Saturday, December 25, 2010
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Bandula- Dehiwala zoo’s pachyderm prince
Bandula, the majestic male elephant of the Dehiwala Zoo is indeed its pride and perhaps the oldest land animal living in Sri Lanka. Bandula is now 60 years of age as per the record and has been in the zoo since its inception. This means, he should have literally seen millions of Sri Lankan citizens that had visited Dehiwala zoo for the last half a century.
Bandula is nearly 10 feet tall and is a majestic animal. This made him the key attraction of the zoo and the leader of its elephant herd. “Bandula is an elephant loved by everybody in the zoo” said its Deputy Director Dammika Malsinghe. Though now old, Bandula is still a healthy animal. It is given a special place in the elephant tent and indeed enriches the looks of the elephant facility in the zoo.
Bandula is also the eldest in the Dehiwala zoo being the 11th senior elephant in captivity in the world according the elephant statistics databases. Bandula was born in 1949 and had been brought to Dehiwala when he was only a 3 year old calf. ‘Lechchami’ a mature she-elephant that lived in the zoo soon became little Bandula’s guardian. She had been a source of motherly love to the Bandula who was still a baby. “Bandula is the most cuddlesome of all zoo elephants” Major Aubrey N. Weinman - the zoo director during 1940s had written in his book My Personal Arc. Major Weinman commended Bandula as a very intelligent and quick learner.
Jamis Peries
ZooLander also met Jamis Peries, one of the oldest persons employed at Dehiwala zoo who is now 89 years. He has served 35 years in the zoo since 1945. “Bandula was only a 4 foot tall baby at the time he was brought to the zoo”, Jamis recalled. He said the baby elephant was brought from Hambantota, but was not sure whether it was captured or found orphaned in the wild. Jamis Peiris said that Bandula was a key attraction even those days and had been used in several films too. He recalls one instance where Major Weinman had taken baby Bandula to nearby Roxy Cinema Hall for a movie promotional campaign. It made news headlines in that era as “an elephant which goes to see a film”.
Bandula was also a star performer at the zoo’s Elephant dance for many years. He performed with other elephants for decades and had stepped aside for other younger elephants as he was aging. But he never made any trouble during the performances and was very obedient. In one instance, a child who came with a foreigner had gone very close to Bandula. The parents panicked fearing that the giant would attack the child, but gentle Bandula had done nothing.
However, being a male elephant, Bandula comes into must once a year. At that time any elephant can get violent, so Bandula is chained at a far corner of the zoo. Last year, he got into must unexpectedly and caused some damage to the tent too. However, he was still obedient to his regular mahouts and calmed down soon. Bandula has to live a lonely life for a few months and the Elephant enclosure without Bandula is indeed like a deserted place, no matter taht there are other elephants present in the facility. That is the image this majestic elephant brings to the zoo and it is indeed a national treasure.
The zoo currently has 7 Asian elephants and 1 African elephant. Devi, Indi, Ganga, Namali, Khema and Madhavi - are all Asian she-elephants and there is a male African elephant named Joe. Each animal is fed twice a day. Their daily routine includes a bath at the pond at the far corner of the zoo. The she-elephants participate in the elephant show that is conducted every day at 4.30 p.m.
Bandula is healthy despite the fact that he is now over 60 years old. He is given a mix of traditional Ayurvedic treatments and western medicinal treatments when in need.
Human elephant conflict
Human Elephant Conflict (HEC) has been the main threat to elephants in Sri Lanka. Annually about 200 elephants are being killed for various reasons and about 50 villagers too die due to elephants. Human populations and encroaching by human habitats has worsened this problem. The records show that the North-Western Wildlife Zone suffers most from the Human Elephant Conflict.
The 2009 data shows that 229 elephants were killed, mostly by gun-shot wounds. It is an accepted fact that it is rare to find an elephant living outside the national parks that doesn’t have any gunshot wounds. Elephants die due to severity of these wounds and due to infections. Some people also use inhumane ways to take revenge on elephants that destroy their crops. Electrocution, poisoning etc. are some of these other methods used to kill elephants.
But when you see Bandula - the majestic elephant, it’s worth the ask, how somebody can be cruel enough to kill such a majestic animal? Before the ageing Bandula, take a vow to support conservation of elephants.
published on 01.Nov.2010 on LakbimaNews.
Bandula is nearly 10 feet tall and is a majestic animal. This made him the key attraction of the zoo and the leader of its elephant herd. “Bandula is an elephant loved by everybody in the zoo” said its Deputy Director Dammika Malsinghe. Though now old, Bandula is still a healthy animal. It is given a special place in the elephant tent and indeed enriches the looks of the elephant facility in the zoo.
Bandula is also the eldest in the Dehiwala zoo being the 11th senior elephant in captivity in the world according the elephant statistics databases. Bandula was born in 1949 and had been brought to Dehiwala when he was only a 3 year old calf. ‘Lechchami’ a mature she-elephant that lived in the zoo soon became little Bandula’s guardian. She had been a source of motherly love to the Bandula who was still a baby. “Bandula is the most cuddlesome of all zoo elephants” Major Aubrey N. Weinman - the zoo director during 1940s had written in his book My Personal Arc. Major Weinman commended Bandula as a very intelligent and quick learner.
