Monarto Safari Park Monarto Safari Park News 2020

Wild Africa Update:

Here is the video for those interested in this recent development that @Zorro mentioned above. Six of the eight waterholes are now full. Looks incredible! From their Facebook page:
Wow, what a view!
Thanks to our amazing sponsors at SA Water, six of our Wild Africa waterholes are now full. As you can see in this awesome video, the waterholes are surrounded by plenty of green open space, making them perfect for heaps of free-ranging animals like Southern White Rhinos, giraffe and zebra into the future.
Developing a 560-hectare site isn't going to happen overnight, but thanks to our incredible team and some awesome sponsors we're making great progress.
Thanks to SA Water for capturing this amazing footage.
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Source: Monarto Safari Park's Facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=198951171457694
 
Southern White Rhino Update and Pregnancy Announcement:

Some exciting news. Monarto Safari Park has just announced that one of their Southern White Rhinos is pregnant - female Umqali. She is due in the next couple of weeks. This will be the seventh rhino birth at Monarto and Umqali's sixth calf. The sire of the calf is Satara. Both Umqali and Satara moved to Monarto in 2002 from Kruger National Park if I recall correctly. Monarto currently have 2.3 White Rhinos - males Ibutho and Satara and females Savannah, Uhura and Umqali.

Source: Monarto Safari Park’s Facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=292031062043364
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Monarto Safari Park has announced the birth of a female Southern White Rhinoceros calf to mother Umqali! From their Facebook page:
NEWBORN NEWS! We are over the moon and back again to tell you that there’s a new rhino calf in town and it’s a girl!

Southern White Rhino mum Umqali gave birth to the calf on Wednesday night around 7pm. Keepers report that both Mum and calf are doing well with everything looking positive.

Mum and bub will remain in the Boma area for a while but the eagle-eyed visitors among you might catch a glimpse of the pair through the fencing.

The birth of any animal is hugely significant as it spells hope for the survival of a species. With as few as 10,000 Southern White Rhinos in the wild, this little calf is a beacon of light among otherwise gloomy statistics.

Monarto Safari Park is home to six stunning Southern White Rhinos - two males, three females and, of course, the newborn rhino – all of whom are proudly supported by our partners Beach Energy.

Your memberships and visits help us to continue our work to save animals like the spectacular Southern White Rhino from extinction so we'd love to see you soon.

Please buy your online tickets at www.monartosafari.com.au/tickets/
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Monarto Safari Park
 
This is usually 6th calf. Are the other 5 still alive, any with calves of their own? I've lost track sasly
 
The last two died young at Monarto. I believe Digger was before that, and not sure about the first two.
 
jay said:
This is usually 6th calf. Are the other 5 still alive, any with calves of their own? I've lost track sasly
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marmolady said:
The last two died young at Monarto. I believe Digger was before that, and not sure about the first two.
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WhistlingKite24 said:
One of the earlier rhino births at Monarto was female Kibibi. She was born in 2012 to mother Uhura and moved to Australia Zoo in October 2017.
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The first four calves of Umqali were:

0.1 Azizi (16/03/2003) died 2012
1.0 Kei (06/02/2006) alive at Australia Zoo
0.1 Nadira (10/04/2008) alive at Taronga Western Plains Zoo
1.0 Digger (25/04/2011) died 2014
 
Tasmanian Devil Update:

Monarto Safari Park recently did a Facebook live stream about their Tasmanian Devil breeding season. The keeper mentioned that 2020 was their most successful breeding season ever and the zoo currently have eleven joeys across three females. Female, Thumbelina produced four (2.2) joeys, the second female, Violet had four (2.2) and female Xena had three (2.1) joeys.

Source: Monarto Safari Park’s Facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=620638368828573
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WhistlingKite24 said:
Tasmanian Devil Update:

Monarto Safari Park recently did a Facebook live stream about their Tasmanian Devil breeding season. The keeper mentioned that 2020 was their most successful breeding season ever and the zoo currently have eleven joeys across three females. Female, Thumbelina produced four (2.2) joeys, the second female, Violet had four (2.2) and female Xena had three (2.1) joeys.

Source: Monarto Safari Park’s Facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=620638368828573
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What crap names. Between Xbox and Yabba Dabba Doo, someone has finally outdone Australia Zoo. The keeper even said the names they chose weren’t taken by any other Tasmanian devil in the breeding programme. I can’t think why.
 
Zoofan15 said:
What crap names. Between Xbox and Yabba Dabba Doo, someone has finally outdone Australia Zoo. The keeper even said the names they chose weren’t taken by any other Tasmanian devil in the breeding programme. I can’t think why.
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I agree they are horrible, but to be fair, so many devils are bred that I honestly don't think anyone much cares what they unofficially name "female 2344M". Likely thats the one and only mention of its name you'll ever read.
 
toothlessjaws said:
I agree they are horrible, but to be fair, so many devils are bred that I honestly don't think anyone much cares what they unofficially name "female 2344M". Likely thats the one and only mention of its name you'll ever read.
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Yes that’s a good point actually. Especially considering they don’t live that long. Some zoos don’t even name their meerkats, nyala etc.

Although there’s no doubt a wealth of decent Australian/Aboriginal names they could use, it makes more sense to allocate these to longer lived species that have their names used more regularly. Although in my mind, they might as well call it 2344M; naming it Xbox probably made the intelligent person who suggested it feel special.
 
