Pygmy Hippo history Austral(asian) region

Yes that's correct. There was one Common hippopotamus, Cuddles (2002); and one Pygmy hippotamus, Fergus (2009). Fergus' brother, Felix (2006) had been imported from Cairns Wildlife Safari at least 2 years before the exports to Bali.

Cuddles (2002) and her brother, Tippi (2004); along with their parents, Fonzee (1987) and Solucky (1987) all lived at Tipperary Station and descended from Auckland Zoo's stock. Solucky was especially valuable as her parents have no relatives in the region (except for Solucky's offspring); Fonzee may have distant relatives as his mother Faith was born to a female from Taronga Zoo. Fonzee had died prior to Solucky, Cuddles and Tippi moving to CWS, but the loss of Solucky and Tippi to the region was huge - Solucky as the most valuable female in the region - genetically, and Tippi as one of the few potential breeding bulls.

 

Also the Feral female Pygmy Hippo that roamed outside the Tipperary Station for 6/'7 years before being shot by one of the local pig shooters. What a waste!!

 

Agreed, especially given the shortage of female Pygmy hippo in the region.

All the Pygmy hippopotamus are closely related. Fergus and Felix are full brothers and related to Petre (the mother of Kambiri and Obi). Felix is the father of Obi; Fergus is the father of Kamina. If no new imports are to occur, it would appear the least unsuitable match would have been to send the young female from Taronga to breed with her uncle (Obi) and then send surplus male offspring to DDZ but as pointed out by others, we don't know if imports are just around the corner, in which cases DDZ, MZ and AZ all may soon receive unrelated animals for breeding - which would obviously be the best outcome. Inthe meantime, it's great to see DDZ taking the lead with another breeding programme. Small zoos like DDZ and Altina seem to have accomplished more in a few years than the major zoos have in a decade with imports and supporting the diversity of species in the region.

 

I do agree the smaller Regional zoos are doing an outstanding job, DDZ,Altina and Mogo among others are very progressive and the big fellows could learn something from them. Species within our region could of been managed much better with a view to the long term view. It appears some of our major zoos want to down size on the number of species kept regardless of them needing captive support, I fear its going to take quite some time to see the light of day in regards to the Hippo IRA I hope some of the Hippos in the region are still young enough to start a breeding program when/if they are imported again in the future, The PH in our zoos appeared to have slid down between the cracks as a species and should of been brought together much sooner than the did, another fowl up by our major zoos!

 

Since the Pygmy hippopotamus in our region are quite inbred I wouldn't say it would be the worst thing in the the world if they were post reproductive by the the time new imports arrived, or we bred only from the new imports if they were to arrive in the next decade. However, if new imports never materialise (like they have failed to do so for several decades now) then they are the only Pygmy hippos we have and since beggars can't be choosers, inbred Pygmy hippos are better than no Pygmy hippos.

Since Kamina (one of only two females in the region) has not been paired with one of the surplus males, I'd guess new imports are imminent (within 3 years).

 

I would say and I hope I am wrong here they might be looking at 6 or more years at the rate things are done, would love to see it sooner.

 

The offspring of an inbred animal and an unrelated mate are going to be genetically healthy.

 

Hopefully there will be more Pygmy hippo’s imported into the Australasian region soon! New gentics are needed if they want to continue the breeding program.

 

The scenario of imports could potentially be sourced from nearby S.E. Asian region. Aside from Singapore, good stocks are held in Indonesia, S. Korea and Thailand.

Question is How realistic is an IRA hippos now or in near future?

 

I believe future imports will come from the USA collections I had heard there are around 100 in private hands alone. I would say that the IRA would be at least 6 years away but I really hope I am wrong on this one. Since the DDZ has imported quite a few new bloodlines of different species in resent years I would expect they would be keen to import an unrelated bloodline for its new young female as soon as its possible!

 

Yes true but also for the Larger River hippo but not anytime soon I believe!

 

Allright. I am not sure how many founders the current ZAA population really has. However, just so you know quite a few of the Australian founding stock were originally already are in fact US imports.

The 100+ in private hands is the Peace River facility.

 

Adelaide Zoo - History

Melbourne Zoo's first Pygmy hippopotamus were 1.2 from Melbourne Zoo:

Janice (F)
Born at Melbourne Zoo 10/06/1977
Arrived at Adelaide Zoo 31/07/1979
Died at Adelaide Zoo 12/09/2012

Karla (F)
Born at Melbourne Zoo 12/01/1976
Arrived at Adelaide Zoo 15/09/1982
Sent to Melbourne Zoo 16/03/1988

Henry (M)
Born at Melbourne Zoo 06/09/1979
Arrived at Adelaide Zoo 27/08/1980
Died at Adelaide Zoo 25/01/1991

Janice gave birth to one calf at Adelaide Zoo:

