Australasian Porcupine Population

akasha said:
Butterfly Creek have confirmed that they received porcupine from Auckland Zoo, which will go on display in a few weeks time.

0.1 Alika (unk x unk) 00/00/0000 Imported from Prague Zoo, Czech Republic 2019
0.1 Arewa (Bruce x Alika) 18/01/2020
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Butterfly Creek is now offering encounters with these two and I did the encounter yesterday and I was informed I was the first person to book the encounter.
 
Australasian Porcupine Population 2025

Introduction:

Two species of porcupine are held in Australasia:

Crested porcupine (Hystrix cristata)
Cape porcupine (Hystrix africaeaustralis)

Cape porcupine are held by 12 facilities (five in New Zealand; seven in Australia); while Crested porcupine are held by one facility (Orana Wildlife Park).

The oldest porcupine in the region is Diallo at Natureland Wildlife Trust, who is a staggering 21.5 years. His mate, Akoko, is the oldest female in the region and was the first of her species born in New Zealand (at Orana Wildlife Park).

The most well represented line in the region is the Oliver and Rita line. They were imported from the United States in 2017; with Oliver, Rita and their descendants comprising 24/32 (75%) of the region’s Cape porcupine population.

At least one new holder is expected to acquire Cape porcupine in 2025, which is the National Zoo and Aquarium. Hamilton Zoo (which are holding 2.3 offspring from their breeding pair) appear the most likely source.

2025 Population:

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Crested Porcupine Population

New Zealand:

Orana Wildlife Park:

0.1 Hapana (21/09/2010) Imported 2013 (Switzerland)
0.1 Tuli (26/04/2011) Imported 2013 (Switzerland)

Total New Zealand Population: 0.2

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Cape Porcupine Population

New Zealand:

Auckland Zoo:

1.0 Lawrence (09/09/2013) Imported 2015 (United Kingdom)
0.1 Snickers (19/05/2017) Imported 2018 (United States)

1.0 Mwiba (00/07/2021) Bruce x Alika

Butterfly Creek:

0.1 Alika (00/08/2017) Imported 2019 (Czech Republic)
0.1 Arewa (18/01/2020) Bruce x Alika

Hamilton Zoo:

1.0 Ayanfe (18/01/2020) Bruce x Alika
0.1 Ingozi (01/05/2017) Imported 2018 (United States)
0.1 Adana (02/04/2023) Ayanfe x Ingozi
0.1 Mkali (25/10/2023) Ayanfe x Ingozi
0.1 Thandi (25/10/2023) Ayanfe x Ingozi
1.0 Ngoku (23/08/2024) Ayanfe x Ingozi
1.0 Spaar (23/08/2024) Ayanfe x Ingozi

Natureland Wildlife Trust:

1.0 Diallo (15/07/2003) Imported 2006
0.1 Akoko (20/12/2007) Mandela x Sage

Orana Wildlife Park:

1.0 Bruce (13/11/2017) Oliver x Rita
0.1 Kali (00/08/2017) Imported 2019 (Czech Republic)
1.0 Asari (00/08/2024) Bruce x Kali
1.0 Kahari (00/08/2024) Bruce x Kali

Total New Zealand Population: 9.9

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Australia:

Adelaide Zoo:

1.0 Walter (18/08/2023) Oliver x Rita
1.0 Winnie (18/08/2023) Oliver x Rita

Darling Downs Zoo:

1.0 Charles (23/10/2018) Oliver x Rita

Monarto Safari Park:

1.0 Oliver (20/09/2015) Imported 2017 (United States)
0.1 Rita (00/00/2015) Imported 2017 (United States)
0.1 Louie (23/01/2023) Oliver x Rita

Perth Zoo:

1.0 Nzuri (16/05/2017) Oliver x Rita
0.1 Noko (01/01/2015) Imported 2017 (United Kingdom)

Sydney Zoo:

0.1 Barbara (13/11/2017) Oliver x Rita
0.1 Cindy (23/10/2018) Oliver x Rita

Wildlife HQ:

1.0 Hasira (30/06/2018) Nzuri x Noko
1.0 Jasiri (13/06/2019) Nzuri x Noko

ZooDoo Zoo:

