Animal park welcomes 'terror bird' cousin hatchling

http://www.thelocal.de/society/20110629-35953.html

An animal park near Germany’s northern border with Denmark is hoping a freakish-looking hatchling related to ancient “terror birds” will become a new star attraction.

Read on...

Baby red squirrels at Wildwood

Photo: Dave Butcher

Visitors to Wildwood are in luck this week with the first sightings of our baby red squirrels.

These new babies, born on 23rd April and now venturing out of their nest boxes for the first time are Wildwood's first brood this year. After maturing at the park they will be released as part of Wildwood's red squirrel conservation project aimed at preventing their nationwide extinction by re-introducing red squirrels back to the UK.

Once grown up the squirrels will be transported to the island of Anglesey in Wales to live wild and free, helping form a buffer population to safeguard the species against national extinction.

Red squirrels went extinct in Kent in the 1960's and many of us can remember them from our childhood and many areas like Kent once teemed with these beautiful acrobats of the trees.

Peter Smith, Wildwood Trust's Chief Executive said:

"Red squirrels are one of the most beautiful animals in the UK but sadly they face extinction unless urgent action is taken. But it's not yet too late. If we can help restore areas of woodland to a native state and make a concerted effort, we might just be able to tip the balance back in the red squirrel's favour."

"Wildwood Trust, as a charity, is committed to restoring our native and once native species and will continue to champion the restoration of natural woodlands."

Red Squirrels are just some of the huge range of British animals that can be seen at the Wildwood Discovery Park near Canterbury. For more information visit our website at www.wildwoodtrust.org or telephone 0871 782 0081.

Wildwood's 'Wildlife Conservation Park' is an ideal day out for all the family where you can come 'nose to nose' with British Wildlife. Wildwood offers its members and visitors a truly inspirational way to learn about the natural history of Britain by actually seeing the wildlife that once lived here, like the wolf, beaver, red squirrel, wild boar and many more.

Wildwood is situated close to Canterbury, just off the A291 between Herne Bay and Canterbury.



RED SQUIRREL FACTS

The Red Squirrel - Sciurus vulgaris

Recognition:

Fur colour variable from bright ginger through to red and dark brown or black tinged with grey in winter; larger ear tufts in mid-winter which disappear by the summer; bushy tail which bleaches white by late summer in some individuals.

Head/body length 180-240mm, tail about 175mm.

Weight: juveniles 100-150g; adults up to 350g.

General Ecology:

This is the only squirrel which is native to Britain. It is active during the daytime, though in summer it may rest for an hour or two around mid-day. Squirrel nests, or dreys, are constructed of twigs in a tree fork, or hollow or above a whorl of branches close to the stem of a conifer. They are lined with soft hair, moss and dried grass. Several squirrels may share the same drey, or use the same drey on different days.

Red squirrels spend about three-quarters of their active time above ground in trees and shrubs. Their main foods are tree seeds, such as hazel nuts and seeds from conifer cones. They also eat tree flowers and shoots, mushrooms and fungi from under tree bark. Red squirrels often suffer periods of food shortage especially during July. Red squirrels are at home in conifer forests and broadleaved woodland. The distribution of red squirrels has declined drastically in the last 60 years and they are now extinct in southern England except for a few on the Isle of Wight and two small islands in Poole Harbour. Elsewhere they are confined to rather isolated populations in Wales and to only four places in central England: Thetford Chase (East Anglia), Cannock Chase (Staffordshire), Hope Forest (Derbyshire) and around Formby in Merseyside. Red squirrels are still widespread in the North of England and Scotland, but even here their range is contracting.

Breeding can begin in mid-winter and continue through the summer, depending on the weather and how much food is available. Mating chases occur where several males follow a female who is ready to mate. During chases squirrels make spectacular leaps through the tree canopy and spiral up and down tree trunks. Females have one or two litters a year, usually of about 2-3 young. Juveniles are weaned at around 10 weeks, but do not breed until they are one year old. Red squirrels in favourable habitat can live at a population density of one squirrel per hectare of woodland. Often densities are lower than this. They survive for up to six years in the wild.

Conservation:

Red squirrels are protected by law, and may not be intentionally trapped, killed or kept, or have their dreys disturbed except under licence from English Nature (EN), the Countryside Council for Wales (CCW) or Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH).

