December 2001 No. 63 FUNDACIÓN

Transcription

1 December 2001 No. 63 FUNDACIÓN

2 Cyanopsitta Cyanopsitta - Latin for blue parrot. The only member of this genus is Cyanopsitta spixii, the Spix s Macaw. It is a highly endangered species, symbol of Loro Parque Fundación, and of the need to conserve our planet. Message from the Founder 2 The St. Vincent Amazon recovery effort re-invents itself 3 Conservation Through Commerce 4 Meeting Point 6 Loro Parque Hotline 7 Foundation News 8 V International Parrot Congress Program 9 Loro Parque Fundación on Tour 10 Report on the breeding season Re-pairing of Spix s macaws at LPF 19 Promoting environmental education in Phu Khieo 20 Front Cover: Hyacinth macaw (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus), Photo: LPF Editorial Office: Loro Parque S.A Puerto de la Cruz Tenerife, Canary Islands Spain Tel.: Fax: <loroparque@loroparque.com> <dir.general@loroparque-fundacion.org> Editorial Committee: Dr. Javier Almunia, Corinna Brauer, Inge Feier, Wolfgang Kiessling, Yves de Soye and Prof. David Waugh. Visit our websites: Visit the website of Loro Parque Fundación, which provides you with detailed information on our programmes at: < For the website of Loro Parque, please check out < Membership: Become a member of Loro Parque Fundación to support us in our activities. You will then receive our trimestral newsletter Cyanopsitta, as well as a supporter s card permitting free entry to Loro Parque during the validity of your membership. The current annual membership fees are: Adults (non-resident):... 90,15 Adults (resident) & children (non-resident):... 45,08 Children (resident):... 22,54 Please send us your membership subscription by mail, fax or , or call us, and we will sign you up immediately. Bank Account: Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (BBVA) Puerto de la Cruz Message from the Founder As each end of the year, the time to look back and make balance of our activities is coming, That s the reason why we considered appropriate to publish in this issue the Breeding Season Report, the most successful ever in the parrot collection of Loro Parque Fundación, which makes us feel proud because it means a great benefit for our conservation activities. About the field projects, in the last two months we have received good news from our programmes in Phu Khieo Wildlife Sanctuary, and Saint Vincent. In Thailand, the Royal Forestry Department member granted by Loro Parque Fundación to attend a course on design and implementation of environmental education programmes has produced an interesting project. On the other hand, the meeting of the St. Vincent Parrot Consortium has revealed a significant improvement in the conservation aspects, both in situ and ex situ. In this issue, we also wanted to present the task that Inge Feier and Matthias Reinschmidt have been accomplishing on behalf of Loro Parque Fundación, spreading our message to a big audience. We are sure that much of them will be future collaborators, which will help us to fulfil Loro Parque Fundación mission. In October, Yves de Soye attended the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) conference in Perth (Australia). The topics discussed in this meeting were fruitful. Also in this meeting, the removal of the former Spix s macaw Studbook holder was made official. Apart from this change, the Spix s macaw conservation project is still unclear. We have not received news from the Brazilian governmental authority IBAMA about the new structure to substitute the CPRAA, nevertheless, IBAMA has reinitiated the transference of Spix s macaws, asking Loro Parque Fundación for the egg laying female. I hope that all of you feel that the good things happened in 2001 were more important than the difficulties, and that it gives you the same confidence in the future that we have. year. With my best wishes of peace and happiness for the next Wolfgang Kiessling 2

3 THE ST VINCENT AMAZON RECOVER VERY EFFORT RE-INVENTS ITSELF A wider remit and a new name: the St Vincent Parrot Conservation Consortium The SVPCC meeting during the closed session on the first day, from left to right: Yves de Soye, David Woolcock, Don Bruning, Nigel Weekes, Carlton Thomas, Thomas Nichols. Photo: Nancy Anyagaligbo Ignatius. On the days of 30 and 31 November 2001, the members of the St Vincent Parrot Amazona guildingii Consortium met for their bi-annual meeting as on previous occasions on the pleasant island of St Vincent (Lesser Antilles, East Caribbean). The meeting was divided into a closed session between the present Consortium members, and a session open to other parties interested in the conservation of the species. The participating members were: Nigel Weekes, Director of the Forestry Department of St Vincent & the Grenadines (SVG), and his staff Brian Johnson, FitzGerald Providence, Cornelius Richards, Fitzroy Springer and Carlton Thomas; Don Bruning (Consortium Chairman, Bronx Zoo, USA); Tom Nichols (Houston, USA); David Woolcock (Consortium Secretary, Paradise Park, UK); and Yves de Soye representing the Loro Parque Fundación. The open session was additionally attended by several local custodians of the St Vincent parrot, as well as Floyd Hayes (University of the West Indies, Trinidad & Tobago); Julia Horrocks (University of the West Indies, Barbados); Richard Porter (Caloosahatchee Aviary and Botanical Gardens, USA); and Roger Sweeney (Graeme Hall Nature Sanctuary, Barbados). Of the active Consortium members, several were not able to attend: Martina Müller (Vogelpark Walsrode, Germany), David Jeggo (Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, Jersey), Henry Quinque (Association for the Rescue and Protection of Animals, France), the representative of Metro Toronto Zoo (Canada) and Peter Hammond (UK); the most notable cancellation however was that of Lee Schoen, bird curator of the Houston Zoo, which holds an important number of female St Vincent parrots. In spite of the absence of several of its members, the Consortium meeting proved to be very effective and successful. The closed meeting, which took place on the first day, was honoured by the...continued on page 22 3

