Animals we would like to see imported to Australia

Yes kiang, it's considerably more difficult for Australian zoos to import Artiodactyl hoofstock than primates or carnivores, due to the danger of accidentally introducing disease to Australia's grazing industries.

There is some official reluctance to allow the import of small carnivores (weasels, for example) which may become feral pests should escapes occur.
 
Is there a greater number of carnivore and primates in the regional collection plan then?
 
Definitely so!

In Australian and New Zealand zoos, hoofstock could be said to be "hanging on by their toenails". Those ungulate species in the region's zoos are there just as display animals - the phasing out of some, such as the waterbuck and the sitatunga, is being accelerated by keeping the sexes separated. (Heaven knows why!)

Efforts to keep other species going, such as the hippo, pygmy hippo and bongo, are being made mighty difficult due to inbreeding and the virtual impossibility of importing fresh blood; (and the less we say about Auckland zoos treatment of the only male hippo in New Zealand the better...:(....).
 
MARK said:
Is not Monarto zoo bringing in Africans?
Click to expand...

They could be, but I haven't heard anything firm. you'd think with all the fuss over taronga's there woul be something in the papers about it somewhere. unless it is a very long term plan.
 
Jarkari said:
They could be, but I haven't heard anything firm. you'd think with all the fuss over taronga's there woul be something in the papers about it somewhere. unless it is a very long term plan.
Click to expand...

I think the idea was to import animals that were due to be culled
 
ARAZPA's Position on Exotics

There seems to be an unthinking acceptance of ARAZPA's position on exotic animals in our region which, broadly stated, appears to be that if there are not sufficient places in the region's zoos to maintain an ongoing population of any species then we should not bother with that species.

WHY?

Why do we have to act as if somebody has already pulled up the drawbridge?
Why can't we still maintain some representatives of species which are popular with the public and keep their populations healthy with an occasional importation of "fresh blood"?

OF COURSE regional self-sufficiency is the ideal situation,but let's be realistic here; it's not the only scenario available if we want to avoid the impoverishment of our zoological collections.

This drastic isolationist policy is not pursued with the same zeal in any other region.

There are international animal enthusiasts with sufficient means to do so who are travelling the world to see the last representatives of many endangered species in the wild before they are gone. Being a man of more modest means, I merely intend travelling around Australia's zoos to see the last jaguar; the last coati; the last ocelot; the last brown bear; the last De Brazza's guenon etc. before they are gone from our region, probably forever.........
 
Ara - I met what is probably Australia's last ocelot and last Persian leopard today. Better get your skates on ...... they're no spring chickens!
 
Probably mistaken reading, but I remeber last time I went to Melbourne zoo there was a plaque that said Persian Leopard I was shocked at first and then confused, and then dissapointed because I couldn't make out the animal,

I'd love to hear about Crocosaurus cove,
 
Steve Robinson said:
Thanks glyn - any others anywhere?
Click to expand...

The individual you would have seen up at Crocodylus was the last of the ex-Perth Persians. The National Zoo's two ex-circus leopards are now well and truly dead. Are there any leopards left at Adelaide (I know they did have Persians at some stage)? Whyalla had a lovely female black from Perth; not sure whether she is still alive.
 
Ara said:
There seems to be an unthinking acceptance of ARAZPA's position on exotic animals in our region which, broadly stated, appears to be that if there are not sufficient places in the region's zoos to maintain an ongoing population of any species then we should not bother with that species.

WHY?

Why do we have to act as if somebody has already pulled up the drawbridge?
Why can't we still maintain some representatives of species which are popular with the public and keep their populations healthy with an occasional importation of "fresh blood"?

OF COURSE regional self-sufficiency is the ideal situation,but let's be realistic here; it's not the only scenario available if we want to avoid the impoverishment of our zoological collections.

This drastic isolationist policy is not pursued with the same zeal in any other region....
Click to expand...

Quite agree with you there Ara. I have never understood why it was that Australasia had to have self-sufficiency with each and every exotic species. To be perfectly honest this is an impossible scenario. There will always be a need to bring in fresh blood as there are too few zoos with too few holding spaces dedicated to the handful of program species. Very few of the ASMP programs are not riddled with problems of either over-represented lines, unknown founders, unknown breeding records, inbreeding and hybridisation at both subspecies and species level. Even the species that the region does well with - Sumatran orangs, Sumatran tigers, Asiatic elephant, White rhino, Black rhino - all need or have recently had a regular infusion of new blood.

As you mentioned no other region would pursue this ideal. An example sums up the problem. I remember a discussion regarding lemurs, where only two species are program species (ring tails and B & W ruffs) and a third species with no future (white-fronteds). Because most zoos in the region were happy to house only one or both of the species, any opportunity for another zoo to suggest (...hold your breath...) a third species was considered anthema to the ARAZPA doctrine of self-sufficiency that the hopeful zoo was bullied into dropping the idea. This was despite individuals having been sourced from the US that were genetically important for breeding. Very frustrating.

I can see why there has been little push from ARAZPA zoos to push the government over importing valuable blood for pygmy hippos, kudu etc. They have failed to see and act on the problem that another industry would push harder over. I'm not talking about opening the floodgates so that Australia is overrun by all manner of invasive species. Just a measured approach towards the species that matter.
 
tetrapod said:
The individual you would have seen up at Crocodylus was the last of the ex-Perth Persians. The National Zoo's two ex-circus leopards are now well and truly dead. Are there any leopards left at Adelaide (I know they did have Persians at some stage)? Whyalla had a lovely female black from Perth; not sure whether she is still alive.
Click to expand...

THe persian is still at adelaide, a male from memory.

Whyalla closed down long ago, i spose that black would have gone to gorge.
 
ZooYouthBen said:
THe persian is still at adelaide, a male from memory.

Whyalla closed down long ago, i spose that black would have gone to gorge.
Click to expand...

She would be pretty old now if she istill alive. When did Whyalla close down? - not necessarily before time... Is Gorge any better?
 
Gorge is good. its one of those places you have to go to to get an idea. its not an Major immmersion Zoo but it works
 
An oldie, but a goodie.

What would be the priority species to bring into Australia at the moment, would it be fresh blood for the likes of bongo, pygmy and common hippo and most antelopes (obviously not possible atm, with the current restrictions).
Perhaps another Francois langur too?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top