TheRATEL Journal of the Association of British and Irish Wild Animal Keepers Volume 36. No. 4 December 2009 sponsored by Twycross Zoo www.abwak.org www.twycrosszoo.com cover photo: rhino training at Colchester Zoo The Association of British & Irish Wild Animal Keepers (ABWAK) ABWAK is a non-profit making organisation catering for those interested in and involved with the keeping of wild animals. The aim of the association is: “To achieve and advance the highest standards of excellence in wild animal care” We believe that: • We are the voice of animal keepers in Britain & Ireland for whom excellent animal welfare is the highest priority • We can have a significant impact in welfare issues by bringing keepers and stakeholders together and by being a strong representative & consultative body • We can make a significant contribution to the training & development of animal keepers thus raising standards and increasing the recognition of wild animal collections • By developing the skills & expertise of our members we can make a unique contribution to conservation Membership rates (2009) Professional or Associate £25 Joint Professional £45 Overseas £45 Subscription to RATEL only £25 Overseas Subscription to RATEL only £35 Subscription is for ONE copy of each issue of RATEL and does not give membership privileges or rights President: Stewart Muir www.abwak.org Vice Presidents: Jonathan Barzdo; Rick Green; Dr Miranda Stevenson ABWAK COUNCIL (2009) Acting Chair: Ross Snipp, Flamingo Land Honorary Treasurer: Richard Barnett, NEZS Chester Zoo Vice Chair & Editor: Stephen Woollard, RZSS Edinburgh Zoo Acting Honorary Secretary: Marilyn Beech, Myerscough College Symposium Secretary: Laura Gardner, Leeds Castle Aviary Membership Secretary.: Alaina Macri, RZSS Edinburgh Zoo Other Members of ABWAK Council: Lynsey Jones, NEZS Chester Zoo Paul Howse, NEZS Chester Zoo Richard Champion, Reaseheath College Lesley Harmer Brendan Walsh, Dublin Zoo Mairee Vincent, Leeds Castle Aviary Chris Mitchell, South Staordshire College, Rodbaston Campus John Ray. Tropical Wings Lindsay Lederer, Capel Manor College Julian Chapman, Painton Zoo To contact the ABWAK Council: Membership: contact Alaina Macri, Membership Secretary [email protected] Back Issues & merchandise: contact Mairee Vincent [email protected] Articles and advertising: contact Stephen Woollard [email protected] RATEL is published four times a year: March, June, September, December. (Deadlines for submission 23rd Jan; 23rd April; 23rd July; 23rd Oct). We will try to publish your material as soon after receiving it as possible. All material should be sent to: Stephen P. Woollard, Editor RATEL, c/o RZSS Edinburgh Zoo, 134 Corstorphine Road, EDINBURGH, EH12 6TS Email: [email protected] Opinions expressed by contributors are not necessarily those of the editor or ABWAK. Advertising Full, half and quarter page advertising space is available (colour or black and white) – contact the Editor for rates. © Copyright 2009 Association of British and Irish Wild Animal Keepers ISSN 0305 – 1218 Contents Vol.36. No.4 Dec. 2009 From the editor 2 3rd International Congress of Zookeeping, Seattle 3 Danielle Smith Training Successes with Southern White Rhinoceros 5 at Colchester Zoo Jennie Cook It’s a Natural Vision L. Jones 8 Cover Photograph rhino training The Use of Fruit and Other Foods as Enrichment for 11 at Colchester Zoo Rainbow Lorikeets and Blue Faced Honey Eaters in Rainbow Landings at Edinburgh Zoo Gordon Peerless see page 5 The Effect of Environmental Enrichment on the 16 Behaviour and Welfare of Zoo Bred Waldrapp Ibis (Geronticus eremita) at Dublin Zoo Yvonne C McCann A Two Week Investigative Study into the Effects of 21 Fibre Length on Feeding and Rumination in Giraffes (Giraffa cameloprdalis) Susan O’Brien The BIAZA Flamingo Focus Group: Addressing 25 the Sustainability of Flamingos in British and Irish Collections Steve Nasir, Rebecca Lee & Nigel Jarrett ABWAK Symposium 2010 28 Environmental Enrichment Conference 2010 Nutrition Training Seminar 2010 SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT - RATEL MARCH 2010 THE NEXT ISSUE OF RATEL WILL FOCUS UPON 2010-INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF BIODIVERSITY Articles in the next issue of RATEL - deadline for submission 23rd January - will focus upon IYB 2010. We will be featuring special guest articles, including an introduction to biodiversity from Sir David Attenborough, a contribution by Dr Lee Durrell, and an overview of what IYB is about from Dr Bob Bloomfield, Natural History Museum, convenor IYB2010-UK. Other articles will highlight the importance of biodiversity. Articles are also welcome that introduce aspects of the behaviour, conservation, welfare, enrichment, or housing of the major taxa (e.g. mammals, invertebrates, fish) and illustrate the relevance of biodiversity to zoos and the role of the zoo keeper. Please email articles, and illustrations to the editor as soon as possible: [email protected] Articles may be returned to the author for modification /revision if this is felt necessary and we reserve the right to edit articles as appropriate or not to publish. Feature articles are usually 4-8 sides of A4 (including illustrations); however, shorter articles are also welcomed together with news items and updates. Articles and photographs for the cover may be submitted at any time of year. N.B. All articles must be your own work and all photographs/illustrations properly credited. You must also tell us if your article has been published elsewhere. If published the article is copyright of ABWAK and the author and should not be reproduced without permission. 