Australasian Zoos - Giraffe Histories

[Zoofan15]

Auckland Zoo - Complete History

I''ve previously compiled the complete history of Auckland Zoo's giraffes, which will hopefully save you some work @Jambo.

Additional notes and info are included in the first post for those who want to learn more about Auckland's giraffes:

Older History:

Auckland Zoo Giraffe History

Auckland Zoo’s first breeding pair of giraffe were named John and Anita:

John

Born at London Zoo 04/08/1958
Arrived at Auckland Zoo 24/08/1960
Died at Auckland Zoo 03/07/1976

Anita

Born at London Zoo 15/08/1960
Arrived at Auckland Zoo 03/08/1963
Died at Auckland Zoo 01/08/1970

Anita gave birth to three calves:

Peter (M)

Born at Auckland Zoo 01/02/1965
Died at Auckland Zoo 17/07/1975

Joanne (F)

Born at Auckland Zoo 12/12/1966
Died at Auckland Zoo 03/08/1968

Kris (M)

Born at Auckland Zoo 30/05/1970
Died at Auckland Zoo 31/05/1970

After Anita’s death, a new female was imported named Willoughby:

Willoughby

Born at Taronga Zoo 19/09/1960
Arrived at Auckland Zoo 19/11/1973
Died at Auckland Zoo 05/05/1980

Willoughby gave birth to three calves:

Unnamed (M)

Stillborn at Auckland Zoo 14/06/1974

Kahiroa (M)

Born at Auckland Zoo 12/12/1975
Died at Auckland Zoo 22/06/1986

Kris (M)

Born at Auckland Zoo 30/07/1977
Died at Auckland Zoo 03/02/1978

After Willoughby’s death, a herd was established with Kahiroa joined by two new males named Lo Cecil and Tsavo and two new females named Kinshasa and Manyara:

Lo Cecil

Born at Honolulu Zoo 27/05/1980
Arrived at Auckland Zoo 24/02/1981
Died at Auckland Zoo 05/11/1981

Tsavo

Born at Honolulu Zoo 13/06/1980
Arrived at Auckland Zoo 24/02/1981
Died at Auckland Zoo 30/08/1993

Kinshasa

Born at Honolulu Zoo 24/06/1980
Arrived at Auckland Zoo 24/02/1981
Died at Auckland Zoo 07/07/2000

Manyara (F)

Born at Honolulu Zoo 19/04/1983
Arrived at Auckland Zoo 22/11/1983
Died at Auckland Zoo 04/07/2001

Kinshasa gave birth to six calves:

Kiri (F)

Born at Auckland Zoo 22/09/1984
Died at Auckland Zoo 19/05/2003

Kay (F)

Born at Auckland Zoo 19/09/1986
Died at Auckland Zoo 08/06/2008

Unnamed (F)

Born at Auckland Zoo 05/08/1988
Died at Auckland Zoo 05/08/1988

Unnamed (M)

Stillborn at Auckland Zoo 08/01/1990

Unnamed (F)

Born at Auckland Zoo 12/05/1991
Died at Auckland Zoo 13/05/1991

Unnamed (M)

Stillborn at Auckland Zoo 06/12/1992

Manyara gave birth to four calves:

Miombo (F)

Born at Auckland Zoo 28/01/1989
Died during transit 10/11/1989

Unnamed (M)

Born at Auckland Zoo 06/08/1990
Died at Auckland Zoo 06/08/1990

Mussa (M)

Born at Auckland Zoo 06/08/1990
Died at Auckland Zoo 10/08/1990

Manuel (M)

Born at Auckland Zoo 11/12/1991
Died at Auckland Zoo 10/07/1994

Kiri gave birth to three calves:

Kenjo (M)

Born at Auckland Zoo 06/05/1989
Died at Auckland Zoo 29/09/1989

Khan (M)

Born at Auckland Zoo 22/12/1990
Sent to Hamilton Zoo 02/10/1991

Kendall (F)

Born at Auckland Zoo 26/11/1992
Died at Auckland Zoo 23/07/1994

Kay gave birth to two calves:

Kampala (M)

Born at Auckland Zoo 26/04/1991
Sent to Hamilton Zoo 02/10/1991

Oskar (M)

Born at Auckland Zoo 23/03/1994
Sent to Werribee Zoo 06/12/1994

After the death of the last male, Tsavo, a new male was imported named Zabulu:

Zabulu (M)

