I believe both Nashville and the National zoos keep all or most of their breeding pairs in their breeding facility. The most of the cubs stay off display too at both zoos despite all cubs being hand reared. So its highly unlikely they would have been on display at Nashville where Pavarti was born and amingma was transferred there shortly after his birth to begin his pair bonding with his future mate.
I wonder how the zoo will handle cubs in the future. Will they be almost immediately pulled for hand rearing like most other zoos? Or will they leave them to be mother reared? I would guess both owning zoos will get a say since most cubs will belong to both of them.
Zoos can apply to SSPs as a non-accredited zoo. Being accepted into the SSPs as a non-accredited zoo, however, means that zoos make their own decision as to whether to work with Toronto or not. Since Toronto's accreditation issue stems from a governance issue not an animal welfare issue, zoos may be more willing to loan their animals, although there animals that the Zoo is having trouble getting (e.g. masai giraffes).
Adams7 is right. The zoo can still participate in SSPs but its up to the other zoos if they are willing to send along the animals. The other zoos internal rules dictate whether or not they will send the animals. Some have a no accreditation, no animals policy. Others are more open to sharing. Clearly Nashville and the National Zoo didn't mind. Personally I was surprised we were given the Clouded Leopards.
However the giraffes are proving exceptionally difficult to get. At least two recommendations have been rejected by two different zoos... and those are just the recommendations I know about.
Boy do I hope that come the new year the city agrees to the zoos management requests which would allow the zoo to rejoin the AZA. Then the flood gates will open and we can get all kinds of animals relatively easily and get rid of some of the animals we had been holding.
