Quarantine procedures are essential to maintaining the overall health of the Zoo’s animals by preventing the introduction of infectious diseases.
Incoming animals undergo quarantine when they arrive at the Zoo. The animals are usually in quarantine for 30 days but this can vary depending on the species. Pythons spend nine months in quarantine whereas invertebrates, such as spiders and centipedes, only spend a fortnight in quarantine.
During this quarantine period, veterinary staff perform health screen checks and treat any illnesses.
Veterinary staff need to be very careful to avoid the potential spread of disease from animals in quarantine to other Zoo animals. This is why quarantined animals are kept in an isolated area. When caring for quarantined animals, veterinary staff follow a set of procedures which include wearing protective clothing (eg dedicated boots, overalls, face masks, gloves etc), proper disposal of waste and uneaten food and a job roster which minimises the risk of spreading disease.
The quarantine period is also an important time for the new arrival to adjust to its new surroundings and possibly a new diet.
Perth Zoo staff and premises are qualified to keep animals that are imported from overseas at the Zoo for quarantine, instead of sending them to Australian Quarantine and Inspection Services (AQIS) facilities. It is very important for the Zoo to maintain this capacity as many of the animals require specialist care.
To protect the biosecurity of the Perth Zoo collection, there are restrictions on what animals can enter the Zoo grounds. Seeing-eye dogs can only be brought into the area immediately inside the front entrance. Vision-impaired visitors are asked to leave their seeing-eye dogs under the supervision of Zoo office staff and an alternative human guide is provided.
Veterinary staff also undertake health examinations on animals that are being sent to other zoos or being returned or released into the wild. This is to ensure that we send healthy animals. Health checks may include examination for parasites, blood tests to assess general health or specific diseases, and vaccinations to prevent disease.
Veterinary staff were extensively involved in preparations for the release of Temara, a Perth Zoo-born orangutan, into Bukit Tigapuluh National Park in Indonesia as part of international efforts to re-establish a Sumatran Orangutan population in the wild. Temara required a range of tests before her release to ensure she was healthy and was not going to transfer disease to the wild orangutan population.