Born at Orana Wildlife Park 07/01/1998
Arrived at Auckland Zoo 06/12/1998
Died at Auckland Zoo 19/04/2017

Kiri gave birth to one calf:

Masamba (M)

Born at Auckland Zoo 27/11/2002
Sent to Hamilton Zoo 21/04/2004

Kay gave birth to four calves:

Jabari (M)

Born at Auckland Zoo 02/12/2002
Sent to Hamilton Zoo 22/04/2004

Ndale (M)

Born at Auckland Zoo 04/08/2004
Sent to Hamilton Zoo 27/09/2005

Dume (M)

Born at Auckland Zoo 04/01/2006
Sent to Hamilton Zoo 28/02/2007

Ntombi (F)

Born at Auckland Zoo 25/07/2007
Sent to Taronga Western Plains Zoo 26/11/2008


Additional information:

This family line of giraffe at Auckland Zoo started with the import of John in 1960 and ended 48 years later with the export of his great grandaughter, Ntombi, in 2008.

John sired five offspring, of which Kahiroa was the only one to survive to adulthood and produce offspring.

Kahiroa sired two offspring, Kiri and Kay, both of which survived to adulthood and produced offspring.

Prior to arriving at Auckland Zoo at the age of thirteen years, Willoughby had given birth to six calves, five of which had died in infancy.

Willoughby was in calf when she died at the age of nineteen years in 1980. The father was her four year old son, Kahiroa.

Tsavo and Kinshasa had the same father. Kinshasa and Manyara had the same mother.

Lo Cecil was euthanised after injuring himself by running into a fence. He had been spooked by explosive fireworks at a public display at Western Springs.

Tsavo sired thirteen offspring, of which only one, Oskar, survived to adulthood. Oskar sired no offspring and died in 2002.

Manyara gave birth to the first set of giraffe twins born at Auckland Zoo in 1990.

Kiri was euthanised after injuring her leg, following a fright with an electric fence.

Ntombi is the only member of the third generation to breed to date, with her three surviving brothers and one surviving half brother all in the bachelor herd at Hamilton Zoo.

Ntombi has given birth to males Fanana (born 21/08/2012) and Nkosi (born 03/08/2014) and female Nyah (born 01/01/2016) at Taronga Western Plains Zoo.


Auckland Zoo's current herd consist of three females named Rukiya, Kiraka and Kabili:

Rukiya

Born at Wellington Zoo 23/09/2001
Arrived at Auckland Zoo 16/09/2002
Still at Auckland Zoo 13/07/2017

Kiraka

Born at Taronga Western Plains Zoo 20/11/2009
Arrived at Auckland Zoo 05/10/2011
Still at Auckland Zoo 13/07/2017

Kabili

Born at Auckland Zoo 31/12/2016
Still at Auckland Zoo 13/07/2017

Kiraka gave birth to the second set of giraffe twins born at Auckland Zoo in 2016.

Recent History (Rukiya):

Rukiya (Auckland Zoo)

0.1 Rukiya
Born at Wellington Zoo 23/09/2001
Arrived at Auckland Zoo 16/09/2002
Sire: Ricky; Dam: Tisa

Rukiya has given birth to seven calves at Auckland Zoo:

1.0 Unnamed
Born at Auckland Zoo 26/05/2006
Died at Auckland Zoo 28/05/2006
Sire: Zabulu

1.0 Forrest
Born at Auckland Zoo 17/11/2007
Sent to Australia Zoo 20/11/2008
Sire: Zabulu

1.0 Jelani
Born at Auckland Zoo 05/03/2010
Sent to Werribee Open Range Zoo 10/09/2011
Sire: Zabulu

0.1 Nakuru
Born at Auckland Zoo 16/01/2012
Sent to Melbourne Zoo 15/04/2013
Sire: Zabulu

0.1 Shira
Born at Auckland Zoo 03/08/2013
Sent to Orana Wildlife Park 25/11/2015
Sire: Zabulu

0.1 Zuri
Born at Auckland Zoo 23/04/2015
Sent to Wellington Zoo 30/05/2016
Sire: Zabulu

1.0 Unnamed
Born at Auckland Zoo 05/03/2018
Died at Auckland Zoo 08/03/2018
Sire: Zabulu

Recent History (Kiraka):

Kiraka (Auckland Zoo)

