New Rhino Facility Orana Wildlife Park to build new $500,000 rhino facility to help save animals from extinction in 2024 Christchurch's Orana Wildlife Park has joined an international bid to build an "insurance population" of endangered African rhinoceroses. The park will build a new rhino facility, estimated to cost $500,000, to house more of the animals and quarantine rhinos destined for Australia. "Poaching is out of control … demand is high as people become more affluent," said Orana's chief executive Lynn Anderson. "The poaching rate is now exceeding the [rhino] birth rate and, if things carry on, they might be extinct by 2024." The move was part of a joint project with The Australian Rhino Project, Zoos South Australia and Taronga Conservation Society in Sydney. Rhinos needed to be held for a period of time in New Zealand because of Australian biosecurity and quarantine requirements. Anderson said the new facility would increase the park's rhino capacity from eight to about 20. The park's youngest rhino, Tino, turned 3 years old on Wednesday. "It's just an awesome opportunity to save one of the world's most charismatic species." Anderson said poaching was so prolific people were attempting to cut the horns off rhinos in European zoos due to their supposed medicinal value – but the medicinal properties of the horns were equivalent to what was gained by "eating your fingernails". "Tragically it's a myth people in some countries believe." Orana has held and bred rhinos for more than 30 years as part of the Australasian-managed breeding programme. Four calves have been bred there, including the first rhino to be born in New Zealand. Australian Rhino Project chairman Allan Davies was delighted Orana agreed to help make the project a reality. "Orana Wildlife Park is the only open-range zoo in New Zealand and is well recognised for its breeding programmes for both endangered exotic and native species." The project was a registered Australian charity and relied on fundraising and other support. It had fundraised $23,000 towards establishing a rhino population in Australia.
It sounds like an exciting development, with Orana Park hopefully kick starting their breeding programme again. All three calves born at Orana (I'm not sure where the article got four from) were sired by the bull who passed away three years ago (the other bull has never bred) so importing a new breeding bull should be a priority. A couple of years ago, the plan was to import one of the two bulls at Auckland Zoo so hopefully this will now happen with the increased space. The leading theory on breeding white rhino emphasises the role a second mature bull plays in stimulating the breeding bull to mate with the females. Another issue is the suppression of the reproductive cycle of lower ranking females by high ranking females. This is possibly what's occuring at Hamilton Zoo as one female has not bred for several years now, and another younger female has never bred. The new complex at Orana Park will hopefully address these two issues by providing separate overnight buildings for the females (thought to alleviate the effect of oestrous suppression) and by providing space for a second non breeding bull.
I assume from context you mean a white rhino calf? Do you have anymore details - parents, gender, DOB etc.? This is the first I've heard of this and it would surely be an interesting development considering the only mature bull, Stumpy, has not been able to breed in the decades he's been at Orana.
Can't remember exactly - it was last autumn and Stumpy was the sire. Unfortunately it did not survive.
I think a shake up of both Hamilton and Orana's herds are desperately needed. Orana has one female, Tamu (2002), that breeds fine; one female, Mapenzi (1984), that will likely never breed as the oldest first time dam on record was 28 years old and at 34, Mapenzi has never bred; one female, Utani (1984), that has bred once and could potentially breed again; and one female, Katala (1997), that has never bred. If Utani (1984) is to ever breed again, and Katala (1997) is to breed, it's highly unlikely to be with the male (Stumpy) they've failed to breed with over the many years they've been at Orana. I say, import the wild founder, Zambezi (1991), from Auckland Zoo as Orana's new breeding bull and attempt breeding between Zambezi and Utani and Katala. Then swap Tamu (2002) for Imani (2007), who is not breeding in her current herd and send Jamila (2012) to either Orana or Auckland, and possibly her mother, Moesha (1994) to the opposing facility to prevent mother-daughter oestrous suppresion.
Rotterdam Zoo has announced on Facebook that their blackback gorilla Nasibu (2007, Matze/Rebecca) will be coming to Orana in 2019 to head up a family group. I am absolutely intrigued as to what this means for Orana's present bachelor group (Kibabu sons Fataki, Fuzu and Mahale) and whether females will be imported into the region to form this new family.
Addax Import One of the world's rarest Antelopes at Orana Wildlife Park | Voxy.co.nz Orana now holds the only addax in the country; three females were transferred from Taronga Western Plains Zoo in March and a male has just been transferred from Werribee Open Range Zoo. The animals have been successfully integrated and will move on public display for the first time tomorrow. It is thought this is the first time addax have ever been held in New Zealand! The Park has joined the zoo-based breeding programme and any future offspring will be managed at Orana. Exotic Species Manager, Jenny Bowles, says her team is privileged to hold such rare animals: "they are simply stunning with impressive horns and such beautiful face markings. In time we hope to breed these wonderful animals. The addax will be housed opposite our gorillas and orang-utans meaning visitors will be able to observe and learn about three species of critically endangered animals in close proximity. "The animals have completed quarantine and settled in well at Orana so are now ready to move on public display. This is a great opportunity for visitors to see and learn about one of the world’s rarest antelope species" concludes Jenny.
I've been checking the news almost every day recently, waiting for that to be announced so that I could add them to the zoo mammals thread. It's not very often that new mammals get added to the New Zealand list!
A story came out last month about allegations of animal neglect at Orana Park over a 14-month period. It's all a bit strange, apparently with all incidents investigated and cleared, and yet eight staff have resigned since the investigation began. Eight zoo staff quit after probe into 'malicious campaign' Orana Park vet 'disappointed' by 'malicious' complaints
It is equally strange that the complaints were "anonymous" made to outside parties and not referred to the veterinary or curatorial departments.
New Male Giraffe From Orana Wildlife Park's Facebook Page: We are very excited to share the arrival of our new male giraffe, Mabuti! After an adventurous sea voyage, this young lad arrived at the Park last week and has now completed his quarantine period. We are thrilled to have a male join our herd as part of the zoo-based breeding programme and can’t wait for him to mature into a handsome bull. At 18 months old he still has a bit of growing to do but we are hopeful for more giraffe calves in the years to come. Join us at our daily giraffe feeds (12pm and 3pm) for a chance to meet Mabuti and our lovely ladies, Shira, Mdomo and Harriet, up close. A special thanks to our friends at Monarto Zoo, Auckland Zoo, Lyttelton Port Company and everyone else who helped make this transfer such a success. Mabuti is related to all three females: Celeste - Misha - Mukulu - Tambo - Mabuti Celeste - Misha - Mukulu - Tunu - Harriet Celeste - Sarita - Zabulu - Shira / Mdomo
It appears Tunu (2004) has died as the media post above only mentions her daughter, Harriet (2012); and the two Auckland Zoo born females, Shira (2013) and Mdomo (2013). Does anyone know why Tunu died and when? If alive now, she would only be 14 years old so she would have died relatively young when the captive life expectancy is around 20-25 years for this species.
Article on new male giraffe, Mabuti: Journey of his lifetime: transporting Mabuti the giraffe - Monarto Zoo
