Management of Primates Within ARAZPA

[LOU]

There has been much talk on here about which species are viable, which are being phased-out etc., so to put some of your minds at rest, I’ve compiled a list of up to date information regarding the management plans of primates within ARAZPA.

Bornean Orang-utan - Maintain (breed if other institutions provide spaces); Phase-out long, long term

Orang-utan Hybrid - Maintain non-breeding; Phase-out long term

Sumatran Orang-utan – Viable; Importation needed of breeding females

Chimpanzees – Viable; Priority Ape species

Western Lowland Gorilla – Viable

Siamang – Viable

White-cheeked Gibbon – Viable; Importation needed

Muller’s Gibbon – Phase-out

Silvery Gibbon – Importation needed; More spaces required

Lar Gibbon – Phase-out

Dusky Leaf-monkey – Maintain until more Francois Leaf-monkeys are acquired; Phase-out long term

Francois Leaf-monkey – Importation needed; more spaces required; Priority Leaf-monkey species

Ebony Leaf-monkey – Phase-out

Black And White Colobus Monkey – No longer managed; Importation needed

Chacma Baboon – Phase-out

Hamadryas Baboon – Viable; Importation ideal

Mandrill – No longer managed; Importation vital

Lion-tailed Macaque – Phase-out

Bonnet Macaque – Phase-out

Sulawesi Macaque – Phase-out, unless more spaces given

Pig-tailed Macaque – Phase-out

Rhesus Macaque – Phase-out

Japanese Macaque – Phase-out

Crab-eating Macaque – Phase-out

Vervet Monkey – Viable; Importation needed

De Brazza’s Monkey – Maintain non-breeding; Phase-out long term

Brown Spider-monkey – Phase-out

Common Squirrel-monkey – Maintain until more Bolivian Squirrel-monkeys are acquired; Phase-out long term

Bolivian Squirrel-monkey – Importation needed; Priority Squirrel-monkey species

Black-capped Capuchin – Viable

White-fronted Capuchin – Phase-out

Black-handed Spider-monkey – Viable

Spider-monkey Sp. – Phase-out

Cotton-top Tamarin – Viable; Importation ideal

Emperor Tamarin – Viable; Importation ideal; Managed by EEP

Golden Lion-tamarin – Importation needed; Managed by GLT MC

Black Lion-tamarin – Phase-out; Managed by BLT MC

Pygmy Marmoset – Viable; Importation needed

Common Marmoset – Viable

Sunda Loris – Phase-out

Slow Loris – Phase-out

Black and White Ruffed Lemur – Viable; Importation ideal

Ring-tailed Lemur – Viable; Importation ideal

White-fronted Lemur – Phase-out


I hope this was helpful.

 

[animal kid]

This is very good but could you just ad where each species is in australia if you know? and i because i don't know very much about ARAZPA i have some questions:

First who decides which species are viable and which aren't is there members of arazpa that focus on primates or is it the zoos who manage the animals in australia?

why are species thats could be imported and breed that are endangered being phased out especially when least concern species are being kept is the aim of zoos nowdays to help endangered animals?

and is it possible for non arazpa zoos to take the phase out species and set up there own breeding programs with international zoos or would they be less likely to be given the primates?

and would i am guessing that phasing out species means keeping animals that could breed until they get old and die? if so why aren't the animals sent overseas to zoos that will breed them?

 

[Ara]

Thanks LOU, that's valuable information you have given us.
I guess the only decision I quibble with is the intention to write-off the De Brazza's Guenon.

animal kid, I guess phase-out monkeys are not sent overseas as, apart from Lion-Tailed Macaques, they are species which are quite common in other countries' zoos.

 

[ZYBen]

Lion-tailed Macaque – Phase-out

Bonnet Macaque – Phase-out

Sulawesi Macaque – Phase-out, unless more spaces given

Pig-tailed Macaque – Phase-out

Rhesus Macaque – Phase-out

Japanese Macaque – Phase-out

Crab-eating Macaque – Phase-out

From now on, everytime I see the 2 Macaques species I work with I am going to savour every moment. Even if they keep destroying my sunnies

 

[Chlidonias]

Black-capped Capuchin – Viable

am I right or wrong in thinking that Australia's capuchins are derived from imports from NZ? (I'm sure I read that on this forum some time ago).....because NZ's capuchins are horribly inbred which can hardly place their descendants in Australia in a viable situation. Somebody correct me if that's incorrect.

