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Toronto Zoo Toronto Zoo SSP Species

Discussion in 'Canada' started by TZFan, 9 Aug 2018.

  1. TZFan

    TZFan Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    We all know Toronto is a world leader in animal conservation. As a member of the AZA it is required to participate in some SSP programs at the Green level but Toronto goes far beyond meeting simple requirements of some. SSP's Toronto participates in.The zoo participates in 20 Greens, 91 Yellows and 15 Red programs for a total of 126. I'm probably off by some because I could only cross reference against what the AZA has available online.

    Now not all SSP's at the zoo contain breeding groups. Many do not especially among the birds where the zoo will often hold surplus animals who are either genetically over represented or just not needed at this time. Yet in other programs Toronto houses some of the most genetically valuable animals in all of North America, giraffe Mstari is the number 1 Masai Giraffe female. We have at least 25 other animals in the top ten of their gender for their species. Off the top of my head, marabou stork (Gracie), hyena (Echo), orangs (Budi and Sekali), saki (Maderia) pygmy hippos (Harvey and Kindia), snow leopard (Ena), lynx (Ryan), cheetah (Laini), zebra (Jake), babirusa (Olive), Indian rhino (Asha), wombat (Arthur), Bettong (Julie), Tree kangaroo (Collins and the incoming female), kookabura (Karee), 2 scarlet ibis females, both sea eagles and bleeding heart dove (female).

    For those who don't know there are three levels of SSP's that a zoo may be involved with, Green, Yellow and Red. Green are the most stable programs for the long term. Yellow programs are potentially stable but do require additional attention and effort to keep it stable. Things that could be consider in that is a need to increase space, genetic diversity and population size. Red programs are unstable populations in critical situations where intense management is needed to find founders, build the population and establish space. Generally these will be populations between 20 to 50 animals depending on the needs of the species.

    Green Programs
    Puerto Rican crested toad
    Western Lowland Gorilla
    Sumatran Orangutan
    Radiated Tortoise
    Black Breasted Leaf Turtle
    Caribbean Flamingo
    Grevy’s Zebra
    Jaguar
    Lion
    Amur Tiger
    Grey Crowned Crane
    Golden Lion Tamarin
    Tawny Frogmouth
    Plush Crested Jay
    White Crested Laughingthrush
    African Penguin
    Ring Tailed Lemur
    Meerkat
    North American River Otter
    Red Panda

    Yellow Programs
    Dusky Gopher Frog
    Panamanian Golden Frog (sora)
    Wyoming Toad
    Trumpeter Swan
    Common Eland
    Masai Giraffe
    Greater Kudu
    Wildebeest
    White Handed Gibbon
    Straw Coloured Fruit Bat
    Egyptian Fruit Bat
    Polar Bear (not a participant but that's due to the inability of to import and export)
    Spotted Hyena
    Painted Terrapin
    Brown Forest Turtle
    Burmese Star Tortoise
    Home’s Hinge Back Tortoise
    Madagascar Spider Tortoise
    Madagascar Flat Tailed Tortoise
    Spiny Turtle
    Spotted Turtle
    Hamerkop
    African Sacred Ibis
    Scarlet Ibis
    African Spoonbill
    Marabou Stork
    Grey Capped Emerald Dove
    Luzon Bleeding Heart Dove
    Green Naped Pheasant Pigeon
    Nicobar Pigeon
    Victoria Crowned Pigeon
    Northern Ground Hornbill
    Southern Ground Hornbill
    Wrinkled Hornbill
    Laughing Kookaburra
    Blue Crowned Motmot
    Blue Bellied Roller
    Przewalski’s Horse
    Cheetah
    Clouded Leopard
    Snow Leopard
    Canadian Lynx
    Cougar
    Sumatran Tiger
    Lake Victoria Cichlids - Argens
    Lake Victoria Cichlids - Degeni
    Lake Victoria Cichlids - Perrieri
    Lake Victoria Cichlids - Paceatus
    Lake Victoria Cichlids - Two Stripe White Lips
    White Blotched River Stingray
    Palawan Peacock Pheasant
    Crested Wood Partridge
    Black Crake
    Wattled Crane
    Red Legged Seriema
    Sunbittern
    San Esteban Chuckwalla
    Komodo Dragon
    Chinese Crocodile Lizard
    Black Tree Monitor
    Prehensile-Tailed Skink
    Brush Tailed Bettong
    Short Beaked Echidna
    Western Grey Kangaroo
    Bennett’s Wallaby
    Southern Hairy Nosed Wombat
    Pygmy Marmoset
    Spider Monkey
    White Faced Saki
    Fairy Bluebird
    Golden Breasted Starling
    Linne’s Two Toed Sloth
    Green Aracari
    Eurasian Eagle Owl
    Snowy Owl
    Spectacled Owl
    Greater One Horned Rhino
    White Rhino
    Capybara
    African Crested Porcupine
    Prehensile Tailed Porcupine
    Black Footed Ferret
    Jamacian Boa
    Eastern Massassagua Rattlesnake
    Mexican Red Kneed Tarantula
    Violaceous Turaco
    White Cheeked Turaco
    Babirusa
    River Hippo
    Red River Hog
    Warthog

