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Dublin Zoo

Dublin Zoo (Irish: Zú Átha Cliath), in Phoenix Park, Dublin, Ireland is the largest zoo in Ireland and one of Dublin's most popular attractions. Founded in 1830 it is the fourth oldest scientific zoo in the world, after Tiergarten Schönbrunn in Vienna, London Zoo, and the Jardin des Plantes in Paris. The zoo receives over 500,000 visitors per year. The zoo describes its role as conservation, study, and education. Its stated mission is to “work in partnership with zoos worldwide to make a significant contribution to the conservation of the endangered species on Earth".

Covering 12 hectares (30 acres) of Phoenix Park, it provides a habitat for more than 235 species of wild animals and tropical birds. The zoo includes: World of Cats, World of Primates, Fringes of the Arctic, African Plains, Birds, Reptiles, Plants, City Farm and Endangered Species.

Conservation

The zoo is part of a worldwide program to breed endangered species. It is a member of the European Endangered Species Program (EEP), which helps the conservation of endangered species in Europe. Each species supervised by the EEP has a single coordinator who is responsible for the building of breeding groups with the aim of obtaining a genetically balanced population.

Dublin Zoo manages the EEP for the Golden Lion Tamarin and the Moluccan Cockatoo. It also houses members of the species Goeldi’s monkey and the white-faced Saki which are part of EEPs coordinated by other zoos. The focus is on conservation, which includes breeding and protecting endangered species, as well as research, study and education.

Rodrigues Fruit Bats

Rodrigues fruit bats are one of Dublin Zoo's endangered species. Fruit bats, as their name suggests, feed on fruit and because of that are very important to the rain forest. Bats cannot digest the seeds and pips of the fruit that they eat and so the seeds leave the bat's digestive system "wrapped" in fertilizer. Without bats many rain forest trees would not be able to sow their own seeds.

Dublin zoo is building a larger Asian Elephant enclosure (complete with Asian rainforest) and the bat house has been demolished. The Rodrigues fruit bats are now in the bird house (located beside the Ring-tailed Lemurs).

Golden Lion Tamarins

This tiny monkey, named for its beautiful golden color and the long hair around its head which resembles a lion's mane, is one of the rarest primates in the world. Golden Lion Tamarins, like many of the other Tamarins found in South America, are threatened with extinction in their natural habitat. Dublin Zoo is involved in the international breeding program and helps to fund researchers who study the Tamarins in Brazil.

The forests that Golden Lion Tamarins need in order to survive are cut down for timber and to make room for cattle ranches, farms and urbanization. Sometimes very small areas or 'pockets' of forest are left but these are too small for the Tamarins to survive in. In the past Tamarins were collected for sale to the pet trade or for use in research laboratories. The Golden lion tamarins are located in the South-American house.

Molluccan Cockatoos

Dublin Zoo holds the European studbook for this species. A studbook is a record of all the individuals of a particular species that are held in zoos in a region. It contains information such as the sex of the animal, how old it is and who its parents were. This information is then used to decide which birds should be paired with which to get the best genetic mix. This ensures that the captive population stays as genetically healthy as possible. Moluccan Cockatoos are handsome birds, white-with-a-hint-of-pink feathers and a pink colour on the crest. This cockatoo is on the endangered species list.

History

The zoo, then called the Zoological Gardens Dublin, was opened on September 1 1831. The animals, 46 mammals and 72 birds, were donated by London Zoo.
In 1833 the entrance lodge to the Zoo was built.
In 1838, to celebrate Queen Victoria's coronation, the zoo held an open day - 20,000 people visited, which is still the highest number of visitors in one day.
In 1844 the zoo received its first giraffe.
In 1855 the zoo bought its first pair of lions. These bred for the first time in 1857.
Reptiles got their own house in 1876.
The first tearooms were built in 1898.
On June 17, 1903 an elephant named Sita killed her keeper while he nursed her injured foot. She was put down by members of the Royal Irish Constabulary.
Times of trouble and war also caused problems for the Zoo. During the Easter Rising of 1916 meat ran out. In order to keep the lions and tigers alive, some of the other animals in the zoo were killed.
A lion named Slats was born in the zoo on March 20, 1919. In 1928 he starred as Leo, the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film studio's mascot.

