Felids in Australasian Zoos – News, History and Discussion

Did I read that right that the Tiger triplets went nameless for a year?

 

Yes, they were bred with the intention of being sent to Hamilton Zoo - so they let Hamilton Zoo name them. The first litter of tiger cubs born at Wellington Zoo in 1996 were the first in New Zealand and a huge event. They named them as cubs (and kept one); whereas with the second litter, the novelty had worn off slightly. They were transferred at 12 months of age.

Auckland Zoo did the same when they bred two litters of lion cubs in 2001. They named the first litter (the first cubs born at the zoo in 21 years); but the second litter (born three months later) were named by Wellington Zoo, when they received them at 11 months of age.

 

11 and 12 months seems young to transfer Tiger and Lion Cubs!

 

In the case of the tiger cubs, the dam was becoming aggressive towards them due to going back into estrus. This is common in zoos and is mitigated by putting the tigress on contraception. She can invariably live amicably with her offspring well into their adulthood. This was done at Auckland Zoo when Molek had her litter.

The lion cubs at Auckland Zoo were from a cohort of seven, with six leaving the zoo around the same time. The first litter were just over a year old; the second, just under. The exhibit was getting crowded and it would have been less upheavel on the pride for the transfers to take place around the same time.

Interestingly, Taronga Zoo have stated in the past they prefer to leave their big cats with the dam well into adulthood for socialisation reasons. The Auckland Zoo born lionesses in the second litter (that were sent to Wellington) actually proven difficult to introduce to the male lions at Wellington, so maybe they could have benefited from extra socialisation time?

 

Sumatran Tiger Observations – Australia Zoo

I visited Australia Zoo a couple of days ago and noticed something very interesting in the first enclosure; the zoo has introduced male Nelson (2019) to at least two of the 2020 cubs, Sage and Malcolm. I am not sure how often they all share space together but it was really nice to see this especially considering Nelson had minimal tiger-to-tiger interaction as an only cub who was handraised. He was actively engaging with them and they all remained close together. Note the other 2020 cub (when I say “cub” they are almost fully grown), Sallie was not in the enclosure and was being walked by keepers. I have used some of my photos below as I know some people like to observe the visual differences (mainly facial markings) between different individuals.

Nelson in 2021:


Nelson in 2019:


Sage:


In the second enclosure, Delilah [a older sibling of the cubs] has been living in that exhibit for a good while. She was being fed on my first lap of the area with the keepers in with her. For the past few years, the zoo has been exhibiting Delilah, Scout and Reggie together in this enclosure. Now that the boys have left for New Zealand, she has a fair amount of space.

Delilah:

 

Thanks for the update @WhistlingKite24. It’s interesting to know the combinations the tigers are kept in, as this could offer clues to how the breeding of the next generation will pan out.

Once the founder female Kaitlyn (2007) is post reproductive, they will likely turn to the first generation - which comprises Kaitlyn’s 3.3 offspring:

Group 1:

Hunter (2013)

Group 2:

Delilah (2016) FUTURE BREEDING FEMALE

Group 3:

Nelson (2019)
Malcolm (2020)
Sallie (2020)
Sage (2020)

Bearing in mind Hunter’s disability, Delilah is the obvious candidate for breeding as using any of the tigers from Group 3 would involve removing an animal from what is currently a cohesive group. Furthermore, Delilah’s sire is a littermate of the sire of the four tigers in Group Three (meaning their is no difference from a genetic standpoint).

 

An Interesting interview from Mogo’s FB page featuring lions, Chitwah and Phoenix. Phoenix is definitely getting bigger!

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=3549636145131688

 

Auckland Zoo have humanely euthanised their two male Lions: Malik and Zulu.​

Auckland Zoo has euthanised two lions amid concerns for their welfare.

Zulu and Malik, half-brothers both born in 2004, spent their lives together in Wellington and Auckland Zoos.

However the mobility of both lions has reduced over the past year, with the zoo's animal care teams diagnosing them with a degenerative disease of the bones and joints.