Jamis Peries
ZooLander also met Jamis Peries, one of the oldest persons employed at Dehiwala zoo who is now 89 years. He has served 35 years in the zoo since 1945. “Bandula was only a 4 foot tall baby at the time he was brought to the zoo”, Jamis recalled. He said the baby elephant was brought from Hambantota, but was not sure whether it was captured or found orphaned in the wild. Jamis Peiris said that Bandula was a key attraction even those days and had been used in several films too. He recalls one instance where Major Weinman had taken baby Bandula to nearby Roxy Cinema Hall for a movie promotional campaign. It made news headlines in that era as “an elephant which goes to see a film”.
Bandula was also a star performer at the zoo’s Elephant dance for many years. He performed with other elephants for decades and had stepped aside for other younger elephants as he was aging. But he never made any trouble during the performances and was very obedient. In one instance, a child who came with a foreigner had gone very close to Bandula. The parents panicked fearing that the giant would attack the child, but gentle Bandula had done nothing.
However, being a male elephant, Bandula comes into must once a year. At that time any elephant can get violent, so Bandula is chained at a far corner of the zoo. Last year, he got into must unexpectedly and caused some damage to the tent too. However, he was still obedient to his regular mahouts and calmed down soon. Bandula has to live a lonely life for a few months and the Elephant enclosure without Bandula is indeed like a deserted place, no matter taht there are other elephants present in the facility. That is the image this majestic elephant brings to the zoo and it is indeed a national treasure.
The zoo currently has 7 Asian elephants and 1 African elephant. Devi, Indi, Ganga, Namali, Khema and Madhavi - are all Asian she-elephants and there is a male African elephant named Joe. Each animal is fed twice a day. Their daily routine includes a bath at the pond at the far corner of the zoo. The she-elephants participate in the elephant show that is conducted every day at 4.30 p.m.
Bandula is healthy despite the fact that he is now over 60 years old. He is given a mix of traditional Ayurvedic treatments and western medicinal treatments when in need.
Human elephant conflict
Human Elephant Conflict (HEC) has been the main threat to elephants in Sri Lanka. Annually about 200 elephants are being killed for various reasons and about 50 villagers too die due to elephants. Human populations and encroaching by human habitats has worsened this problem. The records show that the North-Western Wildlife Zone suffers most from the Human Elephant Conflict.
The 2009 data shows that 229 elephants were killed, mostly by gun-shot wounds. It is an accepted fact that it is rare to find an elephant living outside the national parks that doesn’t have any gunshot wounds. Elephants die due to severity of these wounds and due to infections. Some people also use inhumane ways to take revenge on elephants that destroy their crops. Electrocution, poisoning etc. are some of these other methods used to kill elephants.
But when you see Bandula - the majestic elephant, it’s worth the ask, how somebody can be cruel enough to kill such a majestic animal? Before the ageing Bandula, take a vow to support conservation of elephants.
published on 01.Nov.2010 on LakbimaNews.
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Shy Sanju and Leakey's Angels
Published on LakbimaNews on 05.09.2010 http://www.lakbimanews.lk/archvi/lakbimanews_10_09_05/mag/mag8.htm
published on 12.09.2010 on LakbimaNews
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Aimiable lions at sea
The World Oceans Day is celebrated in June and last week, ZooLander visited the Aquarium in search of marine fish. Continuing the exploration of Oceans of Life, ZooLander reports on the life of the only marine mammal
in the Colombo Zoo...!! Lions are the kings of the jungles, but why are these marine mammals called ‘Sea Lions’..? Known as Muhudu Sinhaya in Sinhala, this strange name grabs the attention of the zoo visitors who flock to the arena at the entrance to the Aquarium to witness the performances of Chakku and Karl - Colombo Zoo’s pair of sea lions. They are very intelligent and play many tricks in front of you. It is amazing, how they so obediently act on their master’s commands. Playing with the ball is their favourite game and they also like to swim the length of the small pond to show acrobatic skills. After the show, the sea lion would shake hands with the masters and say goodbye to the audience before they go into their dens, located inside.
“It is not that hard to train the sea lions” say the trainers of these marine mammals. The Colombo zoo received Karl only 2 years ago when he was only 1 year old, but he learned the tricks very fast, according to the trainers. The Aquarium has 2 master trainers to look after these sea lions. Both Karl and Chakku like the company of their trainers and they also get little fish as a tip after every performance. Their favourite diet includes hurulla, salaya and cuttlefish. Both of them wait until 4.00 pm in the evening to perform at the special arena near the entrance to the Aquarium.
Chakku is the elder of the two who is now 9 years old. The Colombo Zoo received Chakku from Japan and Karl from Krefeld Zoo in Germany. But sea lions are not found either in Europe or Asia, naturally. Both Karl and Chakku belong to a species called Californian sea lions and as the name suggests, are found in numbers off the coast of California of the United States of America. But their actual range is far more extensive. They inhabit areas from Vancouver Island, British Columbia in the North, to Mexico in the South in the sea around the American continent. An adult sea lion male can be as heavy as 1,000 lbs and 7 feet in length. However, the female does not grow that big and an adult female can at average be 350 lbs in weight and 6 feet in length. Unlike some marine mammals such as whales and dolphins, the sea lions share their life between water and land. They generally haul out of the water to mate, rest, give birth and moult. California sea lions are also very social animals, and large groups often rest closely placed together in their favourite hauling sites. They are also vociferous communicators making ‘bark’ type noises. A colony of a sea lions in the wild can be so noisy -- you would call it as noisy as malu kade if described in purely Sinhala terms.
