The Newsletter of Loro Parque Fundacion Nº. 69 - June 2003 · 2006. 1. 4. · Cyanopsitta The...

Nº. 69 - June 2003Cyanopsitta The Newsletter of Loro Parque Fundacion

Wolfgang Kiessling

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Message from the founderMessage from the founderMessage from the founderMessage from the founderMessage from the founder

Cyanopsitta - Latin for blue parrot. The onlymember of this genus is Cyanopsitta spixii, theSpix’s Macaw. It is a highly endangered species,symbol of Loro Parque Fundación, and of theneed to conserve our planet.

Message from the founder ......................... 2A new Atlantic Puffin exhibit ................... 3The collection of the Atlantic Puffins ...... 4Meeting Point ............................................ 6Loro Parque news ...................................... 7European Conference on AvianMedicine an Surgery ................................... 8Thermography at Loro Parque ............... 10LPF News ................................................. 12European Symposium on AquaticMammals ................................................. 14Rare Birds in Tenerife .............................. 16Report from Tanimbar ............................ 17New actions for the Blue-throatedMacaw ...................................................... 21

Cover: Goffin’s Cockatoo (Cacatua goffini).Photo LPF/J. A. del Corral

CyanopsittaCyanopsittaCyanopsittaCyanopsittaCyanopsittaNº. 69 - June 2003

Editorial Office:Loro Parque S.A.38400 Puerto de la CruzTenerife, Canary IslandsSpainTel.: + 34 922 374081Fax: + 34 922 375021E-mail: <[email protected]><[email protected]>

Editorial Committee:Dr Javier Almunia, Corinna Brauer, MarcellusBürkle, Dr Lorenzo Crosta, Inge Feier, WolfgangKiessling, Matthias Reinschmidt, Prof. DavidWaugh, Dr Linda Timossi and Rafael Zamora.

Visit our websites:Visit the website of Loro Parque Fundación,which provides you with detailed informationon our programmes at: <http://www.loroparque-fundacion.org>. For the website of Loro Parque,please check out <www.loroparque.com>.

Membership:Become a member of Loro Parque Fundación tosupport us in our activities. You will then receiveour trimestral newsletter Cyanopsitta, as well asa supporter’s card permitting free entry to LoroParque during the validity of your membership.The current annual membership fees are:Adults: ........................................... 90,00 €Children: ....................................... 45,00 €Please send us your membership subscription bymail, fax or e-mail, or call us, and we will signyou up immediately.

Bank Account:BBVA, Puerto de la Cruz

Account: 0182 5310 61 001635615-8IBAN: ES85 0182 5310 61 0016356158

BIC:BBVAESMM 0182 5310 61 0016356158

The last three months have been a busy and fruitful period inLoro Parque. Our park has been honoured with the hosting andorganisation of two major events in zoological practice, the EAAM(European Association for Aquatic Mammals) Symposium and theEAAV-ECAMS (European Association of Avian Veterinarians - EuropeanCollege of Avian Medicine Surgery) Conference. Both meetings havebeen enormously productive, which will benefit not only our collection(and its conservation objectives) but also animal management at aninternational level. In this issue we complement the report on theseinteresting conferences with an article on a new, curious and attractiveanimal diagnosis technique, infrared thermography. This represents atotally different way of looking at our cherished animals.

In another of activity, a new exhibit of a group of AtlanticPuffins was opened to enrich our zoological collection. This exhibit isin fact a result of the reallocation of the Humboldt Penguins , whichoccupied the place where the actual puffin installation is now situated.

The collection and transport of these appealing birds, whichare hunted without mercy in their natural range in Iceland, was morelike a rescue mission that we relate in some detail in this issue.

At the end of march our educational department presented anddistributed its most recent educational kit, a multilingual video andinteractive CD-ROM called «Paco el loro». This kit offers not only abasic introduction to the Psittacidae family, but also an attractive wayto learn languages. 500 copies were produced with the funding of LoroParque and the Tenerife Island Local Government, and freely distributedamong all the schools of the island.

Our field conservation projects are still advancing, and we justreceived the final report on the Tanimbar’s field activities during 2002.The activities financed by LPF and carried out by Birdlife Indonesasuccessfully identified the key subjects to implement, including aneducation for conservation programme which will deal with habitatdestruction and poaching of the Tanimbar endemic parrots.

Finally, and after some minor turbulence, our field project inBolivia is ready to take off. In the past weeks the field co-ordinatortravelled to Tenerife and the LPF staff have been involved in thepreparation of the Conservation Action Plan. It seems that the firststep in a much deeper involvement of LPF in the conservation of theBlue-throated Macaw is about to happen.

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Nº. 69 - June 2003Cyanopsitta

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Opening of a new AtlanticPuffin exhibit

were maintained, but will remain closed until the puffins reachsexual maturity. Many months have passed since theexpedition to Iceland, and now the chicks have turned intostrong subadult puffins. Next season they will moult theiractual grey feathers to develop their brightly-coloured andattractive adult plumage.

The new exhibit offers them a landscape very muchlike the one that the Loro Parque team encountered on thetrip to Iceland. The puffins obviously enjoy their new homeand prove to be very active swimmers; they may beobserved both in and out of the water. Their diet consistsof the same small fishes they catch in the rich and coldNorth Atlantic waters (these are transported frozen toensure the maximum quality, and the perfect balance andcontent of fatty acids). During the hand-rearing they weregradually introduced to the ingestion of whole fish withsliced fish in increasingly bigger sizes.

The latest exhibit in Loro Parque opens to all ourvisitors a new window to the wonderful polar regions, bypresenting a group of beautiful animals and offering a uniqueexperience which will make everybody's hearts beat faster.

The former Humboldt Penguin’s exhibit in Planet Penguin wastotally refurbished and adapted to host this new species

Right on time for the Easter season, the latestattraction of Loro Parque was inaugurated. In their newenclosure in Planet Penguin, which resembles very muchthe natural habitat in Iceland, the largest group of puffins(Fratercula arctica) to be found in a European zoo are nowexhibited. Last year, Loro Parque obtained official permissionfrom the Icelandic government to remove chicks from thenest holes to use them for a research and education projectin Tenerife. To date, little is known about the keeping ofthese animals in captivity.

After the reallocation of the Humboldt Penguingroup to its new and bigger exhibit in the main entrance ofPlanet Penguin, the former exhibit provided a nice place tohost a small colony of aquatic animals. With a new polarhabitat in mind, the area has undergone a completerefurbishing to meet the different habitat needs compared tothe tropical, desert-like habitat of the Humboldt Penguins.A new air cooling system had to be installed to provide thepuffins the usual temperatures of the North Atlantic, whilstthe 100 cubic metre pool remained the same, as the water canbe refrigerated by means of the PlanetPenguin main watercooling system. The nest holes of the former inhabitants


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The collection of theAtlantic Puffins

With a new attraction in mind, MatthiasReinschmidt (biologist) and Marcellus Bürkle(veterinarian) of Loro Parque travelled to Iceland atthe end of July 2002. Everything had been prepared inadvance by a local guide which was hired for thisexpedition. Departing from the port of Stückyüsholmür,a small town they reached after four hours driving, theystarted their adventurous trip. A small fishing boatawaited the Loro Parque team and carried them toseveral small offshore islands which are inhabited bythe puffins. Only during the breeding season may thebirds be found here; during the rest of the year, theylive on the open sea. When these birds start breeding,they dig passages under the surface which can be upto 2 m deep and which connect to a 'breeding chamber'where the puffins lay and hatch one single egg. AroundIceland alone there are over three million breeding birds,and, as a consequence, the Icelanders also hunt thebirds. The Loro Parque team was even able to observe

The planning of the latest exhibit of Loro Parque commenced one year ago, with the collec-

tion of a group of Atlantic Puffins in Iceland. This apparently easy task was in fact a trip with

plenty of difficulties and logistic problems. In this article the Loro Parque team that accom-

plished the mission gives a detailed narration of this expedition. Today, these animals can be

seen in their new naturalistic exhibit, integrated into Planet Penguin.

people sitting on rocks and catching them with a largenet. The animals were slaughtered on the spot andafterwards were probably used for cooking.

