Big Cat Update

Riziki said:
I think why Safari patks do not have them is because as they are not as impressive as Africans and do not naturally live in Big groups although i am sure that i could work.
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I doubt its anything to do with them being more impressive. Probably more due to the fact that African lions was and are still more easy to acquire than the Asian counterpart.
 
taun said:
I doubt its anything to do with them being more impressive. Probably more due to the fact that African lions was and are still more easy to acquire than the Asian counterpart.
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There are EEP requirments that zoos holding Asiatic Lions don't also hold African ones(to avoid even the remotest chance of crossbreeding). So Safari Parks couldn't receive Asians while they have large groups of Africans, and they couldn't display just Asians as there would not be enough animals to make a display.
 
Riziki said:
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The Lions at PL do look differebt to the Africans i see in other zoos so it may be a very slight barbary connection.
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Some of the PL lions were included in the research, as were lions from Rabat Zoo and all, whatever they look like, were proved to have no connection to known Specimens(museum) of true Barbary Lions.
 
Pertinax said:
There are EEP requirments that zoos holding Asiatic Lions don't also hold African ones(to avoid even the remotest chance of crossbreeding). So Safari Parks couldn't receive Asians while they have large groups of Africans, and they couldn't display just Asians as there would not be enough animals to make a display.
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There you go Pertinax with the answer again ;)

Cheers
Taun
 
I have heard of that too Pertinax but there is no point could of been really good at somewhere like Whipsnade having an Asian Lion enclosure in the otherside of the park.I know that Linton where thinking of the idea to take place maybe in 10 years time but its a shame.
Its ment to stop inbreeding but if they are at the other ends of the park how can that happen!
Africans are easier to aqquire than Asians and in a safari park it is better to have a big pride,a large group is better then a few individuals.
Asians are becoming alot mroe popular in Bigger urban zoos London,Dudley,Endinburgh,Twycross and soon Dublin.
Regards
 
Oh yes and Bristol and Paignton thankyou for that foz!
You only find African ones in the small privately owned ones such as Linton,WHF,Paradise,Newquay,Coombe martin and all Safari Parks
Regards
 
Riziki said:
Its ment to stop inbreeding but if they are at the other ends of the park how can that happen!
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It has to be a 'blanket ruling' to cover all collections, big and small otherwise it would look as if they were discriminating at certain zoos. Obviously somewhere like Whipsnade would never interbreed the two but a much less well-managed collection might just end up doing so.

Its interesting ZSL is the only organisation I know that keeps both species- but obviously not at the same site. Similarly Howletts would probably be allowed to have Asiatics as the Africans are at Port Lympne, 20 miles away.
 
It is a shame but i know that 99% of zoos in the UK would not interbreed the lions together.
I think if the rule was not introduced places like Whipsnade and Port Lympne would start introducing Asiatics to their parks.
This is completely different for Tigers though many collections Howletts,Port Lympne,Wildlife Heritage Foundation,South Lakes,and so on house 2+ species of Tigers do you know why it is not the same rule with Tigers?
Thanks for info
Regards
 
Riziki said:
This is completely different for Tigers though many collections Howletts,Port Lympne,Wildlife Heritage Foundation,South Lakes,and so on house 2+ species of Tigers do you know why it is not the same rule with Tigers?
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You have a valid point. With tigers there has already been a lot of mixed breeding in the past, perhaps the reason the Asian Lion EEP decided to make such a rule when pure lions arrived in European Zoos. But trying to implement a similar rule about tigers would be too complicated and where could the extra ones go?

Whipsnade could obviously have had Asian Lions (from ZSL) but chose instead to make their new 'Serengeti Lion' exhibit for African lions.
 
Thanks Pertinax i think a main reason is so many zoos have different species of tigers it would be to difficult to inforce the rule.Yes when Pure ones arrived they couldnt have them inbreeding.
But surely the EEP must trust the zoos that they are apart of so why do this? and in keeping both Lion species they would most propably be in different areas of a zoo Africans in an african section and asians in the asians section so there would be no chance what so ever in accidental breeding of lions.
 
Riziki said:
But surely the EEP must trust the zoos that they are apart of so why do this? and in keeping both Lion species they would most propably be in different areas of a zoo Africans in an african section and asians in the asians section so there would be no chance what so ever in accidental breeding of lions.
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EEP cannot inforce its ruling's, they are only reccomendations. However in case of the Asiatic Lions they can stop new collections obtainig animals for breeding in the EEP.

I think they are right to set this rule for new collections, stop all the problems we have be having with other species (tigers and giraffe most notable).
 
Thanks Tuan does South Lakes still promote itself being the only place in the Uk to House the Siberian and Sumatran Tigers? i know that Howletts have both species and have bred them unlike South Lakes (Amurs are siblings though).Do you know at an estimate how many pure girafees there are in the UK? - Would just be interesting to know.
regards
 
Riziki said:
Do you know at an estimate how many pure girafees there are in the UK? - Would just be interesting to know.
regards
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Quick tally on ISIS shows 15.22.0 of pure sub-species (this is all the sub-species) Maybe someone can break it down into sub-species later.
 
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