Echidnas in UK zoos

Thanx for your helpful comments. I would however underline that echidna breeding has not been that forthcoming in historical times due to the fact that zoos tend to pair them up. For breeding you would require competitor males. No European zoo at the moment suits that regime ... for now (alas).

The relative disinterest of BIAZA zoos in Australasian fauna is not helpful I am sure .... for any Australian imports. As for subspecies ... it is a valid criterium to set up breeding groups along recognised taxon lines only ... (since damn most echidnas are taken from the wild anyway).
 
Kifaru Bwana said:
The relative disinterest of BIAZA zoos in Australasian fauna is not helpful I am sure .... for any Australian imports. As for subspecies ... it is a valid criterium to set up breeding groups along recognised taxon lines only ... (since damn most echidnas are taken from the wild anyway).
Click to expand...

I don't thin there has been too much disinterest in Australasian fauna from UK zoos, with the following as examples.

Edinburgh zoo - koala, swamp wallaby and potoroo, along with lorikeets and Australasian birds in the shared exhibit wi the koala.

Belfast - Starting a breeding programme for Goodfellow's tree kangaroo

South Lakes - Currently holding the largest collection of macropods in Europe.

Chester - Still only one of two places to exhibit tuatara in Europe, and starting a programme for Australian cassowary, as well as the red birds of paradise.

London - The first zoo outside of Australia to breed Leadbetters possum a few years back (none left), and the first captive birth of striped possum. As well as the new mixed exhibit for wallabies and emu on the Mappin terraces, devoted to the Australian outback.

RSCC - Importing a group of little red fruit bats from Auckland zoo last year.

More collections holding brushtail possum, red kangaroo, long nosed potoroo, Australian cassowary and frilled lizards amongst others.

Hopefully this is a trend that will grow and grow.:)
 
What our fellow forum poster was saying ... was that too few zoos were committed to a combined effort to import echidnas to the UK. And as I observed the last thing one wishes for is a dead end non breeding population outta range ...!!! The secret to echidna breeding is to have several competitor males and adequate dietary arrangements ...!
 
I saw echidna in the old small mammal house at London zoo a few years ago, just before the rainforest theme was introduced! maybe 5 years ago?
 
We were at Paignton in Oct last year, and got to see an echidna up and about, but I got that excited that all my photos are slightly blurred!!:o We only saw the one though.
 
When the echidnas are active they are one of my favourite animals at the zoo, however I have only seen it a few times. Last time I saw both was last July/August so the male must have died since then, shame.
 
I took some awful photos of the pair last September and have seen both of them since then, though I can't remember when exactly.
 
kiang said:
I don't thin there has been too much disinterest in Australasian fauna from UK zoos, with the following as examples.

Edinburgh zoo - koala, swamp wallaby and potoroo, along with lorikeets and Australasian birds in the shared exhibit wi the koala.

Belfast - Starting a breeding programme for Goodfellow's tree kangaroo

South Lakes - Currently holding the largest collection of macropods in Europe.

Chester - Still only one of two places to exhibit tuatara in Europe, and starting a programme for Australian cassowary, as well as the red birds of paradise.

London - The first zoo outside of Australia to breed Leadbetters possum a few years back (none left), and the first captive birth of striped possum. As well as the new mixed exhibit for wallabies and emu on the Mappin terraces, devoted to the Australian outback.

RSCC - Importing a group of little red fruit bats from Auckland zoo last year.

More collections holding brushtail possum, red kangaroo, long nosed potoroo, Australian cassowary and frilled lizards amongst others.

Hopefully this is a trend that will grow and grow.:)
Click to expand...

I wouldn't say there is a disinterest in Australasian wildlife, as per your examples above. My point was that there is an avid interest to import species not currently held in the UK/Europe, but this is not being followed up, probably due to the excessive paperwork involved. The import of the flying foxes would be the only example of a recent import from Australasia.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top