Australian (and NZ) Great Ape News and Discussion

Hyak_II said:
Its fairly remarkable just how favorable the gender ratio is, with so many females!
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Taronga Zoo experienced a similar run of female births throughout the 70's and 80's. During the 2000's and early 2010's, they had an influx of males so they'll be grateful for these births turning the tide. Generally speaking, a troop heavier on females will be more stable than a gender ratio skewed towards males (or even 50:50). When Monarto Zoo were founding their troop, Wellington Zoo were only too glad to offload two of their adult males which were causing friction within the group.

Interestingly, chimpanzee husbandry guidelines recommend at least three males (and four adult females) as males supposedly feel more secure as the patrollers of their territory when backed up by at least two comrades. Hamilton Zoo's current troop (founded at Auckland Zoo in the 1980's with 1.3 chimps) which currently contains two adult males; and Rockhampton's troop (one male) don't currently meet this criteria.
 
MRJ said:
Breeding programs, When a species is in a managed ZAA program, as is the case with both species of orangutan, they are considered to belong to the program, not the zoo.
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This I did not know. I assumed that program animals were indeed owned by a zoo, but also that state zoos generally gifted animals to other state zoos for the programs needs. In the case of private zoos, I suspected that, depending on how established it was, animals were occasionally loaned indefinitely just so the animal could be recalled if the private zoo was sold and or went downhill. I don't know what made me think this. I was an ARAZPA member many years back and must have read (or perhaps misread) something. Thanks for the clarification.

MRJ said:
This works to the extent that in the few cases I am aware of where a ZAA member zoo has closed down program animals have been moved to other zoos in the program while other animals have been sold as assets of the zoo.
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Cairn's Mereeba Shambala Safari Wild Animal Reserve Kingdom for instance? I recall at the time not being super impressed that some of the animals such as the Brown Bears where allowed to be sold off as privately owned assets given that I felt Perth Zoo (if I remember right) still had a duty of care for them.
 
Interestingly, chimpanzee husbandry guidelines recommend at least three males (and four adult females) as males supposedly feel more secure as the patrollers of their territory when backed up by at least two comrades. Hamilton Zoo's current troop (founded at Auckland Zoo in the 1980's with 1.3 chimps) which currently contains two adult males; and Rockhampton's troop (one male) don't currently meet this criteria.
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Males do need support from other males to 'manage' the females in a group, particularly if there is a disproportionately larger number of females. I know a case in a UK zoo where a large group of 'bonded' females(about nine) were introduced to a single adult male- he was extremely intimidated by them and I believe they ultimately killed him.
 
toothlessjaws said:
Cairn's Mereeba Shambala Safari Wild Animal Reserve Kingdom for instance? I recall at the time not being super impressed that some of the animals such as the Brown Bears where allowed to be sold off as privately owned assets given that I felt Perth Zoo (if I remember right) still had a duty of care for them.
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Were the bears still alive when stock was sold to Bali? I know that Melbourne sent their last Syrian up to Cairns. Does anybody have a list of what left the country?
 
MRJ said:
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3. Macaques. Because of concerns about health risks to staff, Government zoos have phased out all macaque species and it seems very unlikely they will go back into them.
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C'mon MRJ you know that I was being facetious!
What I have never understood about the disease risk is that macaques are still pretty common over here and in the rest of Europe. Plenty of Sulawesis and Lion-tails in breeding programs. Barbarys even more so, but I understand they don't have Herpes endemic in the wild + captive population. A real shame that a group of primates that are easy to maintain, breed and get hold of, which fit conservation programs, are completely off-limits.
 
toothlessjaws said:
This I did not know. I assumed that program animals were indeed owned by a zoo, but also that state zoos generally gifted animals to other state zoos for the programs needs. In the case of private zoos, I suspected that, depending on how established it was, animals were occasionally loaned indefinitely just so the animal could be recalled if the private zoo was sold and or went downhill. I don't know what made me think this. I was an ARAZPA member many years back and must have read (or perhaps misread) something. Thanks for the clarification.



Cairn's Mereeba Shambala Safari Wild Animal Reserve Kingdom for instance? I recall at the time not being super impressed that some of the animals such as the Brown Bears where allowed to be sold off as privately owned assets given that I felt Perth Zoo (if I remember right) still had a duty of care for them.
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Having said that, none of this has ever been tested in a court of law. It is all basically a gentlemen's agreement, reinforced by a commitment made by ZAA members as part of their membership obligations.

I should also say that loans do occur. For instance we have a male koala on breeding loan. We also had a wombat loaned by Melbourne Zoo. They were developing an area and did not have any space available so asked if we could hold it for 12 months, after which they would either take it back or we could keep it. In the end we kept it.

