As some of you may know, I have been in Bristol for the past couple of weeks on a work experience placement with the BBC wildlife magazine which was absolutely incredible and I have learnt so much in my time there. I have a few articles on the news section of their website that I have written which is pretty exciting (click the buttons below the read them!): Whilst in Bristol, I also visited Bristol Zoo (I should start making a checklist of the zoos I've visited!). It was here that I photographed this wonderful yellow-headed day gecko which was perfectly posed to show off its' reflection. Yellow-headed day geckos are an endangered species according to the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) red list and are restricted to Madagascar so really, it's a privilege to be able to see them. Their population in Madagascar is fragmented in two distinct locations so the importance of conserving this species is high as they could rapidly diminish.
This gecko is reliant on bamboo and forest areas for a place to safely live. Slash-and-burn agriculture is therefore a major problem in the destruction of their habitats in Madagascar. There is some hope that as bamboo can establish in cleared land, it might eventually re-establish but whether it actually will or not is unknown. Thankfully, due to the captive breeding of this species, the gecko is no longer known to be subjected to the illegal pet trade as harshly as it previously has been. Commercial exploitation has also greatly reduced. Bristol Zoo is the coordinator of the European breeding programme that is organised as part of the European Association of Zoos and Aquariums' (EAZA) studbook species. This is a population management technique across all of the zoos in Europe that host the yellow-headed day gecko. The coordinator is responsible for keeping all the records to discover how well the species is doing in zoos so that it can be determined if more intensive measures need to be taken in their captive breeding programmes. As well as organising captive breeding programmes, members of EAZA also have a strong place in educating the public on the importance of conservation - both in Europe at the zoos, and in the native countries of the animals. This means that not only are populations being managed in captivity but steps towards improving the state of wild populations are also taken. If you are lucky enough to visit Madagascar, yellow-headed day geckos can often be seen in a small group basking in the sun but like most geckos, they will quickly dash if something gets too close. They are a stunning bright turquoise blue colour with a yellow head and black markings down their side so shouldn't be missed!
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