted for publication in peer-reviewed
journals and for presentation at international conferences within six months of
completing the course.
You can read more about ECO-V’s activities on its blog:
http://ecofriendlyvolunteers.blogspot.com/
Details of the next funding cycle,
for 2010, will be announced on
the graduate network
(www
.durr
ell.or
g/netw
or
k), w
her
e
(www.durr
.durrell.or
ell.org/netw
g/networ
ork),
wher
here
you will also be able to download
application forms.
23
Contact us:
International Training Centre
Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust
Trinity
Jersey
JE3 5BP
Channel Islands
24
E-mail: itc@durrell.org
Tel: +44 (0)1534 860037
Fax: +44 (0)1534 860001
www.durrell.org
Cover photo by Deepani Jayantha