Status Quo Report for GDARD - July 2020

This report was sent by PAAZA to GDARD and GDARD to DENC on the 18th of August 2020.

Letter of introduction

Re: Status-Quo report for Lesser Flamingos still in PAAZA Accredited facilities as at 31 July 2020

Please receive the latest Status-Quo report (attached below) for the ex-Kamfers Dam 2019 event Lesser Flamingos which are still being cared for in 3 (three) PAAZA Accredited 'In a Controlled Environment' Wildlife facilities based in Gauteng.
Although the report is self-explanatory, a few covering notes:

With reference to the Repatriation Plan dated 24th February 2019 compiled for the Department of Environmental affairs by GDARD:

11. LONG-TERM MARKING (APPENDIX III)
All captive-reared flamingos were fitted with miniature transponders and their unique alpha-numeric codes have been captured in a central database managed by PAAZA (J. Werth, pers. comm.).

In compliance with 11. above, all the birds still in care were microchipped and their details entered into the International Inventory system, ZIMS.

14. DISPOSAL OF NON-RELEASABLE BIRDS
The International Single Species Action Plan for the Conservation of the Lesser Flamingo (Childress et al. 2008) recommends that range states maintain existing bans on trade in Lesser Flamingos. To give effect to this and long-standing norms related to the disposal of non-releasable animals at rehabilitation centres, non-releasable Lesser Flamingos may not be retained in private collections or commercially traded. If they cannot be accommodated in state institutions or permitted zoological gardens, then they must be humanely euthanized.

In compliance with 14. above, the National Zoological Gardens is the primary care facility and only facility for export or import / intake. Due to the specialised care needed for some birds, NZG with the permission of GDARD, has placed birds at Montecasino Bird Gardens and Lory Park Zoo. All three facilities are PAAZA Accredited.

6. MEDICAL SCREENING OF BIRDS PROPOSED FOR RELEASE (APPENDIX II)
Prior to release, captive-reared Lesser Flamingos will need to be screened to ensure that they are physically ready and do not pose a preventable health risk to conspecifics at the release site and elsewhere in the species' range, to other waterfowl and to domestic poultry.
All birds will be screened and only those that qualify for release will be sent to the chosen release site(s) when they reach 500-700g. At least two groups will be required to accommodate age and developmental differences. All birds will be clinically assessed to determine whether both eyes are viable and to check for evidence of Pododermatitis, Candida, Aspergillus and Pox. A faecal sample will be collected for staining (mycobacterium (acid fast) and parasites). 10% of birds will be tested serologically for Avian Influenza (pathogenic), Newcastle Disease and Mycoplasma.

In compliance with 6. above, the birds still in care are regularly assessed according to the medical and health screening protocol (9. PRE-RELEASE ASSESSMENT) which was used for all the initial release candidates. In line with this, DENC was advised by PAAZA and NZG on 14th August 2019 and again on the 25th November 2019 that there were between 45 and 65 birds that met the medical release criteria, waiting for DENC to collect from NZG facility. In addition, to assist the new DENC directorate, PAAZA and NZG drafted translocation guidelines. To date there has been no response from DENC.

What must be noted here is that there are specific 'windows of release' which were identified in February 2019 at a National meeting. By not collecting releasable birds DENC has missed three (3) such 'windows of release'.

Another important aspect that will now affect any translocation or release plan is the fact that any birds that now meet the medical release criteria are 18 months old and have been supplementary fed the entire time.

What is most perturbing is that official communication sent to DENC remains unanswered (such as letters dated 14th August 2019 and 25th November 2019). In addition, even though budgets and financial shortfalls incurred by the PAAZA Accredited facilities have been submitted to DENC on numerous occasions, no relief has been forthcoming as was promised in various meetings by DENC. PAAZA facilities continue to incur substantial daily costs without compensation. The irony is that there are organisations that continue to use the 2019 event to raise funds but no support is given to the facilities caring for birds that were never part of their collection planning, in fact, these facilities are ridiculed with mis-information in the media.

