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Koalas in US Zoos

Discussion in 'United States' started by Ituri, 11 Nov 2008.

  1. Ituri

    Ituri Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    The thread about the koalas in Calgary Zoo made me wonder. How many zoos in the US display koalas that are not part of the San Diego group? I know Albuquerque's koalas do not belong to San Diego. Which others if any?
     
  2. mstickmanp

    mstickmanp Well-Known Member

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    I'm not sure, but I think LA's koalas don't belong to SD.
     
  3. Ituri

    Ituri Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    I think you're right. The other one I suspect is Riverbanks in SC.
     
  4. okapikpr

    okapikpr Well-Known Member

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    The Koalas in Albuquerque are the only remaining Victorian Koalas in the US. Los Angeles, Columbus, and Saint Louis are the other institutions that have held this subspecies.
     
  5. Buckeye092

    Buckeye092 Well-Known Member

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    When were Victorians first exhibited and where? Note: Columbus koala breeding has been stopped due to hip dysplasia in both koalas born here.
     
  6. okapikpr

    okapikpr Well-Known Member

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    After some further research, the only Queensland Koalas in the US not owned by San Diego are at San Francisco (descendants of their original Australia import in the 1980s), Los Angeles Zoo (on loan from Australia), and Riverbanks Zoo (on loan from an Australia zoo).

    Its also important to note (from the Koala SSP) that all Koalas imported to the US and originating from Australia after 1999 fall under the Australian Government Environment Australia's Koala Ambassador Agreement. All progeny, in perpetuity, of these imported animals also fall under the terms of this agreement, under which ownership is retained by the Australian Government. Beacause of this agreement, all koalas under this agreement cannot necessarily be paired with those Koalas not in the agreement (ie San Diego and San Francisco's) as the ownership of any offspring produced from the pairing would then become property of the Australian Government.
     
  7. okapikpr

    okapikpr Well-Known Member

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    The Victorian subspecies was first exhibited (in the US) in 1982 at the Los Angeles Zoo.

    The first to arrive at Columbus was in 1991. The last Victoria Koala at Columbus (Gumnut) left for Albuquerque in 2006. Columbus had three Victorian joeys total born at the zoo. Two died soon after birth and one lived only 10 months.
     
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  8. mstickmanp

    mstickmanp Well-Known Member

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    Thanks for all the info Okapikpr!
     
  9. BlackRhino

    BlackRhino Well-Known Member

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    Cleveland Zoo has a permanent Koala display and they recently in 2007 had a baby.
     
  10. Kifaru Bwana

    Kifaru Bwana Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    That said. Can you clarify what happens in case pairings are set up with the US-based Queensland ssp. koalas where individuals are involved from both the MOU-agreement and non-MOU agreement?

    Is the breeding programme negatively impacted at all by the distinction between populations being MOU-operated and those predating that period?

    As an example San Diego recently sent out a pair to Calgary for exhibition purposes. Would that exemplify the dillema within the Koala SSP?
     
  11. okapikpr

    okapikpr Well-Known Member

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    As mentioned before, the offspring from said pair would become property of the Australian Government.

    No yet, as far. as I can see from the studbook data

    Not really, San Diego itself has had its own Koala Ambassador Program and has been doing this for years to various zoos around the world (except Australia of course!). San Diego has had a pretty good track record with its loaning program of Koalas.
     
  12. okapikpr

    okapikpr Well-Known Member

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    In the next year, the Houston Zoo will phase out Koalas and ship out its last individual and the Palm Beach Zoo will become a new holder for koalas. There is also supposed to be an exchange of koalas between the SSP and EEP populations.
     
  13. Wild wolverine

    Wild wolverine Well-Known Member 5+ year member

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    Hello All, I know this thread is old but I'm hoping it can help me. Does anyone know of any zoos in the US that have a permanent koala exhibit? I know San Diego Zoo, Los Angeles Zoo, Albuquerque Zoo, Cleveland Zoo, Riverbanks Zoo, and (I think) the Palm Beach Zoo and Columbus Zoo still have them. Does anyone know of any others/are there any others? Thanks!
     
  14. mstickmanp

    mstickmanp Well-Known Member

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    I think the San Francisco Zoo has a permanent exhibit.
     
  15. BeardsleyZooFan

    BeardsleyZooFan Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    Lowry Park's has temporarily held male koalas (about a year for each one) in the past, but for their latest male, they've brought in a female for breeding. That seems to indicate that the latest pair will stay for a while.
     
  16. DavidBrown

    DavidBrown Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    Zoo Miami has them. Not sure how permanent they are, but I think that they have been there for years.
     
    Last edited: 12 May 2015
  17. CleZooMan

    CleZooMan Well-Known Member 5+ year member

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    Wasn't one of Columbus' koalas Wruwallin? At the Cleveland Zoo, a docent told me that their koala Midgee is the mom of Wruwallin, and I know Wruwallin has hip dysplasia. Is Moondani the other koala?
     
  18. Coelacanth18

    Coelacanth18 Well-Known Member Premium Member 5+ year member

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