when exactly was the last calf born, being the 3rd largest group in europe is it not worrying that there has been so long without a calf. it is also good to see the pairs at krefeld and paignton reproducing.
Kiang, The last calves were FF Kitani in 1997 and Manyara in 1998. Both are now adults in prime breeding condition. Chester seems to have been a little unlucky on the breeding front with losing 2 valuable females in Emma and Pangani. This was after breeding M Quinto was sent to Whipsnade in 1998. Subsequent males Katakata and Baringo basically did not do the works and thus proven male Quinto has been brought back. However, he can not be used for breeding to the younger females as he is the sire.
Black Rhinos born at Chester Zoo are 1967 1.0 Reginald exported to Moscow 1971 1.0 Jaspa exported to Paignton and later returned 1973 0.1 Linda, died 1975 1991 0.1 Emma 1993 1.0 did not survive 1994 1.0 did not survive 1997 0.1 Kitani 1998 0.1 Manyara ISIS lists only three females at Chester. Has one left, or died? Does anyone have more info?
The hiatus in breeding Black Rhino at Chester is indeed very worrying. Bongorobs' list shows exactly what calves have been born- it is not a long list and NONE of these animals has (so far) bred into the next generation. Paignton's calf is a direct descendant, via its father 'Kingo' from the pair 'Willie and 'Stephanie' imported to Bristol Zoo in the early 1950's.
1. Did 'Jasper' return to Chester from Paignton? He finally lived at Port Lympne for a number of years where unfortunately he proved either infertile or unable to breed (I don't know which) When he died Paignton asked for parts of his remains for their Education Department.... 2. How many females did you see at Chester on your recent visit? 3. There should be 4; Kitani & Mayani(with Sammy) Rosie(problem animal) and the fourth is Ema or Eta- came from Czechoslovakia.
They also lost their first female Esther(born London) who was the mother of Emma. I have never understood why Esther only ever had two calves in a long life at Chester, first Emma, and then many years later, Mayana(or Kitani..). In between a big gap of very many years with no calf at all. Similarly Pangani spent many years without having a calf. Emma had no calves at all, either at Whipsnade or after being returned to Chester. Rosie (also born London) has never bred- she seems to have problems with reproductive behaviour. Since Pangani's death, Quinto now has only one realistic partner at Chester, the newest female(Ema/Eta?) they imported a few years back.
Okay, further to the above post. I'm guessing that these two failed births were an additional one each to Esther and Pangani, (but just possibly two calves to one of them). Its still a pretty miserable record for both these females though.
Chester's rhino Bongorob+grantsmb, Contrary to ISIS there are 3.4 black rhino at Chester. The breeding combinations are (as described earlier) M Quinto with F Rosie M Magadi with F Ema from Dvur Kralove M Sammy ex Japan with FF Manyara and Kitani Esther died in 2000. All calves born pre-1980 have not survived till the present. Emma died in 2003. Pangani in 2006. The breeding combination of Parky and Esther (F Emma) did not last as in 1998 Parky was sent on breeding loan to Zuerich Zoo who needed a proven bull (where he died in 2006). Quinto is the only proven bull at present (the 1997+1998 calves). and was sent to Whipsnade in 1998. Effectively stifling any further potential reproduction. Both bulls that were brought out from Port Lympne Baringo and Katakata did not breed. High hopes - as I wrote earlier - are now for Magadi+Ema and perhaps Quinto+Rosie, Sammy has mated both females he is with, but as yet no result.
The two claves which died shortly after birth were born to Esther. So 3.3 rhinos on ISIS is a mistake. I'm pleased to hear it. I've twice been told that Sammy is not yet dominat over the females, which may explain his failure to mate successfully.
Jaspa returned from Paignton in 1981 and was paired with Thelma from Bristol, who arrived back at Chester late in 1981. She had been sent to Chester in 1977 in an attempt to get her pregnant by Roger, and returned to Bristol in 1978. This is not a long time and suggests they were not compatible. The only female rhinos I saw on my last visit were the two with Sammy.
