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Preservation and Research Center (PRC) is the municipal institution of Yokohama City in Japan. This center is located at the Breeding Zone in the Yokohama Zoological Gardens.
It was established in April 1999, for the purpose of breeding and studying endangered animals. The ground area is 3.7 hectares and the buildings include a laboratory and some breeding facilities.
The center is not open to the public in order to create the most suitable breeding environment for the selected endangered species.
In the breeding facility, we work on the breeding of various rare animals: Malayan tapir, Bali mynah, Waldrapp ibis and Kagu. Also, research into genomes, sex hormones, and gametes is done in the laboratory and the gametes of endangered animals are stored for future use.
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■Interchange business about Kagu Conservation with Province Sud of New Caledonia
In 1989, a couple of Kagus was donated from New Caledonia in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the municipal administration of the City of Yokohama. Also, New Caledonia and the City of Yokohama, in 1995, concluded the contract, “STATEMENT OF AGREEMENT BETWEEN PROVINCE SUD OF NEW CALEDONIA AND CITY OF YOKOHAMA CONCERNING SCIENTIFIC STUDY TOWARD WILD ANIMALS”. We started to hold the Round Table Meeting for information exchange for the purpose of conservation of Kagus, and other endangered animals of New Caledonia.
In August 2008, the 11th Round Table Meeting was held in Noumea, New Caledonia.
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■Bali Mynah Conservation Project
In 2003, The Republic of Indonesia and City of Yokohama concluded the contract “MEMORANDOM OF UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN THE MINISTRY OF FORESTRY OF THE REPUBLIC OF INDONESIA AND THE GOVERNMENT OF THE CITY OF YOKOHAMA, JAPAN ON THE PROJECT TO RETURN THE BALI MYNAH TO ITS NATURAL HABITAT”. Based on this contract, 100 Bali Mynahs bred in the PRC have been returned to Indonesia from Yokohama between 2004 and 2010.
In addition, the PRC offered technical cooperation in regards to the breeding technique of the Bali Mynah, monitoring technique of birds, DNA analysis technology, and other activities to improve their habitat in collaboration with JICA since 2004.
As the result of these activities, the population of the Bali Mynah in the wild increased from only 6 individuals up to 54 over the period of 2001-2009. Recently, many cases of breeding in the wild are observed.
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