That is what immediately sprang to mind- that they didn't really know his age.
Javan Rhino news
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That is what immediately sprang to mind- that they didn't really know his age.
Zz123
Well-Known Member
One possible explanation is that Musofa died so quickly after the translocation that the authorities chose to delay any public announcement. He arrived on November 5 and passed away on November 7, which meant the entire operation ended before they could even present it as a successful milestone.
Instead of announcing the translocation immediately, they waited nearly three weeks—likely to complete the necropsy, prepare an official explanation, and control the narrative before releasing the news. If they had announced it right away, and then two days later revealed that he had already died, it would have created a major public backlash and potentially attracted negative international attention.
So presumably it was the post mortem that actually revealed his true age and bodily condition. Advanced age was also a factor in some of the captures of Sumatran rhino too.
Correct the first female Sumatran rhino at the Port Lypmne zoo was an old animal also arrived with an old leg injury from a poachers snare!
She was the one of the two Sumatran rhinos who went to Port Lypmne in the 1980s who only lived a short time after arriving there right? and then sometime in in the 1990s a second female was brought in to join the male hey? Poor thing. It's so infuriating poach' killing both species is still a serious problem to this day. Know its almost certainly poverty driven desperate opportunity to make some money by those who do it in the region, but its still a devastating crime, and one of the furthest thing from ok to do.
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captain alligator
Well-Known Member
I believe Sumatran rhinos in captivity have also disappeared, but unlike Javan rhinos, they were kept in several zoos in the past.
Some of the ones that went to North America around the same time were also too old to breed, like Rapunzel at the Bronx Zoo. I hope this setback over this old male Javan Rhino doesn't prevent this project going forward. A captive breeding centre on Java is badly needed in the light of the continued losses experienced from poaching.
I'm hopeful that they will not let this setback stop them - @Rizz Carlton notes above that:
:which seems to imply that they will carry on. Wishing them all possible luck.
That is correct, I was allowed to go off exhibit inside the rhino barn and gave them a snack and a pat they were like large hairy dogs, I was shown around the indoor quarters and the cold room that their tropical fruit was stored, it was one of my best zoo visits ever!
Yeah think 1984 was when the first Sumatran rhinos arrived at Zoo Melaka, and outside of Asia, after Rapunzel died 22 Dec 2005 at Bronx Zoo died - Cincinnati Zoo was the only place outside of Asia to still have them (Emi, Ipuh, Andalas, Suci and Harapan) until Harapan left November 2015. So it seems was a bit over a thiry year ex-situ program. (Studbook (2010) - Rhinoresourcecenter.com - Wayback Machine)
Wasn't there a zoo in Europe who had a Sumatran rhino in 1960s?
As far as can tell, Adelaide Zoo was last zoo (at least outside of Asia?) to keep a Javan Rhino, Mr Rhini, from 1886 until he died in 1907; but they thought he was a greater one-horned rhino and displayed him as that or an Indian rhino even perhaps (even though he certainly would not have come from India of course).
@Zorro Oh cheers, yeah poor thing; so infuriating and disgusting how still have to battle against poaching now but even in 1980s was known to be very wrong and two beautiful species right on the edge of extinction (and now teetering as severely close to extinction as it gets).
captain alligator
Well-Known Member
The Javan rhinoceros and the Indian rhinoceros look very similar, but the Javan rhinoceros is a size smaller. It is unclear why Adelaide Zoo mistook it for an Indian rhinoceros.
Yes Copenhagen (1959 - 1972) & Basle (1959 - 1961)
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captain alligator
Well-Known Member
According to the Zootierliste, although it was quite some time ago, Tiergarten Schönbrunn in Austria, Artis Royal Zoo in the Netherlands, and London Zoo in the United Kingdom also kept Javan rhinos.
