Montserrat's last two mountain chicken frogs to be reunited to save species

Conservationists pin hopes of the species’ survival on breeding the Caribbean island’s last known male and female in the wild

Jessica Aldred

Wednesday 27 April 2016 10.34 BSTLast modified on Wednesday 27 April 201615.23 BST

In what could be a fairytale ending, conservationists are hoping to reunite the last two remaining wild mountain chicken frogs living on Montserrat and help their species breed on the Caribbean island for the first time since 2009.

A project led by the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust will next month take the last remaining female and “translocate” her into the territory of the last remaining male as part of a 20-year recovery plan for the species, one of the world’s largest and rarest frogs that exists on just two Caribbean islands, Montserrat and Dominica.

The two frogs are the island’s only known survivors of an outbreak of the deadly chytrid fungus disease, a pandemic ravaging amphibian populations worldwide.

Montserrat’s remaining male and female live roughly 500m apart among the boulders of a steep, fast-flowing stream in the rainforest. Over the next few weeks, the team of conservationists will first try to locate the male by his deep, whooping mating call, which begins as the rains of the breeding season start to fall. Then they will try to find the female further downstream.

Providing the two can be found, the team will move the female into the male’s territory and set up a few artificial nests to encourage her to stay. There will be several weeks of intense monitoring where two conservationists will hike for an hour to and from the stream and spend around six hours every night keeping watch on the female to make sure she hasn’t moved back to her old home.

The ultimate hope is that over the next four months of the breeding season, the two mate and nest, something that has never before been observed in the wild on the island.

Continued ...

Vets restore lemur's sight in cataract operation

A lemur has had its sight restored following a two-hour operation at a Jersey wildlife park.

The primate, known by his keepers as Sam, began exhibiting eye problems in January.

Two experts from the Animal Health Trust performed the operation at Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust.

Veterinary surgeons Claudia Hartley and Rachael Grundon have previously helped elephants, bears and lions to see again.

Dr Hartley, head of ophthalmology at the AHT, said: "There is nothing quite like the feeling of restoring sight to an animal, especially witnessing them see again for the first time.

"It really is the best job in the world."

Continued

Jersey's Durrell wildlife park says orangutans are pregnant

Two of the Sumatran orangutans at Jersey's wildlife park are expecting babies this spring.

Keepers at the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust said 30-year-old Anette is due to give birth in April, and 25-year-old Dana is due in May.

A spokesman for the ape keepers said both babies had been fathered by 27-year-old Dagu.

He said the pregnancies were a sign both the orangutans were happy and healthy.

Gordon Hunt, deputy head of mammals at Durrell, said: "Our six orangutans, hopefully soon to become eight, are a vital genetic reserve and powerful ambassadors for their wild cousins, whom most people will never see, but can have a huge impact upon their future.

"We have an excellent orangutan enclosure and consequent breeding success... these births will be very important."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-jersey-21019564

Partnership to help protect Madagascar’s amphibians – via Herp Digest

30th November 2012, Durrell Wildlife Trust

A killer fungus that has wiped out populations of amphibians in many parts of the world has not been detected in Madagascar yet. However, experts fear that if the deadly chytrid fungus ever did strike, then many of the more than 290 described species endemic only to those shores could be gone for good. That’s why a team from Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust and Chester Zoo are working with local conservation organisations to build the skills needed to respond to the threat of a disease outbreak, should it arrive.

Senior staff from Chester Zoo and Durrell and are currently in Madagascar to deliver a training programme which will equip local conservationists with the skills to establish safety-net populations of threatened amphibians in captivity.

Amphibians all over the world are being affected by the fungal disease, chytridiomycosis. The disease thickens amphibian skin preventing the movement of fluids in and out of their skin, which can lead to deadly heart failure.

Chester Zoo’s Curator of Lower Vertebrates and Invertebrates Dr Garcia said:

“Amphibians already face lots of threats, most notably from habitat destruction and alteration, however the chytrid fungus could be the last nail in the coffin. It threatens many of the wild amphibian species around the globe with extinction and it’s probably the first time ever that a disease has threatened to wipe out an entire class of animals.