 

[Steve Robinson]

am I right or wrong in thinking that Australia's capuchins are derived from imports from NZ? (I'm sure I read that on this forum some time ago).....because NZ's capuchins are horribly inbred which can hardly place their descendants in Australia in a viable situation. Somebody correct me if that's incorrect.

Australia's are also well and truly six fingered!

Melbourne Zoo recently imported some from NZ to give our breeding program in this country a boost!

 

[boof]

Mandrill – No longer managed; Importation vital

Doesn't Melbourne and Adelaide still have healthy, viable breeding groups. What does no longer managed mean? Please ARAZPA, don't let these animals slowly die out.

 

[MRJ]

Doesn't Melbourne and Adelaide still have health, viable breeding groups. What does no longer managed mean? Please ARAZPA, don't let these animals slowly die out.

It means that without imports (and presumably without additional spaces) the population is no longer genetically viable, so there is no point in allocating resources in the form of a studbook keeper to try and manage the population. It does not necessarily mean the species will die out, although that is likely to happen.

 

[LOU]

In this case though, the Mandrill's studbook will be maintained.

As for Black-capped Capuchins, i was aware that there were a few very inbred individuals but i was under the impression that overall, the population was relatively healthy. This isn't the case?

ARAZPA decides which species are viable or not, but they generally make decisions based on what the institutions want to do. All managed species are supposed to have a coordinator who make recommendations but ultimately, can't force any institution to do something they don't want. If a species isn't managed, it is entirely up to the institutions to decide what they want to do.

As for the rest of your questions animal kid, i would be going out of my depth and making a lot of assumptions by answering them. I'm sure others would be able to though.

 

[jay]

Personally I think there is a place for a zoo that specialises in the three taxa that can be readily imported into the country and which have such a wide variety within them as to be really interesting. Anyone else agree that a zoo that specialises in canines, felines and primates would be great?

 

[MRJ]

why are species thats could be imported and breed that are endangered being phased out especially when least concern species are being kept is the aim of zoos nowdays to help endangered animals?

Interesting question, and this answer is my own opinion. There are only a handful of zoos around the world that really do outstanding conservation work, and then most of their serious conservation work takes place in-situ, that is in the home range of the animals concerned. It so happens that Australian zoos sit within the home range of a diverse, unique and highly threatened fauna. IMHO it would make a lot of sense for Aussie zoos to exhibit a range of popular, easily kept, bred and managed exotic species and use the surpluses made to build a few more devil pens, or breed some more threatened frog species.

There are exceptions, and Australian zoos do seem to have positioned themselves to make a serious contribution to silvery gibbons, for instance.

and is it possible for non arazpa zoos to take the phase out species and set up there own breeding programs with international zoos or would they be less likely to be given the primates?

Theoretically yes. However if ARAZPA zoos lack the resources to do so, it is highly unlikely that non-ARAZPA zoos would have the resources.

and would i am guessing that phasing out species means keeping animals that could breed until they get old and die? if so why aren't the animals sent overseas to zoos that will breed them?

Not necessarily. They may be passed onto other zoos that are interested in holding that species. There is a difference between a species being phased out in one zoo and a species being recommended against in the ARAZPA plan. Zoos can keep and breed species that are not recommended but are likely to come under pressure from TAG conveners to make the spaces available for program species. But there are many examples of zoos holding and supporting non-program species because it suits their particular interests.

Sending them to overseas zoos is sometimes an option. However remember the original stock Australian zoos obtained would often be from genetic lines already well represented in overseas zoos. That is why the animals were made available to Australian zoos in the first place. Therefore it may be difficult to find an overseas zoo interested in taking the animals back.

Please feel free to ask further questions.

 

[MRJ]

Personally I think there is a place for a zoo that specialises in the three taxa that can be readily imported into the country and which have such a wide variety within them as to be really interesting. Anyone else agree that a zoo that specialises in canines, felines and primates would be great?

The park at Mareeba was originally planned as a primate zoo.

 

[Steve Robinson]

Theoretically yes. However if ARAZPA zoos lack the resources to do so, it is highly unlikely that non-ARAZPA zoos would have the resources.

Why on earth would you presume that?

 

[Steve Robinson]

and is it possible for non arazpa zoos to take the phase out species and set up there own breeding programs with international zoos or would they be less likely to be given the primates?

In the past, healthy animals in ARAZPA zoos have been euthanised rather than go to non-ARAZPA zoos in this country.

