History & Futures of Mandrills in Australia

[zooboy28]

I know Mandrills have been discussed before, although when the threads start they seem to rather quickly move away from Mandrills, and on to the general decline of diversity in Australasian zoos.

Despite the general decline in the Australian mandrills population over many years, this appears to be stabilising, with 13 mandrills currently in Australia, a slight increase from 12 in 2006. These are kept at Adelaide (2.5), Melbourne (2.2) and Tasmania (1.1) Zoos. There are no other zoos apparently interested in holding this vulnerable species, so it looks like it is up to these institutions to improve the population and not let this awesome species die out. New founders are urgently needed, and the TAG notes that acquisition of such animals is now actually feasible (presumably from Europe, but also possibly from Singapore). Hopefully there is some effort made on this species soon.

I wanted to discuss the history of Mandrills in Australia too, as I came across an interesting paper on them today, which may or may not have implications for the species future in Australia too. The paper was published in Zoo Biology (12: 359-365) 1993, "Molecular Identification of a Mandrillus Hybrid Using Mitochondrial DNA" by J.N. Painter, R.H. Crozier, and M. Westerman, officially here: Molecular identification of a Mandrillus hybrid using mitochondrial DNA - Painter - 2005 - Zoo Biology - Wiley Online Library, probably available free somewhere too.

Abstract:
The purity of the Melbourne Zoo mandrill (Mandrillus sphinx) population has been questioned, based on the facial coloration of the female members. Consequently, it is believed that the original founding female of the Melbourne Zoo “mandrill” population was a drill-mandrill hybrid. This individual, whose mother was suspected to be a drill (Mandrillus leucophueus), is the only female to have contributed mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) to the population. The strictly maternal inheritance of mtDNA in vertebrates makes this molecule an ideal marker for the tracing of maternal gene flow. DNA sequence data from a 307-base pair (bp) region of the mitochondrial gene cytochrome b, amplified via the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), was obtained from the Melbourne Zoo individuals, and compared to the homologous sequences from known specimens of both mandrill and drill. The results obtained show that all current members of the “mandrill” population possess drill mtDNA, supporting the belief that the original female founder was a hybrid. This type of genetic study has significant implications for the conservation and future management of this and other captive populations.

So essentially, the paper shows that the Melbourne group was not actually a pure Mandrill population. Rather, it appears that the founding pair, from Berlin Zoo, comprised a pure male and a Mandrill x Drill hybrid female, meaning all their offspring are also hybrid to some degree. Hybridisation has been documented multiple times among captive Mandrillus.

At time of publication, Melbourne Zoo had eight mandrills in total: 1 daughter of the Berlin pair, 5 offspring from that daughter and a pure male from Taronga, and 2 more from the Taronga male and two of his daughters (the Berlin pair and Taronga male having presumably died). The paper also mentions mandrills at Taronga and Adelaide, but goes into no further detail on the regional population.

So obviously what I want to know is what happened to these hybrid individuals - are they still alive (I don't know their birth dates, but captive mandrills can live over 30 years), where they kept part of the breeding population once the regional programme was established, and are there more hybrid individuals now. Does anyone have any ideas??? Also, any info on the history of mandrills in the country would be appreciated.

 

[Pertinax]

Rather, it appears that the founding pair, from Berlin Zoo, comprised a pure male and a Mandrill x Drill hybrid female, meaning all their offspring are also hybrid to some degree. Hybridisation has been documented multiple times among captive Mandrillus.

Very unfortunate that they received a hybrid as one of the founder pair of the Australian animals. I have seen the Melbourne ones, some years ago but never thought they were anything but pure Mandrills- of course the % of Drill must get smaller in subsequent generations but is still there.

Do you know what it was about the females' facial appearance that alerted them to the possibility of impurity?

Its a difficult situation to rectify. Its only really possible by sterilising all the existing animals and then starting again with fresh(imported) stock.