“There’s a very real chance of a new epidemic in Madagascar and that’s why it’s vitally important that careful, professional ex situ (captive) programmes are in place to protect against chytrid - it’s that big of a threat.

“On top of that, there are lots of unanswered questions about frogs in Madagascar full stop. Working with them in an ex-situ setting could reveal some vital information and help us understand how we can protect them in their own environment and how to restore wild populations, should it ever become necessary.”

Although 290 species of amphibian have been described in Madagascar, many more have been discovered and are yet to be named. To date more than 90% are endemic to Madagascar.

Head of Durrell Conservation Academy Jamie Copsey added: “We already know that a number of the amphibians unique to Madagascar are sensitive to the fungal disease. An introduction of chytrid fungus could therefore have a devastating effect. By working with local conservation organisations Durrell and Chester Zoo hope to exchange skills and increase the number of institutions within Madagascar with the capacity to establish captive populations that are most at risk from the disease.”

After seeing facilities already developed at the local community-based conservation organisation, Mitsinjo, Amphibian Specialist Group Co-chair for Madagascar Dr. Franco Andreone commented:

“A great deal of ingenuity and imagination has already been injected into conservation efforts in Madagascar by local organisations, in particular Mitsinjo. We are working with them to determine how we can use locally-available materials, such as plastic bottles and sponges, to make cheap but effective alternatives to equipment we can find abroad. The aim is to establish locally-run and effective captive breeding programmes that will make a significant contribution to the conservation of Madagascars unique and diverse amphibian fauna.”

The Chester and Durrell team will be joined by amphibian experts from the IUCN Amphibian Specialist Group and Turin Museum, Italy to deliver the training. The project is being funded largely by EAZA (European Association of Zoo’s and Aquaria).

Round Island boa returned to native habitat for first time in 150 years

Second population of critically Endangered snake created

October 2012. A group of Round Island boas are being reintroduced to one of their original habitats on another Mauritian island for the first time since the 1860s.

This historical step in a long-standing programme by Durrell and its partners to protect the threatened species from extinction will see up to 60 of the snakes released on an island, which is a closed nature reserve and one on which a huge amount of work has been carried out to restore the natural ecosystem.

Establishing a second population
It is the first time that snakes have been relocated for conservation purposes within the region and once established, the second population should give the Round Island boa - which for over 150 years has been restricted to the Island it is named after - a much better long-term chance of survival.

Just 1000 left in the wild
The wild boas, which number about 1,000 in total, are currently being collected by hand by a specialist team of conservationists. Once the snakes have undergone a health check, their release onto their new island home is due to take place between 15th October and 1st November 2012.

Continued:  http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/boa-round-island.html

Critically Endangered Mauritian skinks breeding fast at Durrell

Trio of female Mauritian skinks kick-start breeding programme in Jersey

September 2012. The breeding skills of three female orange-tailed skinks have impressed conservationists and given the new safety net population for their Critically Endangered reptile species a real chance for the future.

16 juveniles and 4 eggs
Over the past four months at the Durrell headquarters in Jersey, the females have produced a staggering 16 juveniles between them, all of which are doing well, and another 4 eggs are currently incubating. This is despite the fact that female skinks produce only two large eggs at one time and the trio were the only females out of 22 rescued orange-tailed skinks that were brought to Durrell a year ago that were able to breed; the others were still too small or male.

Matt Goetz, Head of Durrell's Herpetology Department, said: "These three orange-tailed skinks have gone above and beyond our expectations for them since they arrived at Durrell a year ago and started breeding in March. When they were rescued from Flat Island in Mauritius following the invasion of the predatory Indian musk shrew, we knew that a safety net population elsewhere was going to be essential as their numbers were critically low.

But even in our wildest dreams, we couldn't have hoped that the females would get off to such a flying start. They are clearly happy and healthy, and we are delighted that population numbers of the orange-tailed skink in Jersey are increasing so rapidly."

Tourism development led to local extinction
The invasion of Flat Island by the Indian musk shrew followed the development of tourism there and sadly recent surveys have confirmed that no orange-tailed skinks have survived on the island.

