(MY) milky stork project

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Local - www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Section/index_html?mysec=National

2007/07/20

 

Flying start to zoo's Milky Stork project - New Straits Times

By : Jaspal Singh

 

 

TAIPING: The Taiping Zoo's aviary has become the second after the

National Zoo's to succeed in the captive breeding of the Milky Stork.

 

A pair of the long-legged endangered mangrove and coastal mudflat

birds added two chicks to the zoo in May.

 

Taiping Zoo director Dr Kevin Lazarus said the success of the captive

breeding process would extend the lifeline for the endangered species

as natural breeding within the species had failed.

 

" That (failure of natural breeding) caused an alarming decrease in its

population over the last 20 years, " he said during a short tour of the

aviary section of the zoo, where the Milky Storks are being housed.

 

In May last year, the National Zoo had given the Taiping Zoo 10 birds

to try out its own captive breeding programme.

 

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment introduced captive

breeding to increase the Milky Stork population size, following a drop

in the number of sightings of these birds from more than 100 in the

1980s to fewer than 10 last year.

 

Acting on recommendations from a two-year study carried out by

Wetlands International and the Department of Wildlife and National

Parks, the ministry with the help of the National Zoo embarked on

captive breeding of the species after realising that natural breeding

had failed.

 

A special allocation of RM500,000 was set aside under the Ninth

Malaysia Plan for captive breeding of the Milky Storks.

 

The two-year survey, however, was unable to pinpoint the reason for

the unsuccessful natural breeding process.

 

Nevertheless, it raised concern that the existence of natural

predators, such as long tail macaques, silver leaf monkeys, monitor

lizards and certain species of large birds may have affected the

natural breeding process.

 

Dr Lazarus said when the birds first arrived at the zoo last year,

they succeeded in laying and hatching four eggs.

 

" However, all the hatchlings died. Nevertheless, the experience did

not deter us from trying hard to create a more conducive environment

for them to breed. And now we have succeeded. "

 

He said the good news was that the birds were building two more new

nests from twigs supplied by the zoo. This is an indication that the

birds are preparing for the next mating season.

 

" We are expecting four new hatchlings by the end of the year, " Dr Lazarus said.

 

At the same time the zoo also welcomed three new lion cubs. Born on

July 7, the cubs were sired by five-year-old Mikali and four-year-old

Sita.

 

With their arrival, the lion population at the zoo has increased to

14. The cubs, all female, have been named Lerato (which means love),

Mandisa (sweet) and Nomble (beauty).