Join our zoo community

Hypothetical/Speculative U.S. Sloth Bear SSP Plan

Discussion in 'Speculative Zoo Design and Planning' started by Neil chace, 26 Oct 2022.

Tags:
  1. Neil chace

    Neil chace Well-Known Member 5+ year member

    Joined:
    27 Aug 2018
    Posts:
    4,438
    Location:
    Earth
    After seeing some interest in my hypothetical polar bear SSP plan, I decided to go ahead and make a hypothetical plan for another species I'm very interested in, the sloth bear. This breeding plan is interesting as it makes a few changes to the way sloth bears are managed in the country: every single zoo was given a breeding recommendation! However, this does provide a few difficulties. First and foremost, some zoos with only one exhibit may not have the space to hold both cubs and a male bear at one time (as the cubs and father must be separated). To account for this, I've designated four zoos as additional male bear holders when others have cubs and can't accommodate a male bear. These are all zoos that have historically kept more than a breeding pair:
    Cleveland Zoo
    Zoo Miami
    Little Rock Zoo
    Woodland Park Zoo

    As necessary, zoos should utilize whichever of these facilities is closest to provide a temporary holding for their male.

    A second possible issue is that the population is near the maximum amount of bears current holders can accommodate. As for this, there's one likely solution I expect to see in the coming years, and that the SSP zoos should prepare for: asiatic black bear and sun bear holders switching to sloth bears. With this providing additional holders (and the potential of recruiting some North American Black Bear holders if necessary), it'd be very possible (and I really hope it happens, as this is my favorite bear species) to see an increase in popularity for this species in the coming years, especially if managed properly.

    And now, without further ado, here's the full breeding plan:

    Brookfield Zoo:
    0.1 Hani- Goof x Amy, breed w/ Katrick
    1.0 Katrick- Jack x Thelma, breed w/ Hani
    Rationale: This is a proven breeding pair, albeit one that hasn't bred in recent years. Hopefully this pairing can be successful again, but isn't the most likely due to Hani's age. If this pairing is not successful, it isn't the worst problem as it's a well-represented pair (Katrick is a full-sibling to Priya of the Mick x Priya line, with Hani's Goof x Amy line also reasonably well-represented, with Katrick x Hani's son Bhalu is a proven breeder also)

    Capron Park Zoo:
    1.0 Niko- Franz x Devi- move from National Zoo, breed w/ Vicki
    0.1 Vicki- Katrick x Hani, breed w/ Niko
    Rationale: Sending Niko to the Capron Park Zoo will create a new breeding pair. Due to Niko being genetically unrelated to the population and Vicki's relatively young age, hopefully this will be a successful pairing.

    Cleveland Zoo:
    1.0 Balawat- Merlin x Hana, breed w/ Shiva
    0.1 Shiva- Subodh x Lina, breed w/ Balawat
    Rationale: this is a proven breeding pair that is genetically valuable and has a strong chance of future success. Once Bear Hollow is finished, Cleveland should be prepared to recieve additional male bears as necessary from facilities unable to house cubs and a male bear at the same time.

    Columbus Zoo:
    0.1 Heiderose, breed w/ Rhandir
    1.0 Rhandir- Randy x Tasha, breed w/ Heiderose
    Rationale: while this breeding pair has yet to be successful, there's no good reason to separate it at press time. Hopefully, even if the pair is unsuccessful, there are enough new breeding pairs created to counteract this.

    Fresno Chaffee Zoo:
    0.1 Shala- Balawat x Shiva, move from Cleveland Zoo, breed w/ Pabu
    1.0 Pabu- Mick x Priya, move from Little Rock Zoo, breed w/ Shala
    Rationale: New Zoo to the SSP. This is the creation of a new breeding plan. Pabu is being moved from Little Rock Zoo since it's unnecessary for breeding purposes to have both brothers there, with Shalu being a young bear ready for a permanent home.

