ISSUE 18 (2007)

For Graduates of theInternational TrainingCentre

The ITC has trained alumni from all the countries shown in green

Since 1995 I have studied thereproductive biology of theSouth American freshwater turtlePodocnemis unifilis, with theaim of helping the conservationof the species. Podocnemisunifilis is an important food andcultural resource for the localpeople inhabiting lowlandtropical river systems ofVenezuela, Colombia, Ecuador,Peru, Bolivia, Brazil and Guyana.In some river basins the majorcause of egg loss is humanpredation. Unfortunately, the

pressure imposed on P. unifilispopulations by over-exploitationand habitat destruction hascaused a global reduction of atleast 80% over the last tenyears, and P. unifilis is nowclassified as vulnerable and isincluded on the IUCN Red List ofThreatened Species andAppendix II of CITES.

The advantage of long-term studiesMost research on this turtle hasconcentrated on broad

descriptions of its natural history(e.g. sexual dimorphism,oviposition time, number andsize of eggs, time of hatching),but recently some studies havefocused on its ecology (e.g.habitat use, movementpatterns, reproduction, diet andnesting ecology).

My research produced data onnesting behaviour, reproductivecharacteristics and theirrelationship to maternal bodysize, spatial, temporal and

Eleven years with the South Americanfreshwater turtle Podocnemis unifilis

Tibisay Escalona trained atDurrell in 1993 and receiveda GDMF grant to support herwork in 2000. Now an NSFPost-doctoral Minority Fellowat Iowa State University, Tibihere describes her long-termmaster’s and PhD studies offreshwater turtles in SouthAmerica, and how she is nowincorporating genetictechniques into her research.

Hatchlings of the South American freshwater turtle Podocnemis unifilis.

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Training in zoo biology atCuba’s NationalBiological Park.

Zoo-based conservationin the DemocraticRepublic of Congo.

Rare diseases inendangered wild species.

Amphibian BiodiversityConservation (ABC)course.

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Community involvement in turtleconservation.

Turtles captured as a commercial foodresource.

Rescuing eggs from a flooded nest. Nesting grounds used by Podocnemis unifilis.

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environmental patterns of nestsite selection, and reproductivesuccess. As my PhD researchwas done on multiple beachesover three years, it was possibleto identify social facilitation asan important factor in nestingbehaviour.

CommunityinvolvementI also carried out a parallelproject on the use of thisspecies of turtle for local andcommercial food by inhabitantsof the area, and assessed thesustainability of current harvestlevels. Another achievementwas the rescue andtranslocation of 300 nestssubject to flooding, and thesubsequent release to the wildof approximately 6000

scale. My current goal is to studythe metapopulation structure ofPodocnemis unifilis throughoutits distributional range(Colombia, Brazil, Guyana,Bolivia, Ecuador, Venezuela,Peru) by analysing populationdifferentiation usingmicrosatellite and mitochondrialDNA. The aim is to providecrucial information for theconservation of thisendangered species. Identifyingmanagement units of suchwidely-distributed but decliningspecies will allow us to carefullyevaluate population structure

hatchlings from these nests. Thisexperience showed theindigenous community that it ispossible to manipulate eggswith positive results. Animmediate conservationstrategy considered by thecommunity was the protectionof nesting grounds and females,and the potential for acommunity-based conservationproject.

Conservation geneticsVery little is known of the geneticstructure of this species, and nostudies have described itspopulation genetics on a larger

“The rescue andtranslocation of 300nests subject toflooding, and therelease of about 6000hatchlings, showed theindigenous communitythat it is possible tomanipulate eggs withpositive results.”

and thus introduce conservationmeasures at appropriate spatialscales.

Another important componentof this study is closecollaboration with NGOs,students, scientists, indigenouscommunities and park rangersfrom the participating countries.From this, long-term partnershipsand future training opportunitiesshould develop, allowing us tocoordinate and standardisefield work and discuss ideas onhow best to conservePodocnemis unifilis in eachcountry.

Tibi’s e-mail:t_escalona@yahoo.com

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Studying the breeding behaviour of toucansand aracaris using micro-cameras

Chestnut-eared acarari (Pteroglossuscastanotis) eggs.

Spot-billed toucanet (Selenideramaculirostris) nestlings.

Toco toucan (Ramphastos toco) femalesitting on three nestlings.

Marcia Cziulik, who trainedat Durrell in 1998,previously worked at FozTropicana Bird Park inBrazil, and is now workingas a bird consultant inArgentina while doing herPhD research. Here shedescribes how she has puther experience at Durrell togood use in investigatingproblems in breedingtoucans and aracaris incaptivity.

Toucans and aracaris arerestricted to the neotropics,occurring from Mexico toArgentina. Found in many zoocollections, toucans attractattention for their colour andtheir exotic beak. In addition,because they can be tamed,they are captured from the wildand traded illegally. Captivebreeding programmes havetherefore been initiated tolessen the pressure on wildpopulations, but few institutionshave achieved success.

Reproductive problemsThe first time they bred incaptivity in Brazil was in 1997 atthe Foz Tropicana Bird Park, Fozdo Iguaçu, Parana State. Duringthe early stages of the breedingprogramme we realised that thetoucans’ failure to reproducewas mainly due to eggpredation, death of nestlings,inability of adult birds to formcompatible couples, andnutritional problems.Consequently, we needed torecord activity inside the nest to

and the Bali starling. Thisequipment gives more accurateinformation, with much lessinterference, on the number ofeggs, the incubation period,dates of laying and hatching,and development of thenestlings. In 2000, micro-cameras were installed insidenests at the Bird Park, and activitywas monitored 24 hours a dayduring the breeding period.

“At Durrell, I had theopportunity to followthe work being donewith micro-cameras onthe behaviour of the StLucia parrot and theBali starling.”

investigate the birds’ parentalbehaviour.

In 1998, when I was a trainee atDurrell, I had the opportunity tofollow the work being done withmicro-cameras on thebehaviour of the St Lucia parrot

Expanding the studyNowadays, the Bird Park hasfive micro-cameras in the nestsof various species of toucansand aracaris, and I amcollecting data as part of myPhD research. The idea is toinstall more micro-cameras inother institutions to investigatewhether different forms ofhandling could be interferingwith breeding success in thesebirds. We are also checking thetime spent by the parentsinside the nest and theirparticipation in parental care.To study the influence ofcaptive conditions on the birds’behaviour, we will also installmicro-cameras in wild nests.

