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Sun Bears In European Zoos?

Discussion in 'Europe - General' started by agnmeln, 29 Dec 2017.

  1. FunkyGibbon

    FunkyGibbon Well-Known Member

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    Zurich and Bern, which are both fantastic. The rest of the week was spent with friends. I wrote up the three zoos in my European Travels thread.
     
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  2. TigerValley98

    TigerValley98 Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    Cleveland’s female sun bear Scruffy moved to Akron last year to replace Keesha the sloth bear who moved to Miami. Akron’s Muffin died in 2015 after being behind the scenes for six years. She retired after her skin cancer diagnosis and her glaucoma was getting worse.
     
  3. agnmeln

    agnmeln Well-Known Member

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    All information such as this to help me plan my next batch of trips once Europe is complete this Summer is very much welcome :) !
     
  4. TigerValley98

    TigerValley98 Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    Scruffy is 32 years old meaning she is of a very mature age (to put it nicely). Should the old girl still be around in the second half of next year, I would expect her to get Muffin’s retirement apartment in the bear building in Grizzly Ridge. Akron is prepping for a major expansion and renovation. Pride of Africa will be added for Memorial Day weekend 2019 opening. Tiger Valley, Scruffy ‘s current home, will then be renovated for 2020 opening. It is not known yet whether the sun/sloth bear exhibit will remain a bear exhibit or be repurposed. The zoo is still working on Wild Asia plans.
     
  5. agnmeln

    agnmeln Well-Known Member

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    The ageing population of these bears overall is definitely going to be quite a challenge. With that and the fact that they are being phased out, it’s a bit of a race against time.
     
  6. migdog

    migdog Well-Known Member 5+ year member

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    As predicted by a few of you, no sign of the sun bear during my visit to Basel Zoo on Friday, even with the sun shining (it was still very cold). The exhibit is very small, but I preferred it to the Tierpark Berlin exhibit.
     
  7. agnmeln

    agnmeln Well-Known Member

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    Thank you for the update. I am now thinking to plan my visit to Basel and Zagreb at the end of June, so hopefully I will get to see both of these old ladies when it is warmer!
     
  8. HOMIN96

    HOMIN96 Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    Just a x-post to have it officaly here as well...

    0.0.1 born in Usti, first cub in 7 years.
     
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  9. agnmeln

    agnmeln Well-Known Member

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    It’s really great news; Myanmar and Barma are leading the way for the whole of Europe!
     
  10. ShonenJake13

    ShonenJake13 Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    Frodo is the (sterile) male sun bear. He will be leaving soon to go to Munster. I believe the plan is to bring in a male from Edinburgh to replace him, and then in turn a female from Usti will go to Edinburgh to join the remaining male there.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: 5 Apr 2018
  11. agnmeln

    agnmeln Well-Known Member

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    Well, my name is beccasunbear!

    I haven’t heard anything further about him moving to Münster since January. Guess it is just a matter of time now.
     
  12. PicanBird

    PicanBird Well-Known Member

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    So you are the sunbear expert on Zoochat?! Nice to meet you!
    But does that mean the sunbears will get a fertile couple anywhere soon or did I read that wrong
     
  13. ShonenJake13

    ShonenJake13 Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    Yes, the male from Edinburgh is assumedly fertile so he will be brought in to breed with the two females currently at the zoo. Frodo will be moved in with a female who I guess isn't a breeding priority...
     
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  14. SabineB

    SabineB Well-Known Member

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    It would be news to me that someone actually tested Somnang or Rotana for fertility.

    And Josefine in Münster can not be a breeding not-priority. With regards to her genetic profile she is way less present in the current European population of sun bears than Bunga and Bola in Burgers. Btw. if they want to try breeding with those two ladies, try with Johannes, Frodos father first. At least this way you would have a decent chance of knowing whose issue it is, if there will be no cubs.

    Josefine is a proven breeding female. So the person who is currently coordinating the sun bears in Europe is either - again - not up to the job or once again very ill informed. Plus the sun bear population in Europe does not allow any preferences with respect to priority breeding. Why not bring Frodo to Berlin either in exchange wit his father or have Myanmar travel to Münster. He is not a happy lonely bear in Usti as he has shown when Babu was born. And if Usti wants to keep Myanmar, send Somnang or Rotana to Münster and have them try it out with Josi.

    There are 4 proven male breeders and 5 proven female breeders in all over Europe. 1 male (Chica) at a minimum and 2 females (Bali and Tina) are too old to breed any longer and 1 of each are stuck with non breeding partners. Josefine (Münster) is one and Johannes (in Berlin) is the other. There is one other pair that could theoretically produce cubs again (they did in 2009) but lives in the worst enclosure in Europe (inside and out) and time is running out on the male. I am talking about Teddy and Anabell in Madrid.

    Sorry for being so brash on this issue, it bugs the living hell out of me, how bad this studbook has been and apparently is still run.
     
  15. ShonenJake13

    ShonenJake13 Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    I believe that part of the tests at Burgers' was also a test at Edinburgh to see if the boys are fertile, and if I'm correct then they both are.

    I've PM'd you on the topic.
     
  16. lintworm

    lintworm Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    IZW has recently done fertility tests in Burgers' and if the news here is true, then both females were still fertile. I assume that the males in Edinburgh have also been tested at some point though... The EEP coordinator seems to have finally started working again last year, hopefully it is not too late.
     
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  17. SabineB

    SabineB Well-Known Member

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    Don't get me wrong, those two need to go places, regardless of their breeding capacities. Two possible males with no females makes no sense whatsoever. And if whoever gets to Burgers is successful all the better.

    It makes no sense whatsoever to leave Josefine with a sterile bear. Which is my main issue. Or leaving Johannes in Berlin out of the shoveling around.

    I think you dm'd Becca who is not me ;-)
     
    Last edited: 4 Apr 2018
  18. lintworm

    lintworm Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    In a news item by Burgers' Zoo they mentioned that these transfers (Edinburgh and Munster) would be the start of a larger number of transfers between European zoos, with the goal to create as many fertile couples as possible, so we will find out soon enough what that means in practice.
     
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  19. SabineB

    SabineB Well-Known Member

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    well there is a new eep coordinator, and it really could not get worse ...
     
  20. agnmeln

    agnmeln Well-Known Member

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    I’d say more ‘obsessive’ than ‘expert’! Bears are literally my life. Nice to meet you, too!

    I haven’t received any message about this, but I would very much love to :) if there is any furthers news available!

    I haven’t personally heard of any tests confirming the fertility of Somnang, Rotana, Babu, but I’m sure not everything is reported.

    On the moves, well, they are certainly not the choices that I would have made personally, but it is a start at least.