Nice to see the herds are growing ok. I believe the DDZ now have the two herds now they have the new 20 acre exhibit. I believe a number have been sent to other collections so not sure of the total number at this time.
Monarto Safari Park Monarto Safari Park News 2022
- Thread starter Patrick Keegan
- Start date
@Steve Robinson mentioned in the exotic animals thread recently that they have a breeding herd and a herd of juveniles that have been joined by a generic Plains zebra mare from Mogo Zoo. From memory, the breeding herd numbered around five or six.
Hopefully Darling Downs Zoo can enjoy continued success with breeding given they’re the hub for Grant’s zebra in the region. It’s good to know they’ve been transferring their surplus stock to other zoos though. All zoos holding zebra should aim to source a purebred Grant’s colt at a minimum to cover their mares for the next two decades, with purebred fillies added as and when they can to replace the generic mares.
Werribee actually have 14 (including the new colt). I believe he may have come from Monarto in fact.
Any numbers on Dubbo's group?
Has the colt replaced the stallion from the breeding herd who’s been transferred out?
As of April 2022, Taronga Western Plains Zoo had 15 zebra across three herds - which included a small herd of three and a similar sized bachelor herd.
The new colt hasn't been introduced to the main group yet, although this was during my visit almost a month ago now, so he's likely been introduced yet.
Melako will probably be moved off display with some of Werribee's other older males. There used to be some behind the waterhole drivethrough area, but I haven't seen them in a few years now.
It would be wise to wait until the unborn foals are born are at least a year old before introducing the new stallion. A new stallion will harass pregnant mares until they abort, as well as killing young foals (knowing they’re not his offspring).
Mares conceive soon after giving birth, so it’d also be advisable to take Melako out sooner rather than later. I’m surprised they haven’t done this already given a foal has been born recently.
That's interesting. The guide seemed to indicate that it would be more of a matter of weeks rather than a year! The colt (Atero) was living by himself too, so I doubt they'd keep him alone for a period of a year.
How old is Atero? If he’s two years or older, then introducing him to the mares and foals would be inadvisable imo. Hamilton Zoo has always waited until the foals from the previous stallion were at least 12 months old before bring in a new colt.
If he’s around 12 months old, it may work (though he’d get a hostile reception from the mares and may even be at risk himself). If they have fillies his age, I’d introduce them to him first for social reasons and then add the remaining mares as their foals mature and he’s established in his role as stallion of the herd.
I'm not sure exactly; but he's definitely older than two. I think it would be inadvisable to introduce him to the foals too. It seems Werribee have gone all out with getting some remaining foals from Melako before he is moved out of the group. Werribee have had no more than three foals a year before, but with two already born this year and more than three upcoming this is set to be Werribee's largest number babyboom of zebras.
Werribee don't have other fillies his age. Not sure if they're off display, but i'm assuming they don't have any on property (ie. they've been exported elsewhere), as Atero was/is living by himself.
Wild Africa Update:
A recent video shows there are now two male Waterbuck which includes a younger male (seemingly joining the original male that was already in the enclosure) in Wild Africa's Etosha. According to the FB post, Barbary Sheep have also been added along with the zebra, eland, ostrich etc.
Source: Monarto's Facebook page
A recent video shows there are now two male Waterbuck which includes a younger male (seemingly joining the original male that was already in the enclosure) in Wild Africa's Etosha. According to the FB post, Barbary Sheep have also been added along with the zebra, eland, ostrich etc.
Source: Monarto's Facebook page
Appears the link is not working?
It's working for me.
Monarto has recently welcomed five Eland calves, five Addax calves and their first Przewalski’s Horse foal since 2017. There are now 22 Addax at the park - reported on social media.
Perhaps now the Bovine IRA is completed they might be on the lookout for some female Waterbuck.
Imports of both males and females are desperately needed. Australia’s stock descends from 1.2 imported from the US in 1995 and New Zealand’s stock are derived from this population.
Males can be difficult to accomodate in mixed species exhibits, so there’s been a reluctance from zoos to hold breeding herds. Hamilton held females; and now Auckland have followed suit.
Random question. I think waterbuck are a cool species to look at, but are they smelly? I remember the guides in South Africa referring to them as the ‘brussel sprouts of the bush’ because they secrete an odour to deter predators and are the last prey animal a predator will chose. I was just wondering if that might affect them as a zoo species? Thinking back to the maned wolf at TWPZ, my mother always refused to go near their exhibit because they were ‘those stinky foxes!’ 
Random question. I think waterbuck are a cool species to look at, but are they smelly? I remember the guides in South Africa referring to them as the ‘brussel sprouts of the bush’ because they secrete an odour to deter predators and are the last prey animal a predator will chose. I was just wondering if that might affect them as a zoo species? Thinking back to the maned wolf at TWPZ, my mother always refused to go near their exhibit because they were ‘those stinky foxes!’
Random question. I think waterbuck are a cool species to look at, but are they smelly? I remember the guides in South Africa referring to them as the ‘brussel sprouts of the bush’ because they secrete an odour to deter predators and are the last prey animal a predator will chose. I was just wondering if that might affect them as a zoo species? Thinking back to the maned wolf at TWPZ, my mother always refused to go near their exhibit because they were ‘those stinky foxes!’
I've honestly never noticed the smell on the Waterbuck I've seen at New Zealand zoos. In any case they're usually far enough from the fence line not to be an issue.
I can't foster it would bother the visitors unduly given they'd be passing by the exhibit. Not to mention You're not expecting a zoo to smell like a bed of roses at any given point.
And of yes, those foxes on stilts that smell like marijuana.
The new Przewalski’s Horse foal brings Monarto's herd to a total of 12 (4.8):
1.0 Bayan (Lachlan x Rosanne) 09/11/1997
1.0 Bataar/Bataai (Viktor x Naylah) 09/01/2010 Transferred from TWPZ
1.0 Wobbles (unk x unk) 30/12/2014
1.0 (Bataai x Tinka) 00/00/2022
0.1 Katya (Nikoli x Kulari) 26/11/1988
0.1 Takhi (Khan x Viktorya) 15/08/1994
0.1 Effie (unk x unk) 06/11/2007
0.1 Tinka (unk x unk) 07/12/2008
0.1 Takhi-too (unk x unk) 16/02/2013
0.1 Makybe (Bataai x unk) 08/05/2016
0.1 Tayla (Bataai x unk) 31/07/2016
0.1 Annus Mirabilis (Bataai x Effie) 13/3/2017
1.0 Bayan (Lachlan x Rosanne) 09/11/1997
1.0 Bataar/Bataai (Viktor x Naylah) 09/01/2010 Transferred from TWPZ
1.0 Wobbles (unk x unk) 30/12/2014
1.0 (Bataai x Tinka) 00/00/2022
0.1 Katya (Nikoli x Kulari) 26/11/1988
0.1 Takhi (Khan x Viktorya) 15/08/1994
0.1 Effie (unk x unk) 06/11/2007
0.1 Tinka (unk x unk) 07/12/2008
0.1 Takhi-too (unk x unk) 16/02/2013
0.1 Makybe (Bataai x unk) 08/05/2016
0.1 Tayla (Bataai x unk) 31/07/2016
0.1 Annus Mirabilis (Bataai x Effie) 13/3/2017
It's good to see a foal born after a five year lull. Hopefully some of the other mate's are pregnant given there's four prime aged mares who've yet to breed.
According to an article from Nine news: "The male foal was born to Tinka and Bataai, and we're hoping he will soon have a play mate with a few other horses looking pregnant."