4 CONSERVATION THROUGH COMMERCE Conclusions of the WAZA/EAZA Marketing Conference in Loro Parque by Prof Gordon McGregor Reid, Director of Chester Zoo (UK) and Chairman of the WAZA Marketing and PR Committee This, the Third International WAZA/EAZA Conference on Marketing in Zoos and Aquariums was held in Puerto de la Cruz. Tenerife from 31st May - 2nd June 2001 with 75 participants from 20 different countries including South Africa, Russia, Latvia, Turkey and Singapore. Mr Wolfgang Kiessling of Loro Parque in the Canary Islands kindly offered to host the conference and we are most grateful. This outstanding zoo and aquarium has managed to combine conservation with commerce, setting standards both for this conference and within the zoological community. It must be highlighted that Loro Parque has been awarded many prizes for its contributions to tourism and the environment. The main theme of the conference was Conservation Through Commerce. Mr Willie Labuschagne, President of WAZA, in his Opening Address, stressed the importance of the role of zoos in global conservation and how WAZA hopes to unify zoos in working towards this common goal; partly through a new marketing and communications initiative. The first conference session focused on the Theme of Visitor Attraction or conservation Organisation Dr Miklós Persányi, Director of Budapest Zoo and chairman of the European Association of Zoos & Aquaria (EAZA) explained the differences between established and emerging economies. Budapest Zoo has addressed the challenges caused by a change in the markets, and changes in the Eastern European economy and public attitudes. Professor Victor Middleton, Oxford Brookes University, gave the Keynote Address on the shift from global to local markets; mass markets versus a new focus on the individual and the overall implications for marketing zoos and aquariums. Mr Henning Julin, Chairman of the EAZA Marketing & PR Committee, emphasised the importance of EAZA as a common body for uniting European zoos, which must now adhere to strict ethical and welfare standards. He summed up the importance of an active membership by emphasising Ask not what EAZA can do for you but what you can do for EAZA! Mr Esteve Tomás, President of the Association of Iberian Zoos and Aquariums (AlZA) spoke about substantial changes in public expectations in Spain, Europe and elsewhere - people expect higher and higher standards - and how Barcelona Zoo managed to change an originally negative public image (in terms of visitor attraction and conservation organisation) to a most positive one with a high degree of commercial viability. Piet Duizer, Artis Zoo, Amsterdam, reminded us that we are not marketing superficial products or doughnuts but important emotional experiences, and that the trend is towards fulfilment of a lifestyle expectation in our visiting public. José Marrero, Institute of Responsible Tourism, spoke about the moves towards a new culture of tourism based on a global code of ethics. Tourism is often a critical factor in sustainable development and tourists may represent a significant proportion of visitors for many zoos. Standards of sustainability for hotels may perhaps also be applied to zoos. Certainly, zoos must work more closely with hotels to gain regional eco-labels and promote responsible tourism. Yves de Soye, Director of the Loro Parque Foundation, gave a comprehensive account of the in-situ conservation work carried out by the Foundation, and how this is funded by Loro Parque Zoo in partnership with others. Of particular interest is the project to rescue the Spix Macaw which is functionally extinct in the wild, and of which only 60 remain on the planet. John Regan, Chester Zoo, provided some useful practical tips on how to identify and gain access to the key decision maker the MAN (the person with the need and means of access to funds) when fundraising, and how to network successfully. The second conference session focused on The theme of Marketing the Conservation Message. Mary Rosevear, UK Zoo Federation, tackled the difficult topic communicating of the EU Zoo directive(ezd) and the Global Convention on Biodiversity (CBD) and the implications for marketers. Zoos have to meet increasingly high statutory standards, but this can be viewed as a selling point rather than a problem. Neil Maddison, Bristol Zoo, spoke of EAZA s conservation campaign against the bushmeat trade in Africa and elsewhere, and how zoos can make a difference by raising public awareness and providing practical in situ help. A campaign that has raised more than 1.5 million signatures from the public, it must be considered to be very successful. Particular zoo markets are, however, more focused on local issues; and, in this context, the bushmeat crisis may be seen to be remote or irrelevant for visitors, as is evidently the case in Russia. Natalia Istrafova, Moscow Zoo, spoke about the unique economic and social problems faced by zoos in Russia, and the difficulties of using the mass media in communicating an appropriate and effective conservation message. Sfephen McKeown, Chester Zoo, reminded us that we should never underestimate the capacity of visitors to misunderstand the messages we give them via interpretation. We need to be very clear in the messages we give out about conservation and welfare. He also spoke of the importance of involving the visitor via interactive experiences that make use of the senses, nota- 4

5 bly including the sense of smell. We remember far more about what we actively do than what we passively receive. Jörg Adler, Allwetter Zoo Münster, provided an amusing view of getting the conservation message to potential donors by providing another type of interactive experience called Voices of the Rainforest - a novel and entertaining video experience combined with a fundraiser dinner in the Elephant House. This was to communicate the importance of conserving biodiversity and to raise funds on the spot. Gordon McGregor Reid, Chairman of the WAZA Marketing & PR committee, provided background information on the emergence of a very large contemporary market in public aquariums - more and more are being constructed every year. He noted the difficulty within these aquaria of breeding on a sustainable basis, leading to increased pressure on certain fish species in the wild. Unlike progressive zoos, these aquariums are consumers not producers of wildlife. Some of the marketing of these new generation aquaria is based on sensationalism such as promoting products for killer sharks - which are in fact rare, threatened vertebrates. We need to have a fundamental rethink about the products we promote and images we project if we really believe in aquatic conservation. Sigalit Dvir-Ritter, Tisch Family Zoological Gardens Jerusalem, gave us a fascinating insight info the Biblical Zoo in Jerusalem - a most unusual and original way of presenting the story of animals and conveying the animal welfare and conservation message. An extensive and lively marketing video had been developed to support this charming programme. Finally, Rochelle Turner, MORI, introduced delegates to the complexities of the internet and how we can use our website to learn more about and target potential customers, and enhance visitor satisfaction. Zoo visitors are changing, with very many now owning mobile phones and computers and surfing the net. Web sales are likely to be a major commercial feature in zoos and aquariums of the 21th century. There was also a series of practical workshops for participants, which have given rise to some stimulating conversations and thought-provoking conclusions on topics as diverse as: Do Animal Shows devalue or Strengthen The Conservation Message?; Marketing Sustainable Zoos and Aquariums; Commerce through Conservation - Your Best Ideas; How to Explode your Zoo or Aquarium - Breaking down Fundraising Barriers between your Organisation and the Outside World; How to Engage Ethnic and Sociological Minorities; Crisis Management for Zoos and Aquariums; Marketing Research Programmes for Zoos and Aquariums; and Communicating With Zoo and Aquarium Staff - The Infernal Market. Delegates also had an opportunity to visit Loro Parque and were privileged to be shown around the excellent Parrot Breeding Centre, which is not generally accessible for visitors. As Chair of the Organising Committee, I must heartily thank all of the members of the committee and my supporting team of Chester Zoo for working so hard to make this conference happen. Thanks also to Budapest Zoo for offering to host the next conference in Allwetter Zoo, Münster, has kindly offered to host the conference in 2005, so watch out for further announcements! Last, but by no means least, many thanks to Mr Willie Lasbuschagne President of WAZA, Mr Esteve Tomás, President of AlZA, and Mr Miklós Persányi, Chairman of EAZA. Finally, I would like to again extend great appreciation to our distinguished host Mr Wolfgang Kiessling, Director of the magnificent Loro Porque Zoo, for his generosity in hosting this conference both at the zoo and here in Puerto de la Cruz. Had it not been for Mr Kiessling, Inge Feier and their enthusiastic staff, we would not have had such a successful conference. WAZA International Marketing and Public Relations conferences and Workshops proceedings held between 1997 and 2001 are available on CD-Rom. Copies can be requested via from Frances Jaques, Chester Zoo <f.jaques@chesterzoo.co.uk> 5

