It is of Joy from our Elephant Project in Assam and Semu from our Rhino Project in Mkomazi, Tanzania.

They were both here in the UK at Chester Zoo to celebrate the opening of our Diamond Jubilee Quarter, which was officially opened today by Her Majesty The Queen and His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh.

The Queen was at the zoo as part of her Diamond Jubilee tour and the opening event was themed as a celebration of the zoo and Act for Wildlife.

For more news about the royal visit please see the zoo's website www.chesterzoo.org

For me it was an absolute pleasure to meet them both and hear more about the work they are doing in Assam and Mkomazi.  But even better, was seeing them together, sharing their stories and experiences with one another. In fact, this was the first trip abroad that Semu has ever made - so its a privilege that it was to see us and of course to meet The Queen.

Thank you Joy and Semu - you have done us and your projects proud!

It’s a relatively poor village situated on the edge of the Manas biosphere reserve, an area that elephants come to raid for the tempting crops and granaries.  But, thanks to our project human-elephant conflict has all but ceased here. 

However it was a very different story before we started working with the people of Chourang; the village suffered crop loss and building damage throughout much of the year.

The village is made up of just 153 families. It’s now protected by a 6km long electric fence and their crops are protected with spotlights donated by us. Both villagers and elephants are a lot safer.  Elephants are directed back into the forest in a controlled and well managed way and people can sleep at night without the fear of elephants entering their village.

The key to the success of this project is actually the community organisation and involvement.  Training has been provided to the villagers and before the electric fence was installed several meetings between the project staff and the villagers were held to ensure that they had the skills to make it work. The electric fence is maintained by a well managed rota, and a monthly contribution from all villagers of 10 rupees (about 15p) ensures funds are always available for any maintenance costs.

It was great for me to see the difference that our project has had in Chourang and that we have given them the equipment and skills to keep both themselves and the elephants safe.  And it’s working – there’s almost no conflict between the people of Chourang and the elephants.

I am Scott Wilson and I Act for Wildlife.

Check out who’s been seen using the orangutan bridges in Borneo!

We’ve received these great photos from our friends at Apenheul Zoo in the Netherlands who recently visited the Kinabatangan region of Sabah, Malaysian Borneo.

We have supported the work of HUTAN-Kinabatangan Orangutan Conservation Programme (KOCP) in this area for many years through our Realm of the Red Ape Programme.

They spotted these Pig-tailed Macaques using the orangutan bridges which Chester Zoo staff helped to construct in 2011.

Seven Chester Zoo staff were involved in this fantastic collaborative project alongside HUTAN-KOCP, Ropeskills Rigging Sdn Bhd, Danau Girang Field Centre and the Sabah Wildlife Department.

The teams worked together to build seven bridges in total which connected fragmented patches of habitat where wildlife such as orangutans have become isolated due to deforestation.

The bridges were constructed over river tributaries and this is the first photographic evidence we have seen of our bridges in use.

It is hoped that the orangutans will soon start to use these bridges just as they do with the old orangutan bridges – but until we receive evidence of this, we hope you enjoy seeing the bridges in use by macaques!

It's good news for lots of wildlife especially at this time of year when wildflowers are just starting to appear and trees are coming in to leaf. Its also filled up my pond where the tadpoles were beginning to panic as the water level fell!
 
The fact it's so wet outside doesn't mean we can assume the drought is over. It will take many weeks of weather like this to fill up our reservoirs and saturate parched ground that hasn't been drenched like this for many months. We must continue to take care with water too.
 
Though some wildlife will be loving the wet weather it may be bad news for breeding birds that are trying to feed young at the moment. Putting out live food such as mealworms is probably a good idea to help blue tit, great tit and robin families.
 
And heavy rain can of course make amphibians do stupid things on roads, so please watch out for frogs and toads on roads when its raining in spring! They are probably moving away from spawning ponds now and may have to travel some distance to find refuge.

See... the rain isn't always such a bad thing after all.

I'm Sarah Bird and I Act for Wildlife

And today I'm really excited to share with you this photo.  I know it is a little difficult to see but if you look really carefully you can make out an image of a rhino on the photo.  It is great to see that our support is helping make a difference. 

I am Conservation Assistant Cat Barton and I Act for Wildlife

And with all the fine whether we’ve been having in the UK it’s officially that time of year when we roll up our sleeves and head out into the garden.  Remember though, that there could be a wealth of UK Wildlife living in your back garden too. 

Here are my tips on how to look after the nature living around you…

And finally… DO enjoy the UK Wildlife around you.