Lions in Navy
The name “Sea Lion” in fact would have been derived from the little mane developed in the mature males. Though the mane or the coarse hair growing from the crest of the animal’s neck is not as big as that of an African lion’s, it would be enough to win the hearts of the female sea lions in the wild. Males also grow a large crest of bone on the top of their heads as they reach sexual maturity, and it is this that gives the animal its generic name Zalophus californianus (za-emphaticloph-forehead) meaning Californian big-head.
The Californian sea lions are also trained by the US Navy for underwater surveillance. Sea Lions are indeed very intelligent marine mammals and have already been trained to detect underwater landmines, for ship and harbour protection -- and underwater equipment recovery. These trained sea lion comrades can be highly use
ful as they can reach places inaccessible to human divers. It is estimated that they can dive to 1,000 feet (304 m) and silently swim at speeds of upto 25 miles per hour (40 km/h). So they are being trained for military purposes, since 1960 according the internet sources. It is documented that sea lions have been sent,in the Persian Gulf, to protect U.S. ships from enemy divers. The animals are trained to swim behind divers approaching a ship and attach a clamp, which is connected to a rope, to a diver’s leg. Navy officials say that the sea lions can get the job done in seconds -- and the enemy doesn’t know the clamp was attached to his leg until it’s too late. The US Navy’s Marine Mammal Program sparked cotrovery and was fiecely criticised by the animal welfare activists. However the sea lion’s intelligence, exceptional diving ability, and trainability made it a very useful comrade of the best naval force in the world.
Life of the Lions of the Sea
During the breeding season, California sea lions gather in traditional sites known as rookeries. As per the Sea World institute which had documented much information about the sea lions, at the onset of the breeding season, male California sea lions start establishing breeding territories. Once territories are established, males patrol their boundaries and ‘bark’ when necessary to maintain and defend them.
An intruding male evokes an immediate response from the resident male, who struggles violently to displace the intruder. But they also patrol the aquatic borders of their territories by swimming along the territories’ edges. During the breeding season, adult males fast when defending their territories. Pups are born on land and it is observed that most California sea lion pups are born in June. Recent research revealed that the mother sea lion has the ability to delay the development of the embryo until the conditions become favourable. Delayed implantation assures that the pup will be born when environmental conditions are optimal for its survival. However, females ge
nerally give birth to one pup each year and they are well developed with their eyes open. Pups also can swim at birth and within 30 minutes they are able to shake, groom, scratch, and walk. Multiple births have never been observed in the wild according to some sources and once born, the mother nurses them for at least five to six months. This protection sometimes can lengthen over a year where the motherly love grows very intimate. All the pups who live in a large sea lion colony would looks similar, but the mother sea lion can recognize pups on crowded rookeries through smell and vocalizations. It is observed that the female vocalizes often during and immediately after the birth of her pup. The pup instinctively replies and this vocal interaction may continue for 20 minutes or more. Perhaps, this is to register each other’s unique voices. A sea lion’s average lifespan is said to be around 17 years in the wild, and longer in captivity. Their noses are sealed shut, they are able to stay underwater for up to 15 minutes, but have to surface after that period.
Sea Lion Show
The sea lion show is performed every day at a special arena near the entrance to the Aquarium. Have a look at how Chakku and Karl perform on your next visit to the zoo..!! But please pay attention that your cousins of the wild enjoy their freedom ; they who were born in captivity have sacrificed their freedom to entertain you. So be mindful that some of your behaviour can be harmful to these curious animals. Oshin - the partner of Chakku brought from Japan died few years back and a number of coins thrown by ignorant visitors were found in its stomach. So never throw anything to the pool of water where these sea lions perform daily, but enjoy their performances. Also take home the message that Chakku and Karl are trying to convey - “Protect Oceans of Life, so that many species like us get the chance to survive..!!”
in the Colombo Zoo...!! Lions are the kings of the jungles, but why are these marine mammals called ‘Sea Lions’..? Known as Muhudu Sinhaya in Sinhala, this strange name grabs the attention of the zoo visitors who flock to the arena at the entrance to the Aquarium to witness the performances of Chakku and Karl - Colombo Zoo’s pair of sea lions. They are very intelligent and play many tricks in front of you. It is amazing, how they so obediently act on their master’s commands. Playing with the ball is their favourite game and they also like to swim the length of the small pond to show acrobatic skills. After the show, the sea lion would shake hands with the masters and say goodbye to the audience before they go into their dens, located inside.“It is not that hard to train the sea lions” say the trainers of these marine mammals. The Colombo zoo received Karl only 2 years ago when he was only 1 year old, but he learned the tricks very fast, according to the trainers. The Aquarium has 2 master trainers to look after these sea lions. Both Karl and Chakku like the company of their trainers and they also get little fish as a tip after every performance. Their favourite diet includes hurulla, salaya and cuttlefish. Both of them wait until 4.00 pm in the evening to perform at the special arena near the entrance to the Aquarium.
