EXOTICS NEWS

The latest from the world of exotic animals

“The

Manchester Museum re-opened its doors to visitors in February following a £15m refurbishment. The museum, which had been closed since June 2021, hosts the “Vivarium” which houses a large collection of critically endangered amphibians, mostly from Costa Rica. Museum Director Esme Ward told Mancunian Matters: “We are absolutely thrilled to have opened our doors once again, we welcomed over 11,000 visitors during our reopening weekend, which is remarkable. Our visitors are what make the museum what it is and it’s not been the same without them – it was such a joy to see the building full of excited faces.” have of the biodiversity of TimorLeste. 10 individuals of Cyrtodactylus santana were discovered in the Nino Konis Santana National Park by Chan Kin Onn and fellow researchers. Situated between Wallace’s Line and Lydekker’s Line, Timor-Leste is a hotspot for biodiversity with high levels of endemism. Previously occupied by Indonesian militia, Timor-Leste won its independence in 2002 but sadly lost immense areas of forest and is still affected by high rates of poverty. The discovery of the bent-toed gecko, Cyrtodactylus santana, may prompt more interest in studying and protecting the country’s fauna.

British Veterinary Association publishes stance on “Non-Traditional Companion Animals”

in the UK, claiming that the term “non-traditional companion animal” is already extremely problematic. Exotics Keeper Magazine reached out to the association and was presented with source material from lobbyist organisations, “Born Free” and “World Animal Protection”. Chris Newman of the Reptile and Exotic Pet Trade Association and Founder of the National Centre for Reptile Welfare said: “it’s not a surprise to me in the slightest and it affirms the BVA’s position. Both [Born Free and World Animal Protection] are animal rights groups, not animal welfare… If we genuinely care about animal welfare, then we need to be able to measure the overall welfare of all animals kept as companions, rather than trying to create artificial terms for taxa such as non-traditional, traditional, exotic, domesticated and so forth.” Full coverage of this story will be available on our website soon.

to be maintained in a UK collection and are three of only seven in Europe. Found only in the treetops of northwest Madagascar, the Coquerel’s sifaka lemur population has suffered an 80% decline in just 30 years due to widespread deforestation. As a result, the world’s authority on the state of nature, The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), upgraded the species to its highest conservation priority in 2018 and listed the primates as critically endangered in the wild.

Mike Jordan, Director of Animals and Plants at Chester Zoo, added: “The birth of a Coquerel’s sifaka in Europe is a real landmark moment for conservation and, importantly, has kickstarted the endangered species breeding programme in European zoos for the species – which could be the lifeboat that prevents them from becoming wiped out completely. Mass deforestation has swept across the island of Madagascar and it has lost up to 90% of its forests, taking with it thousands of species. But we refuse to let the devastation continue and our conservationists have helped our partners Madagasikara Voakajy – an NGO based in the heart of the island – to develop an official protected area spanning 27,000 hectares of forest, which is home to some of Madagascar’s most precious species.” there are still areas of Australia with hidden secrets.”

Brett Turnbull, Ranger in Charge of the Whitsundays region was on the trip in which the species was discovered. “This is an exciting discovery, and an important one, because we base our management of these islands on their biodiversity values. Knowing which species occur where, and finding species restricted to single islands, informs our management of fire, invasive species and other threats,” said Mr Turnbull.

So far, 30 specimens have been found and recorded on the boulder-strewn island but ongoing research hopes to map the population size with more accuracy. The geckos appear to have survived island fires by hiding amongst the rocks, but researchers believe they could be subject to other threats. Asian house geckos (Hemidactylus frenatus) are an invasive species that have established themselves on the mainland in Townsville and conservationists are worried that they may easily adapt to life on the island too, outcompeting the leaf-tailed geckos. Poaching of Phyllurus species is also known to occur in nearby areas.

New gecko species described on Timor-Leste

A new species of bent-toed gecko has been officially described, hinting at the limited knowledge scientists

The British Veterinary Association have published their stance on “NonTraditional Companion Animals”. In recent councils, the BVA has seemingly supported the idea of implementing a “positive list” model in the UK. According to the association, the 2022 Voice of the Veterinary Profession survey found that over eight in ten vets (81%) were concerned that the welfare needs of NTCAs were not being met, with the most cited welfare issues being ‘irresponsible animal ownership’ (82%), ‘irresponsible breeding or sourcing’ (11%), and ‘lack of specialist veterinary care’ (10%). Vets who treat NTCAs report that over half (58%) of the NTCAs they see do not have their five animal welfare needs met.

The data has been met with some scepticism from professional groups representing those who keep exotics

New leaf-tailed gecko species discovered

Whipsnade welcomes African wild dogs

Chester Zoo welcomes birth of rare lemur

Keepers at Chester Zoo are celebrating the birth of a Coquerels sifaka (Propithecus coquereli). The baby lemur and its two parents are the only three members of the species

A new species of Australian leaf-tailed gecko has been discovered on a small island on the Great Barrier Reef. The “Scawfell Island leaf-tailed gecko” was described by James Cook University Professor, Dr Conrad Hoskin last month. Dr Hoskin discovered the gecko during a survey with Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service & Partnerships.

“It is incredible to still find large and spectacular new species in this day and age,” said Dr Hoskin. “The fact that this gecko remained undiscovered to science shows that

ZSL Whipsnade Zoo has recently welcomed three critically endangered African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) to their collection from West Midlands Safari Park. Once a widespread species with a total population estimate of 500,000, the African wild dog has seen numbers plumet. Now, BBC Wildlife Magazine reports that there are fewer than 6,000 left in the wild, belonging to around 700 individual packs. It is thought that the acquisition of Earl, Elvis and Einstein by Whipsnade Zoo will help establish a new captive breeding population in the UK.

First pangolin is born in a European Zoo

A critically-endangered Chinese pangolin (Manis pentadactyla) has been born at Prague Zoo. The parent pangolins, female, Run Hou Tang and male, Guo Bao, were obtained from Taipei Zoo in April 2022. Pangolins are notoriously difficult to keep and breed in captivity and Prague Zoo became only the second zoo in Europe to hold these peculiar and critically endangered mammals. Their highly-specialised diet requires keepers to provide bee larvae paste to give them enough nutrients to breed. Pangolins are the most illegally trafficked mammals in the world and as a result, all nine species have suffered immense population declines. Seven of these species are endangered or critically endangered, with the Chinese pangolin being one of the rarest.

“We are incredibly happy, but at the same time we do realize that the following days might be critical,“ warns the Prague Zoo director Miroslav Bobek. "The female pangolin Run Hou Tang that we got from the Taipei Zoo had already raised offspring, so the chances [of success] are relatively high.“

At the time of writing, the young pup is still healthy and has recently been sexed, as keepers confirm it is a female. “The pangopup is strong and very active,” said keeper David Vala. “The footage from the camera placed in the “burrow” shows it is moving and regularly suckles its mother’s milk. However, it has yet to gain weight and is still in the most critical period. We are in constant contact with our Taiwanese colleagues and will artificially rear it if necessary.”

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