Darling Downs Zoo Darling Downs Zoo News 2025

scallywag2024 said:
Amazing news!!! Congrats DDZ!!! I think many assume importing zoo animals is easy, and seems silly when some zoos only import 1-2 animals, 6 is an amazing foundation for a breeding colony.

I can’t believe many zoos phased out this magnificent species,
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It’s especially good to see multiple males imported. The initial import is 2.4 and there’ll presumably be at least 1-2 males in the upcoming import of four coati, which will give them a decent founder base.

Melbourne Zoo imported 1.4 coati (from which the previous population descended) and therefore the entire first generation were all related to each other.

As you and @Zorro noted, the species will be self-sustaining in Australia for generations now thanks to these imports.
 
Zoofan15 said:
It’s especially good to see multiple males imported. The initial import is 2.4 and there’ll presumably be at least 1-2 males in the upcoming import of four coati, which will give them a decent founder base.

Melbourne Zoo imported 1.4 coati (from which the previous population descended) and therefore the entire first generation were all related to each other.

As you and @Zorro noted, the species will be self-sustaining in Australia for generations now thanks to these imports.
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It makes one wonder as to why a major zoo would only import one male and expect that to work out in the long term I expect more foresight than this, do it properly or don't do it at all!
 
Zoofan15 said:
The initial import is 2.4 and there’ll presumably be at least 1-2 males in the upcoming import of four coati, which will give them a decent founder base.
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The next group consists of 2.2.

So, the founding population will be 4.6 all unrelated. 3.2 of these are wild born.

ZAA has phased out this species because they were unable to source any. Therefore, we will manage the population ourselves and, maybe, later turn them over to a WEN managed program.
 
Steve Robinson said:
The next group consists of 2.2.

So, the founding population will be 4.6 all unrelated. 3.2 of these are wild born.

ZAA has phased out this species because they were unable to source any. Therefore, we will manage the population ourselves and, maybe, later turn them over to a WEN managed program.
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That’s a great founder base.

I’m really looking forward to seeing Darling Downs Zoo’s coati colony flourish. They breed well in captivity and commonly have litters of five to seven kits (though some of Melbourne’s females had nine).
 
Zoofan15 said:
That’s a great founder base.

I’m really looking forward to seeing Darling Downs Zoo’s coati colony flourish. They breed well in captivity and commonly have litters of five to seven kits (though some of Melbourne’s females had nine).
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The current Baboon enclosure which I believe they will be moving into will give them quite a large area to roam about also a lot of climbing opportunities it should work out very well for them
 
Zoofan15 said:
That’s a great founder base.

I’m really looking forward to seeing Darling Downs Zoo’s coati colony flourish. They breed well in captivity and commonly have litters of five to seven kits (though some of Melbourne’s females had nine).
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scallywag2024 said:
OMG 9…..
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Thanks to @akasha, we have the following information: 26 kits were born within a two week period to four females. Mohawk and Isabella each produced four kits, with Isabella’s litter dying as neonates. Helga and Margrethe each produced nine kits. All of the litters were sired by a single male (Floppy).

The kits were raised communally, so it’ll be fascinating to see how Darling Downs Zoo manages breeding. It’s noted a trio of the 2.4 (presumably 1.2) will be transferring out long term; which would leave them with at least two breeding females.
 
Steve Robinson said:
, maybe, later turn them over to a WEN managed program.
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That would be nice to see. Even though it won't be a ZAA run program, it'll still be a program that will allow a fair few facilities to participate. Altina, Central Coast, D'Aguilar, Mansfield and Tasmania are all members, and are all facilities that I could see contributing to a new, regional run program.
 
Jambo said:
That would be nice to see. Even though it won't be a ZAA run program, it'll still be a program that will allow a fair few facilities to participate. Altina, Central Coast, D'Aguilar, Mansfield and Tasmania are all members, and are all facilities that I could see contributing to a new, regional run program.
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I think someone mentioned a WEN program… WEN exotic species holders include: DDZ, Tasmania Zoo, Central Coast Zoo, Cooberrie Park, D’Aguilar Wildlife, Wings Wildlife Park, Mansfield Zoo, Banana Cabana, Warrnambool WE and Altina.
 
Jambo said:
That would be nice to see. Even though it won't be a ZAA run program, it'll still be a program that will allow a fair few facilities to participate. Altina, Central Coast, D'Aguilar, Mansfield and Tasmania are all members, and are all facilities that I could see contributing to a new, regional run program.
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It’ll be exciting to see which facilities acquire them long term.