The main aim of this project isto define the problemsoriginating from parental careof nestlings in captivity; we willthen develop a handlingprotocol for this group of birds.

Marcia’s e-mail:marciafoz@uol.com.br

Toco toucan (Ramphastos toco) nestlings.

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Conservation breeding programmes in India arejoint ventures, involving both in-situ and ex-situwildlife managers. Wildlife managers address thecauses of decline of species in their naturalhabitat, and identify species needing immediateintervention in the form of ex-situ conservationbreeding – particularly those withwild populations numbering only afew hundreds or thousands and alocalised distribution.

Breeding programmes involve 2–4zoos in the habitat range of thetarget species, while off-showconservation breeding facilities arealso being created. Founders areidentified from existing captivepopulations in India, and effortsare also made to acquire suitablefounders from foreign zoos. Ifnecessary, the Government ofIndia is approached for permission to acquireadditional animals of wild origin.

Things are not always straightforward: the breedingprogramme for the Royal Bengal tiger, India’snational animal, ran into difficulties at one point, asmany zoos were reluctant to transfer their animalsto the institutions selected to participate and therewas a lack of consistent monitoring. However,

subsequent breeding was sosuccessful that in 2005 it wasdecided to not to go aheadwith the programme for thetime being. In the meantime,degradation andfragmentation of habitats hascaused severe man–animalconflict, and demand for tigerparts in the global marketimposes additional pressure.These factors have led to theextinction of tigers in SariskaTiger Reserve and other areas intheir original range. The Indian

government is now initiating improved strategies tomitigate these problems.

Breeding programmes for many other species,however, have been successfully established.Durrell has long been involved with the pygmy hogproject; some of India’s other programmes aredescribed here.

Crocodile conservationIndia’s first conservation breeding programme,initiated in 1975, was for crocodile species. TheCentral Crocodile Breeding and ManagementTraining Institute was established at Hyderabad,and trained forest officers in crocodileconservation. The project also funded gharialbreeding complexes in Nandankanan Zoo, wherethe species bred in captivity for the first time, andin Kukrail near Lucknow Zoo, and has seen the

Conservation breeding programmes in India– past and present

Brij Kishor Gupta, aScientific Officer at theCentral Zoo Authority inIndia, trained at Durrell in1993 and returned toattend the AmphibianBiodiversity Conservationcourse in 2006. He hasexperience with theconservation of a widerange of species, and herediscusses the developmentof conservation breedingprogrammes in India.

India’s first conservation breeding programme was for crocodilians such as the gharial.

Captive Asiatic lions suffer high cub mortality.

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“India’s conservationbreeding programmesare joint ventures: thecauses of decline ofspecies in theirnatural habitat areaddressed, whilespecies needingconservation breedingin zoos are identified.”

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creation of the country’s first wetland sanctuaries.One of the project’s most striking features is thebuilding up of a wildlife research base,propagating the idea that successful conservationand research must go hand in hand.

Big cats in troubleThe Asiatic lion is critically endangered, with anestimated wild population of only 359. Aconservation breeding programme was initiated in1995, and by 2003, there had been 186 births inIndian zoos. However, cub mortality is high, andonly 33% of cubs reach the age of 12 months.The Central Zoo Authority is supporting the creationof new off-display facilities.

The snow leopard has suffered tremendouslybecause of its strikingly beautiful fur. In India, whereit occurs on the southern slopes in Himalayas, thespecies is fully protected, and the Padmaja NaiduHimalayan Zoological Park in Darjeeling startedconservation breeding in 1983. Animals havebeen added from other zoos and the firstsuccessful breeding occurred in1989. Over the last 20 years,there have been 40 births, andvery recently, pairs have beenshifted to high-altitude zoos in theHimalayan states. The aim is tohave four or five stable captivepopulations of 50–60 snowleopards in Indian zoos.

Red pandas: geneticproblems?The sharp decline in the wild redpanda population in the pastwas caused by large-scalecapture and habitat loss. Despite protection,India’s red panda population may be affected bygenetic problems, and has already becomeextinct in certain areas. A conservation breedingprogramme was initiated in 1989 in the PadmajaNaidu Himalayan Zoo, Darjeeling, which had onemale and three females, all of wild origin. Furtheranimals have been added, both from zoos andfrom the wild, and in the last 10 years, there havebeen 40 births. A subsidiary facility has now beencreated at the Himalayan Zoo, Gangtok.

Pheasants receive internationalsupportThe western tragopan is found in the westernHimalayas, and it is thought that there are currentlynone in captivity outside India. Sarahan Pheasantryin Himachal Pradesh hatched and raised onechick under a broody hen in 1993 – the only birdraised in captivity during the whole of the twentiethcentury.

With the help of the World Pheasant Association, abreeding programme was initiated. The CentralZoo Authority is providing financial assistance tocreate a separate facility for the pheasants at

Sarahan. Two of Sarahan’s staff spent a couple ofweeks training in the UK in 2003, and the WPA hasprovided further training on site. The knowledgeand skills acquired have paid immense dividends,with both enclosures and diets being developed tosuit the birds. The first successful breeding tookplace in June 2005, and three chicks recently

hatched and are doing well.Field research is also underway.

Establishing viablevulture populationsDuring the 1990s, populations ofthree resident species of vulturesin India, the Indian white-backedvulture, the long-billed vultureand the slender-billed vulture,crashed by over 90%; the mainculprit was the drug diclofenac.

The vulture care and breedingcentre at Pinjore, created with the

help of Haryana Forest Department and theBombay Natural History Society, and with fundingfrom the RSPB and others, has already initiatedaction to acquire the required number of foundersfor a breeding programme. The target is to release100 pairs of each of the three species in the next15 years, to establish viable populations in the wild.The Central Zoo Authority is also helping four zoosthat have been selected for the establishment ofconservation breeding centres for vultures.

The snow leopard is hunted for its fur.

Red pandas are already extinct in some areas.

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“One of the crocodileproject’s most strikingfeatures is thebuilding up of awildlife research base,propagating the ideathat successfulconservation andresearch must gohand in hand.”

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Staff training has helped the western tragopan.