Red squirrels are considered vulnerable in Britain. However, very occasionally high densities in some Scottish forests can lead to economic damage to trees. In such cases, government agencies will assess whether to issue a licence to remove some of the red squirrels.

Historically, red squirrel populations in Britain have fluctuated widely, the species disappearing from many areas at times and recolonising at a later date. However, in the 1920s red squirrels began to be replaced by grey squirrels introduced to about 30 sites from eastern North America, between 1876 and 1929. Red squirrels seem unable to survive in the presence of greys, but the reasons for this are not fully understood. There is no evidence that grey squirrels aggressively chase out red squirrels, or that grey squirrels brought a disease with them from America which affects red squirrels. The key as to why grey have replaced red squirrels seems to be their ability to compete for food in different types of habitat. Red squirrels live in all types of woodland habitats from pure broadleaf, to mixed broadleaf and conifer, to pure conifer. However it is believed they prefer pure conifer forests because they can forage in them more efficiently and survive in them better than in broadleaf forest.

It is believed that the only real way to ensure the continued presence of red squirrels in an area is, if possible, to keep grey squirrels out, or, at least to keep their number low. This may be achieved by habitat management to alter the tree species composition and age structure of woodland to suit red but not grey squirrels. Special food hoppers which provide food for red squirrels but not the heavier grey squirrels, can help to tip the balance in favour of red squirrels. Re-introductions to large pine forests may be an important conservation tactic, although further research into the health and welfare of red squirrels during captivity and all phases of a reintroduction programme is needed.

WHERE HAVE ALL THE RED SQUIRRELS GONE?

In the past red squirrels were common. Over the last few decades we have seen a dramatic decline in numbers of red squirrels.

The red squirrel is our only native squirrel species. This century it has undergone a drastic decline and is now mainly confined to northern England, Scotland and parts of Wales.

The main cause of this decline is competition with the introduced American grey squirrel. The grey squirrel is larger than the red and better able to survive harsh weather and period of food shortage. It breeds more successfully and quickly out-competes the red squirrel for food.

Historically, red squirrels frequented the whole of the British Isles which they recolonised after the ice age. Numbers and range have always naturally fluctuated, rising and falling in relation to food availability and climate. The major decline occurred in England during the 1940s and 1050s while the grey squirrel expanded rapidly at the same time. reasons for the red squirrel decline are competition with grey squirrels, disease, habitat loss and fragmentation.

Numbers

It has been estimated that about 160,000 red squirrels remain in Great Britain. 120,000 of these in Scotland and 30,000 in England with 10,000 in Wales. There are an estimated 2.5 million grey squirrels in Britain. Populations of red and grey squirrels in Northern Ireland are currently changing. Distribution is known, however population estimates have not yet been considered.

Habitat

Without competition red squirrels can thrive in broadleaved and coniferous woodland. However, where the two squirrels exist, the red squirrel in general survives in conifer woods only as it is more specialised to feed off smaller seeds. There are a number of locations in Scotland where red and grey squirrels have been known to exist for many years, this is probably due to the habitat types. To aid the red squirrel in the long term it is important that appropriate habitat management is practiced to allow red squirrels to survive in areas that would otherwise be taken over by greys. This is easier said than done and much research is still needed before we can fully assist the red squirrel within our conifer woodlands.