6 MEETING POINT - MEETING POINT - MEETING POINT - MEETING POINT During the last months several people related with sports, either at international, national or local level, visited our installations. The famous Spanish tennis player Conchita Martínez, component of the female Spanish Davis Cup Team visited Loro Parque. Two weeks later, one of the Spanish male Davis Cup players, Alex Corretja, came to Tenerife during his honey moon, and took a trip to our park. The members of the Tenerife Basket Club have also been visiting our installations. Loro Parque sponsors several sportive associations from Tenerife, like the Club de Lucha Punta Brava, a Canarian ringer team from the neighbourhood in which Loro Parque is located. Wolfgang Kiessling in the main entrance with the components of another group sponsored by Loro Parque, the karting team Mototuning. Finally, two German beauties the Dagmar Sisters, famous folk and country music players in Germany, posing at the bronze cockatoo next to the main entrance. 6

7 LORO PARQUE HOTLINE - LORO PARQUE HOTLINE - LORO PARQUE HOTLINE The first week of December, Loro Parque was invited to the 1st International Symposium about Chilean Fauna in Captivity, hosted in Santiago de Chile. The main objective of this meeting was to collect all the available data on the Chilean fauna which is bred in captivity all around the world. The symposium was organised by the Agriculture Service of the Chilean Government (SAG), the metropolitan park and the Veterinary Faculty of the University of Santiago de Chile. The symposium, celebrated from the 5th to the 7th of December, was attended by more than 400 students and researchers in the Convention Centre Diego Portales. The conference on penguins was presented by the Manager of Loro Parque s Planet Penguin, José Manuel Minguillon, who spoke about the experience we gained since the penguins first arrived, about technical details of the husbandry and on the installations. Special emphasis was put on the successful breeding of our Humboldt penguins. The proceedings of this meeting will be published as a Handbook on captive breeding of Chilean fauna. Responding to the initiative of Tenerife Conservación (a local NGO) and with the collaboration of the Los Gigantes Port Authority, Loro Parque installed 32 garbage bins in Los Gigantes harbour. Manolo Carrillo, responsible of Tenerife Conservación, addressed Loro Parque with his concerns about the solid waste problem in the harbour, where daily thousands of tourists board the whale-watching boats. The situation was dramatic, with plastic bags, bottles, cans and cigarette ends floating in the water, with the subsequent danger for the marine fauna and for the navigation. Loro Parque has thousands of garbage bins installed all around Tenerife Island for advertising purposes, such that it was relatively simple to allocate 32 of them for the harbour. Nevertheless, Loro Parque used the opportunity to convey a message, to increase awareness of the harbour s users about the risks produced by discarded garbage (which is blown to the sea by the frequent winds). So, the usual advertisements on the garbage bins were substituted by new educational displays designed by Fundación Canaria Loro Parque (Loro Parque's regional conservation foundation). These educational displays, using a photo of one of the Loro Parque's dolphins as background in both sides, display on one side the motto «Help us protecting the dolphins», and on the other a text explaining how the floating garbage can kill marine fauna such as dolphins or turtles. The bins were installed in November, and the solid waste problem is now almost gone. With this campaign, Fundación Canaria Loro Parque has initiated the strengthening of its conservation activities on the Canary Islands. It begins with a special emphasis on one of the rarest marine resources of the archipelago, the resident cetacean populations. Over the past weeks the two Hooded Seals found drifting along the coast of the Canary Islands and currently undergoing rehabilitation at Loro Parque, reached 110 and 86 kg, respectively. This proves that both have fully recovered from the stress provoked by the high temperature of the sea water at this latitude. Arrangements for the release of the animals back to their natutal habitat have been initiated. Loro Parque has contacted several organisations that have released rescued seals in northern Europe, in order to select the best option for the animals. Simultaneously, we are contacting transport companies and airlines to prepare the transport of the animals to their eventual release site. 7

