Gabby Drake (Chester Zoo & Nature’s SAFE) presented a talk at the British Deer Veterinary Association meeting held on 26 November 2022, on developing methods to support the breeding of the Balabac mouse deer (Tragulus nigricans). This species of mouse deer is listed by the IUCN as endangered and there is a small, and mainly female, population managed in European zoos. Mouse deer, also called chevrotains, were an early branch of the evolutionary group ruminatia, and as well as sharing features with their cousins the cervids, share some features with the suids too, making then unchartered territory for assisted reproduction. The presentation included techniques for post mortem semen collection and storage, artificial insemination and monitoring of reproductive hormone cycles and pregnancy diagnosis using non-invasive faecal samples. Clinical techniques are challenging in these tiny animals and the reported Artificial Insemination attempt represents a first for this species, and a step towards developing assisted reproductive technologies to further their conservation.
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In an exciting milestone for UK wildlife conservation, the charity has now safely stored cell tissues from the critically endangered Scottish wildcat, bringing their total number of species banked to 200.
COP16 held in Cali, Colombia came to a close on November 2nd, 2024. Following the creation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF) in 2022, which set out the ambitious aim to conserve 30% of the world's land and ocean and to become 'nature-positive' by 2030, the conference was intended to mobilise action to reach these targets.
Last week, we had the incredible opportunity to visit two of our valued conservation partners – Jimmy’s Farm & Wildlife Park and Watatunga Wildlife Reserve. These two institutions both exemplify the profound impact that dedication to wildlife preservation can have on protecting our planet's biodiversity.
African penguin
Total Population: Less than 40,000 in the wild
Bar-headed goose
Total Population: 97,000 - 118,000 in the wild
Nile Lechwe
Total Population: 30,000 - 40,000 in the wild
Common Hippo
Total Population: Less than 150,000 in the wild
Macaroni Penguin
Total Population: Around 12 million
Orange-headed thrush
Total Population: Unknown
Collared peccary
Total Population: More than 2,000,000 in the wild
Azara’s agouti
Total Population: Unknown
Sacred ibis
Total Population: 200,000 to 450,000 in the wild
Mandarin duck
Total Population: Around 65,000 in the wild
Babirusa
Total Population: Less than 10,000 in the wild
Scimitar-horned oryx
Total Population: Around 400 in the wild
Lesser Madagascan tenrec
Total Population: Unknown
Chimpanzee
Total Population: 170,000 - 300, 000 in the wild
Fea’s tree frog
Total Population: Unknown
Hamerkop
Total Population: Unknown
Capybara
Total Population: Unknown
Black Hornbill
Total Population: Unknown
Black-naped fruit dove
Total Population: Unknown
South American fur seal
Total Population: Around 200,000 in the wild
