Melbourne Zoo Melbourne Zoo News 2022

Or perhaps just an easy fix to fill the exhibit

 

I have a feeling Melbourne fore planned this; considering the Dingoes have been off display at Melbourne for a while now, and haven't received an enclosure, nor have served a purpose such as being ambassador animals for encounters.

Dingoes were really the only reasonable option for the exhibit, without needing any modifications to the exhibit. There was really only a small selection of carnivores available to fit with the carnivore trail theming too - alongside fitting the enclosure itself.

 

That could well be the case. The Dingo didn’t have an on-display exhibit and it’s not good practice to have an exhibit empty (or fill it with farm animals), so it’s a logical move in that regard.

The other reason I hesitated to think Spotted hyena would occupy this exhibit is that they have plans to house them at Werribee. Having Melbourne to house surplus from this pack following conflicts or to manage adjustments to breeding parings would be beneficial, but they’d be in no position to do this if they were already housing hyena (which in all likelihood would be well represented Monarto stock).

Although we’ve all agreed the exhibit space isn’t suitable for hyena (especially long term), options to house them in a larger exhibit at Melbourne may be in the future plans - with several possibilities as to how this might be achieved.

 

The Dingoes are in fact one male and one female.

 

Its possible yes

 

Complete List of Hamadryas Baboon Troop

I FINALLY have a complete list of the zoo’s Hamadryas baboon troop, ending recent speculation in this thread as to how many they hold - and answering questions such as who was the infant born in 2021 (it was a female named Mei, born to Macey).

Melbourne Zoo have 5.10 baboons:

1.0 Azizi (2010)
1.0 Jabari (2010)
1.0 Melako (2017)
1.0 Quimby (2018)
1.0 Quill (2019)

0.1 Huddo (1999)
0.1 Macey (2004)
0.1 Qetesh (2010)
0.1 Juju (2015)
0.1 Gana (2017)
0.1 Hudson (2018)
0.1 Makali (2019)
0.1 Quilton (2020)
0.1 Muna (2020)
0.1 Mei (2021)

With the exception of Juju, initials indicate who is the mother of who: Grace (1996-2021) was the mother of Gana; Huddo (1999) is the mother of Juju and Hudson; Macey (2004) is the mother of Melako, Makali, Muna and Mei; and Qetesh (2010) is the mother of Quimby, Quill and Quilton.

Since Hudson’s a lads name, I’d assume she was initially mistaken for a male like Quilton was for a few months.

 

So this is the largest known group that is known in the region to date?

 

Wonderful, thanks for that. That would account for the fifteen or so baboons I saw on my last visit.

Yes.

 

Sydney Zoo currently have the largest troop in the region at 19 baboons. Melbourne Zoo previously held around 20 baboons, but have lost some older females - and transferred two females to Adelaide.

You’re welcome. It’s nice to finally know what they hold. I would assume Azizi and Jabari are the harem leaders as they’re prime aged males. Melako at five years old, would likely only become a harem leader by default (if they were removed or died), but will become a serious contender in the next two or three years - especially as the older males age.

 

Oh yes, Sydney's group was derived from research animals wasn't it?

Jabari's definitely the dominant male afaik; he has a harem which I think consists of Huddo, Macey and Qetesh and Macey's two youngest infants. The rest were scattered all around the front, and they were definitely all younger individuals alongside I presume, Azizi.

It's a shame their troop has decreased to fifteen. Initial plans were for the exhibit to hold up to 40 baboons! By today's standards though, i'd say only 30 max; but a group of 30 baboons would still be quite a sight.

 

Sydney’s troop were imported as a group of 13 from Singapore.

It’d be interesting to know paternity of the infants bred at Melbourne. Paternity is assigned to the harem leader at conception, but females swap and change harems and sneak matings with follower males do occur. There were an additional three females from Wellington that have since passed, plus Melbourne females - so Azizi would have started with a few females in his harem (even though Jabari held the majority).

It’d have been to nice to have seen Melbourne’s troop grow into the 30’s or 40’s. Given the size of their new exhibit, we may see something similar achieved at Darling Downs Zoo - as well as at Monarto in the future.

 

I'd assume Jabari sired majority. We know he fathered Juju - the firstborn of the offspring.

Unfortunately Melbourne's troop has now came to the point now where breeding is no longer applicable; with Qetesh theoretically being the only breed able female at the moment. The best decision going forward will be sending the males out and receiving a new pair to breed. The Singapore individuals will hopefully provide new genetics for the region, and could potentially supply at least one male considering Adelaide and Darling Down's groups are mostly descended from Melbourne stock.