0.1 Kiraka
Born at Taronga Western Plains Zoo 20/11/2009
Arrived at Auckland Zoo 05/10/2011
Sire: Unnami; Dam: Mutangi

Kiraka has given birth to four calves at Auckland Zoo:

0.1 Mdomo
Born at Auckland Zoo 15/11/2013
Sent to Orana Wildlife Park 24/02/2016
Sire: Zabulu

1.0 Mtundu
Born at Auckland Zoo 21/08/2015
Sent to Mogo Zoo 21/02/2017
Sire: Zabulu

1.0 Unnamed
Born at Auckland Zoo 31/12/2016
Died at Auckland Zoo 02/01/2017
Sire: Zabulu

0.1 Kabili
Born at Auckland Zoo 31/12/2016
Still at Auckland Zoo
Sire: Zabulu

The only update beyond this is the arrival of Billy from Australia Zoo:

1.0 Billy (Forrest x Penny) 26/09/2018

A significant arrival now that Kiraka is pregnant!

 

[Zoofan15]

Charity’s Details

Charity died at Taronga Zoo in 2006.

Charity actually died in 2004, not 2006.

I have Charity’s date of death as 08/11/2006 via the 2011 studbook.

Charity sired nine calves between 1988 and 1992 (including Nyota).

I only had six calves being sired by Charity: Gerry (later sent to Dubbo), Ngare (sent to Jakarta), Manyara (sent to Tipperary), Mawenzi (Sent to Tipperary), Nyota and an unnamed male.

These were Charity’s nine calves:

With Hope:

1.0 Gerry (23/10/1988) Sent to Dubbo 21/11/1989
1.0 Ngare (24/08/1990) Exported to Jakarta 16/03/1991
0.1 Nyota (05/01/1992) Died at Taronga 01/02/2020

With Faye:

1.0 Tim (30/05/1989) Exported to Jakarta 16/03/1991
1.0 Mawenzi (26/10/1990) Sent to Tipperary 12/11/1992

With Fiona:

1.0 Manyara (10/12/1989) Sent to Tipperary 12/11/1992
1.0 Kahindi (04/09/1991) Died at Taronga 24/09/1992

With Twiga:

1.0 Unnamed (22/02/1991) Died at Taronga 25/02/1991
1.0 Unnamed (19/06/1992) Died at Taronga 22/06/1992

The three you were missing are Tim, Kahindi and an unnamed male calf that died at three days of age in 1991.

 

[Jambo]

I have Charity’s date of death as 08/11/2006 via the 2011 studbook.

Yes, no that's my bad I've rechecked and I accidentally made a mistake with that one. Charity indeed died on the 08/11/2006.

These were Charity’s nine calves:

With Hope:

1.0 Gerry (23/10/1988) Sent to Dubbo 21/11/1989
1.0 Ngare (24/08/1990) Exported to Jakarta 16/03/1991
0.1 Nyota (05/01/1992) Died at Taronga 01/02/2020

With Faye:

1.0 Tim (30/05/1989) Exported to Jakarta 16/03/1991
1.0 Mawenzi (26/10/1990) Sent to Tipperary 12/11/1992

With Fiona:

1.0 Manyara (10/12/1989) Sent to Tipperary 12/11/1992
1.0 Kahindi (04/09/1991) Died at Taronga 24/09/1992

With Twiga:

1.0 Unnamed (22/02/1991) Died at Taronga 25/02/1991
1.0 Unnamed (19/06/1992) Died at Taronga 22/06/1992

The three you were missing are Tim, Kahindi and an unnamed male calf that died at three days of age in 1991.

Cheers for that.

The studbook is incredibly long, so it seems i've missed some.

It's interesting that post 1992, Charity was retired at the age of only nine, with Gerry and Nyota as his only surviving calves. I'm assuming this was due to Taronga's spatial limitations, but it would've made more sense to send him to Dubbo to breed (being the least related male they had at the time).

 

[Zoofan15]

Yes, no that's my bad I've rechecked and I accidentally made a mistake with that one. Charity indeed died on the 08/11/2006.



Cheers for that.

The studbook is incredibly long, so it seems i've missed some.

It's interesting that post 1992, Charity was retired at the age of only nine, with Gerry and Nyota as his only surviving calves. I'm assuming this was due to Taronga's spatial limitations, but it would've made more sense to send him to Dubbo to breed (being the least related male they had at the time).