However, the mission of the Loro Parque teamwas a totally different one. A permission by thegovernment of Iceland enabled them to collectyoungsters from the nests in order to transfer them toLoro Parque in Tenerife for a research project. To thepresent time, very little is known regarding the keepingof these animals in captivity. Although from the boatthe puffins were easily spotted on their tiny islands,the landing on the latter was indeed much morecomplicated than the team had thought. It was verydangerous to jump from the rocking boat onto the wetand slippery rocks. However, it had to be done; but awrong step could have provoked a disaster. Thebreeding holes were easily found; nevertheless, it wasnot always easy to get hold of the youngsters in view

Group of adult Atlantic Puffins (Fratercula arctica) on a rocky shore


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of the sometimes very long passages. Therefore, wewere able to remove the chicks from no more thanone out of ten nests. This procedure required patienceand endurance from the team, lying on the cold groundin their whole outfit, digging for puffins while it rained;but the perspective to very soon bring these animalscloser to a large number of visitors in Tenerife facilitatedtheir work. As soon as the intended number of chickswas gathered after nearly two days, the team preparedthe return of the mission to Tenerife.

It must not be forgotten that after havingcollected the first chicks they needed to be fed on aregular basis. To feed such an amount of hungrymouths is indeed a demanding task.

A Cessna was organised to fly from Munichto Iceland where it arrived with a delay of one day.Early the next morning, the Loro Parque team boardedthe plane together with the young puffins. There wasno space left after the transport boxes had been arrangedand, in view of the temperature on board which did notexceed 10ºC because of the chicks, the flight wasaltogether less pleasant for the human passengers.

After 42 hours and several landings in Iceland,Scotland, France and Spain every 5 - 6 hours to refillthe tanks, we landed in Tenerife. In France, all thepuffins were taken off the plane at 01.00 am so thatthe pilots could get some rest. In the meantime, thebirds were fed by the LP team on the runway.

When the plane arrived in Tenerife Tuesdaynight, there was already a refrigerator van waiting forthe puffins to take them and the LP staff to Puerto dela Cruz. In Loro Parque, everybody including the parkmanagement were waiting for the adventurers to arrive,lending a hand where they could to help feed the hungrychicks.

The rearing of the puffins took place in thequarantine station of the Penguinarium. Their dietconsisted of fish prepared with vitamin tablets to

guarantee a healthy growth.

Many months have passed since the expeditionto Iceland, and the chicks have turned into strongsubadult puffins; the time has finally come to transferthem to their new enclosure in Planet Penguin. Thenew exhibit offers them a landscape much like the onethat the Loro Parque team had encountered on theirtrip to Iceland. The puffins obviously enjoy their newhome and prove to be very active swimmers; they maybe observed both in and out of the water - a uniqueexperience which makes everybody's hearts beatfaster.

Different moments of the collection and transport of the AtlanticPuffin group.Top: Arrival by boat and disembarking. Middle:Transporting the puffins by car. Bottom: Stopover on the flightback to Tenerife.


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MEETING POINT - MEETING POINT - MEETING POINT

During thew o r l d w i d efamous TenerifeC a r n i v a l ,T e l e v i s i ó nEspañola TVE1,the Spanishn a t i o n a lT V c h a n n e lb r o a d c a s t e d

"I also love parrots". Thosewere the words pronouncedby the famous actressTippi Hedren who visitedLoro Parque with herpartner Dr. Marty Dinnes.This wonderful actress isnow dedicated to humanand environmental causestogether with her daughterMelanie Griffith. Mrs.Hedren is the president andfounder of the RoarFoundation and Shambala A very special visit was that of the participants in the

second edition of «Operación Triunfo» a TV musicalcontest in which the winner represents Spain in thenext Eurovision festival. This group of young musicstars spent a wonderful day joking and having fun withall our visitors and staff.

Loro Parque Niko Motobike team for the season2003-2004 was presented in the Thai village pressroom. Thelast season the team undertook a successful campaign,winning important races all around the Canarian archipelago.As can be seen in the photo, they carried all their trophiesfor the presentation. This season, the members of the teamwill also compete individually in different categories suchas biathlon, triathlon and raids.

The XXXIX Spanish Mathematics Olympiad washosted this year in the two universities of the Canary Islands.Almost two hundred teenagers participated in the mentalcontest. Fortunately they also had the chance to visit LoroParque, and relax their young minds for a while.

The famous latino singer Manny Manuel cameto visit us with his family. Manny, who wasnominated to the Grammi Awards in theMerenge category in 1999, is now living inLos Angeles (USA), where is preparing hislaunch into the English dance music.

several programmes using Loro Parque as a scenery. In oneof the programs we received the visit of the Carnival Queensof present and past years, who came accompanied by theMayor of Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

Reserve. During her visit she was very interested in ourfoundation, its activities and goals.


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LORO PARQUE HOTLINE - LORO PARQUE HOTLINE

At the end of March the French diver LoicLeferme, who holds the world record in apnea «no limits»since October 2002, with a 162 metres dive, visited theLoro Parque installations. The sportsman made ademonstration dive in the new exhibit «El Pacífico».

The IV International Congress ofMarketing and Public Relations in Zoos took placethis year in the Zoo of Budapest, Hungary, during themonth of May (8 to 10). This conference happened thanksto the co-organisation of EAZA, WAZA and BudapestZoo. Attending this conference were Dr Peter Dollinger(Executive Director of WAZA), Henning Julin, Chair ofthe EAZA Marketing Committee, Corinne Bos (Co-ordinator of EAZA Conservation Campaigns, themembers and their accreditation), Hans-Ove Larsson(representative of the Swedish AZA en WAZA),Professor Gordon McGregor Reid (Council Member ofEAZA and WAZA). Carolina Méndez attended theCongress to represent Loro Parque, presenting the mostrecent activities undertaken by our zoo in the field ofmarketing and public relations, and participating in theenriching forum of discussion about strategies ofcommunication and the conservation of biodiversity.

10 kg. The Rhinoceros Iguana lives exclusively on theisland of Hispaniola in a dry and rocky environment wherethere is an abundance of cacti and spiny plants. In LoroParque we have provided a new exhibit by the side of theDragon trees which are in front of the Baby Station. Thismust be an ideal location given that it is already wellfrequented by the local lizards. The LP iguana shares itsexhibit with a pair of young Galapagos giant tortoises(Geochelone nigra)

At the end of May the restoration of the Alligatorexhibit at Loro Parque was completed. The enclosurehad suffered some damage from the fall of a tree trunk ina strong storm, from which it had to be completely repaired.At the same time we took the opportunity to re-modeland expand it, in a form most fitting for our alligators,which never stop growing!

During the Easter holidays Loro Parquetemporarily added some species to its zoological collection.It offered to boys and girls who visited the park duringthese dates an opportunity to get close to the typicalanimals of Easter. To do this, a temporary enclosure wasinstalled at the park entrance with rabbits and lambs,attended by monitors, in which the children couldexperience up-close these gentle animals.

The Easter celebration at Loro Parque alsooffered other activities for children, such as face-paintingworkshops, races, games of ability and skills, or thedecoration of Easter greetings cards with traditional motifsof this festival.

The huge participation, with groups of paintedchildren with animals having fun in the park, resulted inall our visitors enjoying a really fun Easter in Loro Parque.

In these months there are celebrations in ourgroup of bachelors: Rafiki, the youngest of our group ofgorillas turned 12 years old on 29 May, while Maayabuwill become 15 on 28 July.

Recently a new species of animal has beenincorporated into the Loro Parque family. This is a maleRhinoceros Iguana (Cyclura cornuta) coming from aconfiscation of animals in illegal traffic. This species isprobably the largest within the family Iguanidae, andcan reach a length of 50-100 cm, and the tail can measuremore than an additional 70 cm. Its maximum weight is 5-


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European Conference on AvianMedicine and Surgery at LP

The meeting took place in the Hotel Botánico,one of the most beautiful hotel conference venues inTenerife. This periodic event is held every other yearin a different European Country. The previous meetingswere: 1991 Vienna (Austria); 1993 Utrecht (TheNetherlands); 1995 Jerusalem (Israel); 1997 London(United Kingdom); 1999 Pisa (Italy) and 2001 Munich(Germany). While the next meetings will be in: 2005Arles (France) and 2007 Zurich (Switzerland).