 

[zooboy28]

Very unfortunate that they received a hybrid as one of the founder pair of the Australian animals. I have seen the Melbourne ones, some years ago but never thought they were anything but pure Mandrills- of course the % of Drill must get smaller in each generation until its scarcely apparent (but still there).

Do you know what it was about the females' facial appearance that alerted them to the possibility of impurity?

Its a difficult situation to rectify. Its only really possible by sterilising all the existing animals and then starting again with fresh(imported) stock.

OK, so just to clarify, it was just the founding pair of the Melbourne Zoo group that included the hybrid, not of the Australian population of a whole. As such, the Melbourne hybrids could have been prevented from breeding at the time (1993) so this might not even be a problem now. Or it could be that the entire Australian population has some hybrid in it now.

This is a direct quote from the paper regarding facial colouration:

The original founding female and the members of the current population all lack the red facial coloration that usually distinguishes female mandrills from their closest relatives, the black-faced drills.

 

[Pertinax]

Thanks.

So are all the other Mandrills currently in Oz ( at Adelaide and in Tassie,) descended from that Melbourne pair also?

 

[zooboy28]

Thanks.

So are all the other Mandrills currently in Oz ( at Adelaide and in Tassie,) descended from that Melbourne pair also?

That's what I want to know...

I suspect not neccessarily, as Adelaide and Taronga both had their own animals independent of Melbournes at least initially, and individuals from both of these were assumed pure and unrelated to Melbourne's group in the paper. So it really depends on what management decisions were made following the discovery of the hybrids.

 

[Pertinax]

That's what I want to know...

Obviously can't help you there but it will be interesting to see your findings, if you can trace all their ancestries that is.

 

[Chlidonias]

the two at Tasmania Zoo are a castrated male and a female companion, both from Adelaide (Express Magazine - Summer 2010), so they are basically retired animals.

I haven't found anything on the origin of Adelaide's mandrills but I think it unlikely they have remained isolated from Melbourne's animals, which would mean the drill genes would be in the entire Australian population.

 

[zooboy28]

the two at Tasmania Zoo are a castrated male and a female companion, both from Adelaide (Express Magazine - Summer 2010), so they are basically retired animals.

I haven't found anything on the origin of Adelaide's mandrills but I think it unlikely they have remained isolated from Melbourne's animals, which would mean the drill genes would be in the entire Australian population.

What happened to Taronga's animals? I suppose its not impossible that these were transferred to Melbourne, whose hybrid group died out, and the current animals are still of Tarongan (or Tarongan and Adelaidean) stock?

Having a hybrid population is obviously not ideal, is it worth continuing the mandill population in its current form, or should they abandon the taxon, or start again with new imported animals? How bad is it to have a little drill DNA in the population?


One interesting thing I noticed on the Zoolex page on the Melbourne mandrill exhibit (ZooLex Exhibit) is that it was built in 1989, when the zoo presumably had 8+ individuals, but they designed the exhibit with a capacity for just a group of 5? Weird (maybe the zoolex page was created with new info or something?).

 

[Chlidonias]

I know that several of Taronga's mandrills died of encephalomyocarditis virus. I'm not sure that if any survived they would have been transferred elsewhere.

 

[Chlidonias]

an interesting snippet I just came across from the West Australian newspaper (Feb 21, 1953). In 1953 Taronga received three mandrills direct from Africa, caught by Christoph Schulz. These may have been the founders of Taronga's group.

Also on the boat were two chimps and three "pygmy monkeys" (perhaps talapoins?). He had also caught eight gorillas but they had to spend three months somewhere other than their native country before being allowed into Australia, so were sent for quarantine to the Canary Islands where they all died.

 

[Chlidonias]

I know that several of Taronga's mandrills died of encephalomyocarditis virus. I'm not sure that if any survived they would have been transferred elsewhere.

this thread from 2006 says that Taronga's remaining mandrills went off display after the gorillas arrived, and then went to a private zoo somewhere (posts #8 and #9) but I'm not sure how reliable the last statement really is.
http://www.zoochat.com/24/cable-car-taronga-2187/

 

[Pertinax]

I haven't found anything on the origin of Adelaide's mandrills but I think it unlikely they have remained isolated from Melbourne's animals, which would mean the drill genes would be in the entire Australian population.

