Dublin zoo » Dublin Zoo

02-10-2008

So there's Whipsnade (ex London), Frankfurt and Berlin I think has 1...
That's not many :S

02-10-2008

Although you are correct about the sex ratio, Dublin Zoo has an unrelated female from Stuttgart who arrived two years ago. She was the only Gorilla in Europe to be successfully introduced to an already established group that year. She is too young to breed at the moment. Lena, the dominant female, is ready to 'pop'. This will be her fifth baby.

02-10-2008

I was just reminisicing about the opportunities for a more evenly balanced gorilla troupe once brought into a new setting. Regular gorilla troupes are basically silberback, perhaps a blackback and 3-4 females with offspring. A relocation to the new house and integration of a third proven and somewhat under-represented female in the troupe would obviously stabilise things and make it a better gorilla family.

I suppose it will not be long before the sub-adult male offspring will become a matter of concern to the silverback. At this time 1 or even the 2 eldest offspring will become surplus and be candidates for removal to a bachelor setting.

I just hope that it will be before long. Anyways, the new species coordinator has already been active on the front of balancing out several difficult groups (e.g. Blackpool, Duisburg and Muenster) and perhaps Twycross and Dublin could be next (as potentially also Belfast would be).

Another hope of mine: an active participation of the EEP Gorilla programme in re-establishment of gorillas in the Congo/Gabon reserves run by Port Lympne. I really do think they are a the cutting edge of bringing over surplus to the wilds while preservering population goals in the European programme. A sign that things are moviing is the very fact that recently PL was awarded the clouded leopard EEP. Perhaps similar thawing may be due on the gorillas before long ..........

05-12-2008

Has Lena produced another baby yet? Any details?

I've heard that the young female Mayani lives in the group but has no social contact as the others just ignore her so she just sits alone. Its likely to be because they are a closeknit family and whereas she is both handraised and a stranger. Hopefully things will improve when she becomes sexually interesting to the males.

05-12-2008

I think they still get on fine with the silverback 'Harry' (who is a rather odd male- acts depressed yet he breeds well). Only the eldest one(Kesho) is anywhere near being a problem agewise. He's 10 and would in some respects be suitable for Twycross's group. Though rather young to take on females, he has (importantly) lived with a younger male(his brother 'Alf) and there's an exactly same- aged male(matadi) at Twycross. Matadi's safety if a new male is brought in is an issue for them apparently.

08-12-2008

mayani gets on very well with group,as been seen mating with harry although she is still to young,and every morning is sleeping with harry in the nest,the only time she sits on her on is when food is around,lens has still not poped,but she is not to far away!!

10-12-2008

Okay, that's good to know about Mayani and it sounds like I was told wrongly about her.
Does Kesho still get on well with Harry?
Do you have a timeframe for the new enclosure?

13-12-2008

How is the lioness doing now that she is on her own? Are there plans to find her a new mate?

13-12-2008

The lioness is doin well but she is 20 years old now and we dont plan to put her thru the stress of an introduction,when she dies we plan to bring in a potential breeding pride of asian lions to the zoo,we have 2 females waiting to arrive from warsaw.it would be very difficult to place her at another zoo at this stage of her life so we will just let her enjoy her retirement.

gorillas
13-12-2008

harry and kesho,still get on well,kesho is turning into a very handsome gorilla,the new gorilla area should be finished i 14 yo 16 months tme