Do you know the current tally in our region?
Current Mammals In New Zealand Zoos
- Thread starter Chlidonias
- Start date
Based off the New Zealand and Australian exotic mammal threads there are around 19 Cape Porcupines in region. According to the lists there are eleven in Australian zoos (Monarto, Perth and Darling Downs) and eight in New Zealand (not including the two porcupettes born at Auckland Zoo in January).
You sure they were lost in 2017, because according to an articles on the zoo's website in 2019
Yes I am quite sure.
I think the person who wrote that article got confused with the year in which the zoo bred the bats (which was in November of 2013). There was a press release about the births in February 2014; and in the April 2014 issue of Zoo Alive (which was the zoo's magazine), in which there was an article about the bats, it stated that the twins would be going on show in Te Wao Nui in May.
The zoo still had 1.1 Short-tailed Bats in early 2017, and they were gone by 2018.
ok thanks
As reported by @Zoofan15 in the Wellington Zoo news thread, 3.0 Nyala have moved to the Keystone Wildlife Conservancy. The information can be found in the zoo’s recent annual report:
https://wellingtonzoo.com/assets/Resources/Annual-Report-2020-artwork-FINAL-higher-res2.pdf
The stallion imported by Hamilton Zoo in 2005 was a generic Plains zebra (not Grant's). The mares they had at the time were purebred Grant's zebra; but all foals born since then have been generic. Hamilton Zoo now has only one purebred Grant's zebra - a mare born 2003 at Hamilton Zoo.
I'm open to correction, but I don't believe Itika (imported to Auckland Zoo in 2006 from Monarto Zoo) is a purebred Grant's zebra. If she is however, that would mean her two sons (one of which is Auckland Zoo's current stallion) would be as well, as they were sired by Monty (a purebred Grant's stallion).
The male born 2007 is now dead.
One of the males imported 2018 (Romeo DOB: 10/11/2012) is now in the main exhibit with a new female from Monarto Zoo (Itanya DOB: 13/01/2016). Itanya is descended from Hamilton Zoo's founder female (Zuri).
The other male (Kudu DOB: 10/11/2012) is in the smaller (savannah) exhibit with the female from Perth Zoo (Msaka DOB: 23/05/2011). They are a non breeding pair.
Butterfly Creek recently received a 1.1 pair of Cotton-top Tamarins from Australia; male Raf from Queensland and female Shyla from Canberra. They were introduced to each other in Australia and are a potential breeding pair: Cotton-top tamarin monkeys arrive at Butterfly Creek
They had the species previously also, having obtained four "retired" animals from Franklin Zoo when that zoo closed in 2013. They still had them in 2017, but I can't find when they (presumably) died.
A few updates for various species, the first two confirmed via message:
*I can confirm that Orana did indeed import a new male Waterbuck in October 2019. Like Auckland's male (Roy), Orana's male (who is called Quest) came from Werribee Open Range Zoo and is currently at the zoo with their females.
*Willowbank no longer have Asian Small-clawed Otter. Their last one (presumably) died a while ago however the zoo said they have plans to acquire the species again in 2021.
*This has already been mentioned a while back in the zoo's news thread but it's still significant enough to get a mention here. Auckland Zoo bred Golden Lion Tamarins for the first time in July 2020. Presumably this would be a NZ first. The zoo's current pair consist of the male from Mogo and the female from Riverbanks Zoo, USA.
*I can confirm that Orana did indeed import a new male Waterbuck in October 2019. Like Auckland's male (Roy), Orana's male (who is called Quest) came from Werribee Open Range Zoo and is currently at the zoo with their females.
*Willowbank no longer have Asian Small-clawed Otter. Their last one (presumably) died a while ago however the zoo said they have plans to acquire the species again in 2021.
*This has already been mentioned a while back in the zoo's news thread but it's still significant enough to get a mention here. Auckland Zoo bred Golden Lion Tamarins for the first time in July 2020. Presumably this would be a NZ first. The zoo's current pair consist of the male from Mogo and the female from Riverbanks Zoo, USA.
