Big Dudley Zoo count gets started

From the smallest stick insect to the tallest giraffe – keepers at Dudley Zoo have begun the mammoth task of counting up every animal at the attraction.

With calculators and clipboards in hand, a team of 14 staff yesterday started the arduous task of scouring every one of the four sections at the 40-acre zoo for animals as part of the annual census.

And while some of the zoo's 1,300 animals maybe easy to count, others, such as the zoo's hundreds of stick insects or slippery penguins, can cause more than a headache.

Assistant curator Rich Brown said: "Animals like meerkats prove difficult to count because they don't sit still and they all look the same, but we get there with a bit of patience."

He added: "The count is in fact an interesting task, it gives us a chance to get our records up to date and give the animals a health check when looking out for them.

"I enjoy it because it brings the zoo's staff together on one job."

Last year, the zoo census showed there were 1,330 animals, this year the count is still ongoing, but it already includes some new arrivals.

They include one of the zoo's star attractions, the two new female tigers, Tschuna and Daseep, who arrived from Germany last February.

There have been a few births since last year too.

In August, a new baby tapir called Eve was born, taking the number of tapirs at the zoo up to five.

There are, however, many new births which records simply cannot count.

Stick insects are almost invisible to the eye, but that is just one problem.

They can also breed continually, resulting in the numbers of insects fluctuating from day to day.

The last count found there to be about 120 Indian stick insects.

There are between 200 to 300 cockroaches. Zoo presenter Caroline Howard said: "We can't give an accurate figure for the exact number of stick insects, but we can check on them daily and make an estimate.

"We sometimes get volunteers in to help with counting the insects, but often we come back with different figures between us.

"It is difficult and you can only do so much."

Another species difficult to count are the penguins.

The zoo has the largest group of the Humboldt Penguins, but tallying them up is no easy task. The penguins do not remain still for long and are almost identical in shape and size.

Bird keeper Luke Millar said: "Most of the birds in the aviaries are easy to count, but the penguins are a different task altogether.

"It takes time to count each one as the move around all the time.

"They are micro-chipped and we do use scanners to help."

Student keeper Harley Hunt shares a similar problem when counting up the Lemurs.

There are 30, but she finds a solution to the problem by identifying each of them, picking out flecks in their feet or spotting their eyes.

She said: "We are continually checking all year round, so this is no different." Then there are the world's smallest monkeys, 13 pygmy marmosets in the zoo's upper primate house.

Trainee keeper Stephanie Sawyer said: "Because they are so small it is a bit of a nightmare to count them all.

"They are constantly tearing around and I usually end up counting an extra two or three, so it takes a few attempts to get it right." Every animal is counted, even the zoo's five resident peacocks, all called Steve or Dave.

There is also the zoo's Blue and Gold Macaw, called Charlie, who is 23 this year.

The animal count at the zoo is part of an annual audit completed by all zoos and wildlife parks in the county. It is a requirement of the Zoo Licensing Act. It also provides a back up for the zoo's Zoological Information Management System, which already holds a record on animal numbers.

The data is used to assist managing the animals, conservation, research and education.

Zoo chief executive Peter Suddock said: "The census is really just a confirmation exercise and provides a round-up of the year end."

He added: "Records are updated from information provided by the keepers who are very familiar with their stock as they work on that section every day.

"Most of the data collection is straight froward, but when you have a dozen very active otters darting around the pools or a group of identically-sized tortoises it becomes a bit of a challenge."

The tourist attraction had 82,000 people go through its gates during the six-week school summer holidays.

Last year, bosses spent £40,000 on a new Penguin Bay attraction which allows visitors to walk through the enclosure.

It was launched to coincide with the zoo's 75th anniversary.

Over the past year the zoo's landmark chairlift was reopened and a new £6,000 climbing frame, with swinging ropes and multi-level platforms, was installed for the Organ Utans.

Many projects are planning for the coming years including the creation of a new £300,000 'welcome plaza' with ticketing points, a shop and cafe.

There will also be a family toilet block and ticketing points next to the flamingos, chairlift and camels.

Another project is the restoration of four of the zoo's famous Tecton buildings.

The plans include work to the zoo's iconic wave entrance and the bear ravine.