8 FOUNDATION NEWS - FOUNDATION NEWS The latest news on the Spix s Macaw Recovery Programme are of great relevance. In October, the LPF received a letter from the Brasilian environmental authority, IBAMA, requesting the transfer of one the two females held with a single male at the LPF parrot breeding centre, to the facility of Mauricio dos Santos, Criadouro Chaparral in Recife in the state of Pernambuco in northeastern Brasil. The LPF has applied for the export permit from the CITES office and although final details about the shipment await clarification, expects that the bird will leave for Brasil in January After this transfer, the LPF will remain with the young female, in best breeding condition, born at Loro Parque in 1992, and the apparently infertile wild caught-male the LPF received on loan from Sao Paul Zoo in In addition to the transfer from LPF to Criadouro Chaparral, IBAMA s transfer requests also include the transfer of a female from Roland Messer in Switzerland to Sao Paulo Zoo and of one male from the Sao Paulo Zoo to Roland Messer. In total, three new pairs will thus be established. Shortly before closing this issue, we also received communication from IBAMA, that an outline of the new Committee to govern the recovery effort in the future has been prepared and has been sent to the members of the currently inactive CPRAA. The LPF eagerly awaits this document. Prof. David Waugh, who was the LPF s first Scientific Director from 1995 to 1998, returned to work at Loro Parque in November. Prof. Waugh left the directorship of the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, a position he had held after mid-1998, to become Environmental Advisor of Loro Parque and the Foundation. We extend our heartfelt welcome to Prof Waugh, who before coming to Loro Parque Fundación the first time had also been the Director of the International Training Centre of the Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust (now the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust) for eleven years. We look forward to again working with him. In addition to his duties for the zoological garden Loro Parque, his responsibilities will include the development and implementation of new fundraising strategies for the LPF. The Loro Parque Fundación is about to finish a first full-colour Annual Report, for the year 2000, for its members and collaborators. To minimise the publishing costs, only a few dozen copies of the Annual Report 2000 shall be printed on paper, for the sponsors of the Foundation and for future fundraising efforts. All LPF members and its partners shall however receive a CD together with the next issue of Cyanopsitta, on which the Annual Report 2000 will be available in electronic format (Adobe Reader) in the LPF s three working languages: Spanish, English and German. The Annual Reports, which shall be published every year from now on, will also be made available on the LPF website at < In December, upon initiative of its President Wolfgang Kiessling, the LPF bought and installed coin funnels as a new fundraising tool to be installed in Loro Parque and at other locations to obtain additional financial resources. As Loro Parque covers the entire administration of the Foundation, also here 100 % of the donations, for example from the zoo s visitors, are available for the conduct of its field conservation and research programmes. At the end of this year 2001, the Education department of Fundación Loro Parque, has analysed the school groups visit received. Since in year 2000 extracurricular activities in the Canary archipelago were reduced (see Cyanopsitta 60), during this year we anticipate a return to the normal figures. During 2001, 19,975 students visited Loro Parque, which means 87% increase compared with the previous year (10,679), and 4% reduction compared with 1999 (20,708). We are confident that the didactic material which is handed every year to all the schools in the Canary Islands, the interest in Loro Parque, as well as in Nature, still increasing. This year 2001 we initiated the production of the didactic material for Secondary Schools, and a first advance is being distributed within the schools with great success. One of the most important Editorial companies in Spain, ANAYA, is showing interest in the edition of such material, so we are hoping to initiate a massive distribution soon. 8

9 Vth International Parrot Convention Preliminary programme This is the latest version of the V International Parrot Congress preliminary programme. If you have any doubt, or want to register, you can contact the Congress secretary Marta Mozzi: by telephone and fax: , or by <congreso2002@loroparque.com>. Wednesday, 18/9/ pm Welcome: Opèning speech by Mr. Wolfgang Kiessling pm Welcome cocktail offered by Loro Parque Thursday, 19/9/ am Loro Parque Fundación: In situ and ex situ parrot conservation Yves de Soye am Aggression: instinct, suppression and discharge Hans J. Geil am Coffee-break am Management of the world s largest parrot collection of Loro Parque Fundación Matthias Reinschmidt am Conservation of endemic Amazons on Dominica Paul R. Reillo am pm Parrot nutrition. Petra Wolf pm Fig parrots, hanging parrots and swift parakeets Shaun Wilkinson pm Saving the thick-billed parrot in Mexico Ernesto Enkerlin-Höflich pm A visit to the Loro Parque Fundación-Breeding Centre Foundation members only pm "Magic Night" with Dinner An invitation of the Townhall of Puerto de la Cruz Friday, 20/9/ am Preventive Medicine and diagnosis for psittacines Lorenzo Crosta, Susan Clubb am Aviculture and Conservation Anthony Pittman am Breeding Australian parakeets - Aviculture in Australia Joseph Forshaw am Ouvean parakeet - Recovery Plan Pierre Primot am pm St. Vincent Amazon: status in the field and captivity Donald Bruning Saturday, 21/9/ am An educational program for the Redtailed Amazon in Brazil Suzana Padua am Breeding of large macaws Joanne Abramson am Medical monitoring of a parrot collection Marcellus Bürkle, Helga Gerlach am Reintroduction of Yellow-shouldered Amazons in Venezuela Alejandro Grajal am pm The Spix's macaw recovery program - A review Anthony Juniper pm pm The Golden conure in semi-liberty Group formation Hans-Jörg Etterlin pm pm Open Podium with all speakers pm Afternoon at leisure or guided tour through Loro Parque pm Gala Dinner at the Hotel Botánico An invitation of the Government of the Canary Islands 9

10 Loro Parque Fundación on tour During the past few years, Loro Parque Fundación (LPF) has merely been present at the most important parrot exhibition in Achern, Germany, which is held yearly; however, this year the Foundation got an early start in view of the Vth International Parrot Convention which will be held in September 2002, and accepted the invitations offered by the organizers of other important exhibitions throughout German-speaking countries, after becoming popular in Achern. To this end, a completely new and attractive stand has been designed by Loro Parque's publicity/ advertising department offering all that is essential for a professional and convincing campaign. The booth itself was manned by Inge Feier, Director of External Affairs and Media, as well as Matthias Reinschmidt, Bird Curator of LPF. The first stage brought us to the Parrot Fair at Iserlohn, Germany, at the end of August. The exhibition itself was brilliant, although due to the considerably high temperatures oscillating around 35º degrees more than one assistant had a very hard time. The second place visited was the 12th National Exotis-fair in Olten, Switzerland from 5th to 7th October, organized on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Swiss Exotis club. It was really impressing to see the huge variety of species represented at the exhibition with more than 180 on show. Many contacts were established and intensified. After that, Saxon's capital Leipzig was the third town to visit where the 46th national exhibition of the Association of Ornamental Poultry and Breeders of Exotic birds took place from 26th to 28th October. Many different species could be observed in their beautifully arranged aviaries spread throughout the three major halls of the exhibition. 10