You’re welcome. When I check the studbooks, I usually check by facility as well as parentage to make sure none are missed. Interestingly, Charity had a near identical studbook number to a giraffe in Poland (who had a - before their number), which at a glance made it appear as if he had more offspring than he did.

Charity was castrated to prevent further breeding and interestingly, so was Kahindi (1991). This indicates that Taronga were planning to keep him in their herd, as they wouldn’t have carried this out on behalf of another facility. Kahindi was sadly euthanised on medical grounds at 12 months of age.

Taronga have since used castration as a means to restrict breeding in their herd. Jimiyu was castrated also and I suspect the juvenile bull will be too (if not already).

 

[Jambo]

You’re welcome. When I check the studbooks, I usually check by facility as well as parentage to make sure none are missed. Interestingly, Charity had a near identical studbook number to a giraffe in Poland (who had a - before their number), which at a glance made it appear as if he had more offspring than he did.

Charity was castrated to prevent further breeding and interestingly, so was Kahindi (1991). This indicates that Taronga were planning to keep him in their herd, as they wouldn’t have carried this out on behalf of another facility. Kahindi was sadly euthanised on medical grounds at 12 months of age.

Taronga have since used castration as a means to restrict breeding in their herd. Jimiyu was castrated also and I suspect the juvenile bull will be too (if not already).

That sounds like a good idea. I normally use the search bar and go through each animal based on their facility. Unfortunately it seems my search bar has been backfiring on me and skipping a few! Glad to see you were on the case though.

I wonder why Taronga castrated Charity. He would've been good use to Dubbo, especially with his genetics.

Taronga have always kept one male within their herd. Following Charity's death, Taronga replaced him with Jimiyu. And now it appears they have young Ebo who'll soon be one of the resident bulls too. I'd imagine Ebo will be castrated already as he's now almost three.

 

[Zoofan15]

I wonder why Taronga castrated Charity. He would've been good use to Dubbo, especially with his genetics.

Taronga have always kept one male within their herd. Following Charity's death, Taronga replaced him with Jimiyu. And now it appears they have young Ebo who'll soon be one of the resident bulls too. I'd imagine Ebo will be castrated already as he's now almost three.

I’d assume retaining Charity at Taronga and castrating him (as opposed to transferring him to Dubbo) was a decision made purely for logistical reasons. Transporting a fully mature bull giraffe would have likely been an ordeal they were keen to avoid at a costs.

It appears Charity was castrated around mid to late 1991 from the cessation in breeding.

Soon after Charity and his son were castrated, Auckland Zoo found themselves unexpectedly without a bull giraffe, following the deaths of Tsavo and Manuel in 1993 and 1994 respectively. The Taronga bulls would have been unsuitable due to their shared Honolulu ancestry, but it just goes to show how fickle placements of male giraffes can be. Auckland Zoo subsequently waited another four years until a bulls was born at Orana Wildlife Park.

 

[Jambo]

Haven't update this thread in a while, but I thought I'd get somewhat back on track with Orana's giraffe herd which were known for being the only purebred Rothschild's herd in the region for many decades.

ORANA WILDLIFE PARK - COMPLETE HISTORY

The first pair (half siblings) were imported from Rockton, Canada on 08/06/1982:

1.0 Jaffa (20/08/1981) Died 20/08/1991
0.1 Celeste (04/12/1981) Died 14/09/2000

They had the following offspring:

0.1 Sarita (18/10/1986) Died 23/12/1998
0.1 Nathalie (15/07/1988) Died 16/09/2013
0.1 Misha (31/07/1990) Sent to Perth 27/10/1991
1.0 Anthony (17/12/1991) Sent to Perth 25/08/1993

A female hybrid arrived from Melbourne on 28/01/1988:

0.1 Mandy (27/01/1987) Died 03/01/2000

Jaffa also mated with his daughter Sarita to produce a daughter:

0.1 Marama (19/12/1991) Sent to Perth 19/08/1993

Orana imported a hybrid male from Perth on 19/05/1990:
1.0 Ed Junior (30/03/1989) Died 18/06/1992

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

By 1994, Orana were left with four females (Celeste, Sarita, Mandy and Nathalie).

