Well heres some really good news for Australia - the birth of only the second sun bear in Australia. The father was also born in captivity and I think that the announcer said the cub was female, born in Febuary. Baby sunbear - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
The Herald Sun had this much about the birth in today's paper. "A bearskin coat is just the thing for the National Zoo and Aquarium's recent arrival, a four-month-old sun bear." This is why a dislike the herald sun so much.
Does anybody know how they are managing them - I presume they are having to alternate the male with the female and cub? Good news for the Aust population.
I think Wellington Zoo had twins, two males, one of which is the father of this cub. I highlight think because I could be wrong and it may hev been two seperate births. The last three births in the region have been females, this one, Mahly at Perth and Sasa at Wellington. We are going to need some new males in the region within the next five years. Sasa is nearly four now and should be approaching breeding age.
Wellington did have twin boys, and indeed Arataki is the sire of the new cub. His brother died, but I don't recall how or why, as did their mother some time later (so unfortunately Wellington were unable to repeat the success).
The other male died during an operation on a tooth. Don't know any further details. Chomel, the breeding female at Wellington was the mother of the twins. She also had a female cub a few years ago. So Wellington has had three cubs born there.
As far as I know Sas is doing fine. She would be 3 years old now and approaching breeding age. I wonder if Wellington Zoo is looking for a potential mate for her.
Sasa is doing great. She'll be four years old on the 22nd September 2010. Sasa's mother Chomel (born in 1988) had six cubs: twins in May 1997 (cannabalised after birth), a single cub in December 1997 (died shortly after birth), twins in April 1999 (Arataki is now at the National Zoo and Madu died in 2001) and Sasa born in 2006. The father of the first five cubs was Bakti, Sasa's father is Sean from Perth Zoo.
Yeah, unfortunately Bakti died in 2001. Sean was originally called Suki and lived at Perth Zoo after he was rescued from a restuarant in Phom Pehn, Cambodia. Wellington Zoo had been trying to import him since 2003 but restrictions and red tape meant it took a few years. Wellington Zoo is currently awaiting recommendation from the species coordinator regarding Sean and Sasa but the transfer of Sasa to an Australian Zoo may be on the cards.
Thank you Axl for the information. Wellngton have the best breeding record in the region, let's hope that it can continue in the future. I'd like to see Sean have a male cub in the future.
There is a possibility for Maly (born at Perth Zoo in 2008) to be transferred to Wellington Zoo in late 2011 but nothing is definite at this stage. It depends on the recommendation from the species coordinator. It would be great to get a male cub from these two as Sean is of wild origin, as are Maly's parents.