 

That sounds likely as the article in 2016 described Jabari as the dominant male. It’s a term not commonly used in this species, where males usually maintain their harems and aren’t assessed by rank - so to make that statement implied Jabari held all or most of the females at that time.

What was interesting to see is that Macey had five offspring in the troop. The original plan was for each female to have four - but due to their age, Grace (1996) and Huddo (1999) produced only two infants. With this in mind, they continued with the only unrelated pairings of Macey and Qetesh with the US imported males.

At a stretch, Macey could still breed as well as Qetesh. She’s 18 in December and the same age as Abeba at Wildlife HQ, who had her first infant this year. Macey gave birth to her eighth offspring last year, so should still be cycling. For comparison, Grace gave birth to Gana at 21 years of age.

 

By the looks of it from past visits there seems to be a single male (most likely Jabari) that has the majority of the females apart of the harem whilst the other male Azizi, only has some of the younger individuals apart of his harem; which would make sense - especially as most are likely sired by Jabari.

I wonder too, how Melbourne's managing contraception, especially as Juju, Gana and to a stretch, Hudson, will now be potentially reproductive. Obviously the birth of Mei last year, it's proven contraception isn't always reliable. And although these females won't be likely breeding with their father - they'll still be breeding with their uncle.

The export of both Quasi and Mahali to Adelaide made the most sense succession wise. Melbourne now can continue breeding in the future with four lines descending from four lines:

Grace (1996) - Gana (2017)
Huddo (1999) - Juju (2015), Hudson (2018)
Macey (2004) - Makali (2019), Muna (2020), Mei (2021)
Qetesh (2010) - Quilton (2020)

Obviously the plan was to have at least two offspring from each female; and there's a chance Qetesh may be allowed to breed again once some new males arrive, giving the Q line a second breeding female. Of course the birth of Mei in 2021 complicates things as now one of Macey's daughters will probably be exported elsewhere (possibly alongside Macey herself who won't be needed to breed).

 

To date, it’s clear that Melbourne have been unwilling to resort to inbreeding as Auckland currently are. Ideally they’ll transfer out the males to reduce the troop to the ten females they currently have; and then bring in unrelated males. They’ll be in a position to do this (without endangering Mei) within the next year or two.

I imagine the same formula would be repeated with only four females breeding and the other six on contraception. Gana and Quilton are near certainties to carry on their maternal lines; while Makali and Muna are better choices than Mei, who likely won’t witness the raising of an infant in the troop before breeding recommences.

An alternative is to allow Gana and Quilton to have four infants each and the sister combinations of Juju/Hudson and Makali/Muna to have two infants each (still combining to give four infants per family line).

 

I think Melbourne will probably wait a few years before sending their males elsewhere. In the meantime, they might consider sending some of their females elsewhere, although it all really depends.

If they wish to breed from four females the obvious choices would be Gana, Quilton, Hudson and Makali. All four are pretty much the same age, and so breeding via succession will be much easier. That would give the option of the two youngest, Muna and Mei, being potentially sent elsewhere; and the group left with four breeding and four non breeding females.

 

An incorrect assumption.

 

Sorry not Darling Downs, I meant Wildlife HQ.

 

Melbourne zoo has lost another species and now that dingos have replaced the wild dogs. How old are the dingos, are they a breeding pair.
I think Melbourne zoo will let the baboon troop decrease and the will import a number of members from Singapore. Melbourne zoo exibit apparently has room for 45 of the baboons Melbourne zoo apparently had plans in 2016 to increase the troop 45 in the next ten years according to this article
Melbourne Zoo welcomes NZ baboons for breeding
As usually Melbourne has lost a species and but another one on display hopefully a master plan will come out soon because Melbourne zoo is in the middle of a phase out in my opinion
Animals I think and know will be phase outs
Asian elephant
Black and white colubus moneky
Peccaries
Malayan tapir
African wild dog

maybes
Pygmy hippo probably not but if there isn’t a breeding pair they will probably die out
Cotton top tamarins( haven’t seen any in my last two visit are they of display are did some of them die out

Animals that should be bra
Gorrila ( only 3 Melbourne should import 3 females
White cheeked gibbons
Pygmy hippo( hopefully a female from darling downs
Colobus moneky ( unlikely
Sumatran tiger, hopefully Melbourne could have some cubs

I will do a run down of my options of animals groups and breeding/ bachelor on Jambos thread history of animals at Melbourne zoo