Read on:  http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/mauritian-skinks.html

Rescued ploughshare tortoises start first European breeding programme

Safety net population to ensure Ploughshare survival

August 2012. Conservationists are launching the first European breeding programme for ploughshare tortoises in an attempt to create a vital safety net population of the Critically Endangered animals.

Ploughshare tortoises are already being kept in captivity in America, where 20 animals are registered within three institutions, but it is the first time that they are being coordinated to form a breeding population in Europe. It follows a boom in the Asian pet trade, where ploughshares are being sold illegally for high prices, raising further concern for the future of the species.

The ploughshare tortoise is one of the most threatened species on the planet and until now, conservation efforts have focused on saving the species in its home range in Madagascar and protecting its native habitat, where Durrell began working with the species in 1986.

13 tortoises seized in Hong Kong
To start the European breeding programme, 13 rescued tortoises have been brought to three respected zoological institutions. Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust in Jersey, Chester Zoo and Rotterdam Zoo are each receiving some of the animals, which were part of shipments that were seized by the Hong Kong government in 2009 and 2010.

Matthias Goetz, Head of Durrell's Herpetology Department, said: "Thankfully the rescued tortoises were given to the Kadoorie Farm and Botanical Garden (KFBG) wild animal rescue centre, which took great care of them and started working with international partners to identify new homes for the animals. Along with the other two European institutions, Durrell is delighted to be receiving some of the tortoises and playing a part in a new captive breeding programme which aims to save these beautiful creatures from extinction."

Continued:  http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/ploughshare-breeding.html

'Chicken' frogs survive in new home

Critically endangered frogs reintroduced to the Caribbean island of Montserrat are surviving in their new home, according to conservationists.

Three months after releasing captive-bred frogs, the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust in Jersey, UK reports they are alive and well.

The "mountain chicken" frogs have declined by as much as 80% in the wild.

A fatal fungal disease is affecting amphibians globally.

Described as "iconic", Leptodactylus fallax are one of the world's largest frog species, with females weighing over 900g.

"Due to their size they have very large meaty thighs which they use to leap long distances," said Sarah-Louise Smith, project co-ordinator for the Mountain Chicken Recovery Programme.

Unfortunately this particular attribute caught the attention of local hunters, leading to their curious name.

"Locally their meat is a delicacy, apparently they taste like chicken," explained Ms Smith.

Read on:  http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/17372218

Critically Endangered tortoises, raised in captivity, breed in the wild for the first time

Durrell reaches crucial milestone in the battle to save the rarest tortoise in the world

April 2012. The discovery of two baby ploughshare tortoises born in the wild to parents bred in  Durrell's conservation breeding programme provides hope that despite huge challenges the fight to save the world's rarest tortoise can be won.

There are probably as few as 500 adult ploughshare tortoises, or angonoka in Malagasy, left in their natural range, the bamboo scrub of Baly Bay in north-western Madagascar. Historically the main pressures on the ploughshare were habitat loss and introduced species, but in recent years the rise in poaching for the illegal pet trade outside of Madagascar has threatened to send the angonoka to extinction.

Durrell has been working for 25 years to save this species by reducing pressures to the remaining wild population and its habitat. Early successes included the establishment of Baly Bay National Park and the empowerment of local communities to protect habitat from bushfires. A core component of Durrell's efforts was the establishment of a captive breeding programme that would act both a safety net and the basis for a reintroduction programme.

Breeding programme
The breeding programme has been a great success but it takes a long time for tortoises to reach an age when they can be released back to the wild. First trial releases began in 1998 into an area of bamboo scrub habitat from which the species had previously been wiped out. Since that time, a total of 65 animals have been released with the goal that they would reach maturity and start breeding to secure the viability of the re-introduced population.

The tortoises were released as sub-adults and it has taken them a few years to reach maturity and so it only now that we are seeing the first generation of tortoises to be born from animals released from the programme into the wild.

Continued:  http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/ploughshare-madagascar.html

Endangered Lesser Antillean Iguana breed at Durrel

After eleven years of waiting rare Iguanas breed again at Durrell
January 2012. For the first time in eleven years Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust's rare Lesser Antillean iguanas have successfully bred, producing two young hatchlings.

Increasingly endangered in its wild habitat, the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean, and held by only a handful of zoological institutions worldwide, Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust remains the only one to successfully breed this species.

