Published on LakbimaNews on 18.07.2010
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
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