OTHER RED SQUIRREL FACTS

• Red squirrels can also be black, brown, cream or have white tails.
• They don't hibernate.
• They can leap up to 6m from tree to tree.
• Their ankles are double-jointed, which allows them to swivel their feet through 180 degrees, they have sticky pads on their feet and they wee on them to get a better grip - all to help them climb.
• The wee also means they mark their territories with their scent wherever they go.
• They also wipe their faces along branches to leave their scent.
• Squirrels weigh nuts in their hands to see if they will make good eating - too light means the nut has shrivelled inside and is thrown away.
• Whenever they bury a nut in the woodland floor after holding it in their mouths, they can find it again because it will be smeared with their own individual scent from a gland in their cheek.
• They take fresh fungi into the treetops to hang up to dry and store for later.
• Squirrels wrap themselves in their tails, both to keep warm in winter and to shade them from the summer sun.
• Sometimes they can go bald in the spring because their winter coat moults before the new summer one has grown.
• They store nuts in the ground in Autumn.
• Can swim.
• Eat seeds, buds, leaves, flowers, shoots and fruit of many trees and shrubs, fungi, insects and occasional birds eggs.
• Live in a drey made of twigs, leaves and moss built in a tree.
• Moult whole coat twice a year.
• Moult ear tufts and tail once in late summer.
• They can live to 6 years of age.
• Scientific name is Sciurus vulgaris.
• Have 4 fingers and 5 toes.
• They can hang upside down.
• Young are called kittens.
• Could have 2 litters each year with 3-4 kittens in each litter.
• Kittens are born blind, pink, hairless and toothless.
• Weigh 275 - 300 gms.
• Length - body 20 - 22cm, tail 17 - 18cm.

Rare lion tamarin monkey born at Durrell

Francisco is now almost two months old

18 May 2011
By Matt Walker
Editor, BBC Nature online

One of the world's most endangered primates has been born at the headquarters of the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust.

The male baby black lion tamarin monkey is the first born outside of Brazil for eight years.

The species of monkey is critically endangered in the wild, with fewer than 1,000 black lion tamarins remaining.

Named Francisco, the baby's arrival will help efforts to reintroduce the species to its native habitat.

Black lion tamarins (Leontopithecus chrysopygus) are small agile monkeys, which have silky long black hair and a mane around their heads.

Adults are 25-33cm long with a slightly longer tail, and weigh 550-700g.

The species only survives in 11 localities in the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil.

This rarity led the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, an internal charity based in Jersey that works to save species from extinction, to begin a captive breeding programme of the species.

Francisco was born on 22 March this year by Caesarean section. Durrell delayed announcing his birth until keepers were confident he had made it past his potentially risky early few weeks of life.

"This birth is great news; monitoring and successfully delivering the baby has been a very tricky event to manage," says Mark Brayshaw, head of Durrell's animal collection.

He is the first healthy baby born to his mother, named Roxanne, who has previously lost two babies and suffered several miscarriages.

Due to her previous problems the Durrell staff decided to monitor her four-and-a-half month pregnancy and deliver the baby by Caesarean at the appropriate time.

"Predicting when the infant would be sufficiently developed yet intervening prior to natural parturition has been key and has involved dedicated input from the mammal team with lots of early mornings and late nights to monitor progress."

According to Durrell staff, so far both mother and baby are doing well.

The infant is being hand-reared and syringe-fed every two hours throughout the day and night and over the next few weeks they will slowly teach him to lap milk from a dish. When he is able to do this successfully he will be returned to his family.

"The importance of this is that it is the first live birth of a black lion tamarin in captivity outside of Brazil for eight years and thus incredibly important to the European Endangered Species Programme," added Mr Brayshaw.

"There is still a very long way to go to ensure that the captive population's viability is assured but this is most definitely a step in the right direction."

There are currently nine critically endangered black lion tamarins, including the new baby, at Durrell's headquarters in Jersey.

In 1999 the Durrell team returned a group of black lion tamarins to Brazil for reintroduction to the wild.

See video at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/13424246
(Submitted by Dawn Holloway)

Welcome to Wildwood's New Year baby – cute baby boarlet is the first arrival of 2011

Wildwood, Kent’s unique wildlife and woodland park, is celebrating its first new arrival of 2011; a baby wild boar.

The new baby is the first piglet to be born to proud parents Pru and Sydney and marked the New Year in style by arriving on New Year’s Day. The baby is as yet unnamed until its sex can be determined.

Keeper Judi Dunn said “I am so excited for Pru and Sydney, this is their first baby and Pru is doing very well as a new mum. It’s lovely to see the piglet starting to go out and about to explore the enclosure and avoiding the puddles after the recent rain.”

Wild boar piglets are born with stripes to help camouflage them in the undergrowth and typically stay in the nest for about 10 days. The young are suckled for about 12 weeks before they are completely weaned, after which they find their food by rooting around the woodland floor with their mother.

Wildwood Trust is campaigning to save wild boar from being hunted to extinction and has asked the Government to legalise the status of this animal and let it take its rightful place in the British Countryside, helping to restore our natural woodlands.