Commenting on this exciting news, Mark Brayshaw, Head of Durrell's animal collection at the charity's headquarters in Jersey, said, "We are delighted by the arrival of these new hatchlings. They are feeding and growing well, and we are continuing to monitor them carefully at our herpetology department. We will continue our efforts to breed the iguanas and are encouraged by this recent success."

Bred in 1997 & 2000
Durrell's first successful breeding of this species was a single offspring in 1997, followed by eight juveniles in 2000. Between 2000 and 2011, despite efforts to get the most recent offspring to produce viable eggs, the annual clutches laid were all unfertilised eggs. Finally, in September 2011, one of the females, who had been paired with an unrelated male who arrived at Durrell's Jersey-based wildlife park in 2003, produced these latest two fertile eggs which subsequently hatched after an incubation period of 75 days.

The juveniles, vibrant green throughout, are quite different in appearance to adults. In a couple of years the young iguanas will lose their green colour and become grey with cream heads, like their parents.

Threats
The Lesser Antillean iguana (Iguana delicatissima) is an increasingly endangered cousin of the better known common green iguana, and its decline in numbers has been caused by a combination of problems, including habitat loss, interbreeding with the introduced non-native green iguana, and the introduction of predators.

So little is known about the iguana's behaviour in the wild that Durrell's previous breeding successes have led to a better understanding of the environment and conditions they need in order to reproduce. Some of the original 9 Jersey-bred iguanas have since been moved to other institutions as part of a wider conservation breeding effort. Durrell hopes to continue to gain enough experience to help other institutions breed Lesser Antillean iguanas, which will help establish a sustainable ‘safety net' breeding population.

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/antilles-iguana.html

Defacing the world's rarest tortoises

2011 marks 25 years of the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust's work in Madagascar to save native species, including the Critically Endangered ploughshare tortoise.

But with the explosive growth in demand for pet tortoises from Asia, the ploughshares' former safe haven of Baly Bay National Park is under increasing threat from poachers.

Richard Lewis is director of Durrell's Madagascar programme. Here he speaks about how the team and the local villagers are working to protect the world's rarest tortoise. This includes the drastic measure of "defacing" the beautiful shells in order to make the animals worthless on the black market.

See video here ...

Caribbean's rarest species given lifeline by education

Caribbean conservationists can now help save threatened island species thanks to Durrell
November 2011. Conservationists in the Caribbean are now armed with a range of new skills and tools to help them recover some of their most threatened island species, thanks to a successful training programme run by Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust.

Recently the Punta Cana Ecological Foundation in the Dominican Republic played host to eighteen participants from the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Puerto Rico and Montserrat as they attended the eight day Island Species-Led Action (ISLA) course. This specialist programme focuses on the recovery of endangered birds and mammals, with particular attention on threats such as invasive species and habitat loss, along with providing a rare opportunity for island conservationists and researchers to explore some of the issues concerning the recovery of island species and habitats.

Commenting on the success of the recent course Dr. Jose Nunez-Mino, Field Project Manager for Durrell said, "Hispaniola, or the Dominican Republic and Haiti combined, support some of the world's most threatened yet unique wildlife. By bringing together conservationists from across the island the course has forged links between different institutions that are now starting to think about how we can work together to conserve the unique species found on Hispaniola."

The training programme was made possible thanks to funding from a Jersey-based trust fund and forms part of a longer-term project to conserve Hispaniola's remaining native land mammals.

Backed by Durrell
Designed to encourage participants to think broadly about problems they face and ways to overcome them, the course was first developed by staff from Durrell's Jersey based International Training Centre (ITC). It draws upon the ITC's experience and expertise in delivering applied conservation training courses to more than 3000 conservationists from 128 countries, since it was established in 1985. The training programme also makes use of knowledge gained from Durrell's long history of practical interventions in the Indian Ocean, Caribbean and Pacific Ocean.

Since its launch in Jersey, the ISLA course has been run in the Seychelles, Mauritius, St. Lucia, Galapagos, Guam, Fiji, the Philippines and now the Dominican Republic.

