Latest news with #EuropeanEndangeredSpeciesProgramme
Daily Record
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Four adorable meerkat pups born at Blair Drummond Safari Park settling into surroundings
The four meerkat pups - born on May 10 to parents Cardi B and Biggie at Blair Drummond Safari Park near Stirling - are starting to "show a bit of character". Four meerkat pups born at Blair Drummond Safari Park are starting to "show a bit of character" as they settle into their new home. The quartet, born on May 10 to parents Cardi B and Biggie, represent the third litter for the pair since they joined the park in 2022. Born blind, deaf and almost hairless, the one-month-old pups have now opened their eyes and begun exploring their surroundings. Meerkats, known for their social nature, live in close-knit groups called mobs that collectively raise their young. Carolyn Booth, Pets Farm Team Leader at Blair Drummond, said: "The pups are just starting to find their feet and show a bit of character – it's a brilliant stage to watch. "They're getting more confident by the day, and the rest of the mob has really stepped up to help raise them. It's a real family effort." The young meerkats have started nibbling on solid food, following the adults around and honing their digging skills. Just last month, an endangered giraffe has arrived at the safari park in a bid to boost breeding. Noinin, a seven-year-old female Rothschild's giraffe, was welcomed to the park on Thursday, May 1. The 16-foot tall mammal was transported from Fota Wildlife Park in County Cork, Ireland, first by ferry to Holyhead, Wales, followed by a 337-mile road journey north. She is set to be introduced to fellow Rothschild's giraffe Sifa, who came to Blair Drummond in 2023 as part of the European Endangered Species Programme. The aim is to create genetic diversity in the breeding programme. The species has seen a dramatic population decline of 30% since the 1980s, with less than 2,000 remaining in the wild, according to zoologists. The new arrival will be integrated into the park's giraffe herd as part of a carefully managed breeding programme aimed at supporting the survival of the species, and will live in a mixed species habitat. Noinin and Sifa are hoped to contribute to preserving genetic diversity and ensuring the long-term survival of Rothschild's giraffes. Kristine Fennessy Alexander, animal collection manager at Blair Drummond, expressed the safari park's excitement at its latest addition. She said: 'We're thrilled to welcome Noinin to the park. 'Rothschild's giraffes are facing significant challenges in the wild, and breeding programmes like this one are essential in helping secure the future of the species. 'Noinin has already begun exploring her new surroundings, and we are excited for her and Sifa to hopefully form a successful breeding pair.' The safari park opened in May 1970, and is currently home to over 300 animals, many of which are able to roam freely. Its animals include the African elephant, Barbary macaque monkeys, meerkats and the Siberian tiger.
Yahoo
31-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Rare predator set to make history after international journey: 'I had a few tears in my eyes'
A British-born lynx is on the precipice of making history hundreds of miles away from its original home at the Newquay Zoo. The BBC reported on the unusual saga of the female lynx, whom conservationists hope can survive and thrive in Germany's Black Forest. Last year, there was a shortage of female lynx births in Central Europe, according to Dina Gebhardt, the lynx-breeding coordinator for the European Endangered Species Programme. Thus, Gebhardt made the unorthodox request to the Cornwall zoo to see if it would send over a one-year-old female. "Of course, we said yes straight away; that's something that we'd love to do," the zoo's curator of plants and animals, John Meek, told the BBC. The lynx was transported via truck to its new temporary home, a 1,200-square-meter (3,937-square-foot) enclosure. The animal wandered out carefully into its new surroundings, which prompted an emotional response from Meek. "I'm a big boy, but I had a few tears in my eyes," he said. If all goes well, the lynx will be able to regain its fear of humans and show off hunting and survival skills over the next few months. From there, it would be reintroduced to the wild, making it the first United Kingdom zoo-born cat to achieve that feat. It would represent another conservation win for the lynx in Europe that would join a resurgence in the animal in Iberia. Sightings of North American lynxes have amazed onlookers and heartened conservationists. No matter where they are spotted, a key concern for conservationists is that interaction with humans is minimized and they are given proper room to roam. Lynx play an important role as a predator in the Central European ecosystem by controlling the deer population and preserving forests, according to lynx reintroduction chief Eva Klebelsberg. "Our ecosystems in Europe are missing large predators," Klebelsberg explained to the BBC. Do you think we still have a lot to learn from ancient cultures? Definitely Only on certain topics I'm not sure No — not really Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. This female lynx could help play a small but important role in fulfilling a need. The team in charge of the animal has little concern about its ability to hunt. The real challenge figures to be the lynx's familiarity with keepers who feed it, and zoo visitors who ogle it. No matter how it goes, Meek will be watching from the UK. "Nowadays, zoos are not here to keep animals in cages," he said. "They're there for conservation." Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Rhyl Journal
29-05-2025
- Health
- Rhyl Journal
Vets sedate 17-stone tiger for delicate operation to remove ingrown toenail
Tschuna, a rare Amur tiger, spent Wednesday sleeping off the general anaesthetic after having a rogue claw clipped off. The operation was carried out after staff at Yorkshire Wildlife Park, near Doncaster, noticed 15-year-old Tschuna, who weighs around 110kg, was limping and sensitive on one paw. Head of carnivores Bex Brown said: 'She's a great tiger, we're able to ask her to stand up and put her paws on the mesh so we could see she'd got this issue.' The veterinary team injected Tschuna with a short-lasting general anaesthetic to ease the procedure. The operation, which took less than 15 minutes, involved vets gently clipping off a claw on Tschuna's front left paw to stop the risk of infection and remove the discomfort. 'Tiger anaesthetics are particularly tricky, so it was a quick procedure to ensure everyone involved, including Tschuna, was safe,' said Dr Charlotte MacDonald, director of animals at the park. 'Tschuna came back round relatively quickly and should have a speedy recovery, though she probably has a bit of a headache from the anaesthetic. 'We're keeping her in the house at first to recover fully and then she'll hopefully be back to her playful self again very quickly.' Ms Brown said: 'Any anaesthetic there would always be an element of nerves, it's something we always want to try and avoid, but trying to trim it would have caused her pain, she wouldn't have allowed us to do that. Leaving it would have been painful and uncomfortable for her. 'Also, because we don't sedate them often at all, it was a good opportunity to give her a full MOT while she was asleep.' Tschuna arrived at the park in 2013 as part of an international breeding programme to help support the species, also known as Siberian tigers, which came close to extinction as numbers dwindled to around 30. She gave birth to three cubs at the park in 2015 – one of them, Hector, has become a father at Cleveland Zoo in the US – and it is hoped she will partner with three-year-old male Altai, who arrived at the park earlier this year, to produce more cubs as part of the European Endangered Species Programme. Ms Brown said Tschuna is 'a princess', adding: 'If we present her food she often puts the food on her other paw rather than off the ground.'
