Primates

A

Ara

Well-Known Member
Hey, N.Z. members, what's the situation like in New Zealand zoos as regards primates.
Are there many?
Many species?

In Australia when I was young (many moons ago) any zoo worthy of the name had chimps, orang-utans, probably gibbons and at least 8 or 10 species of monkeys. Of course husbandry standards were lower, and all those primates were likely to be housed in a couple of rows of cages.

Because housing primates properly is quite expensive, Aussie zoos tend to concentrate on apes (which, let's face it, are more "box-office") and there are now relatively few species of monkeys or lemurs.

What's the position like in N.Z.?
 
the ones I know of:
*chimpanzee (Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington)
*Bornean orangutan (Auckland)
*siamang (Auckland, Wellington, Orana, Willowbank)
*cottontop tamarin (Auckland, Franklin, Hamilton, Brooklands, Wellington)
*emperor tamarin (Wellington)
*golden lion tamarin (Auckland)
*black-capped capuchin (Auckland, Franklin, Hamilton, Brooklands, Wellington, Willowbank and some smaller places) - all very inbred as I understand it
*Geoffroy's spider monkey (Auckland, Franklin, Hamilton, Wellington, Orana and possibly some others) - various subspecies and hybrids between
*bonnet macaque (Auckland) - all old animals I believe
*pig-tailed macaque (Franklin)
*hamadryas baboon (Wellington)
*chacma baboon (Auckland; one at Zion)
*ring-tailed lemur (Auckland, Franklin, Hamilton, Brooklands, Wellington, Orana, Willowbank)
*black and white ruffed lemur (Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington, Orana, Willowbank)

there used to be squirrel monkeys, patas monkeys, diana monkeys, De Brazza monkeys, rhesus macaques and crab-eating (long-tailed) macaques but I don't know if they are still around. The old Muller's gibbon at Wellington died this year.
 
Thanks for that Chlidonias, so the situation is not really too bad. The species are , unsurprisingly, much the same as in Aust. Macaques seem to be in decline everywhere.
 
of the species in NZ the only viable ones would be the chimps, siamang, cottontops, both lemurs, probably orangs (even though they're only at one zoo) and probably baboons and spider monkeys. The others are on their last legs, so to speak, either through attrition or inbreeding senility.
Chlidonias said:
there used to be squirrel monkeys, patas monkeys, diana monkeys, De Brazza monkeys, rhesus macaques and crab-eating (long-tailed) macaques but I don't know if they are still around.
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of the species in the quote above, when the North Brighton Zoo in Christchurch closed in 1996 they had two De Brazza's (the only ones in NZ) and breeding groups of pig-tails, crab-eaters and bonnet macaques. I assume the Auckland bonnets and Franklin pig-tails are the remnants of these ones, but I'm guessing the others are all dead now. At about the same time Wellington still had the last two diana monkeys which must now also be dead, and Auckland still had squirrel monkeys (may still do so?). Orana had a largish breeding group of patas monkeys for many years up till about the end of the 1990s (on the island that now houses siamang) but they eventually sent them all away as one lot. I never heard of any others in NZ apart for a male that went from Orana to Spencerville near Christchurch, so I assume they went to Australia somewhere. Willowbank also had a group of white-throated capuchins about twenty years ago which all died out.

I forgot to put in the original list, too, that there are still two chimps at Willowbank, but they will be leaving there for Mogo Zoo shortly.

Also I have no idea what primates if any are at Keystone or Mark Vette's Rescue Zoo (apart for a spider monkey at the latter that came from the North Brighton Zoo)
 
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Yes, Taronga had patas monkeys too for a while. I was told that they went to a zoo or wildlife park in New Caledonia. Maybe Orana's went there too.
 
I got an email from Orana responding to my query as to where the patas monkeys went, which read in its entirety
Hi
I am reliably informed that the Patas monkeys went to Africa.
Regards
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sounds odd...
 
Maybe the patas monkeys took a vacation to their homeland and will be back next year...
 
Auckland Zoo currrently holds:

Bonnets - 3.4
Chacma - 1.0 (possibly more to come)
Cotton Top - 8.1
GLT - 0.2
Orangs (Bornean) - 4.5
Ring Tailed Lemur - 1.5
Siamang - 2.1
Black Handed Spiders - 1.11

As has been noted this is a fraction of the numbers and diversity we used to hold. However the emphasis is now very much on breeding endangered primates and the quality of life provided through high quality husbandry standards rather than providing a large selection for people to look at.
 
Yeah I was going to say I was pretty sure Auckland didn't have Capuchins... The Chamca troop has shrunk a lot hasn't it..?
 
NZ Jeremy said:
Yeah I was going to say I was pretty sure Auckland didn't have Capuchins... The Chamca troop has shrunk a lot hasn't it..?
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Yep our 'troop' of baboons is down to Tony (a male on loan from Franklin Zoo). There was some talk a couple of months ago of the plan to add a troop of Hamadrayas Baboons and to integrate them with Tony. If this didn't work then he would return to Franklin. Obviously there is some work to do before we start adding addition animals and the endless paperwork to sort out. Not sure what the timescales are but should be within the next 6 months or so.
 
Cheers Dave, a few questions:

Wasn't there also 4 siamangs a little while ago, which one moved..?

Any plans to get an import for a breeding pair of GLT..?

Isn't one of the female orangs heading to Florida..?
 
so, regarding my original list of primates, Auckland doesn't have capuchins or ruffed lemurs? And Franklin does have chacma baboons as well? (I didn't see them on their website hence their not being listed)
 
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at one point we did have four Siamangs (1.1.2.1). the female infant didn't make it. the sub-adult male went off to Oz to contribute towards their breeding programme and that leaves the breeding pair and their last juvenile. i think the current plan is to bring in a female for him and possibly relocate the existing breeding pair. don't quote me on that as I am not entirely sure. As for GLT - there was an attempt a while ago to bring a breeding pair over (or it may have just been one) but that died before it finished it quarantine at its local zoo.
I am not sure if Tony (our current solo Chacma on loan from Franklin) was the only baboon Franklin has, and if so then that would explain why you didn't see any on the website.

Sorry for the vague responses but this is off to the top of my head as I drink my morning coffee :-)
 
Hey Chlidonais, I can confirm Auckland doesn't have those two species...

@Dave: I'd heard that about the Siamangs, that changes were planned due to their current exhibit being a bit colder and damper than planned...
 
NZ Jeremy said:
Hey Chlidonais, I can confirm Auckland doesn't have those two species...

@Dave: I'd heard that about the Siamangs, that changes were planned due to their current exhibit being a bit colder and damper than planned...
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I am not sure what remedial actions are planned re: the dampness of their current enclosure. Its still a good enclosure but not quite optimal for that species. Possibly move them out of that part of the Zoo althogether or some form of reburbishment/ modification to the enclosure. Perhaps into the Australasian Precinct in a few years?
 
The keeper I chatted to suggested the later, I'm assuming though all projects are on the backburner till Te Wao Nui is finished...
 
Hi all. I work with the Primates at Auck. The reason for possible relocation of Siamang pair is nothing to do with their enclosure, which is actually a really nice area for them. It is simply that to bring in a female for young Iwani, we need more space, which I'm sure you know is at a premium within the zoo right now. If we want to do Siamangs well we need to have fewer individuals, so would be looking at sending the adult (non-breeding) pair away.
 
Thanks for that, I guess the keeper I was talking to thought I'd protest at the thought of any animals leaving the zoo then..!
 
somehow I completely overlooked the white-cheeked gibbons at Wellington Zoo in my list of species :)
 
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