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/carribean-species.html
More about Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust

Durrell sharing white-footed tamarin knowledge with Colombia

Durrell's husbandry course gives hands-on experience
October 2011: A Colombian vet is returning to South America armed with fresh conservation skills learned from hands-on experience gained at Durrell Wildlife Trust's primate husbandry course.

Juliana Peña-Stadlin spent two weeks at the Jersey headquarters of the trust after receiving a scholarship to attend its world renowned International Training to learn more about caring for the endangered white-footed tamarin, which lives only in Colombia.

This project is testament to how Durrell's three core conservation pillars work together to make a real impact in their mission to save species from extinction.

Sharing extensive knowledgeAccompanying Juliana on her return journey will be Dominic Wormell, head of Durrell's mammal department. Dominic will spend a fortnight in Colombia during which time he will initially follow the animals in the field, hoping to locate some of the last remaining white-footed tamarins.

The remainder of his time will be spent sharing his extensive knowledge of these diminutive primates, running a number of workshops and visiting some of the institutions that hold the species in captivity.

Commenting on her time spent at Durrell, Juliana said: ‘Not only have I learned so much from the theory side of the course, but also the practical time spent with the vets here has been invaluable. I feel as though I am now in a much stronger position to care for the tamarins and to share what I have learned with my colleagues.

‘I will also be implementing a series of new protocols with regard to the health aspects and husbandry issues of these animals in the various institutions with whom we work.'

Passing skills to people on the front lineDominic added: ‘We are delighted with the work conducted in Colombia and the major improvements we have seen to date. Many of these improvements stem from our specialised knowledge of these animals and our ability to develop skills here in Jersey and then pass them on to people working on the front line, such as Juliana.'

The White-footed Tamarin International Conservation Project was started by Colombian conservationists, several of whom have trained at Durrell, and is a collaborative effort with the European Association of Zoos and Aquariums (EAZA). Durrell is a lead partner on the project, which has a multi-pronged approach, building the skills and capacity to have a safety population of the tiny mammals in Colombia, plus carrying out field work to survey the last patches of forest that the tamarin occurs in.

To date Durrell and its partners have trained well over 60 Colombians during the workshops and have built more than 20 enclosures in various institutions. In doing so great successes have been achieved. Captive mortality rates have reduced from 90 per cent to 20 per cent and in addition the teams are delighted to now have a number of mother-reared offspring, something which was practically unheard of prior to the commencement of this project.
http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/white-footed-tamarin.html

Gorilla becomes cameraman

A gorilla became a cameraman for a day - with amazing results - at a wildlife park on Jersey.

Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust gave an HD camera to Ya Kwanza, a 27-year-old silverback, to see what he would come up with.

The charity provide their gorillas with 'enrichment devices' to encourage them to forage for food and keep them mentally stimulated.

This time, the bright yellow box was not only coated with honey and oats and stuffed with raisins, but was also fitted with a hi-tech camera.

The idea came from one of the charity's mammal keepers Jon Stark, who has taken care of the critically endangered western lowland gorillas for four years.

He wondered what it would be like to take a look at life from the primate's perspective.

The resulting footage shows the silverback investigating the device and meticulously picking out raisins with a surprisingly delicate touch.

He then turns cameraman and takes a number of close ups and profile shots before peeling off the branding on the case.

Ya Kwanza then perfectly captures a shot of Jon asking for the device back, before happily throwing the box to his waiting keeper on the outside of the enclosure.

http://web.orange.co.uk/article/quirkies/Gorilla_becomes_cameraman

Orange-tailed skink rescued from extinction

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/orange-tailed-skink.html#cr

June 2011. Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust has received 22 orange-tailed skinks which were rescued following the invasion of Flat Island, near Mauritius, by the predatory Indian musk shrew.

Read on...

