New zoo IRAs (crustacea and bovids)

Chlidonias

Chlidonias

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A couple of new IRAs for zoo animals have been published recently.


The first one is for Japanese Spider Crab, Coconut Crab, Christmas Island Red Crab, and Christmas Island Blue Crab: Download document

This is likely to be pretty much just for imports to Kelly Tarltons.


The second one will probably be of more interest to Zoochatters, being for Bovidae (largely for antelope), Giraffidae (Giraffe and Okapi), and Tragulidae (chevrotains): Download document

This will allow for importation from a lot more countries, namely Australia, Canada, USA, South Africa, Japan, Singapore, the UAE, and from Europe. This is, perhaps, particularly important for Giraffe for which importation has been a closed circle with Australia for several decades.
 
The giraffe IRA is arguably the most overdue, along with one for hippos (which is apparently nowhere on the horizon).

It’ll be interesting to see if any zoos take the initiative to import purebred giraffes; though given how rampant the generics are in the region, it’s more likely new imports will merely serve the purpose of diversifying the very stagnant gene pool.

It’s a shame three of the New Zealand zoos have all just imported young giraffe bulls (all related to their cows) for breeding; when the import of unrelated bulls isn’t far off. One option could be to send them all to Hamilton Zoo (bachelor herd); and import new (unrelated bulls).
 
Nigh on historical move forward. Even if quarantaine regulations might take a Year. Overall looks more promising now for ungulates in the region.

Bongo!
 
Do we have any idea on a likely species list?
Giraffe, okapi, bongo and a species of chevrotain would seem to be the starting point. Doesn't look like any fresh blood for the heavily inbred Barbary sheep or American bison populations is on the cards now.
 
tetrapod said:
Do we have any idea on a likely species list?
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The species covered by this IRA are listed in one of the appendices. Basically it is all the species (i.e. every species in every genus for each of the groups which it covers). So there are things like Saola and Saiga in there which clearly wouldn't ever be imported.

But obviously any species imported needs to be on the list of species allowed to be kept in NZ (which is different from the species allowed to be imported), either currently or to be added.

EDIT: I may have misunderstood the question, as to whether you meant the species included in this IRA (which is all of them) or in the eventual IHS for import which will likely be the same species as in the current IHSs.
 
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Chlidonias said:
The species covered by this IRA are listed in one of the appendices. Basically it is all the species (i.e. every species in every genus for each of the groups which it covers). So there are things like Saola and Saiga in there which clearly wouldn't ever be imported.

But obviously any species imported needs to be on the list of species allowed to be kept in NZ (which is different from the species allowed to be imported), either currently or to be added.

EDIT: I may have misunderstood the question, as to whether you meant the species included in this IRA (which is all of them) or in the eventual IHS for import which will likely be the same species as in the current IHSs.
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Just which species are likely to be imported.
 
tetrapod said:
Just which species are likely to be imported.
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My guess would be "not many".

There are already IHS (Import Health Standards) for antelope, with about 45 species being allowed as imports from Australia, Canada, Singapore and South Africa (the new IRA will extend the number of countries) - but unless it's a Nyala there seems to be no interest. If NZ zoos wanted Bongo they would already have them. If they wanted to sustain the Springbok they could have already imported new blood. If they were serious about sustaining the Waterbuck they could have imported new stock from other countries rather than importing males from Australia which are from the same tiny inbred gene-pool as the ones already in NZ. History suggests that any new IHS from this IRA isn't going to change the pattern there.

I think only Auckland would be (maybe) interested in chevrotains. The Lesser Mouse Deer is the only species already on the "approved to keep" list. But I really wouldn't expect an import even when there is an IHS.

Okapi is extremely unlikely for any NZ zoo.

Giraffe is the one which seems certain. There hasn't been any possibility of importing from outside the region for about three decades, and currently there seems to be no IHS for Giraffe at all, so I'd imagine there would definitely be an interest in getting new blood in.
 
Chlidonias said:
My guess would be "not many".

There are already IHS (Import Health Standards) for antelope, with about 45 species being allowed as imports from Australia, Canada, Singapore and South Africa (the new IRA will extend the number of countries) - but unless it's a Nyala there seems to be no interest. If NZ zoos wanted Bongo they would already have them. If they wanted to sustain the Springbok they could have already imported new blood. If they were serious about sustaining the Waterbuck they could have imported new stock from other countries rather than importing males from Australia which are from the same tiny inbred gene-pool as the ones already in NZ. History suggests that any new IHS from this IRA isn't going to change the pattern there.

I think only Auckland would be (maybe) interested in chevrotains. The Lesser Mouse Deer is the only species already on the "approved to keep" list. But I really wouldn't expect an import even when there is an IHS.

Okapi is extremely unlikely for any NZ zoo.

