chesterontheweb.com - Chester Zoo’s first hooded vulture pair

Chester Zoo’s first hooded vulture pair arrive to boost critically endangered species – and they are named after ‘Traitors’ stars

· Critically endangered vultures are first breeding pair of their kind to arrive at Chester Zoo

· Keepers hope they will produce youngsters as part of major conservation breeding programme

· Vultures Claudia and Alan named after Traitors stars Claudia Winkleman and Alan Carr

· Known as nature’s clean-up crew, vultures prevent the spread of disease by feeding on decaying carcasses

· Wild hooded vultures declining due to poisoning, the trade in body parts and eggs, and power line collisions

Two critically endangered hooded vultures have arrived at Chester Zoo, where conservationists are hoping the newly bonded pair will produce youngsters to help safeguard the species from extinction.

The vultures - named Claudia and Alan after Traitors stars Claudia Winkleman and Alan Carr - are the first breeding pair of hooded vultures to ever live at the Cheshire conservation zoo.

They have just passed their vet check with flying colours, and are now settled into their home, which they share with a duo of white-headed vultures.

The newly arrived pair already have a strong bond, and keepers hope their relationship will eventually lead to a new generation of young vultures as part of a Europe-wide conservation breeding programme.

Bird Keeper Heather-Anne Pedley said:

“Alan and Claudia came to us from the Horstmann Trust, a conservation breeding centre for vultures, where they are an established breeding pair. We named them after Traitors stars Alan Carr and Claudia Winkelmann, because what better way to reflect how funny and engaging they are than to name them after two national treasures?

“Nobody prepared me for how much I would fall in love with them, their antics and characters. They look like they’ve just put a hood up, and they have this beautiful blue ring around their eyes, like natural eyeliner.”

Ms Pedley added that hooded vulture couples are monogamous and will preen each other, gently touch each other’s bills and co-build nests.

She said: “This pair are real love birds, and we are hopeful they’ll go on to breed. Any youngsters they go on to have will become part of a European conservation breeding programme, helping to create an insurance population for this incredibly rare species.”

“They’re fascinating birds, very active, clever and interested in their environment - and they don’t wait their turn at feeding time.”

Hooded vultures, which have wingspans of up to 180cm, traditionally had a wide range across west, central and southern Africa, where they soar over the land looking for carcasses to feed upon.

These birds, which have dark brown feathers on their body, a buff ‘hood’ and a distinctive bald face and throat, are known as ‘nature’s clean-up crew’.

Ms Pedley said:

“In the wild, vultures help prevent zoonotic diseases – illnesses that can spread between species – because their stomach acid is so strong they can eat decaying meat that other animals would not be able to digest. This helps prevent the spread of diseases like anthrax and botulism into the soil.”

Despite their crucial role across different ecosystems, vulture numbers are dropping and hooded vultures are now classified as critically endangered according to the IUCN Red List of Endangered Species.

This decline is driven by accidental and deliberate poisoning and unsustainable demand for vulture body parts and eggs for use in traditional medicine and rituals. There is no scientific evidence to support this use.

Power lines and other tall structures also pose a threat, as vultures tend to scan the ground for food rather than looking straight ahead, leading to mid-air collisions. They can also be electrocuted if they land on uninsulated power lines.

Claudia and Alan’s offspring will be part of a Europe-wide breeding programme designed to support an insurance population of hooded vultures, offering a lifeline for this environmentally crucial species.

One of the world’s rarest pigs is born at Chester Zoo

The birth of a Visayan warty pig is celebrated by keepers at the charity zoo

As few as 200 of the rare animals remain in the wild

Species is on the brink of extinction from habitat loss and hunting

Piglet is huge boost to breeding programme that is working to safeguard their future

Conservationists at Chester Zoo are working in the Philippines to help prevent their extinction

One of the world’s rarest pig species has been born at Chester Zoo.

The arrival of a Visayan warty piglet has given cause for celebration for keepers at the charity zoo, with as few as 200 now remaining in the wild.

The male newcomer arrived to mum Gwen (9) and dad Tre (10) on 16 November 2021 and now joins a family of five.

These forest-dwelling pigs are listed as critically endangered by the International Union of Conservation for Nature (IUCN).

The species has suffered a drastic population decline in the wild. Agricultural expansion and logging have devastated vast amounts of their native habitat in the Philippines, and they are also hunted for their meat and persecuted for raiding crops – making them one of the rarest wild pigs on the planet.

The latest addition to the breeding programme will be an ambassador for his relatives in the wild.

Mark Brayshaw, Curator of Mammals at Chester Zoo, said:

“It’s fantastic to see the birth of any animal, but when they’re critically endangered and fighting for survival in the wild, it makes it even more special. Baby piglets are incredibly energetic and playful, and so the whole group will certainly be kept very busy over the coming months!

“Visayan warty pigs aren’t just your average pig. During breeding season, males develop a long, protruding mane from their head, giving them a mohawk-like hairstyle. Both mum Gwen and dad Tre are named after punk rockers Gwen Stefani and Tre Cool as a result of this iconic look, and I’m sure it won’t be long until we’ve decided a suitable name to follow in that tradition.

“Every piglet is a vital addition to the breeding programme and will help champion the plight of this fascinating, charismatic species.”

Chester Zoo’s latest arrival is vitally important to the endangered species breeding programme which is looking to maintain a genetically viable population of Visayan warty pigs in zoos around Europe.

The Visayan warty pig was recently recognised as a species in its own right. Little is currently known about these animals in the wild and experts say that by working closely with them in the zoo, they can transfer knowledge to further support the animals in the wild.

Stuart Young, Regional Field Programme Manager for South East Asian Islands at Chester Zoo, explains:

“Working with Visayan warty pigs in the zoo gives us the opportunity to study these animals in a way we never would have been able to in the wild.

“However, the important knowledge gathered here at the zoo is then shared with our partners at the Talarak Foundation in Negros, the Philippines, and has helped with the reintroduction of 19 Visayan warty pigs back into the wild. The pigs were reintroduced to Bayawan Nature Reserve in Negros in July 2020, where the animals had been extinct for more than 10 years. We’re absolutely delighted to reveal that the population is now thriving and 10 piglets have been born since they were rehomed.

“Although pigs can sometimes be overlooked, and don’t gather the attention that other bigger mammals receive, they play a really important role in the ecosystem - which is why we must continue to prevent their extinction.”

Visayan warty pigs live in small social groups and communicate with squeaks, grunts and chirrups. Piglets take their mother’s milk for up to six months, moving on to a varied diet that includes roots, tubers and fruits.

Chester Zoo was the first zoo in the UK to care for Visayan warty pigs, a species that gets its name from three pairs of fleshy warts on the boar’s face.

The breeding centre in the Philippines, and the nature reserve where the pigs were released, have recently been hit by a deadly typhoon causing damage to fences and buildings. Chester Zoo is supporting the Talarak Foundation with repair costs, but extra funding is needed.One of the world’s rarest pig species has been born at Chester Zoo.