The Durrell Index

#01 Threats to species survival What are the biggest threats to Durrell’s target species today? How are these threats likely to change? 1000 Threat score Urban Pollution Natural development Disturbance Agriculture disaster Fires 0 Logging & Climate Invasives hunting Current threat of all species Projected future threats of all species the most important threats This indicator identifies the most important threats to Durrell’s 50+ been introduced by humans and spread rapidly, having negative target species today, the relative impact of these threats and how and sometimes catastrophic impacts on the native species. they are likely to change in the future. Not only is the score for this threat greater than all the other Durrell’s field staff assess every threat to their target species and, categories put together, with more than 900f our target species for each, score its timing (past, continuing, future), scope affected, worryingly it is predicted to increase in the future. (proportion of the population affected) and severity (size of declines caused by the threat) on a scale of 0-3. The sum of Loss of the forest and wetland homes of scores across the range of threats gives the overall ‘threat score’ our target animals through agriculture and logging, and direct for each species, allowing us to rank them in order of threat level. hunting of some species are the next biggest threats. Currently the Mountain Chicken, Montserrat Galliwasp and Bojer’s This indicator helps Durrell to identify the actions, knowledge and Skink face the highest threat levels. skills required to conserve target species and make long-term decisions on where conservation needs to be stepped up to deal The biggest threat by some distance comes from invasive species with a changing world. – animals or plants that have % 0f Durrell species under threat Invasives Climate Logging & hunting Fires Agriculture Disturbance Natural disaster Pollution urban development 00 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 The mountain chicken story 01 Mountain Chicken As Durrell’s most threatened species, the Mountain Chicken is a giant frog found only in Dominica and Montserrat in the Caribbean. It faces a jaw-dropping number of threats, many of which have had a severe impact on its population. Forest loss, over-hunting, predation by invasive rats, volcanic eruptions, pollution and now a catastrophic disease called chytridiomycosis, responsible for wiping out tens of amphibian species over the past couple of decades, have taken their toll. The Mountain Chicken’s future is very uncertain and it needs all the help we can muster. Top 10 species under highest threat 01 Mountain Chicken 06 White-breasted Thrasher 02 Monrserrat Galliwasp 07 Antiguan Racer 03 Bojer’s Skink 08 Echo Parakeet 04 Orange-tailed Skink 09 Madagascar Pochard 05 Lesser Night Gecko 10 Mangrove Finch #02 Acting to save species What steps does Durrell take on the journey to save species? conservation journey When a species is on the brink of extinction, it might require decades of sustained conservation. We apply seven key actions at different times and with varying levels of effort, depending on the species’ needs. We monitor the impact of our work and revisit actions if they’re not working as planned. Top 10 species: conservation action score We measure the time spent on each action to assess the level of conservation effort for each species. Ploughshare Tortoise Echo Parakeet Pink Pigeon Alaotran Gentle Lemur Mauritius Kestrel Giant Jumping Rat Keel-scaled Boa Telfair’s Skink Lesser Night Gecko Bojer’s Skink The story of the Ploughshare Tortoise The Ploughshare Tortoise is currently top of our list in terms of conservation effort spent. In 1986 the Ploughshare Tortoise was highly threatened because its dry scrubland habitat around Baly Bay, Madagascar, was disappearing. We worked with local communities to reduce threats to the wild population such as bush fires, established a national park and set up a breeding centre to reintroduce tortoises to the wild. We were making progress. Then poaching driven by the illegal pet trade exploded, becoming the biggest risk to the tortoises’ survival. Currently, more Ploughshare Tortoises may live as pets than in the wild. There is a real possibility that this ancient reptile could become extinct; without conservation, it might have disappeared already. We are now working with the Malagasy government and our local partners to ensure our efforts so far haven’t been in vain. #03 Building the scientific evidence base From molecules to ecosystems, how does science inform Durrell’s conservation work? Ecosystems Conservation practice, People and society Populations and species Scientific output 6 planning and policy Scientific output 1 Scientific output 48 What is happening to Scientific output 21 What are the social and Where is the target our target forests and What are our economic species wetlands? How can conservation