In closing, this has been a massive learning curve for PAAZA and the 'In a Controlled Environment' Wildlife sub-sector. We trust that this latest Status-Quo update will clarify all misconceptions. In addition, please do not forget the public portal which was created by PAAZA as far back as March 2019 to share information www.cfoo.africa/flamingo


Statistics

Information requested by GDARD from PAAZA
Gauteng (GP) - PAAZA: Lory Park Zoo (LPZ), National Zoological Garden (NZG), Montecasino Bird Gardens (MCBG), Onderstepoort Veterinary Academic Hospital (OP) - Private: Mike Bolhuis (MB)
Other provinces - SAAMBR (Kzn), SANCCOB (WC), World of Birds (WC), Vulpro (NW)
Birds raised in Kimberley (Kby)
1. How many Lesser Flamingo chicks were taken from Kamfers Dam to other provinces and subsequently micro-chipped? - Please note : Animal numbers and deaths previous to microchip insertion were not effectively recorded by the private sector. The numbers reflected in this table are only valid from microchipping campaign onwards.
623 micro-chipped birds (GP)
These facilities were identified by the private sector & BirdLife
Microchips were supplied by PAAZA but records of insertion and usage were not communicated to PAAZA head office central records - Please liaise directly with individual facilities for more information.
25 micro-chipped birds (Kby)
2. How many of these birds have since died or were euthanized?
169 deaths recorded - Includes 30 without PM. Random samples were Biobanked
No records made available to PAAZA head office - Please liaise directly with individual facilities for more information.
1 recorded by PAAZA - No other records communicated to PAAZA after official shut-down of PAAZA involvement in Kby
3. How many of these birds have since been repatriated? - Please note : Animals are recorded as per their facility of origin, which might not be the facility that ultimately sent them to Kimberley.
Total Transferred to Kimberley = 376
Transferred back to Gauteng = 26
At time of release they no longer met Veterinary release criteria
Transferred to Gauteng via Kby: ex SANCCOB = 8; ex SAAMBR = 12; ex World of Birds = 1; ex Vulpro = 1
Total = 22
No records of release available to PAAZA - Please refer enquiries to DENC
Transferred to Gauteng from Kby = 3
Did not meet release criteria
3a. How many birds were transferred directly to Gauteng from other provinces?
NW = 7; Kzn = 34; WC = 13
Please note :
these did not meet release criteria
4. How many of these birds are still in captivity in Gauteng?
A total of 186 birds were still in 3 PAAZA Accredited facilities in Gauteng as at 31 July 2020
(see table below for more details)
Captive bird count per Gauteng facility (all registered in an International inventory)
Lory Park Zoo (LPZ)
National Zoological Gardens (NZG)
Montecasino Bird Gardens (MCBG)
Total birds in PAAZA GP facilities as at 31 July 2020
92
76
18
4a. How many birds meet the original veterinary criteria for release?
0
43
0
4b. How many birds are still infected with Pox and do not currently meet the original veterinary criteria for release?
Please note :
an absence of active pox lesions on a bird does not equate to an absence of pox virus. The contaminated birds can compromise others even without active pox lesions.
92
0
0
4c. How many birds are deemed non-releasable due to permanent incapacity?
10 of 92
8
18
4d. How many birds will be releasable in the future (Long term releasable)?
0
25
0


NOTE on the Pox infected birds:

The Lory Park (LPZ) facility was offered exclusively for birds with Pox. LPZ remains a 'Pox only' facility and will NEVER accept or introduce non-Pox related Lesser Flamingos. It must also be remembered that this project was never initiated by the ex-situ sub-sector.

With reference to the request to send Pox birds back to Kamfers dam, based on sound translocation guidelines, Wildlife Veterinary Science and the conservation One Health approach, it would be ill advised and contrary to international reintroduction guidelines to send the Pox infected birds in captivity back to Kamfers dam or release them into any wild population without first confirming the pox virus genetic class at Kamfers dam. It is the responsibility of the ex-situ conservation fraternity to ensure that a new strain of any disease, which includes Pox, is not placed into any wild populations.

In order to clarify the situation and to make this a much more sound scientific approach to conservation and disease management, the Wildlife Veterinary team will re test the Pox lesions on the birds 'In a Controlled Environment'. In addition to this, DENC would need to obtain samples from the wild flock at Kamfers dam which would need to be tested by the same laboratory so as to get a viable comparison.

The ex-situ fraternity are fully aware that the Pox in the wild flock at Kamfers dam was tested 10 years ago, however, information from 10 years back cannot be used as technology and methods of testing has advanced. It must also be remembered that these birds are migratory / nomadic as has been proven by tracking data collected. The disease may also have changed as the Pox virus may or may not be the same strain but needs further investigation before making such a high impact decision as returning these birds back to any wild population.