Impala at Weribee » Werribee Open Range Zoo

13-04-2008

This sounds like good news. Australia does need good quarintine but ours in many cases (not race horses) is to over restrictive. NZ has much better quarintine which is not over restrictive. An example of this is a bloke I know tried to import new fallow deer genetics into Aus. The only way he could do this was to import the deer into NZ then colect semen there and import that.

14-04-2008

If you had a choice to see an impala or a bongo, of which you had already seen before, what would you choose?

99% of people would choose to see something new, and impalas are spectacular animals and would definitely draw in visitors. I do believe in creating a sustaining captive population but I also believe in importing new species to up the 'wow factor'.....

14-04-2008

Whereas I applaud the concerted effort by ARAZPA and all its member institutions to import impala. I wonder why the Artiodactyl TAG is not similarly opting to bring more founders in for the bongo, addax and kudu in Australia/New Zealand. Perhaps Falco can give us some insight on this (as NZ is able to import Artiodactyls for Australia/ARAZPA zoos) .. What about this sable import from southern Africa by Orana? All above species would augment the African savannah themes of several zoos and secure viable populations for each.

Any indications that this might happen sooner rather than later?

14-04-2008

Nope, later rather than sooner. New Zealand zoos aren't planning on importing from South Africa for about 18 months. There are still a number of pre and post export quarantine issues to be resolved first.

15-04-2008

A senior keeper at Wellington is originally from South Africa , and is hoping to import species from there ...... but plans are kept vague , and so far only Porcupines have arrived at Wellington from S Africa .....
As Zoopro said , it will probably be later than sooner , but I wouldnt be surprised if the process was done by our man at Wellington ...

15-04-2008

of course he has lots of contacts in South Africa, and these will no doubt be used. But it's not a one-man show, you know

15-04-2008

zoopro. could you please do me a favour?

a friend of mine would like a couple of congo buffalo. could you possibly ask this new zealander to see if his contacts have any? and maybe a bongo or two as well.

kind regards,
patrick

15-04-2008

No worries Pat. Let me just drop everything else, and I'll have them over in a jiffy for you. Can you quarantine them in your back yard?

15-04-2008

okay cool....wait? my backyard? i said they were for a friend. not me. i didn't ask. i, i, i support phase-outs... i do...

*hangs up the phone*

15-04-2008

you'd best tell your "friend" that he or she can't just get hold of any old zoo animals you know!

15-04-2008

you do realise this will fool some forum members into thinking youre serious.

15-04-2008

Patrick,

I understand as part of their winter sale, they are offering a free jaguar with every pair on congo buffalo sold.

16-04-2008

jaguars were sooooo last season!

14-08-2008

Any further news on this planned import?