Does anyone think like me that over a few years a movement of gorillas should happen.
USA > Europe > Australia.
USA > Europe > Australia.
Australasian Western Lowland Gorilla Population
- Thread starter Zoofan15
- Start date
Australian zoos need more female gorillas. Melbourne Zoo have a 1.1 pair and their adolescent daughter; and Taronga and Mogo are each down to one reproductive female.
What I would like to see is an import of females from North America. Like the Australasian Sumatran tiger population, we have received the founders of our gorilla population from European lines; and while the North American population does have a number of shared founders with Europe, they also have a number of gorillas derived from wild founders imported into the US.
There's no way American gorillas go straight to Australia.
Osedax
Well-Known Member
Why not?
Europe has a surplus of females right now. so its the obvious choice.
The Australsian regional breeding program is also an extension of the European program so it's likely if females were to arrive, they would indeed come from Europe.
Especially if the Gorilla SSP (EAZA) claims that they ideally want a 1-2 group going forward.
Yep, there are no ties to America.
Our entire regional population descends from lines well represented in Europe, but I don’t doubt some distant relations would be of benefit (also in terms of social demographics).
Europe would be understandably reluctant to send out their most genetically valuable females given they’d then be faced with shipping back offspring if desired for breeding programmes.
There are still exchanges between the regions. Rafiki from the well represented Jambo/N’Pongo is one of many examples (albeit a further back one). The North American population would have unique founders/lines and vice-versa for Europe, so exchanges are crucial to maintain genetic diversity.
Off the top of my head i can think of at least 10 females from Europe.
Feel free to list them!
Demographically, females around the dispersal age (adolescence) would be the most desirable for import. Not only does it maximise their reproductive potential, but they generally assimilate better into established troops.
Akiba, Mbini, Meisie, Moanda, Kuanza, Yanga, Muenda, Kianga. so eight off the top of my head.
Akiba, Mbini, Meisie, Moanda, Kuanza, Yanga, Muenda, Kianga. so eight off the top of my head.
Thank you for listing these. I’ve listed their age and location for additional context:
0.1 Meisie (2010) Blackpool
0.1 Moanda (2012) Blackpool
0.1 Kuanza (2012) Chessington
0.1 Akiba (2015) Barcelona
0.1 Mbini (2015) Barcelona
0.1 Yanga (2016) Artis
0.1 Muenda (2016) Duisburg
0.1 Kianga (2016) Leipzig
All appear great candidates except for Yanga and Muenda:
Yanga was initially hand raised and despite being integrated with gorillas, has had a few social issues along the way. Irregardless of any progress she’s made in recent years, I doubt any Australian zoo would want to take the risk.
Muenda is the daughter of Safiri (Kibabu x Kriba). All of the breeding females in the region are descended from this line, so from a genetic standpoint, there’s better options.
I think these three in particular need transfers from their natal groups. I don't understand why they have not been moved already...
Relatively few transfers between the USA and Europe have occurred over the years. I think both populations could benefit from a few more.
And you have one gorilla in Australia who is in the unique situation of having lived on all three continents!
Meisie and Moanda would be a good choice for Melbourne’s troop I think. They’d have each other for support coming into a troop where the only females are a mother and daughter. It wouldn’t surprise me to see Kanzi retained long term, especially if Kimya doesn’t breed again. She’s not genetically valuable and while Melbourne’s large exhibit lends itself to housing a large troop, there’s not the placements available to warrant regular breeding. Otana could head up a troop of four females, with the two new imports breeding.
A lone adolescent female such as Kuanza could likely assimilate into Taronga’s troop as none of the three females have strong ties to each other. She’d presumably assume the third ranking, below Mbeli (highest) and Frala (second highest); but above Johari (lowest ranking, who is on the periphery of this troop. Once she has an infant, she may well overtake Frala, who won’t be breeding again.
Honestly Kanzi and Kuanza would be good to import into tarongas troop. A number of there females are aged. Longer term they will need to add numbers. Gorillas are hugely popular at taronga so a breeding troop long term is something I can't see them going without especially now elephants are going. Indian rhino are great for zoo enthusiasts but the wow factor will wear of for the average visitor in a way that elephants never do. Which will increase they're need to keep species like gorillas.
Importing to females into the troop and basing breeding around them would be the way to go. That would also enable a multi import and quarantine of gorillas into the country if Melbourne took the two other females. Which may make it easier/more worth while.
Taronga’s exhibit isn’t really big enough to support five adult females. Only Frala is in her senior years and hopefully will be around for at least another decade.
Unless Taronga are going to build a larger exhibit, I think at most we’ll see one additional female imported - perhaps with her producing two infants over the nexr decade; and Mbeli one infant.
For some reason I was always under the impression of taronga as having more females raging towards being older. But its been a while since I have actually looked at there ages. Im still hopeful that instead of building precincts taronga will focus on just building nice enclosures for its species, and the gorillas will get a new exhibit. An arboreal species doesn't need flat land, and the sloped areas of taronga that they can't use for other exhibits. Would make great exhibits for the gorillas and replicate mountainous terrain well.
Yes, I'd like to see them go somewhere together too. Their mothers are half-sisters (Njeema and Miliki) who came together from Apenheul, but their parents weren't related to other Apenheul gorillas that were founders of those now in Australia. But I suspect maybe Blackpool want something in return in order to prevent their group shrinking if they were to leave. But I think it is hightime that they did...
