Meet our own 'Endemic' Super Stars in the zoo

Endemic animals are biodiversity markers —- indeed, the jewels — of a country’s wildlife, since endemics are specific to one country on the map. You can see a great deal of such endemic wildlife in our zoo. This week, ZooLander follows the endemics you can see in our zoo, and their relatives in the wild...

The grey hornbill is a zoo inhabitant that puzzles visitors with its strange looking oversized beak. Always hyperactive and jumping here and there in its cage, this bulky bird is self-importantly attracting visitor attention, but have you ever realized why it’s special?

Well, as a Sri Lankan, you definitely have a reason to be proud of the grey hornbill, because it is a unique bird that cannot be found anywhere else in the world —- a true Sri Lanka endemic. An animal or plant is called ‘endemic’ to a geographical area (usually a country), if it is naturally found exclusively in that specific area. Sri Lanka is well known for its high endemism, even though it’s a small island that has already been nominated as one of the 34 Biodiversity Hotspots of the world, highlighting high density endemism. The zoo is home to a few endemic animals and you just have to pay attention to these ‘super stars’ that hail from Sri Lanka.

There are other endemic birds in the zoo besides the grey hornbill and most of them can be observed in the zoo’s walk-in-aviary. Ground-dwelling jungle-fowls will be the first endemics to greet you as you step in the zoo’s free-living bird area. They’ve totally forgotten their coyness, and will tolerate you until you get really close. The jungle-fowl breeds in the zoo successfully and a mother with its hatchlings were observed this week in the aviary. The jungle-fowl is Sri Lanka’s national bird and the most wide-spread endemic feathered-friend.

There will also be small greenish birds flying over your head flashing like small rockets, with their sharp calls. When they come out to feed on fruits provided in the trays, you will be astounded by the arresting beauty of Sri Lanka’s endemic birds. This little rocket is the Sri Lanka hanging parrot, also called lorikeet.

The lorikeet is slightly smaller than a normal konda-kurulla (red-vented bulbul). It’s one of the noisiest fast fliers in the forests and remote villages, a King to the sky. A pair of endemic yellow-eared bulbuls will also play hide and seek with you in the aviary without any fuss. Yellow-eared bulbuls can be seen only in the mountainous areas of Sri Lanka.

Endemic mammals

Mouse deer (meeminna), golden palm civet (kalavedda), toque monkey (rilava) and purple-faced leaf monkey (kalu wandura) are the zoo’s representatives of mammalian endemics. The mouse deer was upgraded as an endemic species very recently. Getting an animal declared ‘endemic’ is not an easy task. It involves much scientific research and a rigorous process of convincing the scientific community. These days even DNA testing is done to confirm whether an animal or bird is unique to a particular country, by comparison of DNA patterns with other similar species.

The toque monkey and purple leaf monkey, though many consider them a menace, are also endemic to Sri Lanka. The zoo’s monkey clan that lives in an old cage near the old quarry, is fascinating to watch for their behaviour, irrespective of the reputation they come with.

How about fish?

The aquarium is also a place to observe many beautiful endemic freshwater fish. Freshwater fish endemism in Sri Lanka is high ——- 54% of the total fish species in Sri Lanka being endemic. The streams and rivers are a haven for some 84 species of freshwater fish, and 44 of them can be found only in our country. The freshwater area of the aquarium is a haven for some of these endemic fish species. They are small, yet act as ambassadors that tell the world of the beauty of Sri Lanka’s endemic fish varieties. Some of these beautiful fish, such as the cherry barb were taken out by exotic fish breeders, who made hybrids of them. These fish are very popular among those who rear exotic fish as a hobby.

Some of these endemic fish, such as the Barred danio and Banduala barb are endangered and restricted to a few streams in the wild. Invasive alien species and pesticides remain the worst threats to the endemic fresh fish in Sri Lanka’s natural environment.

Creeping endemics

The reptile zoo is home to more endemic species. The Sri Lanka krait known as muhudu karawala is a scary attraction in this corner of the zoo. Although not big (its length is only about 80cm) it is the most venomous species of Sri Lankan snakes. Five milligrams of the krait’s venom is enough to kill a man, with the equivalent cobra venom being12mg. This means that the Sri Lankan krait can be twice as deadly as the cobra, though it rarely stings humans. None of these snakes sting humans with intent though unfortunate incidents occur accidentally.

