Taronga Western Plains Zoo Taronga Western Plains Zoo News 2019

So how many hippos are still at TWPZ?

 

Five (1.4). Their details (names/date of birth/offspring etc.) are listed in Post #29 of this thread:

Common Hippopotami in Australasian Zoos – News, History and Discussion

TWPZ hold the only reproductive male in the region (the bull at Adelaide is post reproductive) so they should really look at loaning him to Werribee if a new male is not able to be imported in the next few years. Werribee's two eldest females are aged 29 years old; and their daughters (none of which have bred) are aged 16, 11 and 6 so it would surely be advisable for them to breed sooner rather than later to maintain their reproductive health. I assume females of this species are susceptible to the same issues reproductive delays cause female elephants and rhinoceros?

 

Thought this might be of interest

Elephants chow down on pineapple plants as drought bites at zoo

 

Some news from Dubbo.
From August to September, TWPZ welcomed three Ring-tailed Lemur babies from three different mothers. According to the article, the zoo has a breeding group of 11 lemurs and a bachelor group of four.
Dubbo Zoo welcomes Ring-tailed Lemur babies
Also, the zoo has had 10 Barbary Sheep births over the past few weeks.
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TWPZ has joined the Regent Honeyeater breeding programme. Four pairs of Regent Honeyeaters have arrived from Taronga Zoo. The birds will be housed in an off-display area.

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=997962703904691

 

A Bongo calf has been born!
He is the sixth calf to mother Djembe and is another male. He has been named Jabali.
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https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=444593046472465

 

You really need breedable females from elsewhere (multiples mind) to help the population expand sustainably in Australia! Is it likely now???

 

Unfortunately, the region only has two female Bongo. They are both currently at Taronga Western Plains Zoo. One of the females was imported in 2017 from Singapore Zoo (via NZ), but hasn't produced any calves to date.
It would be good to see more female Bongos in the region, both births and imports.

 

The IRA for the importation of antelope species to Australia has been on going for quite some time now and appears to be kept pushing back again and again so who can say when its going to be completed. It gos back to the same old chestnut of bringing in a very small founder base to start with that becomes very inbred very quickly.In resent times the push has been on with the ZAA to have Nyala in the region, its not endangered but the Bongo is so perhaps more effort should have been focused on these.There are a number of zoos within the region that would import them tomorrow if allowed to do so!

 

Taronga Western Plains Zoo has welcomed two Bilby joeys. They currently have fifteen bilbies in their conservation sanctuary and will be welcoming more in 2020.
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https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=501442950465977

 

I believe the female from Singapore zoo had an operation due to eating a foreign object before it came to oz I am hoping it still can be breedable!

 

As it stands the observation given the sex ratios ZAA requires import of multiple FF and not one-offs on the off-chance it may breed or not! Population managers need to wise up and do real species management and not off-hand lip service with too little too few! Thinking outside the box and letting go off the various old well trodden excuses ...

 

I could not agree with you more lack of interest by some could be part of the problem, As far as I am aware there has never been any shipment into the region other than a couple of pairs and the odd single import, It really needs a bulk import by our major zoos but I would be shocked somewhat if that happens my best guess guess is that it will fall back again on some of our regional zoo who have a broader outlook dont expect to much from the big zoos within the ZAA. At this time most of the focus appears to be on the pinup species the Nyala which is not endangered but the Bongos are.Some time ago Impala and Sable antelopes were the species of interest for the region by the ZAA but then nothing happened. another backflip and another whim,

 

Agree this is the ideal. But in order to do that, you need to find a source population. Where can a zoo find a herd of unrelated bongo thats up for trade or sale? Not another zoo.

With African hoofstock the best bet it to find a private reserve in Africa that can sell them to you. I think thats why Nyala appeared. I think there was an opportunity to easily source large unrelated groups so they did. If I recall correct they all came from South Africa.

 

They are available to import and to source without a problem (pending IRA) the Nyala were just another whim!

 

You missed my point. I was not saying Bongo cannot be imported. I was saying that the reason zoos might not import an entire founder population of bongo at once, is because perhaps sourcing an entire founder population is not possible. For Nyala it was. And perhaps that influenced the decision making.

 

No I never missed your point, there are enough Bongos in collections within the USA to start a founder population. Nyala as said were another ZAA whim!

 

Taronga Western Plains Zoo Celebrates a Decade of Conservation

This year is the start of a new decade but before 2020 rolls on too much Taronga Western Plains Zoo is taking a look back at the past decade and the highlights, changes and achievements that shaped the Zoo over this period.

The Zoo changed a lot over the 10 years with the Savannah Visitor Plaza and free access area creating a new opportunity for people to enjoy the Zoo with visitors having the option to see the primates and enjoy a meal or a coffee without entering the Zoo circuit.

New precincts in the Zoo grounds were constructed including the Lion Pride Lands and Wild Herds, with the Lion Pride Lands being the biggest investment for the Zoo in the decade and the first time the Zoo circuit changed since it opened in 1977. Both Lion Pride Lands and Wild Herds are now a real highlight for visitors.

Staying overnight at the Zoo changed with the redevelopment and refurbishment of Zoofari Lodge.

Three new conservation breeding programs for commenced at the Zoo, including the Plains-wanderer, Greater Bilby and Regent Honeyeaters. These programs will play a vital role in the future of these species in the wild. The Zoo scientists worked on an annual basis for most of the decade cryopreserving coral samples from the Great barrier Reef.

Breeding success flowed across the decade with Rhino calves, Giraffe calves, Otter pups, Ring-tailed Lemur babies, Spider Monkey babies, Takhi foals, Cheetah cubs, Koala joeys and most significantly the first two Asian Elephant calves were born at Taronga Western Plains Zoo.

The Zoo also achieved breeding success with the first Lion cubs born in Dubbo and welcomed the first Galapagos Tortoise hatchling in the Australasian region.

A decade of conservation