Altina Wildlife Park Maned Wolves

In case anyone was interested in a not-so-common aus. zoo species -
As far as my understanding the last 2 female Maned wolves at WPZ have been transferred to Altina Wildlife Park a few days ago - making Altina the only facility in the country to house the species. They currently have a population of 7 (2.5.0)

(m) 'Rocha' born 30.06.01 at Dubbo (sire: Boroche dam: Ytamby)
(f) 'Marmalos' born 30.06.01 at Dubbo (sire: Boroche dam: Ytamby)
(f) 'Esquivo' born 10.07.02 at Dubbo (sire: Chaco dam: Liz)
(f) 'Luchador' born 30.06.05 at Dubbo (sire: Boroche dam: Ytamby)
(m) 'Senna' 13.07.05 at Dubbo (sire: Rocha dam: Liz)
(f) 'Arapey' 13.07.05 at Dubbo (sire: Rocha dam: Liz)
(f) 'Olinta' unknown history other than she was imported from Russia after 2006 sometime.

According to Altina's FB page they are expecting pups mid next month!!!!
I am pretty sure they are 'Rocha' x 'Olinta'

 

so i guess they are being phased out. Thanks for the info

 

Sounds like its time for another visit to Altina.

 

Interesting that they only picked up the last two females from Western Plains Zoo not long ago. This means Altina has all the maned wolves in the region.

 

As stated above by jones, Jabiru96.

 

Oops, sorry, I didn't see it

 

whats going to happen to the maned wolf exhibit at WPZ?

 

Seems like another crazy ZAA decision to off-load a breeding, endangered, charismatic, (relatively) easy importable, exotic species just because it's face doesn't fit the bill. And it also easily fits into open-range zoos.

 

I doubt ZAA had any input in the making of this decision. This was a Zoo decision. The maned wolf exhibit is now closed. Altina also recieved uthuli a male giraffe from Dubbo this week.

 

In my 10 years involvement with the ZAA I have never seen the ZAA make any decision as to what animals a zoo can or cannot hold. ZAA scientists have certainly over that period repeatedly pointed out what is required to maintain a sustainable population.

Zoos collectively through TAG groups make recommendations as to what are priority species, and what species should be phased out. A big factor in these recommendations are the number of spaces that zoos say they will make available for each species.

Zoos individually then make a decision as to whether to accept that recommendation or to follow another route, depending on their own circumstances.

Don't blame the ZAA. It ain't them!

 

To me this is a good move. Altina already has a pregnant bitch from a recently moved dubbo sire. Altina wants to breed, dubbo was unable to, this move will actually be more beneficial to the species future in Australia then if they remained at Dubbo.

 

Jarkari, any idea what is going to happen to the exhibit? I think it was only within the last 18 months that they upgraded the footbridge that leads to the viewing platform.

 

Thanks for this tidbit

 

Actually I am aware of everything that you've said and probably was being a bit too simplistic with my comment. What I meant was that the species hasn't gained much support from the big zoos despite previously being held in breeding situations by Melbourne, Dubbo and Perth. What I would say is that while ZAA (and its previous incarnation as ARAZPA) encouraged its members to concentrate on Asian, African and Australian species (understandably) they have not encouraged the desperately small populations of other exotics which now seem to be dropping out of the Australian zoo scene at a rate of knots. Maned wolves were not only a 'good' species in the region (circa early 90s) they were breeding well from a number of unrelated lineages. Now they appear to be all related and at the mercy of one private collection, which will hopefully stick it out until other like-minded collections come on board. I feel that to dismiss ZAA as lacking any blame is very fair-minded, but they could have shown to be more pro-active in encouragement of the species then just allowing yet another exotic one to disappear.

 

I've got to admit that I too am guilty of occasionally "putting the boot in" to ZAA when it's probably not their fault that yet another species is abandoned by the big players in the Australian zoo scene.

It's just that there seems to be fewer and fewer exotic species retained in the region, particularly small to medium sized animals. Also, there is too much chopping and changing. When a species is acquired there should be a commitment to it for more than a generation or two. I can't escape the conclusion that soon Aussie zoos will only keep the big, "box-office" animals.

Australian zoos are good - it's just that they could be so much better (and considering that they are among the most expensive in the world SHOULD be!)

 

If it is possible, does anyone know where the original Western Plains Zoo animals came from?

 

Yago (m) was born at Melbourne Zoo and arrived at Dubbo in 1995.
Capim (f) was born at Perth Zoo and arrived at Dubbo in 1990.
> they are the parents of 'Ytamby' born at Dubbo 25/06/96 - who in turn is the mother of three of Altina's current pop. 'Rocha', 'Marmalos', and 'Luchador'.
> 'Ytamby' is also a grandmother to 2 of the current animals at Altina - 'Senna'(m) and Arapey (f) - both the offspring of male 'Rocha'.

Liz (f) arrived at Dubbo in 1997 from the Little Rock Zoo in Arkanzas, USA.
>she has 3 offspring in the current population. 'Esquivo'(f) 'Senna'(m) and Arapey (f).

Chaco (m) was born at Dubbo in 1996 in the same litter as 'Ytamby' (full sibling).
>he is the sire of 1 of Altina's pop. 'Esquivo'(f)

Here is a link to the 2007 International Manned Wolf studbook which is available online where you can trace lineage back further.
http://library.sandiegozoo.org/studbooks/carnivores/manedwolf2007.pdf

2007 Aus. info is on page 49. (5.6.0 - DUBBO - 0.1.0 MELBOURNE)

hope you kept track (i think i got lost myself there for a sec)

 

Thanks for that.

 

Turns put that the female wasn't pregnant after all but they are hoping for a pregnancy to be successful with another female.

 

Two female pups have been born.