Felids in Australasian Zoos – News, History and Discussion

Osedax said:
So that's 7.6? Or is my maths wrong?
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Yes, the current population is 7.6 Caracal to my knowledge. That’s assuming no further deaths have occurred within the population that have gone unreported.

Since the births of the two litters in March 2020 (WCCC) and December 2021 (DDZ), there’s been no further births. Hopefully we’ll hear news of another litter in the coming years. If not from either of those pairs, then the pair at Hunter Valley or Hamilton Zoo when they’re able to import a female. Sending a female from Tasmania Zoo to Hamilton appears a good option considering they’re founders.
 
Australasian Clouded Leopard Population

Thanks to @Tigergal for the DOB of the sibling pair at WCCC. We just need Mark’s DOB now. He came from Pittsburgh Zoo, who have bred a number of cubs, which doesn’t help with narrowing down his DOB.

1.0 Mark (Unknown) Imported 2022
0.1 Moana (16/05/2018) Imported 2022

1.0 Tai (09/12/2019) Imported 2020
0.1 Cinta (09/12/2019) Imported 2020
 
Zoofan15 said:
Australasian Clouded Leopard Population

Thanks to @Tigergal for the DOB of the sibling pair at WCCC. We just need Mark’s DOB now. He came from Pittsburgh Zoo, who have bred a number of cubs, which doesn’t help with narrowing down his DOB.

1.0 Mark (Unknown) Imported 2022
0.1 Moana (16/05/2018) Imported 2022

1.0 Tai (09/12/2019) Imported 2020
0.1 Cinta (09/12/2019) Imported 2020
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I'm wondering if Mark is 1.0 'Lynn' (27/11/2019).

Looking at the US population thread, Pittsburgh only had four Clouded Leopards at the time (a pair and their two sons). Conveniently, one of the two male cubs (Lynn) was sent elsewhere in 2022. There's a strong possibility Mark may have been renamed upon arrival.
 
Jambo said:
I'm wondering if Mark is 1.0 'Lynn' (27/11/2019).

Looking at the US population thread, Pittsburgh only had four Clouded Leopards at the time (a pair and their two sons). Conveniently, one of the two male cubs (Lynn) was sent elsewhere in 2022. There's a strong possibility Mark may have been renamed upon arrival.
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That sounds likely. It would figure he was born close to Moana, but the fact they weren’t paired as cubs suggests some degree of age difference (in this case it would be 18 months if he is that cat).

I saw numerous references to a keeper named Mark working with the species at Pittsburgh, so it could have been renamed in his honour by the WCCC.
 
The person I spoke with at the WCCC wasn’t able to confirm Mark’s DOB, but just that he’s about 4 years old and was born at Pittsburgh Zoo - whether that’s because she is front of house staff or not I’m not sure. I’d agree that it’s likely that Mark was renamed once he arrived in Australia
 
Tigergal said:
The person I spoke with at the WCCC wasn’t able to confirm Mark’s DOB, but just that he’s about 4 years old and was born at Pittsburgh Zoo - whether that’s because she is front of house staff or not I’m not sure. I’d agree that it’s likely that Mark was renamed once he arrived in Australia
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Yes that fits with a late 2019 birth and confirms assumptions he’s close in age to Moana.

It’d be interesting to know if the WCCC have made any progress in breeding this species. Mark and Moana are the presumped breeding pair unless they plan to attempt 1.1 integrations with the sibling pair at some stage. The import of a sibling pair otherwise seems redundant based on a reasonable availability of this species and the expectation of breeding them within the region.
 
Fishing Cat Update

Some sad news from Hamilton Zoo that their male Fishing cat died last week. Bandula was born in the UK on 22/02/2014 and was imported in 2017.

upload_2024-6-28_16-36-12.jpeg
Bandula (2014-2024) - photo from my visit in March 2024.

Bandula’s death reduces the regional population of this species to 1.3 cats:

Hamilton Zoo:

0.1 Indah (16/06/2013) Imported 2015 (Singapore)
0.1 Sahaja (27/04/2013) Imported 2017 (Czech Republic)

Taronga Zoo:

0.1 Maew (26/03/2012) Imported 2015 (England)

Wild Cat Conservation Centre:

1.0 Finn (Unknown) Imported 2022 (Unknown)

However, there is one positive and that’s that the keeper I spoke to said Hamilton Zoo intends to continue with Fishing cat long term. The current plan is to build a new complex to house/breed this species.
 

