Zoological Society of Auckland Society Quarterly April 2009 Issue 1 “I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority.” Elwyn Brooks White, Essays of E.B. White , 1977 Africa Night 2009 Year on year the support for Africa Night impresses us, as does the commitment of the keepers and volunteers that help to run the event. This year was no exception with over 50 people passionate about conservation turning up to enjoy an evening of education, encounters and entertainment, as well as some traditional African cuisine. The old elephant house created the perfect setting for a fascinating look into the life and work of a safari tour guide and professional photographer. Claire Vial held the audience spell bound with tales of her animal encounters and a slide show of some of Africa’s most iconic species, as well as a few that were less well know but just as stunning. The auction and dinner raised over $4,200 with the star attraction being one of Ka- shin’s own artworks. This fantastic contribution will no doubt be put to good use in both local and international conservation initiatives and we hope to keep you up- dated. We had a great time organising and running the event and were pleased to hear that the ZSA members and general public that attended had a wonderful time too. From the pictures, which were kindly sent to us by Kaylene Wilson, it looks like the animals got one or two treats too! We hope that you will join us again in 2010 for a little bit of Africa in Auckland. We would like to thank all the staff and volunteers that made the eve- ning so enjoyable. We would also like to thank those who attended and gave money to support conser- vation. 2 PRESIDENT’S REPORT—APRIL 2009 Tena koutou katoa. Well, this is my first president’s report for the Zoological Society of Auckland. As previously reported, the new constitution and membership scheme was ratified at the AGM, the changes to the new constitution have been lodged at the Society’s Office and the name change is official. Alongside this, the new membership scheme has come into effect and we hope that you will all continue to support the new society and its efforts. If you don’t need to renew your membership please pass on the membership form (on the back page) to anyone you think may be interested. The long awaited website is now in its final trial phase and we hope to have the ‘testbed’ pages available very soon. February kicked started the seminar year with a passionate and detailed look at Cheetah and their advocacy/use in zoos by Lau- ren Booth, an Auckland Zoo zookeeper. Lauren provided a wonderful pictorial account of her time at Cheetah Outreach in Lauren Booth and South Africa, and their conservation achievements. I’m always “her” Cheetah cubs very keen to hear about the exploits and travels of zoo-keeping staff since they often experience conservation at the front line – both in-situ and ex-situ . It’s even more personally rewarding when they are ex- students of mine!! Thanks Lauren for a great evening. The seminar given by Julian Fitter was very well attended and we packed the Zoo’s Grasslands lecture theatre. His intriguing seminar on Darwin, his journey to the Galapagos and writing of the theory of evolution provided a multifaceted look at how and why this history changing concept developed. Julian provided an insight into Dar- win’s family life, early experiences, his thoughts, writings and beliefs. Julian also provided some very clear examples of the biological evi- dence put forward by Charles Darwin to support his assertions of natural selection. The seminar was very well received and all who attended had a chance to meet and greet Julian over tea and bikkies after the talk. I’d like to take this opportunity to again thank Julian for what was a very exciting and thought provoking talk, one that I hope sets a scene for many of the seminars to come. Julian is the author or co-author of a number of books including New Zealand Wildlife, Wildlife of Galapagos and Albatross (see pictures). Finally, I hope that we see you all at the next seminar, which I Best regards, shall shamelessly advertise even though it’s me talking. Lorne 3 ZOOLOGY IN THE NEWS Have you ever wondered what birds say with their feathers? Although feathers are used to keep birds warm, and also for flight, scientists have shown that they can signal much more than many people suspect. In the bird world males of numerous species have little input into chick rearing. As such females have to be able to judge how good a male is just by looking at him. The peacock’s huge tail is very attractive, but it also makes him a good target for predators. A male that has lived with a big tail despite it making flying