Berlin Zoo Indian rhinos in Europe

Berlin Zoo's Indian rhino female Narayani (a wildcaught female from Nepal) sadly had a stillbirth in late August 2007. Whipsnade born Yohda was the sire.

 

berlin zoo does not seem to have as much luck with its indian rhino as the tierpark.

 

what do u think will be the next collections holding indian rhino

 

Basel Indian Rhino Bulls.

Jelle.

Do you know which other bulls have been at Basel Zoo since the original founder Gadadhar, follwed by Arjun from West Berlin ?

What others can you name and their place of Origin, before Jaffna from San Diego ?

 

grantsmb,

Patience please .. I can not be around this forum all the time (your call on the gorilla forum)! lol .. hihi!

Well let me see: the first pair at Basel Zoo were Gadadhar and Joymothi, both wildborn in Kaziranga. They bred from a number of years before Gadadhar died in 1964. The Berlin Zoo male Arjun originating also from Kaziranga entered Basel in 1965 and continued the breeding line with Joymothi.

Management gradually started incorporating 2nd gen individuals in the own Basel breeding line. This continued right up till 1996 when breeding was discontinued. The current breeding females Ellora is a Arjun x GadadharxJoymothi offspring and Quetta is a ArjunxGadadharxJoymothi x ArjunxGadadharxJoymothi breeding. Can you figure that one out (how I transcribed it)? Thus both breeding females at Basel are heavily inbred.

No new animals were introduced untill San Diego born male Jaffna arrived as a sub-adult in late 1996. The 2004 calves Baatschi and Baabu are the first offspring of the new breeding line.

So, it is a rather complex matter. I figure it is better not to breed from the Basel line ever again. Breeding only increases the already high representation of the Basel line in the EEP population and makes it more inbred.

The Basel management itself has been equally concerned with this situation and has calculated several options for Indian rhino management including breeding Jaffna with a wild-caught individual. The last option would be best, but I guess - being less realistic - they dediced to breed him to both Basel females all the same.

 

when will the female rhino be coming to chester and from where?

 

The female is coming very soon from Basel. Late spetember early october. Roughly. She probably wonted be mixed with patna for a while.

 

1. That's okay, I can wait...

2. A point of trivia for you- the original bull Gadadhar died after he mounted the fence of the bull pen trying to reach a cow, and injured himself.

3. Thanks for the information. It indicates that after Arjun, only a Basel- bred male was used for (in)breeding. Is that right?

4. Gadadhar x Joymothi produced 'Moola' who was their 2nd breeding female for many years.

5. One Basel bred pair were Gauhati and Miris. They went to Berlin Zoo. One of this pair was, I think, the offspring of Gadadhar x Hamburg's w/c female Nepali which was mated at Basel. So she was another founder. I believe Gauhati and Miris did breed at Berlin Zoo but I'm not sure....

 

..... and now I'm beginning to think, from reading your post again, that in fact, the breeding at Basel may have ceased after Arjun died, until Jaffna arrived. Is that correct?

In what year did Arjun die?

 

Basel Zoo rhino breeding line

grantsmb,

Here is the full story in the Basel Indian rhino. I finally got round to looking at the data on greater detail. Sorry, to have kept you waiting ....!

First: breeding pair were Gadadhar x Joymothi (both wildborn and of Kaziranga origin). These bred till Gadadhar died in 1964. Total offspring: 4 + 2 (2 Gadadhar matings with his daughter Moola)

Moola's second calf, Nanda, born in 1965 was the famous Stuttgart breeding female.

Second: male Arjun (wildborn Kaziranga) made his entry in 1965 and bred with Joymothi and captive-born females Moola (GadadharxJoymothi) and Tanaya (ArjunxJoymothi). Total offspring: 6 (2) + 3 + 5.

Third: male Chitwan (ArjunxTanaya) started breeding in 1988 with captive-born females Tanaya (ArjunxJoymothi) and Ellora (ArjunxTanaya). Total offspring: 2 + 5 (1).

Fourth: male Jaffna (a third Basel blood with another 2/3 true Indian blood) entered the Basel group in 1996 and only started breeding in 2003 with captive-born females Ellora (ArjunxTanaya) and Quetta (ChitwanxEllora). Total offspring to date: 1 + 1.

So as you can see the Basel line is thoroughly inbred. This started with female Tanaya and continued to a greater extent with Chitwan.

 

Jelle. Thanks for the full information on the Basel Indian rhino breeding.
The 'missing link' for me was the male Chitwan. I can see he was breeding with his mother and his full sister while Arjun was the father of all three! This is very heavy inbreeding... I can see why unrelated males are needed to outcross the European( and particularly Basel) population now.

Jaffna is to return to Basel soon. He was still at Whipsnade Zoo this week.

Another question- do you know if the Basel/Hamburg-bred pair Gauhauti and Miris ever breed at West Berlin or have any descendants anywhere else? ( I know the current animals are not related to them though)
at WEest Berlin aren't related toi them though)

 

The Berlin pair Gauhati x Miris was a complete failure I am afraid. During the early 70's Miris was sent twice on breeding loan to Basel to breed with Arjun. She first calved in 1972 (Kumar, the later Whipsnade breeding bull with 4 (2) calves) and again in 1976 (Heiner, a bull, who was sent to Oklahoma, then on to NY Bronx in 1983 where he sired 3 (1) calves). Finally, in late 1979 Gauhati managed to produce the one calf with Miris, female Terai. She was later sent to Oklahoma, but never produced offspring.

 

Jelle- thanks for the Gauhati/Miris information.
Which one of them was the offspring of the Hamburg female 'Nepali' ?

 

The male Gauhati.

Miris was a Basel born female, now deceased.

 

Yep grant .. I am afraid that Hamburg's rep is as dead as a dodo .