World Giraffe Day!

So, it's that time of year again - World Giraffe Day! 

With the longest day of the year being the 21st June, it would have been silly not to dedicate this day to giraffes! To quote David Attenborough, "giraffes are facing a silent extinction", with 60,000 individuals lost in the last 20 years. In 1998, the IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature) estimated there to be 140,000 giraffes left in the wild, however, in 2013, this number had dropped dramatically to less than 80,000 individuals. This is incredibly concerning as giraffes actually have a major role in sustaining the ecosystem. The Giraffe Conservation Foundation (GCF) have been shown research that suggests giraffe browsing is beneficial to acacia, promoting growth of new shoots, something not seen in acacia in areas where no giraffes are present. Oxpeckers and egrets are reliant on megafauna for the ticks they play host to. These small birds eat these parasites, making this intraspecific relationship vitally important to both species. Giraffes may not be seen to be as charismatic as other large mammals such as the rhino, elephant or big cat, which is why many do not realise the real plight of these magnificent creatures. 

World Giraffe Day 2016 - (Giraffe Conservation Foundation)

There are actually 9 sub-species of giraffe (though this is currently under review - they think there may be less, but genetic tests are currently being carried out. There also seems to be evidence that all giraffes from the North of Africa are related to each other, and those from the South are all related to each other, but still separate sub species!) These are; Reticulated, Rothschild's, Masai, Angolan, Kordofan, Thornicroft's, South African, West African and the Nubian Giraffe. The giraffe as a species overall is classed as least concern by the IUCN, however, this is currently under review, as is the conservation status of all sub species. Reticulated and Rothschild's giraffes are commonly seen in UK zoos, however, the West African giraffe actually has the lowest number in the wild, and lots of in-situ conservation and research is being conducted by many organisations, primarily the GCF. UK zoos manage giraffe sub species separately (for example, some zoos may have pure bred herds of Rothschild's giraffes, where some may have pure bred Reticulated), but some zoos overseas may allow different sub species to breed with each other.

In-situ conservation is currently ongoing and it involves tracking giraffes, their movements and interactions with others. Research conducted on wild giraffes can hugely benefit the captive population, with behaviour, sociality and nutrition being implemented in captive breeding programs. It works in the other way also, with research on captive giraffes being used to help conserve those in the wild. For example, the biology of the giraffe is something heavily studied. People often wonder how a giraffe drinks, and how it does so without causing a rush of blood to the head. In fact, giraffes splay their front legs, and numerous valves within the giraffes long neck prevent a rush of blood to the head - a really useful evolutionary trait! Another interesting fact is that the tongue of the giraffe is black to help prevent it from becoming sunburnt. As you can imagine, a sunburnt tongue would be incredibly painful, especially when eating rough foliage all day!

GCF putting a GPS tracker on a giraffe. Recently, they have started using trackers that fit over the head (Giraffe Conservation Foundation)

This World Giraffe Day, why not head down to your closest zoo with giraffes, celebrate with face painting and by saying 'Hi!' to the world's tallest land mammal! Last year, the GCF were able to translocate an endangered Rothschild's giraffe to Uganda, introducing new genes to the population, increasing gene flow and genetic diversity within this population. 

If you want to find out more, head over to www.giraffeconservation.org and have a nose at what they're up to!

Also, don't forget, Thursday 23rd June, 8pm, tune in to BBC2 to catch 'Giraffes: Africa's Gentle Giants' where you can see Dr Julian Fennessy (executive director of the Giraffe Conservation Foundation) talk about the plight of giraffes, and follow the translocation of endangered giraffes across Africa!

Rothschild's giraffe at Paignton Zoo

Gondwanaland!

So here it is, my post about Gondwanaland!

It was absolutely incredible and I was in complete awe the entire time - so much so that I went round twice!