difficult, and eaten enough to grow one, must be carrying some good genes, or so the females think. Colour can also be a good indication of health. Internal parasites, such as worms, have an impact on the energy available to create colour proteins. This means that dull feathers represent a bird with a high parasite load. These birds make poorer parents and chicks often don’t survive to fledging or end up with parasites themselves. So male and female birds can avoid mating with parasitised individuals simply by looking at the feathers. The male peacock uses his feathers as The Bar-Tailed Godwit. Female feath- a display for females ering may show parasite infestation Racing Turtles? - Surely Not This isn’t as sinister as it seems. An American research team have attached transmit- ters to 11 Leatherback Turtles to see which one gets back to the warm Caribbean breeding waters the quickest, from the cold feeding grounds off Canada – a distance of around 6000 kilometres. Amazingly, each turtle is sponsored; some by famous bands such as R.E.M. and Pearl Jam. Dubbed the ‘Great Turtle Race’ there is more science to this than meets the eye. Much is yet unknown about the wonderful spe- cies, the largest turtle species alive today. “The tags give us an accurate depiction of their migration routes, distances, averages speeds, depth of diving … the race is cool 4 and everything, but this is data that can be used.” says Robert MacDonald, a Dalhousie University student who was part of the field research team which attached satel- lite transmitters to the animals off the waters of Nova Sco- tia last July. With an evolutionary history stretching back some 100 million years, these marine giants are now en- dangered due to fishing bykill, egg harvesting and coastal development amongst others. The race officially kicked off April 16, and finishes in two weeks’ time. You can follow the competitors’ progress on a race map updated daily at http:// www.greatturtlerace.org . Dalhousie University (2009, April 23). Researchers Fire The Starting Gun For The Great Turtle Race. ScienceDaily . Retrieved April 27, 2009, from http://www.sciencedaily.com- /releases/2009/04/090418081508.htm An hypothesis to explain the linkage between kakapo ( Strigops habroptilus ) breeding and the mast fruiting of their food trees Andrew E. Fidler, Stephen B. Lawrence and Kenneth P. McNatty Abstract. An important goal in the intensive conserva- tion management of New Zealand’s critically endan- gered nocturnal parrot, kakapo ( Strigops habroptilus ), is to increase the frequency of breeding attempts. Kakapo breeding does not occur annually but rather correlates with 3–5-year cycles in ‘mast’ seeding/fruiting of kakapo food plants, most notably podocarps such as rimu (Dacrydium cupressinum ). Here we advance a hypo- http://www.kidcyber.com.au/topics/kakapo.htm thetical mechanism for the linking of kakapo breeding with such ‘mast’ seeding/fruiting. The essence of the hypothesis is that exposure to low levels of dietary phytochemicals may, in combination with hepatic gene ‘memory’, sensitise egg yolk protein genes, expressed in female kakapo livers, to oestrogens derived from developing ovarian follicles. Only in those years when the egg yolk pro- tein genes have been sufficiently ‘pre-sensitised’ by dietary chemicals do kakapo ovarian follicles develop to ovulation and egg-laying occurs. While speculative, this hypothesis is both physiologically and evolutionarily plausible and suggests both fu- ture research directions and relatively simple interventions that may afford conserva- tion workers some influence over kakapo breeding frequency. 5 Do prawns, crayfish and crabs feel pain? This review article below appeared in the latest RSPCA Australia Animal Welfare Science Update, Issue 24, April 2009. Some interesting thought provoking informa- tion. A review of pain and stress in crustaceans The ability of crustaceans to experience pain remains contentious, despite the consid- erable body of work on crustacean welfare, behaviour and physiology. The authors of this review collate this data to provide a convincing argument for the presence of pain and stress responses in crustaceans. They suggest that the welfare indicators used in vertebrates have analogies in crustaceans and can there- fore be used to test for the presence of pain or stress. Criteria include a central nerv- ous system, physiological responses to noxious stimuli (e.g. elevated levels of crusta- cean hyperglycaemic hormone, a cortisol analogue), the presence of opioid receptors and demonstrated cognitive ability (e.g. the ability of a hermit crab to choose between two shells). Behavioural indices include protective motor responses (e.g.