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Int. Zoo Yb. (1992) 31: 14 0 The Zoological Society of London

Conservation and research programme: proposals by the Zoological Parks Board of New South Wales J. R. GILES & J. D. KELLY Zoological Parks Board of New South Wales, PO Box 20, Mosman, NSW 2088, Australia

In considering the role of the Zoological Parks Board of New South Wales in conservation it is necessary to recognize what has happened to Australian fauna and particularly to indigenous mammals. Australian mammal fauna declined dramatically after the first European settlement in 1788. About half the global extinctions of mammals in historic times occurred in Australia which has lost at least 18 of its 260 recorded mammal species (Burbidge, in press). A further eight species are now isolated on conti- nental islands. Most of the species that are now extinct were from the semi-arid mainland below the Tropic of Capricorn and virtually all extinctions were of non- flying mammals with mean adult body weights of 35-55OOg (Burbidge & McKenzie, 1989).

The exact causes of the decline in mammal populations are little known and much debated. It seems likely that they are the result of the combined effects of introduced herbivorous competitors (Wild rabbits Oryctolagus cuniculus, sheep and cattle) and introduced predators (domestic cats and Red foxes Vulpes vulpes) overlaid with the normal popula- tion fluxes caused by highly variable rain- fall (Frankel & Soult, 1981). Recent experimental releases of small captive- bred macropods have indicated that intro- duced predators alone, particularly foxes, are sufficient to eliminate quickly small introduced populations of these species (Short et al., in press).

Whether or not the process of extinc- tion proves to be confined mainly to the

areas of low and variable rainfall or if it is simply more rapid in those areas is a cause for concern especially in relation to the conservation of the remaining fauna, including reptiles and birds. Urgent action is required to prevent further extinctions and zoos can play a significant role.

CONSERVATION AND RESEARCH PHILOSOPHY The Zoological Parks Board is heavily dependent upon its own revenue-raising capability to fund all operations, including conservation and research pro- grammes, at Taronga and Westerns Plains Zoos. In the currently difficult economic climate the Board must give priority to core operations and any ‘discretionary’ activities must be carefully planned and largely funded from grants, sponsorship and other sources of dedicated income, distinct from the core funding. Our objec- tive is to achieve full self-funding for the research and conservation programme within the current financial year.

In the last three years, the Board has devoted considerable effort and resources to the development of the conservation and research programme. A significant achievement was the establishment of the Conservation Research Centre at Taronga Zoo in 1989; this was considerably assisted by generous corporate support. The Centre is the administrative nucleus of the Board’s conservation programme a major feature of which is the establish- ment and funding of key research and conservation projects to operate collabor- atively with other zoos, wildlife agencies,

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government bodies and academic institutions.

CONSERVATION AND RESEARCH PROGRAMME The Board has now commenced a number of major projects including: 1. Conservation of wild populations and captive breeding of the Platypus Ornitho- rhynchus anatinus which has declined in range and abundance. Much of its habitat had been altered by clearing, agricultural use of pesticides and fertilizers, and construction of dams and weirs. The species has been successfully bred in cap- tivity on only one occasion. The project has two main aims: (a) to develop tech- niques for captive breeding; (b) to under- stand more fully the habitat requirements of the Platypus and improve conservation management of wild populations (see Krueger et al., this volume). 2. Ecology of little penguins Eudyptula minor a colony of which breeds on an island near Sydney. Large quantities of urban and agricultural run-off flow into the waters surrounding the island and the project aims to determine the impact of pollution on the dynamics of this penguin colony in comparison with a colony remote from Sydney. 3. Captive breeding for experimental releases of Malleefowl Leipoa ocellata, Bilby Macrotis lagotis and Western hare wallaby Lagorchestes hirsutis. All three species are endangered and population numbers have declined significantly since European settlement. All projects are being carried out in conjunction with government conservation agencies. 4. Taxonomy and conservation of the recently described Pilliga mouse Pseud- omys pilligaensis (Fox, 1983). Since its taxonomy is uncertain and its ecology and conservation needs are not yet clear, the project aims to provide a better under- standing of habitat management require- ments for the species. 5 . Infective disease monitoring in captive and wild pinnipeds. This project (now completed) was commenced following an

