In a pretty somber start to the year (in terms of news articles), details have been released of accidental deaths of animals at all three Zoos Victoria facilities within the last year. Melbourne Zoo is noted for having a bongo "ran into a fence, fracturing spinal cord and vertebrae", male coati "euthanised after leg crushed by hydraulic door", and cotton-top tamarin "believed to have eaten a mouse or slug affected by rat poison": No Cookies | Herald Sun
I don't understand the line ' a ban on any more bongos'. why does there need to be a ban? Its not as if there is much possibility of getting one anyway. And just because one animal dies does that mean you cannot try again?
the female that died at Melbourne was a younger one from Taronga, and the older female is still at Taronga. So still one female in the country.
when was the last time you saw a female bongo at Dubbo? There have only been the two females in the country for at least the last few years (I'd have to check dates to be specific).
Sorry, I didn't realise you were talking about females only, I thought you were talking about the species. Hix
oh, okay (I'll edit my post a little to make that more clear). I checked some numbers anyway. Up into 2014 there were three females (one at Melbourne and two at Taronga). Now just the one. I think currently there should be 7 or 8 males in the country.
Dunno ..., but I find this rationale where bongos are concerned more than a less perturbing and does not sit well with any zoo animal collection logic. The last thing you should do is a ban on any new bongos. When and if you do than you might as well phase out the species altogether and sent them elsewhere (as opposed to not breeding them and letting them die out over time). It is not hard to analyse what perhaps spooked the bongo female and devise a strategy and enclosure in which this may not happen again. Aside, the ZAA should import a contingent of females in order to enable them to breed and hold a sustainable and genetically viable population.
Melbourne Zoo will soon be sending Lord Howe Island stick insect eggs to San Diego Zoo and Toronto Zoo: Revived Aus stick insect takes on world - 9news.com.au
Are Binjai (2002) and her 2.1 offspring (2010) still at Melbourne? Anyone know of any developments with regards to imports/exports?
Is Ongard (2010) still housed with the main herd, or housed with the mature bull, Bong Su? I'd imagine he'd be showing sustained interest in Mali if she is cycling already.
I visited during the week and Ongard was in the central yard, the main herd was in the biggest yard, and Bong Su was alone in the last yard. I wonder if they're starting to think about options for moving him on.
Binjai has housed over next to the snow leopards. One of her male cubs has gone to National Zoo in Canberra. 2 of her four cubs are still at Melbourne Zoo - one male and one female.
300 eggs are leaving today for San Diego (Toronto has already received theirs), as well as some giant burrowing cockroaches and the eggs of other phasmid species: Flying Phasmids | Zoos Victoria
Thanks for that. I wonder if they will send Ongard (2010) and Man Jai (2013) to TWPZ in time to join the young bulls, Luk Chai (2009) and Pathi Harn (2010), who will require separation from their mothers soon. **** Tip and Thong Dee could then return to Taronga to breed naturally with Gung, since they are the two most viable breeding females of the four imported in 2006.
Thanks for that update, that's news to me! Was inevitable that the National Zoo would import a new male following the death of Berani last year. I've looked on the internet and discovered it was Aceh (2010) who was sent to the National Zoo to breed with their female Rahni (2007). Hopefully they enjoy more success than the previous pair. It's interesting to note Aceh's brother Satu (2010) has been paired with Rahni's twin sister Indah (2007) at the TWPZ for several years and also failed to produce cubs. It'd be easy to assume this was due to their handraised background, but Sali (2008) was also handreared/peer reared at Dreamworld and a successful mother of two at Hamilton Zoo, proving it can be done. So that leaves Melbourne Zoo with: Binjai (2002) Hutan (2010) Indrah (2010)
This was the article I read: https://taronga.org.au/news/2015-07-03/luk-chais-6th-birthday This is the phrase they made me think **** tip and Thong Dee may return to Taronga Zoo to reunite with Pak Boon and Tang Mo.... Although the two young male calves are together during the day they are not completely separated from their mothers just yet, with keepers reuniting them with their mothers each night. In the coming months these nights together will gradually be reduced and the two male elephants will form a bachelor group as they would in the wild, with the females resuming their matriarchal bonds. There is no reason for the adult females to remain at TWPZ upon the adolescence of their sons and what other matriarchal bonds would they renew? They see each other everyday!
