Mountain Nyala

According to Zootierliste, Berlin Zoo kept Mountain Nyala between 1934 - 43. Most likely, those were the only Mountain Nyalas ever kept in any zoo. It seems to be a matter of national pride for the successive Ethiopian governments not to export any of those or other rare Ethiopian wildlife like Walia Ibex or Ethiopian wolf.

Maybe someone is thinking about geting them someday :
http://www.stlzoo.org/wildcareinstitute/conservationinthehornofafr/savingthemountainnyala.htm :)
 
Saro said:
According to Zootierliste, Berlin Zoo kept Mountain Nyala between 1934 - 43. Most likely, those were the only Mountain Nyalas ever kept in any zoo.
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I’m sure you’re correct that these Berlin animals were the only ones ever kept in a zoo.

The classic book “Management of Wild Mammals in Captivity” (Lee S. Crandall, 1964) states that the species “appears to have been shown only by the Zoological Gardens of Berlin”. If any zoo had kept the species more recently then it would be more widely known. (Crandall records that the Berlin specimens were killed by an air raid in 1944.)

Incidentally, for many years the type specimen of mountain nyala was on display in the Natural History Museum, South Kensington, London; I was very disappointed when it was taken off exhibit some years ago.
 
I thought Rome had some at some point, due to their colonial influence in their homeland.
 
None for Rome. Only the 1.1 in Berlin. Both died during the war. They were brought into the country by Hagenbeck. They would be a good candidate for ex-situ breeding now that Greater Kudu husbandry has been perfected (or near-so) if the Ethiopian government could be persuaded to let some out of the country.
 
^if disney could use there large funds to prize some out of the Ethiopian governments hands, would be perfect:)
 
Sorry, I wasn't saying disney should obtain this species (they certinly wouldn't be my 1st choice) I was simply pointing out that disney have the money to 'persuade' the etheopians to relese a heard
 
So do many other companies. Why would they pay that much money if they wouldn't even be gaining the nyala for their own use?
 
It is not always about money - believe it or not, national pride matters to some countries, even if they are very poor !
 
Well, 15000$ may seem a lot, but not compared to a cost of quarantine and transport of a large animal or new enclosure.
 
Saro said:
It is not always about money - believe it or not, national pride matters to some countries, even if they are very poor !
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So if it's not about money then why allow people to hunt them for cold, hard cash? It is definitely about money in my opinion!
No zoo will pay so much for unimpressive species (to the general public) as mountain nyala, walia ibex and Ethiopian wolf. I admit that any of the 3 would get me to pay more to see than say a koala or giant panda but I am not an average zoo-goer, same as the rest of you.It wouldn't be a sound investment and unfortunately that's the world we live in... :(
 
Brum said:
So if it's not about money then why allow people to hunt them for cold, hard cash? It is definitely about money in my opinion!
No zoo will pay so much for unimpressive species (to the general public) as mountain nyala, walia ibex and Ethiopian wolf. I admit that any of the 3 would get me to pay more to see than say a koala or giant panda but I am not an average zoo-goer, same as the rest of you.It wouldn't be a sound investment and unfortunately that's the world we live in... :(
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Hunting them is fine because they do not leave the country alive, as strange as that may seem...

I know that some high profile zoos have tried to get Mountain Nyalas over the decades. I have even seen (in person!) the finished exhibit signs at one institutions archive, unfortunately they never received the animals after all, export permits were never issued.
I also know of other cases, were high profile zoos tried to get certain species with a lot of money, sometimes it works (sumatran rhinos, giant pandas, giant eland and golden snub nosed monkeys being notable and well known examples), but sometimes it does not work, no matter how much money is offered ! Sometimes personal relationships between zoo people and exporting authorities/zoos are more valuable than stacks of cash and some zoos are just not willing to put in the personal (meaning IN PERSON) effort.
 
Disney invests millions of dollars in conservation. I could see them leading the effort to create a breeding program. Also funded by antelope power houses such as Denver, Saint Louis, and San Diego. They could probably have a program quiet similar to the Eastern Bongo.
 
Wow, I never realised that my original comment would stir up such a debate. I know that national pride matters to many countries. And I wasn't suggesting it didn't, but what I'm saying is, if the Ethiopian government isn't going to release a few of these treasured animals (aswell as Wallian Ibex + Ethiopian Wolf) then surely it is about money?, and if I'm honest (not saying that other Zoological instututians could afford the species), Surley only Disney (who has money to spare), and another Zoological instutution which specialises in African Species (prehands San Diego Safari Park?) Would want to invest in a species that the everage zoo-goer, which as previously stated, nobody here is, is not going to get overly excited with, probably with the comment 'oh, another antelope.' However, it is pretty obvious that every person here on zoochat would get excited, antelope fan or not, is going to get excited for the prospect of seeing there first, and possibly last, mountain Nyala
 
Well, there is a certain appeal to the mountain nyala for some zoo managers. It is after all an almost mythical species (even though not THAT rare and regularly hunted) that goes beyond the usual "would the visitor honor the investment". It would greatly add to prestige of the zoo that gets them first (even if only in certain circles - that does matter greatly to some zoos!).

What I am saying is that it does not just take some money (probably not even THAT much), but a long term personal commitment to the native area and the species. The highly uncertain outcome of such a commitment is likely what scares the zoos away, rather than the money. Maybe that will change in the future (see the St. Louis link :)), because lets not forget - this is a very beautiful and charismatic species !
 
Saro said:
Hunting them is fine because they do not leave the country alive, as strange as that may seem...
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Many countries take pride in their unique animals, but show this pride in very different ways.

Poland offered its Wisents as gifts all over, and Kenya sees no problem in exporting its wildlife. I see no bad effects of this, countries which easily give away their wildlife seem succesful and wildlife well protected.

Saro said:
Sometimes personal relationships between zoo people and exporting authorities/zoos are more valuable than stacks of cash and some zoos are just not willing to put in the personal (meaning IN PERSON) effort.
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You are very right here! I know of some zoo people who are willing to travel to other continents and study animals in the wild and get personal contact with local researchers. Pity there are not more of them.
 
Dallaspachyderm said:
Disney invests millions of dollars in conservation. I could see them leading the effort to create a breeding program. Also funded by antelope power houses such as Denver, Saint Louis, and San Diego. They could probably have a program quiet similar to the Eastern Bongo.
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Denver has not bred this species for some time. I believe the last I herd of an Eastern Bongo calf at Denver, was in 2008.

After Asian Tropics their Hoof stock area fell in breeding. Which would make since, as most of them are phase out species. They did has a successful Okapi birth in 2009 but that was the last I've herd of anything being bred in that area of the zoo.
 
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