The new Australian IRA, regrettably, does not permit imports from South Africa.
The new New Zealand IHS does permit imports from South Africa.
Go figure.
The new New Zealand IHS does permit imports from South Africa.
Go figure.
Altina Wildlife Park Altina Wildlife Park News 2023
- Thread starter Zoofan15
- Start date
-
- Tags
- altina wildlife park
Thats surprising and a little disappointing
It seems likely imports of New Zealand bred nyala will continue to be the trend. Wellington and Auckland have both sent several nyala to Australia - the majority of which were bred at those zoos.
New Zealand’s zoos will want to retain founders to enhance the genetic diversity of their own herds - and importing their offspring from within the region is easier for the Australian zoos than a group import from South Africa via New Zealand.
Even if we’re at the stage of minor inbreeding, it pales in comparison to our Indian antelope and Barbary sheep populations, which zoos continue to inbreed.
New Zealand’s zoos will want to retain founders to enhance the genetic diversity of their own herds - and importing their offspring from within the region is easier for the Australian zoos than a group import from South Africa via New Zealand.
Even if we’re at the stage of minor inbreeding, it pales in comparison to our Indian antelope and Barbary sheep populations, which zoos continue to inbreed.
The problem appears that the trend seems to be shipping surplus males, where are the females?
Birth announcement: Maned wolf pups???
Altina have teased a birth announcement is coming soon, with the clue the species has big ears.
In the absence of Fennec fox, my mind has gone to Maned wolf since ungulate births are common place at Altina and mentioned with minimal fanfare.
Interested to hear if anyone has a different guess.
Altina have teased a birth announcement is coming soon, with the clue the species has big ears.
In the absence of Fennec fox, my mind has gone to Maned wolf since ungulate births are common place at Altina and mentioned with minimal fanfare.
Interested to hear if anyone has a different guess.
PaddyRickMFZ
Well-Known Member
I’m not well educated on Altina’s wildlife/ what they are breeding but maned wolf is a likely result. Other animals with large ears that spring to mind are Wild dogs, servals and Aussie animals. Whether there are breeding pairs or not I’m not sure, so please inform me
African wild dog pups are a strong possibility. They received male dogs to pair with their females for breeding in 2021, so have been hoping for pups for a while now.
Serval kittens are also a possibility. They have a breeding pair, who have previously produced two litters - the last in 2020.
PaddyRickMFZ
Well-Known Member
I’m not sure about you guys, but I hope they are maned wolves. Opens up opportunities for even more zoos around Australia to hold them, and if I’m not wrong, wasn’t a litter born only in around July-September, as I seem to remember seeing something around then
That's right, they announced the birth of three pups in August last year. They have over 30 Maned wolf on site, so have multiple breeding pairs.
PaddyRickMFZ
Well-Known Member
30?! I had no idea it was that many! Are they a distributor for the region, as I know some of their pups went to Adelaide not long ago
Altina are regarded as the hub of the Maned wolf breeding programme. They’re credited with reviving the breeding programme for this species in the region when the main zoos decided to phase this species out. They acquired some of the remaining wolves and imported more from outside the region.
As interest in this species has resumed, other zoos have acquired and bred them including Darling Downs Zoo and Hunter Valley Zoo.
The next clue notes the species makes “unusual sounds”, which combined with the big ears clue suggests African wild dogs. If they’d used the phrase “Mickey Mouse ears” that would cinch it. Hyenas have reasonably large ears, but you wouldn’t say it’s their main feature.
Definitely African Wild Dogs then. They have rather large ears and also make that really unique squeaking sound when hunting, which I assume would be the ‘unusual sound’ mentioned. I’ve heard them use it before at Melbourne and most visitors thought it was birds!
African wild dog pups:
Yes, a subsequent clue of a litter of puppies and bushy tail confirms it given they have paintbrush like tails. They communicate loudly with each other throughout a range of scenarios in their day to day lives, but that noise while they’re feeding from a carcass is something else.
It’s an exciting development as Altina Wildlife Park have been trying to breed this species since 2021 and this will be the first litter of African wild dog pups born at the park since 2018. They’ve previously successfully bred 32 pups.