Themed areas

As the result of protests against the standard of animal housing and welfare, led by former keeper Brendan Price, a "Plan For The Future of Dublin Zoo" was prepared by the Zoological Society of Ireland and "The Office of Public Works". In 1994 it was presented to Minister of Finance Bertie Ahern. The government gave the zoo 15 million pounds for improvements. Themed areas were decided on and the first, World of Primates, opened to the public in 1996. The latest, African Plains, opened in 2001.

African Plains

The African Plains, opened in 2001, covers 13 hectares. Animals in the African Plains are: Bongos, African Lions, African Wild Dogs, Red-river Hogs, White-crowned Mangabeys, Chimpanzees, White Rhinos, Hippos, Giraffes, Zebras, Ostriches and Scimitar-horned Oryx (this species is now extinct in the wild). The Rhinos are moving into the Giraffe paddock in a few years time. The Gorillas will take over the Rhino house.

Fringes of the Arctic

There are no longer any Polar Bears at Dublin Zoo because the enclosure was too small for them. It was enlarged to house three Amur Tigers (one male and two female), the largest species of fullblood cats in the world. Ligers being the biggest hybrid. Amur Tigers, unlike other tiger sub-species, live in the cold north. The area also includes Grey Wolves, Arctic Foxes, Snowy Owls and Humboldt Penguins.

The Kaziranga Forest Trail (Elephants)

Initially there were two Asian Elephants in the zoo (Judy and Kirsty) from Chester Zoo in 1991 but they have been moved to Neunkirchin zoo in Germany. Watch the news report on their departure

and listen to the report from the radio

A new enclosure is being built that will be 50% bigger than the old one. Two adult females, Bernhardine and Yasmin (who are sisters), and Yasmine's calf, Anak, arrived in Dublin Zoo from Rotterdam Zoo in October 2006. They are in quarantine and will be on view to the public in 2007.

On the seventh of May 2007, the first elephant ever born in Ireland was born. The mother is Bernhadine. Keepers recorded the birth and it is available to watch

This letter was published in the Summer 2007 issue of the Dublin Zoo news magazine Zoo Matters:

Dear Member,

Early on the morning of Monday, 7th May, Bernhardine, one of our Asian elephants gave birth to a healthy female calf.

The birth took place in total darkness and was carefully monitored by the keepers via special CCTV cameras fitted with infrared lights.

At 2.30am, a large swelling had appeared, inticating that the calf had moved into the birth canal. At 2.39am the calf emerged. Two minutes after the birth the calf could be seen moving and eight minutes after the birth the baby elephant stood upright. At 2.49am, the baby elephant took its first steps, much to the delight of zookeepers.

It was a comepletely natural birth, without any complications. We could observe the other elephants, Yasmin and Anak, offering their support to Bernhardine and taking great interest in the calf. We are all so delighted with the birth of our healthy baby elephant and there is a real buzz of excitement in the zoo as a result of the birth.

You will be able to see Bernhadineand her calf, and other elephants, Yasmin and Anak in early June when their purpose built Asian Elephant habitat, The Kazaringa Forest Trail is unveiled, and the calf is strong and healthy.

Leo Ooosterweghel Director of Dublin Zoo

The name of the elephant has so far not been decided though the most popular nominatian is "Tara" because she is the first elephant born in Ireland, Tara is a popular Irish name and there is the Hill of Tara; Tara is also Indian for "Star".

The enclosure was opened on the 28th of June 2007 with four elephants. It includes a waterfall, a river, a path with many impressions (elephant footprints, human footprints, deer footprints and plant impressions) a children's playground, a small viewing area, a large semi-sheltered viewing area in which you can sit down in, two elephant pools, two feeding areas, toilets, a large house in which visitors can see the elephants, large amounts of vegetation and educational signs. The new calf's name was revealed in September 2007 as Asha.

