Today I finished reading the centennial books. They mention in passing being involved in saiga reintroduction in Khazakstan. I wonder if they sent their animals from zoo and animal park back there? I had always assumed they just died out?
Today I finished reading the centennial books. They mention in passing being involved in saiga reintroduction in Khazakstan. I wonder if they sent their animals from zoo and animal park back there? I had always assumed they just died out?
the ZOONOOZ from February 2014 (available online) says that they were breeding them in San Diego from 1970 to 1996 - over a hundred were bred but there was no demand from other zoos and they were difficult to keep alive, so breeding was halted. I'm guessing they eventually just died out.
However some were definitely sent from the zoo/animal park for overseas breeding programmes for reintroductions, because I know some went to Gansu in China in 1988.
Apparently the last one at the animal park was a female which died in 1985, and the last ones at the zoo were three females which died at the start of the 2000s. (This last bit is from an old post on Zoochat: http://www.zoochat.com/22/saiga-21106/) - conflicting with that though is a 1992 photo by Hix at the animal park: http://www.zoochat.com/297/russian-saiga-1992-a-53619/
I had no idea they held them that long and bred that many! Also surprising not many other zoos would be interested. Considering their unusual appearance, I would think they would be one of the most sought after antelopes around.
from other Zoochat threads, there were a number of American zoos with breeding groups (probably all originally from San Diego I guess) - so I think the lack of interest may have been due to poor results in actually keeping them alive long-term rather than a direct "we don't want saiga" attitude. If you see what I mean.