Chakku is the elder of the two who is now 9 years old. The Colombo Zoo received Chakku from Japan and Karl from Krefeld Zoo in Germany. But sea lions are not found either in Europe or Asia, naturally. Both Karl and Chakku belong to a species called Californian sea lions and as the name suggests, are found in numbers off the coast of California of the United States of America. But their actual range is far more extensive. They inhabit areas from Vancouver Island, British Columbia in the North, to Mexico in the South in the sea around the American continent. An adult sea lion male can be as heavy as 1,000 lbs and 7 feet in length. However, the female does not grow that big and an adult female can at average be 350 lbs in weight and 6 feet in length. Unlike some marine mammals such as whales and dolphins, the sea lions share their life between water and land. They generally haul out of the water to mate, rest, give birth and moult. California sea lions are also very social animals, and large groups often rest closely placed together in their favourite hauling sites. They are also vociferous communicators making ‘bark’ type noises. A colony of a sea lions in the wild can be so noisy -- you would call it as noisy as malu kade if described in purely Sinhala terms.
Lions in Navy
The name “Sea Lion” in fact would have been derived from the little mane developed in the mature males. Though the mane or the coarse hair growing from the crest of the animal’s neck is not as big as that of an African lion’s, it would be enough to win the hearts of the female sea lions in the wild. Males also grow a large crest of bone on the top of their heads as they reach sexual maturity, and it is this that gives the animal its generic name Zalophus californianus (za-emphaticloph-forehead) meaning Californian big-head.
The Californian sea lions are also trained by the US Navy for underwater surveillance. Sea Lions are indeed very intelligent marine mammals and have already been trained to detect underwater landmines, for ship and harbour protection -- and underwater equipment recovery. These trained sea lion comrades can be highly use
ful as they can reach places inaccessible to human divers. It is estimated that they can dive to 1,000 feet (304 m) and silently swim at speeds of upto 25 miles per hour (40 km/h). So they are being trained for military purposes, since 1960 according the internet sources. It is documented that sea lions have been sent,in the Persian Gulf, to protect U.S. ships from enemy divers. The animals are trained to swim behind divers approaching a ship and attach a clamp, which is connected to a rope, to a diver’s leg. Navy officials say that the sea lions can get the job done in seconds -- and the enemy doesn’t know the clamp was attached to his leg until it’s too late. The US Navy’s Marine Mammal Program sparked cotrovery and was fiecely criticised by the animal welfare activists. However the sea lion’s intelligence, exceptional diving ability, and trainability made it a very useful comrade of the best naval force in the world.Life of the Lions of the Sea
During the breeding season, California sea lions gather in traditional sites known as rookeries. As per the Sea World institute which had documented much information about the sea lions, at the onset of the breeding season, male California sea lions start establishing breeding territories. Once territories are established, males patrol their boundaries and ‘bark’ when necessary to maintain and defend them.
An intruding male evokes an immediate response from the resident male, who struggles violently to displace the intruder. But they also patrol the aquatic borders of their territories by swimming along the territories’ edges. During the breeding season, adult males fast when defending their territories. Pups are born on land and it is observed that most California sea lion pups are born in June. Recent research revealed that the mother sea lion has the ability to delay the development of the embryo until the conditions become favourable. Delayed implantation assures that the pup will be born when environmental conditions are optimal for its survival. However, females ge
nerally give birth to one pup each year and they are well developed with their eyes open. Pups also can swim at birth and within 30 minutes they are able to shake, groom, scratch, and walk. Multiple births have never been observed in the wild according to some sources and once born, the mother nurses them for at least five to six months. This protection sometimes can lengthen over a year where the motherly love grows very intimate. All the pups who live in a large sea lion colony would looks similar, but the mother sea lion can recognize pups on crowded rookeries through smell and vocalizations. It is observed that the female vocalizes often during and immediately after the birth of her pup. The pup instinctively replies and this vocal interaction may continue for 20 minutes or more. Perhaps, this is to register each other’s unique voices. A sea lion’s average lifespan is said to be around 17 years in the wild, and longer in captivity. Their noses are sealed shut, they are able to stay underwater for up to 15 minutes, but have to surface after that period.Sea Lion Show
The sea lion show is performed every day at a special arena near the entrance to the Aquarium. Have a look at how Chakku and Karl perform on your next visit to the zoo..!! But please pay attention that your cousins of the wild enjoy their freedom ; they who were born in captivity have sacrificed their freedom to entertain you. So be mindful that some of your behaviour can be harmful to these curious animals. Oshin - the partner of Chakku brought from Japan died few years back and a number of coins thrown by ignorant visitors were found in its stomach. So never throw anything to the pool of water where these sea lions perform daily, but enjoy their performances. Also take home the message that Chakku and Karl are trying to convey - “Protect Oceans of Life, so that many species like us get the chance to survive..!!”