“We first noticed Zulu experiencing stiffness and reduced mobility in his hind legs last November and began treating him with anti-inflammatory and pain relief medication," says Auckland Zoo's Head of Veterinary Services, Dr James Chatterton.

"While Zulu's diagnostic results were not definitive, his deteriorating mobility indicates a painful and progressive disease process is present and this continued to worsen despite multiple medications over several months.

“Recently we saw Malik starting to display similar signs and also started him on medications. Malik is at an earlier stage of this degenerative disease, but having spent his entire life with half-brother Zulu, with whom he's so closely bonded, being left on his own would be unacceptably stressful and compromise his welfare."

Auckland Zoo euthanises two lions, Zulu and Malik, due to degenerative joint issues

 

What a sad twist of fate that Auckland Zoo should euthanise their two male lions; days after Wellington Zoo euthanise the two elderly lionesses they grew up next to.

I do believe both zoos made the best decision with regards to the welfare of these cats, the alternative being an inevitable decline, combined with the stress of living alone without their respective prides.

Their deaths leave both zoos without lions - for what I believe is the first time in Wellington Zoo’s history; the second time in Auckland Zoo’s history (the other time being the death of Kura and Amira in 2018).

Zulu (photo taken July 2020):

African lion (Panthera leo) by Zoofan15 posted 17 Jul 2020 at 7:56 PM

 

African Lions in New Zealand

Following the deaths of Auckland and Wellington’s last African lions this month, this species is now held at four facilities:

Orana Wildlife Park:

Orana Wildlife Park hold 4.4 lions in two prides:

0.1 Leah (13/01/2004) Toby x Priscilla
0.1 Meeka (13/01/2004) Toby x Priscilla
1.0 Mambila (04/01/2011) Malik x Mishka

1.0 Kahn (31/12/2002) Toby x Kiara
0.1 Tua (16/06/2009) Malik x Mishka
0.1 Tama (16/06/2009) Malik x Mishka
1.0 Kairangi (05/07/2009) Malik x Kiara
1.0 Tawhiri (05/07/2009) Malik x Kiara

Paradise Valley Springs:

Paradise Valley Springs holds 2.5 lions in one pride:

0.1 Luca (20/10/2004) Max x Ryo
0.1 Hana (05/03/2007) Zac x Luca
1.0 Benji (02/08/2011) Ben x Hana
0.1 Bella (02/08/2011) Ben x Hana
0.1 Ayla (21/02/2012) Max x Luca
0.1 Aleeka (21/02/2012) Max x Luca
1.0 Xander (20/09/2013) Max x Hana

Pouakai Zoo:

Poukai Zoo holds 1.2 lions in one pride:

0.1 Leah (20/10/2004) Max x Ryo
1.0 Aslan (00/10/2005) Max x Ryo
0.1 Asha (00/10/2005) Max x Ryo

Kamo Wildlife Sanctuary:

Kamo Wildlife Sanctuary holds 8.7 lions in multiple prides:

0.1 Savannah (27/01/2001) Sampson x Shania
1.0 Shumba (07/06/2001) Sampson x Shania
1.0 Zamba (07/06/2001) Sampson x Shania
0.1 Cora (26/12/2002) Sampson x Shania
0.1 Jabu (26/12/2002) Sampson x Shania
0.1 Shikira (23/02/2004) Imported 2004
1.0 Laduma (20/05/2004) Imported 2004
0.1 Amafu (20/05/2004) Imported 2004
0.1 Imvula (28/07/2004) Imported 2004
1.0 Abdullah (31/01/2006) Gandor x Shikira
0.1 Cleo (31/01/2006) Gandor x Shikira
1.0 Timba (11/12/2006) Laduma x Imvula
1.0 Themba (11/12/2006) Laduma x Imvula
1.0 Sabie (27/01/2007) Laduma x Amafu
1.0 Sibili (27/01/2007) Laduma x Amafu

Total population: 15.18 lions

 

Shumba (2001) and Zamba (2001) at the Alamo Wildlife Sanctuary are rather elderly male lions approaching 20 this year! The regional record for the oldest lion was Tombo wasn’t it, at 20?