Gondwanaland gets it name from the supercontinent formed 200 million years ago. 16,500 square feet encloses hundreds of plant and animal species representing Asia, Africa and South America. With the highest point of the dome being 34 metres high, the plants have lots of growing room, and birds can fly freely. The dome allows UV to pass through, vital for survival of the plants and animals inside, and Gondwanaland is energy efficient, with thermal energy produced from waste air being used to heat the place at night. Gondwanaland opened on 30 June 2011, and since then, the plants have certainly grown into the space available!

Upon entry to Gondwanaland, you are greeted with a long tunnel featuring many weird and wonderful creatures. Beginning with Australian lungfish, I then passed to the Eastern quoll - they were running around minding their own business, which was really cool to see. After the Eastern quoll, I spotted a slow loris making its way around the branches. Now we all know the issues surrounding these guys in the illegal exotic pet trade, so it was warming to see the slow loris exhibiting natural behaviour in an excellent zoological collection. Next, I watched in awe as a small Australian marsupial, the kowari munched on some lunch (day old chick, to be precise), and turned a corner to reach the end of the (nicely air conditioned) tunnel and finally found myself in Gondwanaland - the place I had heard so much about! 30 degree heat and 61% humidity slapped me right in the face as I entered this tropical wonderland, a truly immersive exhibit - I really felt as though I was in the rainforest. Before beginning my expedition, I hopped on the boat that took me on a journey down the river Gamanile. I was taken back in time to millions of years ago, watched species evolve, to end in the present day with an animation demonstrating the harsh reality of deforestation and the destruction of habitats. The boat meandered down the river, past the stunning komodo dragons and gave me a glimpse of the sheer size of Gondwanaland. At the end of the boat trip, the staff were super friendly and I was able to begin my expedition through the rainforest on foot. I noticed some 'open journals' dotted along the path, with 3 diary entries in 3 different languages, German, French and English. I was able to follow these along my journey. 

Open journal from Gondwanaland

As I began my climb through South America, to my left was a squirrel monkey island, where free ranging squirrel monkeys were running around in the trees and along the hand rails. To say that these guys are perfectly camouflaged would be an understatement - I almost didn't notice them in the canopy! Such an imaginative enclosure, I didn't even feel like I was in a zoo! I decided to leave the squirrel monkeys to it and climbed further, going through an amazonian passageway where a small ocelot was posing perfectly for a picture (that I didn't manage to take!) It was amazing to see this elusive cat out and about in a naturalistic enclosure, a rare sight! Going up again through the trees, I attempted to spot the two-toed sloth with no luck! But that was okay, because the next thing I saw was a group a giant otters swimming and playing in the water, whilst white faced saki monkeys were bounding around on the ropes above. 

Ocelot

Leaving South America, I headed into the primeval forests of Africa to see what I could find. I found a bat eared fox sat at the very back of it's enclosure, relaxing in the sun. Pretty much everyone glanced into the enclosure without even looking for this little guy, so I'm glad I spotted him (or her!) I noticed a suspension bridge and just had to get up on it. Known as the top of the trees path, it's not hard to see why - I was literally in the tree canopy! Being up there really emphasised how large this exhibit was and I was able to really appreciate all the work that has gone into making it so incredible. After my visit to the canopy, I was greeted with the pygmy hippo munching on some dinner, sharing an exhibit with Diana monkeys. I was then able to get face to face with the intriguing owl-faced monkey, foraging for tasty food alongside kirk's dik dik (the smallest antelope in Africa!) I loved the faces of the the owl faced monkey - it's clear how they got that name! You'll be able to spot these in my video of the zoo!