Zoofan15 said:
Yes that’s a good point actually. Especially considering they don’t live that long. Some zoos don’t even name their meerkats, nyala etc.

Although there’s no doubt a wealth of decent Australian/Aboriginal names they could use, it makes more sense to allocate these to longer lived species that have their names used more regularly. Although in my mind, they might as well call it 2344M; naming it Xbox probably made the intelligent person who suggested it feel special.
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Probably the most important reason for naming animals is to have something to tell members of the public when they ask you what the animal's name is. "What is it's name" is the most frequently asked question. Of course keepers also have their favourites. Otherwise it is all a PR exercise.
 
MRJ said:
Probably the most important reason for naming animals is to have something to tell members of the public when they ask you what the animal's name is. "What is it's name" is the most frequently asked question.
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According to the history books, that’s how Goldie the Golden eagle got his name. During his much publicised escape from London Zoo in 1965, a keeper at the press conference was asked the unnamed bird’s name; and that was the best he could come up with on the spot. :D
 
Yoshistar888 said:
Child: Mum can we get an Xbox
Mum: But we have xbox at home.
Xbox at home: screeching Tasmanian devil noises.
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Wellington Zoo even used to have a clause in their animal adoption programme, that the animal/species being adopted could not be removed from the premises. It’s inclusion suggested their had previously been someone with expectations to the contrary. :D
 
In recognition of National Threatened Species Day, Monarto Safari Park have announced the arrival of six captive-bred Plains Wanderers from Werribee Open Range Zoo. They have been moved into a new breeding facility and the birds arrived back in March [National Threatened Species Day, Plains Wanderer] From their Facebook page:
Today is National Threatened Species Day. To mark this important day, we are announcing the recent arrival and quarantine of six critically endangered and genetically unique captive-bred Plains-wanderer birds from Victoria’s Werribee Open Range Zoo.
Commemorated across Australia on 7 September each year, National Threatened Species Day aims to raise awareness of native plants and animals that are at risk of extinction.
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The Plains-wanderer is listed in first position among Australian birds in the EDGE (Evolutionary Distinct and Globally Endangered) list – compiled of species with a significant amount of unique evolutionary history that face extinction.
The six birds moved to Monarto Safari Park as part of a national conservation breeding program that aims to save the species from extinction. The birds are now settling into their new, purpose-bred facility at Monarto Safari Park.
DID YOU KNOW? National Threatened Species Day originated in 1996 to mark the 60th anniversary of the death of the last remaining Tasmanian tiger in Hobart Zoo in 1936.
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Source: Monarto Safari Park's Facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=2445160405777524
 
Monarto Safari Park have announced that they recently received 30 Greater Stick-Nest Rats (Leporillus conditor) from an isolated wild population on the Franklin Islands, South Australia. These rats have already produced 27 offspring at Monarto and 40 of these individuals will be released back into a protected area in New South Wales. The article also mentions that Adelaide Zoo have also been breeding this species with great success and have welcomed 12 young in their nocturnal house as well.

Full article: Fluffy stick-nest rats born at Monarto Safari Park as part of conservation program
Monarto Safari Park recently welcomed 30 wild Greater Stick-nest Rats to the family as part of a conservation program working to save their species.

Affectionately referred to as ‘stickies’, the rodents wasted no time, having already had 39 pups of their own marking an incredibly valuable contribution to the species’ future.

We know what you’re thinking: rats… gross! But hear us out.

Larger, rounder and fluffier than their introduced counterparts, Greater Stick-nest Rats are fascinating native animals known for their incredible construction ability.

This ability sees them build enormous and complex homes from sticks, rocks, grasses and their own sticky urine.

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Well-adapted to living in arid regions with little rainfall and water, the rats retain as much moisture in their bodies as possible, leaving them with sticky urine which makes a perfect glue to secure sticks and create their nest.

The nest can sometimes be several metres in height, width and depth – quite the feat for an animal the size of a guinea pig – and are run by the dominant female of the family who will pass the living quarters down to her female offspring.

They will then add their own sticks to the structure, meaning over generations these nests can grow exceptionally.

A dedicated native animal breeding area currently houses a large number of adults at Monarto Safari Park and has seen 27 pups born since their arrival.

Two breeding pairs and a solitary male are currently living in the Nocturnal House at our sister site Adelaide Zoo, after briefly residing at Monarto, and since arriving they have bred 12 adorable pups.

While a number of rats will remain across our sites, 40 of the amazing animals are destined for the wild as part of an upcoming translocation of the captive-bred animals into a protected area in New South Wales.

Once widespread across the southern deserts of Australia, the sweet rodents were sadly hunted to near-extinction by feral predators like cats and foxes with just one small population surviving on Franklin Island, off the coast of South Australia.

It was from this island that the 30 wild Monarto Safari Park individuals were sourced in the hopes of building genetically viable populations in areas protected from feral predators.

Visitors will be able to get a glimpse of these incredible rats in the Nocturnal House at Adelaide Zoo, while Monarto Safari Park’s group are housed behind the scenes.

To avoid disappointment and to help Monarto Safari Park adhere to their COVID Management plans, visitors are asked to book their tickets online in advance via the website.
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