1 From the editor ABWAK the Professional Association for Zookeepers Continuing Professional Development (CPD) may ABWAK Council held a two day strategy meeting seem like “management speak” but is now recognised at South Staffordshire College Rodbaston in as being of great importance for employees in many September. The Association is in good health, walks of life. however we need to grow our membership so that we can provide even more for keeper training and In recent years there have been advances in the advance keeper professionalism. recognition and the training of zookeepers, and ABWAK is proud to be associated with these developments, We have decided that we will now accept and will continue to promote the important role keepers membership applications at any time of year, play not just in animal care but also in aspects such with membership running for 12 months from as conservation management programmes, education joining date. Members get: RATEL four times and research. a year; discounts on Symposium, workshops and the ANCMZA course; membership of ICZ, ABWAK was delighted to team up with Reaseheath as well as being members of the professional College (thanks particularly to Richard Champion) to zookeepers association which is recognised by run a keeper training workshop there in October, and BIAZA and through ICZ, recognised by WAZA. we intend to repeat this in other parts of the country Please encourage your colleagues to join - and and develop more workshops in future. why not give ABWAK membership as a Christmas Opportunities for keepers to come together, exchange present. ideas and learn new skills are very important and useful. Changes on Council: We are delighted to co-opt ABWAK was delighted to be part of the International Julian Chapman from Paignton Zoo, and John Ray Congress of Zookeepers held in Seattle in September now at Tropical Wings onto Council. Their election (see next page) and we were directly involved in the as Council members will take place at the AGM in selection of the speakers for this important congress. March. As I write this we are in the process of confirming At our Council meeting in September, I accepted the speakers for our own Symposium at Flamingo the additional role of Vice Chair and will continue Land in March next year. We have a great venue with as Editor. We are also delighted that Ross Snipp accommodation on site and can cater for even more has accepted our nomination as Chair, and under delegates than usual so we hope to see over 100 of the terms of our Constitution will stand for formal you there. The last Symposium in Dublin was very election to the Chair position at the AGM. successful, and I am delighted to feature two articles in this issue from Dublin Zoo; enrichment for waldrapp We are looking forward to the challenges ahead ibis (page 16) and giraffe rumination (page 21). and representing our members and striving towards achieving our mission. Thank you to our sponsors We would like to express our thanks to Twycross Zoo for their sponsorship for RATEL over the past 3 years. This support has enabled us to develop the journal into its full-colour format and to do this without extra cost to the membership. We are delighted to announce that MAZURI Zoo Foods have agreed to sponsor RATEL from next year. Stephen P. Woollard, Editor SYMPOSIUM 2010 BIODIVERSITY & THE MODERN ZOO 6th-7th March 2010 Flamingo Land Kirby Misperton, Malton, North Yorkshire Formal Notice is given that the AGM of ABWAK will www.abwak.org take place at the Symposium. Members will be asked to vote on matters of council membership 2 and constitution 3rd International Congress of Zookeepers, Seattle, USA Danielle Smith, Hoofstock Keeper, Flamingo Land ABWAK at ICZ: Danielle Smith, Brendan Walsh, Paul Howse, Richard Barnett, Lynsey Jones On 24th September the 3rd International Congress of Zookeepers was held in Seattle. The main venue was the Red Lion Hotel on 5th Avenue, a great location in a great city. A few months before, ABWAK were offering the opportunity of support to attend the conference. I applied for the grant and within a few days, received the exciting news that my application had been accepted, alongside Lynsey Jones, who works at Chester Zoo. I arrived in Seattle at 2am (UK time!) but it was only 6pm local time and I was starting to feel the beginning effects of jetlag, but there was so much to do in so little time, my first night in Seattle ended at a very respectable 9pm (5am GMT).