cheetahs (and siamang) for Tasmania

Chlidonias

Chlidonias

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this relates to two Tasmanian zoos so I didn't put it in any particular category.
Zoo bid for more big cats - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
22 Feb 2013

Tasmania could soon be home to a cheetah.

The State Government's Wildlife Management Branch has called for public comment on plans from Launceston's Tasmania Zoo to import the animal.

The wildlife exhibition licence holder has also applied to import a greater gibbon, which is part of the lesser apes family.

ZooDoo in the state's south also has plans for cheetahs. It is hoping to import a breeding trio later in the year.

Public comment on the cheetah and greater gibbon closes on March 15.
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I really don't see the need for "public comment" on what species (especially these species) a zoo can or cannot hold. I would understand it for more controversially held species (e.g. cetaceans), potentially invasive species, etc, but both these are both relatively low risk species, already widely held in the country. And since when does anyone call a siamang a "greater gibbon"?

Rant over, where would the siamangs be coming from? They say "import" in the article, but I guess that could apply technically to any mainland Australia zoo. Mogo or Adelaide presumably? A siamang import from outside the region would be great. Cheetah are basically the only species held in the region where imports from overseas aren't actually necessary for population health (at the moment anyway).
 
Tasmania has draconian laws on exotic animals in their zoos due to biosecurity concerns; it is different to holding these species in mainland zoos, and whether they are already held in mainland zoos doesn't really factor into it as much as one might think.

"Import" in this case most likely means from mainland Australia.
 
Steve Robinson said:
Unfortunately the State government is controlled by the Greens - don't expect any pro-zoo regulations for a while.
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I can recall comments from both politicians and conservationists in Tasmania that have been very anti zoos.
 
zooboy28 said:
I really don't see the need for "public comment" on what species (especially these species) a zoo can or cannot hold. I would understand it for more controversially held species (e.g. cetaceans), potentially invasive species, etc, but both these are both relatively low risk species, already widely held in the country.
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just a more specific answer to this for you: the application is to add cheetah and siamang to the approved list of species allowed to be imported into Tasmania (from mainland Australia). That is why public submission is being sought, because it is a legal requirement.
 
jay said:
I can recall comments from both politicians and conservationists in Tasmania that have been very anti zoos.
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That is true.

Until the advent of this particular government those comments did not have legs. Now such commentators have power.
 
Chlidonias said:
just a more specific answer to this for you: the application is to add cheetah and siamang to the approved list of species allowed to be imported into Tasmania (from mainland Australia). That is why public submission is being sought, because it is a legal requirement.
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Right, well that makes sense. Obviously I didn't think through the state/federal government distinctions, as they don't exist here. I doubt there would be any reasonable reasons why these species couldn't be imported. Or at least I hope that.
 
could some give a review of the Tassie Zoos? And post some pics as well, their websites arnt much good .....
 
There were 3 Siamangs at Cairnes - where has the other one gone? I will have to check up again, but I think these are the 2 brothers originally from Melb Zoo. Why does it say they were kept in a small shed at Cairns? They had a large island attached to the night quarters.... whilst they were in the night house when I visited Cairnes, where they never let out? It seems a bit strange to me to never have been outside, when they had an outside area! Glad to hear they are settled in now though.
 
Astrobird said:
There were 3 Siamangs at Cairnes - where has the other one gone? I will have to check up again, but I think these are the 2 brothers originally from Melb Zoo. Why does it say they were kept in a small shed at Cairns? They had a large island attached to the night quarters.... whilst they were in the night house when I visited Cairnes, where they never let out? It seems a bit strange to me to never have been outside, when they had an outside area! Glad to hear they are settled in now though.
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Siamang #3 died as a result of bacteria in the soil on the island. Therefore the surviving two were kept away from the danger by being kept in the nighthouse. This had been originally built for Orangs so was entirely adequate for them - larger, in fact, than an outside enclosure that I have seen for this species in one of the region's zoos.

The nighthouse was modified to allow the animals access to sunlight, rain and fresh air.
 
Steve Robinson said:
Unfortunately the State government is controlled by the Greens - don't expect any pro-zoo regulations for a while.
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Curiously, they are still chopping up Tasmania's old growth forests! :(
I much rather they would concern themselves over that.

This whole consultation process for Tasmania on mainland Australia imports is going nowhere.
 
