Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust

🎃 Happy Halloween from Durrell’s headquarters at Jersey Zoo 🎃

⭐️ Sharing Livingstone’s fruit bat knowledge ⭐️ 🦇 With a current colony of over 100 individuals, Livingstone’s fruit bats have lived at Jersey Zoo since 1992 where we breed, study, and care for this threatened species. 🖤 Two weeks ago, our team helped move eight Livingstone’s fruit bats to @Northumberland Zoo. This takes the total number of bats moved from Jersey Zoo to Northumberland Zoo up to 24! The bats have since settled in extremely well to their new home, where there are already three adorable pups. 🙌 The only two zoos breeding this Critically Endangered species, we’re working together to share knowledge and husbandry skills and are excited to see their colony grow! 📷 Northumberland Zoo

😨 The scariest thing for us this Halloween is extinction 😨 📉 The latest Living Planet Report by @WWF suggests that global wildlife populations have shrunk by an average of 73% in the past five decades. Our world is reaching dangerous tipping points. 🌏 Conservation work by @BIAZA zoos and aquariums is vital as we continue to preserve threatened species and turn the tide on their decline. Jersey Zoo supports Durrell's global conservation work by: 🦎 Caring for and breeding threatened species to maintain safety net populations and genetic diversity. 🇯🇪 Running conservation programmes for Jersey species, such as the agile frog and red-billed chough. 💚 Working collaboratively, providing training and technical expertise to our field teams, conservationists, and partners. 🔬 Conducting research that informs conservation action. 🦋 Reconnecting visitors with nature. 🐾 Educating audiences about conservation issues and the part they can play in helping to save endangered species. ⭐️ Raising vital conservation funding.

🐒 With an estimated wild population of 5000, how is Durrell helping the Alaotran gentle lemur? 🐒 🔥 Found in the dense marshes surrounding Madagascar's largest lake, Lac Alaotra, this lemur species is under threat from the illegal burning of their habitat for conversion to rice plantations and invasive species preventing the regeneration of remaining marshlands. 💚 We work with local communities in Alaotra to protect this Critically Endangered species and their habitat by: 💦 Restoring the marshlands with local communities, clearing invasive plants from the marshes and providing training to transform the removed vegetation into usable and sellable products. 📹 Using thermal infrared cameras attached to drones to carry out population surveys, helping us see into the reed beds that we cannot access via canoe. 🎣 Promoting sustainable livelihoods, as 75% of the population around Lac Alaotra rely on fishing and weaving products for income. A healthy marshland leads to healthy fish stocks and a self-sustaining growth of vegetation, both directly benefitting the local community and economy. 👇 Learn more about our work to save the Alaotran gentle lemur this #WorldLemurDay https://lnkd.in/ehFxpvyU 📷 Data Manager Charlie

🎃 To celebrate Halloween, Jersey Zoo staff took part in a pumpkin carving competition! 🎃 👻 From spooky faces to beautiful bats, the competition was thrillingly fierce, with ten incredible carving entries. 🥇 A huge congratulations to our winner, Beth, a student in our Bird Department, for her incredible spider design! 🧡 Thank you to all the amazing pumpkin artists for participating and to Junior Content Producer Alex for organising the event. #NationalPumpkinDay

🐾 No two days are the same for the veterinary department at Jersey Zoo! 🐾 🦍 Our vet team recently performed a health check on our oldest western lowland gorilla, Kahilli. As gorillas are closely related to humans, they were aided by several incredible medical consultants from Jersey General Hospital. 👇 Hear from Durrell's Senior Veterinary Officer Violaine Colon on how they transported a 107kg gorilla and the results of Kahilli's health check. https://lnkd.in/e5F-gZYp

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⭐️ Nine Endangered pygmy hogs released into the wild! ⭐️ 🐗 Born and raised in the Pygmy Hog Conservation Programme’s (PHCP) breeding centre, the hogs were released into the wild in Manas National Park of Assam, India. 📡 Six of the released hogs were fitted with radio trackers, which will allow the team to monitor them, gaining insights into the hogs’ movements and success. 💚 This brings the total number of pygmy hogs released into the wild by the PHCP to 179! 👇 Read more about the world’s rarest pig https://lnkd.in/eXR-7k_i PHCP is made up of founding partners Assam Forest Department, Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, the IUCN/SSC Wild Pig Specialist Group, Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India, and Ecosystems-India, and delivery partner Aaranyak.