outbreak of disease (thought to be bovine TB) in an interstate collection of Austra- lian sealions Neophoca cinerea and concern that the wild populations of pinnipeds breeding in Australian waters also may be infected. Testing of pinnipeds suggested that bovine TB did not occur in captive stocks in Australia. Funds have recently been obtained for two further projects. 1. Taxonomy, immunological status and causes of decline of the ‘native cats’ Dasy- uridae in southern mainland Australia. Populations of the Eastern native cat Dasyurus viverrinus and Western native cat D. geofroii declined rapidly on the mainland in the first half of this century. Dasyurus viverrinus is still common in Tasmania but appears to be extinct on the mainland and D. geofroii persists in south-western Western Australia. The Northern native cat D. hallucatus is common within its range in northern Australia. The project aims to clarify the taxonomic relationships between the Tasmanian and mainland forms of D. viverrinus using DNA analysis and describing the immunological profiles of the extant species, the nominate sub- species and other surviving populations of the Dasyuridae. 2. Establishment of a predator-free sanc- tuary for indigenous mammals within the boundaries of Western Plains Zoo. This project is significant not only in deve- loping an educational facility, where the public can experience locally extinct fauna in a nocturnal and effectively wild situa- tion, but also in the area of conservation research. It would allow the Board to keep species now being captive-bred in free-range conditions so that their popula- tion dynamics, ecology and behaviour can be studied in the absence of predators. As already mentioned, predation by exotic species now appears to be a critical factor in limiting Lhe abundance of certain species. As the proposed Sanctuary will be within the boundaries of the Zoo, even- tually there will be an opportunity for observing and measuring the interaction

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between exotic predators and rare species which will be released, equipped with transmitters, outside the sanctuary but within the perimeters of the zoo. In addition the Board encourages its staff to undertake research projects, parti- cularly in the pursuit of higher academic qualifications, and hosts a veterinary internship in wildlife diseases. Projects undertaken in this area are: (1) thermo- regulation in Southern elephant seals Miro- unga leonina; (2) acoustics in Leopard seals Hydrurga leptonyx; ( 3 ) clinical avian haematology and biochemistry.

PROPOSED FUTURE PROJECTS If funds can be found, it is planned to extend the studies to include: (1) basic biochemistry and physiology of mar- supials and monotremes; (2) genetic varia- tion in populations of endangered Australian marsupials and rodents; (3) ecology and conservation of the Broad-headed snake Hoplocephalus bun- garoides; (4) movement patterns of Grey nurse shark Carcharias (Odontaspis) taurus; ( 5 ) conservation of the Great white shark Carcharodon carcharias; (6) reproductive and immunogenetic taxo- nomic studies in Black rhinoceros Diceros bicornis and White rhinoceros Cerato- therium simum.

RESEARCH AND MANAGEMENT OF COLLECTIONS The majority of the projects above relate to wild populations or to collaborative projects involving both wild and captive populations. In addition, the Board has an essential interest in increasing the level of knowledge relating to management of the captive animals it holds and shares with other zoological institutions. These species include both indigenous and exotic fauna.

A primary consideration in the management of captive stocks is the provenance of the animals involved. As with many long-established zoological institutions, the Board’s collections contain a large number of animals of

uncertain origin and a significant number of these are uncommon and therefore valuable. Useful contributions to collec- tion management would be determination of the origin of and the genetic relation- ships within captive stocks, and the genetic relationships between captive stock and wild populations. The Board is currently exploring available techniques of DNA analysis, including ‘finger- printing’, with the objective of both accessing expert assistance and developing its own capability for the future under- taking of this work (see also Hall et al., this volume).

