Felids in Australasian Zoos – News, History and Discussion

Hamilton Zoo - Leopard Cat (Complete History)

Hamilton Zoo imported a pair of Leopard cat in 1994:

1.0 Rambo
Born at Melbourne Zoo 01/01/1988
Arrived at Hamilton Zoo 15/02/1994
Died at Hamilton Zoo 26/10/1996

0.1 Ree
Born at Melbourne Zoo 19/11/1990
Arrived at Hamilton Zoo 15/02/1994
Died at Hamilton Zoo 04/06/2008

They never produced any kittens.

Rambo died two years after his arrival; while Ree lived until she was 17. Upon her death in 2008, she was the last Leopard cat held in captivity in the Australasian region.

They were housed in the old cages which made up Small Cat Row for many years. These exhibits held Temminck's golden cat, Leopard cat, Bobcat and Serval at various times. These cages currently hold Himalayan monal and Black-and-white ruffed lemur.

Black and White Ruffed Lemur Exhibit by Zoofan15 posted 7 Jan 2020 at 10:02 PM

 

@Zoofan15 do you have any info on Hamilton Zoo's first Golden Cat? An elderly male I think it was that died in the early 2000's.

 

His name was Charles:

1.0 Charles
Born at Melbourne Zoo 05/09/1985
Arrived at Hamilton Zoo 15/02/1994
Died at Hamilton Zoo 18/09/2002

As you can see, he arrived the same day as the Leopard cats from Melbourne Zoo.

Melbourne Zoo bred several litters of Temminck’s golden cats over the years. In 1994, they had six adults (all housed separately):

1.0 Mas (1979-1994) Retired breeding male
0.1 Cassandra (1977-1997) Retired breeding female
1.0 Charon (1984-2000) Mas x Cassandra
1.0 Charles (195-2002) Mas x Cassandra
0.1 Cim (1991-2009) Mas x Cassandra
1.0 Rome (1983-1998) New breeding male

Exporting Charles to Hamilton Zoo made room for offspring from the new breeding pair (Rome and Cim); so benefited both zoos.

 

And then Cim's son came to Auckland Zoo to breed right?

 

You’re probably thinking of Hari (another son of Mas and Cassandra), who was Auckland Zoo’s breeding male during the 2000’s:

Hari (M)
Born at Melbourne Zoo 24/01/1990
Sent to Taronga Zoo 10/12/1992
Sent to Auckland Zoo 10/04/2000
Died at Auckland Zoo 24/09/2006

Hari sired three litters at Auckland Zoo.

They were originally sent a male named Chi (son of Rome and Cim), but he died five months after he arrived and never bred:

Chi (M)
Born at Melbourne Zoo 06/01/1997
Sent to Auckland Zoo 14/08/1998
Died at Auckland Zoo 28/01/1999

 

Living Sumatran Tigers in Australasian Zoos (2020)

New Zealand

Hamilton Zoo:

0.1 Mencari (10/01/2000) Jambi x Cantic
0.1 Sali (10/04/2008) Hari x Setia
0.1 Kirana (16/11/2014) Oz x Sali

Wellington Zoo:

1.0 Bashi (04/12/2007) Imported 2008
0.1 Senja (21/08/2010) Lari x Soraya

Australia

Adelaide Zoo:

0.1 Rahni (31/03/2007) Raja x Soraya
1.0 Kembali (16/11/2014) Oz x Sali

Australia Zoo:

1.0 Juma (01/04/2004) Lari x Malu
1.0 Ranu (01/04/2004) Lari x Malu
0.1 Singha (01/04/2004) Lari x Malu
0.1 Kaitlyn (04/12/2007) Imported 2008
1.0 Hunter (22/08/2013) Ramalon x Kaitlyn
1.0 Scout (08/02/2016) Juma x Kaitlyn
0.1 Delilah (08/02/2016) Juma x Kaitlyn
1.0 Reggie (31/03/2016) Satu x Maneki
1.0 Nelson (03/06/2019) Ranu x Kaitlyn
1.0 Malcolm (18/02/2020) Ranu x Kaitlyn
0.1 Sallie (18/02/2020) Ranu x Kaitlyn
0.1 Sage (18/02/2020) Ranu x Kaitlyn

