With only 100 individuals in Europe, BIOPARC Valencia is one of the few parks and the only one in Spain that houses a pair of the rare short-eared elephant shrew.
The work that is “not seen” of the animal conservation parks such as BIOPARC It involves devoting all the effort necessary for the protection of species and ensuring their well-being of each individual, no matter how small or unknown. A clear example of this is one of the latest actions that have been carried out to successfully house the only two specimens of the elephant shrew in Spain with the aim of becoming one of the few centres in Europe that can breed this African species of which there are only just over 100 animals in different zoos on our continent.
Features such as its curious physiognomy with a tiny “trunk” that gives rise to its name or its extraordinary speed make it really interesting to contemplate this species included in the IUCN Red List.
At the beginning of last year the Valencian park reported the Hopeful arrival from Frankfurt (Germany) of a male short-eared elephant shrew (Macroscelides proboscideus) and, after months of waiting and preparations, a female has finally arrived from Walter Zoo (Gossau, Switzerland). It is two very young specimens, the male is just over a year old and the female is only a few months old, and the challenge for the technical team is to ensure that they can live together and reproduce. In this sense, The group of animal care specialists has started the adaptation procedure between the male and the female and, although it may seem surprising, this process is very delicate and can take quite a long time due to the characteristics of this little-known species. Its small size (10 cm in length and 40-50g in weight) and its delicate and harmless appearance can be deceptive because in their relationship their behaviour can be very aggressive.
This behavior is typical of the species, taking into account that, although monogamous, each individual is solitary. BIOPARC recreates the original habitats and promotes the natural actions of the species, which means that they will have different spaces to be together or apart.
The denomination of the elephant shrew It can also be misleading since the latest scientific references identify them as “sengis” because evolutionarily they are very distant relatives of shrews. And their relationship with elephants, one of the best-known species at BIOPARC Valencia, which now has two offspring, is simply because Its unique snout is reminiscent of a tiny pachyderm trunk.Another peculiarity is its impressive speed, which can reach nearly 30 km/h.
Included in the IUCN Red List (International Union for Conservation of Nature) currently with a stable population, this type of interventions aim to develop a Joint activity between the different animal parks to achieve a sufficient and genetically viable population.
Biodiversity conservation is essential At a time when the disappearance of species has accelerated dramatically, it is therefore necessary to protect, pay attention to and make known not only the most recognized animals such as lions or gorillas, but also these tiny beings such as the elephant shrew since each one has a vital role in maintaining the balance of nature.