I am Sarah Bird

Biodiversity Officer at Chester Zoo

and I Act for Wildlife

If you're moved about what you've seen in this film, you can help us make a difference.

Text WILD34 £2 to 70070 to donate £2 now* or click below to make a donation online.

Watch part 1 - Black Rhino conservation

Watch part 2 - African Wild Dog conservation

Watch part 3 - Education programmes

Watch part 4 - coming soon

Tim visits a school room funded by Chester Zoo in Mkomazi National Park to see the impact our education programmes are having.

If you're moved about what you've seen in this film, you can help us make a difference.

Text WILD34 £2 to 70070 to donate £2 now* or click below to make a donation online.

Watch part 1 - Black Rhino conservation

Watch part 2 - African Wild Dog conservation

Watch part 4 - coming soon

*Our Text to Donate service is delivered through Just Giving. Texts are charged at your mobile phone operator's standard rate. We will receive 100% of your donation. You MUST be 16 or over and must have the bill payer's permission. For full Terms of Service please visit Just Giving.

Tim talks to Tony and Lucy Fitzjohn in the Mkomazi National Park, Tanzania to understand more about the importance of innocolation in the species - sometimes referred to as Painted Dogs - in the field.

If you're moved about what you've seen in this film, you can help us make a difference.

Text WILD34 £2 to 70070 to donate £2 now* or click below to make a donation online.

Watch part 1 - Black Rhino conservation

Watch part 3 - Education programmes

Watch part 4 - coming soon

*Our Text to Donate service is delivered through Just Giving. Texts are charged at your mobile phone operator's standard rate. We will receive 100% of your donation. You MUST be 16 or over and must have the bill payer's permission. For full Terms of Service please visit Just Giving.

ITV's Tim Scott meets Director General Mark Pilgrim and conservationist Tony Fitzjohn to discover the difference we're making in the field.

If you're moved about what you've seen in this film, you can help us make a difference. Sponsor our Black Rhino project and we guarantee 100% of your donation will go to the project.

Watch part 2 - African Wild Dog conservation

Watch part 3 - Education programmes

Watch part 4 - coming soon

Watch part 1 - Black Rhino conservation

Watch part 2 - African Wild Dog conservation

Watch part 3 - Education programmes

Watch part 4 - coming soon

Mkomazi is a special place, with special people.  It was destroyed by poaching, hunting and cattle grazing and it took a very special person in Tony Fitzjohn to go there.  In 20 years he’s managed to turn it back into something that resembles nature and that has wildlife returning very quickly, so much so it is now the biggest national park in Tanzania.

That to me - the story of the dedication of that man who did all that is a big part of why this project is so special.  I think it’s just incredible.  What an amazing thing to do.

They have species there that I’m also very passionate about.  I love Black Rhinos, and they have Black Rhinos there.  Zoos in Europe have been involved in sending rhinos back out to Mkomazi where they live within these huge fenced enclosures, which is great. 

I hope you’ll see in the reports what great work is happening out there – not only with the rhinos but also with Painted Dogs and the education work that is being done with the local communities.

I hope you will see how passionate and dedicated the people are.  It isn’t some hobby for them, it isn’t a little side project, this is their life.  And you know that when you fund this project, things are going to get done and they’re really making a difference.

I’m Mark Pilgrim and I Act for Wildlife – find out how on ITV Granada Reports at 6pm all this week.

Chickens could be the answer to the chocolate conundrum with the life-changing gifts going to the people we work with and support in India.  The hens are also saving wild elephants and preventing deforestation.

Families in the Indian region of Assam are reliant on collecting firewood to make a living. The knock-on effect is that this leads to devastating deforestation, which is destroying the habitat of the Asian elephant, leaving them exposed.

These elephants are then forced to go in search of new homes. This often takes them into villages and townships where they come into conflict with humans and cause all sorts of damage, sometimes resulting in deaths.”
Melanie said giving hens to rear provided families with an alternative way of earning a living – one which means forest are saved.  This in turn protects the forest and gives the elephants a secure home.

Ultimately, this means that people can live side-by-side with elephants, without conflict and that can only be a good thing.

The hens provide a host of services to their owners. They can be reared and sold on to other families, lay eggs and their dung can be used as fertiliser.

And we guarantee that 100% of the money goes to the project, with not a penny going towards admin fees.

Alternative livelihoods form part of our overall project to help save Asian Elephants and are an essential ingredient of its success.  It allows the villagers to be less reliant on the crops that elephants eat.