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Oh wow cool. Copenhagen is interesting because not the longest of time, but considering Sumatran rhinos don’t seem to live too long in captivity with impressive exceptions, 13 years for a Sumatran rhino in a place that gets as cold as Copenhagen is interesting (could say about cold in Cincinnati and New York for examples though sure they had good barns for the cold times of year).
For years before joining on here was surprised there were never any kept in Australia (besides the late Steve Irwin’s want for them) but was thinking moreso in earlier decades here in Australia. Then learnt on here after joining how the species that have been here will impressive ones, has been largely limited compared to Europe and North America (partly by our strict importation laws in Aus’, where some species theres just no chance of getting as much as are wanted). Then learnt too about the blindness our Malayan tapirs all were afflicted with here from the intense glare of the sun here (believe ozone layer hole here greatly exasperated the problem) , and figured surely would have affected deep rainforest, life under the shade of the rainforest canopies living Sumatran rhinos would of been so vulnerable to the same problem that the Malayan tapirs here all suffered too without there of being very adequate shading and coverage (which was given to the Malayan tapirs here a lot, but still was not enough, and they all ended up blind!)
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Yeah am surprised they thought was a g.o.h/Indian rhino considering the size contrast, even though Javan rhinos look similar but smaller version of (and still noticeable differences).
edit: was surprised (even though Javan rhinos long been rare animals) that they hadnt been kept anywhere in a zoo more ‘recently’ (as in 1940s and 1950s being more recent, which in the bigger picture of history and life they still are). With the surprise to do with Australia having not ever kept Sumatran rhinos too even several decades ago, was the fact too that proximity wise they along with Javan rhinos are the closest species of rhino to Australia (Java, Sumatra and Borneon actually being some of the closest big big islands and land masses to Australia after Papua, Timor, New Zealand, more easterly Indonesian islands (including Bali, Lombok, Sumbawa, Sumba, Sawu, Flores, Lembata, Panta, Alor, Wetar, Yamdena, Sulawesi and Maluku Islands), and many of the Pacific Islands nations. Well Java, Sumatra & Borneo actually closer than some of those other places with the western and north-western part of Aus’). Australian zoos quite often do focus on SE Asian species inspired by our neighbourly close proximity to (albeit became more popular to do in the 1990s at the major decline of North & South American species that were here at the time much more than currently. Though the S.E Asian species increases and increase of focus was a great thing, wish didn’t have to be at the expense of some other animals having wide interest in them lost in Australian zoos…but prioritising space been a never ending issue to to have to make decisions about which can remain or have to be sent away/or not replaced when they died).
With both Javan & Sumatran rhinos being critically endangered for so long, and the conservation work is something (most of) our zoos here pride themselves on too. But then came to learn from reading and being educated on here, how hard that would of been almost certainly for it to have actually been able to keep any.
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captain alligator
Well-Known Member
Was the climate in the UK and the US suitable for keeping Sumatran rhinos? (This applies not only to Sumatran rhinos but also to other rhinos.)
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Personally would not have thought so for the UK, and with the USA would have thought more southern California (well they were at San Diego there), Texas, Florida, Georgia - those sorts of areas of the US with zoos in a warmer climate and less cold winters (Cincinnati seemed to look after them very well though, so much so that they reproduced at least 3 times). But sending the surviving individuals back to Asia a decade ago was a very good decision it seems.
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captain alligator
Well-Known Member
Incidentally, the Indian rhinoceros, also native to Asia, is still kept in zoos in Europe and North America, but I think keeping them is difficult in some regions.
Two of London Zoo's Sumatran rhinos were long lived individuals:
"Begum" lived at the zoo from 15th February 1872 until 31st August 1900 and "Jackson" was at the zoo from 27th April 1886 until 22nd November 1910.
(Both " Begum" and "Jackson" were of the hairy-eared sub-species lasiotis and "Begum" was the type specimen of this sub-species.)
Yeah wow they did live lengthy times (and back then too in much more cramped conditions) thats really interesting, thanks.