That Aussie Guy
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Would I be right in assuming that many of these would be held in the new "Wild Africa" precincts, or can the herd be sighted in different enclosure?
Monarto Safari Park Monarto Safari Park News 2024
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Would I be right in assuming that many of these would be held in the new "Wild Africa" precincts, or can the herd be sighted in different enclosure?
They were originally held in the Waterhole exhibit. According to socials, they’re held in Wild Africa and within the main park (a total of 29 nyala), so presumably the second herd is to manage breeding (separation of males etc).
Yeah there are at least two groups, one in Wild Africa and one in the Waterhole exhibit beside the bachelor group of Giraffe.
I'd assume the group on the main trail is the breeding group.
I believe you’re referring to Andrew, who will be well known to ZooChatters via Auckland Zoo’s TV series The Zoo.
I’ve had the privilege of talking to him on previous visits to Auckland Zoo and have found his enthusiasm for elephants inspiring. He will surely be an asset to the Monarto team (though a great loss to Auckland Zoo). Burma will undoubtedly appreciate his support (and his wife’s) as she undertakes the biggest transition in her life since she arrived at Auckland Zoo as an eight year old in 1990.
Luke899
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Andrew's worked with Burma since he was 15 years old. Burma is almost a sibling to him. Bro's experience with elephants is unrivalled and you'd be extremely hard-pressed to find someone with similar knowledge and hands-on familiarity with elephants as Andrew does.
Since his job at Auckland zoo was pretty much exclusively with elephants, with burma leaving, it makes sense he's moving to Australia. He'll help make the new herd cohesive, and be an amazing new keeper.
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This is fantastic news for Burma. Human elephant bonds are extremely strong, some studies of memory put them at almost as strong and important to an elephant as a bond with an elephant family member.
Plus we dont really want another arna and Gigi situation.
According to interviews, Andrew and now the Taronga team have had input into creating the Monarto complex and how operations will work. Their valuable expertise will ensure a successful outcome for all elephants without a doubt and be instrumental in facilitating successful introductions.
It’s exciting to think Putra Mas and Pak Boon (the region’s most genetically valuable pairing) could welcome a calf as soon as 2027.
Yes it definitely is, Its a win win for all the best possible out come for Burma the Perth elephants and the two cows at Taronga. Even better is having two experienced elephant keepers there right from the start all will benefit from this. The outlook of having 3 open range zoos holding herds into the future is the best that could have been hoped for into the future.
Functionally speaking, Monarto will (at least initially) hold a 1.1 breeding pair, so this means the region could see a female breed at natural birth intervals.
To date we’ve had Dokkoon who had 3 years and 11 months between her first two offspring and Num Oi who had 3 years and 5 months between her first two offspring. Females usually begin to cycle approximately 12 months after birth.
I agree. Especially considering those Melbourne cows were bred through AI, although in Australia where bulls aren't housed permanently with the female herd, there is always an element of intentionality around the timing of conception.
Agreed. Bearing in mind a cow is usually cycling again by the time her calf is 12 months old, it’s not unreasonable to assume Melbourne waited around a year after that before undertaking AI with Dokkoon to have a second calf (Man Jai). Mali would have been just over two years when he was conceived.
Even with natural breeding (which is expected to be undertaken at all open range zoos going forward), the cows’ cycles are monitored so pregnancies are always planned. This has been used at Taronga/Dubbo over the last decade and a half where Gung sometimes interacts with the cows for social reasons.
That's a good point. From memory, Thong Dee and Luk Chai used to accompany Tang Mo to Gung's exhibit when they were trying to breed with Tang Mo (back in 2012ish), for Luk Chai's socialisation, but they made sure to organise the visits for when Thong Dee wasn't fertile, as they weren't planning on breeding from her at that point.
That’s correct. They closely monitored all their cows cycles, not just for the purpose of AI but for managing contraception via separation during fertile times.
It was also mentioned in media reports following Pathi Harn’s attack on a keeper in 2012 that two of the females were cycling (with regards to his behaviour as he was seen dominating Tang Mo that week).
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Genetically it will be good for the herd going forward. Especially if more females are conceived then males.
It's odd that while AI has a strong male bias in todays world where sexed semen is easily done and cheaper then it ever has been. Why this is undertaken at other facilities at Dubbo where they really need female descendants.
It's worked out quite well. Which is quite unusual for our region!.
There will be a desire for female calves; especially in Monarto's case, as they'll be invaluable in the long term for the succession of Monarto's herd.
Dubbo has actually already attempted AI, and that calf (fathered by Putra Mas) was a female - Kanlaya.
In regards to the strong male bias with AI, as a region we've had seven successful calves born via AI - four males and three females. So not an incredible discrepancy. Although intriguingly, both of Putra Mas's calves were female whereas Bong Su had four sons and one daughter.
Genetically it will be good for the herd going forward. Especially if more females are conceived then males.
It's odd that while AI has a strong male bias in todays world where sexed semen is easily done and cheaper then it ever has been. Why this is undertaken at other facilities at Dubbo where they really need female descendants.
It's worked out quite well. Which is quite unusual for our region!.
Taronga undertook AI with Porntip in 2008, stating it was important as matriarch that she had a calf sooner rather than later. Thong Dee was already eight months pregnant and due to his size, Gung was unable to mount the adult cows. He impregnated Pak Boon eight months later after Porntip conceived through AI, so depending on Porntip’s ovulation cycle, it could have otherwise been a similar time frame. It was also stated it was a benefit that all of Taronga’s calves weren’t related.
It would have been ideal if Porntip had had a female calf first time round as she could have mated with Gung by now; but had Tukta survived, she and Pathi Harn would have been unrelated (a moot point as Tukta likely would have remained at Taronga).
Doing AI with Porntip second time round would have been done for genetic diversity/future planning. Gung had recently sired his fourth calf (two to Thong Dee; two to Pak Boon) and as a young bull, was/is anticipated to have many years ahead of him. Dubbon now have Sabai/Kanlaya, who are an unrelated pair; as well as having the option to breed her to Gung.
Im not sure why the region is moving away from AI, when the ability to create more genetically viable herds is there. The reality of moving bulls when needed from zoo to zoo isnt really going to be in there best interest nor will it be cheap.
Apparently AI has a male bias of memory of up to 80% in elephants of memory. We dont seem to have been hit with that. While I think other zoos have had it occur. Whether zoos are more weary because male are harder to place.
AI was previously used out of necessity:
Bong Su was a behavioural non-breeder
Gung (initially) couldn’t mount Porntip
Putra Mas lived at a zoo with no viable females
AI is costly and (for the cow) evasive. The aim going forward is to have all herds breeding naturally. Young bulls will be mentored by older bulls and learn/practice mating skills they can implement themselves when required.
Moving bulls between zoos isn’t something that will happen often. Luk Chai is anticipated to sire one more cohort of calves at Werribee and will then retire. A new breeding bull will then be brought in (I’d speculate a Sydney bull) and then in turn remain in place for a decade as breeder. I don’t know Monarto’s plans, but it seems obvious Putra Mas and Pak Boon would be allowed to have 2-3 calves over a similar time frame.