Australasian Spider Monkey Research Thread

[tetrapod]

Historically the main breeding groups were Taronga, Auckland, Orana and Dubbo. The latter two held the darker Mexican form, while most of the others in the region were the paler forms. They were managed separately for years, until knowledge that the US population was hybridised in the past. Taronga's group was always a mixed bag, as was Wellington which held white-bellied belzebuth and brown hybridis alongside black-handed, plus hybrids. Perth also held a male red-faced paniscus during the late 80s with two female black-handed (never bred).
I don't think that there were any previous problems of rearing offspring. As mentioned current issues probably revolve around young being born to females who don't get the opportunity to observe maternal behaviour.

 

[Zoofan15]

It was surprising to see only a select few zoos in our region currently hold breeding groups of this species; Dubbo, Melbourne, Wildlife HQ and Hunter Valley in Australia and then Auckland, Hamilton and Orana in NZ.

Only Dubbo and Auckland have achieved reasonable success, with multiple females successfully conceiving; the other facilities relying mainly on just a single pair to breed. Orana also haven't successfully bred since 2005, but did import a new male from Hamilton three years ago.

And to add to that, Melbourne and Hunter Valley have had their breeding females reject their young. Which can be quite problematic, as I imagine it would be more of influence for the females to be kept on contraception for a while (as is the case with Isobella at the moment at Melbourne); rather than being let breed freely and the zoo having to hand-raise an infant every year.

I don’t hold high hopes for Orana’s chances of breeding. Tostada never sired infants during his years at Hamilton Zoo, despite having the opportunity to do so; and has been unsuccessful in his three years at Orana. Staff are hopeful recent renovations to the exhibit will help. Some of the females are quite old, but Jeneill at Hamilton Zoo bred at 32 years without issue.

Socially speaking, it would have been better to send the young male, Aranyo, to Orana rather than transfer him to Wellington’s non breeding troop. He had a normal social upbringing and subsequently became a potential sire of Hamilton’s latest infant. Presumably Tostada took priority for genetic reasons (unrepresented founder).

 

[Jambo]

Historically the main breeding groups were Taronga, Auckland, Orana and Dubbo. The latter two held the darker Mexican form, while most of the others in the region were the paler forms. They were managed separately for years, until knowledge that the US population was hybridised in the past. Taronga's group was always a mixed bag, as was Wellington which held white-bellied belzebuth and brown hybridis alongside black-handed, plus hybrids. Perth also held a male red-faced paniscus during the late 80s with two female black-handed (never bred).
I don't think that there were any previous problems of rearing offspring. As mentioned current issues probably revolve around young being born to females who don't get the opportunity to observe maternal behaviour.

Makes sense. Dubbo recently imported a much darker male from France and he's been bred with their lighter coloured girls. It's a similar situation at Melbourne - who's female (also from France) seems to be the same sub species as Dubbo's breeding male and has been paired with a lighter coloured male. So it seems they've resorted to inbreeding in recent years.

 

[Jambo]

Anyone have any info on the holdings at Banana Cabana, Poukai, Hunter Valley and Wellington?

Don't have any info on the former two.

Hunter Valley had the following individuals:

1.0 Mike (1985) Dubbo
0.1 Hannah (27/10/1984) Taronga
1.0 Shane (1998) Taronga
1.0 Barda (?) formerly Mogo, NZ Franklin Park
0.1 Cara (?) formerly Mogo, NZ
0.1 Betty (?) NZ
0.1 Jan (?) NZ
1.0 Mono 2018/2019 Betty or Jan
1.0 Tito (2020) x Cara
0.1 Coco (2022) x Cara

I also know Wellington have a male (Arturo) but they do have more.

 

[Zoofan15]

Anyone have any info on the holdings at Banana Cabana, Poukai, Hunter Valley and Wellington?

Don't have any info on the former two.

Hunter Valley had the following individuals:

1.0 Mike (1985) Dubbo
0.1 Hannah (27/10/1984) Taronga
1.0 Shane (1998) Taronga
1.0 Barda (?) formerly Mogo, NZ Franklin Park
0.1 Cara (?) formerly Mogo, NZ
0.1 Betty (?) NZ
0.1 Jan (?) NZ
1.0 Mono 2018/2019 Betty or Jan
1.0 Tito (2020) x Cara
0.1 Coco (2022) x Cara

I also know Wellington have a male (Arturo) but they do have more.