11 LPF was given a warm and friendly welcome in the town of Leipzig. Towards the end of the year, from 1st to 4th November, the Foundation was present at the "Ornithea" fair in Köln-Porz, Germany, a magnificent exhibition with special emphasis on the true to life reproduction of the interior of the aviaries. On the occasion of the 40th anniversary of "Ornithea", Wolfgang Kiessling, General Director of Loro Parque and President of LPF, agreed to become patron of this Exhibition, holding a speech during its opening and thanking the organizers for this opportunity to make people familiar with the Foundation. The penultimate stage on LPF's tour was the biggest German bird exhibition in Kassel (24th - 25th November), the 'AZ-Bundesschau', with an appearance of animals. Almost 14,000 visitors attended the event, and many "old friends" popped up to tell their own particular "Loro-Parquestories". Hopefully, the new contacts established during this weekend will bring good results for the Foundation in the long run. LPF's tour finally ended in Stuttgart, Germany, during the "Animal"- Pet Fair, occasion on which LPF was officially presented as new partner of Kölle-Zoo, a huge pet shop chain of excellent reputation, that has now obtained exclusivity for the sale of LPF parrots in private zoo commerce throughout Germany. Nearly visitors attended the "Animal" fair, each of which was given a leaflet presenting the conservation activities of LPF. After all, this year's tour has been a great success for LPF, ensuring a good publicity throughout the German speaking countries thanks to additional newspaper articles, radio and TV broadcast programmes and interviews that have definitely helped a lot to make LPF more representative in Europe. Two new Parrot Workshops hosted in Loro Parque Two wo new Parrot Workshops took place in Loro Parque in the course of the last months. The first Italian Parrot Workshop (picture on the left) was celebrated from October 21st to 24th. This new experience provided the Italian breeders with the opportunity to benefit from the expertise of Loro Parque and its Foundation in parrot captive management and breeding. At this occasion some of the standard experts were exchanged, and Linda Timossi, Lorenzo Crosta, Javier Almunia and guest speaker Luciana Bottoni gave presentations for the first time. Moreover,, the sixth German Parrot Workshop, as always organised by the magazine PAP APAGEIEN GEIEN,, was celebrated between November 16th and 20th, with the usual speakers and programme (picture on the right). 11

12 Report on the Bre This year's breeding season is marked by many important achievements which have encouraged the development of the most diverse parrot collection of the world. As a result, last year's breeding record of 853 chicks has been increased by 30 %, currently reaching a total of 1104 ringed youngsters. But also the number of species and subspecies bred has been increased from 148 in 2000 to 167 this year. This development gives us hope for the future, since meanwhile it has become more important than ever to renounce wild caught animals and get back to those bred in captivity. Loro Parque Fundación with its parrots bred in captivity can contribute considerably to support this trend. 12

13 eding Season

14 Let s first take a look at the different genera and species. Although results have been obtained by a great number of species this season, only those animals whose offspring were leg-banded have been taken into consideration, because some of the eggs laid were infertile or some couldn t hatch their young successfully. Therefore, what follows are only the highlights of the 2001 breeding season. Altogether, 26 lory species and subspecies produced 90 chicks, some of them being of special interest, such as the rarely bred cardinal lory (Chalcopsitta cardinalis) with five young hatched. A species that has been very productive this year is the musk lorikeet (Glossopsitta concinna, eight chicks). The number of our yellow-bibbed lories (Lorius chlorocercus) has also been increased by four. A species that has become very rare in captivity, the emerald lory (Neopsittacus pullicauda), also surprised us with two chicks. The genus Trichoglossus has been a very representative species this year with 15 species and subspecies bred throughout the year, with an outstanding result of six newborn Rosenberg s lorikeets (Trichoglossus haematodus rosenbergii) and three Johnstone s lorikeets (Trichoglossus johnstoniae), for which the LPF holds the European studbook. As a result, the LPF s population of the latter has increased to 16 animals, a significant number for this important species. Also the bluecrowned lory (Vini australis) is heading in a positive direction after the hatching of five young from two pairs, among which, for the first time ever, are two males. As a consequence, new pairs can be established to continue the positive breeding results of this species in the future. A widely well-known group are the cockatoos (Cacatua), with a breeding result of 93 chicks of 15 different species and subspecies legringed. Number one on the productivity list are our Major Mitchell s cockatoos (Cacatua leadbeateri) with six successful breeding pairs in the collection. Nevertheless, the Moluccan cockatoos (Cacatua moluccensis) didn t do too bad either with 14 youngsters hatched; this result is especially important because this species is facing a serious population decline in its natural habitat. Thanks to the excellent results obtained this year, LPF is contributing to the conservation of the Moluccan cockatoo in captivity, participating in the existent EEP. A special emphasis has to be put on the hatching of a young Gang-Gang female (Callocephalon fimbriatum), as well as the successful breeding of two pairs of the blue-eyed cockatoo (Cacatua ophthalmica) that have produced seven chicks altogether, some of the Kuhl's cape parrots have had a magnificent breeding season this year (Poicephalus robustus fuscicollis) 14

15 A short-tailed parrot (Graydidascalus brachyurus) has been bred for the first time ever at Loro Parque offspring having been hatched in our handrearing station. Also the Keas have produced offspring this season with a total of three chicks raised, increasing Loro Parque s Kea population to a total number of 13. A group of nine young Keas is currently exhibited in a huge aviary together with some Galah cockatoos (Eolophus roseicapilla), and has become a major attraction for the visitors because of their hilarious behaviour. In addition, all our three fig parrot species (Psittaculirostris) have been breeding successfully this year, the Edward s fig parrots (Psittaculirostris edwardsii) being the most eager ones with a total of five chicks raised to adulthood. Furthermore, a result worth mentioning is the breeding of four great-billed parrots (Tanygnathus megalorhynchus), a species which is rarely bred in captivity. The red-sided Eclectus parrots (Eclectus roratus polychloros) have been the most representative of the genus Eclectus, with a total of 13 young raised. As far as the Australian parrots are concerned, we would like to mention the scarletchested parrots (Neophema splendida), a species that has also done well this season with a total of six chicks raised. In this context, it will be a great challenge to build up captive populations of Australian parrots that are free from colour mutations in the future, since nowadays it has become rather difficult to obtain individuals without mutations. We have to ask ourselves the question: how will the situation be in ten years? Therefore, one of our duties for the next few years will be to re-establish purely naturally coloured populations of Australian species and go back to nature. Our African parrots have also brought satisfying results during the 2001 season. Alone the grey parrots (Psittacus erithacus thimneh) have produced 15 youngsters, followed by the Kuhl s Cape parrot (Poicephalus robustus fuscicollis), with nine chicks from four pairs altogether. A very reliable breeding group are our Nyasa lovebirds (Agapornis lilianae), which produced 22 young. In the case of Psittacula, eleven species bred a total of 55. An outstanding result is, without any doubt, the reproduction of the long-tailed parakeet (Psittacula longicauda) bred for the first time ever at Loro Parque. In this case, one young has grown to independence. 15