About 200 delegates took part in the conference,from 29 different countries, including China, NewZealand , Cuba, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.A special award was given to the two participants fromNew Zealand, Dr. Brett Gratrell and Dr. BerendWestera, to recognise and thank their effort to comehere.

Most represented countries were Spain (32participants), USA (29 participants), Germany (24participants), UK (22 participants) and Italy (18

participants). The conference started on Tuesday, April22nd, with the ECAMS day. This is a high-levelscientific meeting, during which the results of up-to-date research are presented. The Main EAAVConference ran over three days (April 23-25), duringwhich 60 talks divided into 15 session were presented.Furthermore, 14 scientific posters were shown in theexhibit hall. The topics of the talks and the posterscovered a wide spectrum: Infectious diseases, fungaldiseases, nutrition, fertility and reproduction, circulatorydiseases, birds of prey, ophthalmology, other birdspecies, pathology, diagnostics, laboratory medicine,conservation and field research, behaviour andbreeding, medicine and case reports, and surgery.

Saturday, April 26, 7 practical laboratories, orworkshops, were held in the University of La Laguna,Faculty of Biology. The Dean, Prof. Raimundo CabreraPérez, very kindly offered the rooms, and sometechnical devices, for the smooth working of theworkshops.

From April 22nd through 26th, Loro Parque sponsored the 7th EuropeanConference of the Association of Avian Veterinarians (EAAV) and the 5th Scientific

Meeting of the European College of Avian Medicine and Surgery (ECAMS).

Opening ceremony by Wolfgang Kiessling and Lorenzo Crosta.


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Very well known speakers were:- Brian Speer (USA): Trans-sinus pinning techniqueto address scissors-beak deformities in Psittacinespecies;- Rüdiger Korbel (Germany): Photographicdocumentation of unique patterns of pigmentation andvascular fingerprints on the avian iris and fundus - amodel for individual identification?-Neil Forbes (UK): The Production of a NucleusColony of Health Status ensured Greater Flamingos inthe UK and exportation to New Zealand- Nigel Harcourt-Brown (UK): Seasonal incidence offeather plucking in grey parrots.· Sjeng Lumeij (The Netherlands): Pathophysiology andclinical features of avian cardiac disease, with anemphasis on electrocardiography.· Sharon Redrobe (UK): Dietary modification and theuse of computerised image analysis of serial liverbiopsy in the management of two toucans(Ramphastos toco) with haemochromatosis.· Greg Harrison (USA): Field observations on physicalexamination of free-ranging cockatoo species fromAustralia over time.· Branson Ritchie (USA): Infectious Disease Control.· David Phalen (USA): Investigation into theidentification, detection, and treatment of the organismformally known as Megabacterium.· Michael Taylor (Canada): Advanced endoscopy.

Also Spanish speakers were present:· Jesus Rodriguez-Quiros: Successful Repair With Low-Intensity Laser Light-Induced Of A Defect Wound InA Harris Hawk (Parabuteo unicinctus).· Andrés Montesinos: Cardiac Disease In A SakerFalcon: Possible Taurine Deficiency.

The three veterinarians of the Loro Parquepresented one talk each: Lorenzo Crosta, Veterinary Director of the LoroParque, spoke about: Testicular Biopsy in Psittacines:technique and histological findings.Marcellus Bürkle, staff veterinarian at the Loro Parque,presented: Electrophoresis in Psittaciformes - normalvalues and selected cases.Linda Timossi, Head of mammals, reptiles and sea-birds, gave a talk about the Medical and Non-MedicalManagement of a Mixed Species Penguin Collectionin a Closed Environment.

In addition they were instructing during thepractical laboratories, and co-authored two otherpapers.At the end of the Main Conference Dr. Crosta waselected for the second time as chairman of theEuropean Committee of the Association of Avian

Veterinarians. Furthermore, the Association of AvianVeterinarians, of which Dr. Crosta is a Board Director,endorsed the Loro Parque Fundación with a US$1000.00 prize for its activities in birds conservation.Prof. David Waugh, Director of the LPF, received theprize and gave a short thank you address.

Working sessions were complemented withseveral visits to Loro Parque and to the La VeraBreeding Centre. The visits to La Vera, guided by ourbird Curator Matthias Reinschmidt, gave theparticipants the opportunity to learn about the LPFtechniques in parrot breeding and management. Allthe visitors were deeply impressed with the highstandards used in the installation, and also with thelarge and diverse parrot collection hosted in thebreeding facilities.

LPF took advantage of this opportunity to placean information desk at the Conference site, whichturned out to be an excellent tool to present to allparticipants our efforts in parrot and natureconservation. Regularly during the coffee and lunchbreaks, the EAAV members approached our stand toacquire information on our activities. As a result,following the conference the Foundation now has 39new members.

Top: Donation acknowledgement by David Waugh. Bottom:Stand of LPF in the congress.


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Thermography at Loro Parque

For almost seven years, the technology of infraredthermography has been used more frequently in zoos aswell as in wild animals not only to control their healthcondition but also study the aspect of thermo-regulation.This technique is 100% non-invasive, which means thatthe animal does not even realize that it is being "studied".By means of a special infrared camera, the animal (i.e., itsbody heat) is being analysed, and images - so-calledthermograms - are being recorded and evaluated on thespot or later in greater detail on the computer. With thiscamera, even moving images may be taped using a videorecorder.

On the previously mentioned thermograms, warmskin spots are marked red (or white when overcontrolled),moderate ones yellow to green and cold ones blue to violetas a false colour image. White coloured fields are warmerthan the upper extreme, black ones are colder than the lowerextreme temperature on the scale. Each colour of an imageis individually correlated with a certain temperature in ºC.On the scale next to the image, the correlation between acolour and a temperature is always shown. Therefore, theimages may only be interpreted using the comparativeevaluation scale.

In order to investigate several aspects of thermo-regulation and answer questions such as 'Why don't apenguin's feet freeze to the ice?' or 'How do sea lions,dolphins or parrots release body heat?' or 'How does a gorillarelease heat compared to human beings?', a researcher fromFrankfurt Zoo in Germany visited Loro Parque in Tenerife,Spain, where the biggest Penguinarium of Europe housesAntarctic penguins in an authentic snow and ice habitat.There, she should find the answers to all these questions.The study was documented by the German TV channel'Kabel 1' for a new scientific programme about to launchvery soon.

The infrared images show very clearly what scientiststheoretically had found out years ago analysing thestructure of blood vessels: When a penguin stands on anicy surface, it uses a complex counter current heat exchangesystem in the flippers and legs. The blood vessels of apenguin's legs are arranged in a way that the ones whichlead the warm blood towards the legs - the arteries - lieclose to the ones that lead the blood from the body into theextremities - the veins; the heat of the warm vessel is

Dr. Dr. Sabine Hilsberg, Frankfurt Zoo

transferred to the cold one, warming up the blood whichstreams towards the body and cooling down the bloodwhich streams into the legs. As a consequence, the feet arekept cold which prevents them from warming and meltingthe ice underneath, which, otherwise, would cause them toget stuck to the surface - similar to the flippers, whosesurfaces would release too much heat into the air if thisheat would not re-enter the body through the counter currentheat exchange system. However, once in a while a penguinhas to warm up its feet and flippers to improve the exchangeof metabolic substances. To this end, the penguin tips upits feet, and rests its entire weight on the heels and tail,reducing contact with the icy surface. That way, it can warmup its feet and prevent them from sticking to the ice. Sittingon a boulder, it is of less importance for him to tip the feet ashe can warm them standing in the normal position.