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Zoofan15 said:
Fishing Cat Update

Some sad news from Hamilton Zoo that their male Fishing cat died last week. Bandula was born in the UK on 22/02/2014 and was imported in 2017.

View attachment 711719
Bandula (2014-2024) - photo from my visit in March 2024.

Bandula’s death reduces the regional population of this species to 1.3 cats:

Hamilton Zoo:

0.1 Indah (16/06/2013) Imported 2015 (Singapore)
0.1 Sahaja (27/04/2013) Imported 2017 (Czech Republic)

Taronga Zoo:

0.1 Maew (26/03/2012) Imported 2015 (England)

Wild Cat Conservation Centre:

1.0 Finn (Unknown) Imported 2022 (Unknown)

However, there is one positive and that’s that the keeper I spoke to said Hamilton Zoo intends to continue with Fishing cat long term. The current plan is to build a new complex to house/breed this species.
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That is sad news about Bandula, but an encouraging sign that Hamilton is planning on continuing with the species. Hopefully this is also an indication that Taronga will do the same.
 
Abbey said:
That is sad news about Bandula, but an encouraging sign that Hamilton is planning on continuing with the species. Hopefully this is also an indication that Taronga will do the same.
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I’ll be interested to see how this fits in with Hamilton Zoo’s plans to import Clouded leopard. I had wondered if Hamilton Zoo would phase out Fishing cat and replace them with Clouded leopard; but now I’d say it’s more likely the latter will move into the current Fishing cat complex (with the Fishing cat then housed elsewhere in the zoo).

Historically, Melbourne Zoo has been the most successful breeding facility in the region, implementing the tried and tested off display breeding. If Hamilton (and possibly Taronga) persist with this felid, replicating this would greatly enhance their chances of breeding them.
 
Zoofan15 said:
I’ll be interested to see how this fits in with Hamilton Zoo’s plans to import Clouded leopard. I had wondered if Hamilton Zoo would phase out Fishing cat and replace them with Clouded leopard; but now I’d say it’s more likely the latter will move into the current Fishing cat complex (with the Fishing cat then housed elsewhere in the zoo).

Historically, Melbourne Zoo has been the most successful breeding facility in the region, implementing the tried and tested off display breeding. If Hamilton (and possibly Taronga) persist with this felid, replicating this would greatly enhance their chances of breeding them.
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Thinking about this, if Taronga is wanting to breed Fishing cats, then it might be worth importing a pair sooner rather than later, with the intention that one of their offspring will be available to be an on-display animal by the time that Maew unfortunately passes away.

That, of course, relies on the premise that Taronga do want to retain Fishing cats long-term, and that they want to breed them. Perhaps if Hamilton do breed, then they could be another source of a non-breeding animal, depending on the timeframe.
 
Abbey said:
Thinking about this, if Taronga is wanting to breed Fishing cats, then it might be worth importing a pair sooner rather than later, with the intention that one of their offspring will be available to be an on-display animal by the time that Maew unfortunately passes away.

That, of course, relies on the premise that Taronga do want to retain Fishing cats long-term, and that they want to breed them. Perhaps if Hamilton do breed, then they could be another source of a non-breeding animal, depending on the timeframe.
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I agree. As illustrated by the number of Temminck’s golden cat and Fishing cat kittens bred by Melbourne Zoo, these felids aren’t difficult to breed if the formula is right (compatible, fertile animals; with adequate privacy).

With this in mind, if one of the zoos within the region (such as Hamilton) are willing to dedicate the facilities to breeding them (off display exhibits), they could function as the breeding hub. Offspring bred from this pairing could be the display animals at that zoo - and other zoos within the region.

Presumably there would be some sort of effort to establish a partly-sustainable population (supplemented with imports every 10-15 years), with at least a couple of pairs held by the breeding zoo
 
Information on Hamilton Zoo’s Cheetah

1.0 Thumani (21/05/2018) Saadani x Kesho
1.0 Bomani (06/06/2018) Jana x Kyan
1.0 Radi (06/06/2018) Jana x Kyan
1.0 Denzel (06/06/2018) Jana x Kyan

Information on the individuals in Hamilton’s Cheetah coalition (from socials):

Thumani (Manni): Cousin to the three other boys, Manni often sits slightly apart from the group. He needs a bit more attention from his keepers to feel at ease, but once he’s comfortable, his lovely personality shines through.

