Was Marwell a net producer or consumer of this species? I know they bred successfully for many, many years, but were any ever sent away to other collections?
Was Marwell a net producer or consumer of this species? I know they bred successfully for many, many years, but were any ever sent away to other collections?
Thanks for this - was this an even exchange of stock to bring in new blood, or did Marwell at any point produce animals that went on to augment or found new groups elsewhere?
Was Marwell a net producer or consumer of this species? I know they bred successfully for many, many years, but were any ever sent away to other collections?
Marwell was a net producer of this species for many years, a group of nearly twenty were produced at one point.
In the latter years they suffered from a strange muscle-wasting condition which led to death, and they gradually all died out, the final two males left the collection this year.
Thanks - I was more referring to whether they produced an overall increase in the captive population, rather than whether they had some years where they grew in or sustained existing numbers. In other words, I wondered if there are descendents of Marwell-bred dama's elsewhere, or was this largely a closed group?
Perhaps there was an issue with inbreeding that created the health problems? I know for many years they were most successful confined to a hardstand where the anoa are now, before being moved to the giraffe house. As far as I know, that was the first time the group were kept on grass, and their decline seemed to set in from this point onwards.
Thanks - I was more referring to whether they produced an overall increase in the captive population, rather than whether they had some years where they grew in or sustained existing numbers. In other words, I wondered if there are descendents of Marwell-bred dama's elsewhere, or was this largely a closed group?
Perhaps there was an issue with inbreeding that created the health problems? I know for many years they were most successful confined to a hardstand where the anoa are now, before being moved to the giraffe house. As far as I know, that was the first time the group were kept on grass, and their decline seemed to set in from this point onwards.
Well a bit of both, yes it was a "closed group" for many years, but equally in the latter years large numbers were sent to other zoos, so yes it is possible there are some decendents from Marwell`s stock somewhere. The group have been housed in various locations over the years but when they were on the left hardstand of the giraffe house they achieved their highest number and breeding success - there was one very good and prolific male at this time. They never got to the bottom of why their health deteriorated.
The group have been housed in various locations over the years but when they were on the left hardstand of the giraffe house they achieved their highest number and breeding success
I saw them in there on my first visit for many years. I was impressed at what a large group they had, obviously very successful then. A pity they haven't continued like that though.
I saw them in there on my first visit for many years. I was impressed at what a large group they had, obviously very successful then. A pity they haven't continued like that though.
Yes, in actual fact their demise, as a thriving group, was pretty rapid considering, it started to happen after quite a few departed, which seemed to upset the group structure and maybe some of the "better" animals were
sent away ? It is a shame indeed.
