Australasian Waterbuck Population

Australasian Waterbuck Population

An updated population list to reflect what will likely be the last transfer for a while; and list the full details of all 24 living Waterbuck in Australasia.

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New Zealand Population:

Auckland Zoo:

0.1 Etana (26/12/2005) Hooer x Elli
0.1 Kwacha (19/08/2008) Hooer x Elli

Orana Wildlife Park:

1.0 Asher (03/07/2015) Baruti x Elli
1.0 Walter (29/11/2021) Quest x Khola
0.1 Koba (13/12/2017) Bakari x Elli
0.1 Little Miss (16/03/2022) Quest x Koba
0.1 Okhethiwe (20/05/2023) Quest x Koba

Total New Zealand population: 2.5 Waterbuck

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Australian Population:

Altina Wildlife Park:

1.0 Bukima (08/08/2013) Hide x Gecko
0.1 Drifter (11/01/2011) Kampala x Maji
0.1 Tokyo (02/01/2018) Jelani x Drifter
0.1 Neela (11/05/2024) Kubwa x Acacia
0.1 Letty (09/05/2025) Bukima x Tokyo

Monarto Safari Park:

1.0 Kubwa (10/02/2017) Jelani x Drifter
1.0 Kajie (11/05/2021) Kubwa x Acacia
1.0 Nashibe (25/05/2025) Kubwa x Acacia
0.1 Acacia (20/01/2017) Hide x Kumuka
0.1 Heidi (20/03/2020) Hide x Gecko

Werribee Open Range Zoo:

1.0 Micato (17/07/2018) Hide x Gecko
1.0 Eclipse (14/06/2019) Hide x Kumuka
1.0 Cosmos (12/04/2020) Hide x Kumuka
1.0 Toretto (23/02/2021) Chitwa x Tokyo
0.1 Kumuka (22/03/2008) Kampala x Ipsi
0.1 Aurora (14/05/2019) Hide x Gecko
0.1 Nziza (23/05/2023) Kubwa x Acacia

Total Australian population: 8.9 Waterbuck

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Total Australasian population: 10.14 Waterbuck

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Zoofan15 said:
Australasian Waterbuck Population

An updated population list to reflect what will likely be the last transfer for a while; and list the full details of all 24 living Waterbuck in Australasia.

—————————————————
—————————————————

New Zealand Population:

Auckland Zoo:

0.1 Etana (26/12/2005) Hooer x Elli
0.1 Kwacha (19/08/2008) Hooer x Elli

Orana Wildlife Park:

1.0 Asher (03/07/2015) Baruti x Elli
1.0 Walter (29/11/2021) Quest x Khola
0.1 Koba (13/12/2017) Bakari x Elli
0.1 Little Miss (16/03/2022) Quest x Koba
0.1 Okhethiwe (20/05/2023) Quest x Koba

Total New Zealand population: 2.5 Waterbuck

—————————————————

Australian Population:

Altina Wildlife Park:

1.0 Bukima (08/08/2013) Hide x Gecko
0.1 Drifter (11/01/2011) Kampala x Maji
0.1 Tokyo (02/01/2018) Jelani x Drifter
0.1 Neela (11/05/2024) Kubwa x Acacia
0.1 Letty (09/05/2025) Bukima x Tokyo

Monarto Safari Park:

1.0 Kubwa (10/02/2017) Jelani x Drifter
1.0 Kajie (11/05/2021) Kubwa x Acacia
1.0 Nashibe (25/05/2025) Kubwa x Acacia
0.1 Acacia (20/01/2017) Hide x Kumuka
0.1 Heidi (20/03/2020) Hide x Gecko

Werribee Open Range Zoo:

1.0 Micato (17/07/2018) Hide x Gecko
1.0 Eclipse (14/06/2019) Hide x Kumuka
1.0 Cosmos (12/04/2020) Hide x Kumuka
1.0 Toretto (23/02/2021) Chitwa x Tokyo
0.1 Kumuka (22/03/2008) Kampala x Ipsi
0.1 Aurora (14/05/2019) Hide x Gecko
0.1 Nziza (23/05/2023) Kubwa x Acacia

Total Australian population: 8.9 Waterbuck

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Total Australasian population: 10.14 Waterbuck

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A good list. If only these holders had the wherewithall to actually do a small import before more inbreeding becomes a bigger problem
 
Zorro said:
A good list. If only these holders had the wherewithall to actually do a small import before more inbreeding becomes a bigger problem
Click to expand...

Thank you @Zorro.