The Sri Lanka green pit viper is another gorgeous snake found in our zoo. With its green body perfectly blending with the foliage of the tree in its tank, you may sometimes find it difficult to spot this somewhat large snake. Most of the endemic snakes that can be found in the wilds are not venomous. Sri Lanka has 85 species of snakes and 47 of them are endemic.

Endemic subspecies

All animals and plants continuously evolve. ‘Species’ denotes a biological classification used for a group of animals or plants having common characteristics and are able to breed together to produce fertile (capable of reproducing) offspring, so that they maintain their ‘uniqueness’ compared to other groups. There is another category called ‘sub-species’ that has physically distinguishable populations that are genetically distinct within a species. When a species is made up of distinct, geographically separate groups which are yet not distinct enough to constitute separate species, the term sub-species is employed.

The zoo has many such sub-species endemics as well. The ornate flying snake (polmal karawala) and leopard (panthera pardus kotiya) are such endemic sub-species. What about animals that are endemic to other countries? For example, the lemurs are endemic to Madagascar. Pay close attention to the name boards of the animals in their separate areas, and if their distribution is marked as being in only one country, then that animal is endemic to that specific nation on the map...

Published on LakbimaNews on 28.03.2010

New Lemurs in the Zoo

Published on LakbimaNews on 21.03.2010

Visit the Zoo to see Sri Lanka's National Bird

This has been published on LakbimaNews on 01.02.2010 inline with Sri Lanka's National Day which is celebrated on 04th.February. 

High pitched “chiok, chaw-choyik’ is a call that you can often hear from a corner, if you visit the zoo in the morning. You might guess that it is either a noisy gibbon or a panicked chimpanzee, but infact it is the call of a bird. Though call is bit of a harsh, the owner is neverthelessly a smart bird. It is Sri Lanka Junglefowl which is also the National Bird of our country. 

The proud Junglefowl rooster with the head somewhat depressed and the beak jerked sharply up at each syllabal making this unmistakable call can be seen in Zoo’s open aviary. It is the male Junglefowl who make this call to mark its territory and let rival males know its presence. Emerson Tennent - a naturalists observed the Sri Lankan birds during British Colonial era mentioned the bird shouts “George Joyce”. He distinguished SriLankan Junglefowl’s call from other junglefowls live in Asia. 

If it sees a rival male intruding its territory, the male junglefowl generally proceed by rigorous clapping of the wings together above the back in wild. However, though they charge at each other, actual fighting was not errupted easily. But unfortunately for the male Junglefowl in the wild, the hunters knowing bird’s urge to come out to retaliate its intruders, they mimic this ‘threatening display’ to lure out a hidden Junglefowl. But the male junglefowls in the open aviary of the zoo is living in harmony with their mates. Junglefowl’s females, that are not as big, most of the time associates the male. Female are dull brownish with spotted and streaked below and not as beuatiful as the male junglefowl. 

Sri Lanka Junglefowl is scientificaly identified as Galus lafayettii. It belongs to the Family Phasianidae of the Order Galliformes. The birds found in Glliformees group are plump birds with short, rounded wings, small head and powerful bare legs and feet as mentioned in the John Harrison’s Field Guide to the Birds of Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka Spurfowl, Indian Peafowl, Patrigdges and Quails are the other relatives of this family that can be seen in Sri Lanka. 

Famously known as walikukula in Sinhala, fowl has become part of our culture too. Junglefowl is also a closer relative of the domestic hen and it has been a commonly raised in villages some decades ago. The traditional oil lamp has the symbol of a cock indicating their close cultural relationship with human. Contributing to the ancient literature, there was a sandesha kavya called savul sandeshaya where the rooster played the major role. These are mainly written considering the domestic roosters, but its wild relative Sri Lanka Junglefowl too will get its ‘fowl share’ of these cultural credits. 

The Junglefowl is also the mostly widespread endemic bird of Sri Lanka. While most of our endemic birds been restricted either to Wetzone Rainforests or Mountain Region forests, the junglefowl is abundant even in dry zone. This abundance and closer to the culture are few reasons to name this unique bird as Sri Lanka’s National Bird. 

Bird experts say that Junglefowl breeds in the first half of the year and during August-september period. They build an open nest on floor using leaf litter and lay 2-4 eggs that are off-white and very small dark spots. 