On 24/02/1994 Orana acquired a Rothschild's male from the USA:
1.0 Harold (14/04/1993) Died 21/06/2012

He produced the following offspring with Nathalie:

0.1 Zuri (22/11/1997) Died
1.0 Makulu (02/11/1999) Sent to Hamilton 17/12/2000
1.0 Igumma (23/11/2001) Sent to Mogo 19/10/2003
1.0 Stillborn (06/05/2003)
1.0 Flynn (01/09/2004) Sent to Keystone 21/12/2006
1.0 Seun (29/09/2006) Sent to Wellington 11/04/2008
1.0 Azizi (23/04/2008) Died 12/07/2009

He produced the following offspring with Celeste:

1.0 Stillborn (26/11/1997)
0.1 Unnamed (06/11/1999)

He produced the following offspring with Sarita:

1.0 Zabulu (07/01/1998) Sent to Auckland 06/12/1998

He produced the following offspring with Mandy:

0.0.1 Stillborn (03/01/2000)

He produced the following offspring with his daughter, Zuri:

1.0 Armani (23/12/2002) Sent to Melbourne 06/02/2004
1.0 Orly (09/11/2004) Sent to Keystone 21/12/2006
1.0 Kijana (30/10/2006) Sent to Keystone 03/11/2008

A Rothschild's female arrived from Melbourne on 28/03/2005:

0.1 Tunu (02/02/2004) Died

She produced the following offspring with Harold:

0.1 Savannah (01/05/2011) Died 09/07/2011
0.1 Harriet (26/11/2012)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Following Harold's passing, a male was acquired from Dubbo on 11/07/2013:

1.0 Fanana (00/09/2012) Died 2015

Two females (half sisters) were also acquired from Auckland in the space of a few months:
(25/11/2015 for Shira and 24/02/2016 for Mdomo)

0.1 Shira (03/08/2013)
0.1 Mdomo (15/11/2013)

Following Fanana's passing, a male was acquired from Monarto on 01/12/2018:
1.0 Mabuti (03/05/2017) Died 19/10/2021

A female was also acquired from Perth on 02/12/2019:
0.1 Kamili (07/03/2018)

Shira produced the following offspring with Mabuti:

1.0 Jasiri (21/10/2021) Died 14/12/2022

Kamili also produced the following offspring with Mabuti:

1.0 Kevin (00/12/2022)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Presently, Orana have the following giraffes:
0.1 Harriet (Harold x Tunu) 26/11/2012
0.1 Shira (Zabulu x Rukiya) 03/08/2013
0.1 Mdomo (Zabulu x Kiraka) 15/11/2013
0.1 Kamili (Armani x Kitoto) 07/03/2018
1.0 Kevin (Mabuti x Kamili) 00/12/2022

Orana plans to retain Kevin as their next breeding bull and he'll presumbly be paired with Shira and Mdomo.

In total, Orana has welcomed 23 giraffe calves, three of which were stillborn. 16 calves reached adulthood.

 

[Zoofan15]

Haven't update this thread in a while, but I thought I'd get somewhat back on track with Orana's giraffe herd which were known for being the only purebred Rothschild's herd in the region for many decades.

ORANA WILDLIFE PARK - COMPLETE HISTORY

The first pair (half siblings) were imported from Rockton, Canada on 08/06/1982:

1.0 Jaffa (20/08/1981) Died 20/08/1991
0.1 Celeste (04/12/1981) Died 14/09/2000

They had the following offspring:

0.1 Sarita (18/10/1986) Died 23/12/1998
0.1 Nathalie (15/07/1988) Died 16/09/2013
0.1 Misha (31/07/1990) Sent to Perth 27/10/1991
1.0 Anthony (17/12/1991) Sent to Perth 25/08/1993

A female hybrid arrived from Melbourne on 28/01/1988:

0.1 Mandy (27/01/1987) Died 03/01/2000

Jaffa also mated with his daughter Sarita to produce a daughter:

0.1 Marama (19/12/1991) Sent to Perth 19/08/1993

Orana imported a hybrid male from Perth on 19/05/1990:
1.0 Ed Junior (30/03/1989) Died 18/06/1992

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

By 1994, Orana were left with four females (Celeste, Sarita, Mandy and Nathalie).