With so few holders in OZ historically, I would think there have been exchanges to the effect that even any originally pure group is now impure- unless the Taronga 1953 animals subsequently became the main contributors to the population.

 

[Pertinax]

ZooLex Exhibit[/url]) is that it was built in 1989, when the zoo presumably had 8+ individuals, but they designed the exhibit with a capacity for just a group of 5? Weird (maybe the zoolex page was created with new info or something?).

I would have seen that exhibit only a year or two after it opened then. I remember seeing only about 3-4 Mandrills though.

 

[jones]

Does anyboby know anything about the pair of Mandrill at Tasmania Zoo? - i recall the female being named Lara (she was orignally a melb zoo animal i think) - doesn anyone know the male?

 

[Electus Parrot]

I seem to recall, maybe two years ago Adelaide trying to integrate a new mandrill (possibly pair?) into the current group which they had just received, which from what I remember was Melbourne. I know that is quite vague, but I do recall that happening.

 

[Ara]

Just a bit on the history of mandrills at Adelaide Zoo (and I hope I don't muddy the water, so to speak); in his history of Adelaide zoo, written in 1978, C.E.Rix wrote about mandrills:

"...this species did not appear in the collection until 1964 when three young ones were obtained from the West Berlin Zoo. These proved to be an unsatisfactory group as two of them, including the male, were subsequently found to be hybrids. In 1975 the Council decided to replace them and was able to obtain a pure-bred male from Taronga Park, Sydney, to put with the pure-bred female. At the same time it was able to dispose of the hybrids, which were well-conditioned animals, to circus interests where their inability to breed would not be detrimental."

 

[Pertinax]

At the same time it was able to dispose of the hybrids, which were well-conditioned animals, to circus interests where their inability to breed would not be detrimental."

I wonder if that means they 'neutered' them after they discovered they were hybrid. I think they would have been able to breed otherwise. Many years ago I once saw a whole cage of Mandrill/Drill hybrids in a European Zoo- I suspect it contained more than one generation.

 

[Chlidonias]

Does anyboby know anything about the pair of Mandrill at Tasmania Zoo? - i recall the female being named Lara (she was orignally a melb zoo animal i think) - doesn anyone know the male?

the link I posted earlier in the thread no longer works, but the animals at Tasmania Zoo are both from Adelaide Zoo. I have no idea what their names are. The male (now castrated) is Adelaide's former breeding male. Their new male is the one Electus Parrot refers to who arrived there from Melbourne Zoo in 2010, and whom has since fathered at least two babies.

I seem to recall, maybe two years ago Adelaide trying to integrate a new mandrill (possibly pair?) into the current group which they had just received, which from what I remember was Melbourne. I know that is quite vague, but I do recall that happening.

 

[jones]

the link I posted earlier in the thread no longer works, but the animals at Tasmania Zoo are both from Adelaide Zoo. I have no idea what their names are. The male (now castrated) is Adelaide's former breeding male. Their new male is the one Electus Parrot refers to who arrived there from Melbourne Zoo in 2010, and whom has since fathered at least two babies.

thanks for that

 

[Chlidonias]

so in summary of the mandrill situation in Australia:

*Melbourne Zoo -- all hybrids of mandrill X drill
*Adelaide Zoo -- were all pure mandrills but their breeding male is now a Melbourne hybrid (and females from Melbourne may have also been added previously?)
*Tasmania Zoo -- two retired animals, both pure mandrills (male certainly)

*Taronga Zoo -- were all pure mandrills (possibly derived from the direct import from Africa I mentioned earlier) but now all dead or mixed into the other zoos' populations.


It isn't really a big deal that they are all hybrids because they are only display animals. The only issue would be if individuals were sent overseas and mixed into groups of pure mandrills but that is unlikely to happen.