Published on LakbimaNews on 20.06.2010 http://www.lakbimanews.lk/archvi/lakbimanews_10_06_20/mag/mag5.htm
ALIENS LANDED AT ZOO
Zoo has got 2 new additions. In fact they came as totally unexpected intrusions of 2 unwelcome visitors. ZooLander reports:“Two Aliens seized at the airport have been sent to the zoo” was a message some media reported last week. The word alien would conjure thoughts of the famous TV series X-files and spur curiosity among many. But this pair of aliens doesn’t have big eyes, slim bodies or long fingered hands as shown in the famous Alien Films. These aliens are just like our mongoose -- with flat bodies -- and continously sniffing their new environs through their small fences. These are Ferrets - a species of animals that can breed easily if released to the wild, and have the potential to be a serious threat to other animals.
A Sri Lankan returning from Dubai had brought these animals with his cargo. The customs had detected the unwelcome visitors and called its Biodiversity Protection Unit (BPU). The BPU officers identified the animals and identified them among those which could be a potential threat. So they had to end up their miles long journey from Dubai in the Dehiwala zoo.
Ferrets in fact belong to the family Mustelidae to which similar creatures called Weasels belongs. They are a carnovora which hunts other small mammals and birds. The Ferret known scientifically as Mustela furo is the domesticated form of the European pole-cat (Mustela putorius). Ferrets were domesticaled as far back as 2500 years in Europe, mainly as hunting assistants, according to literature. They were exellent at hunting small rodents and rabbits. Since the 1970s, Ferrets began gaining in popularity as pets in the USA and around the world, and some were released to the wild. Either that or those who were introduced intentionally to control rodent populations started causing problems in some parts of the world.
Ferrets are particularly deadly to ground-nesting and flightless birds. Ferrets were introduced to New Zealand from Europe in the 1880s, along with stoats and weasels, to control rabbits that were breeding out of control. By 1900, ferrets were well established in the wild, and definitely played a role in the decline of native birds such as the kiwi, weka and blue duck, and the extinction of kakapo in mainland New Zealand. Kakapo are now only found on mustelid-free islands. Ferrets also affected the Sea Bird population in Irish islands. Ferrets ability to adapt to tougher environments and ability to breed quickly make them perfect Invasive Alien Species.
What are Invasive Alien Species?
Invasive alien species (IAS) are species whose introduction or spread outside their natural past or present distribution, threatens biological diversity. The Convention of Biological Diversity (CBD) - the United Nation’s arm working on protecting earth’s valuable biodiversity -- mentions these Invasive Alien Species as occuring in all taxonomic groups, including animals, plants, fungi and microorganisms, and can affect all types of ecosystems. While a small percentage of organisms transported to new environments become invasive, the negative impacts can be extensive and over time, these additions become increasingly threatning. A species introduction is usually caused by human transportation and trade. If a species’ new habitat is similar enough to its native range, it may survive and reproduce. However, it must first survive at low densities, when it may be difficult to find mates to reproduce. For a species to become invasive, it must successfully out-compete native animals, spread through its new environment, increase in population density and harm ecosystems in its introduced range. To summarize, for an alien species to become invasive, it must arrive, survive and thrive.
Other Aliens in Sri Lanka
The International Union of Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists 105 Alien Species that has become invasive in Sri Lanka. These aliens range from tiny alga, molluscs, insects to mammals, fish and lots of trees and shrubs. Invasive Fish species has caused the most notable damage to the native species where some of them almost wiped out the native fish in some waterways. Thilapia - a famous fish in freshwater aquaculture, that has been introduced to man-made tanks, has made sure it eats out the egg and younger fish of other natives to become the dominant after few decades of its introduction. Rainbow Trout that has been introduced to the streams in the hill country by the colonial British for sports fishing also causing similar damage. You’ll also be sometimes affected by a land snail that causes damage to plants in your garden.That could also be due to the invasive species giant African land snail. Even though this species has not caused a devastating effect as invasive fish, the ferral pigeons that has been spread around our cities, are also considered an invasive species. Invasive plant species are already causing problems in many of Sri Lanka’s national parks. Bundala National park is affected by Cactus and a shrub called Kalapu Andara while nearby Udawalawe National park is threatened by Lanthana, commonly known as gandapana. A thorny exotic plant called Gorse (Ulex europaeus) has spread in Horton Plains together with another fern. Knuckles too has acquired a new species and the forest department recently conducted a program to eradicate it.
published on LakbimaNews on 04.07.2010
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Meet our own 'Endemic' Super Stars in the zoo
Endemic animals are biodiversity markers —- indeed, the jewels — of a country’s wildlife, since endemics are specific to one country on the map. You can see a great deal of such endemic wildlife in our zoo. This week, ZooLander follows the endemics you can see in our zoo, and their relatives in the wild...The grey hornbill is a zoo inhabitant that puzzles visitors with its strange looking oversized beak. Always hyperactive and jumping here and there in its cage, this bulky bird is self-importantly attracting visitor attention, but have you ever realized why it’s special?
Well, as a Sri Lankan, you definitely have a reason to be proud of the grey hornbill, because it is a unique bird that cannot be found anywhere else in the world —- a true Sri Lanka endemic. An animal or plant is called ‘endemic’ to a geographical area (usually a country), if it is naturally found exclusively in that specific area. Sri Lanka is well known for its high endemism, even though it’s a small island that has already been nominated as one of the 34 Biodiversity Hotspots of the world, highlighting high density endemism. The zoo is home to a few endemic animals and you just have to pay attention to these ‘super stars’ that hail from Sri Lanka.