Treetop walk

I left Africa and entered Asia, encountering many weird and wonderful species during this third continent. I stopped by the fishing cat enclosure to find it very active, exploring its enclosure, seemingly unfazed by the public. I have seen this species before at Exmoor zoo, so it was nice to see them again at a different EAZA (European Association of Zoos and Aquaria) collection. Another species of otter, the Asian short clawed otter was also a resident of Gondwanaland. They were all huddled together having a nap when I caught them - incredibly cute! The sunda wrinkled hornbill was next on my list of things to see, but like the sloth, I had no luck! Asia was home to many marine species, including the Malayan giant pond turtle, spotted pond turtle and yellow headed temple turtle, all unique and as amazing as each other. The sunda gharial (false gharial) was another sight to behold. I've seen this species at Chester Zoo as fully grown adults, but here at Leipzig, they were juveniles, with great colouring. I finished my journey through Asia with the beautiful Malayan tapir and Asian brown tortoise, before reaching the destination in the village of Mubaan. Throughout my trip, I encountered many free flying birds, including the incredibly pretty red fody from Mauritius, a tiny bird with striking colours.

Red fody standing out in the green rainforest

I particularly enjoyed the interactive signage and took every opportunity to twist, turn, press buttons, listen to and look through tiny holes to see pictures (the otter one was really good - a map with numbers, and small numbered holes that when looked through, showed pictures of each otter species. The corresponding picture related to the location of the otter on the map). There were lots of interactive, talking signs, with headphones and the information available in a range of different languages, really well suited to all who visited! The sounds whilst inside were so realistic that I genuinely thought it was raining outside - but it wasn't! It was the sound of the waterfalls and indoor rain to maintain humidity. That combined with the sounds of monkeys and birds again added to the immersive feel of this amazing exhibit, nothing like I have seen before. Chester Zoo's new island's expansion, features a biodome, the Monsoon Rainforest, a very similar concept to Gondwanaland, and I can't wait for all the plants to grow and to have a similar feel to Leipzig. 

I could have happily spent the whole day in there, but it was so incredibly hot and humid that I would have been a puddle on the floor! 

Gondwanaland was absolutely incredible and it was genuinely sad to leave. I felt like I learnt so much more about the natural world and really enjoyed wandering around on my own, taking in all the sights and sounds. I would love to visit again, bringing my zookeeper friends with me, and like I said in my last post, if you can go out there to visit, do it!

Asian short clawed otters having a sleepy afternoon!

(Where I stayed - Central Globetrotter Hostel, 5 min walk from the zoo. Friendly multi-lingual staff, free wifi and comfy beds! Couldn't recommend enough. 2 mins from the main train station and 5 mins from the centre of Leipzig).

Leipzig Zoo Video

Hey guys!

I know you're all itching to read my Gondwanaland post but I thought I would tease you first with a little video I made of some video clips I took whilst at the zoo. This is my first attempt at doing anything like this so do be nice! My hand is quite shaky but that's what happens when you don't have a tripod!

You may notice that Gondwanaland actually features in this video and you really get to see the scale of the place better than in photos.

I hope you enjoy watching it, it's something I will look back over when I need to remember all the good times!

View it below or on YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XORHOnx1oHc

Leipzig Zoo - An Adventure I Will Never Forget

So I booked a £40 return flight to Leipzig, with the sole intention of visiting the famous zoo. After seeing photos of friends from the meeting of the International Congress of Zookeepers, I knew I just had to see it for myself!

The zoo opened at 9am, and I was there as soon as the main gates were opened, and was actually one of the first into the zoo (zoo geek alert!) Upon entering the zoo, I ventured first to the penguins, howler monkeys and golden lion tamarins. An island enclosure for these monkeys ensured the space was excellently utilised, with ropes, logs, and even swinging baskets. I then passed by the aquarium, ensuring I would go in later in the day (the forecast was afternoon rain!), as I was eager to explore the rest of the zoo before anyone else! Heading through the thick foliage, I was then amazed to see sloth bears, up and about so early, sharing an enclosure with rhesus macaques. The morning sun made the bears’ coats shine (I was half tempted to ask the keeper what they used to keep the coats so shiny!) The enclosure was large, with many logs and water features which extended to a second area with lots of hiding places – perfect for these bears! 

