Macaques in ARAZPA zoos

K

Kifaru Bwana

Well-Known Member
15+ year member
Steve Robinson said:
I am intrigued that no-one has mentioned the zoonoses implications with primate walk throughs.

In Australia, particularly, there was a degree of hysteria about Macaques/Herpes B that I have never encountered anywhere before. This despite the fact that there have been NO human fatalities in this country from Herpes B. Fortunately ARAZPA is now starting to rethink the Herpes B situation but it remains a fact that EVERY macaque species in Australia is to be phased out of ARAZPA zoos.

I was therefore fascinated to see Macaques in a walk through in England - our regulators would have forty fits at a sight like that!
Click to expand...

This came up in another thread and I would like to explore it with you boys and girls.

What is the story behind phasing out all macaque species in ARAZPA zoos?
What species are currently held? Any deciscions on relocating the species to be phased out to other regions with designated breeding programmes for these phased out macaque species (e.g. Sulawesi black M. nigra)?
What is the longterm aim of the Primate TAG for ARAZPA zoos?
 
macaques in ARAZPA zoos? what-the? lol
the only two species of macaque left in australia's major zoos are lion-tailed macaques at melbourne, and adelaide (from a pair imported from India in the 1950s), and a breeding group of sulawesi macaques operating out of Perth (consolidated there in 1999) which had last bred in 2004?
the last time the LTM bred was in 2000, descendents of the 1950s pair. nonetheless, this species could be considered to have bottomed out and despite early intentions from Taronga to come on board with the SM program this hasnt materialised. without regional cooperation both species will phase out with low numbers, hardly any holders and no new genes. goodbye macaques, for now
 
fortunately, it must be said that the primate tag is the most robust of all the regional TAGS, less hindered by quarantine (as opposed to the problems faced by artiodactyl coordinators), a historic pattern of better management and more direction, plus better cooperation (think the orangutan reshuffle between Taronga, Auckland and Adelaide which has enabled all 3 zoos to maximise the potential of 2 seperate programs) and the persistence and commitment of a few zoos to stick to their guns and hold on to species and continue to breed or import until wider regional participation becomes the norm (think Melbourne with gorillas, Perth Zoo with Silvery Gibbon and one hopes Taronga with Fracois).
 
ISIS lists Perth as also having Tonkean Macaques and Auckland as having Bonnets.

:)

Hix
 
Auckland's bonnets are old and probably the last in the region. There are at least a couple of pig-taileds left in NZ. There used to be crab-eating (long-tailed) and rhesus but don't know if they're still around. None of these are viable anymore. There are Japanese macaques at Launceston in Tasmania (and I think elsewhere in Australia?). And I think I read somewhere on the forums about a lab or former lab in Australia that has a bunch of macaques (?)
 
THere plenty of Rehsus floating around in the Private Zoo's and Hymadryas baboons in research facilty (dont know if this is stil the case)

THeres also Crab Eating and Japanese Macacques.
 
there are plenty of crab-eating macaques in non-ARAZPA zoos, but i think its fair to say that in Australia's mainstream zoos all species are on the way out.r
 
the first part of my post above was about macaques just in NZ (meaning I don't think there are any crab-eaters or rhesus left in NZ, and none of the species are viable in NZ). I don't know anything much about the Australian situation
 
Alma park, Qld have rhesus macaques, and years ago had a crab eating male
Crocodylus park, NT have pig-tailed macaques
Gorge wildlife park SA, have japanese macaques
these three above places are institutional members of ARAZPA

Cairns wildlife safari reserve is a provisional member of ARAZPA and they have japanese macaques
 
there are also crab-eating macaques at the hunter valley zoo too, and there would be more rhesus monkeys and macaques distributed throughout the country's circuses and other non-accredited organisations. also, doesnt Cairns have Sulawesi Macaques too?
on the whole this entire group of monkeys looks like it is doomed.
two, possibly three species held in only three major zoos.
disjointed, unregulated populations of several other species across a number of smaller zoos which are ARAZPA members
a few species in NZ
but no plans for new imports or hope for any species in reality. my guess is that populations of the C.E Macaques and Rhesus Monkeys may persist but that they will become more and more inbred over time and eventually die out too. historically, these monkeys are shunted between these private zoos, and with no ISIS records even to track movement their future seems dim.
 
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yer mareeba has 2 male sulumesi - forgot ooopss.... and Hunter Valley is not ARAZPA accredited...

there is also a rhesus macaque research facility... but yes bullens have them also
 
i know its not accredited, as the thread starting to become a little broader i think were looking at macaques across all zoos, or the lack of.
to further complicate things, Perth zoo's sulawesi macaques are of seperate sub-species, so even if they were looking to play a role in the global breeding program as a satellite institution they would need to import more animals of one sub-species.
 
Perth's Sulawesis are the same subspecies/species (depending on your point of view) that are generally held in zoos. Some originate from a SE Asian zoo (possibly Singapore) and also there are animals that form part of a swap with Jersey. This lineage is already heavily over-represented, and many zoos even in Europe are finding it difficult to obtain different genetics. The two animals at Mareeba are ex-Perth offspring.

The Tonkeans are the remnants of a pair imported from Europe/Germany? in the '70s (if memory serves me correct). Again this species has never gone anywhere after one male offspring was produced as further individuals could not be traced. Several attempts have been to move them on, but they are now a little long in the tooth. They were previously listed as Moors but are in fact Tonkeans.
 
When it comes to macaques, Perth zoo seems to be the last (reluctant) stronghold among the large mainstream Australian zoos.

WHICH brings us back to the tired old question of the purpose of a zoo.
For instance: Taronga has a beautiful pair of Francois' langurs. Visitors passing by spend a polite few seconds looking into the langur enclosure. If they manage to sight the langurs, they may spend another minute looking at them before moving on.
If, instead of the langurs Taronga had a cage containing a colony of "common as muck" crab-eating macaques with a pool and branches to climb on, the resulting playing/brawling/swimming and general interaction would result in a more interesting and enjoyable visitor experience.

Ideally we should have both the langurs and the macaques, but that ain't going to happen, so which should we have? As zoo fans, with a knowledge of the good that zoos could do with endangered species like Francois' langurs, most of us on this forum would nominate the langurs, but I don't think that the majority of casual zoo visitors would necessarily agree.
 
hmmm, i suppose if u stuck just 2 macaques in that exhibit they wouldnt get that much attention. i think francois langurs are best displayed in a group situation; they seem to become more confident in that case
 
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