Lovable creatures of ICE AGE

The recently refurbished Savoy Cinema is running at ‘House Full’ these days, all eager to watch Ice Age- 4; a 3 d movie. After being  disappointed at having to turn back for lack of seats, ZooLander too viewed Ice Age and this week reports about the characters in it...   An ice age, or more precisely, a glacial age, is a period of long-term reduction in the temperature of the earth’s surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of ice sheets in the world. The animals had to migrate, to escape the freezing climate -theme of the Ice Age series. The background to Ice Age- 2 was - the Melt Down and the third covered the Era of Dinosaurs. The ‘Continental Drift’ is the theme of the current movie Ice Age -4, which is being screened around the world and attracting large crowds at packed cinemas.  Perhaps, you have already watched the Ice Age movie. But have you given thought to the kind of animals that are featured in the film? Yes, all these popular characters were based on real animals - mostly fossilized from that Ice age. Browsing through Wikipedia and other websites, Zoolander compiled the natural history of these animals. Manny the Wooly Mammoth Manfred or Manny is a woolly mammoth and is the most important character of all, in all four Ice Age movies. He can be serious and emotional, but is otherwise caring and friendly. In the first film, while passing through the icy cavern, the herd discovers cave paintings of mammoths which were killed by Paleo-Indian hunters; this is an emotional moment for Manny, indicating that the pictures could be 0f him. This shows us his history  and also indicates that something similar may have happened. Manny finds love with Ellie in Ice Age: The Meltdown. In Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, he has a daughter named Peaches. In Ice Age: Continental Drift, he gets into an argument with his teenage daughter before being pulled away by the drift with Diego, Sid and Granny. Woolly Mammoth is a species of Mammoth elephants. They are commonly found in fossilized records and are scientifically identified as Mammuthus primigenius, also known as the tundra mammoth. This animal is known from its bones and frozen carcasses found in north America and northern Eurasia with the best preserved carcasses in Siberia. They are perhaps the most well known species of mammoth and disappeared from most of its range at the end of the Pleistocene (10,000 years ago). Sid - the Ground Sloth Sid is a Ground Sloth shown in all four films as one of the main protagonists. He is portrayed as clumsy, annoying, slow moving, fast-talking, and unpopular; and has a lateral lisp. Little is known about Sid’s life, other than that Sid once lived in a tree with other sloths. The Ground Sloth is also known as Megalonyx which in Greek means “great claw”. It is an extinct genus of giant ground sloths of the family Megalonychidae endemic to North America from the Hemphillian of the Late Miocene era, living about 11,000 years ago. The type species, M. Jefferson, measured about 3 m (9.8 ft) and weighted up to 1 ton. Diego - Saber Toothed Cat Diego is a smilodon - a Saber Toothed Cat, who has a somewhat sarcastic personality, but without  malicious intent. He was sent by his pack to retrieve the human baby  - Roshan; when he found Roshan in Manny and Sid’s care, he pretended to lead them to the humans, but instead planned to lead them into an ambush by  the pack. However, when Manny  saved his life Diego changed his mind, telling him about the pack and helping to counter attack. Smilodon often called a Saber-toothed cat, or incorrectly a Saber-toothed tiger, is an extinct genus of machairodonts. This Saber-toothed cat was endemic to North and South America, living during the Pleistocene epoch (2.5 mya-10,000 years ago). Scrat - Saber toothed squirrel Scrat is a Saber-toothed squirrel who is obsessed with collecting acorns, constantly putting his life in danger to obtain and defend them. He has his own stories in the film, independent of the main plot, which are parallel with the journeys of the other main characters, causing them to interact with him at times. This character is enormously successful and Scrat is viewed as a breakout character, the most popular of the franchise. In a special feature in the second film’s DVD, his name has been stated to be a mix of the words “squirrel” and “rat”, his species allegedly believed to have been a common ancestor of both. Scrat also appears in Ice Age: Continental Drift, when he finds a map leading to a mysterious acorn island, and he goes on a journey to find the island. At the end of the film, he finds ‘Scratlantis’, an island populated by Sabre-toothed squirrels and filled with nuts. The researchers recently found skulls of the Scrat-like animals embedded in rock in a remote area of northern Patagonia, about 100 miles from the city of Allen in the Argentinian province of Rio Negro. Ice Age Facts * The last glacial, called the Holocene glacial, peaked about 18,000 years ago and ended 10,000 years ago. * Ice covered 40 percent of the world 18,000 years ago.  Glaciers spread over much of Europe and North America 18,000 years ago. Ice caps grew in Tasmania and New Zealand. * About 18,000 years ago there were glaciers in Hawaii. 297 * Ice Ages are periods lasting millions of years when the Earth is so cold that the polar ice caps grow huge. There are various theories about why they occur (see climate change). * There have been four Ice Ages in the last 1000 million years, including one which lasted 100 million years. * The most recent Ice Age - called the Pleistocene Ice Age - began about 2 million years ago. * In an Ice Age the weather varies between cold spells called glacials and warm spells called interglacials. * There were 17 glacials and interglacials in the last 1.6 million years of the Pleistocene Ice Age. * The people of the Ice Age risked their lives to hunt the fierce woolly mammoth. It was a good source of meat, skins, bones and ivory.   http://www.houseandhome.org/ice-age-facts

