Paignton's male Rothschild's giraffe 'Tonda' (born 24 February 2010, Yoda x Janika) is on his way to Chessington today.
I wonder if Chessington will hold a breeding group or bachelors. If bachelors is the case then, Marwell, Banham, South Lakes could do with shifting their males.
Interestingly I was reading the Giraffe and Antelope section of the 2007/8 EAZA yearbook yesterday (http://www.eaza.net/activities/cp/yearbook20072008/41_Antelope_Giraffe_TAG.pdf). In that it states something along the lines of new institutions that have never held giraffes before should start with single-sex groups then as correct facilities and husbandry practices are established the collection may move onto holding breeding animals. Are Marwell, Banham and South Lakes' giraffes of pure subspecies?
Yup, that's true. The most recent case in this being Yorkshire WP, a great small (Expanding!) collection, they now hold a mixture of pure Reticulated and Rothschild Giraffes, as well as two male hybrids from West Mid's. Banham, Marwell and South Lakes' are all hybrids. South Lakes recently (well March 2011) went into a breeding group of Kordofan Giraffe and they planned to phase out their hybrid (And one/two pure-bred Rothschilds) bulls.
It would seem likely then that Chessington will also hold a batchelor group. I also found it interesting to read that holding a group of hybrid females with a pure-bred male in order to test his fertility/breeding potential was suggested in the document. The phasing-out of hybrids was definitely stressed. It would be interesting to see what the most recent version says a few years on...
Chessington currently have 2 male Giraffes one is Kismet from Marwell,he arrived 9/01/13.The other is Tondu who arrived from Paignton on 10/01/13.Both of which are pure Rothschilds.They have 2 more to arrive over the next few days one from Woburn and the other from Port Lympne,both of which are males!
Yeah, of course Chessington have kept Giraffe before, as well as many other species now being brought in. For instance Flamingos and Blesbok. Only the newly acquired White Rhinos have never been kept at Chessington before. Even Chessington`s own publicity from Merlin seem to have forgotten the places history, claiming they are new species to the park!
Interesting that Kismet is now at Chessington. He was the first Giraffe of the new era at Flamingo Land of course, arriving in 2003.
Seems quite a common failing nowadays in our Zoos- fifty years or even less seems 'beyond memory' at some places. Bristol have done this with their publicity about the Drills.
I believe most of Marwell's are pure Rothschilds now and they are in the process of phasing out any hybrids they still have. I am not sure if recent calves born there, e.g. last year, have all been pure though.
There are 5 Rothschild's left in the collection (Matilda, Irsulah, Jade, Nsia and Ruby) now that Kismet has transferred to Chessington and 6 hybrids (Isabella, Makeda, Christa, Tiye, Kwame and Olympia). They are all females except Kwame (born 06.06.09).
Wonder why they are sending a pure bred away to be with a male group? Don't Marwell want to breed anymore?
Yes absolutely, in some cases the zoos also seem to forget who started the zoo in the first place!! Without whom they would not exist.
The full species list for Zufari appears to now be on Chessington's website; the five new species are: Giraffe White rhinoceros Greater flamingo Blesbok Nile lechwe
One of Chessington`s best loved animals, since his arrival in the 60s, has sadly died - the legendary silverback Lowland Gorilla "Kumba" died on the 18th March. He had been living in retirement with his life-long partner "Bafia" since his health had been in question after suffering strokes in recent years.
Very sad- I've known him ever since they first arrived there as tiny babies. But it was to be expected given his age, he had a long life and leaves a good number of descendants. I have posted a brief history and 'obituary' on the 'European Gorillas' thread.
I would think they have a new male lined up for all their rothschildi females. Plus I am hoping for that the hybrid female group be sterilised ... that way they can keep a large group of giraffe together without having to sent them on. The only hybrid male will no doubt in the short term move on to the park that took in some Marwell hybrid males lately.