At the moment there is a primate at a prominent ARAZPA zoo that is incompatible with it's conspecifics. That zoo has been trying to place it elsewhere. No ARAZPA zoo has offered to take it. A non- ARAZPA zoo that keeps this species has offered to place it. The offer has been refused on the grounds that the zoo is not a member of ARAZPA. The animal [and it's conspecifics] are thus still being kept in less than desirable circumstances despite a solution to the problem being available.

What is SAID and what is DONE are often two very different things.

 

[Steve Robinson]

Congratulations LOU.

Your postings have become remarkably mature for a Young Person.

Well done!

 

[Electus Parrot]

What I don't get is there are less Francois' Langur in Australia than Dusky Langurs and Adelaide is maintaining their Langurs well, all we need is another pair and they would be alright for a while, but always more is better. I think Taronga and Melbourne should have Francois' Langur while Adelaide (and maybe another zoo, possibly Perth) have Dusky Langurs. Adelaide still has space to have more.
Thats just my opinion, but well done LOU.

 

[MARK]

What I don't get is there are less Francois' Langur in Australia than Dusky Langurs and Adelaide is maintaining their Langurs well, all we need is another pair and they would be alright for a while, but always more is better. I think Taronga and Melbourne should have Francois' Langur while Adelaide (and maybe another zoo, possibly Perth) have Dusky Langurs. Adelaide still has space to have more.
Thats just my opinion, but well done LOU.

You make a very good point Electus Parrot I tend to agree with you

 

[MRJ]

Why on earth would you presume that?

(Hmmm some angst detected here...)

It's not a presumption, but an opinion based on an understanding as to the resources involved in a conservation breeding program. Admittedly I do presume that non-ARAZPA zoos have a fraction of the resources available to them that ARAZPA zoos do overall.

And I would be more than happy to be proven wrong...

 

[MRJ]

In the past, healthy animals in ARAZPA zoos have been euthanised rather than go to non-ARAZPA zoos in this country.

At the moment there is a primate at a prominent ARAZPA zoo that is incompatible with it's conspecifics. That zoo has been trying to place it elsewhere. No ARAZPA zoo has offered to take it. A non- ARAZPA zoo that keeps this species has offered to place it. The offer has been refused on the grounds that the zoo is not a member of ARAZPA. The animal [and it's conspecifics] are thus still being kept in less than desirable circumstances despite a solution to the problem being available.

What is SAID and what is DONE are often two very different things.

And I know of ARAZPA members who will not deal with some other ARAZPA members but are happy to deal with certain non-members and private people. And I know this can vary by taxa as well. I suspect there is more to the example you give above than just their membership status, but I could be wrong.

 

[animal kid]

Interesting question, and this answer is my own opinion. There are only a handful of zoos around the world that really do outstanding conservation work, and then most of their serious conservation work takes place in-situ, that is in the home range of the animals concerned. It so happens that Australian zoos sit within the home range of a diverse, unique and highly threatened fauna. IMHO it would make a lot of sense for Aussie zoos to exhibit a range of popular, easily kept, bred and managed exotic species and use the surpluses made to build a few more devil pens, or breed some more threatened frog species.

There are exceptions, and Australian zoos do seem to have positioned themselves to make a serious contribution to silvery gibbons, for instance.



Theoretically yes. However if ARAZPA zoos lack the resources to do so, it is highly unlikely that non-ARAZPA zoos would have the resources.



Not necessarily. They may be passed onto other zoos that are interested in holding that species. There is a difference between a species being phased out in one zoo and a species being recommended against in the ARAZPA plan. Zoos can keep and breed species that are not recommended but are likely to come under pressure from TAG conveners to make the spaces available for program species. But there are many examples of zoos holding and supporting non-program species because it suits their particular interests.

Sending them to overseas zoos is sometimes an option. However remember the original stock Australian zoos obtained would often be from genetic lines already well represented in overseas zoos. That is why the animals were made available to Australian zoos in the first place. Therefore it may be difficult to find an overseas zoo interested in taking the animals back.

Please feel free to ask further questions.

Thank you i dohave some more questions what zoos are Arazpa? im guessing melbourne taronga but what others and if eventually a smaller zoo that has the resources to expand became big like the 'city' zoos would it be possible for it not to join ARAZPA or would this just be considered stupid?

and this question is for steve what is the species that the zoo is trying to get rid of?