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India’s vulture populations crashed in the 1990s.After a difficult start, breeding of the Royal Bengal tiger hasbeen very successful.

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Lion-tailed macaques: a slow startThe lion-tailed macaque (Macaca silenus) is anOld World Monkey that lives only in south-westernIndia. Lion-tailed macaques are diurnal rainforestdwellers. They are good climbers and spend themajority of their life in the trees. Like othermacaques, they live in hierarchical groups of 10–20 animals, and are territorial, defending theirrange first with loud vocalisations directed towardsinvading troops. If this proves fruitless, they brawlaggressively. Primarily frugivorous, they also eatleaves, buds, insects and small vertebrates. Lifeexpectancy in the wild is approximately 20 years,and in captivity up to 30 years.

Unlike other macaques, lion-tailsavoid humans. This, coupled with thedestruction of their habitat, has ledto a drastic decrease in their popu-lation, and they now rank among therarest and most threatenedprimates. Only about 2,500 remain,scattered over several areas in south-west India. Aproposal to save a remnant population in captivitywas put forward by the State Government of TamilNadu in 2002, and three zoos – Arignar AnnaZoological Park (AAZP), Chennai, Trivandrum Zooand Sri Chamarajendra Zoological Park, Mysore –were selected to begin the breeding programme.Technical expertise is being provided by Indianprimatologists, while the Central Zoo Authority isgiving financial assistance for the programme,

which includes construction of an off-exhibit facilityand the hiring of research personnel.

At the beginning of the programme, there were 40macaques in the three zoos, out of which new socialgroups have been formed. Behavioural studies havebeen initiated and the status of the captivepopulation has been analysed. This has revealedthat reproductive potential is very low and thegroups have a low probability of survival. It wastherefore decided to augment the founder popula-tion with several young females – between 25 and30, from other zoos in India and abroad – so that thepopulation can double in about 7–10 years. SanDiego Zoo, California, has already agreed to providethirteen (2:11) macaques for the programme, andthe necessary permits are being sought. Though thisprocess may take some time, the AAZP recordedseven lion-tailed macaque births after theformation of the new social groups. Thoughsuccessful mating has also been observed in theTrivandrum group, no breeding has yet resulted.

Helping the red jungle fowlRecent publications have expressed fears that wildred jungle fowl populations may be geneticallycontaminated and that there may be no pure redjungle fowl left in the wild. The South Asia Chapter ofthe World Pheasant Association therefore initiated a

study to identify pure red jungle fowlin captivity in India and segregatethem for a planned breedingprogramme. The results showed thatbirds kept in Indian zoos pheno-typically resembled the pure varietyof red jungle fowl. All were markedand the zoos advised to keep themsegregated from other fowl. The

National Zoological Park, Delhi, started a breedingprogramme in association with the WPA, construct-ing off-display enclosures with funding from theCentral Zoo Authority. The population has now grownfrom an initial five birds to 25. Similar success hasbeen achieved at Morni in Haryana, where softreleases of fowl in nearby sanctuary areas havealso been carried out by the Haryana ForestDepartment.

Brij’s e-mail: brijkishor68@yahoo.com

“The Central ZooAuthority is helpingzoos to set up off-exhibit conservationbreeding facilitiesfor several species.”

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After two years of trying toestablish a zoo in Provence,battling a reluctance to act bythe local administration, I wasabout to give up my idea ofcreating a new conservationcentre when the project got asecond wind.

The perfect placeLooking for a new site, I focusedon the south-west of France,where there are not many zoos.A single site, “Sous le Roc”, nearSarlat in the Dordogne, stoodout as perfect. I immediately fellin love with the traditional stonehouse built against honey-coloured rock, the outhouses,the meandering cliff paths, thedry stone walls and theextensive forests surrounding thearea. Within weeks, I hadadvanced considerably further

“Thanks to the naturalsetting, it will bepossible to house theanimals in naturalisticenclosures using drymoats, islands,streams, etc., thuseliminating visualbarriers.”

Having bought the site, I setabout putting my ideas intoplace – to create a breedingcentre for small and medium-sized endangered species

than in two years of struggle inProvence: the mayor and thelocal authorities, and even thefuture zoo’s only neighbours,were very enthusiastic about theproject and expressed theirsupport right from the start.

from four of the biodiversityhotspots outlined byConservation International:Europe and the Mediterraneanbasin, Madagascar, SouthAmerica and Oceania.

Each of the zoo’s four zones willbe divided into several biotopesand I studied the site’smicroclimates to decide wherebest to situate each zone. Thanksto the natural setting, it will bepossible to house the animals innaturalistic enclosures using drymoats, islands, streams, etc., thuseliminating visual barriers.

From plans to actionThe collection plan can now beput into action. Neglectedspecies such as the red-belliedlemur, the wolverine and thefossa will find a new home, bepart of breeding programmesand, most importantly, providea window into more extensiveconservation efforts.

The project, which will cost€450,000, has received apositive response from theplanning authority. Work is dueto commence in September2007, with a view to openingthe zoo in May 2008.

Emmanuel’s e-mail:e-mouton@voila.frWebsite:www.reserve-zoologique-calviac.fr

Establishing a new conservation centre inFrance

Emmanuel Mouton was avolunteer at Durrell in themid 1990s and attended thetheory section of theDiploma course in 2003.Here he describes theprogress he has made insetting up a new zoo insouth-west France, using thecollection plan he developedduring his time at the ITC.

The site includes traditional stone buildings.

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The Atlantic forest, the most diverse biome in Brazil,is recognised as a priority for biodiversityconservation in the Americas. In Bahia State, it isunder strong pressure from eucalyptus plantations,and since 2001, the Centre for Animal Ecologyand Conservation – Centro ECOA – has beendeveloping the link between ex-situ and in-situconservation, conducting studies in severalconservation units as well as aproject aimed at identifying priorityareas for the creation of new units.

A fragmented landscapeOne of the biggest problems is thecomplex landscape, which iscomposed of forest remnants anda matrix of pasture andmonoculture. Of the majorremnants in the region, 30%represent primary forest, 16%fragments in an advanced stage of recovery and50% forest at intermediate stages.

