Latest news with #Shala
Miami Herald
09-05-2025
- Science
- Miami Herald
Rare predator travels 5,000 miles from CA to UK — for a date. See the bachelor
When the survival of your species is on the line, there is nowhere on Earth that is too far to travel for love. That's why one rare Malagasy fossa made a more than 5,000-mile journey from the San Diego Zoo to Chester Zoo in England for a date. Zaza, a 7-year-old male fossa, has been transferred from California to England to breed with Shala, Chester Zoo's resident female, according to a May 9 news release. 'Zaza is part of a global conservation breeding program. With the fossa listed as vulnerable to extinction by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and its wild habitats in Madagascar under threat from rapid development, Zaza's move to Chester Zoo is an important part of the international effort to ensure this wonderful and unique species is safeguarded long into the future,' Mark Brayshaw, head of mammals at Chester Zoo, said in the release. Zaza and Shala will be slowly introduced to each other to imitate how they would actually meet in the wild, the zoo said. 'Initially we plan to rotate the two of them separately around different parts of their habitat so they can smell each other,' Jack Cunningham, carnivore keeper at Chester Zoo, said in the release. 'They can see each other through a glass window and there's also a screen we can slide open between their dens which allows them to see each other, without being able to get to one another straight away. It's all part of our slow and gradual introduction process.' The zoo said the arrangement may seem 'like an episode of Blind Date,' but it ensures the animals aren't forced together too quickly. Shala has been a mother before, welcoming a litter of pups with a previous mate that have now gone on to other facilities around the world, the zoo said. Being able to study Shala has 'helped researchers in Madagascar track and understand the fossa's mating calls and habitat needs,' according to the release. Fossas are a group of carnivores that appear like a mix between a cat and a weasel but are actually more closely related to mongoose and civets, according to the San Diego Zoo. They have long tails and golden fur, and are native to the island nation of Madagascar, off the eastern coast of Africa. The animals have 'puzzled scientists since the 1830s,' the San Diego Zoo said, and little is known about their lives. Like many other Madagascar natives, the species has faced serious habitat destruction and loss, and fossa numbers are dwindling. Fewer than 2,500 are estimated to live in the wild, so the survival of the species has fallen into the hands of zoos and wildlife parks, according to Chester Zoo. Shala's mating call particularly has been scientifically significant, the zoo said. 'Her mating call has been recorded and analyzed to create a spectrogram, which is a visual representation of sound,' the zoo said, allowing researchers to know when females are looking for mates in the wild by matching the sounds. Zaza is likely to match Shala's energy, the San Diego Zoo said. 'Zaza is a very energetic and well-tempered fossa and can be very vocal when excited,' Lucy Pearson, Zaza's keeper in San Diego, said in the release. 'He was the bravest of the four pups in his litter due to his curious personality.' Chester Zoo is in Chester, England, just east of the northern border of Wales.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Breeding hope as rare fossa arrives at zoo from US
A rare male fossa has arrived at Chester Zoo from America as part of an international breeding programme to protect the species from extinction. The seven-year-old fossa, named Zaza, has travelled from an enclosure in San Diego after being genetically matched with the zoo's female fossa, Shala. Native to Madagascar, the long-tailed, cat-like mammal is a highly threatened species with fewer than 2,500 estimated to remain in the wild. Chester Zoo's head of mammals Mark Brayshaw said the move was "an important part of the international effort to ensure this wonderful and unique species is safeguarded long into the future". Conservationists in Chester have worked alongside international partners in Madagascar to protect habitats on the island for over 15 years. Female Shala, who arrived in Chester in 2018, previously had a litter of pups with former mate Isalo and has also been part of a project to monitor mating calls. Her mating call was recorded and analysed to help researchers in the rainforests of Madagascar to identify when female fossas are looking for mates in the wild and identify the best environments for breeding. Females only come into season once a year for a two-week period when the usually-silent species become very vocal. Keeper Jack Cunningham, a member of the Carnivore team at Chester Zoo, said the pair will be introduced slowly. Lucy Pearson, a keeper at San Diego Zoo, said Zaza was a "very energetic and well-tempered" fossa and "the bravest of the four pups in his litter due to his curious personality". Fellow keeper Candice Dymek said while it was "hard to say goodbye" to Zaza the zoo was "excited at the potential for him to sire pups and grow the European fossa population, and to be a part of such a large collaboration that will continue to further conservation efforts in Madagascar". Read more stories from Cheshire on the BBC, watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer and follow BBC North West on X. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230. Sloth has pioneering surgery to cure toothache Zoo's new science centre to help endangered species 'Giant spiders' thriving in wild after zoo release Capturing birth of smallest wild cattle 'special' Zoo plants 19,000 trees in unused field Chester Zoo
ITV News
09-05-2025
- ITV News
Rare male fossa travels from San Diego to Chester Zoo for a 'blind date' to save species