One of the two older elephants Yasmin has given birth on February 17 to a calf. It's a male and has beem named 'Budi' which means the wise one in Hindi.

World of Primates

This houses apes and monkeys, and Western Low-land gorillas. The exhibit opened to the public in 1996. The area comprises a string of man-made islands in a natural lake. The islands range in size from 15 square metres to 30 square metres and are linked, with wooden bridges, to sleeping quarters on the lake shore.

Some of the islands have climbing frames. Areas of each island have been sectioned off with hot-wire to facilitate the growth of vegetation and give each island a more natural appearance. On some islands, areas of foraging substrate, such as bark, have been provided to facilitate scatter feeding. This form of enrichment has been shown to be important in increasing the behavioural repertoire of many species managed in captivity.

The provision of large viewing windows in the sleeping quarters give the public access to what is generally an off-show area in many zoos. However, there are areas where the animals can hide from the public.

These islands are inhabited by siamang gibbons, red ruffed lemurs, eastern colobus monkeys, spider monkeys, chimpanzees and Celebes macaques. Apart from the chimps, who are restricted to their sleeping quarters at night, each species have unlimited access to their outdoor enclosures both day and night.

The zoo has succeeded in breeding the primates on these islands. The Celebes macaque group have done exceptionally well since their introduction to the island, and success has also been achieved with the colobus, lemurs and siamangs.

an Orangutan escaped her enclosure She had escaped for an hour and was on top of the Sumatran Tiger nighthouse before a group of schoolchildren alerted staff.

World of Cats

Facilities for the display of snow leopards, lions and jaguars were out-dated, and it was decided that a new themed area would be the best option to meet international zoo standards. It would also increase the educational value of the area by facilitating comparisons of the cats' behaviours. The World of Cats exhibit opened in 1998.

The jaguar enclosure has an open top – containment is achieved through an overhang and hot wire. The outdoor enclosure is twice the size of their previous accommodation, and a separation pen has been constructed for breeding and introduction purposes. Natural substrates and shade are augmented by timber platforms linked by walkways and a pool.

The snow leopard enclosure has been designed to resemble their rocky natural habitat. Indeed, the snow leopards blend in so well with the granite background that the public spend time trying to locate them. This has been turned to educational advantage with the use of graphics relating to the use of camouflage by predators. The grassy bank at the back of this long, linear enclosure is a shade area for the animals. The enclosure has significantly improved the welfare of the snow leopards and it augurs well for continued breeding successes. Three snow leopard cubs were born May 2006, two females and a male. Unfortunately, the male died soon after.

A third large big cat enclosure is occupied by the Sumatran tigers, and the vegetation in the area reflects this. A large pool and waterfall has been incorporated into the design. Raised areas give the animals views across the zoo lake.

Each enclosure in the World of Cats is furnished with pools, natural substrates and shade. The public can see the animals through large windows. Access has been provided for the public to the sleeping quarters of the felids, which, like the primate housing, is a departure from the normal stance of maintaining sleeping areas off-show.

City Farm & Pet's Corner

The City Farm and Pets’ Corner was completed in 1999. Visitors are encouraged to interact with the goats, I donkeys, cows and pony which are housed in open-air paddocks. Rare farm breeds are maintained here, including the Kerry cow, the Galway sheep and the Kune Kune pig. Another popular animal is the turkey who sometimes attacks cameras.

In the Pet's Corner visitors can see popular pets including Dogs, Cats, Guinea Pigs, Rabbits and Canaries. The Dogs are all Labradors (Honey, Ruby and Kim). The cat's name is Millie.

South American House

This house has South American animals most of which are Primates including the Critically Endangered Golden Lion Tamarin. It has Three-Toed Slothes, White-faced Saki, Squirrel Monkeys, Goeldi's Monkeys and Red footed tortoises which have bred successfully and their offspring are available to see in the Reptile House.

Reptile House

The Reptile House was opened in 1876 and now includes Nile Crocodiles, African Rock Pythons, juvenile Red footed tortoises, Pancake tortoises, Leopard tortoises, African spurred tortoises, Desert locusts, African Giant snails and Nile Monitor Lizards.