Wild boar form an integral part of the historic landscape of Britain and help woodland flowers, insects, animals and trees regenerate creating countryside richer in wildlife. The Wildwood Trust has been lobbying to ensure that Wild boar are given a chance to regain their natural place in our woodlands to encourage a landscape that’s rich in flowers, butterflies and birds.

Wild boar are just one of the huge range of British animals that can be seen at the Wildwood, near Canterbury , off the A291 between Herne Bay and Canterbury. For more information visit our website at www.wildwoodtrust.org or telephone 0871 782 008.

Wild Boar Facts

The European Wild Boar (Sus scrofa), ancestor of the domesticated pig, is the largest of the present-day wild hogs - the males or boars sometimes reaching a height of 40 inches at the shoulder and a weight of 350 pounds. A male wild boar is armed with a pair of large sharp strong tusks, the upper canine teeth, which curve outward and upward, reaching a length of ten inches in old age. The female or sow bears litters of 3 to 12 striped young in a nest hidden in thick brush.

Some facts concerning the Wild Boar:

• The Wild Boar has a gregarious nature and is mainly woodland-dwelling.
• Wild boar mainly feed on deer truffles, acorns, nuts, tubers, insects, earthworms and some carrion.
• Vocalisations are very important, and wild boar are constantly grunting and chirruping to each other, and squeal when alarmed.
• Wild boar are usually not dangerous and do not attack other animals and people. However, they can be very aggressive, especially females with young, or injured animals.
• Wild boar are naturally timid and (normally!) run away at the sight of people.
• Wild boar have a life span of between 15 and 20 years.

The date at which wild boar finally became extinct in Britain is unclear due to subsequent attempts at re-introduction. In continental Europe, wild boar were (and still are) widely distributed and attempts were made in the 18th and 19th centuries to re-introduce animals to Britain from abroad, initially into private estates for hunting purposes. James 1st released animals firstly from France and then from Germany into Windsor Park in 1608 and 1611 respectively. His son, Charles 1st (reigned 1625-1649), also released boar into the New Forest from Germany.

It is thought that the original British wild boar were probably extinct by the 13th century, and the re-introduced animals became extinct during the 17th century. Between the 17th century and the 1980s, when wild boar farming began, only a handful of captive wild boar, imported from the continent as zoo exhibits, were present in Britain. Until very recently, no free-living wild boar (native or introduced) have been present in Britain for the last 300 years.

Welcome to Wildwood's New Year baby – cute baby boarlet is the first arrival of 2011

Wildwood, Kent’s unique wildlife and woodland park, is celebrating its first new arrival of 2011; a baby wild boar.

The new baby is the first piglet to be born to proud parents Pru and Sydney and marked the New Year in style by arriving on New Year’s Day. The baby is as yet unnamed until its sex can be determined.

Keeper Judi Dunn said “I am so excited for Pru and Sydney, this is their first baby and Pru is doing very well as a new mum. It’s lovely to see the piglet starting to go out and about to explore the enclosure and avoiding the puddles after the recent rain.”

Wild boar piglets are born with stripes to help camouflage them in the undergrowth and typically stay in the nest for about 10 days. The young are suckled for about 12 weeks before they are completely weaned, after which they find their food by rooting around the woodland floor with their mother.

Wildwood Trust is campaigning to save wild boar from being hunted to extinction and has asked the Government to legalise the status of this animal and let it take its rightful place in the British Countryside, helping to restore our natural woodlands.

Wild boar form an integral part of the historic landscape of Britain and help woodland flowers, insects, animals and trees regenerate creating countryside richer in wildlife. The Wildwood Trust has been lobbying to ensure that Wild boar are given a chance to regain their natural place in our woodlands to encourage a landscape that’s rich in flowers, butterflies and birds.

Wild boar are just one of the huge range of British animals that can be seen at the Wildwood, near Canterbury , off the A291 between Herne Bay and Canterbury. For more information visit our website at www.wildwoodtrust.org or telephone 0871 782 008.

