Der Zoologische Garten最新文献

The Laristan mouflon (Ovis orientalis laristanica) is considered as the smallest wild sheep in the world and a vulnerable species. This study analysed the mating behaviour of 30 individuals including nine rams, 13 ewes and eight lambs in captivity in the Chitgar woodland Tehran, Iran. In general, the main behaviours comprised ewe-ram and ram-ram positive and negative interactions, consisting of ram fighting and ewe's stimulation. Moreover, ewe-ewe interaction, ranking and defining the territory was recorded for further researches. The study also focused on weather conditions and its connection to the harshness of the mating behaviour.

Even today there is still a lot to learn regarding the biology of the diverse group of coelenterates. With a better knowledge the husbandry can be improved, too. Only since less than 40 years is it possible to keep and cultivate corals, and since almost 50 years some jellyfish species can be kept and bred successfully in an aquarium. But nevertheless it is still difficult to breed certain other jellyfish species for prolonged periods of time.

The Enoshima Aquarium, which was opened in 1954, tried right from its beginning to be a pioneer amongst the Japanese aquariums for new husbandry and exhibition methods (Fig. 1). In the 1970s the Enoshima Aquarium became famous also outside of Japan for the trained fish shows (Gewalt, 1973). But already in 1973 the Enoshima Aquarium started to exhibit Moon jellyfish for the regular exhibition. Today 50 jellyfish species are shown in the exhibition.

The study aimed at spatial-temporal behaviour and possible path-use of zoo-giraffes (Osnabrück Zoo). Another aim was to reveal possible connections between external factors and the spatial behaviour of the animals. Results should be used for the restructuring of the giraffes’ outdoor enclosure as well. The herd consisted of one bull, three females and one calf.

Data recording took place in July/August 2014 (ca. 170 observing hours, > 2000 scan-points recorded). The animals were observed by scan-sampling-method. For path-use animals were observed individually (ca. 45 observing hours, > 5100 scan-points).

The results suggest that the animals are using paths. Some paths seem to connect feeding areas and to promote energy saving, also. Spatial behaviour of females (and the calf) is more similar to each other than in comparison with the bull. Giraffes’ organization in female groups and also their social preferences cause them to be close together most of the time. The influence of visitor numbers and the weather on spatial use could not be fully resolved. It remains questionable why the animals tended to frequent two areas near the visitors with increased temperatures. Most of the time was invested in the feeding activity.

The Monterey Bay Aquarium (MBA) has been exhibiting jellyfish since 1985. Mr. David Powell, MBA's first Curator, learned culturing techniques for moon jellies (Aurelia aurita) from Mr. Yoshitaka Abe, who was then Curator at Ueno Zoo. Abe-san sent Mr. Powell and his staff their first Aurelia aurita polyps, and they used his tank design to build MBA's first moon jelly exhibit. Since those early days, a number of passionate aquarists have sought to find new gelatinous species to culture and new ways to interpret them to the public. After the first moon jelly exhibit, MBA next exhibited jellyfish in the temporary exhibitions Living Treasures of the Pacific (1989) and Planet of the Jellies (1992), testing out not only the ability to maintain a jellyfish gallery long term but also the public's interest in these ill-known creatures. In 1996, MBA committed to a permanent jellyfish gallery. The construction of the Outer Bay Wing included the Drifters Gallery, which exhibits jellyfish species local to Monterey Bay and the California coast. In the subsequent years, MBA continued to work with tropical and other exotic species in temporary exhibitions, including Jellies: Living Art and The Jellies Experience. These exhibitions gave the team opportunities to experiment with new ways to culture and exhibit unique species. In addition, MBA has been able to contribute to science by describing the life cycles of several jellyfish species and discovering new jellyfish species in the Monterey Submarine Canyon. MBA's work has not been conducted in a vacuum, however, as we have collaborated with institutions in the United States, Japan, and around the world to expand our collective knowledge of jellyfish husbandry.