    Omaha:
    0.1 Kara, breed w/ Bodo
    1.0 Bodo- Klaus x Ludmilla, breed w/ Kara
    Rationale: while this breeding pair has yet to be successful, there's no good reason to separate it at press time. Hopefully, even if the pair continues to be unsuccessful, there are enough new breeding pairs created to counteract this.

    Tautphaus Park:
    1.0 Mick- Kaylo/Nori x Dusty, breed w/ Priya
    0.1 Priya- Jack x Thelma- breed w/ Mick
    Rationale: this has been the most successful breeding pair, so will be kept together for future reproductive success. Increasing the population size is of great enough priority that any future offspring from this pair are important.

    Lee Richardson Zoo:
    1.0 Namba- Randy x Khali, breed w/ Molly
    0.1 Molly- Mick x Priya, move from Sunset Zoo, breed w/ Namba
    Rationale: moving Molly to the Lee Richardson Zoo would create a new breeding pair. Namba is a genetically valuable individual, so it is important to place him in a breeding situation.

    Little Rock Zoo:
    0.1 Khali- Goof x Amy, breed w/ Sahaasa
    1.0 Sahaasa- Mick x Priya, breed w/ Khali, BhutanxKushali
    Rationale: this is a proven breeding pair. This zoo has typically kept more than two sloth bears, so would be an ideal candidate for holding surplus males when necessary from smaller breeding institutions.

    Philadelphia Zoo:
    0.1 Kayla- Mick x Priya, breed w/ Bhalu
    1.0 Bhalu- Katrick x Hani, breed w/ Kayla
    Rationale: this is a proven breeding pair that should be kept together for the best chance of increasing the population size.

    San Diego Zoo:
    1.0 Jagger- Mick x Priya, move from Tautphaus Park Zoo, breed w/ Lila
    0.1- Lila, move from Woodland Park Zoo, breed w/ Jagger
    Rationale: This is the creation of a new breeding pair. Both of these are young individuals so hopefully there is plenty of time for this pair to successfully produce offspring.

    Smithsonian National Zoo:
    1.0 Deemak- Bhutan x Tasha, breed w/ Zaara
    0.1 Zaara- Sahaasa x Khali, move from Little Rock, breed w/ Deemak
    Rationale: moving Zaara to the National Zoo creates a new breeding pair. Deemak is a genetically valuable animal, making this breeding pair a priority.

    Sunset Zoo:
    0.1 Tess- Mick x Priya, breed w/ Madhu
    1.0- Madhu- Bhutan x Kushali, move from Woodland Park Zoo, breed w/ Tess
    Rationale: moving the Woodland Park Zoo cub to Sunset Zoo creates a new breeding pair.

    Woodland Park Zoo:
    1.0 Bhutan- Knemo x Peanut, breed w/ Tasha, Kushali
    0.1 Tasha- Francois x Nocona, breed w/ Bhutan
    0.1 Kushali- Randy x Tasha, breed w/ Bhutan
    Rationale: this is a proven breeding trio that should be maintained for optimizing future breeding success. Be prepared to house additional male bears as necessary when other zoos have cubs.

    ZooBoise:
    1.0 Kartick- Bhutan x Tasha, move from San Diego Zoo, breed w/ Paji
    0.1 Paji- Goof x Amy, breed w/ Kartick
    Rationale: Paji is unlikely to successfully breed at this point, but due to her genetic value, it is important to attempt breeding anyways. Moving Kartick to ZooBoise enables this to occur.

    Zoo Miami:
    0.1 Keematee- Bhalu x Kayla, breed w/ Hank
    1.0 Hank- Francois x Hana, breed w/ Keematee
    0.1 Keesha- 524 x 468, do not breed
    Rationale: Keesha is likely post-reproductive, so Hank breeding with Keematee is a priority. Hank is a genetically valuable individual, making this an important breeding pair. Expect to be given additional males as necessary when other zoos have cubs.


    As I mentioned in my polar bear plan, if anyone has any other species they'd like me to consider in future threads in this series, please suggest them to me, I'll consider any and everything.
     