This principle of counter current heat exchange mayalso be observed in dolphins and sea lions. In cool water,they try to lose the least body heat possible in the flipperswhich are not that well insulated; but since water is muchmore heat conductive than the air - which we notice whenwe humans enter the water and immediately feel chilly - ,these animals, as well as the penguins, have a thick fatlayer, and seals, in addition, a fur coat, with which theyprotect the entire body except for the flippers and feetrespectively. The latter they have to protect with the heatexchange system. They also put on the "radiator" now andthen to support their metabolism. The eyes of these marineanimals as well as the lower parts of the whiskers of theseals are excluded from this heat saving measure, since theeyes of mammals and birds require a certain temperature tofunction which lies between 35 and 40 ºC. Given theseconditions, the eye can properly focus objects in theenvironment which is absolutely necessary for hunting prey.At the same time, a seal's whiskers only operate on a specifictemperature, for at their lower parts where the roots arethey have sensitive receptors that only work given a specifictemperature. With human beings it is similar: After playingin the snow our hands have cooled down that much that wehardly can grasp or feel anything because our receptorscan no longer function properly under such temperatures.The seals, however, do need their whiskers to explore theirsurroundings, so the loss of heat is inevitable.

As far as the parrots are concerned, we observedthat some species with larger beaks e.g. hyacinth macaws

A Collaboration between Loro Parque and Frankfurt Zoo


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may use the lower mandible to release heat. Smaller parrotssuch as amazons do not have to rely on this measure underthe same temperature conditions, since they have a betterrelation of surface area-body mass. Birds and mammalsproduce plenty of heat during the metabolic process. Forthose that have a larger body, it is more difficult to get rid ofthe body heat in summer. Although the feathers are notcomparable to the marine mammals' fat layer, they do insulatethe parrots' body quite well, so that the latter can survive intheir habitat even in colder and windier seasons. However,the release of heat becomes a real problem not only forparrots but also for humans, when the air is very hot andhumid. In that case, the hyacinth macaw releases heatthrough the beak increasing blood circulation in the lowermandible, or he seeks water or moist clay to cool down. Theblue and yellow macaw, for example, has a spot of skin onthe cheeks where almost no feathers grow, and which itmay use to release heat through an increased bloodcirculation rather than by means of the beak. When it isexcited or stressed, the blood circulates much faster throughthis specific spot on the face, which makes the bird look likeit has "red cheeks". The palm cockatoo is another parrotspecies that uses its featherless cheeks for heat regulation,though in a slightly different way: When it is cold, it maycontract or relax its facial muscles to move the small feathersaround the lower mandible and make them cover thefeatherless cheeks completely; when it is comfortable withthe temperature, it relaxes the muscles and the bare red skinof the cheeks becomes visible again.

When observing the gorilla bachelor group whichcomprises individuals of different ages, we were able toobserve that the furry body parts provide a better protectionagainst heat loss than the bare ones. One of the younggorillas plucked his hair on the upper and lower arms, andwas observed to release more body heat there. However,spending most of the day playing and running to and fro inthe beautiful exhibit, it produces enough amount of heat sothat additional heat losses help to lower the bodytemperature. The gorillas' chest and face hardly presentany fur growth and are therefore suitable for getting rid ofexcessive body heat. In some individuals of the group, thenose was cooler than in others; this is also observed inhumans. In both gorillas and human beings, the eyes, dueto a lack of insulation and a high operating temperature,also release heat; this loss, however, is inevitable, since weare talking about an essential organ which is vital for survivalboth in the wild and in zoos. Generally, the loss of heat doesnot represent any problem for the gorillas in their warmclimate, but does for those that live in the wild in the Virungamountains, the wet and cold habitat of the mountain gorillas.Therefore, the latter have a much denser coat than thelowland gorillas which were studied in Loro Parque.The results of this study can be used by the scientists ofFrankfurt Zoo and Loro Parque to assess and controlaccommodation and health conditions of these animals notonly in zoos but also in the wild.

Thermography of a Blue and yellow macaw. No feathergrowth in some facial areas leads to a loss of heat. Theupper and lower mandible is cool, with no heat radiation.

Thermography of a Hyacinth macaw. No featherless areason the head; no heat loss. The lower mandible shows anincreased blood circulation.

Thermography of a Palm cockatoo. This species contractsor relaxes its facial muscles to move the small feathersaround the lower mandible and make them cover thefeatherless cheeks completely to conserve or lose heat re-spectively. Top: heat release activated. Bottom: heat re-lease disactivated.


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On 19 and 20 March, the Loro Parque Fundacióncollaborated in the organisation of the II Master inManagement of tropical Biodiversity, a course organisedby the Fundacion Carolina, the Friends of Coto DoñanaFoundation and the University of San Pablo CEU. In thedevelopment of the master’s course, different institutionsand organisations related with biodiversity conservation,such as the National Parks Network, the University of LaLaguna and the Loro Parque Fundación, collaborate. In thefacilities of the Thai Village four presentations within thecourse were given: “Zoological parks and biodiversityconservation ex situ and in situ” (Prof. David Waugh),

FOUNDATION NEWS - FOUNDATION NEWS - FOUNDATION NEWS

to all the centres of education in Tenerife. The followingpeople attended the presentation: The Tenerife Councillorfor Education, Employment and Youth,, Josefa GarcíaMoreno, the President of the Loro Parque Fundación GeneralAdministrator of Loro Parque, Wolfgang Kiessling, theCoordinador of the Programme «Journey School» of theDirectorate General of Education promotion, ValentínRodríguez, anmd the directors of the six Tenerife Centresfor Teachers.

By means of this production we will put this tool atthe disposal of all students in formal education, graduates,and official language schools of Tenerife, representingapproximately 150,000 students each year.

Another arrival from St Vincent...... However, thistime not a St Vincent parrot, but the St Vincent & GrenadinesChief Veterinary Officer, Dr Kathian Herbert-Hackshaw.Arriving in Tenerife on 3 March and staying with us until 29April, Kathian undertook this two-month internshipsupported by the Loro Parque Fundación. During her periodof training she was based in the clinic situated in LoroParque, and worked alongside our veterinarians dealing withall aspects of the health management of parrots, but with aspecial focus on surgical techniques. In the last week of herstay, Kathian had the good fortune to be able to attend the2003 Annual Conference of the European Association ofAvian Veterinarians hosted by Loro Parque, and thereforethe chance to gain more experience in the workshops, andto make useful contacts for future collaboration. In her homecountry, Kathian is responsible for all health aspects of theSt Vincent parrots maintained in the St Vincent Governmentbreeding centre, and she will be able to put her experiencegained from Loro Parque to very good use in theconservation of this threatened species. The Loro ParqueFundación is continuing to support this conservation effort,and will be sending further equipment to Kathian to helpher in her task. The Fundación gives a special thanks to DrThomas Nichols, fellow member of the St Vincent ParrotConservation Consortium, for his generous sponsorship

“Activities in environmental education of the Loro ParqueFundación” (Dr. Javier Almunia), «Insular ecology appliedto the case of the Canary Islands» (Prof. Antonio MachadoCarrillo) and «Macaronesian botany» (Prof. WilfredoWilpret). These talks permitted the students of the master’scourse (20 Latinamerican biologists, many of them personnelof the environmental agencies of their countries) to discoverthe biodiversity of the Canary Islands, with interestingexamples of adaptive radiation, colonisation, etc, and theobtain information about the planning, execution andfinancing of conservation projects in situ and ex situ.

Furthermore the students had the opportunity toundertake a guided tour of the installations ofLoro Parque, including the Veterinary Clinic and the BabyStation, as well as the La Vera Breeding Centre.

At the end of March we carried out the presentationof the educational project of the Loro Parque Fundación,«Paco el Loro». This is an education package comprising avideo in 4 languages and an interactive CD-Rom . The video,produced by the LPF and mainly filmed in Loro Parque, is abasic introduction to the diversity and beauty of parrots.With the production of the video in various languages, onecan use this material for the learning of languages ineducational centres in Tenerife and, at the same time, spreadinformation about the characteristics and conservationproblems of psittacines.