Sloth bear foraging for food

I then ventured past some aviaries holding hyacinth macaws, Mexican military macaws, crested cockatoos, lorikeets and bali starlings to spot some fur seals swimming in bright blue water! I navigated my way to the elephant temple, where I was able to spot 2 elephants inside. The décor was amazing, it really felt like I was in an indian temple! 

Native birds seemed to have made their home here too! Sri Lankan giant squirrels were housed here also, where I saw one having a snooze under the heat lamp! The elephants swam twice a day, 10.15am and 3pm (times subject to change) and after exploring some of the rest of the zoo, I popped back for this elephant swim at 10.15! I headed downstairs to the underwater viewing area, to discover the pangolin was in a nocturnal enclosure in the back! I had been wondering where abouts in the zoo I would see this creature, and I was amazed to see it so active! Being the most poached species on the planet really made me appreciate how lucky I was to see this! I knew I wouldn’t be able to make the 12pm feed so I made the most of this moment! As the elephants stepped into the pool for apples, I headed upstairs as there was a lot of dust being kicked up, but I managed to grab a couple of photos from the top of the water. It was truly amazing to see the world’s largest land mammal fully submerged in water.

Asian elephant having a bath!

I wandered past the pelicans, which were very active and it was great to see such a large group of them!

Next on my journey through Asia, I found my way through the foliage and into Tiger Taiga. I was completely taken aback by the theming. Swinhoe’s striped squirrel inhabited the house, which was decorated with a Chinese medicine cabinet, skins and furs, whilst a video showed the breeding success of the Amur tiger here at Leipzig Zoo. I could even go upstairs, where the Eurasian harvest mice lived in a large exo-terra. Heading out onto the boardwalk, I was presented with an Amur tiger posing perfectly for a photo. It was so perfect being the only person around, being one on one with this tiger made me again realise how important good zoos are for conservation. 

Amur tiger posing perfectly

The trail then led me to the elusive Amur leopard. In amongst the natural rocky outcrops, the thick vegetation and trickling streams, I was able to spot this critically endangered individual, and made sure to return for a second look later in the day.

I then headed into ‘Pongoland’ which I loosely translated to ‘Planet of the Apes’ (Pongo abelii is the latin name for Sumatran orangutan). It begins with some viewing windows, including raised platforms where you are able to view the animals from up high, taking in all the scenery. I stepped onto a winding boardwalk, which had varying height levels, allowing for everyone to see. To my left were a group of western lowland gorillas – I was delighted to see a baby in the group!

Western lowland gorilla

 To my right was the chimp enclosure, however, work was being done on it by the keepers and so the chimps were inside. Just before entering the complex, I noticed on the wall were paintings of various primates with information about them underneath, a lovely, authentic touch. Upon entering the complex, I was astonished at the attention to detail – hand and footprints on the floors and walls! Bonobo’s were to the left and chimps to the right. It was charming to see the bonobos, a rare site in zoos – Twycross zoo is the only zoo in the UK to house bonobos, as well as the 4 great ape species. Passing through the complex greeted me with a group of Sumatran orangutans, also with juvenile members of the group! Conservation messages were visible throughout, with information signs themed to the exhibit. The exit route to the complex had paintings on the wall of the evolution of man, in the same authentic style as those of the primates on the way in. Outside, I was able to catch a glimpse of the orangutans playing. 

Sumatran orangutans enjoying the sun

Leaving pongoland, I passed through a wooded area and was lucky enough to catch a keeper letting the mysterious okapi out into the enclosure and enjoying some browse. The okapi shared it’s exhibit with the small red forest duiker – I found that Leipzig Zoo were very fond of mixed species exhibits, and I’m not complaining, it means more animals and great use of the space available! Passing the okapi meant only one thing – heading into Africa! Going through the archway, I was presented with the huge Kiwara savannah exhibit! Giraffes, scimitar horned oryx, grevy’s zebra, guinea fowl and Thompson’s gazelle. The giraffe house was home to short eared sengi, ansell’s mole rat and the fat sand rat – very cute small mammals! A restaurant overlooked the savannah, which was where I enjoyed lunch later on in the day. The giraffe were enjoying a spot of lunch when I arrived, whilst the oryx and zebra were relaxing in the shade. 