Reptiles are particularly susceptible to the effectsof environmental change, and snakecommunities respond in a particular way,because of variations in light intensity, leaf-litter

depth, isolation and microclimate alterations. Toput effective conservation action into place, it iscrucial to understand the new dynamics formedby monocultures, so we tried to evaluate how thenumeric structure of snake species differed inremnants of 100–250 ha and in primary forest (in a6,069ha fragment); whether monoculture is anadequate matrix for snakes in corridors

connecting small remnants;and if any differences insnake communities areassociated with variations inenvironmental structure.

The study was conducted inVeracruz Private Reserve,using sample units in threemain landscape types:reference forest (M),remnants (R) and eucalyptus

plantations (E). We established four spatialreplicates in each component, with 36 pitfall trapsin each, and carried out 10 days of sampling infour expeditions over a two-year period. Wemeasured 23 microclimate and microhabitatparameters. Snakes were collected, identified andreleased in the same place. All of the datacollected was inserted into a fauna andenvironmental matrix. Both variable types werecompared through grouping and ordinationmethods (PCOrd®).

Snake communities in an alteredenvironmentWe sampled 29 snakes from five families (Boidae,Typhlopidae, Colubridae, Elapidae andViperidae). Bothrops leucurus, Chironius carinatusand Typhlops brongersmianus were most frequent,but we also found two rare snake species,Leptophis ahaetulla and Pseudoboa nigra.

The environmental ordination explained over 70%of the data variation, which established a gradient

Snake communities and Atlantic forestconservation in Brazil

Eucalyptus monoculture.

Moacir Tinoco attended Summer School in1997 and went on to train at ITC in 1998.He is currently coordinator of Centro ECOAat Brazil’s Catholic University of Salvador.With co-authors Henrique Colombini BrowneRibeiro (who attended the AmphibianBiodiversity Conservation course withMoacir in 2006) and João Pedro SouzaAlves, he discusses how a fragmentedhabitat with a large proportion of eucalyptusplantations affects snake communities.

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Black boa, Pseudoboa nigra.

“Reptiles areparticularly susceptibleto the effects ofenvironmental change,and it is crucial tounderstand the newdynamics formed bymonocultures.”

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from reference forest to monoculture. The forestwas strongly associated with deep leaf litter(>40cm), high humidity (>80%), an averagetemperature of 28 ºC and a high frequency offallen trunks, whereas the monoculture, at theother end of the spectrum, was associated with ahighly illuminated environment, low humidity(<30%), a lack of microhabitats, and a thin leaf-litter layer (<5cm).

The grouping analysis (MRPP) for snakeabundance in the different components showeda very significant difference (P=0.0135; pair tests:M×R, P=0.0904; M×E, P=0.0392; R×E,P=0.05256). Snake communities thereforerespond to the environmental gradient, with forestdiffering significantly from eucalyptusmonoculture.

Eucalyptus plantations and snakesurvivalA high degree of environmental alterationsinfluences the landscape. This study is importantas it is now possible to associatethe spatial distribution of snakeswith the quality of the matrix in alandscape type, and thus itsability to maintain the fauna inthe region. Snakes in Atlanticforest appear to respond to thefragmentation imposed by themonoculture; the forest maintainsa richer community and there isan evident environmentalgradient among the threelandscape components.

These results demonstrate that monocultureinfluences the numerical and taxonomicdistribution of snakes, compared to both foresttypes. Our research indicates that eucalyptusplantations offer a different scale of naturalresources, thus compromising food chains thatinclude snakes.

We conclude that, if eucalyptus plantations, whichcover over 150,000 ha, cannot offer naturalresources such as suitable substrate microhabitatsto maintain the invertebrates that are food sources

for the frogs, lizards and other small vertebratesthat form the natural diet of snakes, then they areunable to maintain the higher taxa.

We strongly recommended that the managementplan for the area be reviewed with the aim ofimproving the quality of the environment, and in

particular that planning shouldconsider the recovery of smallerforest remnants and theimplementation of new corridorsto increase connectivity andthus promote conservation.

AcknowledgementsWe thank the Veracruz Reservefor the unique opportunity;Anderson Abbehusen andMarcelo Peres, co-coordinatorsof the Centro ECOA/UCSAL, forall their support; Rodrigo

Cerqueira for the snake pictures; and all the fieldresearchers and staff: Tasso Menezes, RicardoHortelio, Leandro Anjos, Luciano Cabral, KataoPataxo and Sandro Dias.

Moacir’s e-mail: moacirst@ucsal.bror moacirtinoco@uol.com.br

Continuous primary Atlantic forest.

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The Brazilian racer, Leptophis ahaetulla.

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“Eucalyptusplantations cannotoffer resources suchas suitablemicrohabitats for theinvertebrates that arefood sources for thesmall vertebrates thatform the diet ofsnakes.”

. . . . . . . . . . IN TOUCH . . . . . . . . . .

A F R I C A

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David BalukuUganda (ITC, 2003)Well, we are tryingso hard to make

ends meet at DORDWEEP butit’s a big struggle. We havejust updated our website(www.dordweep-uganda.co.ug) so you canread about our anti-poachingactivity last year. Also, weamended our constitutionand decided to enter into abusiness venture with aseparate travel company(www.kifaru-africa.co.ug). Thispartnership system was

adapted from a similarorganisation in Tanzania thattries to raise money to runeco-friendly activities withlocal communities. We hopeit works for us too. Theproceeds will be goingdirectly to support ourDORDWEEP project activities.

E-mail: duukwa@yahoo.com

Ali Said HamadTanzania (ITC,2005)We are still trying to

boost conservation in our

islands. One of the bestachievements since my returnhas been the establishment ofa new Marine Protected Area.In Pemba we had one smallconservation area of about 21km2, but on my return fromJersey the skills I gained fromtraining helped me to facilitatethe establish-ment of a largeMPA of about 1000 km2, whichI’m now managing. Turtleconservation is also continuingto advance.