With the financial support of Loro Parque and theTenerife Island Government, 500 copies of this didacticpackage were produced, which have been distributed free


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FOUNDATION NEWS - FOUNDATION NEWS - FOUNDATION NEWS

of Kathian's travel costs, and to the AAV for under-writingthe cost for her to attend the EAAV conference.

During the last three months, not only did the islandof Tenerife witness the outbreak of spring with a largenumber of flourishing plants and colourful flowers, but alsothe parrots started their breeding mode. The rise oftemperature and longer daylight are merely two factorswhich stimulate the parrots' breeding activity. The parrots'breeding activity has been booming and many species havelaid eggs. At the same time, a large number of chicks havehatched.

The cockatoos are some of the first species whichlay eggs at the beginning of the year. In autumn, the nestboxes of the white cockatoos are usually taken out of theaviaries to be cleaned, and only when the new breedingseason sets in are they returned into the aviaries. Afterthat, usually only few days pass until the first eggs arerecorded, the Major Mitchell's cockatoos (Cacatualeadbeateri) being the first ones to breed. Five chicks havenow hatched from two pairs of this species. The mostreliable breeding pairs of our Moluccan cockatoos (Cacatuamoluccensis), Sulphur-crested cockatoos (Cacatua galeritagalerita), Slender-billed corellas (Cacatua tenuirostris),Long-billed corellas (Cacatua pastinator), Short-billedcorellas (Cacatua sanguinea), Triton cockatoos (Cacatuagalerita triton), Eleonora cockatoos (Cacatua galeritaeleonora), Lesser Sulphur-crested cockatoos (Cacatuasulphurea) Citron-crested cockatoos (Cacatua sulphureacitrinocristata), Abbott's Sulphur-crested cockatoos(Cacatua sulphurea abbotti) as well as Blue-eyedcockatoos (Cacatua ophtalmica) have started reproducing.

Good news can be reported also from the Pionusspecies whose most settled breeding pair of Pionustumultuosus has laid a clutch. Since this species is ratheruncommon in captivity, Loro Parque Foundation is veryinterested in exchanging young animals with other breedersto get fresh blood into the blood line of our birds.

We have also increased the number of subspeciesheld in the collection to 346, including three pairs of theNew Caledonian Lorikeet (Trichoglossus haematodusdelpanchii) which we obtained from a French breeder andthree Burmese blossom-headed parakeets (Psittacularoseata juneae) from a German parakeet breeder. All thesenewcomers are currently undergoing an obligatory sixweeks' quarantine and will be integrated into the collectionafter medical tests have proved that there are no indicationsof diseases.

The amazon species had a very promising start, 11species of which have produced over 30 chicks so far.Among these, we find less common species such as theYellow-faced amazon (Amazona xanthops) and thevinaceous amazon (Amazona vinacea). An unexpectedsurprise was the hatching of young Salvin's amazons(Amazona autumnalis salvini) and Roatán amazons(Amazona auropalliata caribae) after a long break. Thefirst fertile clutches of our Red-spectacled amazons

(Amazona pretrei) and our Red-browed amazons (Amazonarhodocorytha) also appear to be successful.

The pair of St. Vincent amazons (Amazonaguildingii) which was formed last year are getting alongvery well in their huge aviary, manifesting active behaviour.At present, the two birds are intensively chewing the entryof one specific nest box (out of three which were installed)which makes us hope that, maybe, they will start breedingthis year.

In the case of two pairs of our Blue-crowned lories(Vini australis), one chick has already fledged. Two eggsof a third pair have been transferred to the incubator afterthe parents repeatedly destroyed the clutches. The chickshatched with a weight of merely 2 grs and are being lookedafter by one of the keepers who feeds them every two hours-otherwise, they wouldn't have a chance to survive. The

chicks are growing satisfactorily and, after two weeks, theyhave already reached a body weight of 10 grs.

The Association of Avian Veterinarians has in recentyears, in relation to each annual conference, developed adonation programme to local conservation organisations.In 2003, with the European AAV Annual Conference beinghosted by Loro Parque, the AAV conservation committeevoted to donate US$1,000 to the Loro Parque Fundación insupport of its conservation work focused on parrots. Wethank the AAV very much for its support.

In recognition of the advantage to have a diversityof expertise in the Board of Advisors of the Loro ParqueFundación, its President Mr Wolfgang Kiessling invited asa new Advisor Dr Wolf Michael Iwand. Dr Iwand is Directorof the Corporate Environmental Management Departmentof Tui AG, one of the world´s largest and leading tourismcompanies. The Tui Group has many activities and coversall stages of tourism, from travel agencies to tour operatorsand airlines, right through to hotels and incoming agencies.Of direct relevance to the Fundación, it is also very activein matters of tourism and environment. Dr Iwand hasgraciously accepted the invitation, and we look forward tohis participation to bring an additional perspective to assistthe LPF in its development.


Loro Parque hosts the XXXIstEAAM Symposium

In principle, the association's objective is to promotethe exchange of knowledge, expertise and scientificattainments on marine mammals; this is why the EAAMpublishes a quarterly info brochure called «AquaticMammals», dealing with many different aspects of their careand conservation as well as medical and scientific issues.

The event is one of high reputation because it countswith the assistance of the most well-known marine mammalspecialists in the world such as Prof. David Taylor and Prof.Andrew Greenwood (International Zoo Veterinary Group,

IZVG) in the UK, as well as Jim McBain and Brad Andrews(Seaworld) in the US.

The scientific programme of the conference includedover thirty presentations given by renowned personalities.The Spanish scientists were also represented by some ofthe most excellent specialists among which were VidalMartín, who dealt with the massive stranding of beakedwhales, and Pascual Calabuig, who spoke about differentissues such as the aggressive behaviour of marine dolphins.

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The European Association for Marine Mammals (EAAM) was created in 1972during the celebration of a meeting at the Dolphinarium of Harderwijk,

Netherlands. It is an association of people interested in marine mammalsand in every aspect which deals with their life, well-being and conservationboth in the wild and in captivity. Among these people, we find veterinarians,biologists, zoo and marine park directors, trainers, researchers and all thosewho dedicate a considerable amount of time to the welfare of these animalsby means of research, medical care, training, education and conservation.


The programme was prepared by Loro Parque andstarted with two medical-scientific sessions which providedways of treatment of marine mammals, while the third sessiondealt with ecological aspects. The following sessionsfocused on topics such as physiology, education andbehaviour as well as neonatology and etiology in the wildand in captivity. As a highlight of the congress, all theparticipants were taken to the south of the island of Tenerifeto participate in a whale watching boat trip. In this touristicactivity, the Canary Islands hold the second position world-wide as far as the number of clients is concerned.

The General Director of Environmental Politics ofthe local government, Juan Carlos Moreno, underlined thehuge variety of the scientific programme as well as theversatile offer in general issues which address the life andwelfare of marine mammals both in the wild and those thatlive in aquatic installations. Mr Moreno himself presenteda paper on the conservation of cetaceans along the Canarycoastlines, including the role the Canarian government playsin such conservation measures. In the face of the recentdeath of 24 beaked whales along the coasts of Lanzaroteand Fuerteventura which is most certainly related to somemilitary manoeuvres, Mr Moreno announced the possibilityof a creation of a protected area excluded from any militaryaction.

The President of the Society for Cetacean Researchin the Canary Archipelago SECAC, Vidal Martín, informedabout the fact that the necropsies carried out on the deadanimals hinted at a clear relation between the sonar and thestranding of the animals. The cerebral haemorrhagesprovoked disorientation in the animals followed bycardiovascular collapse resulting in death during thestranding.

Another problem mentioned by Mr. Moreno was thatof interaction between humans and dolphins whichseriously troubles the authorities in view of the danger andconsequences it entails: "The more man introduces himselfinto these animals' habitat, building cages for pisciculture,the more these animals discover an easy source of food;moreover, they directly relate with humans such as is alreadyhappening in the south of Tenerife, where people feed thedolphins with dead fish, with serious consequences for bothanimals and humans. The beaches are close and we don'tknow how they may interact", declared Juan Carlos Moreno."In this aspect, we are going to be very strict, a decision wehave also already communicated to the Fishing Authoritieswhich will act correspondingly, explicitly prohibiting thiskind of activity and concentrating on finding mechanismsto keep them away from these cages to which they arealready accustomed", announced the counsellor.

