Folly Zoo: Breeding Programmes

Folly Farm is heavily involved in several European Breeding Programmes (EEP's) and European Stud Books (ESB's). The programmes involve the housing of endangered species for the purpose of breeding to build up a captive assurance population. So far Folly Farm has enjoyed enormous success housing a variety of species and in nearly all cases that involve pair animals have bred in accordance with the programme guidelines.

C.R.O.A.K.

"It is estimated that in as little as 100 years one third of all amphibian species will be extinct," EAZA

This zone within Folly Farm's zoo is dedicated to the breeding of a captive assurance population of amphibian kind and will provide an essential reservoir of genetic material should any our species be required for re-introduction to the wild due to extinction.

CROAK

The C.R.O.A.K. building is a bio-secure unit converted from a recycled portable classroom and will be invaluable to ongoing conservation work at Folly Farm. It contains four different amphibian species in breeding units and although it is not accessible to the public due to need to keep it bio-secure there is a viewing platform and information boards on display.

BRAZILIAN TAPIR

In August of 2002 one of the strangest creatures to ever enter Folly Farm arrived under the cover of darkness. It was a Brazilian tapir named Shawn and he had been placed under the care of Folly Farm's zoo team as part of a European Breeding Programme. Shawn, who visitors describe as part horse, part pig with an anteater's nose, settled in well to his purpose built enclosure. He quickly became one of the keepers' favourites as he really is a big softy who loves a scratch.

Unfortunately due to the few numbers of tapirs in captivity Shawn would have to spend a short while on his own until a suitable partner became available. This happened in 2004 when a female, Sommer, was placed on breeding loan from Edinburgh Zoo. Sommer had been living with a young male in Scotland but the pair had never produced young so the decision was made to split them and introduce them to new partners. Sommer and Shawn were introduced and they have been inseperable ever since. In 2006 Sommer gave birth to her first ever baby. Baby Tapir

Given the name Ligea (Brazilian Portuguese for 'shrill whistling voice') this young female was the first recorded tapir ever to be born in Wales and a real triumph for Folly Farm. The small stripey infant was strong and healthy and being female would be a real boost for the breeding programme. In 2008 the tapir exhibit at Folly Farm was enlarged to give the tapirs access to a huge pond and allow for the expanding family. The keepers were hopeful that the tapirs would have more young in future years and with a 13 month gestastion period their patience was rewarded in 2008 with a second daughter for Shawn and Sommer named Yarah...roll on 2012!

BLACK AND WHITE RUFFED LEMUR

Folly Farm has kept black and white ruffed lemurs since 2002. The arrival of our female, Kirindy, in 2003 meant the zoo was able to actively contribute to the European Breeding Programme for these magnificent endangered animals. Already housing and having knowledge of ring-tailed lemurs, and with experienced staff on the team, Folly Farm celebrated the birth of their first black and white ruffed lemur babies in 2004.

First time mum Kirindy proudly gave birth to triplets which were named Harry, Ron and Neville. The fantastic thing about baby black and white ruffed lemurs is they are perfect little replicas of their parents and from day one the keepers get to have hands on experience with them. It is important that babies are all of a good weight and for the first few weeks the keepers monitor the babies daily to ensure they are gaining weight. Mother lemurs tend to be fantastically tolerant of people picking up their infants, which are usually tucked tightly underneath her. A set of domestic kitchen scales is used to weigh the infants. The tricky bit is trying to keep the wriggly babies in the bowl!

Lemur Triplets

After weighing, the babies are handed immediately back to the mother and generally fall straight back to sleep. Harry, Ron and Neville are now healthy adult lemurs and can still be seen running about on their island home with mum and dad.

Folly Farm was rewarded again in 2008 with a second set of triplets! This time an experienced mother Kirindy did as everybody expected and took to her new infants straight away. Yet to be named, the new babies are developing well and are proving to be a real hit with the visitors to the zoo.

RED RUFFED LEMUR

After the success Folly Farm has had with the black and white ruffed lemurs the decision was made in 2007 to bring in a male to join the three exisiting red ruffed lemur females at the zoo.

Nell, Pogel and Arena had lived for four years at the zoo but none had reproduced. The right male had to be chosen for the task as in lemur society it is the females that are dominant.
Louis was introduced to the girls gradually throughout 2007 and although he did get bossed around, eventually he found his place in the group.

Fantastically in 2008 Nell gave Hand Rearing a Lemur birth to twins but unfortunately she did not take to motherhood well and shortly after birth one of her babies died. The remaining infant was the smaller of the two and Nell was not acting very kindly towards it so the difficult decision was taken to remove the baby and attempt to hand-rear him as this was thought to be the baby's only chance of survival. Having successfully hand-reared a ring-tailed lemur Zoo Keeper Tim began the difficult task of looking after the newborn.

With two hourly feeds day and night hand-rearing is not an easy task but with red ruffed lemurs being critically endangered every effort had to be made to keep baby alive. Sadly after 30 days Mikaly, as he was named, passed away. Without the immune system that his mother's milk would have given him Mikaly was much more prone to infection than a mother-reared infant would have been. This was a very sad time for the zoo but spirits were lifted by the birth of a second set of twins to mother Arena.

Although these were her first babies Arena proved to be a natural mother and cared for her twins as an attentive mother should. The babies developed at a fantastic pace and soon took on personalities of their own. Named Sleepy and Mischief they delight in play fights and games of chase, enthrawling both keepers and guests alike. Seeing babies of any species is a real treat however when they are as rare as Sleepy and Mischief it makes it all the more special.

Sleepy the Lemur

The twins will be entered into the European Endangered Species Breeding Programme for red ruffed lemurs and one day will leave Folly Farm to start their own families thus ensuring a future for this rarest of animals.