    Last edited: 26 Oct 2022
    Haley, evilmonkey239, JVM and 2 others like this.
  2. IndianRhino

    IndianRhino Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    8 Jun 2020
    Posts:
    1,908
    Location:
    San Diego
    Looks like a good plan, and pretty realistic too! I do have a few notes though. Shala is already at San Diego and is being bred to Kartick, and WPZ’s two cubs are named Madhu (1.0) and Lila (0.1) just so you know. Also I’m not sure how accurate this is but I feel like I read a while back that Capron Park is planning on phasing out sloth bears and that Vickie will be sent out for breeding when they find a suitable mate for her.
     
    Haley likes this.
  3. Neil chace

    Neil chace Well-Known Member 5+ year member

    Joined:
    27 Aug 2018
    Posts:
    4,438
    Location:
    Earth
    Good to know that the Woodland Park Zoo bears have names now. I'll edit it and add the names. As for the situation at Capron Park, I have heard conflicting ideas for what's the future of sloth bears at the zoo. I'm not certain what the most recent plan is though, but doubt it's in the immediate works to phase out sloth bears as if so she would've been sent out already if it was(whether breeding situations or not, there are zoos able to accommodate an additional female bear).
     
    Haley likes this.
  4. ZooElephantMan

    ZooElephantMan Well-Known Member 5+ year member

    Joined:
    19 Apr 2015
    Posts:
    1,107
    Location:
    Massachusetts
    Sloth bears were the highlight of my visit at Capron Park. I'd hate to see the zoo phase out the species, especially since they've been so successful with breeding them in the past.
     
    Haley and Neil chace like this.
  5. Neil chace

    Neil chace Well-Known Member 5+ year member

    Joined:
    27 Aug 2018
    Posts:
    4,438
    Location:
    Earth
    Interestingly enough, the exhibit was actually larger when the zoo was a breeding institution. When the zoo's last polar bear passed away, the exhibit (current lion/sloth bear exhibits) was transferred into a breeding exhibit for sloth bears, with Amy arriving from Philadelphia and Goof from San Diego. When Amy was raising cubs in the current sloth bear exhibit, Goof lived in the current lion exhibit. Since then, the gate between the exhibits has been encased in a brick wall prior to the arrival of the lion girls in 2005 (and Ramses a few years later). If Capron were to return to breeding sloth bears, they'd need to either make an arrangement to send out their male when the zoo had cubs, or would need to build a new exhibit/re-open the wall between both the lion and bear exhibits. Otherwise, there's no way to realistically separate the Male from female w/ cubs (I say this as someone who had seen firsthand their backstage holdings). Ideally, I hope that the zoo takes on of these routes- as the sloth bears are one of my favorites at Capron as well, and are certainly a nostalgic species for me, one of the constant species that the zoo has always had since my childhood.
     
    Haley, JVM and ZooElephantMan like this.
  6. Haley

    Haley Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    4 May 2022
    Posts:
    115
    Location:
    Seattle
    A really good SSP plan, but I have one thing to add: I don't think Kartick & Shala of San Diego should be seperated. Columbus & Henry Doorly haven't produced cubs yet, and you still reccomended them. Do you think they should be kept together, or be seperated?
     
  7. Haley

    Haley Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    4 May 2022
    Posts:
    115
    Location:
    Seattle
    And another note, there's also Kramer (M) & Kmari (F) of Creation Kingdom Zoo. Do you have any idea of how they could possibly be managed?
     
  8. Neil chace

    Neil chace Well-Known Member 5+ year member

    Joined:
    27 Aug 2018
    Posts:
    4,438
    Location:
    Earth
    I see no evidence that Creation Kindgom Zoo participates in the Sloth Bear SSP, which is why they were not included in my proposal for this SSP.
     
    Haley likes this.
  9. Haley

    Haley Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    4 May 2022
    Posts:
    115
    Location:
    Seattle
    And also, in terms of suggestions for other hypothetical SSP's, it would also be interesting to see hypothetical plans for Amur, Malayan, & Sumatran tigers. These threads are really interesting to read!