Wild Boar Facts

The European Wild Boar (Sus scrofa), ancestor of the domesticated pig, is the largest of the present-day wild hogs - the males or boars sometimes reaching a height of 40 inches at the shoulder and a weight of 350 pounds. A male wild boar is armed with a pair of large sharp strong tusks, the upper canine teeth, which curve outward and upward, reaching a length of ten inches in old age. The female or sow bears litters of 3 to 12 striped young in a nest hidden in thick brush.

Some facts concerning the Wild Boar:

• The Wild Boar has a gregarious nature and is mainly woodland-dwelling.
• Wild boar mainly feed on deer truffles, acorns, nuts, tubers, insects, earthworms and some carrion.
• Vocalisations are very important, and wild boar are constantly grunting and chirruping to each other, and squeal when alarmed.
• Wild boar are usually not dangerous and do not attack other animals and people. However, they can be very aggressive, especially females with young, or injured animals.
• Wild boar are naturally timid and (normally!) run away at the sight of people.
• Wild boar have a life span of between 15 and 20 years.

The date at which wild boar finally became extinct in Britain is unclear due to subsequent attempts at re-introduction. In continental Europe, wild boar were (and still are) widely distributed and attempts were made in the 18th and 19th centuries to re-introduce animals to Britain from abroad, initially into private estates for hunting purposes. James 1st released animals firstly from France and then from Germany into Windsor Park in 1608 and 1611 respectively. His son, Charles 1st (reigned 1625-1649), also released boar into the New Forest from Germany.

It is thought that the original British wild boar were probably extinct by the 13th century, and the re-introduced animals became extinct during the 17th century. Between the 17th century and the 1980s, when wild boar farming began, only a handful of captive wild boar, imported from the continent as zoo exhibits, were present in Britain. Until very recently, no free-living wild boar (native or introduced) have been present in Britain for the last 300 years.

White tiger cub in Indian zoo turns black

Published: 1:30PM BST 31 Aug 2010

A white tiger cub born in a zoo in Madras, India, appears to be losing its stripes as most of its body and legs turn black.

The cub went on public display with its two 'white' siblings for the first time at the Arignar Anna Zoological Park in Vandalur on Sunday, and quickly became the main attraction.

"I am really delighted to watch it," said Syed Ibrahim, a visitor to the zoo. "It has three cubs and one cub is really looking different. It has a pink coating on it – looks like some biological change, and it's really beautiful."

Black tigers are rare. Biologists believe a large presence of melanin, the dark skin pigment, is the likely reason for its unusual colouring.

Tigers' skin colour is determined by the presence of black and yellow pigments. In most tigers, the colour yellow dominates over black to give them their characteristic colouring.

"In this cub, the reverse has happened — black is the dominant colour," senior zoo biologist Dr Manimozhi told The Times of India.

"We are monitoring the cub. The skin colour that he grows into when he reaches adulthood will be the permanent one," he said.

"It is the dominance of yellow pigment that enables tigers to survive in the wild," he added. "In fact, this is the reason why most white tigers are found only in zoos and not in the wild," Dr Manimozhi said.

The three cubs were born on June 6 and are all healthy and active, according to the zoo.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newsvideo/weirdnewsvideo/7973055/White-tiger-cub-in-Indian-zoo-turns-black.html

White tiger cub in Indian zoo turns black

Published: 1:30PM BST 31 Aug 2010

A white tiger cub born in a zoo in Madras, India, appears to be losing its stripes as most of its body and legs turn black.

The cub went on public display with its two 'white' siblings for the first time at the Arignar Anna Zoological Park in Vandalur on Sunday, and quickly became the main attraction.

"I am really delighted to watch it," said Syed Ibrahim, a visitor to the zoo. "It has three cubs and one cub is really looking different. It has a pink coating on it – looks like some biological change, and it's really beautiful."

Black tigers are rare. Biologists believe a large presence of melanin, the dark skin pigment, is the likely reason for its unusual colouring.

Tigers' skin colour is determined by the presence of black and yellow pigments. In most tigers, the colour yellow dominates over black to give them their characteristic colouring.

"In this cub, the reverse has happened — black is the dominant colour," senior zoo biologist Dr Manimozhi told The Times of India.

"We are monitoring the cub. The skin colour that he grows into when he reaches adulthood will be the permanent one," he said.