 

Tombo was 20 years and 7 months when he died in October 2016; and yes, it may well be the regional record for a male lion. Rusty at Wellington Zoo also died in his 20th year (1977-1997), so I’ll have to check dates to see if he exceeded Tombo’s age.

A few of the lionesses at Paradise Valley Park have reached 22 and 23 years of age. Interestingly, Shumba and Zamba’s mother was born at PVP; as was Millie at the National Zoo (who I believe is the eldest in the region at 21 years). Her littermate, Max, died at PVP aged 19 years. The PVP pride is highly inbred, but clearly have great genes for longevity!

 

Auckland Zoo Lion Cubs - May 5, 2001

Today marks 20 years since Kura the African lion gave birth to a litter of four female cubs at Auckland Zoo. These were the first surviving cubs born at Auckland Zoo in 21 years:

0.1 Amali - Amali was sent to Adelaide Zoo, where she was renamed Amani. She gave birth to 2.1 cubs in 2004. The female cub, Kiamba, is now at Taronga Western Plains Zoo and has 1.1 surviving offspring living at Monarto Zoo.

0.1 Amira - Amira was the only cub to remain at Auckland Zoo. She gave birth to 1.1 cubs in 2004. The female cub, named Zalika, now lives at Taronga Western Plains Zoo. Amira died in 2018.

0.1 Kuchani - Kuchani was sent to Taronga Zoo. She gave birth to 1.1 cubs in 2003. She lives with female cub, Asali, at Hunter Valley Zoo. The male cub, Johari, sired several cubs at Werribee Open Range Zoo.

0.1 Kutaza - Kutaza was sent to Adelaide Zoo, where she was renamed Yizi. She never bred and died in 2017.

It’s impressive two of these four cubs have survived to reach 20 years. Here’s hoping they’ll now reach their 21st birthday.

 

Sri Lankan Leopard cubs in Australia:

As reported by @Patrick Keegan, Australasia's first Sri Lankan Leopard cubs were born on the 24th December 2020 at the National Zoo and Aquarium, Canberra. The two cubs are both males: Log into Facebook | Facebook

 

@WhistlingKite24 thats great that the Sri Lankan Leopard pair at Canberra has had cubs, why Nat Zoo would wait so long to announce puzzles me.

@Jambo Hey I just read your post from earlier in the year about Tombo the African Lion having the longevity record in the region. If Tombo's lineage was traceable he would likely be the record holder for a (confirmed full) African Lion in the Aus/NZ. The regional record challenger though would be Alistair at Perth Zoo who died in March 2007 aged 21 (b at the Zoo Jan '86); but I'm certain Alistair would very likely have come from a very complicated and hard to trace lineage though (maybe ex-circus forebearers and who knows when a wild caught Asian Lion or Lioness from India may have ended up in Australia 80-100+ years ago ) and he was an inbred animal (sire was maternal grand-sire too), he was always referred to by the Zoo as an African Lion though (albeit not a genetically 'healthy' one, which made his exceptional longevity all the more impressive, which in an archived interview in 2007 with the former PZ curator Dr Rosemary Markham, she expressed her surprise at his age record and was also how I learned about his inbredness).

 

Given the current taxonomic position with lions, does that matter? In any case if talking about the species, Alistair would therefore win nonmatter what your position on subspecies.

 

Yeah fair enough. To be honest wouldnt be surprised if all he descended from African caught individuals over time.

Just to clarify its still Northern Lions and Southern Lions last I read as of 2017.

 

I'm no expert, but I believe so.

 

@steveroberts, as I mentioned previously - the record for longevity in the region for an African lion (and I’m using this in the context of species; not to distinguish between lions and lionesses) are the lionesses of Paradise Valley Springs in Rotorua, New Zealand. Suzy lived to 23 years of age; Honey and Ryo lived to 22 years; and Jenny lived to 22 or 23 years of age (all I can find is confirmation she was still alive at 22 years).

I believe the eldest African lion in the region is Millie (at Canberra National Zoo), who was born February 2000; followed by littermates Kuchani (at Hunter Valley Zoo) and Amani (at Adelaide Zoo), who were born May 2001.

 

Millie actually died in late April-early May