Expedition Java
Meet the intrepid zoo team who travelled to Indonesia to help protect some of the world’s most endangered songbirds
A 15-strong team from the zoo made a 28-hour trek to West Java in Indonesia to assist with vital conservation efforts to recover four highly threatened species of songbirds – the Javan green magpie, the black-winged mynah, the rufous-fronted laughingthrush and the Sumatran laughingthrush.
The Cikananga Conservation Breeding Centre
The team’s base was the Cikananga Conservation Breeding Centre (CCBC) - a sanctuary that’s creating a safe place for these and other species found on the Indonesian island.
One of the flagship species that the CCBC is working to conserve is the Javan green magpie. The centre is responsible for 62 of 116 of these birds that are currently in human care, while there may well be below 200 remaining in the wild.
Such alarming statistics like this are exactly why our Chester Zoo team travelled to Indonesia to support CCBC in their conservation efforts.
We hoped to achieve the following goals during the expedition:
1.
Support the team with their conservation breeding programme by sharing our animal husbandry skills and helping with the construction and maintenance of the centre’s vital facilities.
2.
Learn more about the area’s biodiversity, especially the rare and endangered bird species.
3.
Help to develop the Cikananga Sustainability Farming Programme by working on the planting within their wildlife-friendly organic farm.
4.
Involve the local community, delivering education activities and offering training to develop the CCBC team’s skills.
Collaboration & conservation
The zoo has been supporting the centre for more than 15 years, where we’ve helped to establish modern state-of-the-art aviaries and a highly professional operation, which acts as a central hub in the care of songbirds worldwide.
From education and horticulture, IT to commercialisation, customer service, and animal husbandry, all of these skills were put to task at the centre during the expedition. Meanwhile our team also gained valuable learning and insight to bring back to the zoo from our field partners at the CCBC.
There are only an estimated 50-250 Javan green magpies in the wild. Like many songbirds in Indonesia, this vibrant species is considered a status symbol in Indonesian culture and is under threat from the cage bird trade.
Collaboration & conservation
The zoo has been supporting the centre for more than 15 years, where we’ve helped to establish modern state-of-the-art aviaries and a highly professional operation, which acts as a central hub in the care of songbirds worldwide.
From education and horticulture, IT to commercialisation, customer service, and animal husbandry, all of these skills were put to task at the centre during the expedition. Meanwhile our team also gained valuable learning and insight to bring back to the zoo from our field partners at the CCBC.
There are only an estimated 50-250 Javan green magpies in the wild. Like many songbirds in Indonesia, this vibrant species is considered a status symbol in Indonesian culture and is under threat from the cage bird trade.
Take a look below at some of the species the team encountered on the expedition:
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Chester Zoo team member Zoe talks about her expedition experience:
"Chester Zoo have been actively contributing to the conservation of the Javan green magpie population outside of its natural habitat since 2012, however CCBC started it all, and now currently house over half of the global population in human care.
At CCBC, daily routines are essential for the success of their breeding programmes. I had the opportunity to observe Keepers, Din-din and Ajat, carrying out their daily routines first hand. The day began with food prep, using fresh banana and papaya sourced from the local village – a diet that sustains not only the magpies, but other species at the centre like the Javan pied myna, Sumatran laughingthrush, and black-winged myna.
We then watched as Vet, Reza, performed regular health checks, such as body scoring and administering oral medications – we did try to help with catching the birds, however Din-din proved to be a lot more agile than us!
CCBC also recently established their own insect facility, where they keep and breed silkworms and crickets, both of which the Javan green magpies and other species at the centre love, so much so that the centre goes through an estimated 10kg of insects in a single week." Zoe - Field Programme Reporting & Assurance Officer
Organic goals
During the expedition, the CCBC and Chester Zoo team planted nearly 300 fruiting plants and trees, adding an irrigation system and introducing sulphur to the soil. This means that the farm now has the ability to produce a more varied diet for the animals and can act as a model for other farmers looking to move towards an organic approach. It’s also a great place for local school children to visit and learn about how an organic farm works.
Drip irrigation systems were installed.
Sulphur was added to the soil to lower the pH through microbial activity.
110 fruiting plants such as blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries were planted.
182 fruiting trees, including persimmon, water rose apple, and California papaya were introduced.
Engaging young minds
The Chester Zoo team also ran some productive and fun sessions with local school children alongside Fifit, Cikanaga's Education Officer.
The children were very excited to see real hornbills in the Rescue Centre aviary, and used binoculars to identify their colouring, how many there were and to observe their behaviour. The children learned how to identify some of their local endangered birds and celebrated them by making bird masks. We also were able to explore the impacts the wildlife trade, farming and habitat loss are having on endangered Indonesian birds, and what we can all do to help protect them.
Our Community Engagement Manager was also able to run a workshop around change and how this could help create a strategic plan for delivering conservation education both at the centre and in local schools.
Returning to Chester
After a rich and rewarding two weeks in West Java, we’re excited for the partnership and lessons to continue. We've recently welcomed CCBC resident vet, Reza, who has come to Chester for a three-month residency, where more skills can be gained and new insights can be taken to Java in a truly two-way partnership.
