CHESTER Zoo have released their top 10 most important animal births of this year including a reptile species that pre-date dinosaurs, a precious quartet of rare magpies and a critically endangered Eastern black rhino calf.
Zoo experts are keen point out that careful planning, top class facilities, skilled zookeepers and animal staff, first rate husbandry and scientific insight are the main contributing factors as to why the baby boom of endangered and unusual species has been so significant this year.
1. Great boost to endangered species, Eastern black rhino calf - Gabe
After a pregnancy lasting 15-months Eastern black rhino Ema Elsa gave birth to Gabe, a male calf in a "perfect" birth caught on CCTV.
With Black rhino populations dropping by more than 95 per cent over the last 50 years due to a global surge in illegal poaching for their horns, wild numbers of the species are currently estimated to be 740 across Africa.
Tim Rowlands, the zoo’s curator of mammals, said: “The footage picked up by our CCTV cameras gave us a rare glimpse of a momentous event – a birth which provides a big boost to the European Endangered Species Breeding Programme for the magnificent Eastern black rhino. These animals are on the very brink of extinction and our new arrival is hugely important to the conservation of the species.”
Gabe is now almost one year old and is doing tremendously well.
2. The rare reptile tuatara hatches
The hatching of the tuatara, believed to have pre-dated dinosaurs, was the first ever breeding of the animal outside of its native New Zealand.
The rare newcomer arrived weighing just 4.21 grams following a 238 day incubation period with reptile experts from the zoo labelling the hatching as an “amazing event” after dedicating several decades to the project.
Relatives of the tuatara died out more than 225 million years ago and at that time, were found in Europe, Asia, North and South America and parts of Africa but it is not entirely clear why the rest of these ancient reptiles became extinct.
3. Adorable penguin chicks: Munch, Frazzle, Squares and Wotsit
Named after their keepers favourite crisps - these new Fuzzy Humboldt penguin chicks called Munch, Frazzle, Squares and Wotsit made their appearance earlier on this year.
Staff at the zoo use a different naming theme each year to help them to keep track of new chicks, with popular crisps getting the nod this time around. Previous topics have included British Olympic athletes, chocolate bars and even the keepers’ favourite curries.
4. The incredibly rare Javan green magpie
Four rare Javan green magpie chicks gave a huge boost to conservation efforts to save the critically endangered birds from extinction.
Curator of birds at Chester Zoo, Andrew Owen said: “I have had the privilege of working with many rare and beautiful birds, but none are more precious than the Javan green magpie – one of the world’s most endangered species.
“We’ve been working with our conservation partners in Java - the Cikananga Wildlife Centre - for several years. In that time we’ve seen Javan green magpies disappear almost completely from the wild as they are captured for the illegal bird trade. Huge areas of forests that were once filled with beautiful songbirds are falling silent.
“Every individual we breed at the zoo could help save the species as the clock is ticking and time is running out.”
5. Unusually cute Montserrat tarantulas
Keepers at Chester Zoo were the first in the world to successfully breed the rare and unusual Montserrat tarantula with the clutch of 200 spiderlings was a crucial step towards discovering more about the mysterious species.
Curator of lower vertebrates and invertebrates at the zoo, Dr Gerardo Garcia said: “Breeding these tarantulas is a huge achievement for the team as very little is known about them. It’s taken a lot of patience and care to reach this point.
“The data we’ve been able to gather and knowledge we’ve developed over the last three years since the adults first arrived has led us to this first ever successful, recorded breeding and hopefully these tiny tarantulas will uncover more secrets about the behaviour, reproduction and life cycle of the species.”
6. The sweet spotty Malayan tapir, Solo
Tiny Malayan tapir, Solo, was the first of her kind to be born at the zoo to her mother, Margery.
Solo’s arrival is hugely significant as she will add valuable genetics to the European endangered species breeding programme which is working to ensure a safety net population of Malayan tapirs in zoos so that they will not go extinct.
7. The late arrival - Indali Hi Way, the beautiful Asian elephant calf
Chester zoo's family of Asian elephants welcomed the pitter patter of not-so-tiny feet as Christmas came early in the shape of a new calf this month.
The female calf named Indali Hi Way arrived to 12-year-old mum Sundara after a 22-month pregnancy.
The new calf gives a huge boost to the endangered species breeding programme for Asian elephants who are threatened by habitat loss, poaching, disease and direct conflict with humans.
8. Critically endangered Sulawesi crested macaque, Han
A baby Sulawesi crested macaque, Han, was spotted clinging to first-time mum Camilla in May.
The youngster was born as part of a European breeding programme for the critically endangered species of monkey.
Highly threatened with extinction in the wild it is thought fewer than 5,000 macaque remain on its native island of Sulawesi due to large scale habitat loss and illegal poaching.
The zoo’s new arrival increased the number of Sulawesi crested macaques living in its new South East Asian Islands habitat – the biggest development in the history of UK zoos - to 16.
9. Rare tiny twin Visayan warty piglets
Rare twin Visayan warty piglets made their debut appearance at Chester Zoo in spring after recent estimates showed only 200 of the species are left in their native habitat in central Philippines.
The new piglets were among the first to be born in the zoo’s new Islands exhibit which has been described as the most ambitious expansion in UK zoo history.
10. Five adorable otter pups
Mum and dad team Annie and Wallace took their five new pups for their first dip in water in October.
Asian short-clawed otters are listed by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature as vulnerable to extinction.
As well as a successful record with breeding exotic otter species, Chester Zoo has also helped fund research and conservation projects in Cheshire to monitor and safeguard native otter populations which are distant relations of the Asian short-clawed species.
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