There are other endemic birds in the zoo besides the grey hornbill and most of them can be observed in the zoo’s walk-in-aviary. Ground-dwelling jungle-fowls will be the first endemics to greet you as you step in the zoo’s free-living bird area. They’ve totally forgotten their coyness, and will tolerate you until you get really close. The jungle-fowl breeds in the zoo successfully and a mother with its hatchlings were observed this week in the aviary. The jungle-fowl is Sri Lanka’s national bird and the most wide-spread endemic feathered-friend.
There will also be small greenish birds flying over your head flashing like small rockets, with their sharp calls. When they come out to feed on fruits provided in the trays, you will be astounded by the arresting beauty of Sri Lanka’s endemic birds. This little rocket is the Sri Lanka hanging parrot, also called lorikeet.
The lorikeet is slightly smaller than a normal konda-kurulla (red-vented bulbul). It’s one of the noisiest fast fliers in the forests and remote villages, a King to the sky. A pair of endemic yellow-eared bulbuls will also play hide and seek with you in the aviary without any fuss. Yellow-eared bulbuls can be seen only in the mountainous areas of Sri Lanka.
Endemic mammals
Mouse deer (meeminna), golden palm civet (kalavedda), toque monkey (rilava) and purple-faced leaf monkey (kalu wandura) are the zoo’s representatives of.jpg)
mammalian endemics. The mouse deer was upgraded as an endemic species very recently. Getting an animal declared ‘endemic’ is not an easy task. It involves much scientific research and a rigorous process of convincing the scientific community. These days even DNA testing is done to confirm whether an animal or bird is unique to a particular country, by comparison of DNA patterns with other similar species.
.jpg)
mammalian endemics. The mouse deer was upgraded as an endemic species very recently. Getting an animal declared ‘endemic’ is not an easy task. It involves much scientific research and a rigorous process of convincing the scientific community. These days even DNA testing is done to confirm whether an animal or bird is unique to a particular country, by comparison of DNA patterns with other similar species. The toque monkey and purple leaf monkey, though many consider them a menace, are also endemic to Sri Lanka. The zoo’s monkey clan that lives in an old cage near the old quarry, is fascinating to watch for their behaviour, irrespective of the reputation they come with.
How about fish?
The aquarium is also a place to observe many beautiful endemic freshwater fish. Freshwater fish endemism in Sri Lanka is high ——- 54% of the total fish species in Sri Lanka being endemic. The streams and rivers are a haven for some 84 species of freshwater fish, and 44 of them can be found only in our country. The freshwater area of the aquarium is a haven for some of these endemic fish species. They are small, yet act as ambassadors that tell the world of the beauty of Sri Lanka’s endemic fish varieties. Some of these beautiful fish, such as the cherry barb were taken out by exotic fish breeders, who made hybrids of them. These fish are very popular among those who rear exotic fish as a hobby.
Some of these endemic fish, such as the Barred danio and Banduala barb are endangered and restricted to a few streams in the wild. Invasive alien species and pesticides remain the worst threats to the endemic fresh fish in Sri Lanka’s natural environment.
Creeping endemics
The reptile zoo is home to more endemic species. The Sri Lanka krait known as muhudu karawala is a scary attraction in this corner of the zoo. Although not big (its length is only about 80cm) it is the most venomous species of Sri Lankan snakes. Five milligrams of the krait’s venom is enough to kill a man, with the equivalent cobra venom being12mg. This means that the Sri Lankan krait can be twice as deadly as the cobra, though it rarely stings humans. None of these snakes sting humans with intent though unfortunate incidents occur accidentally.
The Sri Lanka green pit viper is another gorgeous snake found in our zoo. With its green body perfectly blending with the foliage of the tree in its tank, you may sometimes find it difficult to spot this somewhat large snake. Most of the endemic snakes that can be found in the wilds are not venomous. Sri Lanka has 85 species of snakes and 47 of them are endemic.
Endemic subspecies
All animals and plants continuously evolve. ‘Species’ denotes a biological classification used for a group of animals or plants having common characteristics and are able to breed together to produce fertile (capable of reproducing) offspring, so that they maintain their ‘uniqueness’ compared to other groups. There is another category called ‘sub-species’ that has physically distinguishable populations that are genetically distinct within a species. When a species is made up of distinct, geographically separate groups which are yet not distinct enough to constitute separate species, the term sub-species is employed.
The zoo has many such sub-species endemics as well. The ornate flying snake (polmal karawala) and leopard (panthera pardus kotiya) are such endemic sub-species. What about animals that are endemic to other countries? For example, the lemurs are endemic to Madagascar. Pay close attention to the name boards of the animals in their separate areas, and if their distribution is marked as being in only one country, then that animal is endemic to that specific nation on the map...
Published on LakbimaNews on 28.03.2010
Friday, March 26, 2010
Visit the Zoo to see Sri Lanka's National Bird
This has been published on LakbimaNews on 01.02.2010 inline with Sri Lanka's National Day which is celebrated on 04th.February.