    Red Programs
    Indochinese Box Turtle
    Great Hornbill
    Sunda Gharial
    Moose
    Lake Victoria Cichlids - Ishmaeli
    Lake Victoria Cichlids - Melanopterus
    Cabot’s Tragopan
    Tree Kangaroo
    Lion Tailed Macque
    Red Billed Blue Magpie
    Stellar Sea Eagle
    Secretary Bird
    African Spotted Necked Otter
    Elegant Crested Tinamou
    Pygmy Hippo

    I know they also participate in the Bactrian Camel SSP but I don't know what level it is.
     
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  2. TZFan

    TZFan Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    Oh and all that doesn't even take into account of the Canadian conservation programs that don't have SSPs.

    Wood Bison
    Blandings Turtles
    Vancouver Island Marmots
    Eastern Loggerhead Shrikes
    Grey Ratsnake
    Brown bats (not sure but probably both little and big)
    Oregon Spotted Frog
    Wood Turtle
     
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  3. Mr Wrinkly

    Mr Wrinkly Well-Known Member 10+ year member Premium Member

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    Thank you for this interesting thread, particularly the reds.

    I was looking forward to seeing the Cabot's Tragopan when six were acquired but learned then that the AZA requires members to have a certain number of off-exhibit breeding programs so TZ got them to meet that requirement. They are held in the Snow Leopard "house".

    Great Hornbill is known at TZ by one of it's other names - Concave-casqued Hornbill" and will not likely be bred. Asha is very old and blind. In fact she was looking frail when I last saw her in June. Jonah does not get along well with others.
     
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  4. cypher

    cypher Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    Awesome list TZFan. Well done.
     
  5. TZFan

    TZFan Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    Thanks everyone. I just literally got bored and thought hey I wonder how many SSPs the zoo participates in? Then I spend the next several hours looking. Some were easier than others. I know all of the mammals but had to look through each species for the rest because while I know some of the species I cannot begin to even claim in know a fraction of the other groups. It's possible I missed some or added a few phased out species.

    Indeed great hornbill, Asha, was long ago deemed medically unfit to breed due to her blindness. Now her advanced age would prevent it as well. Jonah is overly aggressive and deemed a behavioral non breeder. Pity for both because their wild born genetics would have been a real boost to the population.

    While browsing through everything one thing did strike me. We hold a lot of bird species which we cannot breed. Many are single animals or single sexed flocks. Despite requests for mates the zoo cannot get some for I think the fairy bluebird. All the possible matches are better kept in other breeding situations with more valuable males. Our hamerkops are basically the least valuable males so the SSP wont waste a female on Toronto. We cannot breed our Nicobar pigeons because the zoo used to do a crummy job tracking parentage with them and now until they are all genetically tested to prove lineage they are a non breeding flock. All kinds of reasons.

    Even some of the ones they want the zoo to breed I don't think much is being done with. Marabou storks Gracie and George should be breeding due to Gracie's value and being a rare proven pair. Yet nothing happens. It's a pity because despite having Artie and Zuri neither will ever breed. Artie died shortly after being transferred and Zuri's deformed bill prevents her from being medically fit to breed. New chicks are needed from this pair. Although we do all know George kicks his eggs out of the nest so maybe that's the biggest problem. Recovering an egg before he destroys it.

    I think based on what I saw the most active breeding goes on with the reptiles and amphibians. Off the top of my head the only species I didn't see some breeding recommendation for was false gharial, Fernando, but that's because its not sexed. Once sexed a mate might be found based on its genetic value which would vary based on gender.

    I'd love to see them join some more SSP's and get rid of useless species that are not of conservation value. I'm looking right at you tur, common marmosets, nile soft shelled turtle and watusi. I'm glad others are dying out like the barabary sheep, chamois, tahr, mouflon, baboons and reindeer.
     
  6. geomorph

    geomorph Well-Known Member 10+ year member Premium Member

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    Thank you for this interesting discussion of the zoo’s programs.