Newquay Zoo Sulawesi macaques » Newquay Zoo

Newquay Zoo Sulawesi macaques
30-11-2007

What do people think about the two Sulawesi macaques being euthanased by Newquay Zoo?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/e...ll/7119061.stm

Their defense of the action makes some sense but with Paignton and Newquay owned by the same trust, surely they could have been housed in facilities there? Didn't Paignton hold a single male mandrill for several years? I just feel if Howletts and Port Lympne can hold several groups of the same primate species, there is no reason why other zoos aren't able to this when primate groups splinter and change in structure, a natural process after all.

30-11-2007

For quite a while Paignton had a small 'batchelor' group of Sulawesi Macaques as well as the main group in the Monkey Heights enclosure. However they've disappeared now.

Drusillas/Alfriston also have four adult 'batchelor' males too- could they be the ones from Paigton I wonder? If Paignton sent their own surplus males away(or quietly euthanased them) I guess they wouldn't want Newquay's problem ones too.

30-11-2007

oh I'm sure it would be most inconvenient for them to take on another bachelor group, but still feasible, and overall the trust running the four collections has a responsibility to its animals. I just think if there had been the will, they could have integrated a couple of non-breeding females and created two groups. I don't believe they approached any primate sanctuaries and defended this by suggesting an establishment that doesn't already keep this species would not solve the welfare issues they faced, but given that these were castrated males which had no longer accepted a bachelor situation were they really surprised when all the european zoos holding sulawesi macaques refused to rehome these individuals? Those zoos would have had to undertake the task of setting up an extra, non-breeding group by integrating one or two non-breeding or overrepresented females with the Newquay males, a task which I think is really the responsibility of the Whitley Wildlife Conservation Trust and the collections it runs. I think the zoo could not be seen to have to send its animals to a sanctuary. And now the male they kept is to start a breeding group with some females arriving imminently.

30-11-2007

I agree with the first statement.

I imagine Monkey World or the rescue centre in South Wales would have been prepared to offer them a home- there shouldn't be any shame in a zoo sending 'problem' or misfit primates to a more suitable home. Many rescue centre Chimpanzees have come from quite reputable zoos in the past, and Chester even sent a surplus male Orangutan to Monkey World some years ago (Bangi- he's dead now)

What I think is wrong is to euthanase these animals and at the same time restart another breeding group- the situation is just as likely to arise again with the next lot of young produced. I think Newquay and Paignton should look again at what they're doing here. Perhaps only Paignton should have a breeding group, not both sites.

01-12-2007

As you say, either of the monkey sancurie would have happel taken them so it was rather wrong of them.

05-12-2007

I heard on the grape vine (obviously wont divulge my sources), that Newquay zoo had no intention of keeping these animals, (nor to offer them out) to begin with, The only reason these animals were euthanised was to make way for the females.
From my understanding some of the (Main) keeping staff have resigned due to this reason. I have heard from friends in zoo's that hold these animals and they say that Newquay never contacted them.

05-12-2007

Do Newquay's Sulawesi macaques still live in what was originally the old Bear Pit?

ISIS lists Newquay zoo as having 1.2. Cherry crowned Mangabey- any idea where they obtained these from?

06-12-2007

Can't help ypou with the first bit. Been years since I was there.

Mangabeys = 1.0, Allwetter Zoo, Munster
0.1, Allwetter Zoo, Munster
0.1, Allwetter Zoo, Munster but born in Zoological Gardens
Saarbrucken, Germany.

06-12-2007

I think the Sulawesi Macaques are probably still in the open air pit.

Very interested to hear about the source of the Mangabeys. So these are additional fresh imports and not from the existing Colchester group.