Published on LakbimaNews on 26.08.2012 http://www.lakbimanews.lk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6611:lovable-creatures-of-ice-age&catid=41:mag&Itemid=12  

Gold Medalists of Natural World

Published on LakbimaNews on 05.08.2012

From Rio to Rio: After the Earth Summit

ZooLander this week looks at the outcome of RIO+20 and will follow some positive actions taken by participating countries as stated in Rio to Rio, a special book published to coincide with the recently concluded Earth Summit. It is insightful and showcases how the United Nations (UN) has attempted to learn
from the past and move forward to protect the environment.

This is the first weekend after the United Nations Rio+20 Earth summit. The Summit has not yielded the expected results politically, but it has become a forum for the community to get together and discuss the “Future We Want” at international level.
Twenty years after the original Earth Summit, the signatories to Rio+20, last week, did not make very strong commitments. However, this can still be a blueprint document on how to continue with development on a more sustainable path. It was taken as a positive outcome by optimistic analysts. Zoolander this week publishes some extracts from Rio to Rio in the interest of our readers.
The final written outcome of the Rio summit is in fact the hard work put in by negotiators from different countries. There were several views which prevented it from becoming a fully fledged document with strong recommendations but getting it signed has been considered a win for conservation by optimists.
Under the title ‘The Future we Want’ there is a section which deals with ‘Our Common Future.’ The signatories, as world leaders have a personal obligation to the pledge, that reads as: “We, the Heads of State and Government and high-level representatives, having met at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from June 20-22, 2012, with the full participation of civil society, renew our commitment to sustainable development and to ensuring the promotion of an economically, socially and environmentally sustainable future for our planet, and for recent and future generations.”
The leaders had recognized that poverty eradication, changing unsustainable and promoting sustainable patterns of consumption and production, and protecting and managing the natural resource base of economic and social development are the overarching objectives of and essential requirements for sustainable development. As Zoolander pointed out last week unsustainable development has been the core of most of the environmental problems and we hope that the leaders who signed this document will not forget this fact. They also pledged to introduce sustainable goals for development, similar to the Millennium Development Goals that were set up and which have to be met by 2015. The initial plan of the RIO+20 included coming to an agreement on the Sustainable Goals at the 2012 summit, which however did not materialize.

Protests
However, many NGOs are against the current document, claiming that the Rio+20 Summit is a failure. They wanted a very strong document and calls this only a blueprint that will not make governments work toward getting their acts together. On the other hand, most of them are also against the Green Economic concept that was being promoted. This has also been a common ground shared by the developing countries as pointed out earlier in this column. The indigenous people too have joined the protest against this outcome saying that nature cannot be valued.
Many of those who protested said that, “World leaders have delivered something that fails to move the world forward from the first Rio summit, showing up with empty promises at Rio+20,” and pointing that the, “The RIO+20 text is a polluters’ plan, and unless people start listening to the people, history will remember it as a failure for the people and the planet.” Some kids too have joined this protest. They had even gone to the extent of tearing off the papers with the Rio+20 text.
So this has painted the outcome of the Rio summit as one that cannot be celebrated. But this was not the case in Rio 20 years ago.

