Impala at Weribee » Werribee Open Range Zoo

Impala at Weribee
12-04-2008

http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiv...s-melampus.pdf'

Looks like they may be getting some impala soon.

12-04-2008

The report does start with "impala WILL be imported into Werribee open range zoo"
With all the threads on here saying hoofstock will never be imported into Australia, maybe this is the chink of light all you ozzies have been waiting for, i do hope you get them ( i wish we had them here in the UK ).

12-04-2008

its sort of good news, but on the other hand, rather than trying to establish a new species of antelope (and a non-threatened one at that) I would have liked to see some new bongo, nilgai, eland, addax, waterbuck and kudu imported to revitalise the gene pool of these species, many of which are actually threatened and would stand to gain from a large insurance population here in Australia, even if it did become a closed program again at some point in the future.
sometimes makes you wonder how sensible a move this is? when bongo are down to 3 founders, indian rhino program is stalled, francois langur and silvery gibbon programs are at a standstill, braziliian tapir need new blood, pygmy hippo need new blood and endangered Persian Onagers are being phased out, it makes you wonder why on earth we are importing this species......investing resources and time. down the track i would love to see impala, but id like our zoos to fix the above problems first.

13-04-2008

I disagree, Impalas would be the perfect addition to any African themed mixed species exhibit....they have spectacular horns thus making them impressive display animals. Imagine a Savannah exhibit featuring giraffes, impalas, zebras, eland and ostrich...now that would be unreal!!

13-04-2008

Yeah Impala would look good at Werribee what is the point of bringing in yet another species when as Glyn says we have several species that desperatly needs revitalising. I can't open the document at the moment so haven't read the article but I wonder if this is a taste of what will happen when Werribee becomes owned by Village Roadshow. The place going going their own way with no thought into what is really needed for conservation or the wider ANZ zoo world.

13-04-2008

Jay, I know that you said you haven't read the document, but clearly, the others haven't read it clearly, so don't feel you are behind the eight ball! It states:

The ARAZPA Artiodactyl Taxon Advisory Group (TAG) has identified Impala as a preferred African savanna antelope species for this region. Werribee Open Range Zoo seeks to import Impala in 2009 from a zoological institution in one of the following regions New Zealand, North America, Europe or South Africa. This will be a joint importation with a number of regional zoos. These individuals will be the founders for an Australasian captive breeding program for this antelope."

As the sections that I've highlighted show, this is a regional initiative (meaning all of the zoos involved are working together on this). It has absolutely nothing to do with any Village Roadshow proposal, nor Werribee doing this on their own. It has been under discussion for a long long time, and as has been said on here before, these wheels move very slowly when it comes to importing species that at the moment, and not allowed.

The choice of species depends on what's available, in the countries that are the government is allowing the zoos to consider importing from, and the viability of animals available in those countries. It's not anywhere near as easy as "let's fix up what we've got first". Do you really think the zoos make these sorts of decisions without many, many hours of discussion first??

13-04-2008

There are no Impala in New Zealand!

13-04-2008

The paper doesn't say there are!

But New Zealand can now import antelope from South Africa, and so if we are able to import antelope from New Zealand, as the paper suggests, then there is more chance of this being allowed, after the animals have undergone quarantine in New Zealand.

13-04-2008

This is good news, maybe Sable antelope may one day been seen running across the African plains areas of Werribee and Monarto zoos, Hmmm I wonder if Hippos could be sorced from South Africa Via New Zealand?

13-04-2008

impala, no doubt about it, fit snuglly into the category of "quintessential african antelopes".

so as far as the esthetics of recreating africa go, this would have to be potentially the first antelope species id'e pic for any zoo. tan and slender it waht most people would descrive to define the animal "antelope".

certainly, i support the import of any artiodactyl into australia, especially one with a proper breeding agreement and whilst it may not be fair to trash the proposed import for the above mentioned reasons zoopro gave, i certainly understand what glyns saying.

becuse to be honest, im not getting the vibe zoos are really going through with any of these agreements they so happily continue to make. if we can't blame zoos for choosing to import impala, we can certainly blame them for choosing to import bongo or kudu or sable or any of the other species that have turned out to be for whatever reason a dead-end breeding program..

13-04-2008

Doesn't New Zealand have thomsons gazelle or another type of small antelope. To me it would make more sense to import them because then if we hit a situation that we're gonna need to inbreed them then we can jump the tasman and get some more or vice versa.

13-04-2008

angolan springbok

13-04-2008

Thanks....

13-04-2008

Monarto zoo would be well suited to them being so dry and with that amount of space could run a fair sized herd

13-04-2008

Thank you for clariyfing this zoopro. It is good that this is a regional plan and not a foretaste of what could happen IF Werribee is taken over. I love impala but why might it be possible to bring in impala and not other arti stock such as bongo, hippo etc?