Denzel: Like a domestic cat who sits in the doorway after demanding to be let out, Denzel will often choose to sit in transfer slides and look at his keepers rather than move through when asked. One could argue he is the smartest of the group and has trained his keepers well.

Bomani: With a coat slightly darker than his brothers and cousin, Bomani stands out in the crowd. On group carcass feed days, he’s always the first to race out and claim his spot before anyone else arrives. Radi

Radi: Always the first to explore any new enrichment or item, Radi’s interactive nature keeps everyone entertained. Known for his good looks, he often spends time admiring himself in the mirror when it’s hung on the fence for enrichment.
 
Trua said:
Back in 2022 a male Fishing Cat was acquired from the Czech Republic. Any idea where he ended up?
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Yes, that’s Finn who lives at the Wild Cat Conservation Centre. He’s the only male of his species in the region, following the death of Hamilton Zoo’s male earlier this year.

Taronga’s intention to continue with the species long term is unclear, but last I heard, Hamilton Zoo are hopeful of bringing in more cats once a new exhibit has been built.

The regional population is as follows:

Hamilton Zoo:

0.1 Indah (16/06/2013) Imported 2015 (Singapore)
0.1 Sahaja (27/04/2013) Imported 2017 (Czech Republic)

Australia

Taronga Zoo:

0.1 Maew (26/03/2012) Imported 2015 (United Kingdom)

Wild Cat Conservation Centre:

1.0 Finn (Unknown) Imported 2022 (Czech Republic)
 
Taronga’s keepers did try their hardest to breed the previous pair but unfortunately compatibly was just never there. This is a species that thrives on privacy and it was reckoned this could have affected their introductions and breeding efforts. I’d love to see another younger pair acquired and for them to try again.
 
scallywag2024 said:
Does anyone have history of Bobcats, Canadian Lynx or Siberian Lynx in Australia?
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This is your best resource. It’s a study across 10 Australian facilities:

Chronic Kidney Disease in Non-Domestic Felids in Australian Zoos

Taronga Zoo, Sydney, NSW
Taronga Western Plains Zoo, Dubbo, NSW
Werribee Open Range Zoo, Victoria
Melbourne Zoo, Victoria
Mogo Zoo, NSW
Dreamworld, Coomera, Queensland
National Zoo and Aquarium, Canberra, ACT
Perth Zoo, WA
Adelaide Zoo, SA
Monarto Zoo, SA

Data tables show a total of two Canadian lynx, both of which were born prior to 1974. It’s unspecified if they were imported; or born to parents imported prior to the study date began in 1965, but imported seems the most likely assumption. No breeding was recorded in the above facilities post 1974.

There’s no record of Siberian lynx across the above collections in this study.

51 Bobcat were held across the above zoos between 1965-2008. Of these, 21 were born prior to 1974 (of which 7 died at 0-6 months); 23 were born between 1975-1984 (of which 8 died at 0-6 months); 7 were born between 1985-1994 (of which 3 died at 0-6 months). No births of this species were recorded in the above zoos from 1995 onwards. Please note, the study does not differentiate between those born across the above facilities and those imported that were born within that timeframe. The last Bobcat in Australia died at Melbourne Zoo in 2008.
 
Zoofan15 said:
Data tables show a total of two Canadian lynx, both of which were born prior to 1974. It’s unspecified if they were imported; or born to parents imported prior to the study date began in 1965, but imported seems the most likely assumption. No breeding was recorded in the above facilities post 1974.

There’s no record of Siberian lynx across the above collections in this study.
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Osedax said:
"The Royal Melbourne Zoological Gardens", a 1985 guidebook to Melbourne Zoo that I was given yesterday, has a photo of a Siberian Lynx, so presumably there was at least one at Melbourne in the early '80s.
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I was a regular visitor to Melbourne Zoo at this time, and I clearly recall a lynx species at the zoo. Which one, I have no clear recollection, but if I had to put money on it, I would go Canadian.

It seems to me there are two possibilities:

1. Either the zoo or the authors of the report misidentified the species.
2. The producers of the guidebook (I think it might have been Steve Parish at the time) used a stock photo of a lynx.

Either is possible, but the second is more likely.
 
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