And I agree. While demographically speaking, the regional population is in good shape (with six females of reproductive age; two juvenile females coming through: and no shortage of males); genetically, it could be better.

Inbreeding has been rampant for many years and like you say, new founders would be valuable indeed. New Zealand and Australia both have IRA’s covering this species and they’re in good supply across the multitude of countries we can import from, so there’s no discerning reason in that regard why they can’t be imported.
 
Zoofan15 said:
Thank you @Zorro.

And I agree. While demographically speaking, the regional population is in good shape (with six females of reproductive age; two juvenile females coming through: and no shortage of males); genetically, it could be better.

Inbreeding has been rampant for many years and like you say, new founders would be valuable indeed. New Zealand and Australia both have IRA’s covering this species and they’re in good supply across the multitude of countries we can import from, so there’s no discerning reason in that regard why they can’t be imported.
Click to expand...
It's surprising that since the IRA has been completed for several years now who has even used it?, was it a waste of time and effort and why even bother in the first place?
 
@Zorro @Zoofan15

Yeah tbh it is very dissapointing to see the lack of imports or planned imports since (sure Australaslia is further away than most places and imports are usually planned in a way with a few founders over a few initial years. And then from them a population is hopefully bred which sustains our regional population for several decades at least; cost factors are part of that approach too). But even that seems to be very minimal; and us celebrating the finalisation of that IRA and then..really no imports at all.

Didn't Steve Robinson mention that with other IRAs in the pending, that some of people working with approving them in government essentially say to ZAA ''that work with the Bovidae IRA and you guys haven't even made use of it? makes us wonder what's the point in having processed and approved that IRA? and are we essentially wasting time and energy with these other ones too at the moment?'' (and as you expressed the same thought Zorro, agree with you too).
 
steveroberts said:
@Zorro @Zoofan15

Yeah tbh it is very dissapointing to see the lack of imports or planned imports since (sure Australaslia is further away than most places and imports are usually planned in a way with a few founders over a few initial years. And then from them a population is hopefully bred which sustains our regional population for several decades at least; cost factors are part of that approach too). But even that seems to be very minimal; and us celebrating the finalisation of that IRA and then..really no imports at all.

Didn't Steve Robinson mention that with other IRAs in the pending, that some of people working with approving them in government essentially say to ZAA ''that work with the Bovidae IRA and you guys haven't even made use of it? makes us wonder what's the point in having processed and approved that IRA? and are we essentially wasting time and energy with these other ones too at the moment?'' (and as you expressed the same thought Zorro, agree with you too).
Click to expand...
At the end of the day a jet aircraft (say a 747) can fly just about anywhere in 24 hours so really little excuse about the shipping (I have done it myself). As for cost factors well the new chair lift at Taronga has been said to going to cost 110 million, importing a few animals for a major zoo is just pocket change to them, I see part of the problem is not having animal savvy zoo people managing a lot of our zoos but instead hire people with business degrees unconnected to exotic animals!
 
Additional Founders

Imports from Marwell:

As noted in the opening post of this thread, I suspected that the Australasian Waterbuck population descended from additional founders beyond the 1.2 Waterbuck imported from Honolulu Zoo in 1995 by Werribee Open Range Zoo.

I’ve discovered 1.1 additional founders were imported by Auckland Zoo from Marwell Zoo:

1.0 Arthi (00/00/1977) Marwell
0.1 Tana (00/00/0000) Marwell

Arthi and Tana produced a female calf at Auckland Zoo named Malindi, who then bred with her sire Arthi to produce a male calf at Auckland Zoo named Rymnus in 1985.

Arthi and Tana also produced a female calf at Auckland Zoo named Elli on 31/05/1985.

In 1987, Orana Wildlife Park announced the arrival of 1.1 Waterbuck from Auckland Zoo. Based on the information I have to hand, this appears to be Rymnus and Elli. Rymnus and Elli were the parents of a male named Tahi and a female named Minka. Tahi means ‘one’ or ‘first’ in Māori; and since the first record I can find of a birth at Orana Wildlife Park is a male calf born October 1992, it wouldn’t surprise me if this was Tahi and he was the first of his species born at Orana Wildlife Park. This however requires confirmation.

Tahi and Minka then produced a male calf at Hamilton Zoo named Mike on 29/11/1997. Mike was sent to Werribee Open Range Zoo in 1999, where he died in 2006.

