No, you are quite correct. I was not clear in my original statement - it is the water crossing while migrating to Australia that is believed to weed out the sick individuals, as there is nowhere for them to stop and rest. Hix
Another three meerkats have been born at Taronga Western Plains Zoo bringing the Zoo's population up to 12 from just 3 in under six months. The zoo has also announced that later this year it will be building a new meerkat exhibit.
@MRJ: Germany and China are on the same continent? Even there is no sea to cross, there are in fact 2 (Europe and Asia). I don't know if there is one or more bird species migrating the whole distance from China to Germany. But I know that there are birds coming from the East to Western Europe. And is it really necessary that a sick bird has to travel the whole distance to introduce the bird flu? I could also go step by step, means from a sick bird (that dies afterwards somewhere on the migratory route) to the next bird. Also - in the case of Australia - they could "hop" from Island to Island (from China over the Sundas to New Guinea and then to Oz). So the water border is not really a safe barrier. Thanks for your infos about the quarantine and the bird flu in Melbourne. I wonder what was the actuator/release of that outbreak. @Hix:
Agreed. But the fact they could hop doesn't mean they do. The fact remains - outbreaks of these diseases do not regularly occur in Northern Australia or along the migratory route. Hix
Europe and Asia are one continuous land mass. Calling them two continents or one is really a matter of preference. The point I was trying to make, and I think Hix is making is that a sick bird can transfer the flu to another sick bird only a kilometre or so away, so that way the flu can be transferred across large land masses by thousands of birds without exceptional exertion by any one bird. However even quite short water crossings can be prohibitive to sick birds. Possible, however the barrier has proved effective over the last 200 years. I think the point is that on a continuous land mass there is a density of birds across the entire area, so the infection can jump from bird to bird without the birds themselves actually having to move. in other words it can be extremely easy for the infection to spread. However only a handful of birds by comparison cross water bodies regularly, so the infection has to actually find those birds then the infected birds would have to actually cross the water body while they are both infectious and fit enough to make the flight. The probability of all those factors coming together while not impossible would be minute. Sorry no further information on the flu in Melbourne.
walk-thru lemur forest just to bring it back to topic, does anyone know where the lemur exhibit is going to be situated? and as im out of the loop a fair bit these days, any word on a future new exhibit for Komodo Dragons given that the one at the front of Serpentaria is completely unsuitable for any more than one of these reptiles?
The walkthrough lemur exhibit will be located on the site of the old seal pools. Also, TWPZ are investigating the deaths of some white rhinos (source-zoo website)
(I don't think this has been mentioned yet, even though it happened last year) but 0.1 Andean condor has hatched and has been named Konira.
News to report from today: -Mr Hobbs (sun bear) and Bethyl (Kodiak bear) are now rotating on the same exhibit, while Satu the male Sumatran tiger is in the former sun bear exhibit -Surprisingly a bongo calf is on exhibit with it's parents and also a himalyan thar kid (is it correct to call it a kid?) -Katie the Pygmy hippo has been taken off display
The father of the bongo calf would probably be Nyeri as he is the only male at taronga at the moment. (I could be wrong so would like confirmation if possible)
Saw her two days ago which was quite a surprise to see a little one in the exhibit. I was incorrect in saying that she was in with her parents, she is in fact in with mother Djembe and grandmother Nambala, while her father Ukundu rotates with them.
Such a stunning species - and one of my all time favs; congrats on the birth! Nambala (f) is also this newborns great-grandmother as well, as Kiazi's father Ekundu (m) (i think is the correct spelling) is the son of Shani (f) who is also Nambala's daughter. did i loose anyone lol
As our population of bongo should be doubling every three years where will the surplus go when all the spaces are filled? Will the Tb in taronga become an issue for the breeding program, or the dispersal of this species? Cheers Khakiboob
2.1 at Melbourne (after recent birth) 1.3 at Taronga (after recent birth) 1.1 at Dubbo 1.0 at Monarto
They will get worried about breeding to many and stop breeding them, and then when a few die and the genetic base becomes even smaller they will decide in their wisdom to phase the species out. Pretty much as they did with the Kudu. Either that or allow private zoos to keep breeding populations and provide a viable population number.
