Qld based Tiger Hybrids

Qld based Tiger Hybrids
31-07-2007

I was wondering if anyone could help me answer some Tiger questions I have, revolving around the Qld Bengal/hybrids.

1. Does anyone know what happened to the mother of the 4 x tiger cubs (1998)at Dreamworld? I understand she was born in USA in about 1994 but hasn't been at Tiger Island for some years. I think she was in Canberra for a while. (was it Samara?). Why was she moved from Dreamworld?

2. Does anyone know why Bakkar (another original) was moved from Tiger Island. I saw him at Dubbo a couple of years ago and now understand he is in Canberra, possibly replacing Samara.

3. If Kato and his sister (deceased) at Dreamworld were from Bullens, and likewise the three Australia Zoo Bengals, are they related? Same parents? I wouldn't have thought there were too many bengal options available in Australia anymore. Or maybe Bullens still have a few breeding options?

4. Did the Mogo hybrids come from Bullens too originally?(Rosco and Kitty from memory who are siblings)

5. I think there is another young sibling pair in Darwin (Crocodylis Park) from a Private Zoo in addition to Sabre (retired circus cat).

Anyway lots of questions, but all related....

Thanks.

01-08-2007

Hi I think I can help with most of those questions.

1. Sammara unfortunately, from memory passed away at Canberra. I am not totally sure why she was moved around the zoos however.

2. Bakkar was moved from Dreamworld as he seemed to have a bit of a problem with some of the kleepers and other cats so he was moved to a facility better designed for total restricted contact handling. He got a bit nippy.

3.There would be a very good chance the Dreamworld and Australia Zoo cubs are related or possibly even inbred. can't be sure on this. the bullen's do have quite a large numbner of tigers but can't be sure of their bloodlines.

4. The mogo Cats were taking from a property known as Notre Dame private Zoo along with the Jaguars, a private collection that was shutdown. this property was in sydney, near the bullens but I'm not sure who the owners of the cats were


Hope this has helped

01-08-2007

i remember years ago watching this tv report on "australian panthers" and there was guy who bred big cats here. i remember he had black and spotted leopards among other things. no idea who he was or where the cats are now...indeed he could very well have been a bullen, or anyone else who has big cats.

do the bullens have leopards,lions, jaguars? anyone know of any other private circus' or zoos with big cats?

that shoddy circus-turned-zoo in queensland has (or had) an old jaguar..

01-08-2007

Patrick,
I think the Gasser family had black leopards a few years back. wether or not they still do after stopping using exotics in their shows. The Bullen's are the only private collection I know of but it is quite possible there could be more. The Bullen's have lions, tigers, leopards, puma, macaques, camels buffalo and a few others. i'm sure there would be another private collector in the country.

01-08-2007

I think the Qld circus/zoo in Qld you are talking about Patrick is the old Robinsons circus family that have opened up a zoo near Toowoomba. I rememebr a couple of years ago hearing about 2 lion cubs being displayed at a shoping centre in Toowoomba.

Try looking at Darling Downs Zoo

They have some pictures too.

I also wonder where Stardust/Lennon Bros source their big cats from. Both circuses are owned by the same company and both have lions. I think the 2 young lions from Lennon are actually offspring from the Stardust pride. Before the 2 young lions in Lennon Bros, I remember three lionesses who must have been retired now.

But do they have their own breeding facility somewhere with additional big cats or do they use the Bullen service?

01-08-2007

There are alot of circus cats retired in zoos too.

Darwin (Crocodylis Park) has a male and 2 female lions donated by Sonny Gasser in about 2000 (there was a third female).

I think the Canberra lion pride is based upon circus cats as was the tiger there that recently passed away (Torda). No idea which circus though.

I suspect Mogo's main pride is based upon circus cats too.

01-08-2007

The Robinsons have lions, tigers and a very old Jaguar, who is blind. They do care for there animals and certainly what the animals have now is 100 times better than when they were on the move.

02-08-2007

was it you who visited jay?

obviously i wouldn't know..... but i thought i remember this place being considered "a bit dodgy"..

wasn't there safety concerns regarding the use of tempoary circus cages and no buffer for visitors?

02-08-2007

It is sort off a bit dodgy. Certainly some people from Dreamworld and the Qld govt thought so. You couldn't really fault the care of the animals but the enclosures weren't the most substantial. Many of the animals were very old and are living their last years in expansive enclousres. The lions enclosure was just as big as the one at Melbourne

02-08-2007

Jay, do you know how many/sexes of the tigers & lions at Darling Downs?

02-08-2007

they have/had a breeding pride with several younf animals and at least two grown males. I think that there were three very old tigers. I've got some photos so will upload them.