16 A result to be proud of is definitely the husbandry of eleven blue-throated macaw chicks (Ara glaucogularis) by five of our pairs (more than ever before), with only two having been artificially brought up in our handrearing station. Considering the critical status of this species in the wild, this outcome is very positive. Since LPF is both coordinator of the EEP and the international studbook, this population increase is even more crucial. The Aratinga genus is represented by 12 species with a total of 113 chicks, 44 of them belonging to the sun conure species (Aratinga solstitialis) which formed the largest part. Young hyacinth macaw (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus) The results of our macaws have improved considerably this year; 148 chicks of 13 species were ringed altogether. The most successful species in reproducing have been the blue and yellow macaw (Ara ararauna), the scarlet macaw (Ara macao) and the green-winged macaw (Ara chloroptera), although other species more difficult to breed such as the hyacinth macaw (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus, five chicks) and the blue-headed macaw (Ara couloni) have proved successful. In addition to that, six golden conures (Guarouba guarouba) have exclusively been raised by their parents, enriching the Foundation s population of this beautiful, endangered parrot species. Another great event was the birth of three thick-billed parrots (Rhynchopsitta pachyrhyncha). The pair which produced offspring for the first time last year has raised two young; a second pair which has started reproducing for the first time this year has destroyed the eggs in the nest except for one that was rescued and brought to the baby station where it was placed in an 'World premiere" of the reproduction of the Scaly-naped Amazon (Amazona mercenaria); these chicks are approximately six weeks old 16

17 incubator and hatched successfully. One of our most reliable genera are the Pyrrhura species and subspecies, of which 13 reproduced and raised a total of 178 chicks. As far as the breeding of the Bolborhynchus species is concerned, some innovations have been introduced regarding management; a decisive step consists of a radical change in nutrition developed with the collaboration of our vet department. While in 2000 only one Bolborhynchus species was reproducing, we have had five species and subspecies which have bred successfully this season. A special emphasis has to be put on the birth of six Andean parakeets (Bolborhynchus orbygnesius) from two pairs altogether, a species extremely difficult to reproduce in captivity and which has been bred for the first time in the history of Loro Parque. Furthermore, all our three Caique species (Pionites) have done well this year with the hatching of 15 young in total. Another great performance within the breeding records of LPF is the first breeding of a short-tailed parrot (Graydidascalus brachyurus), again a species rarely kept in captivity which has only been reproduced a few times worldwide. The single chick was raised by its parents which is even more important to us. Five of our Pionus species produced 29 Head Keeper Pedro Martín holding two Short-tailed parrots young altogether, six of which are plum-crowned parrots (Pionus tumultuosus), and ten are coralbilled parrots (Pionus sordidus corallinus). In the large group of amazons, the Current Parrot Field Conservation Projects of Loro Parque Fundación: * Brazil: Spix s Macaw Cyanopsitta spixii Recovery Programme * Brazil: Environmental Education Programme for the Red-tailed Amazon Amazona brasiliensis in Superagüi National Park, Paraná * Bolivia: Blue-throated Macaw Ara glaucogularis Conservation * Colombia: Conservation of the Yellow-eared Parrot Ognorhynchus icterotis * Dominica: Conservation of the endemic Red-necked and Imperial amazons * Thailand: Protection of Phu Khieo Wildlife Sanctuary * Philippines: Red-vented Cockatoo Cacatua haematuropygia Conservation Programme * Indonesia: The nesting ecology of Yellow-crested Cockatoo Cacatua sulphurea on Sumba * Indonesia: Conservation of Endemic Parrots on the Tanimbar Islands 17

18 reproduction rate was also considerable - a total of 90 chicks from 20 species and subspecies have been ringed; furthermore, the culmination of the whole breeding season has been the first breeding worldwide of the scaly-naped amazon (Amazona mercenaria). In a huge flocking aviary where two pairs are held, one finally started breeding and produced a clutch of three eggs, two of which were fertile and hatched without any problems. The chicks have developed favourably since they have been looked after by their parents continuously. When the long awaited day of their independence arrived, the youngsters managed to get accustomed to the huge aviary almost immediately, but were still fed by their parents for some time until they learned to feed on the food offered by the keepers. This first breeding success is an extremely important step towards the conservation of the scaly-naped amazon, almost non-existent in captivity. Other amazon species bred worthwhile of mentioning are the following: yellow-shouldered amazon (Amazona barbadensis), red-topped amazon (Amazona rhodocorytha), festive amazon (Amazona festiva bodini), red-spectacled amazon (Amazona pretrei), yellow-lored amazon (Amazona xantholora) as well as the yellow-faced amazon (Amazona xanthops). Finally, we would like to point out the good breeding results of our purple-bellied parrots (Triclaria malachitacea) which have produced seven chicks in 2001, increasing the population to what is probably the largest reserve of the species in captivity, a species which has also reached a critical status in the wild. Altogether, the number of species and subspecies of the collection has been increased to 322 through the acquisition of new parrot species. Those include among others: the Andean parakeet (Bolborhynchus obrygnesius), the Canary-winged parakeet (Brotogeris versicolurus chiriri), the blue-winged parrotlet (Forpus crassirostris spengeli), the golden-shouldered parrot (Psephotus chrysopterygius) as well as the Riedel s Eclectus parrot (Eclectus roratus riedeli). In view of future management strategies for the Loro Parque Fundación collection, the greatest challenge consists of the establishment of quality breeding populations of many different species, which produce maximum offspring under minimum inbreeding conditions. Special attention will be paid to the most endangered parrot species, since Loro Parque Fundación participates in the EEPs and studbooks for the species in question. Not least because of its breeding efforts does the Foundation make a relevant contribution to the conservation of the world s threatened parrot species. Blue-crowned lory (Vini australis) at the age of about six weeks. 18