Whilst in Assam I saw several successful ideas.  In Hatigaon (which translates as elephant village) they are growing bamboo successfully thanks to the village now being protected by an electric fence.  One village is also selling the bark from the Betel nut trees (this is something most villages have) and these can be pressed into biodegradable bowls and plates.

The ‘Buy a Hen’ or Hen can Change Man project as they call it locally continues, and there are thoughts that this could be expanded to work with pigs.    Schemes like this help build a great relationship between the project and the villagers, and work towards a sustainable solution to human-elephant conflict.

And because we’re working in partnership with Ecosystems-India and have great staff like Joydeep working directly with the villagers, I know that when I return to the UK, the work will continue. 

Thanks to this project we’re giving people the knowledge, tools and skills to live alongside elephants and we’re helping them to develop ways of providing for their families in a sustainable and safe way.

If you’d like to get involved and support our project, Buy a Hen this Easter or sponsor the project.  And don’t forget to sign up to the e-newsletter.

I’m Scott Wilson, Conservation Officer
and I Act for Wildlife

This conservation lecture will also feature Chester Zoo’s own biodiversity officer, Sarah Bird who will be talking about how conservation should start at home, the importance of UK Wildlife and the threats it faces.

Tickets are £15 and the talk will be held at Chester Zoo's Lecture Theatre on Saturday 17th March 2012, between 10am and 2.30pm.

All proceeds go to Act for Wildlife, where 100% of donations are given directly to conservation projects in the field.

Tickets for this event are £15. For More information or to book tickets please visit www.wildlifetalks.com or alternatively contact Ticketline on 0844 8889991 or www.ticketline.co.uk/wildlife-talks#bio

Hype Events, who are promoting and organising this event are a group of local students studying Events Management at the University of Chester.

They state that “We as a team are very excited to have been given this opportunity by Chester Zoo.

"Being involved in the Act for Wildlife Campaign is a great experience in itself and we hope that our informative yet fun lecture, Wildlife Talks will reflect that.

You could think of what I do as a bit like writing a recipe book – every species has a diet designed just for them - accounting for everything from individual tastes, to how active they are, to their age and health. Each recipe has a list of ingredients, quantities fed, nutritional values and where the ingredients come from.

Diet and nutrition is not only important to animal welfare but it is also a key factor in life expectancy and breeding. With amphibians facing an extinction crisis, zoos can safeguard species in specially designed bio secure ‘A-Pods’ and one of these pods at Chester Zoo is home to the only population of Morelet’s Tree Frogs outside of their home range.

Morelet’s Tree Frog, also known as the Black-eyed Tree Frog (Agalychnis moreletii) is a tree frog native to Central and South America, living in forest habitats. Though their eyes appear black they are actually deep purple and the frogs have arms, legs, hands and feet that are bright orange, none of which can be seen when the frogs are at rest with limbs tucked tight into their body. Males use the bright orange colour in displays to attract females and it works – I think they look fabulous!

However, our understanding of their dietary needs is limited – and that’s where research can help. Working with researchers from the University of Manchester, studying Morelet’s Tree Frog in their natural habitat, we know more about the frogs’ feeding behaviours and what animals choose to eat, essential information for making zoo diets better. Observing them at closer quarters in the ‘A-Pod’, feeding has been fine tuned to improve colour, health and breeding for this critically endangered species.

All amphibians are remarkable and the more we study them, the more we learn how amazing they are – I hope you think so too and help us help them.

The research Andrea has been involved in supports our aims for this project - which are to develop husbandry skills with the species which we can then transfer and share with colleagues at the Belize zoo and the Belize Vivarium - two organisations keen to be involved in a captive breeding and possible reintroduction program. 

Like many amphibians these guys can change colour to blend in with the foliage around them - check out the difference in the two photos.  However some frogs, including the Black-eyed Tree Frogs have a special skin pigment that allows them to reflect UV light at the same level as the leaves, making them even more difficult to distinguish.  The other benefit of this skin pigment is that it allows then to sit on top of leaves without getting too hot or burnt – it’s like having built in factor50. 

Now classed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN, the Black-eyed Tree Frog was once found in Mexico, Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala and Belize but has become scarce with some populations vanishing entirely.

Over the next few months we’re looking into two more research programs both of which will help us develop a conservation action plan for the species within Belize.  Out in the wild we need to work with our partners to do some more field studies in order to establish the distribution of the species, identify the presence of Chytrid fungus and to then look for habitats suitable for the possible translocation or reintroduction of the species.

