San Diego Zoo Safari Park San Diego Zoo Safari Park News 2022

[Elena]

Thank you. I was also told Jillians status so mixed them I guess, and based on SD recall of Teddy sounded right. .... Looking forward to when they are introduced. Praying all goes well. .... Keep asking indeed! I know all.too well.about Zoo secrecy!

I believe Teddy is also approved to mate with Diana, another female at the Safari Park, however, Jillian is the priority female as she's obviously more genetically valuable. I do not know if in the future Jillian would be allowed to breed with Rakan but that pairing would provide another option for Jillian if they're a good genetic match. Did San Francisco ever give a reason as to why Teddy and Jillian were never introduced when they were there?

 

[Thomas]

When did they stop breeding their hoofstock and phasing out some?
Also from the last thread baby zebras are called foals.
Black rhinos and Grevy’s zebras once lived in the field exhibits during the park’s early years, but removed due to problems with aggressive behavior and killing the babies of other animals.
But more recently they have been reintroduced back to the field exhibits.

 

[leo811]

I believe Teddy is also approved to mate with Diana, another female at the Safari Park, however, Jillian is the priority female as she's obviously more genetically valuable. I do not know if in the future Jillian would be allowed to breed with Rakan but that pairing would provide another option for Jillian if they're a good genetic match. Did San Francisco ever give a reason as to why Teddy and Jillian were never introduced when they were there?

Thank you for the additional information. Look forward to when they are out on view, I miss seeing them. Teddy became a favorite. He is so handsome, and seems like a good personality. I've known Jillian since day one. Her move to Sacramento for a year really messed her up. It took her some time to readjust and was still never the same. I hope she thrives in SD. Is the off exhibit area at the Park decent size? Sounds like they keep many Tigers there and all I assume are housed solo?

Allegedly SFZoo was afraid to introduce them after the death of Melati at London Zoo, during introduction. Melati was the mate of Jillian's half brother, Jae Jae. They were a great couple, but for greed breeding they were ripped apart, and Melati lost her young life. Jillian's Grandmother Bahagia at Sacramento Zoo also died the same way a few years before. So those incidents and others ofnthe like made SF apprehensive.

 

[Great Argus]

When did they stop breeding their hoofstock and phasing out some?
Also from the last thread baby zebras are called foals.
Black rhinos and Grevy’s zebras once lived in the field exhibits during the park’s early years, but removed due to problems with aggressive behavior and killing the babies of other animals.
But more recently they have been reintroduced back to the field exhibits.

New management so I hear.

 

[Elena]

Thank you for the additional information. Look forward to when they are out on view, I miss seeing them. Teddy became a favorite. He is so handsome, and seems like a good personality. I've known Jillian since day one. Her move to Sacramento for a year really messed her up. It took her some time to readjust and was still never the same. I hope she thrives in SD. Is the off exhibit area at the Park decent size? Sounds like they keep many Tigers there and all I assume are housed solo?

Allegedly SFZoo was afraid to introduce them after the death of Melati at London Zoo, during introduction. Melati was the mate of Jillian's half brother, Jae Jae. They were a great couple, but for greed breeding they were ripped apart, and Melati lost her young life. Jillian's Grandmother Bahagia at Sacramento Zoo also died the same way a few years before. So those incidents and others ofnthe like made SF apprehensive.

The Safari Park has an online tiger webcam accessible here:

Tiger Cam

Currently the Safari Park has 6 tigers, all housed separately: 2 males (Teddy and Rakan) and 4 females (Jillian, Majel, Diana and Cathy). They have 3 outdoor exhibit spaces. Teddy and Jillian appear to have been alternating days in the same outdoor exhibit. I haven't yet seen her there (hopefully next visit I will) but from what I've heard she's doing well and has settled in nicely, which makes me happy.