High pitched “chiok, chaw-choyik’ is a call that you can often hear from a corner, if you visit the zoo in the morning. You might guess that it is either a noisy gibbon or a panicked chimpanzee, but infact it is the call of a bird. Though call is bit of a harsh, the owner is neverthelessly a smart bird. It is Sri Lanka Junglefowl which is also the National Bird of our country.
The proud Junglefowl rooster with the head somewhat depressed and the beak jerked sharply up at each syllabal making this unmistakable call can be seen in Zoo’s open aviary. It is the male Junglefowl who make this call to mark its territory and let rival males know its presence. Emerson Tennent - a naturalists observed the Sri Lankan birds during British Colonial era mentioned the bird shouts “George Joyce”. He distinguished SriLankan Junglefowl’s call from other junglefowls live in Asia.
If it sees a rival male intruding its territory, the male junglefowl generally proceed by rigorous clapping of the wings together above the back in wild. However, though they charge at each other, actual fighting was not errupted easily. But unfortunately for the male Junglefowl in the wild, the hunters knowing bird’s urge to come out to retaliate its intruders, they mimic this ‘threatening display’ to lure out a hidden Junglefowl. But the male junglefowls in the open aviary of the zoo is living in harmony with their mates. Junglefowl’s females, that are not as big, most of the time associates the male. Female are dull brownish with spotted and streaked below and not as beuatiful as the male junglefowl.
Sri Lanka Junglefowl is scientificaly identified as Galus lafayettii. It belongs to the Family Phasianidae of the Order Galliformes. The birds found in Glliformees group are plump birds with short, rounded wings, small head and powerful bare legs and feet as mentioned in the John Harrison’s Field Guide to the Birds of Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka Spurfowl, Indian Peafowl, Patrigdges and Quails are the other relatives of this family that can be seen in Sri Lanka.
Famously known as walikukula in Sinhala, fowl has become part of our culture too. Junglefowl is also a closer relative of the domestic hen and it has been a commonly raised in villages some decades ago. The traditional oil lamp has the symbol of a cock indicating their close cultural relationship with human. Contributing to the ancient literature, there was a sandesha kavya called savul sandeshaya where the rooster played the major role. These are mainly written considering the domestic roosters, but its wild relative Sri Lanka Junglefowl too will get its ‘fowl share’ of these cultural credits.
The Junglefowl is also the mostly widespread endemic bird of Sri Lanka. While most of our endemic birds been restricted either to Wetzone Rainforests or Mountain Region forests, the junglefowl is abundant even in dry zone. This abundance and closer to the culture are few reasons to name this unique bird as Sri Lanka’s National Bird.
Bird experts say that Junglefowl breeds in the first half of the year and during August-september period. They build an open nest on floor using leaf litter and lay 2-4 eggs that are off-white and very small dark spots.
The group of Junglefowl in the zoo always on the move, scratching the aviary bed looking for small animals such as crickets, grass hoppers, centipedes or termites. However, their main diet consists of Grain, Weed-seeds and berries. They are greedy to have the meal provide by the keepers of the Aviary every day and not shy. So you can go very closer to have an ample look at them.
On your next vist, make sure you have a good look at Sri Lanka’s National Bird in the Zoo Aviary. Perhaps, you can visit the zoo on 04th of February - the Independence Day itself - to see the National Bird to observe one of the living symbol of our nation..!!
National birds in few other countries
It is a common custom to name a National Bird around the world. Here are some of the birds declared as National Birds in few other countries…!! Some of these birds can be seen in Sri Lanka too. Please note birds that can be seen in Sri Lanka are indicated by marking their Sinhala names in the brackets.
o India - Peacock (Monara)
o Bangladesh - Oriental Magpie Robin (Polkichcha)
o Pakistan - Perigrene Falcon (Peri kurulugoya)
o Bhutan - Common Raven (a species of Crow)
o United States - Bald Eagle
o United Kingdom - European Robin (Robin Kurulla)
o Australia - Emu (a flighless bird - can be seen in zoo)
o Botswana - Cattle Egret (Gava Koka)
o China - Red-crowned Crane
o Canada - Common Loon
o Denmark - Mute Swan
o Estonia - Barn Swallow (Atu Wehi-lihiniya)
o Ishrael - Hoopoe (Poroluwa)
o Mauritius - Dodo (first recorded bird that had gone extinct due to hunting)
o New Zealand - Kiwi (a flightless bird)
o Sweden - Black Bird (kalu bim sariya)
o Bahamas - Greater Flamingo
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Stud Hippo hot to start...
published on LakbimaNews on 19.07.2010
A young male hippo was brought down from Singapore recently to the Dehiwela zoo; the authorities are hoping that he will choose to mate with the zoo’s female hippos and get their Hippo breeding programme kick-started.
The male pygmy hippo arrived in Sri Lanka on 19 June in a strong metal cage aboard flight UL910. His welcome party included zoo officer Manaka Pathiraja who was ready with all the paperwork. A little upset at his first airborne experience, he was quickly loaded into the animal carriage and whisked off to the zoo.