Oh yes, I remember Thelma at Bistol Zoo. I think she was acquired from Southampton Zoo/Chipperfields. She was moved around quite a bit back and fro to Cheste. She never bred at either place.. When Jasper was originally sent to Paignton, he was paired with a similar aged young female 'Joanna' born at London(or Whipsnade) but she died early on. He then lived alone at Paignton before returning to Chester. He was the second of the three calves born to Roger and Susie(an odd, rather stunted w/c female)
Bongorob, I figure - and perhaps grantsmb will confirm - that in black rhinos the age and experience of the male are important. Sammy was born 11/1999 and just 8 years old. The former breeding bull at Port Lympne Baringo I born 1969 sired his first calf in 1977. Proven male Kingo and born 1983 (now at Paignton) first sired calves in 2001! Male Jos born 1989 only produced his first calf at Port Lympne in 2003 (while at London he failed to mate with Rosie). Only proven male Quinto born 1990 took exception and sired his first calf at 6 years of age, relatively precocious. The pattern seems to be that few bulls acquire dominance at an early age and will only become successful breeders once they reach their mid teens. This situation is perhaps not dissimilar to the wild where adult bulls have territories and young bulls must repeatedly fight off older bulls just to keep their own. Only when they are much older do they become breeders themselves. You can check the Lewa Downs Ranch, Kenya breeding data for black rhino if you like for that.
Jelle. I believe you are on the right track here that, as with elephants etc its the dominant bulls which do most of the breeding. In captivity you can often tell them by their behaviour- pacing and patrolling with head high and ears pricked and plenty of dungmarking etc. But I think its more than merely age at maturity. In many cases black rhino pairs seem incompatable, or perhaps platonic. I don't think Jos and Rosie, who grew up from young animals at London Zoo ever mated- yet he soon became a breeder with stranger females at Port Lympne. In Chester's case, the few calves they've produced have been from a number of different animals. Roger(b. Bristol) x Susie(w/c) = Reginald, Jasper and Luana. Esther(b.London) x Parky(b. Whipsnade) = Emma. Esther x Quinto(from Zurich?) = Manyara. Pangani x Quinto= Kitani. Their best breeding was when both Esther and Pangani produced the two female calves by Quinto. I imagine 'Sammy' must be old enough to breed now. I am only a bit concerned that he has lived with the two females since his arrival and there could be a lack of interest. I have a feeling that with Black Rhino only irregular mixings between males and females may be better than a permanent pairing, in order to stimulate breeding behaviour. The stimulus of other males scents in urine or dung etc may also stimulate more sexual interest andactivity too.
Compatibility-age grantsmb, Interesting you should point to an incompatability problem. I have not thought of it that way. I will check this with the breeding data I have for the EEP population over the last 10-15 years. But it will take some time to get back on this. Regarding this I bring out these 2 examples from young pairs in the EEP: Your example of Rosie is perhaps not a good example. Rosie was handraised from birth at London RP and thus had behavioral problems when dealing with her own kind later on in life. The male Jos was definitely "interested" in her when introduced, but Rosie refused to have any of it. However, this very pattern seems also to affect the Koeln, BRD black rhino pair Taco (ex Hannover Zoo) and Tisa (ex Berlin Zoo). The male Taco is very much interested in the female, but she will only allow him in the same paddock as long as he does not seek her out. If he does so, she will go into attack mode. What set me going though, is the fact that all these pairings had been established at a fairly young age and that both the male and female in the pairing tended to be of the similar age classes. This might point to a need to have older males breed with these young females. As I said though, I will run in some checks on the EEP population in the next days or so and let you know what comes up.
Yes, I agree 'Rosie' is not a very good example. It does sound like she had, and continues to have (?), behavioral problems. She was very small at birth and so was handraised- perhaps it spoiled her in some way. Jos proved he was normal when he was moved to Port Lympne, while Rosie hasn't done so at Chester. I seem to remember the staff at Chester told me she doesn't have normal oestrus cycles and is highly nervous of a bull in the paddock with her.. Also she seemed generally to have an excessively nervous disposition- not what you would expect with a handraised animal. I'll be interested to see what other facts you come up with. I'm trying to remember if any other UK rhinos have been handraised like her.
On the similar aged(young) pairing issue. Sometimes it works fine... Willie and Stephanie, the 1950's pair at Bristol Zoo were imported together as young animals and bred together five times(not all calves survived). Obviously in that case they were very compatable. Similarly the 1960's pairs at London and Whipsnade-again both pairs bred five(or six times) though few calves survived. (Rosie was the calf of Bwana x Mama Kidogo after they had been moved to London from Whipsnade. She also had one calf at Whipsnade sired by a different male 'Rupert'- who was born at Hanover.) That was 'Parky' who has lived at Chester, Port Lympne and is now at Zurich.
Sammy has mated with both females, a year or so back they did tend to gang up on him but know you can see he is bigger than them and is begining to become dominant.