On 24/02/1994 Orana acquired a Rothschild's male from the USA:
1.0 Harold (14/04/1993) Died 21/06/2012

He produced the following offspring with Nathalie:

0.1 Zuri (22/11/1997) Died
1.0 Makulu (02/11/1999) Sent to Hamilton 17/12/2000
1.0 Igumma (23/11/2001) Sent to Mogo 19/10/2003
1.0 Stillborn (06/05/2003)
1.0 Flynn (01/09/2004) Sent to Keystone 21/12/2006
1.0 Seun (29/09/2006) Sent to Wellington 11/04/2008
1.0 Azizi (23/04/2008) Died 12/07/2009

He produced the following offspring with Celeste:

1.0 Stillborn (26/11/1997)
0.1 Unnamed (06/11/1999)

He produced the following offspring with Sarita:

1.0 Zabulu (07/01/1998) Sent to Auckland 06/12/1998

He produced the following offspring with Mandy:

0.0.1 Stillborn (03/01/2000)

He produced the following offspring with his daughter, Zuri:

1.0 Armani (23/12/2002) Sent to Melbourne 06/02/2004
1.0 Orly (09/11/2004) Sent to Keystone 21/12/2006
1.0 Kijana (30/10/2006) Sent to Keystone 03/11/2008

A Rothschild's female arrived from Melbourne on 28/03/2005:

0.1 Tunu (02/02/2004) Died

She produced the following offspring with Harold:

0.1 Savannah (01/05/2011) Died 09/07/2011
0.1 Harriet (26/11/2012)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Following Harold's passing, a male was acquired from Dubbo on 11/07/2013:

1.0 Fanana (00/09/2012) Died 2015

Two females (half sisters) were also acquired from Auckland in the space of a few months:
(25/11/2015 for Shira and 24/02/2016 for Mdomo)

0.1 Shira (03/08/2013)
0.1 Mdomo (15/11/2013)

Following Fanana's passing, a male was acquired from Monarto on 01/12/2018:
1.0 Mabuti (03/05/2017) Died 19/10/2021

A female was also acquired from Perth on 02/12/2019:
0.1 Kamili (07/03/2018)

Shira produced the following offspring with Mabuti:

1.0 Jasiri (21/10/2021) Died 14/12/2022

Kamili also produced the following offspring with Mabuti:

1.0 Kevin (00/12/2022)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Presently, Orana have the following giraffes:
0.1 Harriet (Harold x Tunu) 26/11/2012
0.1 Shira (Zabulu x Rukiya) 03/08/2013
0.1 Mdomo (Zabulu x Kiraka) 15/11/2013
0.1 Kamili (Armani x Kitoto) 07/03/2018
1.0 Kevin (Mabuti x Kamili) 00/12/2022

Orana plans to retain Kevin as their next breeding bull and he'll presumbly be paired with Shira and Mdomo.

In total, Orana has welcomed 23 giraffe calves, three of which were stillborn. 16 calves reached adulthood.

Good work!

Tunu died circa 2017. It’s a shame Harold died shortly before the birth of their first surviving calf (named in his honour) as they were the zoo’s only breeding pair at the time. Nathalie was on contraception due to her age and Zuri because of them being a father/daughter pairing (them having three calves together already wasn’t ideal).

Yes, the plan is for Kevin to breed with Shira and Mdomo. Orana mentioned this last year and I recall being disappointed as I’d hoped they’d take the opportunity to import from outside the region. Their previous imports from North America were impressive!

 

[Jambo]

Good work!

Tunu died circa 2017. It’s a shame Harold died shortly before the birth of their first surviving calf (named in his honour) as they were the zoo’s only breeding pair at the time. Nathalie was on contraception due to her age and Zuri because of them being a father/daughter pairing (them having three calves together already wasn’t ideal).

Yes, the plan is for Kevin to breed with Shira and Mdomo. Orana mentioned this last year and I recall being disappointed as I’d hoped they’d take the opportunity to import from outside the region. Their previous imports from North America were impressive!

That's a shame Tunu died so young, Orana seem to have a lot of bad luck with a lot of their giraffe dying at a younger age.

Interestingly, Harold 11 sons with the initial females with only two daughters (and one surviving, being Zuri). Aside from her, his only other two daughters came with Tunu prior to his death.

Considering the regional focus for Rothschild's (or what was) has now diminished to little to none, I would've been very surprised if Orana planned an overseas import.

Kevin will soon be of age to sire his first calf, so we'll hopefully see giraffe calves at Orana come 2026.

Do you know when Zuri died? And I'd also be interested to know what came of Igumma who was sent to Mogo.

 

[Zoofan15]

That's a shame Tunu died so young, Orana seem to have a lot of bad luck with a lot of their giraffe dying at a younger age.

Interestingly, Harold 11 sons with the initial females with only two daughters (and one surviving, being Zuri). Aside from her, his only other two daughters came with Tunu prior to his death.

