Australasian Spotted Hyena Population

Spotted Hyena Update

For those of you who don’t know, I’ve taken over the Spotted hyena population thread (as agreed with @akasha) and am currently in the process of updating the population list (this will be posted this week).

A few updates in the meantime:

The cub born August 2022 at Monarto has been sexed as a male and named Jabali.

Sydney Zoo have a female hyena! Mahali was transferred from Monarto Safari Park to be paired with Etana.

Etana’s siblings, Endesha and Enzi, have transferred from Sydney Zoo to Monarto Safari Park.
 
Zoofan15 said:
Spotted Hyena Update

For those of you who don’t know, I’ve taken over the Spotted hyena population thread (as agreed with @akasha) and am currently in the process of updating the population list (this will be posted this week).

A few updates in the meantime:

The cub born August 2022 at Monarto has been sexed as a male and named Jabali.

Sydney Zoo have a female hyena! Mahali was transferred from Monarto Safari Park to be paired with Etana.

Etana’s siblings, Endesha and Enzi, have transferred from Sydney Zoo to Monarto Safari Park.
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So good that the tip off I got that this planned transfer with Sydney turned out to be true! Same as the Mogo transfer. Hopefully some of the other info I got from the same keeper will turn out to be true too, like Monarto importing more Hyenas from South Africa, importing more ungulates (specifically kudu) and the possibility of a small breeding elephant herd
 
Swanson02 said:
So good that the tip off I got that this planned transfer with Sydney turned out to be true! Same as the Mogo transfer. Hopefully some of the other info I got from the same keeper will turn out to be true too, like Monarto importing more Hyenas from South Africa, importing more ungulates (specifically kudu) and the possibility of a small breeding elephant herd
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It’s an exciting development and I’m looking forward to seeing if the new males are introduced to any of the zoo’s three clans:

0.1 Forest (2007) Unknown x Kigali
1.0 Gamba (2003) Imported 2007
0.1 Fahari (2020) Gamba x Forest
1.0 Jabali (2022) Gamba x Forest

0.1 Kanzi (2017) Piltengi x Thandiwe
1.0 Mkoko (2015) Gamba x Forest

1.0 Jaali (2017) Piltengi x Thandiwe
1.0 Majani (2018) Gamba x Forest

Kanzi and Mkoko appear to be the most likely option, unless they’re holding out for new imports to introduce the new males too - creating a genetically valuable pairing.

Jaali and Majani have the lowest breeding application and may well be the two transferred out when Werribee build their exhibit.
 
I
Swanson02 said:
So good that the tip off I got that this planned transfer with Sydney turned out to be true! Same as the Mogo transfer. Hopefully some of the other info I got from the same keeper will turn out to be true too, like Monarto importing more Hyenas from South Africa, importing more ungulates (specifically kudu) and the possibility of a small breeding elephant herd
Click to expand...
haven’t heard this information but that all seems great. I’d hope that with Kudu we could redeem ourselves after WORZ’s facepalm last time. More importantly, a hyena import from South Africa would be awesome. Also, does this mean Sydney Zoo have joined the breeding program?
 
PaddyRickMFZ said:
More importantly, a hyena import from South Africa would be awesome. Also, does this mean Sydney Zoo have joined the breeding program?
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It will be great to have more founders in the region. Malika (2020) is the only female in the region unrelated to the Kigali line and even then, her mate will be a male descendant from this line.

Sydney Zoo have been part of the breeding programme since they imported three males from Singapore Zoo in 2019, but in terms of actually breeding, yes I believe the intention is for their pair to now breed.
 
Zoofan15 said:
It will be great to have more founders in the region. Malika (2020) is the only female in the region unrelated to the Kigali line and even then, her mate will be a male descendant from this line.

Sydney Zoo have been part of the breeding programme since they imported three males from Singapore Zoo in 2019, but in terms of actually breeding, yes I believe the intention is for their pair to now breed.
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Okay, that’s what I meant. Thank you very much. I have to visit Sydney Zoo now, on my bucket list for sure
 
Triplets:

Something that only came to my attention today is that the three Singapore bred males imported by Sydney Zoo in 2019 have the same DOB i.e. they’re triplets.

