Animals went in 2 by 2...
COUNTING is as easy as one, two, three ... when it comes to rhinos and giraffes.
But include tanks of fish or stick insects and the process becomes more difficult.
It’s a challenge that the staff of Flamingo Land, in Kirby Misperton, are ready to rise to for the annual animal stock take.
The task, which is carried out every January, is a requirement for all attractions which hold a licence to keep animals.
Flamingo Land has around 120 species, 20 per cent of which are listed as threatened in the wild.
Zoo manager Ross Snipp said that digital records have allowed the process to be speeded up,but for certain species, it’s the old-fashioned method that works best.
“Back in the day it was done by head count but it’s made easier now we have a computer database that we use to monitor every birth, death and every animal in and out,” he said.
“This is shared by 700-800 zoos in the world and it’s theoretically as easy as pushing a button and reading a print-out.
“Giraffes and rhinos are easy to count but it’s when you get fish, stick insects and snails that it becomes more complicated.
“It’s a big task calculating how many of a certain group of fish you have in a tank.
“Sometimes when you have a huge number you take a photo and count everything you can see.”
Boosting the numbers this year are two male rhinos, Barlu, two, and Zimba, four, which arrived in December. The arrival of a baby giraffe is also expected any day.
However, Mr Snipp added that the female goes through 457 days of pregnancy and predicting a precise birth ate can be tricky.
As part of the European Breeding programme, the zoo has also become home to a Scimitar Horned Oryx.
“It’s a big achievement for us,” added Mr Snipp. “They’re extinct in the wild, so to breed them is very impressive. There are no more than 400 across the world. We’ve bred one every year for last three to four years, every one is a success.”
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Weather for Malton
Wednesday 19 June 2013
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 10 C to 17 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: North
Tomorrow
Light rain
Temperature: 11 C to 15 C
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