Wellington Zoo

Arturo is no longer at Wellington Zoo. They’ve (finally) updated their website and state Aranyo is their only male:

1.0 Aranyo (2016) Salsa x Jeneill - born at Hamilton Zoo

According to their website, they also have five females. I only know the name of one of these females:

0.1 Winnie (2012) Unknown x Unknown - born at Unknown

 

[marmolady]

To my knowledge, Banana Cabana have two males.

 

[steveroberts]

This is neither here nor there with current population but 'Bluegum/Blue Gum Farm Zoo' (everyone just called it 'Bluegum/Blue Gum Farm' and assumed it was called just that originally when it opened in '85/'86) that was at Deepwater Park, Milperra, south-west Sydney had a at least two BH Spider Monkeys on a pond island exhibit from at least 2000 til sometime after late 2002 (I visited in 2000 sometime and late 2002 the other time) it closed sometime between 2004-2008 (been tough finding an exact closure year) but don't know anything about the fate of those Spider Monkeys, or where they came from/went nor genders/names/ages/relatedness.

*they were the only exotic animals ever saw there if you discount domestic hoofstock, Dromedaries, Alpacas, Water Buffaloes, Domestic Ferrets, maybe they had Red Foxes once but not there when personally visited, decent native collection (Koalas, Dingoes, Common Wombats, SB Echidnas, Macropods, Emus, Cockatoos, Diamond Python, Bluetongues).

 

[Zoofan15]

To my knowledge, Banana Cabana have two males.

They’re called Ollie and BB according to their socials. Both were mentioned in posts last year.

Posts from 2019 and previous mentioned a third male named Bingo, but since he was always paired with BB (they looked identical, probably brothers); and now BB is mentioned without him, I’d assume Bingo has passed.

 

[Jambo]

Thanks @Zoofan15 and @marmolady for the info. Also great to see historical info too @steveroberts, that's always welcomed as well.

I was also wondering if anyone has any info on Crocodylus's individuals. I was told they had a single male.

 

[steveroberts]

@Jambo

No worries,

I really hope you get info from Crocodylus about their Spider Monkey(s), probably will have better luck as is a current individual. Personal experience trying to ask them about deceased individuals (3 Persian Leopards) has come to nothing.

 

[Jambo]

@Jambo

No worries,

I really hope you get info from Crocodylus about their Spider Monkey(s), probably will have better luck as is a current individual. Personal experience trying to ask them about deceased individuals (3 Persian Leopards) has come to nothing.

Yes, all I really need is Crocodylus, Poukai, and some further info on Wellington's other girls and then we'd have the population list done and dusted.

When I first enquired about their Spider Monkey they actually thought I was trying to buy him! Once it was cleared up that I was not attempting to purchase him, they advised me they only had one male. I then re-emailed to ask his name to no response.

 

[steveroberts]

@Jambo

Easier to get answers out of ASIO, the CIA, MI5&6 or the Pentagon then it is Crocodylus. Find that quite amusing that they thought you wanted to buy him just because you were asking questions. It's annoying too that they made it clear initially that they do respond but then go to ignoring, it's really rude imo.

 

[Zoofan15]

Wellington Zoo

Arturo is no longer at Wellington Zoo. They’ve (finally) updated their website and state Aranyo is their only male:

1.0 Aranyo (2016) Salsa x Jeneill - born at Hamilton Zoo

According to their website, they also have five females. I only know the name of one of these females:

0.1 Winnie (2012) Unknown x Unknown - born at Unknown

Wellington Zoo birth:

An infant had been born at Wellington Zoo. Sire would be Aranyo.

Mentioned in Wellington Zoo media by @Chlidonias.

This would be the first infant born at Wellington Zoo in decades - as well as the first in New Zealand in three years.

 

[Astrobird]

Id like to know more abt the 2 males @ Crocodillus, supposedly ones if them is disabled. A keeper told me he has downs syndrome if thats possible in primates, but the other one helps him alot to get around. Where have they come from?

 

[Jambo]

Id like to know more abt the 2 males @ Crocodillus, supposedly ones if them is disabled. A keeper told me he has downs syndrome if thats possible in primates, but the other one helps him alot to get around. Where have they come from?

They have a single male now, Jasper who was born in 1990 (although not sure where). I don't know whether he's the one that has down syndrome, but supposedly one of the two has since passed.