Triplets are rare in this species (1-2 cubs is the norm) and it’s even rarer for triplets to survive to maturity.

Unfortunately multiple births is a gene carried along maternal lineages, but I thought it was interesting to mention nonetheless as triplets have never been reported in Australasia before.
 
Zoofan15 said:
Triplets:

Something that only came to my attention today is that the three Singapore bred males imported by Sydney Zoo in 2019 have the same DOB i.e. they’re triplets.

Triplets are rare in this species (1-2 cubs is the norm) and it’s even rarer for triplets to survive to maturity.

Unfortunately multiple births is a gene carried along maternal lineages, but I thought it was interesting to mention nonetheless as triplets have never been reported in Australasia before.
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And today is their 10th birthday! It’s good to see them placed in potential breeding situations now.
 
Zoofan15 said:
True! I'll be fascinated to see which females they're paired with. Within Monarto's population, Kanzi seems the most likely as pairing them with Fahari is just replicating the pairing at Sydney Zoo. New imports would be even better!
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Kanzi seems the most realistic option imo. Obviously means Mkoko will have to be grouped elsewhere; potentially in with the other males (Jaali and Majani). Doubt they’d break up the Gamba, Forest, Fahari and Jabali unit.

With Werribee looking to acquire a group soon, an overseas import really seems like the only option if they want to maintain diversity. I wouldn’t be surprised if Werribee and Monarto work together on an import in the next 2,3 years or so.
 
Jambo said:
Kanzi seems the most realistic option imo. Obviously means Mkoko will have to be grouped elsewhere; potentially in with the other males (Jaali and Majani). Doubt they’d break up the Gamba, Forest, Fahari and Jabali unit.

With Werribee looking to acquire a group soon, an overseas import really seems like the only option if they want to maintain diversity. I wouldn’t be surprised if Werribee and Monarto work together on an import in the next 2,3 years or so.
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From what I’ve read about Spotted hyena hierarchy, it’s possible to introduce unrelated/unfamiliar males as they’re a male dispersal species. The females remain in their natal pack, inheriting their mother’s rank and competition between females is ferocious.

With this in mind, it may be possible to introduce the new males from Sydney to the 1.1 pack of Kanzi and Mkoko. Though obviously they’d want to ensure Kanzi mated with one of the Sydney males in this scenario.

Gamba, Forest and their offspring will hopefully continue to live as a cohesive pack.
 
I’ve updated the population list to include all changes to date, revised unknown dates and parentage via information from the holding facilities and revised the formatting to my chosen format - with one important difference…

When she first created this population list, @akasha listed females before males to reflect the social order of this species. I thought this was really insightful and have continued this tradition.

Australasian Spotted Hyena Population (2023)

Altina Wildlife Park:

0.1 Malika (13/09/2020) Imported 2021 (South Africa)
1.0 Amani (09/04/2009) Mwenka x Kigali
1.0 Mkali (09/04/2009) Mwenka x Kigali

Mogo Wildlife Park:

0.1 Thandiwe (12/05/2014) Gamba x Forest
1.0 Cheka (13/09/2020) Imported 2021 (South Africa)

Monarto Safari Park:

0.1 Forest (24/10/2007) Mwenka x Kigali
0.1 Fahari (03/11/2020) Gamba x Forest
1.0 Gamba (02/03/2003) Imported 2007 (Singapore)
1.0 Jabali (26/08/2022) Gamba x Forest

1.0 Endesha (01/03/2013) Imported 2019 (Singapore)
1.0 Enzi (01/03/2013) Imported 2019 (Singapore)

0.1 Kanzi (13/09/2017) Piltengi x Thandiwe
1.0 Mkoko (13/07/2015) Gamba x Forest

1.0 Jaali (13/09/2017) Piltengi x Thandiwe
1.0 Majani (15/01/2018) Gamba x Forest

National Zoo and Aquarium:

