Wellington Zoo new species (Nyala)

[jay]

Wellington Zoo has received thre Nyala from South Africa, a male and two female.
Wellington.scoop.co.nz PHOTO: Three nyala arrive at Wellington Zoo
As far as I can see they are the only ones in the region. Was this species mentioned as a possible for Werribee in that wish list that went round a while ago?

 

[MARK]

A new antelope species for the region, WOW so theres hope for us here yet, lol

 

[CGSwans]

How did we get antelope into the region?

If New Zealand is a feasible back door... the Australian zoos should open a facility to import through.

 

[MARK]

How did we get antelope into the region?

If New Zealand is a feasible back door... the Australian zoos should open a facility to import through.

I think you may find New Zealand can import some species of antelope from some places

 

[jay]

How did we get antelope into the region?

If New Zealand is a feasible back door... the Australian zoos should open a facility to import through.

A dim hidden memory of mine says that it may be possible to import some species into Australia from new Zealand so long as the indiviuals were born in NZ.
Certainly giraffes can come into Australia from NZ

 

[PAT]

And penguins so maybe we could see kiwis and keas too.

 

[Ara]

Yeah, but do Australian zoos have the will to do so?
I may be old and cynical, but it seems to me that Aussie zoos intend holding fewer and fewer species, and preference is definitely given to "crowd-pleasers".

 

[jay]

nyala are very cute and as a small species they would be something different to what is already here. I hope that several more NZ zoos are going to be getting the species as 1 male and two female are not going to make a viable population.

 

[MARK]

Maybe another trio would of been a good idea, It would of set them up breeding wise for a while unless they do intend to import a few more later

 

[MARK]

Yeah, but do Australian zoos have the will to do so?
I may be old and cynical, but it seems to me that Aussie zoos intend holding fewer and fewer species, and preference is definitely given to "crowd-pleasers".

Ara you could be closer to the mark than you think

 

[LOU]

Wellington Zoo intend to import another male and two female Nyala sometime next year.

 

[MARK]

Wellington Zoo intend to import another male and two female Nyala sometime next year.

Thats good news, did you check out their website?,

Our zoo's should of imported more Bongo when they had the chance instead of just a handful that are now in trouble due to lack of bloodlines

 

[jay]

That's good news.

 

[tetrapod]

A dim hidden memory of mine says that it may be possible to import some species into Australia from new Zealand so long as the indiviuals were born in NZ.
Certainly giraffes can come into Australia from NZ

Does anybody understand this logic? What difference does it make for the species to be F1 NZ-bred livestock in order to be imported into Australia?

And I repeat my question from another thread - how was it that Melbourne Aquarium was able to circumvent the bird import by importing penguins from NZ? Is NZ able to easily import foreign bird species, or must it be done through eggs?

However very good news to hear. Hopefully NZ zoos can import some fresh blood for bongo, scimitar oryx, springbok, kudu, sable, waterbuck and pygmy hippo.

 

[CGSwans]

Does anybody understand this logic? What difference does it make for the species to be F1 NZ-bred livestock in order to be imported into Australia?

And I repeat my question from another thread - how was it that Melbourne Aquarium was able to circumvent the bird import by importing penguins from NZ? Is NZ able to easily import foreign bird species, or must it be done through eggs?

I believe that all of Melbourne Aquarium's penguins were bred at Kelly Tarlton's.

However very good news to hear. Hopefully NZ zoos can import some fresh blood for bongo, scimitar oryx, springbok, kudu, sable, waterbuck and pygmy hippo.

Also Rothschild's giraffe, river hippo, guanaco, Congo forest buffalo and collared peccary. Although I think there's a Camelids from Peru and Chile (or something similar) IRA that might open the door to further guanaco imports. Guanaco are the only wild ancestor of a domesticated mammal that we have in Australia, so they should be kept as an animal of educational value.

Ok, the dreamer in me would also like to see some outstanding zoological niches filled. Red river hogs and/or Sulawesi babirusa? Impala and/or Thomson's gazelle? Lowland anoa?

 

[jay]

A dim hidden memory of mine says that it may be possible to import some species into Australia from new Zealand so long as the indiviuals were born in NZ.
Certainly giraffes can come into Australia from NZ

I just want to emphasie that this is a dim memory, I could very well have it wrong. Except the giraffes. They were born in NZ and were sent over here.

 

[Hix]

Impala and/or Thomson's gazelle?

Actually, the one thing I think is missing from the large savannah exhibits at Western Plains, Monarto and Werribee is a large herd of plains antelope like Impala or Tommys, or wildebeest. By large, I mean 50+ animals.



Hix

 

[MARK]

How did we get antelope into the region?

If New Zealand is a feasible back door... the Australian zoos should open a facility to import through.

Well Austraila does have the Coco's (Keeling) Islands in the Indian ocean, and as been said before they were used to import the Black rhinos from Africa and the thai elephants

 

[phoenix]

zoopro answered the questions regarding the importation of ungulates into australia here:

http://www.zoochat.com/24/taronga-giraffe-names-102503/index2.html

there is no ban on importing hoofed animals. what there isn't however is a approved IRA for artiodactyls. and that is about the hardest thing to get passed in a massive pile of applications that biosecurity australia is taking their sweet arse time to get through.

likewise in theory birds CAN be imported - its just very very slow and expensive... everything is going top take a loooooong time and at a guess i'd say zoos have a priority list balancing whats practical short term, and whats desired long term.

don't hold me to anything. this is just what i can gather from what i've read and common sense.


still - 3 measly members of a new antelope species is all we need!

but i really shouldn't say we - for at the moment NZ and australia largely operate as separate regions when it comes to artiodactyls. still, NZ antelopes are no strangers to inbreeding and i can think of one or five that are in need of a bit of new blood over there....

 

[jay]

still - 3 measly members of a new antelope species is all we need!

but i really shouldn't say we - for at the moment NZ and australia largely operate as separate regions when it comes to artiodactyls. still, NZ antelopes are no strangers to inbreeding and i can think of one or five that are in need of a bit of new blood over there....

That begs the question. What sort of founder base is needed to create a sustainable population? Certainly not 1 male and two females. 4 times as many would still be too small.