And if you want to see the frogs and their amazing skin in action, they can be found in Chester Zoo’s Tropical Realm.  Have a look and see how many you can spot.  I think you’ll agree they’re pretty stunning frogs and definitely worth protecting from extinction.

Bye for now,

Ben

Hi, it’s me again, Ben – Lead Keeper of Amphibians at Chester Zoo.

So what is a keeper of amphibians doing looking after chickens?  Well the Mountain Chicken is actually one of the world’s LARGEST frogs and gets its name because it tastes like chicken!

It’s restricted to two islands in the eastern Caribbean, Montserrat and Dominica. Populations on both islands have suffered rapid declines following the introduction of Chytrid fungus, which was identified in 2009.

Last month I was out in Montserrat involved with the release and subsequent tracking of over 30 Mountain Chickens all of which were bred in captivity and are now all fitted with radio transmitters.  It is part of a pilot study which will now be repeated over the next few years to help build up information on how the reintroduced frogs are fairing back in the wild.

In Montserrat this decline was seen earlier following the 1995 volcano disaster which affected both the people and the wildlife of Montserrat equally. The combined effects of the volcano, the fungus and the fact they frogs are collected for food, has pushed the species ever closer to the edge of extinction.

The field project we are part of was established by Durrell in conjunction with the Montserrat Department of Environment with Chester Zoo becoming involved initially by displaying the species within the zoo and helping to raise its profile through in-zoo education.  Since then we’ve developed a specialised A-pod for the species and last year we received rescued frogs which we’ll try and breed ready for reintroduction to the wild.

The coolest thing about Mountain Chickens is that the females take care of their tadpoles – it’s not something that Amphibians really do so it makes these ones pretty special.  The female feeds her tadpoles special eggs, which in fact are the only thing that they can eat – so it is total parental dependency.  The downside, of course, is that it does make it difficult for us to breed them.

You can also see some of our Mountain Chickens in Chester Zoo’s Islands in Danger exhibit.

Until 2002 the Costa Rican Green-eyed Frog was believed to be extinct.

It was pure chance that they were discovered by a group of researchers who were surveying the Bosque Eternos de los Ninos park – or BEN as it is sometimes shortened too. 

The research led to the identification of a single breeding population all focused around one small seasonal pool.

Here at Chester Zoo we became involved in the project in 2007 and since then we’ve become involved in supporting the studies in the wild as well as establishing a safety net population of the frogs at the zoo.  In fact we are the ONLY other place outside of the wild to have these frogs, so it’s a massive honour for me to have the opportunity to work with them – and they originate from a park that shares its name with me!

The frogs we have here at the zoo are kept in one of our A-pods and under strict bio secure conditions.  If our worst fears are realised and they do become extinct in the wild, our frogs could play a huge part in helping to re-establish them in the wild once again.

Over the next few years a regular monitoring program for the existing wild populations will be established.  Plus we’ll be actively assessing the possibility of transfer of frogspawn to pools which historically have supported Green-eyed Frog breeding – like the one discovered back 2002.

At the same time we’re hoping we can successfully reproduce from the now adult population here at the zoo and in doing so develop a set of guidelines for use back in Costa Rica.

In the meantime, you can checkout our new ringtone – if you haven’t heard it – it’s the call of this amazing and critically endangered frog.

For the past two weeks, we have not been lucky in capturing any rhino photos; but today we got reports that there could be some luck as rhino have visited one of the wallows we had set the camera trap by.

The camera traps will assist us to identify and monitor the rhinos in the Chyulu, and hopefully capture some images of the new born baby that was reported last year.

There have also been some signs that there could be another baby born. The rangers are working day and night to locate clear evidence of this second rhino baby. I will post you more on this and will send through some camera trap photos as soon as I have them.

And what better project than an Amphibian one!

What’s more, to coincide with the leap day (February 29th) 2012, Amphibian Ark (AARK) is launching a new international event – Leaping Ahead of Extinction: A celebration of good news for amphibians in 2012.

Thanks to us it really is great news for amphibians in 2012, as you can now donate direct to our Amphibian Project, plus 100% of your donation will be used at the project because Chester Zoo has once again agreed to fund all our admin.

If you’ve read the project page already, then you’ll know that Ben is currently working out in Montserrat with Mountain Chickens, but he has very kindly prepared some information on the frogs that we are working with and we’ll be blogging that for you as the month progresses.

There are so many ways that you can support Amphibian conservation - so many that we’ll be adding a new ‘Get Involved’ page shortly packed full of ideas.