ZooDoo Wildlife Park Siberian Tigers for Tasmania?

[zooboy28]

ZooDoo Zoo in Tasmania has applied to import Siberian Tigers. Not sure why they would bother, when the animals will not be contributing to a managed population usefully and there are none currently in the region. They would be better off going for Sumatrans (managed in the region in large numbers, although potentially difficult/lengthy wait to obtain) or hybrids (dwindling numbers, don't think any are breeding (maybe Dreamworld?), although surplus could be available). The apparent lack of understanding of the Bengal Tiger situation is also rather concerning...

Story here: Animal welfare activists angered over Zoodoo Zoo's plan for Siberian tigers - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

A Tasmanian wildlife park's plan to import two Siberian tigers for the first time has angered animal welfare activists.

Zoodoo Zoo has applied to Tasmania's Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment (DPIPWE) for permission to bring in the endangered species.

However, animal welfare activists have complained that the facility does not have room to house the tigers, which "belong in the wild".

General manager Donna Cuttriss said Siberian tigers were easier to come by than Bengal tigers, which the Richmond zoo has previously housed.

"Bengal tigers are very hard to obtain, they are very rare, there's a fair few in captivity but genetics-wise they're not always available," she said.

"As far as all of our security and husbandry and things go, they are extremely similar.

"They have a lot of similar traits and requirements."

Ms Cuttriss said it could take a year or two to secure the necessary state and federal approvals to import the big cats.

Two years ago, the wildlife park's treatment of white lion cubs prompted a government investigation after a complaint was made about members of the public being allowed to handle the cubs.

The zoo rejected the accusations.

Stop Tasmanian Animal Cruelty spokeswoman Suzanne Cass described the prospect of Siberian tigers in an enclosure as "disgraceful".

"They're wild animals and they belong in the wild," she said.

"They don't belong in a small zoo, in enclosures in a money-making venture."

Ms Cass said Zoodoo Zoo's enclosures were not big enough.

"Where do we draw the limit with this? Is [the owner] going to want to import camels and elephants next? Where does it end?"

Biosecurity Tasmania is seeking public feedback on the idea.

The agency described Siberian tigers as the largest and heaviest of the remaining tiger sub-species.

Males can weigh up to 320 kilograms and have a head to tail length of 3.3 metres for males and 2.6 metres for females.

The department also noted Siberian tigers were not known to have caused any significant impacts to the environment or agriculture, however it is known that when their natural prey source becomes scarce, they will turn to hunting domestic livestock as a source of prey.

 

[Dassie rat]

It's a pity that there were so many Tasmanians who showed little care for Tasmanian tigers 100 years ago.

 

[Nikola Chavkosk]

They're the most easiest subspecies of tiger to obtain? Why not to be established breeding programme for Siberian tigers in Australian region? Tigers are relatively easy to care for, they are breeding with success in zoos, and problem would not be importing and exchange of Siberian tigers with oversea zoos. There are 380 of them in European zoos only.

That zoo would wait a lot for other subspecies. And instead to offer it's place for generic tigers, it offer the capacity to contribute to the ex city conservation of endangered species. You will agree with me - When we look at that way, many animals populations in Australian zoos are not self-sustainable, eg. Western lowland gorillas, and they must continuosly be exchanged with animals from other, oversea zoos.

 

[Nikola Chavkosk]

Are there Siberian tigers in New Zeland?

 

[Hix]

It's a pity that there were so many Tasmanians who showed little care for Tasmanian tigers 100 years ago.

Different time, different mentality, different priorities...



Hix

 

[Nisha]

Are there Siberian tigers in New Zeland?

No - only Sumatran and hybrids

My concern would be how Amur Tigers would adapt to the climate in Australia. They're built for snow and extreme cold, not a hot climate

Surely they'd be able to obtain a pair or a single Sumatran in a (temporarily at least) none breeding situation ?

 

[zooboy28]

No - only Sumatran and hybrids

My concern would be how Amur Tigers would adapt to the climate in Australia. They're built for snow and extreme cold, not a hot climate

Surely they'd be able to obtain a pair or a single Sumatran in a (temporarily at least) none breeding situation ?

I imagine Siberians would be adaptable, at least to the Tasmanian climate. However, they then wouldn't be part of a breeding programme, and there is no chance of a second tiger subspecies being managed by the region due to a lack of space. They are struggling as it is to have enough spaces to keep the Snow Leopard population going (which seem to cope fine with the Australian climate).

I'd think they could obtain Sumatrans, but there may be a waiting list. If they were to import they could bypass that.

 

[tetrapod]

I imagine Siberians would be adaptable, at least to the Tasmanian climate. However, they then wouldn't be part of a breeding programme, and there is no chance of a second tiger subspecies being managed by the region due to a lack of space. They are struggling as it is to have enough spaces to keep the Snow Leopard population going (which seem to cope fine with the Australian climate).

I'd think they could obtain Sumatrans, but there may be a waiting list. If they were to import they could bypass that.

Playing devil's advocate, if (a pretty big if) Aust zoos went out of generics, then that would open up alot of potential spaces for tigers. That void wouldn't be filled by Sumatrans (as obviously there aren't enough to go around now). Could Siberians fill this gap and be managed successfully...?

A real pity that more zoos haven't come on board with snow leopards. I can see the same situation that occurred with Persians and very nearly maned wolves, where the big 4 city zoos lose interest and the slack isn't quickly picked up by the smaller zoos. One would think - charismatic endangered big cat would be a winner...

 

[Chlidonias]

Playing devil's advocate, if (a pretty big if) Aust zoos went out of generics, then that would open up alot of potential spaces for tigers. That void wouldn't be filled by Sumatrans (as obviously there aren't enough to go around now). Could Siberians fill this gap and be managed successfully...?

there aren't really a lot of generics in Australia though (most zoos that have them only have one or two, apart for Dreamworld obviously), and they almost all also house Sumatrans anyway - I think the only public zoo with generics but no Sumatrans is Crocodylus Park.

 

[ZOODOO]

We have had Bengal Tigers in the past. Our last one was put down at the age of 16 due to deteriorating age related health issues. As a result we currently have an empty tiger facility. We have been in regular contact with ZAA waiting for them to open up the membership process for the past 18 months. After all this time they are still not ready to take any new applications. Even when ZAA are ready to take applications then it will take a long time to get our application assessed, approved and then there will be the waiting list to actually obtain any tigers through ZAA... basically to go down that route is going to be years of waiting on top of the already 18 months we have waited for applications to open up, all the while with an empty exhibit. Some may say it's not ideal to display the generic tigers but at the end of the day even a generic tiger has the potential to raise a lot of funds and awareness for the in-situ conservation programs.

 

[MRJ]

I thought Zoodoo were members of ZAA a few years back, was this dropped?

 

[ZOODOO]

Hi MJR, Zoodoo have never applied to become ZAA members before though it is our intention to do so once applications open up.

 

[MRJ]

Funny, I was sure you were members about a decade ago. My mistake.