Petre (F)
Born at Adelaide Zoo 04/08/1984
Sent to Taronga Zoo 11/09/2007
Sire: Henry; Dam: Janice

Petre was sent to Taronga Zoo on breeding loan in 2007; and Melbourne Zoo in 2012. One of her calves, Obi, returned to Adelaide Zoo in 2016:

Obi (M)
Born at Melbourne Zoo 25/05/2015
Arrived at Adelaide Zoo 09/05/2016

 

Melbourne Zoo - History

Melbourne Zoo's first Pygmy hippopotamus were 1.2 from the United States:

Pi (M)
Born at Smithsonian National Zoo 26/08/1969
Arrived at Melbourne Zoo 06/06/1970
Died at Melbourne Zoo 25/12/1994

Carolyn (F)
Born at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo 01/07/1971
Arrived at Melbourne Zoo 20/11/1972
Died at Melbourne Zoo 18/06/2002

Diana (F)
Born at Maryland Zoo 03/05/1973
Arrived at Melbourne Zoo 07/03/1975
Sent to Pearl Coast Zoo 05/12/1987

Carolyn gave birth to four calves at Melbourne Zoo:

Karla (F)
Born at Melbourne Zoo 12/01/1976
Sent to Adelaide Zoo 15/09/1982
Returned to Melbourne Zoo 16/03/1988
Died at Melbourne Zoo 22/02/1996
Sire: Pi; Dam: Carolyn

Janice (F)
Born at Melbourne Zoo 10/06/1977
Sent to Adelaide Zoo 31/07/1979
Sire: Pi; Dam: Carolyn

Unnamed (M)
Born at Melbourne Zoo 23/07/1981
Died at Melbourne Zoo 23/07/1981
Sire: Pi; Dam: Carolyn

Frank (M)
Born at Melbourne Zoo 23/07/1981
Sent to Pearl Coast Zoo 05/12/1987
Sire: Pi; Dam: Carolyn

Diana gave birth to three calves at Melbourne Zoo:

Unnamed (M)
Born at Melbourne Zoo 26/04/1978
Died at Melbourne Zoo 29/04/1978
Sire: Pi; Dam: Diana

Henry (M)
Born at Melbourne Zoo 06/09/1979
Sent to Adelaide Zoo 27/08/1980
Sire: Pi; Dam: Diana

Unnamed (F)
Born at Melbourne Zoo 29/04/1982
Died at Melbourne Zoo 07/05/1982
Sire: Pi; Dam: Diana

A new male named Timmy was imported in 1995:

Timmy (M)
Born at Honolulu Zoo 29/04/1980
Arrived at Melbourne Zoo 05/07/1995
Sent to Taronga Zoo 18/09/2007

Timmy was sent to Taronga Zoo on breeding loan in 2007; and one of his calves, Monifa, returned to Melbourne Zoo in 2009:

Monifa (F)
Born at Taronga Zoo 15/10/2008
Arrived at Melbourne Zoo 30/07/2009
Died at Melbourne Zoo 09/11/2010

A new pair was imported from Cairns Wildlife Safari and Taronga Zoo:

Felix (M)
Born at Cairns Wildlife Safari 17/11/2006
Arrived at Melbourne Zoo 29/04/2011

Petre (F)
Born at Adelaide Zoo 04/08/1984
Arrived at Melbourne Zoo 12/12/2012
Died at Melbourne Zoo 22/08/2016

Petre gave birth to one calf at Melbounre Zoo before her death in 2016:

Obi (M)
Born at Melbourne Zoo 25/05/2015
Sent to Adelaide Zoo 09/05/2016
Sire: Felix; Dam: Petre

Additional notes:

The twins born 23/07/1981 were the first Pygmy hippopotamus twins born in the Australasian region; and the only twins born to date. The unnamed calf died the day it was born, after receiving injuries from one of the adults; the surviving calf, Frank, was exported six years later.

 

I could be wrong, but I seem to recall someone saying that the Cairns animals are actually descended from the Peel Coast stock and related to the other animals.

 

That's correct. Diana and Frank were sent to Pearl Coast Zoo in 1987, where they produced a son named Kumbe in 1990; and a daughter named Fluffy in 1991. They all moved to Tipperary Station in 1992. Fluffy later bred with her father at Cairns Wildlife Safari to produce Fergus (now at Taronga Zoo) and Felix (now at Melbourne Zoo).

As listed above, Diana's son was Henry (father of Petre); while Janice (mother of Petre) was a full sibling of Frank.