Giraffe is the one which seems certain. There hasn't been any possibility of importing from outside the region for about three decades, and currently there seems to be no IHS for Giraffe at all, so I'd imagine there would definitely be an interest in getting new blood in.
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If that is the case, then it will be interesting to see what the Australian zoos choose to do. One would imagine with the expansions at Monarto and Werribee in particular, an increase in hoofstock numbers/species is a necessity. Bongo have been mentioned as a possibility with Perth and obviously the population needs a massive boost. Taronga have been linked with okapi. I can see several zoos looking at chevrotain as being a good filler for small exhibits. Some of the more progressive small zoos may also look at this as an opportunity too. NZ zoos could ride on their coattails to bring some new blood in?
 
tetrapod said:
If that is the case, then it will be interesting to see what the Australian zoos choose to do. One would imagine with the expansions at Monarto and Werribee in particular, an increase in hoofstock numbers/species is a necessity. Bongo have been mentioned as a possibility with Perth and obviously the population needs a massive boost. Taronga have been linked with okapi. I can see several zoos looking at chevrotain as being a good filler for small exhibits. Some of the more progressive small zoos may also look at this as an opportunity too. NZ zoos could ride on their coattails to bring some new blood in?
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Yeah, Australia is a whole different matter because they have a lot of private zoos and open-range zoos which feature hooved stock prominently, whereas NZ doesn't have that same spread. But NZ's IRA isn't particularly going to change anything for Australian zoos because they can already import antelope from NZ and they have (in recent times) only done so with the lone Bongo and the small group of Nyala. So there seems to be little will in importing via NZ, which I'd imagine is to do with the extended wait times and (I assume) increased costs.

However Australia's own bovid IRA is underway (um... has been underway for way too long!) and so when that eventually gets finalised they will be able to import directly from the other countries (i.e. Canada, USA, Japan, Singapore, and European countries).

Note that Australia can't import Giraffes currently either (except as semen), so they can't do anything about either Giraffes or Taronga's Okapi until they get an IRA for giraffids. Their bovid IRA won't have anything to do with Tragulidae either.
 
Kifaru Bwana said:
Nigh on historical move forward. Even if quarantaine regulations might take a Year. Overall looks more promising now for ungulates in the region.

Bongo!
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Not really. The cost factor and double handling alone would be off putting for many Aussie zoos apart from the major state funded zoos.
Hats off to New Zealand for doing it right and correct and in far less time than this side of the ditch. Unlike the Aussie version which off the top of my head is taking 3 times longer and from a fraction of the amount of import counties that NZ can import from.
Congratulations New Zealand!
 
Import Health Standard for Zoo Bovidae, Giraffidae and Tragulidae (Live Animals and Semen)

This document came into force as of this month (08/06/2022):

https://mpi.govt.nz/dmsdocument/51775/direct

It will allow us to import from the following countries:

a) Australia
b) Canada
c) Europe (not limited to the European Union)
d) Japan
e) Singapore
f) South Africa
g) United Arab Emirates (UAE)
h) United States of America (USA)

Full species list:

A full list of approved species under this document can be found in Part 3 (last three pages of the linked document).
 
Zoofan15 said:
Import Health Standard for Zoo Bovidae, Giraffidae and Tragulidae (Live Animals and Semen)

This document came into force as of this month (08/06/2022):

https://mpi.govt.nz/dmsdocument/51775/direct

It will allow us to import from the following countries:

a) Australia
b) Canada
c) Europe (not limited to the European Union)
d) Japan
e) Singapore
f) South Africa
g) United Arab Emirates (UAE)
h) United States of America (USA)

Full species list:

A full list of approved species under this document can be found in Part 3 (last three pages of the linked document).
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Well one would believe SA would be a good source for a wide range of antelope
 
Zorro said:
Well one would believe SA would be a good source for a wide range of antelope
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I’m not highly optimistic the zoos will be taking full advantage of the opportunity they have here. There doesn’t seem to be a great interest in antelopes across the region’s zoos - likely due to the indifference of the general public towards them.

I’d like to be proved wrong and at a minimum would hope that we’ll see a few giraffe imports come out of this. Orana Wildlife Park need a new bull and Auckland could easily add an additional cow to their herd. Hamilton Zoo could potentially run a breeding herd alongside their bachelor herd, which consists of three elderly bulls.
 
Zoofan15 said:
I’m not highly optimistic the zoos will be taking full advantage of the opportunity they have here. There doesn’t seem to be a great interest in antelopes across the region’s zoos - likely due to the indifference of the general public towards them.

I’d like to be proved wrong and at a minimum would hope that we’ll see a few giraffe imports come out of this. Orana Wildlife Park need a new bull and Auckland could easily add an additional cow to their herd. Hamilton Zoo could potentially run a breeding herd alongside their bachelor herd, which consists of three elderly bulls.
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At the end of the day it comes down to education if some zoos don’t make an effort to show and teach mr public that blackbuck dont live on the African savanna with giraffes like they are shown at the Western plains zoo but can be replaced by some impala then so much the better, I am sure we wouldn’t see to much of this cheap way out of doing thing’s in many overseas zoos.
Now our zoos who have African exhibit’s have a chance to show case the variety of hoofed stock and seeing them run across Monartos vast 500 hectare African safari could be a nice selling point
 
WalkingAgnatha said:
Know this almost certainly won't happen, but god would I love to see okapi and chevrotains in NZ zoos.
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If Auckland Zoo go ahead with their African complex, then Okapi would be a perfect addition. It all depends on whether the European or North American programmes could spare a surplus bull, which is apparently unlikely.

It’s hard to say to what extent they’d be a drawcard for the zoo. Obviously anyone within the zoo community would appreciate their value - being the first of their species held within the region; but having visited London Zoo, visitors seemed no more enthralled by them than when viewing the gorillas or lions.
 
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