Representation of Arthi and Tana:

Mike bred with one of the US founders (Nimba) to produce a daughter named Elli at Werribee Open Range Zoo in 2000. Elli was sent to Orana Wildlife Park and is the mother or grandmother of at least six (likely seven) of the seven Waterbuck held in New Zealand.

Before the export of Elli to Orana Wildlife Park, she bred with Mike to produce a female name Ipsi in 2002. Ipsi bred with one of the US founders (Kampala) to produce Kumuka (2008) and Gecko (2009).

Mike also sired a female named Maji, who is the mother of Drifter (grandmother of Tokyo etc).

In conclusion, at least 23 of the 24 Waterbuck in the region are descended from Arthi and Tana; and I’m 99% sure the 24th is also. The animal in question is Walter, who was born 2021 to Quest and Khola. I suspect Khola was a daughter of Elli; and I suspect Quest was Werribee born.

Updated founder list:

1.0 Arthi (00/00/1977) Marwell
0.1 Tana (00/00/0000) Marwell
1.0 Kampala (23/11/1993) Honolulu
0.1 Nimba (09/06/1990) Denver (via Honolulu)
0.1 Entebbe (03/06/1992) Honolulu

At this stage, I don’t believe there were any additional founders beyond these 2.3 Waterbuck.

The 1.2 US imports were Kobus ellipsiprymnus ellipsiprymnus; but since I don’t have confirmation the 1.1 Marwell imports were also, I’m unable to confirm the status of the living Australasian population.
 
Zoofan15 said:
Additional Founders

Imports from Marwell:

As noted in the opening post of this thread, I suspected that the Australasian Waterbuck population descended from additional founders beyond the 1.2 Waterbuck imported from Honolulu Zoo in 1995 by Werribee Open Range Zoo.

I’ve discovered 1.1 additional founders were imported by Auckland Zoo from Marwell Zoo:

1.0 Arthi (00/00/1977) Marwell
0.1 Tana (00/00/0000) Marwell

Arthi and Tana produced a female calf at Auckland Zoo named Malindi, who then bred with her sire Arthi to produce a male calf at Auckland Zoo named Rymnus in 1985.

Arthi and Tana also produced a female calf at Auckland Zoo named Elli on 31/05/1985.

In 1987, Orana Wildlife Park announced the arrival of 1.1 Waterbuck from Auckland Zoo. Based on the information I have to hand, this appears to be Rymnus and Elli. Rymnus and Elli were the parents of a male named Tahi and a female named Minka. Tahi means ‘one’ or ‘first’ in Māori; and since the first record I can find of a birth at Orana Wildlife Park is a male calf born October 1992, it wouldn’t surprise me if this was Tahi and he was the first of his species born at Orana Wildlife Park. This however requires confirmation.

Tahi and Minka then produced a male calf at Hamilton Zoo named Mike on 29/11/1997. Mike was sent to Werribee Open Range Zoo in 1999, where he died in 2006.

Representation of Arthi and Tana:

Mike bred with one of the US founders (Nimba) to produce a daughter named Elli at Werribee Open Range Zoo in 2000. Elli was sent to Orana Wildlife Park and is the mother or grandmother of at least six (likely seven) of the seven Waterbuck held in New Zealand.

Before the export of Elli to Orana Wildlife Park, she bred with Mike to produce a female name Ipsi in 2002. Ipsi bred with one of the US founders (Kampala) to produce Kumuka (2008) and Gecko (2009).

Mike also sired a female named Maji, who is the mother of Drifter (grandmother of Tokyo etc).

In conclusion, at least 23 of the 24 Waterbuck in the region are descended from Arthi and Tana; and I’m 99% sure the 24th is also. The animal in question is Walter, who was born 2021 to Quest and Khola. I suspect Khola was a daughter of Elli; and I suspect Quest was Werribee born.

Updated founder list:

1.0 Arthi (00/00/1977) Marwell
0.1 Tana (00/00/0000) Marwell
1.0 Kampala (23/11/1993) Honolulu
0.1 Nimba (09/06/1990) Denver (via Honolulu)
0.1 Entebbe (03/06/1992) Honolulu

At this stage, I don’t believe there were any additional founders beyond these 2.3 Waterbuck.

The 1.2 US imports were Kobus ellipsiprymnus ellipsiprymnus; but since I don’t have confirmation the 1.1 Marwell imports were also, I’m unable to confirm the status of the living Australasian population.
Click to expand...
Hello.

According to ZooTierListe, Marwell has only held K. e. ellipsiprymnus (from 1971 to 2019), so the Australasian population would remain purebred.
 
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