Rio Conventions
Twenty years ago, in 1992, the feeling soon after the first Earth Summit would have been different. The Earth Summit ended by introducing three new International Conventions which have been signed and were adopted later on. These three conventions – namely, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) continued to work on their areas to protect the environment. The world’s governments of developed nations too had agreed to put aside a portion of their income for Environmental Protection and this money has been put into a fund called the Global Environment Fund (GEF).
The UNFCCC sets an overall framework for intergovernmental efforts to tackle the challenge posed by climate change. The UNCCD aims to combat desertification and mitigate the effects of drought in countries experiencing serious drought and/or desertification, particularly in Africa, through effective actions at all levels, supported by international cooperation and partnership arrangements, in the framework of an integrated approach which is consistent with Agenda 21, with a view to contributing to the achievements of sustainable development in affected areas.
The objectives of the CBD are the conservation of biological diversity, the sustainable use of its components, and the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising from commercial and other utilization of genetic resources. The agreement covers all ecosystems, species and genetic resources, and CBD will also hold its next meeting – the 11th Conference of Parties (COP11) be held in neighbouring India.

From the Amazon to the Himalayas...

Rio to Rio: A 20-Year Journey to Green the World’s Economies ranges widely, from the Amazon region to the Danube River Basin to the Himalayas to tell the stories of projects and programmes backed by the 182 member nations that make up the GEF. GEF CEO and chairperson, Monique Barbut, hosted the book launch and panel discussion at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD), better known as Rio+20 that took place in Rio de Janeiro on the 20th anniversary of the first Earth Summit in Rio.
Chapters of this book include the story of the revival of the Danube River Basin in one of the GEF’s first projects conducted in the Balkans region during a time of civil conflict. There is the story of the largest rainforest protected area programme – the Amazon Region Protected Areas programme in Brazil which has resulted in dramatic reduction in greenhouse gas emissions across a network of rainforest areas, larger in total than the Ukraine. The GEF’s role as the manager of the Least Developed Countries Fund is illustrated by an extraordinary project underway in the Himalayas of Bhutan where glacial melt attributed to global warming threatens to burst the banks of high mountain lakes, endangering communities downstream. Stone by stone, villagers working for good wages under the programme hike to the highest elevation work site in the world where they hand carry stones to make channels for the lake overflow and helping to avert the threat of so-called glacial lake outburst floods, or GLOFs.
The CEO of GEF has also said that the Fund has plans to conduct more programmes to protect the ocean’s biodiversity through the latest programme they are funding on the high seas. This will mainly aim at protecting commercially viable fish like Tuna that are dwindling due to overfishing.

Published on 01.07.2012 

Rio+20: Earth Overloaded

ZooLander on a previous Sunday reported on Environmental Summit RIO+20 and the development towards it in an article titled Road to Rio+20. Here Zoolander reports from Rio on RIO + 20 which took place from 20 - 22 June under the key theme the Green Economy. What impact could it make on Mother Earth, Zoolander investigates...

On many occasions, ZooLander has pointed out, with the continued threat to species, there may come a time when there will be a need for safe houses like the Noah’s Arc, as in the biblical story about varied species being saved from a great flood that washed across earth. In those articles Zoolander also highlighted the potential role of zoos  in protecting the Earth’s biodiversity, by providing at least some of them, with a last home when risked with extinction in the wild. But it is not only the species that are impacted; the thoughtless and unsustainable actions of humans have also started impacting on them too, on a large scale at that.
A recent study has revealed that there will be a need for an Earth that is one and a half times the size of the Earth of today, to replenish the annual consumption by humans. We are not giving enough time for mother earth to revive from services and resources yeilded to us and this will surely boomerang on all of us. The repercussions have already started to impact. Humans burn fossil fuels for energy, which leads to emission of carbon dioxide. This eventually leads to global warming which is now triggering climate change and large scale catastrophes that are happening around the world. The earth’s biodiversity too is in peril due to human activity. Scientists estimate that by 2100 half the species living on earth today will be in peril if we continue our actions in the same manner that we are doing at present. Over exploitation, habitat loss, introduction of invasive species - the list of threats is long.