Considering the regional focus for Rothschild's (or what was) has now diminished to little to none, I would've been very surprised if Orana planned an overseas import.

Kevin will soon be of age to sire his first calf, so we'll hopefully see giraffe calves at Orana come 2026.

Do you know when Zuri died? And I'd also be interested to know what came of Igumma who was sent to Mogo.

Orana have had some really bad luck with both of their last breeding bulls dying young. Fanana in his third year, without siring offspring; and then Mabuti at the age of four, albeit siring two calves before his death. Fanana was the son of Ntombi at Dubbo, so was a nice link to Auckland’s lineage and one of the more genetically valuable giraffes in the region.

I agree it’s unlikely we’ll see a focus on Rothschild’s giraffes going forward; but my hope had been to see the imported of new founder bull to the region. Even if bred with Orana’s existing cows, his genetically valuable offspring would have been much sought after additions to Australian herds. Their IRA will be several years away.

Zuri (and Tunu) were both alive in early 2016; but deceased by late 2018. I’d therefore say circa 2017 for both of them.

 

[Jambo]

Monarto Safari Park: Early Days

This list compromises Monarto's history of holding giraffe dating from their first acquisition (in 1988). This first part is the initial years where majority of their giraffes were simply transferred over from Adelaide, and a small foundation breeding herd was founded by the late 90's.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Arrived 11/12/1988 Adelaide
1.0 Lanky (05/05/1977) Died 07/05/1989

Arrived 05/06/1990 Melbourne
1.0 Ketabi (10/06/1989) Died 16/05/2002

Arrived 26/08/1990 Adelaide
0.1 Kristien (03/11/1984) Died 17/07/1991
| x Hiram
0.1 Unnamed (21/09/1990) Died 26/11/1991

Arrived 30/10/1990 Adelaide
0.1 Frances (05/01/1990) Died 23/03/1996

Arrived 24/10/1991 Adelaide
0.1 Malaika (08/06/1990) Died ??
| x Ketabi
1.0 Kidogo (04/03/1998)
0.1 Rafiki (08/08/1999)
1.0 Khulu (17/12/2000) Died 05/05/2004
0.1 Unnamed (07/05/2002) Died 10/05/2002

X Kidogo
0.1 Nandi (01/10/2003) Died 21/10/2004

Arrived 30/07/1992 Adelaide
0.1 Shasa (05/09/1991) Died 11/04/2007
| x Ketabi
0.1 Kinky (23/10/1999)
1.0 Humbercarl (29/07/2001) Sent to National Zoo 03/08/2004
1.0 Ketanga (30/11/2002) Sent to National Zoo 03/05/2005

Arrived 10/12/1992 Adelaide
1.0 Twiga (18/03/1992) Died 27/04/1993

Arrived 15/12/1993 Adelaide
0.1 Mutanda (20/01/1993) Died ??
| x Ketabi
1.0 Unnamed (07/09/1997) Died 08/09/1997
1.0 Matla (18/04/1999)
0.1 Myeisha (30/08/2000)
0.1 Umoya (23/12/2001) Sent to Mogo 12/05/2004

X Khulu
1.0 Keshla (30/03/2004)

Arrived 29/05/1994 Adelaide
1.0 Hiram (15/09/1985) Transferred Unknown 1999

Arrived 04/09/1994 Adelaide
0.1 Georgina (31/12/1982) Sent to Adelaide 17/11/1996
| x Hiram
1.0 Moja (26/11/1995) Sent to Melbourne 16/12/1996, Returned 02/07/1997

Arrived 21/12/1996 Adelaide
0.1 Kathy (13/05/1979) Sent to Adelaide 03/05/1998

Arrived 23/06/1997 Adelaide
0.1 Jamala (28/06/1994) Sent to Adelaide 11/04/2000, Returned 10/07/2002, Died 10/08/2011
| x Hiram
1.0 Shaka (14/02/1999) Sent to Adelaide 30/05/2002, Returned 08/05/2004, Died 08/01/2008

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In total, eleven giraffes arrived to Monarto, ten of which were from Monarto. The resident breeding bull was Melbourne born Ketabi (who passed in 2002). He was replaced by Tambo (also from Melbourne) who'll feature in the next post.