0.1 Morticia (30/06/2018) Nzuri x Noko
0.1 Ophelia (07/01/2019) Nzuri x Noko

Total Australian Population: 7.7

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Total Regional Population:

Crested porcupine (Hystrix cristata): 0.2
Cape porcupine (Hystrix africaeaustralis): 16.16
 
jay said:
If I'm reading this right the pair at Auckland and the pair at natureland are the only ones that are not descended from or mated to descendants of Oliver and Rita?
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That’s correct. Oliver and Rita plus their descendants total 24 of the 32 Cape porcupine in the region.

The eight not related to them are:

Breeding pair:

1.0 Diallo (15/07/2003) Imported 2006
0.1 Akoko (20/12/2007) Mandela x Sage

Breeding pair:

1.0 Lawrence (09/09/2013) Imported 2015 (United Kingdom)
0.1 Snickers (19/05/2017) Imported 2018 (United States)

Bred with son of Oliver and Rita:

0.1 Noko (01/01/2015) Imported 2017 (United Kingdom)
0.1 Alika (00/08/2017) Imported 2019 (Czech Republic)
0.1 Kali (00/08/2017) Imported 2019 (Czech Republic)

Bred with grandson of Oliver and Rita:

0.1 Ingozi (01/05/2017) Imported 2018 (United States)

Auckland Zoo had a pair named Nyack and Onion in the 2010’s who never successfully bred (from memory Onion had a miscarriage); and Lawrence and Snickers have never bred at Orana Wildlife Park or Auckland Zoo. The keeper I spoke to said Snickers isn’t interested in Lawrence; but they hoped the change of scenery (Auckland and Orana swapped pairs) would spark interest like it did for Bruce and Kali, who never bred at Auckland Zoo.

Diallo and Akoko would be well and truly past breeding age. Akoko appears to have been the sole offspring of Orana’s first breeding pair, Mandela and Sage. I’m guessing Sage was a sibling of the aforementioned Onion, as they were both imported.
 
steveroberts said:
Hobart Zoo & Aquarium (Zoodoo) said are hoping that their cheetahs should arrive by around Christmas, so if all goes well, will be 17th holder of in region by end of the year. (Tangent but they also confirmed they still have Cape porcupines which is great).
Click to expand...

Thanks for confirming @steveroberts.

Hobart Zoo and Aquarium (ZooDoo) have two Cape porcupine:

0.1 Morticia (30/06/2018) Nzuri x Noko
0.1 Ophelia (07/01/2019) Nzuri x Noko

The eldest of the pair only turns seven years old next month, so they should be around for a while considering the captive lifespan is 15-20 years.

Natureland’s male was still alive as of January 2025 when I posted the above list at an impressive 21.5 years!
 
Zorro said:
They may want to form a pair?
Click to expand...

I’m thinking the same. Five holders have unrelated pairs of reproductive age and Louie is from the well represented Oliver and Rita line, so my money is on Auckland’s Mwiba (a grandson of Oliver and Rita) joining Louie to form a 1.1 (non-breeding) pair.

I was advised by Auckland that Mwiba will be transferring out soon and this would be the ideal way to accomodate him within the region.
 
Hamilton Zoo Update

Hamilton Zoo have castrated their former breeding male Cape porcupine (Ayanfe), after he sired three litters in quick succession. He remains on display along with Ingozi and their three daughters:

1.0 Ayanfe (18/01/2020) Bruce x Alika
0.1 Ingozi (01/05/2017) Imported 2018 (United States)
0.1 Adana (02/04/2023) Ayanfe x Ingozi
0.1 Mkali (25/10/2023) Ayanfe x Ingozi
0.1 Thandi (25/10/2023) Ayanfe x Ingozi

Ngoku and Spaar have been separated to prevent breeding with their mother and sisters and are housed off display:

1.0 Ngoku (23/08/2024) Ayanfe x Ingozi
1.0 Spaar (23/08/2024) Ayanfe x Ingozi

Adana:

upload_2025-9-19_20-17-59.jpeg
 

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