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Monarto Safari Park rhino birth

Discussion in 'Australia' started by jay, 6 May 2005.

  1. kelvin

    kelvin Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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  2. kiang

    kiang Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    is a male calf good news for the australian herd?
     
  3. Kifaru Bwana

    Kifaru Bwana Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    No, even in Australia too many male calves. But as it is Monarto just starting at least encouraging that more than 1 birth have been achieved.

    Who is the mother to the calf?
     
  4. jay

    jay Well-Known Member 20+ year member

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    gee you were quick with this news, don't you sleep?
     
  5. Zoo_Boy

    Zoo_Boy Well-Known Member

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    well if this male birth re-affirms it, we really do urgently need a bachelor holding facility, unless zoos can mamange there own.

    monarto has plenty of space, so i was thinking can a male go out on savannah

    or at dubbo, they keep a male i beleive in there rhino facilities at back of savannah

    and werribee could also do its masterplan of having rhino on the top of the hill.

    but still, if males as they are becoming a problem, wouldnt it be in the best interest to say support with funds say mogo, so they can upgrade and build afcilities to hosue rhino?
     
  6. Coquinguy

    Coquinguy Well-Known Member

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    but to put it in perspective, i think something like four out of the last 5 calves bred at WPZ have been female, all born to wild bred cows
     
  7. Kifaru Bwana

    Kifaru Bwana Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    glyn,

    They are (2.3):
    F Azizi (born 16/3/2003 - mother Umqali)
    F Amira (born 16/1/2005 - mother Intombi) handreared
    F Inyeti (born 26/1/2005 - mother Aluka)
    M Jabari (born 2006 - mother Intombi)
    M Kei (born 2/2006 - mother Umqali)
     
  8. Zoo_Boy

    Zoo_Boy Well-Known Member

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    i think dubbo has the best structured group, they actually have 2 herds! this is based on when calves leave there mothers after weaning, they often join with other mothers and calves. dubbo replicates this

    also dont know whether this is relevant, the only boys born were sired from same male, and the first 2 dubbo impregnated cows were female, do u think there could be link with some bulls having a higher y count?
     
  9. Kifaru Bwana

    Kifaru Bwana Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    No,

    I read some tentative research that puts the high number of male births on elevated glucose levels in females (somehow impeding female foetus). It has been known to occur in recently translocated rhinos in the wild. They seem to have a increased likelihood of male biased birth. The researchers claim that a female in good condition is predestined for male calves and a female in average or poor condition is predestined for female births. This all on the basis that males are more likely to sire more offspring, whereas in not so healthy females the guarantee that female calves will go on to breed is greater than in males.

    But I think there are just to many unknowns on this to draw these conclusions from elevated glucose levels alone (could be diet induced). :rolleyes:

    I do believe the Dubbo set up more replicates natural rhino behavior than some other rhino holders. Having the captive-bred young females associating with unrelated breeding cow and calf (might this be the way forward to stimulate breeding in F1 females?). Also separating the bulls from the females and letting them join the breeding females alternately .. to eventually mate (the territoriality in the wild has females with calves move through multiple territorial males' habitat). Another factor, I feel, is the age component.

    Adult females may breed from age 5-6, however adult bulls will need to acquire some authority and need to be far more experienced in age (more the 15-20 bracket). The latter is, I think, also a factor in whether rhinos do or do not breed. Finally, to confuse things further it has been demonstrated - at least in captivity - that females may exhibit non-cyclicity while otherwise fully developped adult (may be stress-induced, is also seen in newly imported stock where bulls and females have been kept together from first introduction - the infamous sibling platonic affair behavior (a natural inbreeding inhibitor).

    Anyhow, feel free to ask .. it is my area of expertise!
     
    Last edited: 5 Oct 2007
  10. Zoo_Boy

    Zoo_Boy Well-Known Member

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    a keeper at dubbo also explained a similar thing to me

    they are now changing the diet of the blacks, to a more natural rougage to reduce sugar content, as they have found a high sugar diet has been the cause of most males produced. so now the sweet potato, furit and carrots etc have been limited mainly as training treats
     
  11. jay

    jay Well-Known Member 20+ year member

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  12. MARK

    MARK Well-Known Member

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    Thanks Jay
     
  13. Kifaru Bwana

    Kifaru Bwana Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    The window of opportunity is between August and October for Aluka?

    On separate note: any other white or black rhinos pregnant out there in Dubbo?
     
  14. phoenix

    phoenix Well-Known Member

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    hopefully an indian before long....
     
  15. MARK

    MARK Well-Known Member

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    Still to find out the age of the new female
     
  16. jay

    jay Well-Known Member 20+ year member

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    In rhino terms that would be any time now. Another article says September.