Because the breeding pair at Wellington Zoo were the same age as the breeding pair at Hamilton Zoo, there was little opportunity to swap between the zoos for many years. Hamilton Zoo reared 2.7 pups in 2004, 2.0 pups in 2006, 2.0 pups in 2007 and 1.0 pups in 2008. The 7 females were sent to Orana Wildlife Park, and the 7 males retained. Wellington Zoo bred to capacity, rearing 2.1 pups born 2005 and 3.0 pups born 2006. By the early 2010s, the founders of both zoos had died of old age and Hamilton needed a new breeding female to pair with one of their 7 males. They were sent Rukiya (2005) from Wellington Zoo in 2011, who at almost 7 years of age, was considered old for a species which reaches sexual maturity at 12-18 months and lives to an average age of 10 years. The 6 offspring of the Wellington pair have since died out and following the export of 5 males in February 2015, Hamilton Zoo is left with 2 males, and the 10 year old Rukiya, who is still to produce offspring.
With Wellington Zoo planning to import four young dogs to found a new pack in the immediate future, I hope Hamilton will wait to receive surplus offspring from this pack as their founders, upon the passing of their current aged trio, rather than establishing their own young pack independent of Wellington. If this were the plan, I’m guessing Wellington would retain male pups from their new group, and send a pack consisting of surplus sibling females to Hamilton, for breeding with either the two ageing males, Atsu and Zumo, or if they have passed away by then, new male imports. I guess time will tell.
With Wellington Zoo planning to import four young dogs to found a new pack in the immediate future, I hope Hamilton will wait to receive surplus offspring from this pack as their founders, upon the passing of their current aged trio, rather than establishing their own young pack independent of Wellington. If this were the plan, I’m guessing Wellington would retain male pups from their new group, and send a pack consisting of surplus sibling females to Hamilton, for breeding with either the two ageing males, Atsu and Zumo, or if they have passed away by then, new male imports. I guess time will tell.