The group of Junglefowl in the zoo always on the move, scratching the aviary bed looking for small animals such as crickets, grass hoppers, centipedes or termites. However, their main diet consists of Grain, Weed-seeds and berries. They are greedy to have the meal provide by the keepers of the Aviary every day and not shy. So you can go very closer to have an ample look at them. 

On your next vist, make sure you have a good look at Sri Lanka’s National Bird in the Zoo Aviary. Perhaps, you can visit the zoo on 04th of February - the Independence Day itself - to see the National Bird to observe one of the living symbol of our nation..!! 

National birds in few other countries 

It is a common custom to name a National Bird around the world. Here are some of the birds declared as National Birds in few other countries…!! Some of these birds can be seen in Sri Lanka too. Please note birds that can be seen in Sri Lanka are indicated by marking their Sinhala names in the brackets. 

o India - Peacock (Monara) 
o Bangladesh - Oriental Magpie Robin (Polkichcha) 
o Pakistan - Perigrene Falcon (Peri kurulugoya) 
o Bhutan - Common Raven (a species of Crow) 
o United States - Bald Eagle 
o United Kingdom - European Robin (Robin Kurulla) 
o Australia - Emu (a flighless bird - can be seen in zoo) 
o Botswana - Cattle Egret (Gava Koka) 
o China - Red-crowned Crane 
o Canada - Common Loon 
o Denmark - Mute Swan 
o Estonia - Barn Swallow (Atu Wehi-lihiniya) 
o Ishrael - Hoopoe (Poroluwa) 
o Mauritius - Dodo (first recorded bird that had gone extinct due to hunting) 
o New Zealand - Kiwi (a flightless bird) 
o Sweden - Black Bird (kalu bim sariya) 
o Bahamas - Greater Flamingo 

New Attraction - White Tigers

published on 14.03.2010 on LakbimaNews 

Man-eaters and the Hunter

Published on LakbimaNews on 28.02.2010 

Ere...Ere..! Tiger

This is published on LakbimaNews on 21.02.2010

Stud Hippo hot to start...

published on LakbimaNews on 19.07.2010 

A young male hippo was brought down from Singapore recently to the Dehiwela zoo; the authorities are hoping that he will choose to mate with the zoo’s female hippos and get their Hippo breeding programme kick-started. 

The male pygmy hippo arrived in Sri Lanka on 19 June in a strong metal cage aboard flight UL910. His welcome party included zoo officer Manaka Pathiraja who was ready with all the paperwork. A little upset at his first airborne experience, he was quickly loaded into the animal carriage and whisked off to the zoo.

At the zoo the hippo was soon unloaded and placed in a cage temporarily until he got acquainted with the other hippos. Though hippos are herbivores, they boast of a pair of huge canine teeth that are particularly dangerous. So, it was necessary to introduce the animal to the others carefully. Handling the animal too had to be done with care. The 6 member pygmy hippo family has successfully bred at Dehiwela, but new blood was required to avoid inbreeding. Inbreeding occurs when members of the same family mate and weakens the gene pool, often resulting in abnormal births. 

Pygmy hippos, so called because they’re smaller in size compared to the normal hippo, can grow upto 6 ft in length and weigh upto 300 Kg. They inhabit Western African forests and swamps, but are threatened in the wild. It is believed that the wild population is very small and number only a few thousands.

The species is so nocturnal and secretive that zoologists cannot study them easily in the wild. But pygmy hippos are easily bred in captivity which gave a chance for zoologists to understand them at least to some extent. The pygmy hippo has a dark coloured skin that appears shiny due to the greasy gum they secrete to protect themselves when out of water. The lower incisor teeth are very long and are used as weapons. 

The pygmy hippos at the zoo can be located by going past the elephant sheds. These giants will open their mouth as if begging for food. But do not feed them as that’s harmful to the animal’s health. 

The new youngster is still caged separately adjoining the pygmy hippo family. He sometimes restlessly walks in the enclosure gazing at his new friends.
Pix courtesy National Zoological Gardens

Hippos roamed in pre-historic Sri Lanka

Wild hippos can now only be found in African jungles. But a long time back during the pre-historic Palearctic Era, hippos roamed Sri Lankan swamps. This was revealed in the archaeological findings of Dr P E P Deraniyagala. The fossils can be seen at the natural history section of Sri Lanka’s national museum. Not just hippos, there were rhinos, lions, tigers and gaurs that inhabited Sri Lanka, and fossilized bones can be seen as evidence on a visit to the museum.