Australasian Sumatran Tiger Population

Australasian Sumatran Tiger Population (2022)

New Zealand

Auckland Zoo:

1.0 Ramah (08/07/2017) Arriving 2022
0.1 Zayana (15/10/2018) Arriving 2022

Hamilton Zoo:

0.1 Mencari (10/01/2000) Jambi x Cantic
0.1 Sali (10/04/2008) Hari x Setia
0.1 Kirana (16/11/2014) Oz x Sali

Wellington Zoo:

1.0 Bashi (04/12/2007) Imported 2008
0.1 Senja (21/08/2010) Lari x Soraya

Orana Wildlife Park:

1.0 Scout (08/02/2016) Juma x Kaitlyn
1.0 Reggie (31/03/2016) Satu x Maneki

Australia

Adelaide Zoo:

1.0 Kembali (16/11/2014) Oz x Sali
0.1 Delilah (08/02/2016) Juma x Kaitlyn

Australia Zoo:

1.0 Juma (01/04/2004) Lari x Malu
1.0 Ranu (01/04/2004) Lari x Malu
0.1 Singha (01/04/2004) Lari x Malu
0.1 Kaitlyn (04/12/2007) Imported 2008
1.0 Hunter (22/08/2013) Ramalon x Kaitlyn
1.0 Nelson (03/06/2019) Ranu x Kaitlyn
1.0 Malcolm (18/02/2020) Ranu x Kaitlyn
0.1 Sallie (18/02/2020) Ranu x Kaitlyn
0.1 Sage (18/02/2020) Ranu x Kaitlyn

Ballarat Wildlife Park:

1.0 Satu (15/05/2005) Imported 2006

Darling Downs Zoo:

1.0 Jalur (12/06/2008) Oz x Molek
0.1 Rani (09/02/2010) Ramalon x Binjai

Dreamworld:

0.1 Jaya (09/06/2008) Raja x Soraya
0.1 Shanti (09/06/2008) Raja x Soraya

Melbourne Zoo:

1.0 Hutan (09/02/2010) Ramalon x Binjai
0.1 Indrah (09/02/2010) Ramalon x Binjai

Mogo Zoo:

1.0 Mati (21/08/2010) Lari x Soraya
1.0 Indra (21/08/2010) Lari x Soraya

National Zoo:

0.1 Ndari (09/06/2008) Raja x Soraya
1.0 Aceh (09/02/2010) Ramalon x Binjai

Perth Zoo:

1.0 Jaya (20/08/2008) Hari x Setia

Sydney Zoo:

1.0 Raja (25/12/2003) Imported 2005

Taronga Zoo:

1.0 Kembali (20/08/2011) Satu x Jumilah
0.1 Kartika (20/08/2011) Satu x Jumilah
1.0 Clarence (22/08/2013) Ramalon x Kaitlyn
1.0 Pemanah (17/01/2019) Clarence x Kartika
0.1 Mawar (17/01/2019) Clarence x Kartika
0.1 Tengah Malam (17/01/2019) Clarence x Kartika

Taronga Western Plains Zoo:

1.0 Satu (28/10/2006) Ramalon x Binjai
0.1 Indah (31/03/2007) Raja x Soraya
1.0 Sakti (20/08/2011) Satu x Jumilah

Tasmania Zoo:

0.1 Cinta (12/06/2008) Oz x Molek

Total regional population: 23.20
 
Jambo said:
It’s quite possible that as both Aceh and Rani haven’t quite bred yet they may be considering using Hutan as a backup. Melbourne have quite a breeding setup for their tigers and it’s a shame they aren’t being put into use, at least for the time being.
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I know historically there’s been a tendency to rotate breeding privileges between the zoos. This is all well and good, but I think consideration needs to be given to which zoos are the best equipped for tiger breeding.

Australia Zoo, Taronga Zoo and Melbourne Zoo currently have the best breeding set ups; with Auckland Zoo and Hamilton Zoo soon to join them.

In the USA, some zoos are facilities to accomodate multiple adult tigers, allowing two pairs to be formed from varying permutations of tigers. This is advantageous as it matches suitable individuals and allows them to side step issues with incompatibility.
 
Zoofan15 said:
I know historically there’s been a tendency to rotate breeding privileges between the zoos. This is all well and good, but I think consideration needs to be given to which zoos are the best equipped for tiger breeding.

Australia Zoo, Taronga Zoo and Melbourne Zoo currently have the best breeding set ups; with Auckland Zoo and Hamilton Zoo soon to join them.