 

[Westcoastperson]

Thank you for the additional information. Look forward to when they are out on view, I miss seeing them. Teddy became a favorite. He is so handsome, and seems like a good personality. I've known Jillian since day one. Her move to Sacramento for a year really messed her up. It took her some time to readjust and was still never the same. I hope she thrives in SD. Is the off exhibit area at the Park decent size? Sounds like they keep many Tigers there and all I assume are housed solo?

Allegedly SFZoo was afraid to introduce them after the death of Melati at London Zoo, during introduction. Melati was the mate of Jillian's half brother, Jae Jae. They were a great couple, but for greed breeding they were ripped apart, and Melati lost her young life. Jillian's Grandmother Bahagia at Sacramento Zoo also died the same way a few years before. So those incidents and others ofnthe like made SF apprehensive.

When you mean off exhibit I assume you mean housing. I don’t recall seeing any flags for the Tiger holding area in the fda inspection report so they should be fine. I know for a fact the Lion housing area at the other side of the park is suited well for its inhabitants so I’m sure the Tigers also have an excellent holding area.

 

[nczoofan]

When did they stop breeding their hoofstock and phasing out some?
Also from the last thread baby zebras are called foals.
Black rhinos and Grevy’s zebras once lived in the field exhibits during the park’s early years, but removed due to problems with aggressive behavior and killing the babies of other animals.
But more recently they have been reintroduced back to the field exhibits.

From what I heard the recent introduction of black rhinos in the field exhibits have yielded the same results. I imagine eventually it'll be severe enough a problem that they pull them. Yet personally I think it was always an idea doomed to fail and it would have been better to either go out of black rhinos or relocate them to a new solo exhibit.

 

[Kifaru Bwana]

There are actually Greater Kudu in that habitat and I believe the park is phasing out the species so obviously no breeding there either. The park is just taking a break from breeding Roan (and a few others) as they have decided to stop allowing many of their hoofstock species to breed freely and are instead controlling this more so that they can keep these populations more healthy and viable.

Whereas this policy may work short term, long term and if adopted across scale by all AZA institutions it will have a disastrous effect on the viability and sustainability of many non focal breeding programs. I am all for focal breeding programs for all species and not just for the conservation dependent ones

The above later after all in a few years time it may well backfire and that what was thought safe is down the timeline become critically endangered. We have seen these mistakes and mishaps happen over time already in not just AZA/North American collections when species are on phase out or with a breeding freeze and suddenly the species is almost lost from collections without a trace. Examples: lion-tailed macaque, silvered leaf monkey, Carnivora? (I cannot think of good examples right now though as at work and commenting quickly), Asiatic lion (as mismanagement of purebred stock somewhat an odd one out), leopard ssp. (save for Amur leopard and these are making a comeback more or less so due to heavy imports from European collections), pygmy hippo, babirusa, anoa and a good number of hoofstock.

What is particularly worrying is that even the CSC2 collections and big rangeland zoos within AZA are adopting these policies for fear perhaps of being kicked out of the organisation otherwise. Breeding f.i. of Soemmerring's (curtailing breeding) and red fronted (phase out) and earlier Persian goitred (phased out already).


Particularly, the private sector and ranching fraternity in later days has taken on many of these phase outs for an apparent lack of interest among the traditional ex situ conservation breeding zoo community. Painful examples are some of the aridland antelope and gazelle (f.i. goitred springs to mind and quite recently another on phase out with 1-2 holders only, but really pretty endangered in situ all the same) and f.i. Persian onager and Turkmen kulan. Save for the latter two the private sector has pretty much taken over management of the more common species (allthough quite a lot of the time with herd management tactics rather than actual monitored selective conservation breeding for population and sustainability management.

What I would like to see is coordinated management across continents of ex situ populations by way of SAFE or GSMP programs that ensure that while a species may not be managed in one region 1-2 other do and will assimilate the phase out groups within their respective programs. Whereas this is starting to happen more frequently it is far from a truly global and transcontinental effort for now (surprising since we have ZIMS and Species 360 and all).