E-mail:ali_saidhamad@yahoo.com

Jorge Luís Polo Cuba (ITC, 1999)I am currently Head of theVeterinary Clinical Laboratory ofthe National Zoological Park ofCuba. As a result of my workinvestigating and teachingconservation and managementof captive wildlife, I obtained theAggregate Investigator Categoryfrom the scientific commission ofthe Systematics and EcologyInstitute at the Ministry of Science,Technology and the Environment(CITMA). The Cuba ZoologySociety created a Herpetology

Section in 2000, and I wasappointed Executive Secretary. Ihave been participating in aproject monitoring chytridio-mycosis, a new disease of wildand captive amphibianscaused by the Batra-chochytrium dendrobatidesfungus, with the “Amphibian ARK”project. At present I am head ofa new project on assistedreproduction technology for theconservation of genetic materialin wild animals maintained incaptivity, involving Havana Zoo

and the National Zoo, where areproduction laboratory hasbeen established. Our principalobjective is cryopreservation,semen evaluation and artificialinsemination in non-humanprimates, including baboonsand chimpanzees, and in onespecies of ungulate (Bosindicus). In the future I hope toinclude other species (tiger,jaguar, kertag, mouflon, etc). Iam also a member of the VirtualVeterinary Community(comunidad.veterinaria.org).

C A R I B B E A N

conservation work to be done,there is someone who has aconnection with Durrell, doing it.Even in my zoo-based work Ihave had visits from several ex-trainees doing research forMasters or Doctorates.

E-mail: M.Esson@chesterzoo.org

Tee Taylor UK(Summer School,1993)I have been in South

Africa for four years now. For thepast three years I have beenworking on the project aimed atincreasing the capacity to useDNA in wildlife investigations thatI describe in my article in thisissue of Solitaire. As well assupervising and training twostudents in developing geneticmarkers to determine

parentage, I have beenproviding workshops to wildlifeofficers to show them how DNAcan be used in wildlifeinvestigations and therequirements for collecting DNAas evidence for prosecutions.This project is coming to a closeand I am starting to look forfunding for further research ideas– or I may try to become a fund-raising consultant forconservation organisations. Ihave also started to run a bi-monthly/quarterly newsletter forthe Cape Parrot – I am on mythird edition and finally starting toget contributions from otherpeople rather than having tomake it all up myself fromprevious information.

E-mail: taylort@ukzn.ac.za

Maggie Esson UK(Facilitators’ course,2004)In my role as

Education ProgrammesManager at Chester Zoo, UK, Iam involved in several of our in-situ projects where education ispart of the conservation strategy.It’s always a joy and sometimesa surprise to meet up with ex-trainees in different parts of theworld. For example, during aPhilippines trip I managed totouch base with five ex-trainees. Iam currently involved withprojects in Kenya, Tanzania,Mauritius, Mexico and ThePhilippines. If I can say “hello” toany old friends in these countriesthen that would make my tripseven more worthwhile. Durrell issuch a special place that itseems wherever there is

. . . . AROUND THE WORLD. . . .

E U R O P E

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Diane CasimirCanada (ITC, 2000)Upon leaving the ITC Ispent six months

working in Mauritius, coordinatingthe 2001 releases of echoparakeets (Psittacula eques). Ithen returned to Canada, andto the Centre for ConservationResearch at the Calgary Zoo,where I spent over five yearsconducting research aimed atensuring success in captivebreeding and reintroductionprogrammes. I was involved inprojects on many threatenedand endangered species but

spent the majority of my timestudying Vancouver Islandmarmots (Marmotavancouverensis), Canada’smost endangered animal.During this time I alsocompleted my MSc throughthe University of Calgary,studying factors influencingreproduction in this species. Icontinue to publish papers frommy research, but in January2007 I started a new position atParks Canada, coordinatingrecovery programmes for rareand endangered specieswhose present or historical

distribution extends intoCanada’s national parks. Mywork involves recoveryplanning; coordination of andcontribution to researchactivities; development ofrecovery strategies and actionplans; liaising with othergovernments and non-governmental organisations;and educating people aboutthe processes in place forprotecting and recoveringspecies under the federalSpecies at Risk Act.

Email: diane.casimir@pc.gc.ca

N O R T H A M E R I C A

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The equipment fund: providing supportback home

The trainee equipment fund wasestablished in 2002 with the expressintention of providing course participantswith equipment and materials to take homewith them. Here at Durrell we are able toprovide access to excellent literatureresources and equipment that people willhave to manage without again when theyreturn home. Very often key texts orpieces of equipment can be identifiedduring a course that could make a verysignificant difference to their work. Eachparticipant on the graduate certificatecourse receives books to the value of £50,

and on a competitive basis two are alsoawarded equipment up to the value of£250. To date, equipment worth nearly£4500 and books worth £3000 have beendistributed to 63 people from 28 countries.Items have varied from binoculars andrangefinders for field work to publicaddress systems for zoo education. As thefollowing stories show, this support hasoften made a big difference, and we verymuch hope to be able to continue thisprogramme into the future for the manyconservationists out there who are under-resourced and under-funded.

Participants on the 2007 graduate certificate course with their books.

Alex Wilbard KisingoTanzania (ESM, 2004)I received four books ongeneral conservation and onthe management of tortoisesand turtles. These have beenan invaluable resource in myjob at the College of AfricanWildlife Management: I havebeen able to prepare atraining manual on managinganimals in captivity, offeradvisory services on reptilehusbandry in different captiveprojects in Tanzania, andprovide improved qualitytraining to our students.

Shikha Nalin India (ESM, 2003)The laptop I received was the ultimate I could have wished for. Asan educator at the National Zoological Park, my job was to organiseseminars and workshops for teachers, principals, forest officers, etc.,to present lectures and demonstrations in schools and to organisewildlife related programmes. In Jersey I learnt how to makePowerPoint presentations and use Photoshop software, but putting allmy learning into practice seemed difficult without a laptop. My OHPpresentations were largely black-and-white, but PowerPoint broughtcolour and life to them, making them more interesting and convinc-ing. My outdoor education programme also became so muchbetter and everything was stored in one simple machine instead ofin several files. I also created several designs for souvenir shopmaterials using Photoshop and pictures taken with a digital camera.

Joanne Mae Justo Philippines (ESM, 2006)As a veterinarian at the Palawan Wildlife Rescue and ConservationCenter in the Philippines, I am faced with cases from a variety of wildanimals. The digital camera I received has helped me document thecases I handle properly. It aids diagnosis, as I can easily look back atmy cases whenever I want to, and facilitates easy recording.We also use the camera to take photos for education materials. I alsoreceived a book, Reptile Medicine and Surgery, which has helpedme a lot in diagnosis.

Joanne uses her camera to recorddetails of veterinary cases.