In the USA, some zoos are facilities to accomodate multiple adult tigers, allowing two pairs to be formed from varying permutations of tigers. This is advantageous as it matches suitable individuals and allows them to side step issues with incompatibility.
Click to expand...

Taronga probably has one of the best set ups worldwide. This has allowed them to hold a large group of tigers across multiple different habitats.

I’d say Melbourne have the space to hold two breeding pairs but at the present time with Hutan and Indrah, I’d doubt they’d even take the opportunity of importing an entire new pair from overseas.
 
Jambo said:
Taronga probably has one of the best set ups worldwide. This has allowed them to hold a large group of tigers across multiple different habitats.

I’d say Melbourne have the space to hold two breeding pairs but at the present time with Hutan and Indrah, I’d doubt they’d even take the opportunity of importing an entire new pair from overseas.
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Taronga have the capacity to hold eight adult tigers, which is ideal as it allows them to hold the offspring born at the zoo well into adulthood. This was identified as a priority in regards to developing the social skills of big cats at Taronga - leaving them with the mother and siblings for at least a year or two beyond the natural dispersal age.

Taronga’s original intention was to receive a pair of Sumatran tigers from Indonesia on loan. Had this worked out, this facility would have been ideal for managing their introductions to each other and other incoming tigers. The tigers would have been here on loan, so they would have been keen to maximise the use out of them during that short time.
 
Auckland Zoo - New Tiger Exhibit

For those interested in Auckland Zoo’s new Sumatran tiger exhibits, I’ve uploaded photos here: Auckland Zoo - ZooChat

The complex consists of three tiger exhibits, which can comparatively be described as:

One small exhibit (approx 11%)
One medium exhibit (approx 33%)
One large exhibit (approx 56%)

The small exhibit will be ideal for introductions and young cubs venturing outside during their first few weeks; while the large and medium exhibits will be the territories of the tiger (Ramah) and tigress (Zayana) respectively when they arrive.

Once settled in, the plan is to rotate the tigers between the three exhibits. This will be hugely enriching for them and help facilitate introductions via scent marking and interactions through the mesh.

The tigers will traverse the habitat via overhead walkways, including one that passes over the otter exhibit.

The exhibit is expected to open around April 2022.
 
Zoofan15 said:
Auckland Zoo - New Tiger Exhibit

For those interested in Auckland Zoo’s new Sumatran tiger exhibits, I’ve uploaded photos here: Auckland Zoo - ZooChat

The complex consists of three tiger exhibits, which can comparatively be described as:

One small exhibit (approx 11%)
One medium exhibit (approx 33%)
One large exhibit (approx 56%)

The small exhibit will be ideal for introductions and young cubs venturing outside during their first few weeks; while the large and medium exhibits will be the territories of the tiger (Ramah) and tigress (Zayana) respectively when they arrive.

Once settled in, the plan is to rotate the tigers between the three exhibits. This will be hugely enriching for them and help facilitate introductions via scent marking and interactions through the mesh.

The tigers will traverse the habitat via overhead walkways, including one that passes over the otter exhibit.

The exhibit is expected to open around April 2022.
Click to expand...

The complex is astoundingly designed and I’m very impressed. The whole South East Asian complex is set to be world class.

The overpass above the Otter enclosure has to be a world first. It’ll be interesting to see how they both react, although it’ll be incredibly enriching for both species.
 
Jambo said:
The complex is astoundingly designed and I’m very impressed. The whole South East Asian complex is set to be world class.

The overpass above the Otter enclosure has to be a world first. It’ll be interesting to see how they both react, although it’ll be incredibly enriching for both species.
Click to expand...
Absolutely have to agree its world class, I wish one our well known east coast zoos would take note and do something similar.
 
Jambo said:
The complex is astoundingly designed and I’m very impressed. The whole South East Asian complex is set to be world class.

The overpass above the Otter enclosure has to be a world first. It’ll be interesting to see how they both react, although it’ll be incredibly enriching for both species.
Click to expand...

It was astounding. It’s even more impressive in person, though hopefully my photos give a basic overview for those overseas.

Having visited London Zoo, I can say Auckland Zoo clearly took inspiration from their tiger exhibit in building their’s, along with designs from other world class zoos to integrate it with the overhead tunnels. Several zoos in the USA have these.

The design of the orangutan exhibit underwent a similar process, with the exhibit inspired by several world class zoos. It’s paid dividends and will be an asset to Auckland Zoo for decades to come.
 
