Abstract
The internationally acclaimed San Diego Zoo recently completed a new African exhibit which includes sections housing Carmine Bee-eaters, Black and White Colobus monkeys, Pygmy Chimpanzees (Bonobo's) and a large aviary for a pair of Crowned Eagles. A huge sum of money was spent on this section and one of the themes was to show the predatorCrowned Eagles, adjacent to their preythe monkeys. A forest habitat has been constructed for these powerful predators. Having completed this, the Zoo approached the Natal Parks Board for assistance with a pair of Crowned Eagles. Unbeknown to me their motivation reached the Natal Parks Board at the same time as my request to remove a second egg and hand raise a bird for education with particular emphasis on the launching of our raptor survey. This includes working closely with, and giving talks to the KwaZulu/Natal farmers who provide a safe haven for many of our raptors.Having received both motivations, the NPB granted me permission to raise not one but two chicks to be used for the launch of our project and then to be donated to San Diego Zoo. I had already begun motivating farmers in the Eshowe,
Melmoth and Babanango areas to start reporting raptor nest sites. From this work I had received reports of 14 active Crowned Eagle nests. Unfortunately, the drought had an impact and nesting attempts were limited to a few pairs. Fortunately, however, we found two nests which were active and managed to remove a second chick from one nest containing two newly hatched chicks, and an egg from a nest which already had a chick. While monitoring the nests it was necessary to climb to the nests periodically and during this procedure the adults remained in the vicinity calling. At no time did they attempt to attack the intruder. It was interesting to note that on returning to check on the progress of the two chicks which remained in the wild, firstly both fledged successfully and secondly both were the same sex as their siblings which I had raised.
The egg hatched in an incuhator 72 hours after the first loud calls were heard from within the egg. The newly hatched chick weighed 71 grams and was extremely vocal hut rather unsteady. The first feed was offered 18 hours after hatching at which time two small pieces of minced hird (including all hones) were taken. Five feed in gs were given per day and at the end of the first week (144 g) up to 10 pieces of food were taken per feed. The nest consisted of a large plastic howl with branches and sticks in the base. Green sprays of vegetation were regularly placed in the nest. At two weeks it weighed 316 g and was feeding voraciously with loud calls whenever movement was detected near the nest. Any food dropped in the nest was picked up hy the chick. At this stage supplementary heat was removed during the day and the chick was regularly placed outdoors in dappled sunlight. This forest dwelling species soon hegan panting if placed in direct sunlight.
Food consisted mainly of Vervet Monkey (controlled prohlem animals) and Dassie meat. Many of the smaller hones were fed whole and the chick swallowed these with no problems. A two month old wild chick was recently ohserved...