Watch seven-year-old Zaza get used to his new surroundings in Cheshire. A rare Malagasy fossa has travelled more than 5,000 miles for a blind date that could save his species. Seven-year-old Zaza has made the trip from San Diego in the USA to Chester Zoo as part of an international breeding programme that is working to get fossa's off the endangered species list. The cat-like mammals are the largest natural predator in Madagascar, where they hunt for prey such as lemurs, birds, lizards, and mice. There are less than 2,500 Malagasy fossa's left in the wilds of Madagascar due to mass deforestation on the island. The cat-like mammals are the largest natural predator in Madagascar, where they hunt for prey such as lemurs, birds, lizards, and mice. Zaza has made the journey for a "blind date" with Chester Zoo's resident female, Shala. It's hoped the pair will have pups and help keep their species alive. Mark Brayshaw, the Head of Mammals at Chester Zoo, said: ' Zaza's move to Chester Zoo is an important part of the international effort to ensure this wonderful and unique species is safeguarded long into the future. We're very pleased to see him arrive.' Fossas naturally live solitary lives and, to ensure this is replicated at the zoo, Zaza and Shala will live apart most of the time, only coming together for Jack Cunningham, a member of the Carnivore team at Chester Zoo, said: 'Initially we plan to rotate the two of them separately around different parts of their habitat so they can smell each other. "They can see each other through a glass window and there's also a screen we can slide open between their dens which allows them to see each other, without being able to get to one another straight away. It's all part of our slow and gradual introduction process.' Jack added: 'Female fossa only come into season once a year for a two-week period.'They're usually a silent species, except for when the females are looking for males, and then they will vocalise. After a few days of soft introductions through the windows and mesh, we'll know Shala is ready to meet Zaza because she will stand at the top of a tree and scream, which is her way of saying: I'm ready!'She was a wonderful mum to her first pups, so we're excited to see if she and Zaza have their own litter.' Shala, who arrived in Chester in 2018, had a litter of pups with her previous mate, Isalo, who will be moving on from Chester as part of the same breeding programme. Their pups have already found new homes in the UK and on the other side of the well as contributing to the continued survival of the species, Shala has also contributed to scientific knowledge of the mating call has been recorded and analysed to help researchers in the rainforests of Madagascar to identify when female fossas are looking for mates in the wild, which helps track species numbers and identify which environments are best for them.
BBC News
09-05-2025
- Science
- BBC News
A rare fossa has arrived at Chester Zoo
Chester Zoo has just welcomed a rare unlike many of its additions, this animal hasn't been born at the zoo. Seven-year-old fossa Zaza was brought to the UK from San Diego Zoo in the US as part of a special international breeding programme. The mission is to boost fossa numbers to stop them from going extinct. Zaza has been matched with a female fossa at Chester Zoo called Shala and it's hoped the pair will go on to have pups. The animals tend to live alone, so the duo will stay apart most of the time, only coming together for breeding."Initially we plan to rotate the two of them separately around different parts of their habitat so they can smell each other," explained keeper Jack Cunningham. "They can see each other through a glass window and there's also a screen we can slide open between their dens which allows them to see each other, without being able to get to one another straight away."It's all part of our slow and gradual introduction process."Female fossa Shala, who arrived at Chester Zoo in 2018, successfully had a litter of pups with her previous mate, Isalo, who will be moving on from the zoo as part of the same breeding programme. Why are their worries about fossa numbers? The fossa is an animal which is native to existence is currently under threat, with fewer than 2,500 believed to still be in the wild. Deforestation has a big part to play in the fall in fossa numbers. "With the fossa listed as vulnerable to extinction by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and its wild habitats in Madagascar under threat from rapid development, Zaza's move to Chester Zoo is an important part of the international effort to ensure this wonderful and unique species is safeguarded long into the future," said Mark Brayshaw, who is the head of mammals at Chester Zoo. As well as drastic changes to their environment, fossas also face risks from dogs and cats introduced to Madagascar as they risk catching catch diseases from them. The fossa is the largest natural predator on hunt for prey such as lemurs, which makes up about half of their diet, as well as other species like birds, lizards and mice. Although the animals have retractable claws like cats, they are most closely related to mongooses.
Yahoo
14-02-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
See two sloth bear cubs make their debut at San Diego Zoo
Two sloth bear cubs born at the San Diego Zoo in late 2024 made their first public appearance on Thursday. The zoo shared a clip of the cubs emerging from their private den with their mother Shala. The zoo did not share the names of the "shaggy-haired sweethearts," who were born in early December. The cubs have spent the first two months of their lives bonding with their mother. Sloth bears are not related to sloths, according to an information page for the species published by the San Diego Zoo. The zoologist who first named the species did think the bears were related to tree sloths because of their long, thick claws and unusual teeth but later research found that the two animals had no connection. The zoo noted that a sloth bear has more in common with an anteater since both species use their long noses to hunt for food. Sloth bears have "rough, unruly hair" around the ears, shoulders and neck, with pale muzzles and flexible noses. Sloth bears also often have white patches on their chests, in the shape of a Y, O or U, the zoo said, and have thick hair that protects them from termite bites. Sloth bears typically live in South Asia and the Indian subcontinent, the zoo said. They can climb trees and run faster than humans, but cannot see or hear as well as other bears, relying on their long noses to sniff out food. The zoo said it is working with partners in India to learn more about the species and how it can be protected. The species is threatened by habitat encroachment, the zoo said, as well as illegal hunting and capture. The species is considered "vulnerable," the zoo said. The zoo noted that the new cubs will "play a critical role in helping conservationists learn more about sloth bear ecology." New accusations against Kash Patel as he advances in FBI director confirmation process Kash Patel survives Senate committee vote Eagles Super Bowl parade underway in Philadelphia