Vijitha Perera Sri Lanka (ESM,2004)I was lucky enough to obtain amini DV camera that I am usingto make a photo catalogue ofwild elephants in Sri Lanka. Myphotos are great for research,scientific presentations andpublic awareness programmes. I

am now editing a film about thehealth hazards facing wildelephants – I have been able tocapture very rare scenes ofelephant health problems overthe last few years, which willmake it possible to produce filmsthat can be used for training andpublic awareness. I also received

a book on elephant handlingthat I share with my colleaguesand use when conductinglectures and trainingprogrammes for the undergraduates and officers of mydepartment, as it is a very goodguide to restraint for bothtranslocation and treatment.

Glenroy Gaymes St Vincent(ISLA, 2005; ESM, 2006)I have been using the book Ireceived at nine schoolsduring presentations on theconservation of snakes toover 1000 students betweenthe ages of five and 18.These have been very wellreceived; I am also trying todo presentations for staff ofthe forestry department.

Serge Aucoin Canada (ESM, 2003)The climbing gear I was able tobuy facilitated my conservationwork in Mauritius. At the BelleOmbre field site, I climbed ebonytrees and lowered pink pigeonsquabs from the top to be ringedand screened for disease, whileon Round Island I did somepopulation work examining newlylaid Guenther’s gecko eggs thatwere stuck to the underside ofcliff ledges.

Kumara Wakjira Ethiopia (ESM, 2003)I was able to buy a new video camera, and I really don’t have wordsto describe how much I have benefited from this. It has greatlyassisted me in teaching wildlife courses at the Institute of Hotel andTourism Management and while training wildlife experts and gamescouts. Recently I have been making further use of it for research onthe Bale monkey. This primate is very shy and hence difficult to see inthe dense forest. I’m using the camera to record their vocalisations,activities and numbers for later analysis.

Serge using hisclimbing gearto examine eggson Round Island.

Jessica Steiner Canada (ESM, 2005)I used the binoculars I received during my time with the Mauritius WildlifeFoundation. They were a real asset in my work with olive white-eyes.These very small passerines – about the size of a wren – build smallopen-cup nests high up in the treetops. Their olive colour makes thempretty inconspicuous against the green foliage. My binoculars wereessential – imagine finding and then monitoring a nest, where you canonly see the very bottom of the cup surrounded by leaves, about 15metres above your head! We had an incredibly successful season,finding 19 nests from six pairs (the most nests ever recorded) andbringing the first olive white-eye nestlings into captivity.

Sandun J. Perera Sri Lanka(ESM, 2006)I’m a junior lecturer at theSabaragamuwa University of SriLanka, teaching biodiversity,conservation and protectedarea management, whileconducting my own fieldresearch and supervising mystudent researchers. The laptopcomputer I received throughthe equipment grant has mademy life so easy, helping in writinggrant proposals, preparing anddelivering teaching materialsand academic assignments,managing my databases andanalysing research data onsmall mammals, birds andbutterflies. I won the goldmedal for best presenter inprofessional sessions onenvironmental sciences at the10th Anniversary InternationalSymposium of theSabaragamuawa University of SriLanka, and I have had verypositive comments fromstudents and the head of mydepartment.

Jessica helping to collect the first olive white-eye nestlings to be rescued and broughtinto captivity.

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Taking training to where it’s needed: newcountries and new topics

Overseas courses are aimed at particular issues ofrelevance to the area and allow more peoplefrom a region to meet and work together forconservation. Island Species-Led Action (ISLA) is a10-day course for conservationists and educatorsworking in some of the world’s “hottest”conservation hotspots. In 2008, the course will beheld on the island of Guam, offering participantsthe opportunity for direct experience of currentconservation issues in Micronesia and “real time”endangered species case studies from Guam andits surrounding islands.

Looking for new homesThe ISLA Pacific-based programme comes to anend in 2009, so we are now looking ahead andconsidering where best to run the course in futureyears. Similarly, we would like to hear from anyonewho would like to help set up and run AmphibianBiodiversity Conservation (ABC) courses in their

region. The ABC course is designed for amphibianconservationists managing the species in captivityand the wild.

ABC–India, which will take place in December2007, is the first tailored version of the course to berun in a region of high amphibian biodiversity andconcern. Amphibians have been saved from thebrink of extinction, but more work needs to bedone; the course covers topics includingunderstanding amphibian decline, prioritising andplanning for action, and research techniques.

Focused trainingWe are also always interested in new topics forcourses in order to direct our efforts to the areaswhere they are most needed. Currently we areworking on a course entitled “AmphibianConservation Husbandry (ACH): Training thetrainers”. It is designed for amphibian keepers andis tailored to support the Global and EuropeanAmphibian ARK initiatives aimed at realising theconservation role of zoos and aquaria. Equippedwith both new amphibian husbandry and trainingskills, participants will design and run their ownversion of the course for their colleagues once theyreturn home. Although this course is indevelopment at the moment we hope to be ableto launch it in Jersey in February 2008. After this wewill need to consider whether or not there is a needfor this course elsewhere in the world…

You know what you most need, so please contactus if you would like to put forward ideas for topicswe should cover, or regions we should target.

E-mail: itc@durrell.org

Rhacophorus malabaricus from India.

Monitoring techniques are an important topic on the ISLA course.

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Over the last 20 years, theITC has trained over 1500conservationists from morethan 120 countries inendangered speciesmanagement andconservation. From itsbeginnings in Jersey, ITC isnow taking its trainingworldwide, as well asdeveloping more focusedcourses on topics ofparticular concern.

Mark Stanley-Priceleaving Sadly it was announced on 10 September that Dr Mark

Stanley-Price, our Executive Director, had tendered his

resignation. Mark will continue at the helm until a suitable

replacement has been appointed to the position.

ITC heroesWe would like to highlight the value ofthe training Durrell provides through theITC by identifying people who feel thatattending one of our courses was crucialin developing their conservation careers.If you believe that your time with the ITChelped you move ahead so that youare now in a better position to make areal difference – perhaps enabling youto reach a senior position inconservation – please drop us a lineand send us a photo.

If you know of other ITC alumni who youfeel fit this description, pleaseencourage them to get in touch aswell. Your stories and images will bereally valuable to us for use inpublications and on the website.