A risk assessment by the Tasmanian Government has been carried out on the species, which determined the South American coati to have a moderate establishment risk and with a high consequence of establishment. It was therefore proposed the species be assigned to a serious threat category.

One of the proposed mitigation options was:
  1. Only permanently castrated male animals will be approved for import.
South American coati (Nasua nasua) | Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania
 
Zoofan15 said:
It’ll be exciting to see which facilities acquire them long term.

A risk assessment by the Tasmanian Government has been carried out on the species, which determined the South American coati to have a moderate establishment risk and with a high consequence of establishment. It was therefore proposed the species be assigned to a serious threat category.

One of the proposed mitigation options was:
  1. Only permanently castrated male animals will be approved for import.
South American coati (Nasua nasua) | Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania
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I just fail to see a rationale as the coati are only approved for import by registered and licensed facilities and zoos. There is no indication nor legal precedent for that it may become available to any private individuals or commercial parties and how it would even be allowed to escape ..and lo-and-behold eventually become established into the Tasmanian outdoor range or the wider outback in Australia. Granted: Tasmania has 2 zoological facilities .... only, is that a serious risk (Huh????? ... I just wonder).

Hell if anything, the Antipodes do admittedly have huge issues with invasive species alas ... to be truthful for which their response has been wholly inadequate and law enforcement or eradication programs are still not even remotely effective to exterminate these (fox, rat, dromedary, feral cat and dog - even the domestic pet oness are an issue (as they are also locally here in Europe), wild boar, any deer spp.).


Steve Robinson said:
The next group consists of 2.2.

So, the founding population will be 4.6 all unrelated. 3.2 of these are wild born.

ZAA has phased out this species because they were unable to source any. Therefore, we will manage the population ourselves and, maybe, later turn them over to a WEN managed program.
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I am glad DAA has the guts to do this. Interesting how WEN is superceding somehow ZAA over imports and managed breeding program imports!
 
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Kifaru Bwana said:
I just fail to see a rationale as the coati are only approved for import by registered and licensed facilities and zoos. There is no way that it may become available to any private individuals or commercial parties and how it would even be allowed to escape ... into the Tasmanian realm or the wider outback in Australia.

Hell if anything, the Antipodes do admittedly have huge issues with invasive species alas ... to be truthful for which their response has been wholly inadequate and law enforcement or eradication programs are still not even remotely effective to exterminate these (fox, rat, dromedary, feral cat and dog - even the domestic pet oness are an issue (as they are also locally here in Europe), wild boar, any deer spp.).
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Several accredited zoos in the region have reported escapes of otters and red pandas, so it can’t be 100% discounted that coati won’t ever escape.

I agree it seems overly cautious, but castrated males that are unable to be recaptured will exist as an invasive pest only for the duration of their lifetime. Intact males and females (or a pregnant female) could breed rapidly if left unchecked.
 
Zoofan15 said:
Several accredited zoos in the region have reported escapes of otters and red pandas, so it can’t be 100% discounted that coati won’t ever escape.

I agree it seems overly cautious, but castrated males that are unable to be recaptured will exist as an invasive pest only for the duration of their lifetime. Intact males and females (or a pregnant female) could breed rapidly if left unchecked.
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I may be wrong [I thought I was once but I was mistaken] but I think that KB was referring to the fact that Coati can be kept and bred in most other States and Territories but not Tasmania.

Other species of high pest potential can be kept and bred in Tasmania so it appears that Coati may be suffering from a bad reputation due to Ring-tails being banned in the EU.
 
Steve Robinson said:
I may be wrong [I thought I was once but I was mistaken] but I think that KB was referring to the fact that Coati can be kept and bred in most other States and Territories but not Tasmania.

Other species of high pest potential can be kept and bred in Tasmania so it appears that Coati may be suffering from a bad reputation due to Ring-tails being banned in the EU.
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That’s an interesting point. Although I’m aware not every containment breech is publicly reported, red panda escapes have by no means been an uncommon occurrence across the region.

I looked up the risk assessment for red panda and there’s no mitigation recommendation regarding breeding (e.g. castrated males only):

Red panda (Ailurus fulgens) | Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania

I’m inclined to agree with you and @Kifaru Bwana that the coati restriction is overly stringent.
 
Zoofan15 said:
That’s an interesting point. Although I’m aware not every containment breech is publicly reported, red panda escapes have by no means been an uncommon occurrence across the region.

I looked up the risk assessment for red panda and there’s no mitigation recommendation regarding breeding (e.g. castrated males only):

Red panda (Ailurus fulgens) | Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania

I’m inclined to agree with you and @Kifaru Bwana that the coati restriction is overly stringent.
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I guess that can apply to castrating male cougars as well!
 
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