"It is the dominance of yellow pigment that enables tigers to survive in the wild," he added. "In fact, this is the reason why most white tigers are found only in zoos and not in the wild," Dr Manimozhi said.

The three cubs were born on June 6 and are all healthy and active, according to the zoo.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newsvideo/weirdnewsvideo/7973055/White-tiger-cub-in-Indian-zoo-turns-black.html

22 Komodo dragons hatch this month at Los Angeles Zoo, boost to the endangered species

This image provided by the Los Angeles Zoo shows two of the 22 Komodo dragons that were born at the zoo over an 11 day period begining Aug. 8, 2010 in Los Angeles. Komodos, the world's largest dragons, are cannibalistic and usually eat their young and eggs of their own species, so zoo officials say staying alive is tricky for a hatchling. Los Angeles is one of the few zoos in North America to have successfully bred Komodos. The curator says 11 babies will eventually go to the Columbus (Ohio) Zoo. (AP Photo/Los Angeles Zoo) (AP / August 24, 2010)

SUE MANNING Associated Press Writer

7:25 p.m. EDT, August 26, 2010

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Twenty-two Komodo dragons have hatched at the Los Angeles Zoo this month, giving a modest boost to the world's endangered population.

The zoo's adult female Komodo, Lima, laid the eggs on Jan. 22. The first one popped through its soft-sided egg shell on Aug. 8 and hatchlings kept coming for two weeks.

Komodos are the world's largest lizards and are popular attractions at zoos from the United States to Europe. All 2,500 left in the wild can be found at the 700-square-mile Komodo National Park in Indonesia.

Komodos are cannibalistic and usually eat their young and eggs of their own species, so zoo officials say staying alive is tricky for a hatchling.

This is the first time the Los Angeles Zoo has succeeded at a breeding attempt. It joins fewer than 10 other zoos in North America that have made it work.

Eleven babies will eventually go to the Columbus Zoo in Ohio and the others will go to zoos assigned by the Species Survival Program, curator Ian Recchio said Thursday. Los Angeles will just keep Lima and the adult male, Buru.

It is exciting to know "the hatchlings from this clutch will go on to help ensure the survival of the species," Recchio said.

Hatchlings are 14 to 20 inches long and weigh around 3 ounces, but they will grow to about 9 feet and can weigh 200 pounds or more. Males tend to be slightly larger than females and sometimes have yellow spots on their snouts but are otherwise gray.

They have about 60 needle-like teeth that will grow back quickly if one falls out. They will cut their prey into sections and then swallow without chewing. They drink rarely, getting their fluids from the food they eat.

There are no Komodos on display at the zoo now, but before the offspring all leave Los Angeles, some of them will be shown at the Winnick Family Children's Zoo.

In the wild, a young Komodo will sprint up the nearest tree to avoid being eaten by adults. They will stay in the trees and eat insects and other lizards until they get too heavy for the tree. By then, they will have developed enough to protect themselves from adult Komodos on the ground.

Komodo dragons in the wild eat 80 percent of their weight and then go without food for several weeks. They will eat snakes, other lizards, reptile and bird eggs, carrion, deer, pigs, goats and dogs. They will even try to eat larger animals, like horses and water buffalo.

The dragons are probably best known for their venomous saliva. It is naturally harmless, but picks up deadly pathogens because of the food they eat, Recchio said. The Komodos are immune to the bacteria, but the animals or humans in their path can be in nearly instant trouble.

The animals are believed to have descended from a larger lizard on Indonesia's main island Java or Australia around 30,000 years ago.

___

Online:

http://www.lazoo.org

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-us-komodo-dragons,0,1030716.story

'Ligers' bred in Taiwan zoo

A private zoo in Taiwan could be fined after breeding 'ligers' – a cross between a lion and a tiger.

Published: 6:36PM BST 16 Aug 2010

The zoo is the island's first to breed the hybrid of a lion and a tigress, but officials seized the cubs and said they may fine the owner.

The three liger cubs were born in Taiwan on Sunday at the World Snake King Education Farm in the south, but one of them died almost immediately.

"The pregnancy of the tigress caught me totally unprepared," said Huang Kuo-nan, the farm's owner.

"The lion and the tigress have been kept in the same cage since they were cubs more than six years ago, and nothing happened."