The Me Linh Station for Biodiversity in northern Vietnam, which borders Tam Dao National Park, was established in 1999 by the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology for the purpose of rescuing, keeping, studying and breeding Vietnamese plant and wildlife species in an in-country ex situ facility. The Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources, which runs the station, has pleased the Cologne Zoo to improve existing facilities at the Me Linh Station and to develop new ones, in particular for amphibians and reptiles, for the keeping and breeding of confiscated, endangered and selected rare or poorly known species from Vietnam for studying husbandry parameters and natural history, to build up captive assurance populations for potential future release or restocking programs, and to improve services for environmental and conservation education for visitors, school children and students. This report summarizes our joint efforts at the Me Linh Station for Biodiversity from 2012 until today. Focus is laid on the construction of indoor and outdoor amphibian facilities, but we also report about the development and buildup of crocodile lizard, monitor lizard, python and turtle enclosures, as well as of primate facilities. We also built up offspring enclosures for amphibians and reptiles, a feeder animal breeding, and created a quarantine section. Preliminary recommendations for a veterinary management are provided. Furthermore we document our joint approaches in improving the station management, developing research programmes, and report about first public awareness measures. With this article we also aim to show how facilities, breeding programs and husbandry systems can be improved and built up in a tropical country within the framework of an international cooperation.

Like all amusement and theme parks public aquariums are a part of the leisure industry and follow the same diversification and transformation into an institution with a more and more specialized theme. A good example for such a specialized aquarium is the Kamo Aquarium in Japan, which keeps mainly and successfully jellyfish.

Jellyfish are definitely something different that attracts the public and the appearance of these animals drifting in an aquarium is so graceful that they will fascinate the visitor and will communicate the beauty of the underwater world. On the other hand, jellyfish are also a good example of how little is known about the marine underwater life at all. Therefore the gracious jellyfish medusa can be used also as ambassadors of this environment and for environmental conservation messages.

All these characteristics of jellyfish are the guarantee for the success of the exhibition and the incredibly high number of visitors. With the specialization on jellyfish the Kamo Aquariums is different from all other aquariums and has a unique position worldwide.

The Japanese Kamo Aquarium has concentrated since many years in its husbandry and exhibition work on jellyfish. To adapt to the large visitor numbers a perfect new aquarium building was opened in June 2014. As probably the only aquarium in the world the Kamo Aquarium keeps today more than 50 different jellyfish species of all the three jellyfish groups: the Scyphozoa (Fig. 1), Hydrozoa and Cubozoa. The absolute highlight and masterpiece of this aquarium is a large kreisel with a diameter of 5 m for Moon jellyfish. About 2.000 Moon jellies float around freely in the 40 m³ kreisel (Fig. 2). The semicircular room in front of the tank creates the atmosphere of a Jellyfish Dream Dome.

But not only the exhibition of the new Kamo Aquarium is extraordinary, also the educational section with a large lecture hall and a special exhibition section for the growth and development of jellyfish is in its size hard to find anywhere else.

The husbandry of jellyfish started in 1965 at the Ueno Zoo's Aquarium in Tokyo just by a lucky chance. In one of the reserve tanks ephyra larvae of the Moon jellyfish (Aurelia aurita) were one day observed, quite unexpectedly. These creatures awoke the interest of the aquarium curator and he succeeded by trial and error to keep and exhibit this jellyfish continuously. It was the first time that an aquarium succeeded in the husbandry of jellyfish and could show the visitors the whole life cycle of jellyfish. Because of this success the Ueno Aquarium became famous worldwide, and aquarium curators from the US and Europe visited the Ueno Aquarium to learn their husbandry and exhibition methods. After these colleagues returned home again, it was Antwerp Zoo in Europe and the Monterey Bay Aquarium in the US, which tried the jellyfish husbandry as the first on their continents.

In the meantime Jellyfish exhibitions became very popular, and most aquariums today keep jellyfish successfully, although it is even today difficult to keep jellyfish continuously over several years. But some aquariums have specialized in the exhibition of jellyfish. The Kamo Aquarium is an example for such a new trend.