Ballarat Wildlife Park:

1.0 Satu (15/05/2005) Imported 2006
0.1 Maneki (04/12/2007) Imported 2008

Darling Downs Zoo:

0.1 Rani (09/02/2010) Ramalon x Binjai

Dreamworld:

0.1 Jaya (09/06/2008) Raja x Soraya
0.1 Shanti (09/06/2008) Raja x Soraya

Melbourne Zoo:

0.1 Binjai (30/08/2002) Imported 2004
1.0 Hutan (09/02/2010) Ramalon x Binjai
0.1 Indrah (09/02/2010) Ramalon x Binjai

Mogo Zoo:

1.0 Mati (21/08/2010) Lari x Soraya
1.0 Indra (21/08/2010) Lari x Soraya

National Zoo:

0.1 Ndari (09/06/2008) Raja x Soraya
1.0 Aceh (09/02/2010) Ramalon x Binjai

Perth Zoo:

1.0 Jaya (20/08/2008) Hari x Setia

Sydney Zoo:

1.0 Raja (25/12/2003) Imported 2005

Taronga Zoo:

0.1 Jumilah (22/10/2003) Juara x Assiqua
1.0 Kembali (20/08/2011) Satu x Jumilah
0.1 Kartika (20/08/2011) Satu x Jumilah
1.0 Clarence (22/08/2013) Ramalon x Kaitlyn
1.0 Pemanah (17/01/2019) Clarence x Kartika
0.1 Mawar (17/01/2019) Clarence x Kartika
0.1 Tengah Malam (17/01/2019) Clarence x Kartika

Taronga Western Plains Zoo:

1.0 Satu (28/10/2006) Ramalon x Binjai
0.1 Indah (31/03/2007) Raja x Soraya
1.0 Sakti (20/08/2011) Satu x Jumilah

Tasmania Zoo:

1.0 Jalur (12/06/2008) Oz x Molek
0.1 Cinta (12/06/2008) Oz x Molek

Total tigers: 22.23

Note: Year of import into the region is given for all tigers imported from outside of Australasia; rather than parentage.

Additional notes/info:

Of these 45 tigers, 33 are direct descendants of the Nico-Meta line.

There have been seven litters born in the last seven years (2013-2020); five of these litters were born at Australia Zoo.

Seven zoos have unrelated pairs of reproductive age:

Adelaide Zoo: Kembali (2014) and Rahni (2007)*
Australia Zoo: Ranu (2004) and Kaitlyn (2007)*
Ballarat WP: Satu (2005) and Maneki (2007)*
Taronga WPZ: Satu (2006) and Indah (2007)*
National Zoo: Aceh (2010) and Ndari (2008)*
Wellington Zoo: Bashi (2007) and Senja (2010)
Taronga Zoo: Clarence (2013) and Kartika (2011)

*Tigress is almost of post reproductive age

 

Has their been any indication as to where the Taronga triplets (Born 2019) will eventually be placed?

 

Not that I’m aware of. I could see Orana Wildlife Park being a likely destination for one of them. It’s unlikely all three will be required for breeding (and the parents are still young enough to produce another litter); so Orana could hold a surplus non breeding tiger (or tigers).

Alternatively, Orana could hold the male; with the view of him moving up to Hamilton Zoo in five years or so when their new tiger exhibit is complete. He could then be paired with Kirana. They’re related; but more distantly than Clarence and Kartika (Taronga’s current pair) are.

 

Age Distribution of Sumatran Tigers in Australasian Zoos

I have created a graph to illustrate the age distribution of Australasia's Sumatran tiger population:

Sumatran Tigers in Australasian Zoos by Zoofan15 posted 20 Oct 2020 at 6:36 PM

The most notable trend on the graph in the large cohort of tigers aged 10-12 years. This was caused by a number of births between 2008 and 2010; plus the import of the three tigers by Australia Zoo from Indonesia. Breeding has been more sporadic in the decade that followed, with Australia Zoo contributing most of the cubs born in recent years.

