Melbourne Zoo Melbourne Zoo News 2019

WhistlingKite24 said:
‘Oscar’ the Asian Small-clawed Otter has passed away at the impressive age of 18.
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I believe this is a longevity record for the region.

Oscar was born 04/05/2001 at Auckland Zoo to T'ealc (born 1998) and Jade (born 1999). He was originally sent to the National Zoo and Aquarium, before arriving at Melbourne Zoo 12/11/2007. Jade's only other living offspring is Jeta (born 07/04/2003).
 
WhistlingKite24 said:
Big news!
Santan, Dewi and Maimunah, three of Melbourne Zoo’s Sumatran Orangutans have left Melbourne and have moved to the new Sydney Zoo.
Three orang-utans settling into their new home
This leaves Melbourne Zoo with one male Sumatran Orangutan (Malu) and two hybrid females (Gabby and Kiani).
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Sure big news ..., but is it also good news? Why hang on to the 2 hybrid females?

Is the new Sydney Zoo now effectively a ZAA partner and participating zoo?
 
Is the male Malu the son of Santan/Maimunah?

Are there any suitable new partners for him within Australia e.g. at Perth Zoo?
 
Pertinax said:
Is the male Malu the son of Santan/Maimunah?

Are there any suitable new partners for him within Australia e.g. at Perth Zoo?
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Malu (born 2003) is the son of Santan/Maimunah. Others may know him as Menyaru, due to Melbourne Zoo’s double name thing.

The reproductive age females at Perth Zoo could be suitable mates for Malu.

The decision to export the 1.2 Sumatran orangutan to Sydney Zoo (and retain the hybrids) isn’t as strange as it sounds. Santan and Maimunah are getting on in their years and probably won’t be bred from again. Melbourne Zoo are very proud of Kiani - being one their famous orangutan twins (which are still mentioned in the media from time to time). They probably had no objection to retaining her; while forming a new breeding pair with Malu and a new female.

I think Pulang (born 1993) is the most likely export out of Perth Zoo, given that her mate (Hsing Hsing) is now deceased. I think Perth Zoo will retain Sekara (1990) and Teliti (2009) for breeding with Dinar (1987); while Pulang’s daughter, Lestari (2012) could go either way. If Pulang is sent to Melbourne, she may remain at Perth as a third breeding female; if Pulang goes to Auckland Zoo, they’d have space to take mother and daughter.

There’s more info on the Perth Zoo colony (including how they’re related) here:

Orangutans [Perth Zoo]
 
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Zoofan15 said:
Malu (born 2003) is the son of Santan/Maimunah. Others may know him as Menyaru, due to Melbourne Zoo’s double name thing.

The reproductive age females at Perth Zoo could be suitable mates for Malu.

The decision to export the 1.2 Sumatran orangutan to Sydney Zoo (and retain the hybrids) isn’t as strange as it sounds. Santan and Maimunah are getting on in their years and probably won’t be bred from again. Melbourne Zoo are very proud of Kiani - being one their famous orangutan twins (which are still mentioned in the media from time to time). They probably had no objection to retaining her; while forming a new breeding pair with Malu and a new female.

I think Pulang (born 1993) is the most likely export out of Perth Zoo, given that her mate (Hsing Hsing) is now deceased. I think Perth Zoo will retain Sekara (1990) and Teliti (2009) for breeding with Dinar (1987); while Pulang’s daughter, Lestari (2012) could go either way. If Pulang is sent to Melbourne, she may remain at Perth as a third breeding female; if Pulang goes to Auckland Zoo, they’d have space to take mother and daughter.

There’s more info on the Perth Zoo colony (including how they’re related) here:

Orangutans [Perth Zoo]
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Thanks. Yes, I realised the reason they sent Santan and Maimunah was probably age-related, as Malu/Menyaru and a new female(s) will have a much longer potential breeding life at Melbourne.

Thanks for the link also. I remember seeing HsingHsing- and all the females they had then when I visited Perth in mid 1990's.
 
Pertinax said:
Thanks. Yes, I realised the reason they sent Santan and Maimunah was probably age-related, as Malu/Menyaru and a new female(s) will have a much longer potential breeding life at Melbourne.

Thanks for the link also. I remember seeing HsingHsing- and all the females they had then when I visited Perth in mid 1990's.
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From what I can see, Perth Zoo seem to be trying to streamline their colony by having less breeding females. They had four branches of Puan’s family for many years; but now have three, which could easily be reduced to two with the export of Pulung (1993) and her daughter, Lestari (2012).

Maybe they will reduce their breeding stock to 1.2 - Dinar (1987); and the two females, Sekara (1990) and Teliti (2009).

Puteri (1970) - Teliti (2009)

Puspa (1975) - Sekara (1990) - Semeru (2005-2013) and Sungai (2011)

Punya (1981) - Negara (1993) - Nyaru (2007)

Pulang (1993) - Lestari (2012)
 
Zoofan15 said:
From what I can see, Perth Zoo seem to be trying to streamline their colony by having less breeding females. They had four branches of Puan’s family for many years; but now have three, which could easily be reduced to two with the export of Pulung (1993) and her daughter, Lestari (2012).

Maybe they will reduce their breeding stock to 1.2 - Dinar (1987); and the two females, Sekara (1990) and Teliti (2009).

Puteri (1970) - Teliti (2009)

Puspa (1975) - Sekara (1990) - Semeru (2005-2013) and Sungai (2011)

Punya (1981) - Negara (1993) - Nyaru (2007)

Pulang (1993) - Lestari (2012)
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Kluet is a genetically valuable male. Maybe he could go to Perth to be a new breeding male, while Dinar is retired to Adelaide?

