Female giraffe Mdomo is on her way to Orana Wildlife Park from Auckland Zoo. Giraffe reunion to follow sea voyage
Zoochatters aren't gonna like that! Actually, they're probably used to it haha. I don't know why they waited to send Mdomo (as opposed to sending her with Shira or even a week later).
In other Orana Wildlife Park news, their Facebook page talks of the impending arrival of a new rhino. They don't clarify where it is coming from (or even if it is male or female), but given their large female herd, and recent death of their breeding male, I'd guess a male rhino. Kruger at Hamilton Zoo could be a candidate as he has fathered four surviving calves and will soon be at risk of breeding with his daughter Jamila (2012) if either of them remains there. Auckland Zoo has a bachelor herd of three males (all unrelated to Orana's females) so I'd say they're a likely option too. Maybe Inkosi as I heard he was challenging his father Zambezi. When I last visited Orana, a staff member said there had been suggestion the females reproductive systems were being suppressed by the presence of other females. Could be the case since the last two calves were born to this female. A new breeding male could shake up the dynamics like it did at Hamilton Zoo with Kruger's arrival.
If there are mother daughter -relationships in the Orana herd that is a definite no-goer. Mothers repress their own female offspring. Any consort female in the wild is an unrelated female only. So, if you wish for breeding ... cut up the female linkages and bring in a bull that is significantly older than any reproductively able females.
I had no idea that mother's supress female offspring. I questioned the decision to export Caballe (1994) to Australia Zoo in 2011 without her female offspring, Imani (2007), but perhaps it was for the best. There's often cases of a male breeding with one female, but not others. Interestingly it seems the lowest ranking female is usually the one to breed; the more dominant females seem to be reproductively supressed. Either that, or they dominate the breeding bull and don't accept him as a sire to their offspring. Hamilton Zoo staff have spoke of Zambezi as being 'a small bull' and indeed only the smaller female (Caballe) bred with him. Their two sons are also quite small so I don't know if the transfer of any of the Auckland males to Orana would prove fruitful.
Can NZ import giraffe from South Africa, or only Australia? Orana and Wellington are both in need of a male
Again as an aside: apart from the fact the main population is already a hybrid one, the South Africa giraffe are another species to the Rothschild's / hybrid Rothies in Australia/NZ region. My position will be and is well known methinks amongst ye all: 1) I do strongly feel / think that a major overhaul of exotic wildlife importation and exportation laws into the region (Australia and NZ) is badly needed when this may or might serve the interest of species conservation! 2) I also strongly feel that there is a big oversight in the importation / exportation laws governing domestic animals and cattle / ranching purpose animals. The major issues with Biosecurity remain in my humble view with these. A prime example being the malignant fever spread thru the "regulated" importation of infected horses (equids). 3) And of course: why are cats and dogs still largely allowed to wander when native wildlife is sooo sooo at risk from in particular these 2 domestics!??? To me not a lot about Biosecurity and how it is implemented and policed really makes much sense (and please do not start us on "important agricultural interests" - as we have similar dreaded veering out of control stuff with that within the EU!!! and all at the detriment of our environment, native wildlife, plantlife, habitats and protected areas -.
@Chlidonias, hypothetically ... can NZ import giraffe and / or rhinos from Australia originating from Europe or North America (after completing some form of Biosecurity or prolonged quarantine inside Australia)?
not for giraffes because they can only be imported into Australia from New Zealand. But yes, for rhinos that is possible.
Rhinos - Auckland are due to ship a male (Mtoto - youngest of the three) to Altina later in year. So it would fit that they are also sending 1.0 to Orana
Putting two and two together - it does make sense. Its been 12 years since Auckland last had females (when Kito went to Hamilton) so its about time they were given another chance.. Send proven male, Zambezi to Orana and keep Inkosi to pair with new females
I'm pleased that Inkosi (2002) and Mtoto (2004) will be given the chance to breed. There was so much hype surrounding their births, not to mention media releases saying how valuable they are to the breeding programme and how they will go to be breeding bulls at other zoos, only for them to end up in a bachelor herd! Breeding at Hamilton seems to have stagnated recently so maybe they're due for a switch around. If Auckland Zoo retains Inkosi, then they could import Moesha (1994) and Jumila (2012) to breed with him. If they retain Zambezi (1991), this might not be advisable as Moesha never bred with him in the eight years they were together at Hamilton Zoo. Hamilton Zoo could then foucs on a group of 1.2 and breed Kruger (1989) with Kito (2000) and Imani (2007). Fully agree Auckland Zoo should have an oppotunity to hold a breeding herd. Since Mbili (1998) died aged 5, and Kito was exported to Hamilton aged 4, the only oppotunity they had to breed was the brief window between Mzithi (1986) weaning Kito in 2002, and Mzithi's death in 2003. A real tragedy as Mzithi and Mbili could have been so valuable to the breeding programme.
If Orana really wants to breed their female rhinos it is high time female Sabie is shipped out. She might still breed with other bulls if not with her daughter Tamu (usually though it is the other way round though). The 2 elderly females born 1984 (Utani and Mapenzi) will almost for definite not breed at all due to advanced age and probable reproductive senescence or disorders. Utani only bred the once (M Ibutho in 1999), Mapenzi never did. There is a slight chance - if reproductive tract has remained in tact and healthy - that Utani might be re-bred. I really would suggest they import next to a new bull 1 or 2 other young females ...
While Sabie (1995) was Tamu's (2002) mother, she remained at Perth Zoo, and was then shipped to Monarto Zoo in 2007, where she died shortly after. Sabie was also mother to Bakari (2005), who still lives at Perth Zoo with his father, Memphis (1988). The other female sent to Orana Wildlife Park from Perth Zoo was Katala. She is unrelated to Sabie and Tamu. Katala never bred at Perth Zoo with Memphis, or with any of the males at Orana Wildlife Park. I don't know her age, but imagine she is a similar age to Sabie (1995), maybe a year or two older. Thanks for including the names and ages of the other two females, I was going to ask that in this post. I agree neither are likely to breed considering one is 32 and never bred, and the other is 32 and hasn't bred in 17 years. I would love to be proved wrong of course. Since Orana has the larger enclosure, maybe send Zambezi (Auckland Zoo) as the new breeding bull, along with Moesha and Jamila (Hamilton Zoo) with the intention of breeding. Orana's two elderly females could be sent to Auckland (to vacate space at Orana) to be paired with Inkosi for companionship. If breeding occured, it would be a bonus. Katala could remain at Orana for another two years, and if has not bred with Zambezi by then, could be sent to Hamilton Zoo to breed with Kruger in a last ditch attempt.