Adelaide's breeding group were mostly descended from a single breeding pair (as of the 80's), so all of the individuals were either offspring of the pair or grandchildren of them. It's worth noting male Hiram was also a Honolulu import via Taronga; he was brought in to breed with the offspring of the breeding pair.

Monarto also welcomed 16 calves in total during this time period; nine males and seven females. Three of the calves died soon after birth (one male and two females).

 

[Zoofan15]

Monarto Safari Park: Early Days

This list compromises Monarto's history of holding giraffe dating from their first acquisition (in 1988). This first part is the initial years where majority of their giraffes were simply transferred over from Adelaide, and a small foundation breeding herd was founded by the late 90's.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Arrived 11/12/1988 Adelaide
1.0 Lanky (05/05/1977) Died 07/05/1989

Arrived 05/06/1990 Melbourne
1.0 Ketabi (10/06/1989) Died 16/05/2002

Arrived 26/08/1990 Adelaide
0.1 Kristien (03/11/1984) Died 17/07/1991
| x Hiram
0.1 Unnamed (21/09/1990) Died 26/11/1991

Arrived 30/10/1990 Adelaide
0.1 Frances (05/01/1990) Died 23/03/1996

Arrived 24/10/1991 Adelaide
0.1 Malaika (08/06/1990) Died ??
| x Ketabi
1.0 Kidogo (04/03/1998)
0.1 Rafiki (08/08/1999)
1.0 Khulu (17/12/2000) Died 05/05/2004
0.1 Unnamed (07/05/2002) Died 10/05/2002

X Kidogo
0.1 Nandi (01/10/2003) Died 21/10/2004

Arrived 30/07/1992 Adelaide
0.1 Shasa (05/09/1991) Died 11/04/2007
| x Ketabi
0.1 Kinky (23/10/1999)
1.0 Humbercarl (29/07/2001) Sent to National Zoo 03/08/2004
1.0 Ketanga (30/11/2002) Sent to National Zoo 03/05/2005

Arrived 10/12/1992 Adelaide
1.0 Twiga (18/03/1992) Died 27/04/1993

Arrived 15/12/1993 Adelaide
0.1 Mutanda (20/01/1993) Died ??
| x Ketabi
1.0 Unnamed (07/09/1997) Died 08/09/1997
1.0 Matla (18/04/1999)
0.1 Myeisha (30/08/2000)
0.1 Umoya (23/12/2001) Sent to Mogo 12/05/2004

X Khulu
1.0 Keshla (30/03/2004)

Arrived 29/05/1994 Adelaide
1.0 Hiram (15/09/1985) Transferred Unknown 1999

Arrived 04/09/1994 Adelaide
0.1 Georgina (31/12/1982) Sent to Adelaide 17/11/1996
| x Hiram
1.0 Moja (26/11/1995) Sent to Melbourne 16/12/1996, Returned 02/07/1997

Arrived 21/12/1996 Adelaide
0.1 Kathy (13/05/1979) Sent to Adelaide 03/05/1998

Arrived 23/06/1997 Adelaide
0.1 Jamala (28/06/1994) Sent to Adelaide 11/04/2000, Returned 10/07/2002, Died 10/08/2011
| x Hiram
1.0 Shaka (14/02/1999) Sent to Adelaide 30/05/2002, Returned 08/05/2004, Died 08/01/2008

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In total, eleven giraffes arrived to Monarto, ten of which were from Monarto. The resident breeding bull was Melbourne born Ketabi (who passed in 2002). He was replaced by Tambo (also from Melbourne) who'll feature in the next post.

Adelaide's breeding group were mostly descended from a single breeding pair (as of the 80's), so all of the individuals were either offspring of the pair or grandchildren of them. It's worth noting male Hiram was also a Honolulu import via Taronga; he was brought in to breed with the offspring of the breeding pair.

Monarto also welcomed 16 calves in total during this time period; nine males and seven females. Three of the calves died soon after birth (one male and two females).

That’s really interesting to hear of the import of Hiram into the region.

That means a total of 4.3 giraffes were imported into the region from Honolulu Zoo:

1.0 Tsavo (Auckland) in 1981
1.0 Lo Cecil (Auckland) in 1981
0.1 Kinshasa (Auckland) in 1981
0.1 Manyara (Auckland) in 1983
1.0 Charity (Taronga) in 1983
1.0 Hiram (Taronga) in 1986
0.1 Andria (Taronga) in 1986

Sadly only one of Auckland’s Honolulu imports has descendants alive today.