Silent Spring
The impact of human activities on the natural cycles came to light 50 years ago. Rachel Carson - an American environmental activist and author published a book that has been tagged as the first time in history in documenting how human activities impact nature. Marking the rise of the present day environmental movement, Carson wrote Silent Spring, which was published in 1962; in it she tells of how the extensive use of DDT resulted in the decline of bird populations. DDT has been commonly used as a pesticide and has penetrated to birds through lower levels of the food chain as the chemical is sprayed on worms and other insects. The birds that feed on these affected little creatures also ingested the DDT which accumulated in their bodies, which led to the thinning of the birds’ egg shells. So when the mother bird - with utmost care - sits on the eggs in the nests to hatch them, the shell crack.
Silent Spring first highlighted these facts which became an eye-opener, setting the stage for environmental activism. More and more people started talking about the need to protect the environment, and scientists started connecting the dots that led to the findings that revealed the causes of the “bad things” that had repercussions in destroying the environment.

Earth Summit
In recognition a landmark Environmental Summit was held in Stockholm in 1970. Held 40 years ago, it was the first time that an international level summit had been convened, to act in unison to protect the environment of the earth. However, industrialization continued to take its toll on the environment and the need for action was evident. The United Nations intervened and organized another landmark summit titled Earth Summit which was held in 1992. The Earth summit was  attended by over 100 world leaders and inspired global environmental activism. The Earth Summit also launched 3 new conventions namely the Convention on Biological Diversity, Climate Change convention and the convention to Combat Desertification. Some salvage efforts have been taken during the past 20 years since the first Earth Summit, but the Environment continues to degrade putting the Earth in a worse position. The Earth’s population too is expanding rapidly calling for more exploitation of its resources.
Since 20 years from the original earth summit, this earth summit has been convened and in this backdrop, many believe the RIO + 20 is a ‘need of the hour’ summit to save Mother Earth. The main summit was held on 20, 21 and 22nd in Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro – and all the nations that are part of the United Nation’s family were in this city discussing and debating on how to move forward.

RIO + 20
Over 100 world leaders gathered in Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro to participate in the RIO + 20 summit, that has been set up as a follow-up to the original Earth Summit which was convened in the same city. The Earth summit held 20 years ago aimed to make human actions take on the sustainability path with the realization that we will deplete the earth’s natural resources if we proceed in a scenario of ‘business as usual’. Many pledges were made and nations agreed to take measures on sustainability to protect the environment. But though some effort has been taken to protect the environment, the Earth’s environment continues to be depleting.
It has been a debated that the 2012 summit would not be as successful as the summit held 20 years ago, but it did provide a forum for many parties to get together and interact, setting up common goals to protect the earth. The role of governments is very crucial in protecting the earth, but the political will of the leaders is often being questioned as decisions are made in many different blocs of power. As an attempt to push the need to act in a different way, another summit for legislators too was set up at RIO+20 as the participating legislators continue to push their governments forward.
The Rio+20 Summit had nearly 50,000 participants and the main theme was the Green Economy.  Natural Capital was another subject discussed.Civil society and private sector too were represented  and they too made pledges to seriously heed the need to protect the environment.

What is Natural Capital?

Natural capital is the extension of the economic notion of capital (manufactured means of production) to goods and services relating to the natural environment. Natural capital is thus the stock of natural ecosystems that yields a flow of valuable ecosystem goods or services into the future. For example, a stock of trees or fish provides a flow of new trees or fish, a flow which can be indefinitely sustainable. Natural capital may also provide services like recycling wastes or water catchment and erosion control. Since the flow of services from ecosystems requires that they function as whole systems, the structure and diversity of the system are important components of natural capital.
What is Green Economy?