Ploughshare Tortoises Find Their Way Home

Channelon-Line TV/Jersey News. 10/29/10
The Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust is celebrating the news that three of four ploughshare tortoises, stolen from its base in Madagascar, have been returned to the Trust.
The four tortoises were stolen in May last year, as they were about to be  released into their native habitat in the north-west of Madagascar. Each animal was at least 15 years old and part of Durrell's long term captive
breeding programme for the species.
One of the animals was retreived in a shipment of smuggled tortoises about to leave Anatnanarivo airport, and another was retreived after it appeared on a Malaysian website, on sale for $15,000.
The third and most recent one was recovered following the seizure of an illegal shipment of animals by the Malaysian authorities in Kuala Lumpur  this summer.
In July, two women were caught travelling with suitcases containing 400 radiated tortoises, 11 spider tortoises and four ploughshare tortoises.
The three tortoises will now all rejoin Durrell's captive breeding programme, which has been placed under strict police protection.
Richard Lewis, Director of Durrell's Madagascar Programme said: "This is a really important event. Not only have we been able to recover this animal,  it is a powerful signal from the Malaysian Government that they will not  stand for the illegal shipment of threatened species through their  borders. Most of the illegal trade in wildlife from Madagascar is routed through South East Asian countries and we hope that this is a precedent
that can be followed by other countries such as Thailand and Indonesia to  show that there is no future to illegally stripping Madagascar of its natural heritage for profit."
The investigation into the wherebouts of the fourth missing tortoise continues however, and the hope is that it might be part of batch seized at Bangkok Airport on 11th October, including one medium sized ploughshare. Durrell are currently working with TRAFFIC and the Thai authorities to confirm whether this is the last of the four.
From: HerpDigest Volume # 10 Issue # 46 10/30/10 (A Not-for-Profit Publication)

Madagascar Pochard - The world’s rarest ducklings hatched in captive breeding programme

November 2009.
A complicated and challenging mission to a remote lake in Madagascar has resulted in a huge step being taken in efforts to save the world's rarest duck from extinction.

A collaborative team of specialists were hampered by electrical storms, gruelling journeys and illness in their bid to secure a precious batch of eggs laid by the Critically Endangered Madagascar pochard (Aythya innotata) in early October.

Rediscovered in 2006

The pochard, a medium-sized diving duck, was feared extinct by the late 1990s but it was rediscovered in 2006 when biologists from The Peregrine Fund, who were scouting for a threatened bird of prey, the Madagascar Harrier, observed 20 adult pochards living on a single lake in northern Madagascar.

Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, The Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT), The Peregrine Fund and the Government of Madagascar joined efforts to establish a conservation-breeding programme for the ducks, with the hope of reintroducing them back into their wetland habitats.

Last chance - Captive rearing

However, an emergency rescue plan was mounted after a reconnaissance visit in July revealed the situation was worse than feared - with the sighting of just six females and evidence that the young had died just a few weeks old. As a result, members of the team monitored the tiny population during their breeding season, reporting that three female birds were preparing to lay eggs. A team of duck specialists from WWT and Durrell immediately flew to Madagascar in an attempt to bring the eggs into captivity.

Patience was becoming a required skill, as Glyn Young from Durrell describes; "It was a race against time to get the team and the equipment to the lake before eggs started hatching.

The situation was not made any easier as massive electrical storms had delayed our arrival in the country. Once all the equipment had cleared Customs, we had to wait for three days as a bridge was repaired on the only access road to the lake. To add to our woes, having finally made it to the lake, we all fell ill!"

Start of a 30 year project

Having commandeered part of a local hotel in order to create a temporary breeding facility, a batch of eggs was removed from a lake-side nest as near to hatching as possible. With extreme care, the day-old ducklings were transported to their make-shift rearing facility, 12 hours away.

Peter Cranswick, from WWT, describes the significance of this achievement, "This is conservation at the cutting edge. The urgency of the situation has meant a great deal of invention and improvisation - but next year simply may have been too late. Safely bringing birds into captivity marks the start of a 20- or 30-year conservation project that will also help restore wetlands across the region."

Eight ducklings so far


Eight ducklings are now reported to be doing very well, but work continues as the team attempts to secure two more clutches from the wild over the next few weeks. However, this collaborative rescue mission has provided hope for the future for the Madagascar pochard.

"This is the first important step toward saving this rare species from extinction," said Russell Thorstrom, a biologist in charge of The Peregrine Fund's Madagascar program. "It shows how organizations working cooperatively can overcome challenges and continue onward in their conservation effort for this critically endangered duck."

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/madagascar-pochard-breeding009.html
photo credit: Credit R Lewis/Durrell