It was indeed my assumption that Cahya is destined for Orana Wildlife Park and her male twin (prior to his death) would have been destined for Taronga to pair with Tengah. To be clear, this is my assumptions based on the information available (not confirmed fact). At this stage, I’m not too concerned about Reggie’s age. He’s only eight years old and is by no means an old tiger. Even by the time Cahya is mature (circa 2027), he’ll be 11 years old, which is fine for a male tiger breeding wise. I wouldn’t however advise waiting around for a subsequent male cub to be produced to pair with Tengah. She’d be a minimum of 10 years old by the time Ramah and Zayana have a son reach reproductive age and as Raja and Soraya’s daughters have proved, breeding with older females for the first time can be challenging. Some of the older fathers in the region: Nico: 1.1 cubs in 1988 aged 12 years Frank: 1.1 cubs in 1990 aged 10 years Shiva: 3.0 cubs in 1995 aged 10 years Jambi: 1.2 cubs in 2000 aged 13 years Ramalon: 2.1 cubs in 2006 aged 11 years Ramalon: 2.2 cubs in 2010 aged 15 years Lari: 2.1 cubs in 2010 aged 15 years Ramalon: 2.0 cubs in 2013 aged 18 years Oz: 1.1 cubs in 2014 aged 10 years
Thanks for that info! And yes, what you've said here makes sense as there would not be the same level of concern over a father's age as opposed to a mother's. And it would be nice to see a NZ-bred tiger, particularly one of Cahya's popularity, be able to stay in NZ. Re-pairing animals makes good genetic sense for zoos, but as a tangent, apparently Auckland Zoo, according to a staff member, would refuse a recommendation to pair Charlie or Melur with orangutans in other zoos because of the strong bond between them!
Despite their solitary nature, there have been a handful of strongly bonded tigers within the region. Berani was the shyest of Molek’s triplets (ironic considering his name was Indonesian for brave). They lived together until Molek’s death in 2018; with Berani euthansied the following year. His siblings (Jalur and Cinta) had an equally close relationship with each other. Though Ramah and Zayana are a successful breeding pair, I’ve heard nothing to suggest their separation post-mating has bothered them and as such, I don’t anticipate re-pairing them would be an issue. Tengah would be the obvious choice of a future mate for Ramah imo; but for Zayana, I would have to say one of Kaitlyn’s sons - perhaps Scout. I struggle to see Scout and Kirana’s daughters entering the breeding programme and combined with Kirana’s age, this will likely be their only litter. Exporting their twins to Australia (as a non-breeding sibling pair) appears the likeliest outcome; with Scout then transferring to Auckland to breed with Zayana. Again, this is just my assessment of what could work well. Hamilton’s plans will be subject to whether they build this third tiger exhibit.
Very good points. If Hamilton is going to build a third tiger exhibit, I foresee them continuing in the breeding programme in some capacity. Perhaps they might import a new pair from outside the region?
That could be a strong likelihood if Scout transfers to Auckland for breeding circa 2030; Andalas and M to Australia as a non-breeding sibling pair and Kirana is retained. Sali is 16 years old, so may not be with us by that time. With three tiger exhibits and Wellington’s pair passing on in the next decade, there will be increased capacity across New Zealand’s zoos. Regarding Wellington, I anticipate they’ll receive a sibling pair upon the passing of their tigers. They’re poorly equipped to breed tigers compared to Auckland and Orana, who have three exhibits each.
Auckland Zoo - Cahya Update From socials: Tiger cub update! Cahya is now nearly four-months old and recently weighted in at a healthy 12.8kgs. Since her vaccination at 12-weeks of age, she and her mother Zayana have been venturing into a second habitat area (opposite the waterfall) that also offers a better chance of seeing her. Our Lowlands habitat was designed for exactly this purpose in mind – allowing our carnivore team flexibility in caring for these big cats - with three distinct areas connected by overhead tiger bridges. Cahya is extremely active and is honing her developing skills with her patient mum Zayana – which includes lots of tussle and play. Carnivore keeper Kristin says, “Cahya can often be seen bouncing and pouncing. Playing with bark and ripping palm fronds down to attack – she’s quite the handful!”