Leader Live
29-05-2025
- Health
- Leader Live
Vets sedate 17-stone tiger for delicate operation to remove ingrown toenail
Tschuna, a rare Amur tiger, spent Wednesday sleeping off the general anaesthetic after having a rogue claw clipped off. The operation was carried out after staff at Yorkshire Wildlife Park, near Doncaster, noticed 15-year-old Tschuna, who weighs around 110kg, was limping and sensitive on one paw. Head of carnivores Bex Brown said: 'She's a great tiger, we're able to ask her to stand up and put her paws on the mesh so we could see she'd got this issue.' The veterinary team injected Tschuna with a short-lasting general anaesthetic to ease the procedure. The operation, which took less than 15 minutes, involved vets gently clipping off a claw on Tschuna's front left paw to stop the risk of infection and remove the discomfort. 'Tiger anaesthetics are particularly tricky, so it was a quick procedure to ensure everyone involved, including Tschuna, was safe,' said Dr Charlotte MacDonald, director of animals at the park. 'Tschuna came back round relatively quickly and should have a speedy recovery, though she probably has a bit of a headache from the anaesthetic. 'We're keeping her in the house at first to recover fully and then she'll hopefully be back to her playful self again very quickly.' Ms Brown said: 'Any anaesthetic there would always be an element of nerves, it's something we always want to try and avoid, but trying to trim it would have caused her pain, she wouldn't have allowed us to do that. Leaving it would have been painful and uncomfortable for her. 'Also, because we don't sedate them often at all, it was a good opportunity to give her a full MOT while she was asleep.' Tschuna arrived at the park in 2013 as part of an international breeding programme to help support the species, also known as Siberian tigers, which came close to extinction as numbers dwindled to around 30. She gave birth to three cubs at the park in 2015 – one of them, Hector, has become a father at Cleveland Zoo in the US – and it is hoped she will partner with three-year-old male Altai, who arrived at the park earlier this year, to produce more cubs as part of the European Endangered Species Programme. Ms Brown said Tschuna is 'a princess', adding: 'If we present her food she often puts the food on her other paw rather than off the ground.'
North Wales Chronicle
29-05-2025
- Health
- North Wales Chronicle
Vets sedate 17-stone tiger for delicate operation to remove ingrown toenail
Tschuna, a rare Amur tiger, spent Wednesday sleeping off the general anaesthetic after having a rogue claw clipped off. The operation was carried out after staff at Yorkshire Wildlife Park, near Doncaster, noticed 15-year-old Tschuna, who weighs around 110kg, was limping and sensitive on one paw. Head of carnivores Bex Brown said: 'She's a great tiger, we're able to ask her to stand up and put her paws on the mesh so we could see she'd got this issue.' The veterinary team injected Tschuna with a short-lasting general anaesthetic to ease the procedure. The operation, which took less than 15 minutes, involved vets gently clipping off a claw on Tschuna's front left paw to stop the risk of infection and remove the discomfort. 'Tiger anaesthetics are particularly tricky, so it was a quick procedure to ensure everyone involved, including Tschuna, was safe,' said Dr Charlotte MacDonald, director of animals at the park. 'Tschuna came back round relatively quickly and should have a speedy recovery, though she probably has a bit of a headache from the anaesthetic. 'We're keeping her in the house at first to recover fully and then she'll hopefully be back to her playful self again very quickly.' Ms Brown said: 'Any anaesthetic there would always be an element of nerves, it's something we always want to try and avoid, but trying to trim it would have caused her pain, she wouldn't have allowed us to do that. Leaving it would have been painful and uncomfortable for her. 'Also, because we don't sedate them often at all, it was a good opportunity to give her a full MOT while she was asleep.' Tschuna arrived at the park in 2013 as part of an international breeding programme to help support the species, also known as Siberian tigers, which came close to extinction as numbers dwindled to around 30. She gave birth to three cubs at the park in 2015 – one of them, Hector, has become a father at Cleveland Zoo in the US – and it is hoped she will partner with three-year-old male Altai, who arrived at the park earlier this year, to produce more cubs as part of the European Endangered Species Programme. Ms Brown said Tschuna is 'a princess', adding: 'If we present her food she often puts the food on her other paw rather than off the ground.'