 

I believe Pearl coast bred at least one baby PH

 

Pygmy Hippos are one species even our smaller zoos could get their teeth into taking up less space than the River Hippos. More able to be managed with their much smaller size less room required to exhibit them a wonderful long lived species that would add to any African forest exhibit, lets hope in the future more Aussie zoo will want to add them

 

I was really hoping Auckland Zoo would acquire this species. They had the perfect opportunity when their last Common hippopotamus died in 2016. What was a small exhibit for these two animals, could have easily been renovated into a decent Pygmy hippopotamus exhibit. It’s obvious this won’t happen now as the exhibit has since been used to extend the Southern white rhinoceros exhibit (one of which is expecting a calf this year); and a herd of Nyala have been added to the exhibit. It’s not to say the zoo won’t build a new exhibit in the future; but to my knowledge, they have no plans to.

I’m hoping the apparent cessation of breeding at Taronga indicates they’re hopeful of fresh imports in the near future. Hurry up, Pygmy hippopotamus IRA!

 

Taronga Zoo - History

Taronga Zoo's first Pygmy hippopotamus were 1.1 from the United States:

Happy (M)
Born at the Smithsonian National Zoo 01/01/1949
Arrived at Taronga Zoo 19/11/1954
Died at Taronga Zoo 17/06/1975

Sneezy (F)
Born at Smithsonian National Zoo 20/12/1949
Arrived at Taronga Zoo 11/02/1952
Died at Taronga Zoo 01/01/1978

Sneezy gave birth to ten calves at Taronga Zoo:

Unnamed (F)
Born at Taronga Zoo 19/05/1957
Died at Taronga Zoo 26/07/1957
Sire: Happy; Dam: Sneezy

Unnamed (U)
Born at Taronga Zoo 18/11/1958
Died at Taronga Zoo 18/11/1958
Sire: Happy; Dam: Sneezy

Unnamed (U)
Born at Taronga Zoo 03/02/1960
Died at Taronga Zoo 03/02/1960
Sire: Happy; Dam: Sneezy

Unnamed (U)
Born at Taronga Zoo 31/10/1961
Died at Taronga Zoo 05/11/1961
Sire: Happy; Dam: Sneezy

Unnamed (F)
Born at Taronga Zoo 31/05/1967
Died at Taronga Zoo 28/06/1967
Sire: Happy; Dam: Sneezy

Cleo (F)
Born at Taronga Zoo 13/06/1968
Died at Taronga Zoo 07/10/2005
Sire: Happy; Dam: Sneezy

Unnamed (F)
Born at Taronga Zoo 18/02/1970
Died at Taronga Zoo 23/04/1970
Sire: Happy; Dam: Sneezy

Unnamed (F)
Born at Taronga Zoo 26/11/1970
Died at Taronga Zoo 28/11/1970
Sire: Happy; Dam: Sneezy

Anthony (M)
Born at Taronga Zoo 23/07/1972
Died at Taronga Zoo 13/11/1979
Sire: Happy; Dam: Sneezy

Unnamed (F)
Born at Taronga Zoo 28/09/1973
Died at Taronga Zoo 01/10/1973
Sire: Happy; Dam: Sneezy

Cleo gave birth to two calves at Taronga Zoo:

Katrina (F)
Born at Taronga Zoo 21/08/1973
Died at Taronga Zoo 02/02/2012
Sire: Happy; Dam: Cleo

Cookie (F)
Born at Taronga Zoo 09/11/1978
Died at Taronga Zoo 28/09/1990
Sire: Anthony; Dam: Cleo

A new male named Timmy was imported from Honolulu Zoo:

Timmy (M)
Born at Honolulu Zoo 29/04/1980
Arrived at Taronga Zoo 15/04/1981
Sent to Melbourne Zoo 05/07/1995
Returned to Taronga Zoo 18/09/2007
Died at Taronga Zoo 10/05/2011

Timmy sired one calf prior to his export to Melbourne Zoo:

Ady (F)
Born at Taronga Zoo 31/10/1985
Sent to Arnhem Zoo 16/06/1988
Sire: Timmy; Dam: Cookie

Timmy returmed from Melbourne Zoo in 2007; and a female was imported from Adelaide Zoo:

Petre (F)
Born at Adelaide Zoo 04/08/1984
Arrived at Taronga Zoo 11/09/2007
Sent to Melbourne Zoo 12/12/2012

Petre gave birth to three calves at Taronga Zoo:

Monifa (F)
Born at Taronga Zoo 15/10/2008
Sent to Melbourne Zoo 30/07/2009
Sire: Timmy; Dam: Petre

Unnamed (M)
Born at Taronga Zoo 23/08/2009
Died at Taronga Zoo 28/08/2009

Kambiri (F)
Born at Taronga Zoo 26/06/2010

After Petre's export, a new male was imported from Cairns Wildlife Safari:

Fergus (M)
Born at Cairns Wildlife Safari 06/08/2009
Arrived at Taronga Zoo 2012-2015

Fergus and Kambiri have produced one calf to date at Taronga Zoo:

Kamina (F)
Born at Taronga Zoo 21/02/2017
Sent to Darling Downs Zoo 01/11/2018
Sire: Fegus; Dam: Kambiri