Wilde, J.; Klensang, H. & Schwibbe, M.H.
PRIMATE REPORT 38, Jan 1994, p. 2-4, (modified for the gopher)
Authors' address:
German Primate Center
Kellnerweg 4, 37077 Goettingen, Germany
Phone: 0551-3851-120
Fax: 0551-3851-228
E-Mail: mschwib2@gwdg.de
1. Preface
In 1988 the Primate Report has published a census for captive primates in Europe. The goals of the census were to intensify contacts between zoos and research institutes and to promote the exchange not only of information but also of animals between the participating institutes. The feedback not only from the subscribers of the Primate Report confirmed us that the census had served this purpose, indeed. In the following years, we received a lot of inquiries and have often been asked to repeat the census. Furthermore, data of kept primates have some significance for Species Management Programs, designed to manage captive populations to be self-sustaining. These programs are called European Endangered Species Programs (EEPs) and are organized as a series of Taxon Advisory Groups (TAGs). The philosophy behind the EEPs is that zoos make best use of their captive space to aid the conservation of threatened species. At the 14th Congress of the International Primatological Society in 1992 Jean-Luc Berthier of Jardin des Plantes, Paris, has organized a workshop concerning the standardization of census of primates held in captivity. There, the need of actual data of primates kept in Europe, was manifested once again. It was decided to repeat the census for 1992 and to enlarge the geographic census area by zoos and institutes in Northern Africa and Near East. Before presenting methods and results, we must gratefully thank all the people, which were occupied with filling in the questionnaires. We are aware that it often is difficult to find time beside the usual daily duties to do such an additional work. Particularly, this is true for those countries in Europe, where the altered political relationships have brought dramatic changes in the life conditions. There, zoos and other animal keeping institutes often fight with more serious problems than filling in questionnaires. Furthermore, we want to thank those colleagues, who supported us by preparing the questionnaire and by completing our address list: Neil Bemment (Paignton Zoo), Jean-Luc Berthier (Menagerie du Jardin des Plantes, Paris), Leif Blomqvist (Helsinki Zoo), L.E.M. de Boer (EEP Executive Office, Amsterdam), Marc Boussekey (St.Martin-la-Plaine Zoo), Koen Brouwer (EEP Executive Office, Amsterdam), Pierre Gay (Zoo of Doue-la-Fontaine), Carlos Gil Burmann (University of Madrid), Spartaco Gippoliti (Rome), Bo Kjellson (Boras Zoo), Jens Lilleor (Aalborg Zoo), Bouchek Lyasnine (Parc de Loisirs, Alger), Henny Rahn-Jetten (Zoo Casa de Campo, Madrid), Jan Maciej Rembiszewsky (Warsaw Zoo), Miranda Stevenson (Edinburgh Zoo) and Marina Vancatova (Laboratory of Evolutionary Biology, Prague).
2. Methods and Results
The total number of individuals, males, females, unknown sex, total offspring and offspring, which survived more than 3 month or was still alive were asked for in the questionnaire. To get information about the space, which each species occupied in the institute, the surface and height of indoor and outdoor enclosures were requested. In addition to the aim to promote an exchange of information and animals between primate keeping institutes, the census in 1992 was conducted to provide a topical data base for the Primate TAG in the EEP. For this purpose, the number of breeding males and females and the composition of social groups were asked in a supplemental questionnaire. The addresses of zoos and other institutes mainly stem from our former census. This list was completed by local helpers in several countries. To facilitate filling in the questionnaire, the names of kept species, which were known from our former census, were filled in before. The questionnaires were translated into English, French and German. On a covering letter we asked all institutes, which were not keeping primates, for the next census to inform us, if they are planning to keep primates in the near future. All institutes and zoos were asked in March 93 to fill in the questionnaire. In June 93 we sent a reminder to all those zoos and institutes, which had not responded so far. Institutes in those countries, which were not included in our former census, were requested for more addresses of primate keeping institutes in their country. New addresses were contacted immediately. In August 93, out of 695 institutes, 316 had responded: 252 returned a filled in questionnaire and 64 institutes answered, that they are not keeping primates. 22 letters returned to sender, because the institutes had been closed or mails were undeliverable by other reasons. (A survey on the number of mailed addresses and answers indexed by countries is given in table 1, Primate Report 38.) Several species names in the questionnaires did not fit to a common taxonomic classification. To standardize the data, these names were substituted applying different classification systems. In total, data for about 17950 individuals were collected, which could be classified in about 200 species and subspecies. For the taxonomic levels of subspecies, species, genus and family, one file gives information about the number of keeping zoos and institutes, as well as the numbers of individuals, males, females, animals of unknown sex and offspring. The main results of the census are presented in two files: One shows the total number of individuals indexed by species (detailed information on the number of males, females and individuals of unknown sex, as well as the number of offspring and the surface of outdoor and indoor enclosures see Primate Report 38) . The second file presents the same data, but indexed by addresses. To label the primate keeping institutes, short addresses were used (see third file). The other asked information (breeding females, breeding males and group composition) are available on disk (Dbase-format) by request.
3. Final Remarks
Such a census stands and falls wiith the return rate of questionnaires. Our return rate of 45% is within the range of comparable census. The return rate depends on the willingness to fill in the mailed questionnaires. Therefore, we had to find the golden way between minimizing the amount of effort for the institutes and maximizing the amount of gained information on the kept primates. We hope, we found it.
The Primate Report can be ordered or subscribed at the following address:
Erich Goltze Verlag
Hans-Boeckler-Strasse 7
37079 Goettingen
Lower Saxony
Germany
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