19 Re-pairing of the Spix s macaws at LPF Summary of the weekly observational reports In 2001, the Spix s macaws housed at Loro Parque Fundación were flocked in a huge aviary located in the La Vera breeding centre. Following the natural death of the male of the breeding pair a few months ago, the situation changed for the remaining group, consisting of the female born at Loro Parque, her male and the older wild female which then found herself without a partner. By mid- January, coinciding with the end of the rainy season, the older hen started trying to establish contact with the male of the younger female. Her attempts were partially rejected, although, generally, a great interest on behalf of the male was observed. After that, the contact attempts by the older female were interfered with the younger one, manifested by attacks on the first; meanwhile, the male started to ignore the latter and went over to defend a new territory where a horizontal nestbox was located. The male started showing display behaviour quite frequently, entering the nest, addressing both females; while the younger hen wasn t interested, the older one inspected all the nests of the aviary. By the end of January the older female started going after the male persistently sitting close to him, preening, and flying away after a few seconds to provoke him to follow her; she succeeded most of the time, although the male never followed her into the nest. On February the 24 th, the decision was made to transfer the young female to another aviary, since she never showed any interest in the nest boxes and, moreover, was constantly interfering with the inter-action between her aviary mates. After that, the male and the older female started to fly together. He strongly defended his territory located around one of the horizontal nests, which he entered regularly to work the nest material. The female inspected all the other nests except for the one frequented by the male. This situation lasted until the beginning of March, when the first signs of mutual affection were observed. Since then, the pair spent several hours inside the nest allopreening, although occasional threatening behaviour was observed, which is, however, normal in pairs recently formed. After one month with frequent courtship display, common feeding and flying, the first real copulations set in, which resulted in two eggs at the beginning of July. Copulation and normal incubation continued during the following days, but unfortunately the eggs were infertile. The decision was taken to remove them from the nest, after which the pair continued its courtship behaviour and working on the nest materials, although no further clutch was obtained. After the summer season, the couple stayed together, entering the nest frequently and copulating during the early morning and late evening hours. As a conclusion, one could say that the breeding season of this species was successful, considering that the formation of this new, compatible pair took place in a very short period of time, especially taking into account that this process, in some macaw species, may take several seasons. Unfortunately the eggs were infertile, so we now have to wait patiently for the results of the new breeding season. The Advisory Board of Loro Parque Fundacion Povl Jorgensen Aviculturist Haslev, Denmark Nigel J. Collar Birdlife International Leventis Fellow in Conservation Biology Cambridge University, England Jørgen B. Thomsen Senior Vice-President Conservation International Washington DC, USA Wolfgang Grummt Animal Park Friedrichsfelde Berlin, Germany Tomás de Azcárate y Bang Ministry of the Environment of the Canary Islands Tenerife, Spain Ian R. Swingland Founder Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology Kent, England Susan L. Clubb Avian Veterinarian Florida, USA Roland Wirth President Zoological Society for the Protection of Species and Populations Munich, Germany 19

20 Promoting Environmental Education in Phu Khieo Wildlife Sanctuary Latest news from the collaborative project between LPF and Thailand s Royal Forest Department, which now also includes RARE Center As you could read in the previous issue of Cyanopsitta, the Loro Parque Fundación has sponsored the participation of a member of Thailand s Royal Forest Department in a Conservation Education course newly taught at the Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology (DICE) of the University of Kent (Canterbury, UK) under the leadership of the U.S.- headquartered RARE Center for Tropical Conservation. DICE is a non-governmental and non-profit research and postgraduate training school founded by one of Loro Parque Fundación s advisory board members, Ian Swingland. The institute is dedicated to conserving biodiversity and the ecological processes which support ecosystems and people, and has as its objective to integrate conservation and development sustainably by pursuing research, training, advice, implementation and international partnership. DICE students receive detailed and comprehensive personal attention and participate in international seminars on the scientific, economic, social, legal and political aspects of conservation, with fellow students from around the world. The Conservation Education course was mainly developed and is supervised by Paul Butler, Vice-President of RARE Center. It aims to instruct a new generation of local conservation educators. The fully accredited M.Sc. programme combines rigorous classroom studies in ecology, educational theory and social marketing with the implementation of a year-long Promoting Protection Through Pride -campaign in each of the first five students home countries. The implementation phase makes up a major portion of the course fees of around US$ 65,000, which were fully covered by LPF. RARE Center Vice-President Paul Butler on the left with the group of five students on the campus of the University of Kent in Canterbury (UK). At the right, Kriengsak Chaturasuksakul. 20

21 Yves de Soye receiving the Royal Forest Department award from the hands of Dr Preecha Ratanaporn, Director of the Wildlife Conservation Division. In July 2001, the students returned home to launch their Conservation Education Campaigns. Soon after, we received a copy of the project plan presented by the student jointly selected by RFD and LPF Kriengsak Chaturasuksakul, the Superintendent of the Huai Kum Wildlife Conservation Development and Extension Centre at Phu Khieo Wildlife Sanctuary (PKWS) in northern Thailand. The project plans to summarise the history, location, geological and biological characteristics of the wildlife sanctuary, identify the stakeholders involved and affected by the ever-increasing conservation measures in the area, and list their interests and motives. A first stakeholder meeting was celebrated, and with the information gained from the meeting, a conceptual model was produced, in order to identify the social characteristics and attitudes that propitiate the ecological problems of the site. The conceptual model shows six main direct threats that may jeopardise the future of PKWS: forest fires, small scale illegal logging, illegal hunting, overharvesting of minor forest products, charcoal making, and cattle grazing. The project therefore established three objectives to mitigate these problems: First, to raise the understanding of the schoolchildren in the area about the importance of conserving PKWS. Second, to raise the understanding of the general public about the objectives of the sanctuary management and the contents of the Wildlife Protection Act. Third, to raise the knowledge of the general public about the effect of dry season forest fires to reduce their frequency. The educational activities supervised by Khun Kriengsak (as he is called in Thailand) will thus be based on the entire Conservation Campaign of RARE Center, which has proven to be an effective conservation tool allover the world. It will include talks to school children; the design and production of costumes and posters with a flagship bird (Sarus Crane) to be used during school visits; school contests about PKWS; the production of puppets and plays; the production and distribution of comic books, of flora and fauna booklets, of two environmental news sheets, of a legislation booklet, of a school song, of a bumper sticker, and of a mobile exhibit about Sarus Crane and PKWS; public talks in villages; the production and airing of a popular song and a music video about PKWS, and of a sermon sheet for the buddhist temples; the placement of several billboards in the target area. In late November 2001, Yves de Soye travelled to Thailand to receive from the hands of the Director of the Wildlife Conservation Division, Dr Preecha Ratanaporn, an award that the Royal Forest Department had granted the LPF for its contribution to wildlife research and conservation in Thailand. The LPF is very grateful for this recognition and looks forward to the future collaboration with the countries authorities. In summer 2002, after the implementation period, this years students (including Khun Kriengsak) will return to the University of Kent to undergo final exams, to evaluate and share their results and the lessons learned during the implementation period, and to plan follow-up strategies. Presumably with an M.Sc in his pockets, Khun Kriengsak will return to Thailand to further promote environmental education - a crucial element in the global conservation community s efforts to conserve our natural heritage. 21