The green economy is one that results in improved human well-being and social equity, while significantly reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities. Green economy is an economy or economic development model based on sustainable development.

Published on LakbimaNews on 23.06.2012 www.lakbimanews.lk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5895%3Amother-earth-overloaded&Itemid=56

The March for survival in the Animal Kingdom - Penguin May Day

Last Tuesday, thousands marched through some Colombo streets to mark May Day. Such ‘marches’ are the stuff of the animal kingdom too;ironically they are more disciplined but also happen in April/May. ZooLander reports this week of the March of the Penguins..!

In the animal Kingdom too, there is an annual march, which occurs   across probably one of the most challenging environments on earth. Instead of the scorching sun or pouring tropical rain, these marchers have to be ready to negotiate walking on freezing ice baring the sub-zero temperature of Antarctica - the polar region that records the lowest temperatures on earth. The participants of this particular march are also not offered biriyani or any alcohol to keep them motivated, but their annual participation is compulsory for the very survival of their whole colony. They are also not divided into different camps carrying different coloured flags --- to the naked eye its just plain black and white pillars moving across a snow-white  Antarctica ...
They are not humans; this is the march of the emperor penguins, and their march is not just a mere 2 or 3 kilometres that make up the May Day march  of political activists, but stretches to about 60 - 100 kilometres in length. The aim of their march is not a mere  politicaly motivated reason such as showcasing power, but is a serious effort in completing the annual breeding cycle of the emperor penguins.  They have to march this distance because of the nature of the Antarctica land mass, which shrinks and expand during summer and winter seasons of the polar region. Under the ice shield, it is an ocean and during the summer - though it is still below zero Celsius temperature, the ice shield can go thin and break off. These emperor penguins use a particular spot that has solid ice year round as their breeding ground to avoid losing a land mass that is vital for the survival of their young. At the beginning of the Antarctica summer, the breeding ground is only few kilometres away, from the ocean where penguins feed. However, by the end of summer, the breeding ground is over 100 kilometres away from the nearest open water and in order to reach it, all the penguins of breeding age must travel this distance.

May Day Rally in the Antarctica
Humans rally in large numbers on May Day, and after a short march stop to listen to their leaders; these Penguins too rally on their pre-designated breeding grounds after the tiring march. Even though there is no ‘police’ or a particular leader to discipline them, they all flock together at freezing cold temperatures.
Antarctica is the coldest continent on Earth and is considered  a cold desert. Temperature in the Antarctica can reach -89 C making it one of the hardest places to survive in. The march of the penguins has provided these creatures an opportunity to survive in the harsh Antarctic environment. ...or if you consider the flip side, only those who marched would be able to survive the harsh Antarctic subzero climate. (Ah, much like  Government supported May Day rallies where those who do not March in support of their campaign may not get benefits?).
Since the discovery of the Antarctica, it has puzzled explorers how the penguins breed in these harsh conditions. Penguins usually lay eggs on the ground, but in the Antarctica, there is no actual land with soil; the whole continent is covered by ice. It had taken decades for zoologists to resolve this puzzle of penguin breeding. Earlier it was believed that the Emperor penguins were some kind of evolutionary “missing link”, something that scientists thought could be proven by observing the growth of the ‘embryo’ at various stages. Later, they were taken by surprise, on seeing the large colonies and their gatherings and  the long march these penguins make annually to reach the breeding grounds.
Emperor penguins breed almost exclusively on sea ice and so are perhaps the only species of bird that never sets foot on land. Now zoologists have discovered around 40 large nesting sites of the emperor penguins. The first breeding colony wasn’t discovered until 1902, when Lt. Reginald Skelton on Scott’s 1901-04 Discovery Expedition, did  some 130 years after the birds had first been sighted, on Captain Cook’s second voyage. New colonies were still being discovered as late as 2009 as per internet sources.

