Australasian Spotted Hyena Population

akasha

akasha

Well-Known Member
5+ year member
Spotted Hyena (Crocuta crocuta) is the only species of hyena currently in the Australasian region. Most of the current population, including all five females, is descended from wild born female founder Kigali, who was born in Kruger National Park in 1997 and came to Monarto Zoo in 2007 via Singapore Zoo. Four males, Piltengi, Gamba, Mwenka and (unk), were imported with Kigali from Singapore Zoo. In 2019, Sydney Zoo imported three males, also from Singapore Zoo. Six facilities in Australia currently hold Spotted Hyena, with Monarto Zoo the only one to hold female animals. There are no hyena in New Zealand.

Spotted Hyena

Adelaide Zoo, SA, Australia

1.0 Jaali (Piltengi x Thandiwe) 13/09/2017 Transferred from Monarto 2020
1.0 Majani (Gamba x Forest) 00/01/2018 Transferred from Monarto 2020

Altina Wildlife Park, NSW, Australia

1.0 Amani (Mwenka x Kigali) 00/00/2009 Transferred from Monarto 2016
1.0 Mkali (Mwenka x Kigali) 00/00/2009 Transferred from Monarto 2016

Monarto Safari Park, SA, Australia

0.1 Forest (unk x Kigali) 00/00/2007
0.1 Thandiwe (Gamba x Forest) 00/00/2014
0.1 Kanzi (Piltengi x Thandiwe) 13/09/2017
0.1 Fahari (Gamba x Forest) 03/11/2020
0.1 Mahali (Gamba x Forest) 03/11/2020
1.0 Gamba (unk x unk) 00/00/2003 Imported from Singapore Zoo 2007
1.0 Mkoko (Gamba x Forest) 00/07/2015

National Zoo, ACT, Australia

1.0 Zuberi (Gamba x Forest) 06/02/2013
1.0 Pinduli (Gamba x Kigali) 12/06/2012

Perth Zoo, WA, Australia

1.0 Kigana (unk x unk) 00/00/~2000
1.0 Sabi (Gamba x Kigali) 18/05/2007

Sydney Zoo, NSW, Australia

1.0 Enzi (unk x unk) 00/00/2013 Imported from Singapore Zoo 2019
1.0 Etana (unk x unk) 00/00/2013 Imported from Singapore Zoo 2019
1.0 Endesha (unk x unk) 00/00/2013 Imported from Singapore Zoo 2019

Spotted Hyena Population Total: 18 (13.5)
 
With fresh blood, it would be good to see the Sydney boys getting a chance to breed. It would do the population a world of good, especially if more females were born.
 
ThomasNotTom said:
With fresh blood, it would be good to see the Sydney boys getting a chance to breed. It would do the population a world of good, especially if more females were born.
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Zorro said:
Correct. Another 2 or 3 female imports would be worth while!
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It’s staggering when you consider 13 of the 18 hyenas held in the region (including all females) are direct descendants of Kigali. This accounts for 72% of the population.

It’s a shame Sydney Zoo didn’t import an unrelated breeding pair; or receive non breeding surplus from one of the other zoos, freeing them up to import a new line.

The best we can hope for now is for Sydney Zoo to loan one of their males to breed with one of the females from Kigali’s line; but with three young males living in a cohesive pack, they may be content to leave things as they are. And this is all assuming they’re in no way related to the founders of the current population (also from Singapore).
 
Zorro said:
A couple more holders within the region would serve well if they imported 2 or 3 females then took some of the spare males which would then free up space for others now holding to add females!
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It’s a shame Wellington Zoo has never had an interest in them. They easily could have been accommodated in the old African wild dog exhibit (currently housing surplus Lowland nyala); or the old Hamadryas baboon exhibit (which is being renovated for lemurs).

They’d make a good addition to Hamilton Zoo too, but sadly aren’t part of the masterplan.
 
