Indian rhinos in US zoos

Indian rhinos in US zoos
22-11-2007

Finally, this thread gets off the ground!

The US Indian rhino breeding programme centres around 6 pivotal zoos: San Diego Wild Animal Park (in a big way still), Buffalo, The Wilds, NY Bronx, Oklahoma and Toronto (currently without a breeding male).

Recent births have occurred at San Diego (3), The Wilds (2 within 4 days of each other in November 2007), NY Bronx (2 over 2006-2007) and Montgomery (a pregnant female ex San Diego Wild Animal Park and arrived in late 2006).

Shoot your questions at me (jay .. you are first on)!

22-11-2007

cincinnati currently have a female that is pregnant from AI, will this if successful be the first AI birth to an Indian rhino?

22-11-2007

Affirmative kiang. It is a big step forward in AI breeding for Indian rhino.

Particularly for individuals for which it is difficult to acquire a male for a short-term breeding loan. Two examples exist in the US: Cincinnati (2 lone eligible females) and Toronto (another 2 fine dames). Perhaps Toronto will soon get another unrelated male from the Wilds (as the latter got a male from the Indian zoos' gene pool ex San Diego in July 2007).

Then there are ofcourse the failing rhino partnerships and for these Fort Worth's Nepali wild born female is a most likely contender.

24-12-2007

Hi Jelle, I'm afraid that I can not shed much light as to whats happening with the Indian Rhino population at Toronto. I heard somewhere that since they had not been sucessful at breeding the pair they used to have that they were looking at exchanging them for another pair but have no clue if this has or is going to happen. I know that Mountain View Conservation and Breeding Centre in Langley, British Columbia is also hoping to get a breeding female in this year from San Diego as a mate for their rhino Ivan who should be fully sexually mature this year. I beleive he was also from San Diego.

24-12-2007

The breeding male that was at Toronto zoo (Patrick) was sent to the White Oak Conservation Centre in Florida to breed to a unrelated female whos parter would not breed to her. When he was at Toronto zoo he sire three calfs one male and two females, I am not sure if or when he may return.

There is a photo of the young Toronto male in the Gallery, he was the second calf to be born in Toronto

25-12-2007

choloepus,

As Mark already rightly pointed out the old pairing of Patrick and Indira was more than just successful. They had 3 calves together: F Nikki (born 25-12-1991 - currently at Cincinnati and pregnant by AI. A WORLD FIRST), M Sanjay (born 11-9-1994 - currently at NY Bronx), F Sanya (born 14-8-1999 - currently at The Wilds Ohio and currently with a calf).

After their 1999 calf Indira and Patrick did not breed again. Perhaps Indira is now post-reproductive at 32 (born 19-7-1975 Mysore India). Thus this pairing was finally suspended in 2006.

The proven bull Patrick (and still able to sire) was sent out in April 2006 to Yulee (I expect he will no doubt breed to proven breeder Mechi (born 1987 Nepal) and a calf will show up in the ISIS tally for 2008.

A new female Asha (born 15-9-2004 Buffalo) was acquired in 2006 as a springboard for a new young pair. I guess that the new male arrived in mid 2007 and that female Indira was whisked off into retirement at a new facility.

If next you (choloepus) visit Toronto please make a point in asking the rhino keepers which animals they keep and since when ...

Much obliged,

Jelle

09-01-2008

The other female Indian rhino at Cincinnati was pregnant after AI but resorbed the fetus at a couple of months gestation.

Cincinnati's AI rhino calf stillborn
11-01-2008

That's the sad news- the calf produced by AI from frozen-thawed semen arrived on January 5th at the zoo- but sadly it was stillborn. Efforts to resuscitate the female calf were begun immediately but failed.

11-01-2008

That is VERY sad news, a real set back for rhino breeding, I hope they keep trying with the AI program.

11-01-2008

Had an e-mail from my keeper friend at Cincinnati last night--necropsy showed absolutely nothing wrong with little rhino. Speculation is that the umbilical cord was pinched during the birth process. Nikki was distraught for a few days but now has started eating and sleeping again. Keepers are giving her extra attention.

01-03-2008

ISIS shows that Toronto zoo has got 1.1 Indian rhinos, did they get another male or could it be that Patrick has not yet been delisted from ISIS records yet?

01-03-2008

Mark,

Already checking this one out for ... lol

Asha is the new young female (born 2004 in Buffalo Zoo) and to be paired with a new male. His identity still escapes me ... (not for too long though)!

01-03-2008

Boy, that was quick work Jelle not wasting any time on this one , lol

01-03-2008

same name as Whipsnade's female calf...

02-03-2008

The male is named Vishnu. He was born to Vinu and Ellah at the Bronx Zoo, NY Feb 27 2003. He has important genes aka unrelated to San Diego's bloodlines.