22 ...continued from page 3 presence of Selmon Walters, the Minister for Agriculture and Labour of St Vincent & the Grenadines, and his Permanent Secretary, Simione Greene. The Minister, representing a recently elected new government, emphasised his willingness to strongly support the Consortium and endorsed a change of its remit. The Consortium may thus advise and assist the government of St Vincent & the Grenadines on a wide range of conservation and research activities that embrace both the wild and the captive populations of the countries national bird. Because several of the players in the Consortium and its periphery have also historically been involved in the Spix s macaw recovery effort which is analogous in many aspects the experience from that other species conservation committee proved invaluable. It provided the basis for a series of recommendations to the SVG government that aim to re-focus the conservation activities on issues of crucial importance to the survival of the species: the illegal poaching and trading of birds; the destruction of its natural habitat; the need for a renewed awareness campaign directed at the island s human population; and the need to effectively breed from a healthy captive population under the full control of the SVG government, so as to establish and maintain a safety-net against chance events on the island such as hurricanes, volcanic eruptions or disease outbreaks. The Minister requested that an Action Plan be elaborated as a consequence of the meeting, to include all available information on the parrot s status and to provide a comprehensive strategy for its long-term conservation. The task to prepare the first draft of the Action Plan on behalf of the SVPCC was assumed by the LPF representative. The members present in the meeting decided to change the consortium s name to St Vincent Parrot Conservation Consortium (SVPCC), to reflect its new wider objectives. The Loro Parque Fundación is full of hope that the recommendations to be presented in the Action Plan will be endorsed by the SVG government, and that implementation will start over the course of the coming two years. Considerable assistance both financial and technical was pledged by several of the organisations represented at the meeting. The members present proposed that all parrot conservation initiatives on St Vincent should be submitted to the SVPCC for approval to avoid counterproductive and conflictive or redundant approaches. The SVPCC also discussed the need to include external consultants among its members such as representatives of the local academia, or additional education or parrot conservation experts. In this context, the SVPCC decided that Roger Sweeney should advise the captive breeding facility at the Kingston Botanical Gardens, particularly as it is scheduled to undergo major renovations, during monthly visits; the Graeme Hall Nature Sanctuary will cosponsor these visits with the Loro Parque Fundación, of which Sweeney was Curator of Birds between 1994 and Parrot keepers from St Vincent will undergo training at Paradise Park, and veterinarians at Loro Parque. It was furthermore proposed that the SVG government should appoint a SVPCC President and that the Consortium secretary and chair should be elected for terms of two years, after which they may be re-elected. The current SVPCC Chairman, Don Bruning, announced at the end of the meeting that he is prepared to hand over the chairmanship as soon as a suitable successor is found. It must be acknowledged here that the results of two decades of efforts in captive breeding, which was the principal remit of the former Consortium, are limited at best. As difficult as it may have been with the minute number of unequivocally healthy females under the Consortium s control, too few viable pairs were formed. Instead, efforts were largely misdirected as it appears retrospectively into identifying ways to convince additional private holders to collaborate with the SVG government s recovery programme. Resulting personal and institutional conflicts came to obstruct objective progress. At the recent meeting, the SVPCC decided that the birds under its control must be brought together at fewer facilities that are fully dedicated to its goals and provide the best captive management, to allow the formation of new pairs in group situations. Transfer requests were provided that will soon be actioned. Since the meeting, a new mission statement to encompass the goal of the SVPCC has been formulated. Two of the LPF s long-term veterinarian consultants, Drs Susan Clubb and Helga Gerlach, have accepted to act as consultants to the SVPCC. Together with the LPF s resident head veterinarian, Dr Lorenzo Crosta, they have already greatly contributed to the development of a general policy about St Vincent parrots that have historically been exposed to avian tuberculosis, and of a veterinary protocol to reincorporate them into the breeding population. We look forward to reporting about the further development of this species recovery committee. 22

23 Sponsors and Donors of S Loro Parque Fundación Loro Parque is the Foundation s principal sponsor and covers its most important expenditures such as salaries and administration costs. Therefore, the financial support provided by our sponsors, members and donors can be dedicated entirely to our conservation projects. Over Euros Over Euros Bernd Wolber, EMCADISA, PANALU, Vogelfreunde Achern, Verein der Vogelfreunde Iserlohn, HARIBO, Emerencio e Hijos, La Oficina, Georg Fischer, CITA, BETACAR, Malinda Chouinard, Grupo CODORNIU, GRUMBACH, Agencia Guimerá, ROHERSA, Rotary Club Distrito 2200, MRW, Artecolor, Cash and Carry, Manuel Fraga Alba, Verein für Vogelliebhaber Kevelaer, MATUTANO, Viajes Santa Lucía, Kanarien- u. Exotenzuchtverein Forchheim 1963, Bruño, Renate Brucker, PAKARA, Carolyn Debuse & Kim Fondrk, CAVAS CATALANAS, CELGAN, Gisela Tiemann. Donations since January 2000 Up to Euros We want to thank all our sponsors and donors 23

24