Cold Eye Turned On Zoo Animals

Belfast Zoo re-opened today as freezing conditions eased - only to close again shortly before noon as a blizzard enveloped eastern parts of NI.

The news came as Zoo keepers began undertaking a complete head count of every animal as part of the facility's licensing regulations.

More than 140 different species including Western lowland gorillas, Sumatran tigers and numerous prairie dogs will be added to the count.

Curator Andrew Hope (pictured) made a start before the faciltiy closed again by braving the freezing conditions to count the Gentoo penguins.

Included in the count will be the latest arrivals including two baby kangaroos and three meerkats.

The hefty task is done every January giving the zoo an accurate record of every animal birth, death, arrival and departure. The data is stored in a central zoo database called ISIS and links Belfast Zoo's animals with over 825 other zoos in 76 countries around the world.

Belfast currently cares for 140 species of animals including 60 types of mammals, 62 species of birds and 18 species of reptile or amphibian. In 2009 there were over 90 births on Cavehill.

The new arrivals included a Grant's zebra, Malayan tapir, Californian sea-lions, a miniature donkey, meerkats and penguins.

There were 66 arrivals from other zoos in the world including elephants, a giant anteater, hornbills, tree kangaroo and Kabus the Sumatran tiger, all which the public can see currently. Some 59 animals from Belfast Zoo were sent to other zoos and wildlife centres, such as Lily the lion who moved to Hodonin Zoo in the Czech Republic. Other animals have been transported as far as South Africa and China.

Mark Challis, Zoo Manager, said: "January is a busy time of year for many zoos across the UK because the annual stock take is such a big job.

"The information we get from this exercise is a great way to ensure the accuracy of our records. It's important that zoos ensure their figures are correct so they can best manage their animal population. When zoos submit data to organisations such as the British and Irish Association for Zoos and Aquaria it means that we can run detailed and scientifically based breeding programmes to safeguard valuable species."

In 2009, the zoo received over 302,000 visitors, the highest recorded level since the zoo opened in 1934.

(BMcC/GK)