So I just received my first email newsletter since I finally became a NZA member (it's not actually the first - they send them out every month! - but for some reason they were defaulting to my junk folder so I probably missed a few), and while it's a modest affair compared to the glossy magazines the government zoos send out, I want to commend it hugely for managing something that Taronga never did in the decade+ I was a member: a simple summary of changes to the collection. This is the number one thing I want out of a zoo newsletter and it does the zoo great credit that they recognise this. To summarise the changes: the zoo has exchanged male tree kangaroos with another unnamed zoo (Kubu has left, Simbu has arrived); four additional barbary sheep and one new female zebra have been added to the existing herds; and two common marmosets have been born. Also of interest: PJ, the last remaining De Brazza monkey in Australia, turns 22 later this month.
From what I read, they're hoping the new male will breed with the existing female. I'm pretty sure the zoo has bred them in the past.
Another nice trip to NZA yesterday. Updates: *The brown bear is now off display, but Facebook confirms she is still alive. Her exhibit is now occupied by a cheetah, which now have FOUR exhibits throughout the zoo. *The cafe at the back of the zoo is open, and is actually very nice indeed. The advertised "monkey island" is a rather nice exhibit and is the new home for the squirrel monkeys. The exhibit that previously housed them near the meerkats is again empty.
The zoos Brown Bear, Darkle has died . In a statement on Thursday night, the zoo confirmed Darkle's health had been deteriorating for the past few weeks and a decision was made to euthanise the elderly bear. She was among the first animals to arrive at the National zoo in 2000 after being rescued from a circus. Darkle was the National zoo’s last brown bear. https://www.canberratimes.com.au/na...ses-away-at-canberra-zoo-20180913-p503ng.html
That’s a shame, Australia is now down to sun bears (4 zoos), polar bear at SeaWorld and giant panda at Adelaide. No more brown bear.
The national zoo have recently received 8 month old Sumatran tiger’s Melati and Mya from Dreamworld. https://www.canberratimes.com.au/na...ml?ref=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss_feed
If correct, why does Dreamworld indulge into this type of management policy or was it an accidental thing?
I ask myself the same question, it was intentional. I believe that the offspring at the National Zoo now, are the third litter from this pairing. And correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe Raja’s (the Sumatran father) genetic line is largely unrepresented in the Australasian Sumatran Tiger population.
What is your source for believing the tigress Nika would be a hybrid? What evidence for this does exist? Aside: I assume Dreamworld are part of the ZAA / ARAZPA Sumatran Tiger ASMP? This would most certainly preclude any continuous and intentional breeding of known hybrid offspring and most certainly so with a known unrelated high non MK coëfficiënt (wild) and unrepresented tiger from Indonesia! So, in essence ... it begs an answer to the former mentioned above in the first paragraph.
Apologies, I usually attach links, and articles. It has been discussed on Zoochat. There is a thread about the female tiger in question.... Dreamworld - New Bengal Tiger import for Dreamworld
Thanks once again for your swift response and no worries it does happen from time to time. I see now that at the time 2015/2016 I was responding there too. It seems like a real waste on the Sumatran tiger program to continuously breed hybrids from a known unsuitable pairing where one animal is a known hybrid.
Yes, these two cubs are the third litter of Raja and Nika; they are also parents to 1.0 born July 2015 and 0.2 born November 2015. I'm guessing the next tigers to breed at Dreamworld will be Kai (Raja and Nika's hybrid son) with one of the two white Bengal females (born 2015). Raja is related to Soraya (at Mogo Zoo). Soroya has produced 2.6 cubs (including 0.5 to Raja). None of these cubs have bred, although four of the females have been paired with males. I have written a post about the genealogy of Raja and Soraya (including details on their offspring) here: Big/Small Cats in Australasian Zoos – News, History and Discussion Post #15
The National Zoo has welcomed a zebra foal, four meerkat pups and four Black-and-white ruffed lemurs babies. National Zoo & Aquarium Canberra