During one of the other presentations given on thelast day of the Symposium, the participants were shown avideo tape recorded two years ago on a beach in southern

15

Gran Canaria. The images show a 60 year old tourist whowas attacked and killed by a bottlenose dolphin near theshore. The interaction turned out deadly for the womangiven the physical advantage of the dolphin. PascualCalabuig, Veterinarian of the Wildlife Recovery Centre inTafira (Las Palmas de Gran Canaria) seriously doubts thatthe attack was carried out with ill intent.

This has been the second time that the Symposiumof the European Association of Marine Mammals took placeat Loro Parque, a clear evidence of the responsibility thatour organisation has assumed to come up to the mostchallenging standards concerning the management of animalspecies which can be found in the marine animal collection.However, Loro Parque not only looks after the well-beingof their own animals, ensuring perfect conditions of health,hygiene and accommodation, but also collaborates activelyin the dissemination of knowledge which this event perfectlymanifests.

The routine controls carried out for the health of thedolphins represent a vital data source for the managementof such groups in captivity. As an example we might takethe haematological data base which is being recorded atLoro Parque as well as the regular collection of samplesfrom the mucous membrane inside the blowholes forbacteriological tests. The latter have brought about aproposal of a PhD thesis which would use the dolphins ofLoro Parque to find out more about the epidemiology andimmunology of bottlenose dolphins, two completelyunexplored domains with an enormous potential to producevaluable diagnostic means to benefit the health of thisspecies.

The consistency and diligence employed by the LoroParque team in the care of the dolphins also led to thedevelopment of a neonates' diet presented by Joan Salichsat the conference. This new diet very much aroused theparticipants' interest at the Symposium.

In addition, a research project is currently being doneat Loro Parque which intends to digitalize and analyse thedolphins' sounds by means of which they communicateand, through experiments, to focus on the existence ofcommunication codes used by the animals to defineelements. The thesis is being carried out by a Hungarianbiology student within a doctoral scholarship, and is beingsupervised by Professor of Zoology Luis Felipe LópezJurado of the University of Las Palmas (Gran Canaria).

At the same time, the annual meeting of theInternational Marine Animal Trainers Association (IMATA)also took place.


During the long weekend of 2 to 6 May, the RareBird Club of Birdlife International was invited by fellow clubmember Mr Wolfgang Kiessling to visit Tenerife and enjoyseeing many exciting species of birds, as well as thespectacular scenery and the local culture. The select partyof 18 members had a diverse programme of visits to thedifferent natural habitats and typical Canarian communitiesin Tenerife, as well as to visit Loro Parque and the La VeraBreeding Centre to discover the conservation projects beingundertaken by the Loro Parque Fundación. At the inauguraldinner in the Hotel Botánico Mr Kiessling formally welcomedthe visitors and, according to Rare Bird Club tradition, asthe host member he presented a gift of initiation (a paintingofAfrican skimmers) to new members Dr Mortimer and MrsTheresa Sackler.

The first day´s outing found the bird-watchinggroup exploring the largest area of intact Laurisilva forestremaining in Tenerife, within the Monte del Agua protectedarea. Here occur the two threatened species of pigeonsendemic to the Canary Islands, Bolle’s pigeon, Columbabollii and Laurel pigeon Columba junoniae. Not being soeasy to spot, the group was at least able to see some Bolle’spigeons and enjoy other birds, including abundant wildcanaries Serinus canaria. The non-birdwatchers took a tourto Icod de los Vinos, Garachico and Masca, before the twogroups met at Los Gigantes for an afternoon boat tour to seedolphins and seabirds. The group had very close and excitingexperience with Bottle-nosed dolphins Tursiops truncatus,nesting and fishing Ospreys Pandion haliatus, rafts ofCory’s shearwaters Calonectris diomedea and three Barbaryfalcons Falco (peregrinus) pelegrinoides.

The following day the entire group saw the rarestand most threatened parrot species in the world at the LoroParque Fundación Breeding Centre. They witnessed ourtremendous breeding success with the Blue-throated macawAra glaucogularis, and learned more about the conservationproject for this species in Bolivia as a joint effort betweenthe Fundación and the Birdlife International partner. A tourof Loro Parque followed, with lunch and time for the group

Rare Birds in TenerifeA flying visit by the Rare Bird Club of Birdlife International

Dr Mortimer Sackler (left) is welcomed to the Rare Bird ClubLeft to right: Mr Wolfgang Kiessling, Ms Jane Fenton, Dr MikeRands, Mrs Theresa Sackler

to enjoy the park at their leisure. Some of the best appreciatedexhibits were the penguins.

The final day was a tour of the Teide National Park,including the native pine forests. A walk in the pine forestsquickly produced two endemic bird species of Tenerife, theBlue chaffinch Fringilla teydea and the Tenerife goldcrestRegulus teneriffae. Higher still the group encounteredBerthelot’s pipit Anthus berthelotii and endemic floweringplants in profusion, including the 2m high Tajinaste Echiumwildpretii.

All told, this excursion provided something foreach member of the Rare Bird Club. This club supports theconservation work undertaken by Birdlife International atglobal level. The LPF and Birdlife have for many yearsworked in fruitful collaboration for the conservation ofthreatened species and habitats, Birdlife being the generalistand the LPF being the parrot specialist. Through suchcollaborative projects, the Rare Bird Club members can knowthat their support is used well, and we look forward towelcoming the club again in the future.

The Advisory Board of LThe Advisory Board of LThe Advisory Board of LThe Advisory Board of LThe Advisory Board of Loro Poro Poro Poro Poro Parque Farque Farque Farque Farque Fundacionundacionundacionundacionundacion

Ian R. SwinglandFounder

Durrell Institute ofConservation and Ecology

Kent, England

Roland WirthPresident

Zoological Society for the Protectionof Species and Populations

Munich, Germany

Povl JorgensenAviculturist

Haslev, Denmark

Nigel J. CollarBirdlife International

Leventis Fellow in Conservation BiologyCambridge University, England

Susan L. ClubbAvian Veterinarian

Florida, USA

Wolfgang GrummtAnimal Park Friedrichsfelde

Berlin, Germany

Tomás de Azcárate y BangMinistry of the Environment

of the Canary IslandsTenerife, Spain

Jørgen B. ThomsenSenior Vice-President

Conservation InternationalWashington DC, USA

Dr. Wolf Michael IwandDirector of the Corporate

Environmental ManagementDepartment of TUI,

Alemania

16


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In its previous phase, the project funded by LPFand implemented by BirdLife International IndonesiaProgramme was focused on the determination of the status,habitat use and traffic in the Goffin's cockatooand the Blue-streaked lory), especially on Yamdena, the main island, butalso in other islands of the archipelago of Tanimbar. Thatprevious work gave the field team the opportunity to obtaindata on vegetation, land use, logging concessions, trafficin birds, and other questions evolving the around the useof the natural resources in the area. As a result they identifiedthe major threats that both parrot species face as thesystematic destruction of their habitat through illegal loggingand unsustainable issuance of logging concessions, as wellas the need to feed the illegal traffic of parrots. The resultsalso pointed out that the parrot population seemed to bestable, suggesting a natural compensation of the removaland mortality produced by illegal traffic. However, thissurprisingly positive outcome didn't result in complacency,as the recently acquired autonomy of the archipelago, the

The Tanimbar archipelago is presently regarded as the highest priority area in the Mollucanprovince of Indonesia for the protection of forest and endemic Parrot species. The islands

harbour two endemic species of psittacines (the Tanimbar Cockatoo Cacatua goffini and theBlue-streaked Lory Eos reticulata) as well as a distinct subspecies of Eclectus Parrot Eclectusroratus riedeli. The conservation status of nature in the Tanimbar Archipelago and, espe-

cially, the situation of parrot populations in the area, have been in the Foundation's portfoliosince 1990. Early on the Loro Parque Fundación identified the area as an essential target for

nature protection through parrot conservation activities. The first support to the Tanimbarconservation efforts was used for survey work and, ten years later, LPF commited additionalsupport to carry out further surveys so as to assess the conservation status of Tanimbar's par-rots and other endemic birds. Taking into account the funds committed for 2003, the LPF hasdedicated US$ 37,050 to biodiversity conservation on the Tanimbar Archipelago. This article

reports the findings of the Tanimbar field team, just received by the Fundación.

