In the past several other species (!!!) were imported by various Chinese zoos.
F.i., Tianjin Zoo received a tippelskirchi from Kobe in Japan in 2001. Shanghai Wild Animal Park received reticulata from Japan. Duisburg through its twinning agreement sent 2 male reticulata to Wuhan Zoo. Liberec Zoo later sent a male hybrid (M rothschildi x F unknown).
Beijing imported a tippelskirchi from Kenya direct in 1957 (which transferred to Taiyuan Zoo in 1978, dying shortly on arrival). Others from Japan (reticulatas) and Sudan (an antiquorum male), 1.2 tippelskirchi from Tanzania. Sadly those were all mixed and interbred. Hence, the Beijing lot are a totally mixed bag. The zoo supplied hybrid offspring to zoos in Baoting, Dalian, Guangzhou, Harbin, Nanchang, Shenyang, Shijiazhuang, Taiyuan, Tsinan and Xian. Also Xienkiang, Gansu (!!!) was mentioned, but that transliteration puzzles me … (a definite error lost in translation!) and I suspect Wulumchi in Urumqi is really meant.
The new imports to most zoos in P.R. China are from the giraffa (Cape giraffe) race only. This also as in South African giraffe.
