A Few Unrelated Updates.....
- Thread starter LOU
- Start date
Visited the zoo today and chatted for a while with the young woman giving the gorilla talk.
Apparently Rigo is beginning to show interest in the youngest female, Johari, and they're optimistic now that this will lead to breeding. Melbourne aren't particularly worried yet about Rigo's slow progress as a dominant silverback. It's only been a couple of years and they feel that he has only just started to settle into his surroundings and role, and is beginning to show more and more typical silverback behaviours.
Here's hoping they're right.
Apparently Rigo is beginning to show interest in the youngest female, Johari, and they're optimistic now that this will lead to breeding. Melbourne aren't particularly worried yet about Rigo's slow progress as a dominant silverback. It's only been a couple of years and they feel that he has only just started to settle into his surroundings and role, and is beginning to show more and more typical silverback behaviours.
Here's hoping they're right.
Its really good to have an update on their current thinking.
I remain somewhat pessimistic that Rigo will start mating after two years already in the group- it is possible but very unlikely I think. I don't know of any examples elsewhere where this has happened- unless some other change has also been made to the group structure, such as adding an experienced female who is attracted to Rigo and will forcibly 'teach' him how to mate (that has happened in some zoos). This doesn't seem to have happened with Melbourne's existing females or are they on contraceptives apart from the youngest one?
In that respect it would have made more sense for the two Taronga females that were sent back to Europe to have been sent to Melbourne instead- then both silverbacks could have had female partners in two groups. One of these(Safira) is now breeding in Duisburg- with Rigo's grandson- and the other one(Anguka) is living in Lisbon's group (no breeding yet).This is all fine but it wasn't essential for them to have left Australia.
seems that way - although they would still have had to form a bachelor group anyway.
i wonder if once the bachelor pad at werribee is set up, tarongas spare males will join them?
of course its all dependent on tarongas males being unwanted in europe and i know nothing of the integration of (sometimes mature) males, but it seems it would make sense from an enrichment perspective to consolidate the current small number of bachelors in the one zoo.
i wonder if once the bachelor pad at werribee is set up, tarongas spare males will join them?
of course its all dependent on tarongas males being unwanted in europe and i know nothing of the integration of (sometimes mature) males, but it seems it would make sense from an enrichment perspective to consolidate the current small number of bachelors in the one zoo.
I think adding any surplus males from Taronga is a good idea but there's only one suitable one, born in 2003, so he is younger than the Melbourne males and unlikely to integrate with them on his own as they would bully the hell out of him.
Of course there is also the possibility either of the younger Melbourne males could be useful in Europe in due course too as on their mothers' sides, both have low genetic representation, particularly Ganyeka (G.Anne has no other offspring and very few relatives). So one or other might be moved again eventually.
Of course there is also the possibility either of the younger Melbourne males could be useful in Europe in due course too as on their mothers' sides, both have low genetic representation, particularly Ganyeka (G.Anne has no other offspring and very few relatives). So one or other might be moved again eventually.
G-Ann, Julia and Johari have had contraceptive implants removed from their arms, although I'm not sure how long ago that happened. Yuska is now post-reproductive.
IVF with Rigo hasn't been ruled out but is considered a last resort. I suspect they would probably bring in specimens from overseas before they put Rigo under general anaesthetic.
In that case there may still be more of a chance then- it depends on whether the females are cycling normally- obviously if they haven't been up to now, then Rigo wouldn't be mating anyway.
Werribee is still on the drawing plans for elephants
Werribee’s jumbo nursery - Local News - News | Leader News
Werribee’s jumbo nursery - Local News - News | Leader News
animal kid
Well-Known Member
would werribee ever considered starting a breeding plan for african elephants?
also what do you think the next 'HUGE' plan will be for zoos vic besides the gorillas and baboon exhibits? and have any australian zoos had, have or plan/want to get okapi?
also what do you think the next 'HUGE' plan will be for zoos vic besides the gorillas and baboon exhibits? and have any australian zoos had, have or plan/want to get okapi?
MARK
Well-Known Member
That would be a BIG NO. Zoos Victoria as with almost all zoos in Aust are focused on the Asian species, Werribee is likely to hold some Asian elephants in the future as Melbourne's herd expands
Monarto zoo "may" hold African elephants in the future at some stage??.
Monarto says they are interested, but given the region is focussed on Asians and all the **** that came with the asian import I don't like the chances of being given approval for Africans, and if approval is granted the animal libbers will have a good case against them and the government.
MARK
Well-Known Member
I think the idea behind them importing them was to save animals that would other wise be culled.
Yeah, I personally would love to see more affricans, my favourite of the two. Knowing animal Liberation they would argue that they would be better off dead than in a zoo
Which they did with the San Diego rt a few years ago
Yeah, well, I know where Animal Liberation would be better off !!!!
African elephants are nowhere near as endangered as Asians, and also in view of the success so far of the Asian breeding program I would think that Animal Libs arguments wouldn't hold a lot of sway. Better off in a zoo like Monarto than machine gunned, snared or poisoned, surely.
African elephants are nowhere near as endangered as Asians, and also in view of the success so far of the Asian breeding program I would think that Animal Libs arguments wouldn't hold a lot of sway. Better off in a zoo like Monarto than machine gunned, snared or poisoned, surely.
Monarto is surely the best suited zoo in the world to hold African elephants. They could give both male and female herds 100 or even 200 hectare habitats without batting an eyelid. And the landscape there is quite similar in some ways to some areas where African elephants thrive, such as the Sahel and South African veldt.
Heck. They could do a 500 hectare 'African bush' enclosure with (female) elephants, giraffes, zebras, rhinos and various antelope species. The world's best safari experience outside Africa. And the rest of the zoo would still be one of the world's largest zoos, if not the largest.
There is no way the Federal government would block an import.
That's a very definite statement. Care to explain why?
Hix
It's opinion only, Hix. But I follow federal politics very closely, and I've seen nothing to suggest that the Rudd Government would fall on the side of the Greens on this issue. Especially when the animal liberation argument could be turned around by an 'the alternative is they're culled' response.
i agree with CGSwans.
if the government (and i acknowledge it has since changed) will approve the import of highly endangered asian elephants with dubious paperwork and a plethora or ethical stigmas attached - then i find it highly unlikely they would block the import of a family of to-be-culled lesser endangered african elephants headed for an open range zoo.
however, my personal fondness for both species aside, i really don't see room in this country for both an asian and african breeding program and last i read monarto had showed agreement with this - they were considering bringing in females only.
if the government (and i acknowledge it has since changed) will approve the import of highly endangered asian elephants with dubious paperwork and a plethora or ethical stigmas attached - then i find it highly unlikely they would block the import of a family of to-be-culled lesser endangered african elephants headed for an open range zoo.
however, my personal fondness for both species aside, i really don't see room in this country for both an asian and african breeding program and last i read monarto had showed agreement with this - they were considering bringing in females only.