Conservation
falls into a few different categories all of which we try to cover here
at Amazon World.
BREEDING PROGRAMS
It may seem the simplest but this is probably the
most complex category of them all! It's not as easy as just putting two
animals of the same species together and letting them get on with it.
One of the roles of modern zoos is to safeguard species for the future.
To do this we must make sure that 'genetically' our animals are exactly
the same as those found in the wild, that we don't allow them to become
'inbred'. This means that all of our animals involved in breeding programs
have a Pedigree, just the same as a pedigree dog.
Many of the very endangered species have either a 'Stud book keeper' or
species co-ordinator that looks after the overall breeding of a species.
This means that if we want to pair up, for example, a male Golden Lion
Tamarin, we must first contact the stud book keeper who will know if there
are any potential females available that are not related to our male.
He or she will then notify the zoo with a suitable female to transfer
her to us.
It sounds complicated doesn't it! Well if you add to this the fact that
the female may be coming from as far away as Europe, USA, Australia or
even Japan then it starts to get even more complicated and she'll have
to spend 6 months in quarantine too! So being part of these programs is
very hard work and it does cost a lot of money, but because we are dedicated
to conserving the world's wildlife for future generations we are proud
to play our part.
Here are just some of our animals that are part of European or International
breeding programs: Geoffroys' Cat, Tamandua Anteater, Red Ruffed Lemur,
Black and White Ruffed Lemur, African Black-footed Penguin, Golden Lion
Tamarin, Golden-headed Lion Tamarin, White-fronted Marmoset, Red-bellied
Tamarin, Kinkajou, Sun Bittern, Goeldis' Monkey, Black Howler Monkey,
Silvery Marmoset, Emperor Tamarin, Hoffman's Sloth, Fennec Fox and Squirrel
Monkey.
EDUCATION
This again is not an easy topic! Striking a balance between enough information
on our animals and too much is very difficult, after all if there are
too many signs on an enclosure you might not be able to see the animals!
Our animals signs contain information on distribution, diet, size, breeding
and of course their status.
We have also themed Amazon World so that the information you see is relevant
to your surroundings, for example: if you are in our destruction area
there will be information on deforestation. Educational visits to the
Isle of Wight are very popular and we have hundreds of school groups visit
us every year. We provide a free 'Teacher's pack' for pre and post visit
use and encourage pupils to get involved by sending us their posters and
projects to display. We also believe that if information is presented
in a fun way it is more likely to be remembered and that's where our displays
and talks come in!
RESEARCH
PROGRAMS
Currently we are involved in research into the best husbandry techniques
for a number of animals. The Tamandua Anteater is a relative new comer
to zoos in the UK. Our first ones arrived in 2000 and we were the first
zoo in the UK ever to breed them. Not only have we successfully bred them,
our latest baby had to be hand-reared. This means that we have, over the
past 3 years, collected a huge amount of practical knowledge and information
about this species and as more zoos in the UK are wanting to house them
it is important that this information is made available to all in the
best interests of the animals.
The other project we are looking into is with Pangolin. This is a species
of anteater found in Africa and Asia and is often illegally killed as
'Bush meat' and sold for use in medicines. However sometimes poachers
and dealers are caught and the Pangolins confiscated before they are killed.
Where possible the animals are immediately released but often they are
injured and need treatment.
We are currently looking into diets for rehabilitating these animals.
They are notoriously fussy feeders and our research involves looking at
all the records of diets from zoos around the world over the past 50 years.
Hopefully with our success with the Tamandua Anteater we will be able
to put together a diet that can be easily made on-site, will be appetising
and give the animals all the nutrients they need so that they can recover
and be re-released into the wild.
Visitor Information
Opening Times, How to find us, Travel, Schools
Information
Animals and Plants
Mammals, Cats and Carnivores, Birds, Insects and Reptiles, Fish and Amphibians
and plants.
Amazon World Zoo Park Watery Lane, Nr Arreton, Isle of Wight PO36 0LX
Tel: 01983 867122 Fax: 01983 868560 Email: info@amazonworld.co.uk