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Sumatran Tigers in Europe 2020
- Thread starter Nisha
- Start date
Tierpark Berlin - The 2.2 cubs born in August 2018 will all be remaining at Tierpark for the foreseeable future. Towards the end of 2019 they were diagnosed as having severe knee and knee cartilage issues. These issues put on hold any plans to transfer them elsewhere whilst further tests were carried out. Vets have now concluded that whilst the issue (which effects all four of them) does not effect there quality of lives enough to consider euthanizing them at this stage, it does effect them enough that sending them away to other zoos for breeding would be unethical. Obviously it is not something that they want to pass onto any future cubs.
It is currently unknown what caused the problem but it is believed to be genetic. Further research will be carried out at a later date. This is a huge blow for the EEP, The GSMP for Sumatran Tiger's and Tierpark Berlin. The cubs parents (Harfan and Mayang) were imported from Taman Safari Indonesia in 2013 and are unrelated to any other Sumatran Tiger's in the EEP. These cubs would have provided much needed new genetics to the population.
It has not been revealed if they will attempt to breed from Harfan and Mayang again in the future. I suspect the most likely scenario is that they will seperate them and try to pair them up with new mates rather than each other. If it's a bad gene (for example) that they both carry then obviously the risk of passing it onto offspring is significantly lower if Harfan (for example) was paired up with a female that didn't carry that faulty gene. We will see what happens.
Full statement from Tierpark Berlin - Update: Sumatra-Tiger
It is currently unknown what caused the problem but it is believed to be genetic. Further research will be carried out at a later date. This is a huge blow for the EEP, The GSMP for Sumatran Tiger's and Tierpark Berlin. The cubs parents (Harfan and Mayang) were imported from Taman Safari Indonesia in 2013 and are unrelated to any other Sumatran Tiger's in the EEP. These cubs would have provided much needed new genetics to the population.
It has not been revealed if they will attempt to breed from Harfan and Mayang again in the future. I suspect the most likely scenario is that they will seperate them and try to pair them up with new mates rather than each other. If it's a bad gene (for example) that they both carry then obviously the risk of passing it onto offspring is significantly lower if Harfan (for example) was paired up with a female that didn't carry that faulty gene. We will see what happens.
Full statement from Tierpark Berlin - Update: Sumatra-Tiger
Ree Park have announced that they will temporarily go out of Sumatran Tiger. All four individuals that they currently keep will leave the park before they reopen in Spring 2021.
This is because they have so far failed to gain building approval for a new, permanent Tiger enclosure. Since the first Sumatran Tigers arrived back in 2012 they have been housed in a temporary exhibit next to the Lions. They can not stay in this enclosure any longer. Ree Park will carry on trying to gain building approval and hope to receive a new pair of Sumatran Tiger once they have completed the new enclosure.
It has not yet been revealed where any of the four individuals that they keep will go to. I suspect (speculation) that the adult female, Gasha might go to Le Parc De Felins to pair up with male, Jae-Jae. Originally the plan was that Jae-Jae would join her at Ree Park once her current cubs were old enough to move on. Obviously this can't happen now so the most logical solution is for her to go to him if LPDF have space for a second female. The other three individuals at Ree Park currently are the triplets that were born to Gasha and Asim (before he went to London) in January 2019
This is because they have so far failed to gain building approval for a new, permanent Tiger enclosure. Since the first Sumatran Tigers arrived back in 2012 they have been housed in a temporary exhibit next to the Lions. They can not stay in this enclosure any longer. Ree Park will carry on trying to gain building approval and hope to receive a new pair of Sumatran Tiger once they have completed the new enclosure.
It has not yet been revealed where any of the four individuals that they keep will go to. I suspect (speculation) that the adult female, Gasha might go to Le Parc De Felins to pair up with male, Jae-Jae. Originally the plan was that Jae-Jae would join her at Ree Park once her current cubs were old enough to move on. Obviously this can't happen now so the most logical solution is for her to go to him if LPDF have space for a second female. The other three individuals at Ree Park currently are the triplets that were born to Gasha and Asim (before he went to London) in January 2019
Tierpark Berlin - Male, Harfan has been euthanized. He was 12 years old and was suffering from organ failure.
Harfan was imported to Berlin from Taman Safari Indonesia in 2013 and provided a valuable new bloodline to the GSMP and EEP for Sumatran Tiger's. He and mate, Mayang produced 2.2 cubs in 2018. Unfortunately those cubs are not able to be bred from due to their own health issues (see post earlier in the thread)
A very sad turn of events for what was once a very promising new opportunity for the EEP.
Harfan was imported to Berlin from Taman Safari Indonesia in 2013 and provided a valuable new bloodline to the GSMP and EEP for Sumatran Tiger's. He and mate, Mayang produced 2.2 cubs in 2018. Unfortunately those cubs are not able to be bred from due to their own health issues (see post earlier in the thread)
A very sad turn of events for what was once a very promising new opportunity for the EEP.
They haven't said - but there is several potential options. Both in the UK and on the continent
The Hedgehog
Well-Known Member
Shakira the elderly female Sumatran Tiger at Paignton Zoo has passed away.
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Ree Park - Female, Gasha (B2011 at Praha) is leaving next week to move to London. At London she will be reunited with former mate, Asim
In the same trip, Carrie and Padme (born January 2019 to Gasha and Asim) will go to Paington.
There is no mention of the male cub from the 2019 litter (Chewie) so his fate is unconfirmed at the moment.