Also consider that non-program animals are transferred because they are surplus, that is not wanted by the zoo transferring them. If they were on loan, they could be returned. Imagine getting a call. "thanks but we don't need your bear any more. It is crated up and you will get it Tuesday".

Duty of care is an interesting one. I feel these days most zoos consider their duty of care covered by transferring to another accredited zoo. However, all zoos have the right not to transfer animals, even program animals, if they have doubts about the receiving zoo.
 
toothlessjaws said:
Melbourne’s bears definitely lived out their days down here. As I said it was Perth (and Mogo) who retired their poor brown bears to the tropics.
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Mogo's bears were the offspring of the Melbourne pair. I remember the director of the time explaining how he did not have the heart to put down the cubs when born, which of course lead later to overcrowding in the exhibit (two on display, two locked up every second day). Zoos Vic built the Mogo exhibit so they would take them and thus get Melbourne out of this position.
 
MRJ said:
Mogo's bears were the offspring of the Melbourne pair. I remember the director of the time explaining how he did not have the heart to put down the cubs when born, which of course lead later to overcrowding in the exhibit (two on display, two locked up every second day). Zoos Vic built the Mogo exhibit so they would take them and thus get Melbourne out of this position.
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I did not know this, thanks for sharing. I have to say, I share the zoo directors lack of enthusiasm for euthanasia as a population management tool and was pretty surprised when I first discovered how accepted it was. That Melbourne paid for the construction of another zoos exhibit seems ridiculous, since the logic would have seen them instead invest in their own facilities that would serve them better in the long-run for bears or any other animal that might live at the zoo in the future. Of course there are additional food costs for additional animals, but I am certain that would be more than offset by ending the constant demolition/construction approach to new exhibits.

Anyway we digress. Back to apes.
 
toothlessjaws said:
I did not know this, thanks for sharing. I have to say, I share the zoo directors lack of enthusiasm for euthanasia as a population management tool and was pretty surprised when I first discovered how accepted it was. That Melbourne paid for the construction of another zoos exhibit seems ridiculous, since the logic would have seen them instead invest in their own facilities that would serve them better in the long-run for bears or any other animal that might live at the zoo in the future. Of course there are additional food costs for additional animals, but I am certain that would be more than offset by ending the constant demolition/construction approach to new exhibits.

Anyway we digress. Back to apes.
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Just to stay on bears momentarily, then Melbourne built an enclosure at Mogo that no longer holds bears... generous.
 
I think we all agree this is a very worthy subject to discuss and is fitting of its own thread. Perhaps, more general like make it into a bear or history thread, with my preference being the former.

I remain at odds with the lack of bear species for exhibit in ZAA zoos ... and that even sun bears are not the popular one for management to exhibit (or even breed). SEAZA is full of sun bears and would probably happily accommodate any surplus to Australia or Europe.
 
Kifaru Bwana said:
I think we all agree this is a very worthy subject to discuss and is fitting of its own thread. Perhaps, more general like make it into a bear or history thread, with my preference being the former.

I remain at odds with the lack of bear species for exhibit in ZAA zoos ... and that even sun bears are not the popular one for management to exhibit (or even breed). SEAZA is full of sun bears and would probably happily accommodate any surplus to Australia or Europe.
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Yes and to think this was the chosen species for the region to focus on and again now we find even this species is fading way within our regions zoos! :(
 
Zorro said:
Yes and to think this was the chosen species for the region to focus on and again now we find even this species is fading way within our regions zoos! :(
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Sun bears are:

- Highly charismatic/enabling - who doesn’t love a decent bear?

- Ambassadors of conservation campaigns (free the bears etc)

- Linked to the South East Asia precincts most zoos have

- Easy to exhibit - they don’t require large amounts of space; and can rotate with other species (according to Perth Zoo’s masterplan)

What more do zoo management want? o_O
 
Female Chimpanzee Baby Boom

The run of female chimpanzee infants continues with the news Sanda at Hamilton Zoo has produced another daughter.

Since Hamilton Zoo never followed the same initial tradition of Taronga and Auckland Zoo, when naming Chiku; I hope they give this baby a Ch name. It'd be a link to her sister, Chiku, who will no doubt play a key role in her life; as well as a tribute to Chima (1994-2015), who tragically died at Hamilton Zoo.

Hamilton Zoo has the option down the line to export/transfer these sisters as a pair (potentially in exchange for another two from the many female births that have occurred recently); or retain them long term, to establish a strong matriarchal line at the zoo between them and their mother, Sanda. Historically, the latter has been the trend within the region - but a few recent transfers (Chima to Hamilton Zoo; Lani to Monarto Zoo) are an indication the regional breeding programme is now following the female transfer pattern observed in the wild; retaining only the sons of the incumbent females.

