Three of Adelaide Zoo’s Mandrills have received a health check from Zoos SA’s dedicated vets
“We had the three females Mayombe, Moabi and Niari in our Animal Health Centre to carry out a general health check. We do this about every two years and this coincides with giving them a contraceptive implant which is important to manage our breeding program,’ said David McLelland, Veterinarian at Zoos SA.
“Any time we get our hands on an animal like this we try to do as much as we can. So, this means we give them a full general exam, take bloods to look at internal body function and X-rays to look at their chest, abdomen and skeleton.
“We also looked at their teeth to check for any dental issues. Niari, our eldest female, has already had a number of root canals.
“A health check like this allows us to identify things that they are really good at hiding from us and don’t let us pick up in their day to day life,” finished David.
After the operation the three Mandrills were safely returned to the troop and reunited with Alpha male Tabah and two-year-old Jumoke.
Listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List, the Mandrill population has declined rapidly over the last 30-years due to deforestation and hunting.
Populations in Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea are most seriously threatened with the destruction of their favoured evergreen forest. The large males are also regularly targeted by commercial bushmeat hunters.
With biodiversity the focus of last week’s World Environment Day, keeper Rebecca Sharpe was keen to point out the importance of educating people about the plight of Mandrills in the wild.
“Mandrills face similar troubles to a number of species: deforestation, hunting and poaching for meat and pelts,” she said.
“Adelaide Zoo is one of only two zoos in Australia to have Mandrills. When we reopen, we’d love people to come in and see our Mandrill group and learn more about them,” finished Rebecca.
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