Mencari Turns 22

Although we don’t usually announce birthdays on ZooChat, I thought it was important to note that Mencari turned 22 years old today at Hamilton Zoo:

World’s Second Oldest Tiger Turns 22 At Hamilton Zoo | Scoop News

Mencari now holds the longevity record for a tiger to live in a New Zealand zoo and in just over seven months, will surpass the region’s record of longevity for her species. This record was set by her first cousin, Kemiri, who died at Adelaide Zoo in 2017 aged 22 years and seven months.

The world record was set by another of Mencari’s first cousins, Djelita, who died at the Honolulu Zoo aged 25 years.

These three tigers are all granddaughters of Nico and Meta.
 
Perth Zoo Update

Perth Zoo have posted an update on their 13 year old Sumatran tiger:

In 2018, Jaya was diagnosed with a thyroid carcinoma and had a tumour removed, his post-surgery prognosis was considered to be around nine months average survival. So we are incredibly grateful this majestic animal is still with us. Whilst his recent vet check revealed no major health concerns, it’s a reminder that our beloved 13 year old tiger is with us for a good time - not a long time.

Perth Zoo obviously won’t be receiving a mate for Jaya - though Sumatran tigers feature in their masterplan and therefore aren’t at risk of being phased out.
 
Zoofan15 said:
Mencari Turns 22

Although we don’t usually announce birthdays on ZooChat, I thought it was important to note that Mencari turned 22 years old today at Hamilton Zoo:

World’s Second Oldest Tiger Turns 22 At Hamilton Zoo | Scoop News

Mencari now holds the longevity record for a tiger to live in a New Zealand zoo and in just over seven months, will surpass the region’s record of longevity for her species. This record was set by her first cousin, Kemiri, who died at Adelaide Zoo in 2017 aged 22 years and seven months.

The world record was set by another of Mencari’s first cousins, Djelita, who died at the Honolulu Zoo aged 25 years.

These three tigers are all granddaughters of Nico and Meta.
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Great achievement for Hamilton and Mencari! Mencari is descended from quite a long lived line; descended from Taronga’s original pair, Nico and Meta.

Apparently she’s the second oldest tiger in the world.

An update revealed that although she’s in good health, she’s started slowing down more noticeably over the last few months, which is understandable at the age she’s at now.
 
Jambo said:
Great achievement for Hamilton and Mencari! Mencari is descended from quite a long lived line; descended from Taronga’s original pair, Nico and Meta.

Apparently she’s the second oldest tiger in the world.

An update revealed that although she’s in good health, she’s started slowing down more noticeably over the last few months, which is understandable at the age she’s at now.
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After Mencari and Raja, the triplets at Australia Zoo round up the top five. It’s remarkable the entire litter has survived to their 18th year. They’re the great grandchildren of Nico and Meta. Their parents, Lari and Malu, are first cousins (sired by brothers, Shiva and Jambi). The close relationship with their keepers would have contributed to their longevity of the triplets, making it easier for keepers to assess their health.

Kemiri, who was no contact but handraised, presumably benefited from the similarly close relationship she enjoyed with her keepers through the bars.
 
Year of Last Breeding

This list shows when our region’s zoos last successfully bred Sumatran tigers (at least one cub from the litter survived to adulthood):

Auckland Zoo: 2008
Hamilton Zoo: 2014
Wellington Zoo: 2000, 1996
Orana Wildlife Park: NA
Adelaide Zoo: NA
Australia Zoo: 2020, 2019, 2016, 2016, 2013
Ballarat Wildlife Park: NA
Darling Downs Zoo: NA
Dreamworld: 2008, 2007
Melbourne Zoo: 2010, 2006, 1990
Mogo Zoo: 2010, 2004
National Zoo: NA
Perth Zoo: 2008, 2000
Sydney Zoo: NA
Taronga Western Plains Zoo: NA
Tasmania Zoo: NA
Taronga Zoo: 2019, 2011, 2003, 1995, 1994, 1988, 1985, 1985, 1983, 1980

Nine holders have successfully bred, but only three holders have bred in the last ten years - Hamilton Zoo, Australia Zoo and Taronga Zoo.

Taronga Zoo have bred the most successful litters (ten); followed by Australia Zoo (five); and Melbourne Zoo (three).

The next successful breeders will likely be Adelaide Zoo, Darling Downs Zoo and Auckland Zoo.
 
Elena said:
Topeka Zoo in the USA has applied for an export permit to send Zayana to Auckland Zoo:

https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2022-00797/p-24

You can download the permit application here:

Regulations.gov
Click to expand...


APPLICANT: FRIENDS OF TOPEKA ZOO, INC., TOPEKA, KS; PERMIT NO. PER0025129
The applicant requests a permit to export one female captive-born Sumatran tiger ( Panthera tigris sumatrae ) to Auckland Zoo, Auckland, New Zealand, for the purpose of enhancing the propagation or survival of the species. This notification is for a single export.