Keeping in touchWe are continuing to search for an easy way to makethe graduate database available online. The plan is tomake your areas of expertise, the country where you live,your country of origin and e-mail address available. Ifyou do not want to be included, please let us know.Surprisingly few people have contacted us aboutreceiving Solitaire as a PDF, so that we can cut down onprinting and postage costs. Please, if you would bewilling to forgo a paper copy, let us know.

We are always delighted to have news from ourgraduates. Please contact us at:

International Training Centre,Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust,Les Augrès Manor,Trinity,Jersey, JE3 5BP,Channel Islands, UKTel: +44 1534 860000Fax: +44 1534 860002E-mail: gnwc@durrell.org

Congratulations!Carl Jones and Paula Senior became

proud parents on 11 September when

their son, Oliver Daniel Jones, was born,

weighing 6lb 8oz.

Housekeeping at the ITC Sadly we bade farewell to Anne Wimberley in February. Since 2001

Anne had been mother and friend to a stream of visitors to Les Noyers

from all over the world. We put together an address list of over 280

course participants whom she had looked after. Her food was

fantastic and her counsel for homesick and troubled guests was

greatly appreciated. We wish her all the best with her new life.

Our new housekeeper is Joshua Kogi, who hails from Kenya. Josh, his

wife Agata and their daughter Anaya took up residence in March, and

it is wonderful to see Anaya adopted as a surrogate child by so many

people missing family back home.

NEWS FROM ITC

Our new housekeeper, Josh Kogi.

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Several years ago I was asked to visit a researchgroup at the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal in SouthAfrica. They were interested in my research field:DNA forensics to detect illegal trade in parrots. Ineeded a holiday aftercompleting my PhD, so I agreed tovisit to advise them. My two-weekbreak turned into several monthsand I helped several students todevelop lab skills and genetictechniques. Eventually I left, butreturned to South Africa a yearlater, keen to develop a project tobuild capacity in wildlife forensics.

How can DNA help?My specific interest is in the use of DNA forensicsto detect animals illegally removed from the wildand then falsely claimed as captive-bred. Illegal

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traders claim that the animals have been bred incaptivity in order to obtain permits, so they cansell or breed them for profit. For the authorities,proving that this is not the case can be difficult.

However, DNA profiling canbe used to provideinvestigating authorities withrobust evidence that can beused in court in theprosecution of offences.Because the suspect claimsthe animal was captivebred, there must be“parents”. DNA samplesfrom the animal and itsclaimed parents are

compared to confirm whether or not it is reallytheir offspring.

How does it work?We use the same DNA techniques as humanforensic investigations. Because an individualinherits 50% of its DNA from each of its parents,we can use this to trace parentage. In addition,because the DNA of every individual is unique(except for identical twins), it is possible touniquely identify a specific individual within thepopulation. This can be useful in tying a sampletaken at a crime scene to an individual.

The main difference with wildlife DNA forensics isthat whereas the genetic markers required tocreate profiles are readily available for humans,this is not generally the case for wildlife. Somemethods require a unique set of genetic markersto be developed for each new species, and allrequire additional validation to be undertaken

Wildlife profiling: DNA forensics in SouthAfrica

Tiawanna (Tee) Taylor isoriginally from the UK andattended the 1993 SummerSchool, later spending twoperiods at Durrell as a researchassistant. Her PhD involveddeveloping genetic markers foruse in detecting illegal trade inparrots, and here she talksabout her recent work in SouthAfrica, using DNA to helpaddress illegal trade andconservation issues.

“Illegal traders claimthat animals have beenbred in captivity inorder to obtain permits,so they can sell orbreed them for profit.DNA profiling canprovide evidence thatcan be used in court.”

Tee (centre) conducting a workshop on forensic techniques.

An MSc student working in the lab.

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Blue cranes.

Tee provides hand-on practice in DNA forensics to wildlifeinvestigators.

Cape parrots in the nest.

and the development of reference sets. This canbe both time-consuming and costly.

Building wildlife forensic capacityin South AfricaAs with most countries there is limited capacityfor wildlife forensics in South Africa. It is alsodifficult for specialist forensic institutions toundertake the research and development

needed to add newspecies to their list, sothe R&D side is wellsuited to researchinstitutions. As part ofa collaborativeproject between MikePerrin and me at theUniversity of Kwa-Zulu-Natal and Terry Burkeat the University ofSheffield in the UK, wedeveloped a set of

genetic markers for the blue crane and Capeparrot, both species that suffer from the removalof chicks from the wild. TwoSouth African MSc studentswere trained in some of thespecialist techniquesrequired to develop this typeof genetic marker.

The development of thegenetic markers is just oneaspect of the project. Inaddition I have also beenbusy producing guidelineson how to collect andpreserve DNA evidence forcriminal investigations, and giving workshops toincrease the awareness of DNA forensictechniques and provide training to wildlifeinvestigators who may wish to use DNA evidenceto detect and prosecute wildlife crime.

Other applicationsAlthough the main aim of this project was toprovide genetic markers for forensicinvestigations, these markers also have widerconservation applications. In wild populations

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they could be used to answer questions relatingto genetic diversity, dispersal and behaviour. Theycan also be used to assist management ofcaptive populations, providing useful informationon genetic diversity, inbreeding and founder

effects, all necessary in sustainingviable breeding populations.

FundingThis research was funded througha three-year grant from the DarwinInitiative, which aims to assistcountries which are rich inbiodiversity but poor in financialresources. Project proposals mustinclude a UK collaborator workingin the area of biodiversity expertisethat you are undertaking.

Tee’s e-mail: taylort@ukzn.ac.zaTee’s website:www.ukzn.ac.za/Biology/TeeTaylor233.aspx Darwin Initiative website: www.darwin.gov.uk

“In wild populationsthese markers could beused to answerquestions relating togenetic diversity,dispersal andbehaviour; they canalso be used to helpmanage captivepopulations.”

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They haven’t changed a bit...Gerardo (second left), German (fourth from left) and Luis(fifth from left) on the 1995 course, with Chris Clark, housekeeper Olwen Bailey andother participants.

All ITC trainees hope to worktogether again after sharing somany experiences. The family ofprofessionals passing through theITC during the years after ourtraining included several moreColombians: two DESMANtrainees – Maria Clara DominguezVernaza from the 1997 course,and Diana Sarmiento, who was atITC in 2001 – and María IsabelHerrera, who participated in thefirst ABC course in 2006. On thatsame course was Simon Guerrerofrom Hispaniola, who had alsoattended an ISLA course in 2004.And Samuel Furrer fromSwitzerland, now curator ofherpetology at Zurich Zoo, was onthe summer school in 1995.