News from the TanimbarIslands Field Project

precarious economy of the region and the limited technicalqualification of the personnel working in management ofnatural resources suggested an uncertain future.

As a consequence of identifying these threats tobiodiversity in Tanimbar, Birdlife Indonesia, submitted afunding proposal to LPF in order to set up an awareness andadvocacy campaign to promote protection of Tanimbar'sEndemic Parrots and their habitats, which would have thesupport of key local stakeholders. The LPF respondedpositively on this proposal, approving a funding of US$20,000 for the year 2002.

To achieve its main goals, the proposal formulatedseveral sub-objectives, these being: the development of anawareness strategy with local people and Government andthe production of materials to support the implementationof the conservation strategy; the analysis of localGovernment policies and actions relating to forest


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conservation and the parrot trade on Tanimbar; theidentification of the baseline of the current level of parrottrapping and trade and forest destruction on Tanimbar and,finally; the establishment of partnerships with key decisionmakers and opinion leaders to implement conservationawareness activities in the present year.

By this means, the present project put intoeffect the recommendations of the preparatory survey, usingan innovative approach combining targeted public awarenessand advocacy to local government to ensure that trade iscontrolled and forest protected on the island. Educationcampaigns targeted community leaders and elected decisionmakers, whilst at the same time the project supported localgovernment technical staff to prepare good plans for forestmanagement, and provided training and motivation for thoseinvolved in control of the bird trade.

This approach is considered by the fieldteam the most effective in the new political climate inIndonesia, where central government influence has declinedand authority for decisions about management of resourceshas been delegated to local governments. Loro Parque is theonly source of funds for the essential and urgentenvironmental education activities about the values ofbiodiversity and the problems of trade. BirdLife alsosubmitted applications to finance complementary humandevelopment tasks, such as technical capacity-building ofgovernment, and micro-projects to help communities whichlive close to forest.

The field team planned to achieve the mainobjectives with several activities: to carry out a survey ofpublic knowledge and attitudes; to run a workshop withrepresentatives of key institutions (eg government, church,schools, farmer's groups) to agree a strategy for awareness

activities; to carry out an analysis of current governmentpolicies and actions; to consult local government to identifyopportunities to support and influence their actions; to carryout field and market surveys to establish current levels oftrade and trapping; to carry out field surveys to identifycauses and extent of forest loss and identify priorities foraction; to identify opportunities for the project to work withlocal government and community to implement awarenessand forest conservation activities; and to establishagreements with key institutions for implementation ofproject activities in the present year.

Top left: A view of the Tanimbar forest habitat. Top Right: Mapshowing the forest status and use in the Tanimbar archipelago.Bottom: Eos reticulata.


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Public surveyThe survey of public knowledge and attitudes

showed interesting and encouraging results. The pubic doesnot view the responsibility for the Tanimbar cockatoo andparrot conservation as strictly the government's. The highestnumber of respondents (32%) said that the villagers shouldbe responsible and 6% put the village chief as responsible,whilst only 24% considered it the government's job and 6%put the KSDA (Natural Resource Conservation Department).16.67% said they did not know and the rest gave variousanswers.

Although the Tanimbarese have been familiar withTanimbar parrots and cockatoos since childhood, few ofthem are aware that these birds are endemic to Tanimbar.When asked to name Tanimbar's unique feature, only 3.3%answered the Tanimbar cockatoo and other parrots.

When asked where these birds lived, the majorityof the subjects (84.7%) answered the forest, 8.7% answeredthe forest edge, 1.7% said the garden, and the rest gaveother answers. When asked how the public perceived theTanimbar cockatoo and parrot populations in the wild today,55.3% of the subjects said that it was growing; 37.3% said itwas declining, 4.3% said it was steady, and the remaining3% claimed they did not know. When those who believedthe wildlife population to be declining were asked to identifythe cause of the decline, 61% gave no answer; 32.3% claimedit was the trapping; 4.3% pointed at the forest damage; andthe remaining 2.3% said they did not know.

When asked if the public would approve of thetrapping of Tanimbar parrots and cockatoos for trade, 50.3%of the subjects said they did not approve; 46.3% approvedand 3.3% gave no reply. Although half of the subjects

disapproved with parrot and cockatoo trapping, when askedto state a reason for their disapproval, more than half of thesubjects (53%) could not give an answer, 14.7% claimed aconcern for their extinction; 14% answered prohibition bylaw, 7.7% said that the birds were a gift from God; 5.7%claimed they did not know, and the remaining 5% gave otheranswers. When asked about the public's understanding ofthe benefits of the Tanimbar parrot and cockatoo, only 2.7%saw an ecological benefit, while the rest tended to view themin terms of the direct and tangible benefits to the community.

Another encouraging result is that 85% of thesubjects say that the birds need to be conserved. Moreover,the public's willingness to assume responsibility for birdand forest conservation in Tanimbar provides a most valuableopportunity. It is expected that by fortifying the public withinformation on the environment, relevant laws, and a certaintyon their rights and obligations, the public will be able toconduct their own environmental safeguarding andconservation efforts.

In sum, the survey stated clearly a lack ofknowledge about the importance, status and conservationneeds of the Tanimbar's endemic parrots and, at the sametime, a high awareness level and a willingness to be involvedin nature conservation activities.

Legal and illegal trappingSince 2000, the Natural Resource Conservation

Department Sub-Section (SS-KSDA) of Tanimbar has notissued any trapping or transport permit for Tanimbar parrotsfor trade, but it is still issuing permits for souvenir purposes.Nonetheless, the facts indicate that illegal capturing andtrading of Tanimbar parrots are still thriving. This is due topoor monitoring on the part of the single Tanimbar SS-KSDA

Principal ProjectsPrincipal ProjectsPrincipal ProjectsPrincipal ProjectsPrincipal Projects* Brazil: Spix’s Macaw (Cyanopsitta spixii) Recovery Programme* Brazil: Conservation of the Red-tailed Amazon (Amazona brasiliensis)* Bolivia: Blue-throated Macaw (Ara glaucogularis) Conservation* Colombia & Ecuador: Conservation of the Yellow-eared Parrot (Ognorhynchus icterotis)* Thailand: Protection of Phu Khieo Wildlife Sanctuary* Philippines: Philippine Cockatoo (Cacatua haematuropygia) Conservation Programme* Indonesia: Conservation of Endemic Parrots on the Tanimbar Islands

Small-scale GrantsSmall-scale GrantsSmall-scale GrantsSmall-scale GrantsSmall-scale Grants* Ecuador: Conservation of the El Oro Parakeet (Pyrrhura orcesi)* St Vincent & the Grenadines: Conservation of the St Vincent Parrot (Amazona guildingii)* Indonesia: The nesting ecology of Yellow-crested Cockatoo (Cacatua sulphurea citrinocristata) on Sumba* Colombia: Project Hapalopsittaca: parrot search in the Central Andes

Active Conservation Projectsof the Loro Parque Fundación:


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staff member, who is responsible for the issue. This oneperson has to cover the entire Western Southeast Maluku(MTB) district. The data obtained from the Tanimbar KSDASub-Section indicates that, in 2001, 30 C. goffini and 80 E.reticulata souvenir permits were issued, while in 2002 theTanimbar SS-KSDA issued souvenir permits for 25 C. goffiniand 81 E. reticulata.