Yes, it is a New Zealand first. Wellington and Auckland Zoo are the only zoos in New Zealand to have held the species - Wellington Zoo since 1990; Auckland Zoo since 2001. Wellington Zoo have never bred them.
Bizarrely there's a listing in the studbook for a company in New Zealand called Newton Amusements Ltd that imported a wild born male in 1996 (that died 1998) and also a female. I can find no further info on these.
That must be R Newton Amusements Ltd. Just done a bit of research, it seems they were a carnival company with rides.
Orana Wildlife Park received 2.0 Sumatran Tigers from Australia Zoo a week ago. They are on-display as of today and were both bred at Australia Zoo in 2016 (Scout and Reggie): New Sumatran tigers to be unveiled at Orana Wildlife Park - NZ Herald
An entire mammalian order has been lost from the list; there are no more bats in New Zealand zoos. I received some very sad news from Auckland Zoo about their Little Red Flying Foxes. The remaining individuals have all quietly died of presumably old age (confirmed via message): "No, we don't have flying foxes at the zoo. The flying foxes that were at Auckland Zoo have passed away."
Well that's a shame!
Onychorhynchus coronatus
Well-Known Member
I thought that Aukland zoo held the lesser short tailed bat and had in fact bred the species in captivity fairly recently ?
The zoo had 1.1 Short-tailed Bats in early 2017, which had gone by 2018.
Onychorhynchus coronatus
Well-Known Member
When you say gone do you mean they had been returned to the wild / re-released or had died in captivity ?
They died. Husbandry of this species is in it’s infancy and the lifespan is estimated at around seven years (but possibly longer). The zoo bred them in November 2013.
There’s an article on their rearing here:
Auckland Zoo maintains the only captive New Zealand lesser short‐tailed bats Mystacina tuberculata in the world. These animals came to the Zoo in 2007 following a wild translocation attempt managed by the New Zealand Department of Conservation. Affected by a disease of unknown origin which damaged their ear pinnae, the bats were considered unsuitable for release. The colony has provided an excellent opportunity to develop the husbandry protocols required for the management and successful reproduction of these bats at the Zoo. Our knowledge has increased significantly with the successful breeding and hand rearing of two pups. While parent rearing would be preferred for future breeding events, the experience has confirmed the ability to rear pups if intervention is ever required. The work being carried out at Auckland Zoo contributes to the national efforts to conserve these threatened mammals.
https://zslpublications.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/izy.12121
The information is in the former mammals in NZ zoos thread [Former Mammals In New Zealand Zoos (1980 to present)]:
"*NZ Lesser Short-tailed Bat (Mystacina tuberculata)
Auckland Zoo kept this endemic New Zealand species until 2017. Their animals (of the Central subspecies rhyacobia) were from a group of bats caught in the Waiohine Valley (in the Tararaua Ranges) in 2005-2006 for translocation to Kapiti Island. Some of the group became afflicted with fungal infections in their ears and were considered unsuitable for release, and thus were retained in captivity instead (twelve animals arrived at Auckland Zoo in late 2007, and going on display in 2011). They successfully bred at Auckland Zoo in November 2013. The last animals in their group died in mid/late 2017. The species has also been kept at Wellington Zoo. Six animals (3.3) of the Northland subspecies auporica, captured in the Omahuta Kauri Forest in February and April 1981, were on display in the nocturnal house but all had died by the end of the year due to mite infestations. Six animals (2.4) of the Southern subspecies tuberculata, captured on Codfish Island, were kept off-display from 1992 until the death of the last individual in 2000. This group bred several times but none of the babies survived to maturity. The species has also been held temporarily in captivity (for periods of several months for translocation purposes) at Mt. Bruce and on Kapiti Island (subspecies rhyacobia), and on Codfish Island (subspecies tuberculata)."