Are the Perth orangutans all kept in one group?
 
I think Kluet is related to Maimunah, so not totally unrepresented genetics in the region, but definitely less so than the others. It would make sense to have him in a breeding situation, and that's not going to happen if Puspa is the only female he has contact with. Is anyone aware if Puspa has ever been housed with Dinar?

To my knowledge (unless things have changed in the past few years)Perth's orangutans live in female territories- one enclosure for each female/infant pair, or a potentially breeding couple.
 
marmolady said:
I think Kluet is related to Maimunah, so not totally unrepresented genetics in the region, but definitely less so than the others. It would make sense to have him in a breeding situation, and that's not going to happen if Puspa is the only female he has contact with. Is anyone aware if Puspa has ever been housed with Dinar?

To my knowledge (unless things have changed in the past few years)Perth's orangutans live in female territories- one enclosure for each female/infant pair, or a potentially breeding couple.
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Kluet and Maimunah are related. Kluet’s older sister is the mother of Maimunah. Dinar and Puspa didn’t live together. I’m not sure if there was an initial attempt to introduce Dinar to Pupsa and Sekara when he arrived in 2004; but I doubt it as I believe Sekara was living independently by then.

Last time I was at the zoo, each adult female had their own exhibit (all of which were quite small); except for Utama, who happily shared her exhibit with Hsing Hsing until his death. Like you say, their orangutans are usually only mixed for breeding.

While unrelated adult females may tolerate each other, the most amicable relationships seem to be between mother and daughter. Since Auckland Zoo’s new exhibit will provide enough room for a colony, I hope Pulang (1993) and Lestari (2012) are sent there. They could both be paired with Kluet, since it’s looking unlikely he will ever breed with Puspa. With adequate space, the mother and daughter may be able to share an exhibit long term.
 
So the Sumatran orangutans in the region come from three lines - Puan, Kluet/Maimunah and Dinar?

Will Orana Park be getting orangutans still?
 
Tafin said:
So the Sumatran orangutans in the region come from three lines - Puan, Kluet/Maimunah and Dinar?

Will Orana Park be getting orangutans still?
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Orana Park are currently holding Auckland's Bornean/hybrid group. They will be returning to Auckland in early 2020 (subject to construction work being finished). Orana will then receive a Sumatran group.

I'm unsure if Auckland will also be getting a Sumatran group/pair along side the Bornean's - or they will wait until the Bornean's have died. Either way I would imagine Orana will get priority if there's only one group available (with them having no Orangutan's from next year)
 
Nisha said:
Orana Park are currently holding Auckland's Bornean/hybrid group. They will be returning to Auckland in early 2020 (subject to construction work being finished). Orana will then receive a Sumatran group.

I'm unsure if Auckland will also be getting a Sumatran group/pair along side the Bornean's - or they will wait until the Bornean's have died. Either way I would imagine Orana will get priority if there's only one group available (with them having no Orangutan's from next year)
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Auckland Zoo have stated they will be getting new orangutans (in addition to the 1.2 returning from Orana):

South East Asia Development | Auckland Zoo

Will the Zoo be getting more orangutans?

“Yes, as part of a zoos’ international breeding programme for these endangered primates, we will welcome more orangutans in the future. Dates for more orangutans arriving are yet to be confirmed.”

Orana may be happy to not import new orangutans for a while so they have the extra exhibit space to introduce their gorillas (when the new females arrive). Even with three bachelor males being exported to Sydney Zoo (as we’ve all predicted); they will be grateful of the extra space over the next six months to a year until the new troop is fully integrated.

Orana’s ape exhibits aren’t huge either and support little other than communal living in the outdoor spaces. While they could add a pair of orangutan, I think housing a single female like Puspa from Adelaide would be ideal. What would be an average/adequate exhibit for a family group could be a phenomenal exhibit for Puspa! This would free up Kluet to be paired with a new female/females.
 
Pertinax said:
Also Santan, who is the longterm partner of Maimunah and has offspring with her. He came from Canada I think originally- someone with better local (Aus) knowledge can expand perhaps.
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Plus also the Perth males 1. Atjeh, and 2 Hsing Hsing.

So the founders of Sumatran orangutans in Australia are;

Atjeh/Puan/HsingHsing/Santan/Maimunah/Dinar -but not Kluett as he has no offspring to date.
 
Pertinax said:
Also Santan, who is the longterm partner of Maimunah and has offspring with her. He came from Canada I think originally- someone with better local (Aus) knowledge can expand perhaps.
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That is correct @Pertinax . He was born at the Toronto zoo in 1977, and was sent to Melbourne in 1987 from off the top of my head. He is currently 41 turning 42 on October 12th.
 
Pertinax said:
I wasn't aware of this, so the Taronga/Orana Park bachelors are heading back to Sydney but to a new location?
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Sorry @Pertinax, I shouldn’t have phrased speculation as fact; however, everyone on the forum I have spoken to about gorillas in the region believe that Fataki, Fuzu and Mahale are being sent to the new Sydney Zoo based on:

1. New holders usually receive non breeding animals
2. Orana have just imported a male with the intention of starting a breeding troop and unless they discontinue with orangutans, they won’t have the space to manage two troops
3. The Orana males are one of two bachelor troops in the region, but the other troop is older and more settled in their current home
4. A promotional video from Sydney Zoo mentioned receiving gorillas from NZ
 
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