1.0 Pinduli (12/06/2012) Gamba x Kigali
1.0 Zuberi (06/02/2013) Gamba x Forest

Perth Zoo:

1.0 Kigana (28/11/2000) Imported 2007 (Singapore)
1.0 Sabi (18/05/2007) Gamba x Kigali

Sydney Zoo:

0.1 Mahali (03/11/2020) Gamba x Forest
1.0 Etana (01/03/2013) Imported 2019 (Singapore)

Total population: 15.6 hyena
 
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Zoofan15 said:
I’ve updated the population list to include all changes to date, revised unknown dates and parentage via information from the holding facilities and revised the formatting to my chosen format - with one important difference…

When she first created this population list, @akasha listed females before males to reflect the social order of this species. I thought this was really insightful and have continued this tradition.

Australasian Spotted Hyena Population (2023)

Altina Wildlife Park:

0.1 Malika (13/09/2020) Imported 2021 (South Africa)
1.0 Amani (09/04/2009) Mwenka x Kigali
1.0 Mkali (09/04/2009) Mwenka x Kigali

Mogo Wildlife Park:

0.1 Thandiwe (12/05/2014) Gamba x Forest
1.0 Cheka (13/09/2020) Imported 2021 (South Africa)

Monarto Safari Park:

0.1 Forest (24/10/2007) Mwenka x Kigali
0.1 Fahari (03/11/2020) Gamba x Forest
1.0 Gamba (02/03/2003) Imported 2007 (Singapore)
1.0 Jabali (26/08/2022) Gamba x Forest

1.0 Endesha (01/03/2013) Imported 2019 (Singapore)
1.0 Enzi (01/03/2013) Imported 2019 (Singapore)

0.1 Kanzi (13/09/2017) Piltengi x Thandiwe
1.0 Mkoko (13/07/2015) Gamba x Forest

1.0 Jaali (13/09/2017) Piltengi x Thandiwe
1.0 Majani (15/01/2018) Gamba x Forest

National Zoo and Aquarium:

1.0 Pinduli (12/06/2012) Gamba x Kigali
1.0 Zuberi (06/02/2013) Gamba x Forest

Perth Zoo:

1.0 Kigana (28/11/2000) Imported 2007 (Singapore)
1.0 Sabi (18/05/2007) Gamba x Kigali

Sydney Zoo:

0.1 Mahali (03/11/2020) Gamba x Forest
1.0 Etana (01/03/2013) Imported 2019 (Singapore)

Total population: 15.6 hyena
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Might I ask, how many facilities intend to breed hyena? Is it Mogo, Altina, Monarto and Sydney?
 
PaddyRickMFZ said:
Might I ask, how many facilities intend to breed hyena? Is it Mogo, Altina, Monarto and Sydney?
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Yes that’s correct - those four hold breeding packs and will hopefully all be breeding in the near future. Considering wild packs can number over 100 animals, we’ve apparently struggled to build up numbers within the region - even at the open range zoos with space to hold more than the pair or trio usually housed at a city zoo.

Werribee plan to acquire the species in the near future. With four facilities breeding, I assume they’ll hold a non breeding pack.

Depending on whether Monarto pair Kanzi with their new males (their best genetic match unless they import), these are the obvious candidates for Werribee:

0.1 Kanzi (13/09/2017) Piltengi x Thandiwe
1.0 Mkoko (13/07/2015) Gamba x Forest

1.0 Jaali (13/09/2017) Piltengi x Thandiwe
1.0 Majani (15/01/2018) Gamba x Forest

Depending on the personalities involved, they may be able to integrate them into a pack of four - though I’m assuming Monarto have already tried that given the fact they remain in two packs.
 
Zoofan15 said:
Yes that’s correct - those four hold breeding packs and will hopefully all be breeding in the near future. Considering wild packs can number over 100 animals, we’ve apparently struggled to build up numbers within the region - even at the open range zoos with space to hold more than the pair or trio usually housed at a city zoo.