No application for Ramah yet. Auckland Zoo are apparently replicating the female establishing her territory, which the male then moves into.
 
Dimensions of Auckland Zoo’s Tiger Exhibits

I’d throughly recommend to anyone interested to read through the full application linked by @Elena above as it gives blueprints of the tiger exhibit and further information on it.

The dimensions of the three outdoor exhibits are as follows:

Small Exhibit = 200m2
Medium Exhibit = 370m2
Large Exhibit = 790m2
Total = 1360m2

For comparison, Taronga Zoo’s Tiger Trek is three exhibits totalling 1500m2.

This is the description of the tiger house (from the application): Constructed of concrete cinder blocks the state-of-the-art housing area has three separate day rooms (18m2, 28m2 and 23m2) along with a 6m2 training area, 2m2 restraint area for medical observations & administering of medication and a 4m2 private cubbing den. These areas allow for segregation via steel mesh, with Day Room 3 being fully separated to allow for isolation/quarantine. These areas are climate controlled through thermostatic heaters and ventilation. Flooring will consist of deep litter/earth floor to day areas and solid non-abrasive washable floor in den areas.
 
Zoofan15 said:
Australasian Sumatran Tiger Population (2022)

New Zealand

Auckland Zoo:

1.0 Ramah (08/07/2017) Arriving 2022
0.1 Zayana (15/10/2018) Arriving 2022

Hamilton Zoo:

0.1 Mencari (10/01/2000) Jambi x Cantic
0.1 Sali (10/04/2008) Hari x Setia
0.1 Kirana (16/11/2014) Oz x Sali

Wellington Zoo:

1.0 Bashi (04/12/2007) Imported 2008
0.1 Senja (21/08/2010) Lari x Soraya

Orana Wildlife Park:

1.0 Scout (08/02/2016) Juma x Kaitlyn
1.0 Reggie (31/03/2016) Satu x Maneki

Australia

Adelaide Zoo:

1.0 Kembali (16/11/2014) Oz x Sali
0.1 Delilah (08/02/2016) Juma x Kaitlyn

Australia Zoo:

1.0 Juma (01/04/2004) Lari x Malu
1.0 Ranu (01/04/2004) Lari x Malu
0.1 Singha (01/04/2004) Lari x Malu
0.1 Kaitlyn (04/12/2007) Imported 2008
1.0 Hunter (22/08/2013) Ramalon x Kaitlyn
1.0 Nelson (03/06/2019) Ranu x Kaitlyn
1.0 Malcolm (18/02/2020) Ranu x Kaitlyn
0.1 Sallie (18/02/2020) Ranu x Kaitlyn
0.1 Sage (18/02/2020) Ranu x Kaitlyn

Ballarat Wildlife Park:

1.0 Satu (15/05/2005) Imported 2006

Darling Downs Zoo:

1.0 Jalur (12/06/2008) Oz x Molek
0.1 Rani (09/02/2010) Ramalon x Binjai

Dreamworld:

0.1 Jaya (09/06/2008) Raja x Soraya
0.1 Shanti (09/06/2008) Raja x Soraya

Melbourne Zoo:

1.0 Hutan (09/02/2010) Ramalon x Binjai
0.1 Indrah (09/02/2010) Ramalon x Binjai

Mogo Zoo:

1.0 Mati (21/08/2010) Lari x Soraya
1.0 Indra (21/08/2010) Lari x Soraya

National Zoo:

0.1 Ndari (09/06/2008) Raja x Soraya
1.0 Aceh (09/02/2010) Ramalon x Binjai

Perth Zoo:

1.0 Jaya (20/08/2008) Hari x Setia

Sydney Zoo:

1.0 Raja (25/12/2003) Imported 2005

Taronga Zoo:

1.0 Kembali (20/08/2011) Satu x Jumilah
0.1 Kartika (20/08/2011) Satu x Jumilah
1.0 Clarence (22/08/2013) Ramalon x Kaitlyn
1.0 Pemanah (17/01/2019) Clarence x Kartika
0.1 Mawar (17/01/2019) Clarence x Kartika
0.1 Tengah Malam (17/01/2019) Clarence x Kartika

Taronga Western Plains Zoo:

1.0 Satu (28/10/2006) Ramalon x Binjai
0.1 Indah (31/03/2007) Raja x Soraya
1.0 Sakti (20/08/2011) Satu x Jumilah

Tasmania Zoo:

0.1 Cinta (12/06/2008) Oz x Molek

Total regional population: 23.20
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What are the likely breeding plans for the foreseeable future?
 