But the Tainan county government later in the day seized the two baby ligers, relocating them to a home for wild animals in another southern county.

"What else can I do? I respect the decision, but I hope the two cubs can be taken good care of," Mr Kuo-nan said.

He faces a fine of up to 50,000 Taiwan dollars (£1,000) for breeding wildlife without authorities' prior approval, said the Council of Agriculture.

According to the Taipei-based Apple Daily, there are only around 10 surviving ligers in the world, with adult ligers capable of growing much larger than average lions.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/taiwan/7948783/Ligers-bred-in-Taiwan-zoo.html

Giant panda holds newborn cub in mouth, cub lives

Ted Thornhill - 15th July, 2010

A giant panda caused pandemonium when she grabbed her pink and hairless baby in her mouth – but luckily she was just showing motherly love.

Mummy panda Zhuyun gave birth to the cub this year at a breeding centre in Southwest China’s Sichuan Province, after mating with a male named Lingling.

The little fella weighs a very cute 159.5 grams and measures an adorable 14.8cm. Awwwww.

(Writer pauses for a moment and sighs at the sheer cuteness of it all).

Workers panicked for a few moments when he was grabbed by mother, but all was well.

The baby won’t be named for another 100 days, which is a tradition in China.

His birth makes Zhuyun’s family four-strong, as she also has a little girl, Minmin.

Zhuyun and Lingling are part of the China Giant Panda Protection and Research Center.

Pandas are one of the world’s most endangered animals, with just 1,590 in the wild - mostly in the mountains of Sichuan - and 210 in captivity.

The Panda Research Center, founded in 1963, sits in a 200,000-hectare nature reserve and houses around 150 pandas. Most of them were moved to the Ya’an reserve when the centre was damaged by the huge earthquake of May 2008.

The centre is currently being rebuilt.

http://www.metro.co.uk/weird/835199-giant-panda-holds-newborn-cub-in-mouth-cub-lives

Cologne Zoo's newest addition

Jul 14 - Cologne Zoo proudly shows off its newest member, a bonobo baby. Gemma Haines reports.



http://www.reuters.com/news/video?rpc=401&videoId=119265205

Aga meerkats rule the roost

23 March 2010, 10:36

Two meerkats, who began life inside a glove on top of an Aga oven in Devon, are about to celebrate their first birthday.

Wren and Rascal, along with a third sibling, were rejected by their mother at the Axe Valley Bird and Animal Park in Devon.

Luckily for the tiny creatures, park owners Jayne Collier and her husband Andrew were on hand to take them in.

Mrs Collier was unable to save the third baby meerkat, but Wren and Rascal have made great progress.

The pair, who were just the size of a finger, spent their first weeks of life inside a glove on top of the Colliers' kitchen Aga.

As they grew they were given free-range of the house, which brought out their destructive side.

Following their natural instincts, the duo spent their days digging and burrowing - scraping out the grouting between the kitchen flagstones and fluffing up the carpet.

And despite their shaky start in life the two certainly weren't timid; they would regularly join the humans for walks around the farm, terrifying the dogs with their sharp teeth.

Eventually the the tear-away twosome were given their own new pen, as they wouldn't now be welcomed back by their original family.

So Wren and Racal are kings of their own domain and can even expect the arrival of two new females to keep them company soon.

http://web.orange.co.uk/article/quirkies/Aga_meerkats_rule_the_roost

Pillow paw

Click to enlarge

http://e-edition.metroherald.ie/2010/03/19/ - p19.

Liger who enjoys tourist attractions right in her own pad

Click to enlarge

Metro Herald Ireland, 28 January 2010, p3.

Baby Panda Shows His Bounce Back Ability

10:21am UK, Friday January 08, 2010
Angela Barnes, Sky News Online

San Diego Zoo's newest baby panda, Yun Zi, made his media debut by showing off his bounce back ability.

The five month old giant panda cub climbed a tree branch, fell off, and promptly climbed back on.

The zoo's senior keeper, Kathy Hawk, said: "It's all part of the learning process."

She added it would help Yun Zi help get his "climbing legs going."

The cub's mother, Bai Yun, was equally unpeturbed.

She looked on proudly as her bubbly baby boy performed for the cameras.

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