Okapi's In UK Zoo's

black-star said:
grantsmb asked me if there still live okapi's that are born in Bristol Zoo.
And yes, there is one.
Mbuti (M) born on 05-09-'04, he is seventh line from of the original line (mazanga+Bakeda).
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So the Bristol line has been in existence at Bristol throughout- it won't need to be resurrected when the new female arrives.

Chester Zoofans can now admire the male 'Mbuti' with the added knowledge that he represents the 7th generation from Bristol's pair originally imported in the early 1960's.
 
i have seen on the woburn safari park website they are looking to get okapi for their new african conservation centre does anyone have any photos of this building and i believe mhorr gazelle and somali wild ass are also desired.
 
Someone reported on this Thread that no new zoos would be allocated Okapi over the next five years, Chester and Beauval( in france) Zoos having been among the last for the time being.

Somali Ass- would be very difficult to obtain. Marwell is only Uk collection holding them and they have not increased(in fact, decreased?) in numbers there recently.
 
africa alive in Suffolk now have a pair of somali wild ass they originally got 2 stallions from Marwell but according to our old friend isis a female has arrived. Africa alive is the somewhat corny name for the Suffolk wildlife park at Kessingland
 
That's interesting news about 'Suffolk WP's Wild Asses. I wonder where they managed to get a female from- they are a pretty valuable commodity.

Last time I visited Marwell I saw only two mares, one (new unrelated) stallion and a 'spare' male in a seperate area. That's only 2.2. They don't seem to have increased there(or had female births anyway) quite as one would hope.
 
I'm sure one of the females looked pregnant when I went to Marwell last. Its surprising about Afirca Alive, they never seem to do that well with the more delicate hoofstock there, apart from maybe the Blesbok. The forest buffalo never bred to my knowlege, and these are in the same upper paddocks as the wild ass. The site is not at all sheltered, and similarly they appear to have tried unsuccessfully to keep many rarer african monkey species unsuccessfully over the last fifteen years, and now just keep vervets.

....anyway, sorry, this was an Okapi thread...
 
kiang said:
i have seen on the woburn safari park website they are looking to get okapi for their new african conservation centre does anyone have any photos of this building and i believe mhorr gazelle and somali wild ass are also desired.
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Because they had a really bad year in 2005/2006 regarding deaths and a low birth rate in the Okapi population they decended to stop all zoo importing them that currenly had none in their collection.

Chester were lucky to have dicky for a year or so in a temporary enclosure.
 
new okapi at Bristol Zoo.

The new female Okapi 'Lodja' arrived at Bristol Zoo in July. She replaces the previous female Xantia which died last year. (See Blackstar's previous posts for details on 'Lodja')

So Bristol now have a pair again.
 
Of the pairs at Bristol, Chester and London, I would think LOndon's will be first to breed (again) as the female Elila is a proven breeder already.

I don't know what Marwell's are up to...
 
Writhedhornbill said:
As soon as Stuma is old enough, then they should breed at Chester. Zo giraffe will know more.
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They have all ready run the pair together at Chester to see how they get on as far as i`m aware their was no problems between the two,but as of yet they are still a bit young.Also believe that they are going to get another young male from Sttutgart and he will go in the exhibit at the back of the Giraffe house where the 2 males were kept when Chester first got them.
 
The male Mbuti is still only about two and a half. He was pacing up and down the dividing fence, obviously interested in joining 'Stuma' next door.

If they breed him with Stuma(rather than using another male), the calf will be the EIGHTH generation from the original pair Mazanga & Bakeda) imported to Bristol Zoo in the early 1960's.
 
How many Okapi would you have in UK zoos at this time, I remember when Bristol zoo was the Okapi breeding centre of the UK
 
1.1 ( soon to be 2.1 at Chester)
1.1 at London
1.1 at Bristol
3.3( i think at Marwell)

I thinks that's it. Some zoos should try a safari with them......
 
MARK said:
How many Okapi would you have in UK zoos at this time, I remember when Bristol zoo was the Okapi breeding centre of the UK
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Yes it was. For very many years- 1960's through to 1980's, Bristol was the ONLY UK zoo with Okapi. They bred a lot of them, mostly on the Hollywood Tower estate, with only a pair kept on exhibit in the Zoo. Their descendants are still in many zoos in Europe- Chester's male M'Buti is a 7th generation from this unbroken line and Bristol's new female 'Lodja' a 5th generation..

London were the next to keep them. Then Marwell. Finally Chester.
 
Okapi just aren't a species I can see any collection lucky enough to have them taking any risks with. If a death or injury occurred from mixing with other species (ie. where a risk was taken by the zoo) it would likely signal the end of any nascent involvment in the EEP for a collection not established at breeding this animal.
 
And remember, no new collections are now going to be allocated Okapi for some years to come anyway..
 
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