characteristics found, and what habitat they be sustainably priorities? What does it of communities that rely does it need? Why is its managed and mean for conservation on our target forests and population in decline? restored? practice and policy? wetlands? Individuals People and ecosystems Molecules Scientific output 3 Scientific output 8 Scientific output 12 How can we manage How does nature benefit How can we animals in captivity people? What difference manage to ensure the best does conservation make populations to standards of welfare to the wellbeing of maximise genetic and effective breeding communities? diversity? programmes? Science is vital to our mission Our researchers around the world help identify conservation goals, shape the way we manage species and habitats, and measure our effectiveness so we can adapt our approach. We strive to base all our conservation decisions on the best evidence available. Conservation is complex and driven by both human and environmental factors. We draw on a range of disciplines including biology, sociology, economics and earth sciences to generate the knowledge to understand each problem and design a solution that makes a difference on the ground. We’re publishing more scientific papers, articles and reports each year, on an ever-growing variety of subjects. We’re proud of that, but it doesn’t really mean anything until the knowledge is put into practice to save a species from extinction. Scientific output over time Based on number of publications 60 50 40 30 20 10 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 Case in point: Tracking the Mountain Chicken The Mountain Chicken is one of the world’s largest, but most threatened, species of frog. Over the years it has been impacted by destruction of habitat, volcanic eruptions, introduced predators and hunting. But its most catastrophic killer is Chytridiomycosis, a fungal disease that has caused a 95 0ecline in its Montserrat population in just two years. We’ve been conducting cutting-edge research to find a way to restore healthy populations of Mountain Chickens. We’re tracking radiotagged frogs in the wild to understand what behaviours might cause them to be especially vulnerable; taking swabs and samples to examine genetic differences that may lead to tolerance; and releasing captively bred frogs into locations in which they might thrive. There’s still a lot of work to do with our partners in Montserrat. But this project is at the very forefront of our scientific research, and we’ve made many surprising discoveries about the unique frog along the way. We hope future generations of animals and people benefit from our discoveries. #04 Advancing Durrell’s Ark What different roles does each animal play in Durrell’s ultimate misson - conservation? Breakdown of species in collection – 2012 (Total species = 129) Conservation 36 species 7 of which are in their home countries Education 11 species Research and Training 17 species Visitor Experience 65 species Narrow-striped Sulawesi Crested Pink Pigeon Mongoose Macaque Haitian Giant Galliwasp Durrell Wildlife PArk Our founder, Gerald Durrell, held the pioneering belief that zoos should primarily act as reserves and regenerators of endangered species. So while it’s still important we provide a fun and engaging day out for families, over the years our Wildlife Park in Jersey has focused as much as possible on conservation. Today, the overarching role of our animal collection in Jersey and overseas – our ‘ark’, as Gerald would have it – is conservation. We manage breeding programmes for release back to the wild, develop the skills and tools to conserve species in the wild and communicate important messages. Based on industry-standard criteria, we allocate each animal in our collection to one of four roles: conservation, research and training, education or visitor experience. Going back in time with Durrell’s Ark Number of species 300 250 200 150 100 50 0 1959 ‘65 ‘70 ‘75 ‘80 ‘85 ‘90 ‘95 ‘00 ‘05 2012 Years The role of a species may shift during its time within the collection in response to a changing situation in the wild; a new approach to the management of the captive population; evolving goals for the species; or new knowledge about the status of and threats to the species in the wild. For example, the Malagasy Giant Jumping Rat was originally brought into the collection for conservation purposes, but surveys published in 2006 showed that the wild population was much larger than previously thought, so there was less need for our breeding programme. Great news for this species, which now plays an important education role as part of our Kirindy Forest exhibit. Categorising a species is not always straightforward, so our experts meet once a year to re-evaluate the role of every animal in the Wildlife Park. We know animals thrive in their natural habitats, and we’re determined to stay true to Gerald’s vision.

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