Werribee plan to acquire the species in the near future. With four facilities breeding, I assume they’ll hold a non breeding pack.

Depending on whether Monarto pair Kanzi with their new males (their best genetic match unless they import), these are the obvious candidates for Werribee:

0.1 Kanzi (13/09/2017) Piltengi x Thandiwe
1.0 Mkoko (13/07/2015) Gamba x Forest

1.0 Jaali (13/09/2017) Piltengi x Thandiwe
1.0 Majani (15/01/2018) Gamba x Forest

Depending on the personalities involved, they may be able to integrate them into a pack of four - though I’m assuming Monarto have already tried that given the fact they remain in two packs.
Click to expand...
Would be amazing to see a facility hold hyenas in at least the 20s. Werribee and Monarto certainly have the space.
 
Zoofan15 said:
Monarto would be the best bet as Werribee's facilities didn't look huge. They were planning to hold wild dogs and hyena in adjacent exhibits which also implies they have no plans to breed the former long-term.
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Are you referring to Werribee in the last sentence? If so then I may correct you. The Hyenas will certainly not be adjacent to Wild dogs, and will be near elephants if anywhere. I was told it’s possible they jog her seven have extra space for breeding AWD
 
PaddyRickMFZ said:
Are you referring to Werribee in the last sentence? If so then I may correct you. The Hyenas will certainly not be adjacent to Wild dogs, and will be near elephants if anywhere. I was told it’s possible they jog her seven have extra space for breeding AWD
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Yes I was. I was referring to this plan, which shows two adjacent exhibits for Spotted hyena and African wild dog:

upload_2023-3-4_20-31-27.jpeg

I want aware these plans had been changed, but that’s good news they have as it’s not advisable to house them next door to each other - especially if trying to bred AWD.
 

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Zoofan15 said:
I’ve updated the population list to include all changes to date, revised unknown dates and parentage via information from the holding facilities and revised the formatting to my chosen format - with one important difference…

When she first created this population list, @akasha listed females before males to reflect the social order of this species. I thought this was really insightful and have continued this tradition.

Australasian Spotted Hyena Population (2023)

Altina Wildlife Park:

0.1 Malika (13/09/2020) Imported 2021 (South Africa)
1.0 Amani (09/04/2009) Mwenka x Kigali
1.0 Mkali (09/04/2009) Mwenka x Kigali

Mogo Wildlife Park:

0.1 Thandiwe (12/05/2014) Gamba x Forest
1.0 Cheka (13/09/2020) Imported 2021 (South Africa)

Monarto Safari Park:

0.1 Forest (24/10/2007) Mwenka x Kigali
0.1 Fahari (03/11/2020) Gamba x Forest
1.0 Gamba (02/03/2003) Imported 2007 (Singapore)
1.0 Jabali (26/08/2022) Gamba x Forest

1.0 Endesha (01/03/2013) Imported 2019 (Singapore)
1.0 Enzi (01/03/2013) Imported 2019 (Singapore)

0.1 Kanzi (13/09/2017) Piltengi x Thandiwe
1.0 Mkoko (13/07/2015) Gamba x Forest

1.0 Jaali (13/09/2017) Piltengi x Thandiwe
1.0 Majani (15/01/2018) Gamba x Forest

National Zoo and Aquarium:

1.0 Pinduli (12/06/2012) Gamba x Kigali
1.0 Zuberi (06/02/2013) Gamba x Forest

Perth Zoo:

1.0 Kigana (28/11/2000) Imported 2007 (Singapore)
1.0 Sabi (18/05/2007) Gamba x Kigali

Sydney Zoo:

0.1 Mahali (03/11/2020) Gamba x Forest
1.0 Etana (01/03/2013) Imported 2019 (Singapore)

Total population: 15.6 hyena
Click to expand...
Great work @Zoofan15 Thanks very much for taking over the list, I appreciate it :)
 
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