Rothschild's giraffe having some lunch

As I continued to move through Africa, I found meerkats, spotted hyena, patas monkeys, rock hyrax, cheetahs and black rhinos! The innovative design of the whole exhibit meant that there were mud pools for the rhino, a large netted enclosure for the monkeys, as well as vegetation and rocks for all species to enjoy. I witnessed the cheetah taking a drink from the moat – something I’d never seen before!

Cheetah taking a drink

The lion tailed macaques were next to see, in the ‘ruins’ of a temple – again, the attention to theming at Leipzig Zoo is absolutely impeccable! I walked past some more aviaries; von der decken’s hornbill, and kea, coming out at the ‘kleiner panda’ exhibit – known to you and I as the red panda! The enclosure was large, with trees, ropes, ladders and beams – perfect for snoozing during the day! Past the red pandas is what I’m lead to believe is the older part of the zoo. I spotted a beautiful snow leopard having a nap (it was a very hot day!), the Dall sheep on a rock and the awesome Przewalski’s horses having a bit of a tussle! I was excited to head towards the flamingo lagoon, a huge free flight aviary, sporting many brightly coloured birds! Chilean flamingos lived with Caribbean flamingos, along with black faced ibis, scarlet ibis (and chicks!), white faced whistling ducks, and roseate spoonbills. The aviary allowed all birds to fly freely, which was breath-taking to see.

Gondwanaland was next on my list of things to see, but that will be a whole new blog post on its own!

I headed out for my second walk around the zoo, it was a tad cooler and the animals were a lot more active! I caught the bear talk and feed, it was so good to see the sloth bears sniffing out the food like they would in the wild! On this second walk round, I was able to see both of the Amur leopards, one being a lot more active than the other! I went to see the Amur tiger and caught him having a swim to cool down! I’ve never seen a tiger swim before so this was magnificent! I went round to the viewing window on the side where he came and rubbed his face against it, then went for a sit down. It wasn’t long before he looked and walked over to the window again where he pawed at me, rubbed his face and chuffed – it was incredible, really cementing my passion for these incredible species!

Amur tiger taking a dip!

On this second walk around, I discovered a small building next to the fur seals and went through the door to be greeted with various vivariums, amphibians and fish. Walking round, I found another door and went through to a free flight aviary sporting the red crested turaco, maroon-breasted crowned pigeons and small flying foxes to name but a few species! I was unable to spot these bats in Gondwanaland so I was excited to see them here! As much as I wanted to stay in there admiring bats forever, it was so humid that I had to leave eventually!

Small flying fox

I visited the Australia exhibit towards the end of the day, before the aquarium and actually found a red kangaroo snoozing directly on the public path, completely unfazed by my presence. As mentioned earlier, I left the aquarium until the later part of the day, a great relief from the hot sun! One half of the building exhibited many different exciting reptiles, including the frilled lizard, yellow anaconda, gila monster and much more. The enclosures were simple, yet effective, with many mixed species exhibits. The other half of the building was a large aquarium, with many hundreds of different marine animals, very eye catching. Upstairs, a large tank circled the room with a constant flow of water, allowing the animals to exchange oxygen and constantly swim as they would in the wild.

Chameleon in the Aquarium building

Overall, I think I would give Leipzig Zoo a solid 9.5/10 (the 0.5 loss was due to the dry food and some dated enclosures!) The naturalistic feel as I walked around the zoo was consistent throughout and really added to the experience. I would love to visit again in the future with friends, so we could share the experience together. Gondwanaland took my breath away – you’ll have to come back for a blog post about that very soon! I could have happily spent another day at the zoo, but I wanted to explore the city for a bit first, before my flight back in the evening. 

If you ever get the chance to visit Leipzig Zoo, do it!

(Stay tuned for my post about Gondwanaland!)