 

[Akula]

Whereas this policy may work short term, long term and if adopted across scale by all AZA institutions it will have a disastrous effect on the viability and sustainability of many non focal breeding programs. I am all for focal breeding programs for all species and not just for the conservation dependent ones

The above later after all in a few years time it may well backfire and that what was thought safe is down the timeline become critically endangered. We have seen these mistakes and mishaps happen over time already in not just AZA/North American collections when species are on phase out or with a breeding freeze and suddenly the species is almost lost from collections without a trace. Examples: lion-tailed macaque, silvered leaf monkey, Carnivora? (I cannot think of good examples right now though as at work and commenting quickly), Asiatic lion (as mismanagement of purebred stock somewhat an odd one out), leopard ssp. (save for Amur leopard and these are making a comeback more or less so due to heavy imports from European collections), pygmy hippo, babirusa, anoa and a good number of hoofstock.

Particularly, the private sector and ranching fraternity in later days has taken on many of these phase outs for an apparent lack of interest among the traditional ex situ conservation breeding zoo community. Painful examples are some of the aridland antelope and gazelle (f.i. goitred springs to mind and quite recently another on phase out with 1-2 holders only, but pretty endangered in situ) and f.i. Persian onager and Turkmen kulan. Save for the latter two the private sector has pretty much taken over management of the more common species (allthough quite a lot of the time with herd management tactics rather than actual monitored selective conservation breeding for population and sustainability management.

What is particularly worrying is that even the CSC2 collections and big rangeland zoos within AZA are adopting these policies for fear perhaps of being kicked out of the organisation otherwise. Breeding f.i. of Soemmerring's (curtailing breeding) and red fronted (phase out) and earlier Persian goitred (phased out already).

Agreed the populations that were phase-outs/Breed-freezes almost instnatly declined. A prime example is the Lion-Tailed Macaque, a species doing well in the 70's,80's and 90's gets put on phase-out and stops breeding and now they are a hard-to-find in many North American Zoo collections. As well, the babirusas and the pygmy hippos, luckily, San Diego has really excelled on getting their hands on breeding pairs or groups when it comes to the rare species. Alone in the last 5 years they have had Pygmy hippos and Babirusa born at the Zoo according to google, but they also have a fantastic Safari Park that pushes past everyone in breeding their hoofstock species. especially when it comes to the White Rhinos and Grevy Zebras, 2 species that are on a decline in the wild but are growing in the north American population

 

[Kifaru Bwana]

@Akula: at the last call Grevy zebra's by thanks for the efforts of the Kenyan's Grevy Zebra Trust is doing a lot better and numbers are stabilising and there is even a slight increase, I believe.

Population difference survey 2016 versus 2018 (Jan. 28-29): 2350 ± 93 to 2812 ± 163.
Source: Grevy Zebra Trust and Marwell Zoo studbook (though the latter did not report numbers.
https://static1.squarespace.com/sta...1f/1531227990567/CS+report+GGR+2018.final.pdf

QOUTE:
"Ex-situ Population: The total number of Grevy's zebra in zoological organistions on 31st December 2020 was 194.316.0 (510) in 119 institutions in 26 countries.
This breaks down as follows:
Asia 14.13.0 (27); 10 institutions Europe
91.163.0 (254); 58 institutions
M. America 5.10.0 (15); 2 institutions
N. America 82.128.0 (210); 48 institutions
S. America 2.2.0 (4); 1 institution"
UNQOUTE

You can look up all births, deaths and transfers for yourselves there.
SOURCE: 2020 ISB studbook: https://www.marwell.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/2020-Grevys-zebra-ISB.pdf

 

[Kudu21]

From what I heard the recent introduction of black rhinos in the field exhibits have yielded the same results. I imagine eventually it'll be severe enough a problem that they pull them. Yet personally I think it was always an idea doomed to fail and it would have been better to either go out of black rhinos or relocate them to a new solo exhibit.