 

I am a little surprised the Western plains zoo has only the 3 Tigers since they did expand their tiger complex a fair bit a few years back!

 

They’ve held up to six tigers in the past; but what’s most disappointing is nothing apparently came of this (from 1997):

Taronga and the Western Plains Zoo at Dubbo are delighted to have come up with a $1.59 million operating surplus for the year, coming in 32 per cent over their budget target. The roaring financial success will bring immediate benefits to the Sumatran tigers, with a massive new enclosure under way at Western Plains, where it is hoped the animals will breed.

The new enclosure will cater for 12 of the big cats, and the extra space will boost negotiations with zoos in the United States which are considering sending all their Sumatran tigers to Australia so the animals can be bred in their own region

Full article: The Sydney Morning Herald from Sydney, New South Wales, Australia on December 10, 1997 · Page 10

 

I remember it being built and knew the plan was to hold and breed larger numbers that why I am surprised they have now only 3 perhaps another way to cut back on the number of animals kept!

 

I just found this article from 3/10/1986. Does anyone know what happen to Tenbo and Mishka?

Aunt Hilda and Cousin Thea with lion cubs

 

I’ve can’t find any reference to them online and they would be long dead by now. Interestingly the name ‘Mishka’ was reused on a lioness born at Orana in 2002. Since the name isn’t African in origin, it may have been chosen as a tribute to her by a staff member?

There was many litters bred throughout the late 70’s and 80’s at Orana; and I’m guessing the cubs either died or went to another zoo, as by 2000, they only had 3.3 lions from the drive through days (all now deceased):

1.0 Jomo (20/08/1983)
1.0 Tarma (20/08/1983)
1.0 Cemba (20/08/1983)

0.1 Tombi (17/09/1987)
0.1 Tess (17/09/1987)
0.1 Kushka (17/09/1987)

Note: The September 1987 litter also contained a female named Mara, who was sent to Wellington Zoo in December 1992. She died in November 2001 after eating contaminated meat, along with Jambi - the zoo’s male Sumatran tiger.

 

It appears they have fallen very short of these plans with Tiger numbers dwindling within the region, are they being placed into some zoos with little or no plan of breeding them and just as someone being a holder of them?or could if be they are being some what mis managed?

 

I must admit, I was surprised to see how much they’ve dwindled in recent years. I know in some cases breeding recommendations aren’t being readily given. Ballarat for example haven’t been given a breeding recommendation, which is frustrating considering they have an ageing genetically valuable pair.

I don’t necessarily disagree with the lack of breeding recommendations given over the last few years. It’s been necessary to address the rampant breeding that occurred 10-12 years ago (where many tigers became surplus). A lot of the tigers are surplus due to the over-representation of their line e.g. Rani at Darling Downs Zoo; and her littermates at Melbourne.

Also, to slow the inter-generational gaps, many females are being paired later in life e.g. Soraya’s daughters. Understandably, this can lead to decreased breeding success than if they were using younger tigers.

 

As mentioned by @WhistlingKite24 in the Taronga Zoo thread; Taronga Zoo has received Maya, a female lioness from Taronga Western Plains Zoo.

There are plans to introduce and breed her with their two current males: Ato (2017) and Lwazi (2017).

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=401440921225258

 

Incredibly sad news. Maneki the Sumatran Tiger has been euthanised due to a terminal illness. She was one of the animals that Australia Zoo imported from Indonesia in 2008 and only ever successfully bred once producing male Reggie (2016).

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@WhistlingKite24 Oh no thats really sad, rip Maneki. She was one of the more recent Sumatran Tiges to come directly from Indonesia and not be previously blood-related in some way already with the Australasian, European and American Zoo Sumatran Tiger family trees like i.e Meta-Nico-Frank-Poetry line right?

@WhistlingKite24 Btw thanks for letting us all know albeit sad news