Kifaru Bwana said:
What are the likely breeding plans for the foreseeable future?
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Adelaide Zoo are hoping to breed this year and Auckland Zoo are hoping to breed next year. It’s likely the cubs bred at Auckland Zoo will immediately go into breeding placements upon reaching adulthood.

Hamilton Zoo will be receiving Reggie from Orana Wildlife Park to breed with Kirana. This likely won’t be until the next exhibit opens in two or three years.
 
Kifaru Bwana said:
What are the likely breeding plans for the foreseeable future?
Click to expand...

Zoofan15 said:
Adelaide Zoo are hoping to breed this year and Auckland Zoo are hoping to breed next year. It’s likely the cubs bred at Auckland Zoo will immediately go into breeding placements upon reaching adulthood.

Hamilton Zoo will be receiving Reggie from Orana Wildlife Park to breed with Kirana. This likely won’t be until the next exhibit opens in two or three years.
Click to expand...

Australia Zoo will also be an interesting one to watch. Kaitlyn (their Indonesian import) is now 14 years old and at the end of her reproductive life - having produced eight surviving offspring.

Any future breeding at Australia Zoo will likely involve her four youngest offspring:

1.0 Nelson (03/06/2019) Ranu x Kaitlyn
1.0 Malcolm (18/02/2020) Ranu x Kaitlyn
0.1 Sallie (18/02/2020) Ranu x Kaitlyn
0.1 Sage (18/02/2020) Ranu x Kaitlyn

It’d be great if Australia Zoo once again imported from Indonesia; but it’s more likely they will receive a cub from Auckland’s new pair to breed with one of their tigers in a few years.

Even with Clarence breeding at Taronga; and Delilah in a breeding pair at Adelaide, this remains an extremely valuable bloodline.
 
Congenital Vestibular Disease in Australasia’s Tigers

We usually talk about the Nico-Meta line, but today we’re going to be talking about the Frank-Poetry line - who were the subject of an interesting study on Congenital Vestibular Disease (CVD).

Vestibular signs including head tilt, circling, ataxia, strabismus and nystagmus were observed between birth and 2 months of age. These clinical signs persisted for a median of 237 days and had resolved by 2 years of age in all cases. Pedigree analysis revealed that all affected tigers were closely related and shared a single common ancestor in the last four generations. A genetic cause for the disease is suspected and, based on pedigree and segregation analysis, an autosomal dominant mode of inheritance is likely.

I’d like to start by thanking @Kifaru Bwana, who found the full version of this article: Congenital vestibular disease in captive Sumatran tigers (Panthera tigris ssp. sumatrae) in Australasia

Affected Tigers

While it identified the tigers only by a number assigned to them by the study, it was easy to work out which specific tigers were affected.

Frank and Poetry had two surviving offspring, Calang and Selatan. Calang was affected - as were two of his three offspring. Neither Selatan or her four surviving offspring were affected - though it ran rife through her son’s offspring.

The affected tigers were as follows:

Calang’s Branch:

1.0 Calang (1990-2006) Frank x Poetry

1.0 Tenang (2000-2015) Calang x Malu
0.1 Setia (2000-2016) Calang x Malu

0.1 Sali (2008) Hari x Setia

Selatan’s Branch:

1.0 Dumai (2003-2020) Juara x Assiqua
1.0 Sendiri (2003-2019) Juara x Assiqua
0.1 Jumilah (2003-2021) Juara x Assiqua

1.0 Juma (2004) Lari x Malu

1.0 Nakal (2006-2008) Ramalon x Binjai
0.1 Isha (2006) Ramalon x Binjai
1.0 Hutan (2010) Ramalon x Binjai
0.1 Indra (2010) Ramalon x Binjai
1.0 Hunter (2013) Ramalon x Kaitlyn

Impact on Breeding Decisions

Due to the small population size, careful consideration is needed when planning future breeding of Sumatran tigers. The segregation analysis has identified potential carriers of the disorder. Non-affected siblings are not likely to be carrying the mutation, although interference from reduced penetrance or variable expression might mean that this is not necessarily the case. CVD is assumed to disadvantage affected cubs in the wild, although there appears to be limited impact in captivity, with all cubs surviving to adulthood, when there was resolution of the clinical signs.

As noted, CVD isn’t a death sentence - though it’s presumably something the zoo’s are looking to breed out. The breeding programme aims to produce genetically healthy animals and avoid genetic flaws.

Based on this study, it’s reasonable to assume Ramalon’s affected offspring, including Hutan and Indrah at Melbourne Zoo, have long been designated as non breeding.
 
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