Goals for the members of ARAZPA 08/09

10-06-2008

Auckland Zoo didnt breed Sun Bears, that was Wellington Zoo, who have produced three cubs to date.
To be fair until the recent import of the pair to Perth this species has never really had a particularly fair go in this country, and Perth is still the only major zoo to keep this species in a properly designed enclosure.
I can understand the frustration of the members of this forum, but just as we applaud the decision of TWPZ to import into this country the only Indian Rhinos in the region we stand around getting nervous looking at the status of Black Rhino. Ara, I would have loved to of been around in your day when there was such a diversity of exotics but at the end of the day back then you could call a concrete cell and exhibit, import relatively freely, didnt really have to worry about breeding replacements (you just imported them) and could jam stacks of animals into smaller areas and not have to worry about silly immersion-style landscapes or even worse educational signs. lol
I believe our zoos could probably maintain viably a few more species and there have been a number of species listed for phase out which really erk me. For example we have a good represantative collection of New World primates, with various marmosets and tamarins, and capuchin, squirrel and spider monkey yet comparatively fewer Old World species, and the decision to hold on to Colobus and deliberately hybridise them rather than keeping pure De Brazza Guenon is annoying, especially when both are vulnerable, both are 'safe' internationally in zoos, and at the time of the TAG decision both had around the same number of founders.
Where a species is more endangered than a similar species than I think the endangered species should always win out in collection planning decisions. Inevitably, I reckon that over the next decade more species will die out as zoos reorganise their collections and then I predict they'll pretty much do a back-flip and reimport some species, as well as some new ones.
Unfortunately, its unlikely all will make it. Pygmy Hippo may just get through, Collared Peccary or Congo Buffalo wont. Persian Onager.....hmmm. Theyre endangered, yes, but the herd here is highly related so another program that could go down the gurgler. Two tapirs.....will only one make it or will zoos realise they could have both by importing some new Brazilians and giving Malayans a fair go with shady enclosures......Francois Langur; their future hinges on importing more, in the meantime Dusky's and Javans could slip by and we will be 'langurless'. Without fresh genes Silvery Gibbons could also slip through, or at least persist as non-breeding pairs. Dont expect to see macaques in any major zoo, or a great array of antelope, though Impala could make an appearance and save the day as Bongo start having 5 legged calves and our zoos admit breeding mothers with sons to 5th generation is not a good idea.
On the plus side, we will have viable populations of many, many species and in the mean time ARAZPA may have further ironed out the disparate methods and ideas which surely lead to these PMP pitfalls in the first place.

11-06-2008

sorry Glyn, wrong zoo!

And ahgree on all other pints, well said again. I don't think wee need to be worried about black rhino. It was only ever inteneded for TWPZ to hold them, in association with the Zimbawae Govt. It has worked out luckyly we can have animals go to taronga, and to monarto.

It hasnt been mention here depsite being sprawled across many news sites, but TWPZ just created the first Test tube rhino in the world, very exctiing development, they now have a growing embryo

11-06-2008

Good points, guys.
And you're right, glyn, about the comparison of Taronga today compared with a few decades ago - I'm sure the animals have a better life now. I have old photos of animals at Taronga standing around on concrete floors surrounded by concrete walls. For example, the area now occupied by the chimpanzee enclosure was in 1960 a bunch of smallish corrals which held 16 eland, 2 pygmy hippos, 4 anoa, 1 malay tapir (blind of course), a cross-bred domestic/przewalski's horse, 5 or 6 water buffalo ( including 2 albinos), 3 wildebeest and 4 Chapman's zebra mares. Really packed in, and if they hadn't been kept on concrete the whole area would have been on the nose and very unhealthy.

Just below them, where the bongo etc. are today, were herds of deer, blackbuck and sitatunga, also on concrete. There were so many ungulates that a truck full of lucerne would arrive from the zoo's farm at Mona Vale (about half an hour north of the zoo) on week-days and drive slowly around the zoo while 2 keepers with pitchforks stood in the back and fed the green browse out. Week-ends they made do with dry hay.

Animals were easily acquired from overseas (compared to today!) Nevertheless, Taronga had a good record of breeding - in fact the first black rhino bred in Australia was born there in August 1958 (coming up for 50 years ago!) Chimps and orangs have always bred well - even polar bears were bred in the early days.

04-01-2009

I think we could tick some of the check list off.
NSW & ACT
Breeding Pygmy Hippo
and that's all I know of unless coroborree frogs have bred.
VICTORIA
Collared Peccary have bred
Mandrills had a baby not so long ago and I think a new goal is to find homes for the Mandrills
SOUTH AUSTRALIA
Chimpanzees on display at Monarto
WESTERN AUSTRALIA
Did WA get any?
QUEENSLAND
Same as WA?

04-01-2009

Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve in Canberra bred over 100 Coroboree Frogs last year.

Chimps are not yet on display at Monarto - the exhibit isn't even finished??

04-01-2009

and i think we can tick off asian elephants breeding/mating and also im sure i put in there something about importing a new female rhino for the asian rhino program.

04-01-2009

tick off australia zoo gettin white rhino, monarto breeding hyeana, melbourne zoo breeding/mating asian elephants and adelaide bred their langurs too. taronga also has a potential breeding pair of leopard seals, although at the moment no breeding is planned. additionally adelaide is still on track to receive giant pandas.
and regionally there have been lemur births

05-01-2009

Surely breeding sun bear and sumatran tiger at Perth count?

05-01-2009

Glyn,

Admittedly, for leaf-eating monkeys Adelaide Zoo is the only facility with a long-term "good prospect" label for its dusky langur. Taronga maintains 1.1 Francois (with no imports looming on the horizon) and Melbourne have just 1.1 Javan silvery langur. The latter 2 not something to be proud of ... and I do not comprehend given that your Biosecurity restricutions on import of langurs from range countries are way not as strict as hoofstock and birds ....

What is actually now the situation with tapirs ... Does ARAZPA continue with Malayans if in a better social/environmental setting in zoos ... Here, I do not understand the sudden delve into a top rainforest tapir species like Brazilians?

Where on Earth is the ARAZPA policy on support for ex situ conservation of SE Asian wildlife? Admittedly, ARAZPA is better equipped in the support of in situ initiatives (e.g. the much lauded Silvery Gibbon Project ...)?

(Just a few thoughts from a zoological ... lovable freak (LOL))!

05-01-2009

[quote=Steve Robinson;47830]
Preliminary application lodged with ARAZPA Accreditation Officer for her guidance and comments in September. No guidance forthcoming yet due to heavy workload in ARAZPA office.

05-01-2009

That's a lot more then I could think of. Thanks.

05-01-2009

i thought we got the sun bear birth at perth, and cubs. yes they definitely ccunt.
malayan tapir i expect are being collapsed with a renewed, 11th hour focus on Brazillians.
as for langur...they are the designated species. taronga is trying to obtain more animals but there is difficulty, apparently in obtaining these animals from China