MANAGEMENT OF SMALL CAPTIVE POPULATIONS Pragmatism dictates that because of our relative remoteness from most large over- seas zoological institutions, populations of managed species in Australia and New Zealand often contribute less than they might to maximize the genetic contribu- tion to captive populations of those species world-wide. This is because it is expensive and sometimes difficult to trans- port, safely and routinely, large animals from Australia to Europe or the USA. A medium-term solution to this problem may be to facilitate development and implementation of better techniques of gamete and zygote storage and transpor- tation, and of artificial fertilization and implantation of fertilized eggs; these are areas in which Australia has made con- siderable pioneering research contribu- tions. Because of the prevailing priorities and funding opportunities, to date, effort has been concentrated on the reproductive physiology of humans and livestock rather than on wildlife. Fortunately, the key research personnel in these fields in Sydney are now interested in contributing their expertise to studies of wild animals.

CONSERVATION EDUCATION Education is an important tool in conser- vation particularly in a highly urbanized society like New South Wales. To contri- bute to this field the Conservation

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Research Centre is running a series of workshops on strategic planning for conservation. The first two of these, an international symposium on Platypus and an international conference on shark conservation, have already been staged successfully. A third major conference on conservation and the mining industry ‘Enviromine’ was held at Taronga Zoo in March 1992.

The role of the Centre in public educa- tion is planned to expand to take advan- tage of its politically neutral position and the opportunities that arise therefrom to facilitate balanced debate on conservation issues. As part of this process a series of workshops on the roles of zoos in conser- vation were held jointly with the Centre for Continuing Education of the Univer- sity of Sydney, at Taronga Zoo during the summer of 1991-1992.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Development of the research and conservation capabilities of the Zoological Parks Board has been greatly facilitated by corporate sponsorship and

grants. We are particularly grateful to the following organizations for their assistance: Pacesetter Portable Buildings, IBM Australia Pty Ltd, S. C. Johnson and Sons Pty Ltd, CIBA-GEIGY Pty Ltd, The Water Board of New South Wales, the Winifred Scott Bequest and the Australian National Parks and Wildlife Service.

REFERENCES BURBIDGE, A. A. (In press): Conservation of threatened species of mammals in Australia, In Proceedings of the second international conference on endangered Australian fauna 1989. IUCN Australia. BURBIDGE, A. A.. & MCKENZIE, N. L. (1989): Patterns in the modern decline of Western Australia’s vertebrate fauna: causes and conservation implications. Biol. conserv. 50:

Fox, B. J. (1983) Pilliga mouse Pseudomys pilligaensis. In The Australian Museum complete book of Australian mammals: 418. Strahan, R. (Ed.). London, Sydney, Melbourne: Angus & Robertson. FRANKEL, 0. H. & SOULB, M. E. (1981): Conservation and evolution. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. SHORT, J., BRADSHAW, S. D., GILFS, J., PRINCE, R. T. I. 8 WILSON, G. R. (In press): Macropod reintroductions: a review. Biol. conserv. 53.

143-198.

Manuscript submitted 8 October 1991

Inr. Zoo Yb. (1992) 31: 4 9 0 The Zoological Society of London

The role of zoos in the captive breeding of New Zealand’s threatened fauna DAVID J. BUTLER Captive Breeding Co-ordinator, Threatened Species Unit, Department of Conservation, PO Box 10420, Wellington, New Zealand

This paper is written from the viewpoint of one with the role of co-ordinating the captive breeding of threatened species within the Department of Conservation, the agency with the statutory respons- ibility for the conservation of all New Zealand’s native flora and fauna. As a co- ordinator there is the opportunity to maintain an overview of the activities of

both the Department and zoos in relation to threatened fauna.

The native species of New Zealand are, with few exceptions, fully protected under the Wildlife Act, 1953 and their ‘owner- ship’ is vested in the Crown. In order to maintain animals in captivity, or to transfer them between institutions, a written permit has to be obtained from