Lord Howe Island Stick Insect Vanessa's Domain | Zoos Victoria Melbourne Zoo has marked National Threatened Species Day by opening an important new facility to support the species survival breeding program for the Lord Howe Island Stick Insects, one of Zoos Victoria’s 21 Fighting Extinction priority species. Believed extinct for almost 80 years, the species was rediscovered in 2001, not on their native island but on the adjacent sea stack, the almost inaccessible Ball’s Pyramid. The breeding program began in 2003 with the arrival of the original pair, Adam and Eve. Offspring of another pair moved to Sydney at the same time later joined the breeding group, and all the 14,350 phasmids that have hatched here have been the descendants of those two pairs. That makes the arrival of another female on April 4 a red-letter day for the future of phasmids as she will be contributing new genetic material to the program. Vanessa was one of the 17 individuals located by the recent Australian Museum-led scientific expedition, and named for the climber who found her. This morning Vanessa was moved from her initial accommodation in a quarantine facility in the Reptile House into her new domain, a purpose-built glasshouse. Her 109 eggs have also been moved into the new facility. Vanessa was already an adult when she was collected, so it is possible if not probable that she had mated prior to being relocated from Ball’s Pyramid to the Zoo. The eggs Vanessa has laid here may have been fathered by one of the males back on Ball’s Pyramid. However, there is also the possibility that she has produced them parthogenetically, as females of this species can produce eggs without male assistance.When Vanessa’s eggs begin to hatch, Keepers will have a better idea about their ancestry, as parthogenetic reproduction creates only females, so any male offspring would indicate a father’s contribution to the gene pool. Either way, Vanessa’s future contribution is considered critical to the ongoing health of the breeding group. Invertebrate Keepers celebrated the opening of the new facility with a phasmid-shaped Threatened Species Day cake honouring this significant milestone in the breeding program. Another article: The stick insect with the luxury pad at Melbourne Zoo
Mandrills- It is comparatively easy to build up a big group from a very small founder base- but you need a lucky run of female births and then a new unrelated male every so often. Colchester in the UK had 1.2. originally and now regularly have about 25 in their group nowadays, Southport was a small seaside zoo in the UK(now closed) that got their original single pair from a dealer and ended up with two flourishing groups and awards for Mandrill breeding, as a result of an early run of female births (and some early inbreeding; father x daughter too..). So if Adelaide work at it they could singlehandedly turn around the fortunes for this species in Australia, but they must be prepared to import fresh blood at some stage. While new groups can usually only be formed using single or related pairs of females though- in many Primate species including Drill and Mandrills, trying to bring stranger females together to form new groups often does not work because the dominant one will resort to killing the infants of subordinate females if they are not her own relatives,- sisters or daughters from the same (matri-lineal) line.
I believe the problem here with some major zoos is lack of interest in a large range of species and if that means importing some lose interest fast
I do get that impression too- but they'll eventually run out of still more of the limited range of species they have still got, if they don't adopt a more positive attitude.
I agree but it appears not to be an issue ATM, it does not take much forward thinking to see where collections are heading in oz. Some of the smaller regional zoos have a better understanding than the large government run zoos do and I believe this is some part of the problem, the only larger state zoo who appears to be better managed is Adelaide which is not government run.I feel bringing in "business" people to run zoos who when in turn hire "consultants" are missing the mark. For large main stream zoos to just drop one endangered species after another only to be picked up by the smaller zoos points to a real problem in which way they are being managed at this time. I saw on Facebook the other week a site where more than 8,500 people are unhappy with the direction which Taronga zoo is run which was some what of a surprise to myself!
Yes, I understand there's growing animosity towards Taronga's obsession with building hotels. When the general public have an issue with a zoo, the zoo has an issue with it's future as the general public often aren't as educated on conservation/species management as those found on ZooChat, so if they think things are bad, the zoo is really in need of some direction. There's been a lot of speculation on this new Sydney Zoo, which is apparently planning to hold elephants, hippos, rhinos, gorillas, orangutans, chimpanzee, lions, tigers, as well as many other exciting species. If this zoo ever materialises in all it's biodiversity, it will surely blow Taronga Zoo out of the water in species diversity as well as popularity/visitation).
There's been a lot of speculation on this new Sydney Zoo, which is apparently planning to hold elephants, hippos, rhinos, gorillas, orangutans, chimpanzee, lions, tigers, as well as many other exciting species. If this zoo ever materialises in all it's biodiversity, it will surely blow Taronga Zoo out of the water in species diversity as well as popularity/visitation).[/QUOTE] Maybe thats what some may really want in the long run if it ever happened then the 75 acres on the habour side with the worlds best views could be sold off for Billions? and give the ultra rich the habour side veiws on one of the best habours in the world?
Wow, Colchester Zoo did well. Was that over several generations? Ie. the two original females producing four daughters each, who produced daughters etc.? Interesting to hear of female led infanticide in mandrills. Is it almost guaranteed to occur amongst unrelated females or is it like in chimpanzee where it's uncommon but does occur?
Which is under the jurisdiction of the Minister of the Environment for the NSW state government right or do I have my facts wrong?
The ZPB control themselves, and they're comprised of a diverse group of people many of whom are not government affiliated. There are ties to the state government, but the govt doesn't run it. Hix
They started with 1.2 from I think two other(then) regular UK breeders of Mandrills, Southport(now closed) and London(who no longer keep them). Next thing I knew they had a dozen of them- I wasn't able to trace exactly how the group developed, but probably because several daughters were born among the earliest young. Since then its grown more with approximately equal numbers of the sexes. There are several adult males but I think all except the current breeder are castrated. They brought in a new male a few years ago- and maybe previously too. I don't know how common actual infanticide is in Drills and Mandrills but if the females are unrelated, it can certainly lead to more dominance/subordinate squabbles and aggression which doesn't happen in related groups. Females are better disposed to their own adult daughters.
That is how Governments work, they set policy then departments and various authorities actually manage day to day. Taronga Zoo is not run by the Government in the same way schools, universities, hospitals etc are not run by Government. Be assured it the Government felt there was a problem in the way Taronga was being run, the ZPB could be quickly sacked and replaced. One issue that Taronga faces is that NSW Government policy is that it be increasingly financially self-sustaining, which is the reason for hotel proposals etc.
Quite correct at the end of the day its "controlled" by the government even if some want to split hairs and say its other wise run by a board on the surface!
Some sad news: Timbiri, one of the female mandrills has passed away. This leaves Melbourne Zoo with only one mandrill left - Louise (a female).
According to Zoos Victoria's Facebook page both females were euthanised, leaving Melbourne Zoo with no mandrills. Zoos Victoria