Joining together foramphibian conservationDuring the last 12 years there

have been multipleconnections and collaborationsinvolving this diverse group ofpassionate conservationists. Lastyear, with the great concernabout global amphibiandecline, it was time to unite

forces and take action to facethis accelerated extinction ofvertebrates. The objective wasto share all our knowledge andskill to maximize conservationefforts. The target wasColombia, which with more

“With the great concernabout global amphibiandecline, it was time tounite forces and takeaction to face thisaccelerated extinctionof vertebrates.”

than 700 species is the secondrichest country in the world foramphibian diversity.

The three ex-trainees from 1995,together with the otherColombians and Samuel Furrer,began developing the structureof the first course on theconservation of Colombianamphibians. Specialists from theUSA (Kevin Zippel of IUCN/CBSGand Andrew Odum, from ToledoZoo), Colombia (Andrés Acosta,Universidad Javeriana, AdolfoAmézquita, Universidad de LosAndes, and Wilmar Bolivar,Universidad del Valle) andAustralia (Gerry Marantelli, ARC)joined forces and expertise tolecture on the course.

Links between wild andcaptive populationsThe course was organised byCali Zoo, the Colombian Zooand Aquarium Association(ACOPAZOA) and the AmphibianARK (AARK/IUCN/CBSG) and washeld at Cali Zoo from 28February to 4 March 2007. Thecourse objective was tostrengthen the capacity of zoos,universities and environmentalauthorities in the conservationand management ofamphibians in captivity, but theenthusiasm and interest of theassistants and organisersexpanded the target to includewild populations. The seven-day

Cooperation for conservation: ex-traineesorganise an amphibian course in Colombia

In the spring of 1995, LuisCarrillo from Venezuela,Germán Corredor fromColombia and GerardoGarcía from Spain attendeda training course at the ITC.They had never met beforeand had no idea that thesethree months wouldcompletely change theirlives. Now in senior positionsin Colombia, Mexico andJersey respectively, theykept in contact after thecourse, hoping to develop aproject together.

The participants with a Jersey connection in 2007.

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“The level of knowledgeand understandingamong the participantsof the issues involvedin the amphibianextinction crisis, itscauses and how to helpwas very impressive.”

course (including two days offield work) was intensive and wemanaged to discuss all thegeneral aspects of amphibianconservation and how to linkcaptive colonies with in situconservation. More than 120people participated in thecourse, from senior biologystudents to researchers,university professors andrepresentatives of NGOs andzoos. The level of knowledge

important biodiversity regions onthe planet.

New partnerships andinitiativesWe didn’t have to wait too long –the message was passed onquickly and initiatives fromdifferent parts of Colombiastarted to come. Now ALPZA (theLatin American Association ofZoos and Aquariums) iscompiling them all to build uppartnerships. Former traineeDiana Sarmiento, in her newposition with ALPZA, is behind thisinitiative.

We feel really proud to be writing

this article, as it shows onceagain how the ITC can helpcross country and languageboundaries. Many and variedinitiatives related to amphibianconservation are nowunderway, initiated byparticipants on the course.

This isn’t the only projectdeveloped between us foramphibian conservation andvery soon you’ll be hearingmore news. Don’t ever let thefrog calls stop!

Gerardo’s e-mail:Gerardo.Garcia@durrell.org

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Oophaga histrionica shows a tremendous degree of polymorphism.

Oophaga lehmanni.

Isabel Herrera (left) and former trainee Diana Sarmiento (right).Germán Corredor lecturing on the course.

and understanding among theparticipants of the issuesinvolved in the amphibianextinction crisis, its causes andhow to help was impressive. It was wonderful to see eachother after so many years but itwas even better to collaborateand try to help in training othersto save endangered speciesfrom extinction. We hoped thatthis course would contribute tothe conservation of theamphibians in one of the most

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Conservation education and training atSanda Kyarimi Zoo, Nigeria

After attending the Diplomacourse at ITC in 2005,Tijjani Ahmed returned toNigeria’s largest zoodetermined to develop itsconservation educationprogrammes. Here hedescribes the progress thathas been made, and theproblems that he still faces.

Borno State in northeasternNigeria has a land mass ofabout 75,259 km2 and spanstwo ecological zones, Sudanand Sahel savannah. SandaKyarimi zoo in Maiduguri, thestate capital, is the largest ofNigeria’s ten zoos. About 55 hain area, the zoo has about 50species and a total of about310 individuals. Because of itsbreeding success, it is involvedin animal donation andexchange programmes with itssister zoos in Nigeria.

The zoo has an active role inrestocking and supplementationat Sambisa National Park, butpoaching in the region is takingplace at a very alarming rate.Many animals have startedmigrating to Yankari Park,making them easy targets forhunters, or just disappear.

Increasing publicawarenessSanda Kyarimi zoo attracts 2.5–

3 million visitors annually. Weneed to establish conservationeducation at the zoo, in order tosensitize the public toconservation problems. For now,our target audience includesstudents and members ofpublic that visit the zoo, but astime goes on we intend toreach out to a larger audience

“For now, our targetaudience includesstudents and membersof public that visit thezoo, but as time goeson we intend to reachout to a largeraudience.”

in conservation areas and weare seeking funding for this.

Apart from conservationeducation, we are equallyinvolved in training veterinaryand zoology students in basicpractical wildlife management

skills, laboratory procedures andgeneral in-situ and ex-situconservation concepts.

Difficult problemsThe zoo has one vet who works24/7 and is always there in caseof emergency. However, weface problems ranging fromstaff training to old, smallenclosures. Furthermore,because of gross under-fundingof the zoo by the government,the animals are not properlyfed. The conservationeducation department lacksthings such as a public addresssystem, a theatre, a projectorscreen, and education booksand films. So I must thank ChrisClark at the ITC for sending mesome of Durrell’s educationmaterials, which I have beenusing to teach many of ourpolicy-makers, students andother dignitaries.

Tijjani’s e-mail:tahmed_ahmed@yahoo.com

Tijjani teaching at Sanda Kyarimi zoo.

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School children learning about elephants. Students can learn practical skills at the zoo.