0.1 Chiku (2016) - Hamilton Zoo
0.1 Cebele (2017) - Taronga Zoo
0.1 Capri (2018) - Rockhampton Zoo
0.1 Hope (2019) - Monarto Zoo
0.1 Safiri (2019) - Taronga Zoo
0.1 Zola (2019) - Monarto Zoo
1.0 Gandali (2020) - Rockhampton Zoo
0.1 Niambi (2020) Taronga Zoo
0.1 Unnamed (2020) - Hamilton Zoo
 
Zoofan15 said:
Female Chimpanzee Baby Boom

The run of female chimpanzee infants continues with the news Sanda at Hamilton Zoo has produced another daughter.

Since Hamilton Zoo never followed the same initial tradition of Taronga and Auckland Zoo, when naming Chiku; I hope they give this baby a Ch name. It'd be a link to her sister, Chiku, who will no doubt play a key role in her life; as well as a tribute to Chima (1994-2015), who tragically died at Hamilton Zoo.

Hamilton Zoo has the option down the line to export/transfer these sisters as a pair (potentially in exchange for another two from the many female births that have occurred recently); or retain them long term, to establish a strong matriarchal line at the zoo between them and their mother, Sanda. Historically, the latter has been the trend within the region - but a few recent transfers (Chima to Hamilton Zoo; Lani to Monarto Zoo) are an indication the regional breeding programme is now following the female transfer pattern observed in the wild; retaining only the sons of the incumbent females.

0.1 Chiku (2016) - Hamilton Zoo
0.1 Cebele (2017) - Taronga Zoo
0.1 Capri (2018) - Rockhampton Zoo
0.1 Hope (2019) - Monarto Zoo
0.1 Safiri (2019) - Taronga Zoo
0.1 Zola (2019) - Monarto Zoo
1.0 Gandali (2020) - Rockhampton Zoo
0.1 Niambi (2020) Taronga Zoo
0.1 Unnamed (2020) - Hamilton Zoo
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Its pleasing to see a number of breeding groups within the region now I wonder if we will see some day any others established in the future.
 
Zorro said:
Its pleasing to see a number of breeding groups within the region now I wonder if we will see some day any others established in the future.
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It’d be nice to see Zoos Victoria exhibit them at Werribee Open Range Zoo, since phasing them out of Melbourne Zoo in 1993. They’re not included in their expansion plans, but since Taronga and Zoos South Australia both hold this species at one of their zoos - it’s surprising Zoos Victoria remain the only major zoo network in Australia not to hold them. On a side note, I’d also like to see large baboon troops at both Werribee and Monarto Zoo.
 
Zoofan15 said:
It’d be nice to see Zoos Victoria exhibit them at Werribee Open Range Zoo, since phasing them out of Melbourne Zoo in 1993. They’re not included in their expansion plans, but since Taronga and Zoos South Australia both hold this species at one of their zoos - it’s surprising Zoos Victoria remain the only major zoo network in Australia not to hold them. On a side note, I’d also like to see large baboon troops at both Werribee and Monarto Zoo.
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I agree, I also believe Baboons would be a perfect fit into Monarto zoos new massive African Safari exhibit :cool:
 
Apologies if this has already been mentioned, but following on from our discussion regarding Melbourne sending orang-utans to Sydney Zoo, I was peeking at the Melbourne Zoo Annual report and saw in there this:

A Sumatran Orang-utan escaped from the Orang-utan Sanctuary. A hole in the exhibit mesh was found, as was a short piece of tree branch. It is likely the orang-utan used the branch as a tool to break the exhibit wire. Keepers responded quickly and coaxed the orang-utan to a secure area where it was captured without incident.

This probably gives us the explanation we were looking for.
 
toothlessjaws said:
Apologies if this has already been mentioned, but following on from our discussion regarding Melbourne sending orang-utans to Sydney Zoo, I was peeking at the Melbourne Zoo Annual report and saw in there this:

A Sumatran Orang-utan escaped from the Orang-utan Sanctuary. A hole in the exhibit mesh was found, as was a short piece of tree branch. It is likely the orang-utan used the branch as a tool to break the exhibit wire. Keepers responded quickly and coaxed the orang-utan to a secure area where it was captured without incident.

This probably gives us the explanation we were looking for.
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Orangs are very smart. I know of one Orang that was in the Toronto zoo some years ago that kept getting out of the indoor enclosure and making its way up and out to the roof of the building and sat around up there. The keepers searched the inside of the indoor rooms to try and find what ever the Orang was using to open the locks, after looking everywhere and finding nothing they had one one the keepers stay behind one afternoon and hide to spy on the orang, after a while and much to the keepers surprise the orang pulled a paper chip from under its top lip and picked the lock open :D
 
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