Okapi's In UK Zoo's

Why are Chester considering getting another male Okapi? - I know this move will probably be delayed now anyway...

The house and enclosure for one pair seems quite sufficient- at least till they start breeding. Wouldn't it be better to wait till the current pair M'Buti and Stuma produce a calf and then make up a 2nd pair by adding a mate of the relevant sex? (and so on?)
 
This is probably becase the okapis they have at the moment are too young so they'd have to wait a few years.
 
Well I think they are being a bit greedy then... I'd rather see them succeed with what they already have first, than bring in more animals soon...
 
grantsmb said:
Well I think they are being a bit greedy then... I'd rather see them succeed with what they already have first, than bring in more animals soon...
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Not greedy just helping out the stud-book co-ordinator its a young male born 2006 that their isn`t room for at Stuttgart,so as Chester has the capacity to handle surplus males at the back of the Giraffe house that is what they have agreed to do,but this move will be delayed due to the Blue-tongue out break.
 
zoogiraffe said:
Not greedy just helping out the stud-book co-ordinator its a young male born 2006 that their isn`t room for at Stuttgart,
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Stuttgart have:
Stanley; born 27 september 2005 and Steve; born 23 january 2007, but no male okapis who are born in 2006!
So i think that it will be Stanley who moved to Chester.


And yes, the Blue-tongue out break is a big problem.
 
zoogiraffe said:
Not greedy just helping out the stud-book co-ordinator its a young male born 2006 that their isn`t room for at Stuttgart,so as Chester has the capacity to handle surplus males at the back of the Giraffe house that is what they have agreed to do,but this move will be delayed due to the Blue-tongue out break.
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Okay. I'll retract that...:) Its a fair enough reason to take another animal. As he's also from Stuttgart, would 'Stanley' be a relative of their female 'Stuma', - in which case he definately won't be paired with her. Of course, this is all a bit premature now in view of the blue tongue outbreak which has now reached the UK too.
 
black-star said:
no,
parents of Stuma are Vitu(born Basel) and Ibina(born Berlin).
parents of Stanley are Xano(born Antwerp) and Epena(born Frankfurt).
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Resident male Mbuti (born 9/2004 Bristol NduraxXantia)

Ndura's sire and dam I do not know, but he was the past breeding male at Basel Zoo for a long time. The female Xantia is from Antwerpen if I am not mistaken. She died in Bristol from heart failure in 2006.
 
Xantia born 12 october 1996 Antwerp (parents are Moyo and Sofie).
Ndura was born in Brookfield USA in 1989.

Kids alive from Ndura are; Rubani '94, Tunda '96, Vitu '98, Xina '00, Ahadi '03, Mbuti '04.
 
is it wise to have okapi in a mixed exhibit being such flighty and sensitive animals in with another such as duiker which are equally flighty, although i did see them mixed with black duiker at disney wild animal kingdom.
 
Speaking with the keepers yesterday, stuma is cycling regular every 14 days and they are introducing them for half an hour each day at the moment. Yes they are still young but if mbuti can reach there is every chance of a baby okapi in the next few years.
 
taun said:
Speaking with the keepers yesterday, stuma is cycling regular every 14 days and they are introducing them for half an hour each day at the moment. Yes they are still young but if mbuti can reach there is every chance of a baby okapi in the next few years.
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He was certainly very interested in trying to join her in the next enclosure last week. I'd say he's probably old (large) enough to breed already. As usual, Okapi females are slightly larger than the males anyway...
 
Marwell have loaned Kiburi to Chester for 6 months in the hope that he can teach Stuma how to mate properly. The hold 2.1 at the moment.
 
They have room for 2.2, but only 1.1 on show. If the plan is successful a baby could arrive as early as June/July 2009.
 
Especially now that summer is arriving, two Okapis can be kept outdoors whilst one stays in the on-show indoor area. They can then be rotated depending on who is mating or who needs seperating.
 
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