Parrot trade survey activities were conducted inSaumlaki's marketplace and ports in December 2002.Monitoring was also carried out in the villages visited duringthe public knowledge and attitude survey to learn of anytrapping activities. The observations detected 2 C. goffini,28 E. reticulata and 2 Geoffroyus geoffroyi brought on boardthe Yamdena Satar (headed for Ambon) by differentindividuals as souvenirs. Over the course of the visits tothe six surveyed villages, no cockatoo and parrot trappingwas observed. One exit point for the illegal trade of endemicTanimbar parrots is the seaport on Larat island. Situated tothe north end of Yamdena Island, it provides a stop forships departing from Tanimbar. Currently there is nosurveillance to detect parrot traffic there.

Future actionsThe Final Technical Report of the field team has

concluded with some recommendations on the futureactivities that should be carried out on the Tanimbararchipelago in order to ensure the protection of its wildlife.Among them are, to:

Provide information on the environment, relevantlaws and regulations, clarify public rights and obligationstowards the forest/environment, and cultivate pride in theunique species of birds and plants that they have.

Urge the Tanimbarese authorities to stop issuingany souvenir permits, especially for C. goffini and E.reticulata.

Establish a control to monitor anypossible illegal transport of endemic Tanimbar parrots outof the area through the Larat port.

Take legal action against any illegal trader ofendemic Tanimbar parrots and illegal loggers for commercialpurposes.

Promote a forest area on Yamdena island to serveas an environmental buffer, water catchment area and homefor wildlife.

Regulate chainsaw distribution in Tanimbar, formonitoring the number of chainsaws circulating in thecommunity.

Discuss with religious leaders thepossibility of the endemic Tanimbar parrots being protectedunder the church's sasi traditional laws.

Plan land use on the island and integrate traditionaland Government systems for management of land.

Birdlife Indonesia has submitted a fundingproposal to carry out these conservation activities, andthis will be evaluated in September 2003 at the AdvisoryBoard Meeting of the LPF. This is a hugely encouragingresult of an important collaborative project between the

LPF and Birdlife International and, although there is stillmuch to be done, the signs are positive for the conservationof forests and endemic parrots of Tanimbar. The LPF willkeep its supporters informed of future developments.

Top: Traditional boat construction from a log. Bottom: Clearedforets for gardening activities.


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New Actions for theBlue-throated Macaw

The Blue-throated Macaw is endemic to the Benisavannas, forming the centre-piece of Bolivia's lowlandsand drained by the mighty Mamore River and itstributaries. Like many other large parrot species, itspopulation has been strongly affected in the past byuncontrolled exploitation to acquire live specimens forthe international pet market, and through the ongoingalteration of its habitat to satisfy local needs for firewoodand construction materials, and to increase grazing areasfor cattle, the principal business in the Beni Department.

Several projects have been implemented overthe last eight years, including environmental education,control of animal trafficking and the strengthening ofrelationships and cooperation with cattle farmers andgovernmental institutions. However, data collected in

Shortly after the re-discovery of the Blue-throated Macaw Ara glaucogularis(BTM) in 1992, the Blue-throated Macaw Conservation Programme was

started as a joint venture of the Bolivian NGO and Birdlife International part-ner, Asociación Armonía, and the Loro Parque Fundación, with the aim to

preserve one of the world's rarest and most spectacular parrot species and it'shabitat. The Programme´s Field Coordinator, Siegfried Weisel, provides an up-

date on the new activities for the conservation of this species.

2001 and 2002 indicate that the overall number of BTMshas further declined to reach critical level estimated atless than 50 individuals identified within its currentlyknown geographic range.

Our understanding of the exact reasons why thepopulation of BTMs has further declined is stillincomplete. Apart from a well-developed researchprogramme aiming at the identification of the main threatsto A. glaucogularis populations, immediate and firmactions have to be taken now in order to avoid the finalextinction of this species.

Loro Parque Fundacion and Armonía haverecently been working on the development of acomprehensive species recovery program, which will

Other macaws in Blue-throated macaw habitat: Red-bellied macaws Ara manilata


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Riverine habitat in the Blue-throated Macaw range.

The establishment of the new base in Trinidad,more planned field explorations into remoter, lessaccessible areas in the Beni lowlands and the up-comingimplementation of more conservation and researchprojects in the field, means a better chance to detect yetundiscovered BTMs and to learn more about theimminent threats and how to counteract them. However,this inevitably increases the overall costs to conservethis critically endangered species, and we thereforeappeal to all interested and conservation-minded readersto help us in any way possible. Besides any very welcomefinancial contribution, we are still looking for sponsorsof urgently needed field equipment (please see the boxfor details).

With our permanent operational base in the corearea of the BTM distribution and the renewedcommitment of the Federation of Cattle Farmers of theBeni Department (FEGABENI), and the Bolivian WildlifeDepartment, to cooperate in all possible ways to preventthe endemic Blue-throated Macaw from going extinct,we are confident that we shall reach our goal, the long-term preservation of the species and its habitat.

be presented to the appropriate Bolivian Ministry at thebeginning of June 2003 to secure ministerial supportand the full endorsement to carry out the proposedconservation actions. Apart from the writing of thercovery plan, two concrete steps to enhance the chancesfor saving the species have been taken within the lastthree months.

An office to serve as the new operational basefor the BTM programme has been established in the cityof Trinidad, the capital of the Beni Department. This notonly guarantees a much faster access to currently knownand potentially existing BTM sites, but also facilitates animproved coordination and agreement with land ownersof the area (many living in Trinidad), concerning theaccess to BTM sites on their farms, and the jointdevelopment and monitoring of alternative farmmanagement techniques to preserve valuable BTM habitatfor the future. A first reconnaissance trip into the so farunexplored and very remote northwestern area of theBeni Dept., with suspected but still unconfirmed BTMpopulations, was carried out in April. Although no BTMpopulation was detected in this area, the habitatencountered there proved to provide excellent feedingand nesting possibilities and demands further exploration.

Equipment urgently needed forthe Blue-throated MacawConservation Programme

Boat and motorMotocross bikeCamp equipment:

tents,sleeping bags,inflatable mattresses,air pump,cooking stove,lantern,torches / flashlights,rucksacks / backpacks,portable water filter

Pelican boxRadios (2m band)BinocularsTelescope and tripodLaptop computerPortable sound recorderUnidirectional microphoneClimbing ropes

For further information, please contact the LPF:telephone +34 922 374081, fax: +34 922 375021,email: [email protected]

Thank you for your interest and support.


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Emcadisa, Panalu, Haribo, Pollenergie, Vogelfreunde Achern, The Bird Endowment, Cash and Carry, VerlagMichael Biedenbänder, Asociación de Veterinarios de Aves (AAV), Emerencio e Hijos, Georg Fischer, MoellerElectric, Cita, Hagen Avicultural Research Institute, Pakara, Agencia Guimerá, Rohersa., Rotary Club Distrito2200, Fixoni, Matutano, Kanarien- u. Exotenzuchtverein Forchheim 1963, Cavas Catalanas, Celgan, Club de

Leones, Iberlanda Garden, Dialte, Procalor, Frutas Cruz Santa.Malinda Chouinard, Diane Bock, Manuel Fraga Alba, Folker de Soye, Rolf & Ellen Pape, Gabrielle Alexander,

Carolyn Debuse & Kim Fondrk.

WWWWWe want to thank alle want to thank alle want to thank alle want to thank alle want to thank allour sponsors and donorsour sponsors and donorsour sponsors and donorsour sponsors and donorsour sponsors and donors

Over 30.000 Euros

Over 5.000 Euros

Up to 5.000 Euros

Sponsors and DonorsSponsors and DonorsSponsors and DonorsSponsors and DonorsSponsors and Donorsof Lof Lof Lof Lof Loro Poro Poro Poro Poro Parque Farque Farque Farque Farque Fundaciónundaciónundaciónundaciónundación

Loro Parque is the Foundation’sprincipal sponsor. Therefore, the fi-nancial support provided by oursponsors, members and donors can

be dedicated 100% to the widerange of parrot and biodiversityconservation activities ofLoro Parque Fundación.

The Newsletter of Loro Parque Fundacion Nº. 69 - June 2003 · 2006. 1. 4. · Cyanopsitta The...

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Transcript of The Newsletter of Loro Parque Fundacion Nº. 69 - June 2003 · 2006. 1. 4. · Cyanopsitta The...