It did, indeed, yield the same results. They lost a number of animals and have tried a variety of species in the mix. The keepers and middle management were very much against the mix, but the Rhino Rescue Center took the funds and space for the proposed black rhinoceros exhibit and the upper management pushed it through. I think it will be a matter of time before they're pulled again...

I do seem to remember the intention to split the Grevy's herd, needing space for the bachelors coming up in the herd. It'll be interesting to see how their inclusion in the mix plays out. Other than the black rhinos, I don't believe there are any species still breeding in that enclosure. As mentioned earlier, the roan are on a temporary breeding moratorium, and the kudu (if there are any left), kob, red-fronted gazelles, etc. are all phase-outs.

 

[John Marchwick]

@Kudu21 the Ugandan Kob were moved to the East African Field enclosure to my understanding. I don’t think the park is phasing out those. And the red fronted gazelles live in the enclosure on the other side of the bridge that isn’t the Central Africa Field Enclosure. There is a bachelor herd of Nyala though in the Central Africa Field Enclosure.

Regarding the Eastern Black Rhinos I think they wanted them put in the Central Africa Field Enclosure as a way for the park to stand out. Being one of the only places in the world where black rhinos are with their other animals is a big deal. To be honest I always thought the park was phasing out their black rhino breeding program once the Nikita Khan Rhino Rescue Center was built. However Aria and Kendi have done just fine with the parks other animals and I know this cause I’ve asked them on social media a couple times how the integrations we’re going and they said it was going good

 

[John Marchwick]

What’s the history with the Grevy’s Zebras here at the safari park, didn’t the zebras have their own exhibit due to aggressive behavioral problems with the other animals that could rise again?!

I may have figured something out about the parks zebras.

What if the Grevy Zebra herd in the parks Central Africa Field Enclosure is only a bachelor herd? It’s one thing if they’re breeding them but like @Animals R AMAZING! and @Westcoastperson hinted at with the Roan Antelope and Greater Kudu, what if the park is only putting in a bachelor herd of Grevy Zebras in the Central Africa Field exhibit. For all we know the park could still have their breeding herd. That way if they do resume their Roan Antelope breeding their wouldn’t possibly be as much aggressiveness between the parks animals

 

[Kudu21]

@Kudu21 the Ugandan Kob were moved to the East African Field enclosure to my understanding. I don’t think the park is phasing out those. And the red fronted gazelles live in the enclosure on the other side of the bridge that isn’t the Central Africa Field Enclosure. There is a bachelor herd of Nyala though in the Central Africa Field Enclosure.

Regarding the Eastern Black Rhinos I think they wanted them put in the Central Africa Field Enclosure as a way for the park to stand out. Being one of the only places in the world where black rhinos are with their other animals is a big deal. To be honest I always thought the park was phasing out their black rhino breeding program once the Nikita Khan Rhino Rescue Center was built. However Aria and Kendi have done just fine with the parks other animals and I know this cause I’ve asked them on social media a couple times how the integrations we’re going and they said it was going good

In May of last year, the kob were in Central Africa. The kob are marked for phase out as they're the only holder-- that was already in motion last year. The remaining individuals were to be moved to the private sector. Moving them to East Africa wouldn't make much sense given that is the enclosure in which they breed Nile lechwe, with which the kob could hybridize, and male kob are notoriously aggressive... Management has changed (in fact, the park has seen a 60% turnover in staff in the last year) so perhaps things have changed, but I wouldn't suggest it's for the better...

The red-fronted gazelle herd is split between the African Forest and Central African exhibits to prevent breeding due them being phase-outs. The red-fronted gazelle and kob were marked to move to the same facility.

