04.05.2006 0

Leisure time: Success comes to the region's zoos

Born in Captivity

Any zoologist will tell you that some animals do not breed easily in captivity. This is true of gibbons, whose females at best only reproduce every two years even in the wild. For this reason, the recent birth of a baby gibbon at the zoo in Sanary-Bandol was considered a triumph, especially as it is an endangered species.

Another success story involves the arrival of a baby fennec (small type of fox). Sanary-Bandol is one of only three zoos in Europe which has successfully encouraged a pair of fennecs to reproduce.

At the zoo in Fréjus, in any one year they expect around 50 births amongst the various animals and birds in a year. However, there are two this year who have drawn particular attention: Kim and Java, two baby tigers. Unfortunately, their mother does not have a maternal instinct and has largely abandoned the babies to the care of humans. The team at the zoo have their work cut out, feeding them with a bottle every three hours and giving them the attention as youngsters they crave.

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