I agree I also am gutted by this news, At best I believe a cow can have one calf every four years. I believe the plan started out that TWPZ were to get two pairs but only the one pair was obtained, I feel TWPZ should try and obtain a second female to increase breeding here. The only other zoo that I have heard of over the years that showed interest in having them was Australia zoo, I had hoped a couple of the larger zoos here like Monatro and Werribee would take an interest in the species.
Does anyone know who the farthers are of the following black rhinos Kufara Mesi and the soon to be born calf thanks
The father of Mesi (born April 2017) is believed to be Kwanzaa (15 years old): Baby Rhino born in Taronga Western Plains Zoo (AU) - Rhinos of the World
Female Giraffe Calf Born Good things come in threes! Proving all good things come in threes, Taronga Western Plains Zoo has welcomed a third healthy Giraffe calf for the breeding season! The birth follows the arrival of two male Giraffe calves in August - Zuberi and Kibo. This time a female, the calf was born in the early hours of 11 September to experienced mother Ntombi and father Unnami. The birth is another great achievement for the Zoo’s successful Giraffe breeding program and flourishing breeding herd of 11 individuals. “We’re pleased to have three healthy Giraffe calves born this breeding season, with each doing well under the watchful eye of their mothers,” Taronga Western Plains Zoo Keeper Simone Low said. “The new female calf has been named ‘Malaika’, which translates to ‘Angel’ in Swahili. “We were excitedly awaiting her arrival, with mother Ntombi showing all the right physical and behavioural signs for some weeks in the lead up to the birth. “The delivery was smooth and a number of the other Giraffes assisted in welcoming the baby by licking her, as mother Ntombi encouraged her to stand with a few gentle nudges,” Simone said. The two male calves, Zuberi, meaning ‘strong’ in Swahili, and Kibu, ‘the highest’, were born within a week of each other, on 8 and 15 August respectively. Nearing two months of age, they are spending more time exploring the exhibit independently of their mothers. “Malaika is still becoming accustomed to her surroundings and doesn’t stray too far from Ntombi’s side. We expect she will continue to gain confidence in coming weeks,” Simone said. While Giraffe calves remain by their mother’s side for the first month or more of life, they commonly congregate in crèches to rest and socialise, up to around five months of age. Giraffe numbers in the wild have decreased drastically over the past decade, with an estimated 80,000 remaining. The global Giraffe population has fallen by up to 40 percent in the last 30 years; a result of poaching for bush meat, and habitat encroachment. Taronga is active in supporting the plight of Giraffes in the wild, with a well-established partnership with Biliqo-Bulesa Conservancy, one of the largest community conservancies under the umbrella of the Northern Rangelands Trust (NRT). The conservancy has improved wildlife security in important animal populations including Giraffe, amongst other species, by creating a safer ground for their movement and improving rangeland health.
Bongo breeding program – Maisha meets a male Bongo breeding program – Maisha meets a male The Bongo breeding program here at Taronga Western Plains Zoo has been given an exciting boost! We will soon be introducing a new female, Maisha, to the Zoo’s male Bongo for mating. But joining male and female for breeding doesn’t just happen ‘overnight’, so to speak. Four-year-old Maisha (pronounced ‘Mee-sha’) began the long journey from Singapore Zoo to Dubbo in late 2015. She spent an 18-month quarantine period at Wellington Zoo in New Zealand, before arriving here in May this year. The Eastern or Mountain Bongo (as opposed to the other subspecies of the Lowland or Western Bongo) is a species of antelope that is found in one remote region of central Kenya. Sadly, there are less than 200 left roaming free today. There is limited genetic diversity for this species in Australia, so Maisha holds exciting promise for the Zoo’s breeding program - particularly the new genetics she brings. Friendships come first. Maisha has now met Djembe, our existing nine-year-old female Bongo. Developing a strong relationship between the two females is an important part of the process. With Djembe by her side, Maisha will be more comfortable when she finally meets Kulungu, the male Bongo. Next comes the introduction – gradually! We will soon introduce the females to Kulungu in separate enclosures, so that they can see and smell each other through the fence. If they choose not to interact with each other, they can simply move away from the fence, limiting stress for the animals. Their behavioural signs will be closely monitored by our Zoo Keepers, to make sure they are safe and content in each other’s company. Finally, the grand event. When it’s time to introduce all three Bongo, they will be put in a single enclosure. Zoo Keepers will be monitoring this carefully, and will be watching for any aggressive behaviour shown from the male. Chances are, there will be a lot of chasing occurring and, we’re hoping, interest shown from the male! While Bongo males are bigger than females, the females can outrun males. For mating to occur, it will be up to the females to decide whether or not they are happy with Kulungu. Unfortunately, dwindling numbers of Eastern Bongo in the wild are threatening the future of this species. This means the Zoo’s male Bongo has an even more important job to do! We’re hopeful for a growing Bongo herd, so keep your eyes peeled for updates.
I really hope they have some success (hopefully sustained) breeding bongo, and are able to source additional founders as required. Fingers crossed!
I guess many of us are hoping the new female will breed but at the end of the day one animal is not going to "turn the tide" of the species in this region, I believe there are no further plans for Taronga to import any more, I believe there are two other zoos within the region who are interested in importing more (when the IRA in completed) but a real import of ten or more would help retain them in our collections for some time. As it is known only importing a very small founder base is really not a wise move so come on Taronga zoo lets "get with it" and import a decent size group once and for all and stop wasting Millions on hotels the public does not want, again another species will depend on the smaller zoos doing the work of the big boys!
It is good to know that finally the new bloodline is in a potential breeding situation. Point of critique (... positive feedback mind): As it seems New Zealand is the quarantaine station of choice and given the 18 months timeframe would it not be in the best interest for the ZAA Bongo program if more bongo are imported from the restricted source populations (USA, Canada ... and 2 others I forgot)? Now it seems a 18 months quarantaine period has been wasted where otherwise potentially at least one calf could have been produced in the interval. BTW: It does seem like an almost draconian and ridiculous time period for a quarantaine ..., especially for zoo born plus healthy and monitored since birth by veterinarian and animal husbandry staff at Singapore Zoo .... (period!).
There are quite a few obtainable Bongo from the USA which could be obtained with not a huge effort once the IRA is completed (what ever year that going to be!
I know that full well: in my view it is high time that a sufficient number of females is sourced now and not at some vague date in the future. For mid April 2017 the following numbers were current: Taronga - Sydney: 2.0 WPZ-Dubbo: 1.1 (Kulungu + Djembe) Altina: 2.0 Monarto: 3.0 Melbourne: 1.0 Wellington: 0.1 (Maisha - now at Dubbo)
those figures were out of date, even in April. One of Altina's males had died almost a year previously, for example. The current figures (now) should be: Taronga 1.0 TWPZ 1.2 Altina 1.0 Monarto 2.0
All spider monkeys in Australia are black-handeds. They were previously split in two populations of dark Mexican vellerosus and blonde Nicaraguan nominate geoffroyi. However since there has been mixing in the past they seem to be managed as one population currently. The individuals at Dubbo used to be the darker ones, so I'm not sure if they have a mix or just blonde ones now.
African Lion Pride Lands opens in March 2018 and the 8.6 acre (3.5 hectare) exhibit complex sounds as if it will be excellent. African Lion Pride Lands set to impress
