EXPERIMENTAL DIET FOR GREY FOXES Urocyon cinereoargenterrs

by Richard F. Dyson Curator of Large Mammals,

Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, Tucson, USA

A S many of our animals were overweight and had shaggy coats we started a research project aimed at finding out what type and quantity of food they should be fed. The project lasted for six months and Grey foxes were used as the test animals.

During the first three months, varying amounts of food simulating their natural diet (rodents and fruit) were fed; and for the last three months a prepared mixed diet (horse meat, bone meal, dog meal, digestible fat and canned milk) was fed. Towards the end of the first three-month period, weights levelled off at 8.5 lb. and remained there, with only slight fluctuations, for the second three-month period. The quantity of food fed that brought about this weight stabilization, was 3 - 8 per cent of the fox’s total body weight. Overall body condition was excellent.

Thus we now feed 3.8 per cent of body weight to our other carnivores. Weights are checked periodically in order to ensure against any sudden loss or gain.

AARDWOLF, Proteler cristatur, AT EAST LONDON ZOO

by T. A. Linley

Director, East London Zoo, South Africa A F E M A L E aardwolf was brought to the East London Zoo from Komgha, East London District, on 2nd May 1962. At that time the animal was said to be two months old and measured 203 mm a t the shoulder. The animal was fed on a pint of cow’s milk and three lots of termites daily. Water was always available. Insects, mice, small birds and butcher’s meat were offered to her but all were refused. She appeared to be unable to excavate the termites from the heap herself and this had to be done for her. After seven months the aardwolfwas put into an open enclosure with an artificial rock den but she took no notice of this and

excavated one for herselfin the soft earth. On 3rd March 1963, the aardwolf measured 483 mm. at the shoulder.

At the time of writing (Apd 1964, the aardwolfreceives five feeds of termites a week and a pint of milk daily. The termitaria still have to be broken up for the aardwolf. The feeding time is late afternoon and the animal takes little notice of the public while eating. After a good feed on termites, the animal will not show herself again during daylight hours until she is hungry, usually two days later. When she is ready to feed again, she has been seen sun-bathing in the early morning.

Water is always available but it is rarely taken, if at all.

All excreta, which is deposited in the same place in the enclosure, is covered with sand in the manner of a cat.

The aardwolfnow measures 660 mm. from the tip of the nose to the root of the tail; the tail measures 2.10 mm. long; the hind-foot 135 mm. long; and the ear go mm. long.

WHITE TIGERS, Panthera tigris AT BRISTOL ZOO

by R. E. Greed Director, Bristol, Clifton &West of

England Zoological Society, Bristol Zoo, Great Britain

T H E white tigers at Bristol Zoo have dark brown stripes on an almost white background. In some lights their eyes are practically colour- less, but at other times they appear light-blue - sometimes described as ice-blue. Their noses are pmk, as are the pads of their paws.

They were bred by the Maharaja of Rewa in the old disused summer palace at Govend- garth, near Rewa, in March 1962. They arrived at Bristol on aznd June 1963. The father of these animals is ‘Mohan’, a fine, big animal, captured on 27th May 1951, when his mother and three other cubs of normal colouring were caught during a tiger hunt in an area that used to be Rewa State. In February 1962 a normal- coloured tigress was captured in ths area and was kept with Mohan, the white tiger. In September 1953, two normal-coloured cubs were born. A second litter, of two males and two females, were born in April 1955 and

F 14s

another four in July 1956, all nornial-coloured. Then, one of the female cubs of the second litter was mated with her father, the white tiger, Mohan, and on 30th October 1958, four white cubs were born. Three more were born in June 1960, but in this litter one was a normal-coloured female. In the next litter there were only two cubs, the animals now at Bristol Zoo.

The few white tigers that have been seen in the wdd have all seemed to be big animals and the s ips are that the male at the Bristol Zoo will be a large animal too.

HAWAIIAN M O N K SEALS Motrachi4s srhaiiirislaridi

A N D GREEN TURTLES CheIottia wrydas

AT WAIKIKI A Q U A R I U M by L o t h S. hforubray*

Director, Bermuda Government Aquarium,

Bermuda

M O N K seals are warm-water seals and today represented by three species : the Medi terranean monk seal, Monarlirrs nronaclzus, the Caribbean monk seal, M. tropicalis and the Hawaiian monk seal, M . scliauiizdandi. All three species are rare and the Caribbean monk seal is thought to be almost extinct (Scheffer, 1958). The Hawaiian species is found on a number of the small islands of the Hawaiian Chain as far as Kure Atol, about I,ZW miles north-west of Honolulu, Oahu. There is evidence of con- sidcrable inter-island migration, verified by a tagging programme. Four seals tagged on Laysan Island were recovered on Pearl and Hermes Reef, more than 3 0 0 miles distant. The Hawaii State Fish and Game Department and the Smithsonian Institution have recently carried out a survey on the populations of the Hawaiian monk seal. In 1957 the estimated population was I,OCO animals. The 1964 survey indicates that a niore realistic figure is 1,500 seals; and the estimate may be somewhat on the conservative side.

The Waikiki Aquarium in Hawaii has had

several of these interesting seals during the past few years, and one lived as long as two years in captivity ; another lived only about six months. Post-mortem examination indicated that death was caused by heavy infestations of tape- worm and round-worm, resulting in heavy ulceration of the stomach and the intestine. Post-mortem examination by Smithsonian Institution workers of a dead Hawaiian monk seal found on Kure indicated that death had been caused by the same worms.

On 13th December 1963, a fine immature male, weighing about 150 Ib., was obtained by the Waikiki Aquarium. It was captured on Kure Atol. After it had been in captivity for one month and had learned to eat dead fish, the animal was treated for intestinal worms (Vermiflex, and Caricide, which had been recommended by the Curator of Marineland of the Pacific, California). The recommended dose is 10 nig. per pound of body weight; this can be repeated if necessary after a period of three or four weeks. Results were good and the seal has progressed well. At the time ofwriting(June 1964) it weighs about 220 lb. and is about two-and-a-halfyears old.

We had hoped to obtain a female monk seal at the same time but it was not possible. How- ever, one was obtained on 22nd March 1964. This animal refbsed food for twelve days and lost much weight until it weighed only IOO lb. After twelve days, it started to accept food and it began to gain weight. It was de-wormed after one month in captivity and at the time of writing it weighs at least 200 lb. and is about one-and-a-half years old.

The monk seal's habit of lying for hours on sandy beaches, throughout their habitat, indi- cates that they are primarily nocturnal feeders. The large eye would tend to substantiate this. Their natural food consists of littoral fishes. morays and conger eels. Earlier specimens kept at the aquarium had to be fed on live fish of similar species, and taught gradually to accept dead fish, such as herring or smelt. They now thrive on this diet and have not received live food since they have been in captivity.

The two monk seals at the Waikiki Aquar- ium are kept in an outdoor pool with a capacity of approximately ~O,OOO gallons of

*During 1963-4 Mr L. S. Mou*bray was Acting Director of the Waikiki Aquarium; while Mr S. Tinker, the Waikiki Aquarium director, was Acting Director of the Bermuda Government Aquarium.