Astrobird said:
There were 3 Siamangs at Cairnes - where has the other one gone? I will have to check up again, but I think these are the 2 brothers originally from Melb Zoo. Why does it say they were kept in a small shed at Cairns? They had a large island attached to the night quarters.... whilst they were in the night house when I visited Cairnes, where they never let out? It seems a bit strange to me to never have been outside, when they had an outside area! Glad to hear they are settled in now though.
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yes these are the two brothers from Melbourne, Ollie (Oliver) and Botak (shortened to Bo, and now apparently corrupted to Beau).

Answer to the "small shed" question in the other thread. (Edit: and in Steve's post above).
 
with regards to the results of the submissions for siamang and cheetah to be added to the list of importable animals into Tasmania, the siamang was deemed of "moderate" risk with "import restricted to those licence holders approved for keeping moderate threat species":
http://www.dpiw.tas.gov.au/inter.nsf/Attachments/LJEM-9858EZ/$FILE/The%20Siamang%20Risk%20Assessment.pdf

The cheetah has been deemed of "serious" threat, with "import restricted to those licence holders approved for keeping serious threat species" (which would include ZooDoo as they already hold tigers and lions):
http://www.dpiw.tas.gov.au/inter.nsf/Attachments/LJEM-985W29/$FILE/Cheetah%20Risk%20Assessment.pdf

The cheetah application was "strongly opposed" by the Tasmanian Conservation Trust.
http://www.tct.org.au/media/documents/14.3.2013TCTSubmissionCheetahImport.pdf
The Tasmanian Conservation Trust (TCT) welcomes the opportunity to
comment on the New Species Profiles for Public Comment: Cheetah
(Acinonyx jubatus). We are strongly opposed cheetah being added to the
list of species that can be imported into Tasmania as the potential risks
associated with the importation of this species into Tasmania are serious:
• Any large cat represents a threat to Australia’s native wildlife. It has
been well established that Australian wildlife is under threat by
domestic cats, both pets with access to the outdoors and domestic
cats that have gone feral. Australia is already suffering from a massive
uncontrollable feral cat problem. Unintentionally adding larger cats
with more hunting prowess to the mix could spell disaster. Allowing for
the importation of the cheetah into Tasmania is unacceptable.
• The Tasmania Zoo in its Risk Assessment identifies the potential
distribution of cheetah in Tasmania as ranging from 0-7, with 10 being
a perfect climate match (5.9). A match of 7 in parts of Tasmania is
concerning, especially given that the cheetah has been found at
altitudes of 4,000 m in Kenya.
• The Tasmania Zoo Risk Assessment also indicates that the cheetah is a
known carrier of a range of potentially dangerous pathogens, which
can become more prevalent with lower genetic diversity and
crowded captive living conditions (5.12). Tasmania already has serious
issues with a range of feline hosted pathogens impacting on native
wildlife and livestock health.
• Section 5.16 of the Tasmania Zoo Risk Assessment states that “VPC lists
the cheetah as a serious threat under the new classification”.
The following should be taken into consideration when assessing any import
request for Cheetah?:
• Does Tasmania Zoo have a demonstrated good track record of care
for imported and other species?
• Has Tasmania Zoo been audited for escape incidents and/or
adequate breeding controls in the past?
• Unless proven to be a part of a recognised conservation breeding
program for the species, there should be a requirement for all
cheetahs to be desexed prior to importation.
• If not part of a breeding program, the cheetah should be imported
and or kept only in single sex segregation.
• What are the mitigation strategies in the event that cheetah do
escape into the wild?
• Does the applicant have suitably secure premises for the cheetah?
• Does the Tasmania Zoo have adequate veterinary resources to both
desex and conduct regular health checks for this species?
• Will the Tasmania Zoo be subject to regular audits over time to monitor
each individual cheetah’s health and longevity?
• Is DPIPWE willing to take responsibility for the potentially devastating
impact that this species could have on native wildlife if it escapes from
captivity?
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cheetahs apparently coming to Tasmania Zoo later this year: Party time at the zoo | The Examiner
8 March 2013

........"Ten years ago it was just a few native animals and some birds, and now we have quite a few exotic animals and we've actually started on an enclosure for a few exciting animals like cheetahs,'' Mrs Penney said.

The enclosure is expected to be finished soon, with the cheetahs arriving later in the year.
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