Didn't mention that Perth held a breeding group from the late 80s/early 90s onward and that some offspring were sent to Singapore Zoo! Not sure what the setup at Singapore was like and whether they had other individuals. Perth's original animals came from a breeding colony in the US.
 
tetrapod said:
Didn't mention that Perth held a breeding group from the late 80s/early 90s onward and that some offspring were sent to Singapore Zoo! Not sure what the setup at Singapore was like and whether they had other individuals. Perth's original animals came from a breeding colony in the US.
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Perth imported 1.2 Spotted hyena from the USA when they opened their savannah precinct (approximately 1990). Fighting between the females necessitated a transfer of the subordinate female (Vinnie) to Whyalla Zoo; and then Monarto (where she died).

The breeding pair bred twice - producing three cubs. There was a lack of interest in the species within the region at the time, so all offspring were sent to Singapore Zoo. It’s possible some of the recent imports are descendants of them; though Singapore have also imported wild hyena e.g. Kigali (1997).
 
tetrapod said:
Didn't mention that Perth held a breeding group from the late 80s/early 90s onward and that some offspring were sent to Singapore Zoo! Not sure what the setup at Singapore was like and whether they had other individuals. Perth's original animals came from a breeding colony in the US.
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I believe back in the day around that time frame, The Dholes were being recommended for the regions zoos with little interest being shown in them apart from Taronga zoo. A couple of our zoos had the interest instead to hold and keep going with Hyena and hence they are still around now and expanding
 
Sydney Zoo have confirmed that their 3 hyenas are brothers who were born at Singapore Zoo on 01/03/2013. Their parents are Karoi and Dots.

1.0 Enzi (Karoi x Dots) 01/03/2013 Imported from Singapore Zoo 2019
1.0 Etana (Karoi x Dots) 01/03/2013 Imported from Singapore Zoo 2019
1.0 Endesha (Karoi x Dots) 01/03/2013 Imported from Singapore Zoo 2019
 
Zoofan15 said:
Perth imported 1.2 Spotted hyena from the USA when they opened their savannah precinct (approximately 1990). Fighting between the females necessitated a transfer of the subordinate female (Vinnie) to Whyalla Zoo; and then Monarto (where she died).
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It wasn't so much that there was fighting rather that Vinnie was dominant, but didn't fall pregnant (maybe she was neutured, can't remember) and woulld kill Annie's offspring. Decision to move Vinnie allowed Annie to raise both litters. Enclosure was way to small. It now houses the meerkats!
 
tetrapod said:
It wasn't so much that there was fighting rather that Vinnie was dominant, but didn't fall pregnant (maybe she was neutured, can't remember) and woulld kill Annie's offspring. Decision to move Vinnie allowed Annie to raise both litters. Enclosure was way to small. It now houses the meerkats!
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Zoofan15 said:
Perth imported 1.2 Spotted hyena from the USA when they opened their savannah precinct (approximately 1990). Fighting between the females necessitated a transfer of the subordinate female (Vinnie) to Whyalla Zoo; and then Monarto (where she died).
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Hey guys this is the info I got emailed from Perth Zoo when I emailed about the original Hyena trio, its copy/pasted from the email so I havent paraphrased it:

21.08.91 - 1.0.0 Ferret and 0.2.0 Annie (''Annaru'') and Vinnie, arrived from University of California, Berkley. Born approx. 01.11.85, Annie and Vinnie were taken from dens outside the Mara Reserve in Kenya. Vinnie was sterilised, was aggressive towards the offspring of Annie and Ferret, so she was sent to Whyalla Zoo, S.A. in May 1995.


00.08.94 - Annie gave birth to twins, one cub was stillborn. The surviving cub was named Spud.


00.08.94 - Spud was killed by Vinnie.


00.05.95 - 0.1.0 Vinnie moved to Whyalla Wildlife Park.


28.02.08 - 0.1.0 Annie was euthanised due to ill health. 1985-2008, aged 23 years old.

{Me again:} (If Annie was born approx Nov '85 and euthanised late February 2008 then would be of been 22.3 years at end of her life).
 
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