At the zoo the hippo was soon unloaded and placed in a cage temporarily until he got acquainted with the other hippos. Though hippos are herbivores, they boast of a pair of huge canine teeth that are particularly dangerous. So, it was necessary to introduce the animal to the others carefully. Handling the animal too had to be done with care. The 6 member pygmy hippo family has successfully bred at Dehiwela, but new blood was required to avoid inbreeding. Inbreeding occurs when members of the same family mate and weakens the gene pool, often resulting in abnormal births.
Pygmy hippos, so called because they’re smaller in size compared to the normal hippo, can grow upto 6 ft in length and weigh upto 300 Kg. They inhabit Western African forests and swamps, but are threatened in the wild. It is believed that the wild population is very small and number only a few thousands.
The species is so nocturnal and secretive that zoologists cannot study them easily in the wild. But pygmy hippos are easily bred in captivity which gave a chance for zoologists to understand them at least to some extent. The pygmy hippo has a dark coloured skin that appears shiny due to the greasy gum they secrete to protect themselves when out of water. The lower incisor teeth are very long and are used as weapons.
The pygmy hippos at the zoo can be located by going past the elephant sheds. These giants will open their mouth as if begging for food. But do not feed them as that’s harmful to the animal’s health.
The new youngster is still caged separately adjoining the pygmy hippo family. He sometimes restlessly walks in the enclosure gazing at his new friends.
Pix courtesy National Zoological Gardens
Hippos roamed in pre-historic Sri Lanka
Wild hippos can now only be found in African jungles. But a long time back during the pre-historic Palearctic Era, hippos roamed Sri Lankan swamps. This was revealed in the archaeological findings of Dr P E P Deraniyagala. The fossils can be seen at the natural history section of Sri Lanka’s national museum. Not just hippos, there were rhinos, lions, tigers and gaurs that inhabited Sri Lanka, and fossilized bones can be seen as evidence on a visit to the museum.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Saturday, January 16, 2010
+Pathirana+Salaya+-+17.01.2010.jpg)
The fairest of them all - Dehiwela zoo’s baby albino cobras
It was a robbery of a different kind that caught the attention of the world in the early 70s. Two Germans were caught at Katunayaka airport trying to smuggle out the famous albino cobra that was stolen from the Dehiwala Zoo. The cobra however was lucky - it was saved and brought back home, and successive generations have been successfully bred in the zoo. A new batch of albino cobras were hatched at the zoo recently, but are still being kept in the nursery and not allowed visitors. LAKBIMAnEWS recently paid a visit to the zoo to bring you the first news on the duo...
For some reason, Sri Lankan mothers like to have fair babies. In that sense, the guardian of the Dehiwala zoo Reptilian section must have been the happiest last June, as all 15 cobra babies that were hatched were more than just fair. They were all albinos - ivory white, a very rare breed in nature.
A creature can become an albino due to a lack of melamine in their skin (melamine is the ingredient that adds colour to the skin), but these cobras lack it genetically. Their parents who are both albinos passed their albino genes to the next generation. Even the eyes of these cobras are reddish, so they are sensitive to sunlight. They prefer to hide in the separate wooden boxes that have enough holes to provide adequate ventilation . On an earlier occasion, the baby cobras that were kept together had killed each other, so this time around the curators paired the babies and kept them in separated wooden boxes that are designed specifically for them. They were cleaning these boxes at the time we paid our visit to the zoo.
Premasiri Peries, veteran curator of the Reptilian section handled the cobra babies deftly and without worry. He took a few of them out to show us. They are now about a foot long and are learning how to 'hiss' properly. "Even though the sound is not as scary as a grown cobra’s, a bite can be lethal" warned the curator, when I was preparing to photograph the cute looking baby snake that showed me its hood. Staying still is probably the hardest thing to do as far as babies go, and these little cobras were no different. They tried to creep away as soon as Peries had taken his eyes off of them. 
Incubator
"We used a locally made incubator to hatch them," said Peries. He showed us a pot filled with kohubath, with the empty egg-shells still there. The incubator was actually an invention by Peries. The babies were hatched after an incubation period of one month and 12 days. They are fed small frogs twice a week and are steadily growing in size. The albino cobras, including these babies' parents had been caught in the Piliyandala area, Peries recalled. It is unknown why albino cobras frequent this area; however the zoo now has more than 6 adults. They breed quite often but most of the hatchlings have been shared with zoos in other parts of the world. Two pairs of albinos born last year were sent to India, a bigger country with larger number of cobras but lacking in this particular breed. The education officer of the zoo Nihal Senarath, speaking on Albino Cobras said that they are one of the key attractions at the zoo. He recalled the attempted Albino Cobra robbery in 1970s. Someone had noticed a couple of foreigners jumping off the zoo's parapet wall and informed the authorities. At that time the Reptilian section was small and was located in the area now occupied by the porcupine pen. The two Germans had taken the cobra out and rushed to the airport. Due to the vigilance of airport security , these germans were caught and the snake was soon returned to the zoo where it lived a long and full life.
The newly hatched baby snakes are still being kept inside as they are very sensitive to sunlight. But you can have a good look at their parents if you visit the zoo Reptilian area.Pix courtesy Dehiwela Zoo
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
.jpg){kind=link}