Ree Park will go out of Sumatran Tiger's for the immediate future following these moves
In the same trip, Carrie and Padme (born January 2019 to Gasha and Asim) will go to Paington.
There is no mention of the male cub from the 2019 litter (Chewie) so his fate is unconfirmed at the moment.
Ree Park will go out of Sumatran Tiger's for the immediate future following these moves
Chewie euthanised. No place for him at any other zoo.
The Hedgehog
Well-Known Member
@WanderingDragon what a waste of a young life this is!! I know that Chewie was an animal, but in my opinion this is unlawful murder of a highly endangered species. I think that Chewie could have been transferred to a big cat zoo like the one that Banda Paignton’s former Tigeress before Shakira was sent too. I feel so sorry for this Sumatran Tiger who succumbed to the no space nor genes scenario that cruely took Marius the Giraffe’s life at Copenhagen Zoo. RIP Chewie ?/1/19-?/12/20
I’m all for zoos, but I have to say this makes a mockery of everything they spin the public on these being critically endangered; and every cub born being vital to the future of their species. It’s hard to believe there wasn’t wildlife park out there willing to accept a purebred Sumatran tiger.
Two of New Zealand’s four holders of Sumatran tigers are currently without tigers and looking to acquire them in the immediate future. Given the genetic value of the Ree Park litter, I had previously wondered if they would have been good candidates for import.
The Hedgehog
Well-Known Member
@Zoofan15 I toatally agree with you.I thought that Zoos were safe spaces for Animals where poachers were despised not manned by poachers themselves. I will certainly never visit Ree Park now I know they unlawfully euthanise animals to clear space and time. I’m sure that Chewie could have been put on contraception on imported to an Australian Zoo as you rightly said. In my view euthanasia should ONLY be used to end the suffering of old or unwell animals and not used to slaughter perfectly healthy creatures just because they are unwanted.
Zoo managements increasingly do not cherish the individual tigers in their care. The Breeding Programme is seen as the be all and end all for holding tigers, which is not surprising as tiger cubs are revenue generators, and some UK Zoo managements would want to dispose of non-productive animals in the same way as Danish zoos, but the public 'wouldn't understand'.
The Sumatran pair at Aalborg in Denmark, Batu & Kim, were supposedly retired but produced 2 cubs before Kim was euthanised: Mai-Mai died of strangulation aged 7 months and Khai was euthanised at age 2 as his genes were over-represented in the breeding programme, which would have been known even before he was born. And there has been no further news on the 2 male cubs born to Batu & Bethari in April 2019. At Ree Park Asim & Gasha had 4 litters. A male cub from the first litter was euthanised because he had a white tail and white paws (and therefore not regarded as 'pure' Sumatran); their 3rd litter of 3 cubs born in Sep 2018 are no longer heard of after Oct 2018. The 'plan' to swap Asim and Jae Jae would have been made before this litter were conceived and had Jae Jae arrived the Breeding Programme would've wanted him and Gasha to form a breeding pair almost immediately, as was the case with Asim & Melati at London Zoo (but that didn't go to plan either).
Euthanising tigers that are no longer actively involved in the Breeding Programme, being too old or 'over-represented in the gene pool', could happen at UK zoos. Such a situation would probably be reported as the result of 'age-related issues', understandable in an elderly pair, and would not raise suspicions if the two were euthanised a couple of months apart rather than simultaneously (particularly if new tigers arrive to replace them very shortly thereafter).
The Sumatran pair at Aalborg in Denmark, Batu & Kim, were supposedly retired but produced 2 cubs before Kim was euthanised: Mai-Mai died of strangulation aged 7 months and Khai was euthanised at age 2 as his genes were over-represented in the breeding programme, which would have been known even before he was born. And there has been no further news on the 2 male cubs born to Batu & Bethari in April 2019. At Ree Park Asim & Gasha had 4 litters. A male cub from the first litter was euthanised because he had a white tail and white paws (and therefore not regarded as 'pure' Sumatran); their 3rd litter of 3 cubs born in Sep 2018 are no longer heard of after Oct 2018. The 'plan' to swap Asim and Jae Jae would have been made before this litter were conceived and had Jae Jae arrived the Breeding Programme would've wanted him and Gasha to form a breeding pair almost immediately, as was the case with Asim & Melati at London Zoo (but that didn't go to plan either).
Euthanising tigers that are no longer actively involved in the Breeding Programme, being too old or 'over-represented in the gene pool', could happen at UK zoos. Such a situation would probably be reported as the result of 'age-related issues', understandable in an elderly pair, and would not raise suspicions if the two were euthanised a couple of months apart rather than simultaneously (particularly if new tigers arrive to replace them very shortly thereafter).
I don’t believe what seems to be a not uncommon practice in Denmark will necessarily become an issue amongst the UK’s accredited zoos (or any other world class zoo). The aim of the coordinated breeding programme is to maintain genetic diversity, not produce continuous streams of cubs. Cubs are indeed revenue generating crowd pullers, but this is secondary (even incidental) to the purpose of why they are bred with regards to a coordinated breeding programme.
In the case of UK zoos, not all zoos can hold breeding pairs; so several facilities will accept from the day they receive their tigers, that they will be non breeding. In Australasia, 44 Sumatran tigers are held between 15 facilities (33 of these are direct descendants of a single pair). Five facilities have breeding recommendations; the other ten are content to hold surplus tigers, which are free to live out their lives.