Spectacular scene
Some of these sites say that there are more than half a million birds making it a spectacular scene to watch. But another reason to flock closer together is that each other’s warmth keeps everybody warm -- and loss of energy is at a minimum.
‘Numbe Amma Muhude Giya, Malu aran enna giya’ :
Emperor Penguins begin their breeding cycle when the other Antarctic penguins have finished theirs, at the end of April / May. Eggs are laid in May and June, are the smallest in size relative to body size of any bird, being around 0.4kg (1.1 lb) and just under 1.5% of the mass of an adult bird.
As soon as the mother penguin lays her single egg, she transfers it to the feet of the waiting male with minimum exposure to the elements, as the intense cold will kill the developing embryo. If it stays on ice for more than a few minutes, the purpose of the whole march would be lost. From this point onwards, the males take charge of the egg. No nest is built and the egg is incubated on the feet of the parents. A special fold of abdominal skin known as ‘brood patches’  covers the egg to keep it warm.
There is a famous lullaby sung to console  human babies Numbe amma kira ta giya, kiri erawa enna giya (your mother has gone for milk and will come back with milk). Perhaps this is what penguin fathers are murmuring in the freezing cold as they  take care of the eggs, with a different version such as -Numbe Amma Muhude Giya, Malu aran enna giya (your mother has gone to sea and will be back with fish), as the mother penguins then set off back to sea for fishing and do not return until July.

published on LakbimaNews  06.05.2012

Did animals sense the tsunami coming?

Panic resulted from last week’s tsunami warning.While we are all dependent on the Meteorology Department and the Disaster Management Centre to warn us about an impending tsunami, animals are said to be have acute senses that help recognize environmental changes. There are some very interesting accounts of how animals responded just before the tsunami waves hit in 2004.

According to the National Geographic website, and eyewitness reports, in 2004, elephants are said to have screamed and run to higher ground, dogs had refused to go outdoors, flamingos had abandoned their low-lying breeding areas and  animals at zoos rushed into their shelters and could not be enticed to come out. Some speculate that the animals have a ‘sixth sense’ that we do not posses, but wildlife experts believe that animals are endowed with more acute hearing and other senses that might enable them to hear or feel the earth’s vibration, tipping them off of  approaching disasters – long before humans realize what’s going to happen.

The concept of an animal’s ‘sixth sense’ was also raised as very few animals had died at the Yala National Park, which was also devastated by the tsunami wave. A number of human lives were lost, but most of the animals managed to escape. So it is clear that animals somehow sense impending disaster and could run inland to get themselves away from the disaster. Perhaps, their ability to run fast, and knowledge of the terrain too, helped in their escape.

Even other experts say that animals can sense changes in the environment. In an interview for National Geographic, Joyce Poole, an elephant expert conducting  research on acoustics, said the reports of Sri Lanka’s elephants fleeing to higher ground didn’t surprise her. She said that research on both acoustic and seismic communication indicates that elephants could easily pick up vibrations generated from the massive earthquake-tsunami, she said.

Elephants during earth tremors

Poole has also experienced this firsthand.  “I have been with elephants during two small tremors, and on both occasions the elephants ran in alarm several seconds before I felt the tremor,” she said at the interview.

One of the world’s most earthquake-prone countries is Japan, where devastation has taken countless lives and caused enormous damage to property. Researchers there have long studied animals in hopes of discovering what they hear or feel before the earth shakes. They hope that animals may be used as a prediction tool. Some U.S. seismologists, on the other hand, are skeptical. Though there have been documented cases of strange animal behavior prior to earthquakes, the United States Geological Survey, a government agency that provides scientific information about the earth, says a reproducible connection between a specific behaviour and the occurrence of a quake has never been made. “What we’re faced with is a lot of anecdotes,” said Andy Michael, a geophysicist at USGS. “Animals react to so many things -being hungry, defending their territories, mating, predators, it’s hard to have a controlled study to get that advanced warning signal.”

In the 1970s a few studies on animal prediction were done by the USGS, “But nothing concrete came out of it,” Michael said. Since that time the agency has made no further investigations into the theory.

Published on LakbimaNews on 22.04.2012

Lyn de Alwis: The Great Zoo Savant

Published on LakbimaNews on 04.12.2011

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 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