With regards to the rhinos, the responses you have received from the media team is unsurprising but false. The media and PR teams at zoos are so far removed from the day-to-day animal husbandry, so they likely know very little about the inner workings of the park and the animals. That said, the issues with the rhinos are fairly well known amongst those who frequent the park or are in zoological circles, though a facility's media team would still never suggest anything of the sort in an answer to a post on social media.

 

[RhinoHippoElephantGiraffe]

Why are the 2 Black Rhinos NOT with the White Rhinos, Giraffes, and other animals in the exhibit?

 

[John Marchwick]

@Kudu21 that also makes sense and sadly that’s right. Hate the fact they’re phasing out all these rare animals

 

[Great Argus]

@Kudu21 that also makes sense and sadly that’s right. Hate the fact they’re phasing out all these rare animals

I've heard some of the new higher ups are not from the animal side of things, and that's why we're seeing the collection start to suffer.

 

[Kudu21]

I've heard some of the new higher ups are not from the animal side of things, and that's why we're seeing the collection start to suffer.

Yes and no. While it is true that the upper management at the park and the San Diego Wildlife Alliance as a whole is now largely made up of people that did not come up through the animal/zoo world, and that is why we are seeing some of the shifts in the collection and some of the head-scratching husbandry decisions (like the black rhino mix), some of the phase-outs were planned by very knowledgeable, highly regarded zoo folk, and these decisions were made in the best interest of the animals and of the long-term viability of ungulate populations. Yes, a lot of the rarer species are being phased out, but San Diego could not support these populations on their own without the support of other institutions and the "Boom and Bust" cycle of uncontrolled breeding wasn't sustainable. The animal management at the time really tried for these species with SSP candidacies and promotions at conferences and TAG meetings, but at the end of the day, if focus wasn't put on the populations that could survive, then many more species would be facing the same fate as the gaur, Uganda kob, red-fronted gazelle, etc. in the future.It's also not the end of all of these species because for some of them, like the Uganda kob, red-fronted gazelle, and especially the red lechwe, there is an interest to manage the populations in the private sector. Under the last curator, a lot of effort was put into effective breeding management to have a smaller, steady population with regulated birthing intervals to curb the aforementioned "Boom and Bust" cycles that is what put a lot populations in the predicament they are in today (this is why there is currently a moratorium on roan breeding). Whether that is to be continued under the new management is yet to be seen, but it is a really necessary system in the long-term. I know it can be hard for a lot of people to wrap their heads around, but there are a lot of really dedicate people that are genuinely working to do the best with the cards we've been dealt following the Great Ungulate Purge of the early 2000s and the just general mismanagement of populations.

 

[Kifaru Bwana]

In May of last year, the kob were in Central Africa. The kob are marked for phase out as they're the only holder-- that was already in motion last year. The remaining individuals were to be moved to the private sector. Moving them to East Africa wouldn't make much sense given that is the enclosure in which they breed Nile lechwe, with which the kob could hybridize, and male kob are notoriously aggressive... Management has changed (in fact, the park has seen a 60% turnover in staff in the last year) so perhaps things have changed, but I wouldn't suggest it's for the better...

The red-fronted gazelle herd is split between the African Forest and Central African exhibits to prevent breeding due them being phase-outs. The red-fronted gazelle and kob were marked to move to the same facility.

With regards to the rhinos, the responses you have received from the media team is unsurprising but false. The media and PR teams at zoos are so far removed from the day-to-day animal husbandry, so they likely know very little about the inner workings of the park and the animals. That said, the issues with the rhinos are fairly well known amongst those who frequent the park or are in zoological circles, though a facility's media team would still never suggest anything of the sort in an answer to a post on social media.

I do hope the red fronted gazelle and kob waterbuck end op at that facility that will conscientiously continue their breeding. It seems a Great loss.

 

[Kudu21]

I do hope the red fronted gazelle and kob waterbuck end op at that facility that will conscientiously continue their breeding. It seems a Great loss.

I know where the gazelles and kob are going, and I can assure you this is the case.