Australian zoo mammal histories

Most of you out there are probably aware that at the top of the NZ and Australia forums I have threads listing all the exotic mammals in those countries' zoos. Both started off as bald lists -- simply name of species plus locality -- but recently I changed the NZ one to include (as far as possible) origin data for all the species. Doing the same for Australia seemed like way too big a job but I have decided to give it a crack as well. For the last week I've been tinkering away at a draft, there's still lots to go on it and it may not even be possible to complete it, but I'll see how it goes.

So this thread is where I'm going to be asking for help for things I am stuck on. And I'll start with equiids.


EQUIIDAE:


*Przewalski's Horse (Equus (ferus) przewalskii) – Werribee; Western Plains Zoo; Monarto Zoo; Halls Gap Zoo; Altina Wildlife Park; also about 20 at Fernhill Estate in Mulgoa (ex-Tipperary)

I know there's about sixty-odd in Australia.... and that's about all I know! Lord McAlpine imported 1.8 from the UK in 1987/88 for the Pearl Coast Zoo, which then went to Tipperary, and that is where the ones at Mulgoa came from. Did the horses in the rest of the zoos also originate from this import or was there a separate import to Werribee or Dubbo?? I can't find anything on their origins (and I couldn't find an accessible studbook online).
[EDIT: I finally found it (via old newspaper archives). There were 4.9 horses imported through Melbourne to Western Plains Zoo in 1982. They were all sourced from the UK: Whipsnade, Marwell, and somewhere called Midway Manor. First foal born in 1984.

There were also two (a pair) imported to Adelaide Zoo in 1981 -- and those ones I cannot find a source for.]



*Persian Onager (Equus hemionus onager) – Western Plains Zoo

I found three conflicting statements on origin for this lot (although the three are sort of compatible if you allow for some assumptions regarding fallible memories and the like). All three are from Zoochat forums because I could find not a single item about their origin anywhere else. If anyone can clear this up that would be great!

Version one: two pairs imported in 1979 and a further trio (one male, two females) in 1982

Version two: one pair imported in 1979 from Rotterdam and one pair in 1981 from the National Zoo (USA)

Version three: one male imported in 1979 from Rotterdam and three females in 1981 from Toronto Zoo (but bred at Front Royal, USA)



*Common Zebra (Equus quagga) – Melbourne Zoo; Werribee; Taronga Zoo; Western Plains Zoo; Perth Zoo; Monarto Zoo; Mogo Zoo; Altina Wildlife Park; Darling Downs; National Zoo; Zoodoo Wildlife Park; Australia Zoo

This one might be messy!

*Ten new zebra were imported from the USA by DDZ in early 2014 which were the first in ages so I'm just interested in the older stock. Most of the smaller zoos have odds and sods from the larger zoos so they can be ignored for the purposes of this.

*The Chapman's in Australia derive from 2.6 imported to Werribee in 1980 from Rotterdam. I read a vague comment on early-Zoochat that Werribee also imported a new stallion in the early 2000s?
[EDIT: the imported stallion is the one called Christou, who came from Singapore Zoo. He sired a foal at Werribee, born December 1998, so he probably arrived in 1997. If I can't find a firm date I'll just put "late 1990s"]

*The main stock I can't find anything about! These are Grant's-type zebras at Taronga and Dubbo; and I guess including all the former holdings at the other large zoos: Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth. Is there anything good known about their origins, or is it just an untangle-able mix of random imports from who knows where and when?

*Also where did National's come from? They apparently have been breeding them for a good while. I'm guessing they are from Taronga stock?

 

sorry, Fernhill Estate (not Park). Yes, Mulgoa in NSW. It is a 1700 acre equestrian horsey race place. They bought all the Przewalski's horses which were at Tipperary.

 

I finally found it (via old newspaper archives). There were 4.9 horses imported through Melbourne to Western Plains Zoo in 1982. They were all sourced from the UK: Whipsnade, Marwell, and somewhere called Midway Manor. First foal born in 1984.

There were also two (a pair) imported to Adelaide Zoo in 1981 -- and those ones I cannot find a source for.

Interestingly, Adelaide had a male Przewalski's horse in 1910 which they paired with a donkey (first foal born in 1915).

 

I don't know the details of the permits involved, or maybe they are covered by "historical ownership reasons" or somesuch, but when the Pearl Coast Zoo closed some of the animals made it into ARAZPA zoos (e.g. scimitar-horned oryx) but most of the hooved stock were sold to the owner of Tipperary (a private cattle station). When that fell apart some animals were sold to Mareeba (which later became Cairns Wildlife Safari, Shambala, etc), and a lot were bought by private holders for ranches. Gemsbok, lechwe, Grevy's zebra, Przewalski's horse, addax, scimitar-horned oryx, eland, nilgai, etc etc etc all went into private holdings from Tipperary.

 

Equids didn't really have any takers for info, so does anyone know anything about Greater Kudu, Common Waterbuck and Addax?

All three species were imported to the Pearl Coast Zoo in Broome in 1987/88, but do the ones currently in zoos descend from that stock or from earlier imports to, e.g. Taronga? (i.e. I know all three species ended up at Mary River from Broome animals, but does the stock at Werribee, TWPZ and Monarto come from Broome as well, or from earlier stock?)

 

the antelope at Pearl Coast were imported from the UK.

Several species which went to Mary River no longer exist there (e.g. Grevy's zebra, eland, waterbuck, kudu, gemsbok, nyala, sitatunga, etc). They still have lechwe. All the nilgai now in Australia are from Pearl Coast stock, as are the scimitar-horned oryx.

Taronga used to have Lesser Kudu, but I can't find anything on the origins of the Greater Kudu now in Australia. Because the numbers always have seemed low, I suspect the kudu and waterbuck were from Pearl Coast but I really don't know. The numbers of addax in Australia, however, suggest that they were from at least one other import than the Pearl Coast one.

 

thanks. The female was the zoo's founder female (she arrived pregnant, from memory).

 

that's brilliant. Thanks for that!

 

does anyone know anything about the tree-shrews? All I've been able to find so far is that they were in Australia by the 1990s.

EDIT: make that 1980s. http://www.zoochat.com/18/tree-shrew-1984-a-29965/

 

a couple of hamadryas baboon questions if anyone can answer them:

1) Adelaide's male baboon is Horus who came from Rockhampton in 2010. Rockhampton used to have a pair. Does anyone know where the pair came from before they were at Rockhampton?

2) Some of Melbourne's group was imported from Dierenpark Emmen (including their former male Dolbus). Does anyone know what year and how many animals were imported?

 

the baboon questions have now been answered. I'll have some other random question in due time.