Taronga Western Plains Zoo Taronga Western Plains Zoo 2013

so Orana is now adding hybrid giraffes to their "pure" Rothschild's herd.....
 
Chlidonias said:
so Orana is now adding hybrid giraffes to their "pure" Rothschild's herd.....
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Something I really still cannot understand. We have tons of Rothschildt's in Europe. And sure we could - given the right deal between EEP and ZAA - offer a good number of females (plus a select number of males) for the Australasia programme. Perhaps this in exchange for some Antipodes species otherwise difficult to acquire (quolls, echidnas, devils, rock wallabies).
 
New Rhino at Dubbo

The young rhino born four months ago gets new "uncle figure" from Monarto.

Article here: Macheo is growing up | Taronga Conservation Society Australia

Macheo is now four months old and is growing rapidly! He weighs about 200kg now and is quiet mischievous. As the weather warms up visitors often see him enjoying a wallow in the mud.

In late August, Taronga Western Plains Zoo welcomed a young male White Rhino named Digger from Monarto Zoo, South Australia. Digger himself has a little story, as he was conceived here in Dubbo and his mother Umqali was the female we sent to Monarto Zoo when Macheo’s mother Mopani came to Dubbo. Digger has returned to Dubbo play a part in Macheo’s life. He will be introduced to the females and Macheo, were after a while he’ll form a bond with the young calf acting as an uncle figure. This will help with social skills for both males and help with the weaning process in the next 14 months. These boys will form a bachelor group and learn from each other until they become of age to breed themselves. Both these males are very valuable to the future for the Australasian region’s White Rhino breeding program and the survival of the species.
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Maintaining the TWPZ Black Rhino Population

Since 1991 TWPZ has held Australia's only Black Rhino breeding herd (there are some surplus males currently held at Monarto, and individuals have also been displayed at Taronga), and here's how they plan to maintain the aging population into the future:

Story and photo here: Artificial Reproduction of Black Rhino at Taronga Western Plains Zoo | Zoo Aquarium Association

Taronga Western Plains Zoo has held the critically endangered Black Rhino since 1991, with the establishment of a breeding program in response to a massive crash in which an estimated 97% of the population was lost. The breeding program was bolstered by an importation of 2.6 Black Rhino from Zimbabwe, and then a further 4.0 from San Diego Zoo. Since this time there has been eleven calves born, including a second generation with our most recent calf Kufara, born in 2010. We currently have 5.5 Black Rhino, with three breeding pairs.

Over recent years, poaching of Rhino has again escalated, with a 5000% increase in the number of Rhinos killed between 2007 and 2012. In 2013, it is estimated that between 800 and 1000 rhino will be killed in South Africa this year, and with an estimated population of 5000, Black Rhino are on the precipice once again. With the situation in the wild so uncertain, Taronga Western Plains Zoo believes that it is crucial that we refine our knowledge of Black Rhino reproduction and maintain our historic breeding success.

Looking to the future, as the Black Rhino group ages, it is likely that we will need to rely on artificial reproduction techniques. To this end, a series of semen collection procedures were carried out by staff to ascertain reproductive viability, and to provide a stockpile for future. While complicated and involving up to 16 staff on each occasion, these procedures were very successful, collecting more than 50mL of semen from four animals.

While Black Rhino have a reputation for aggression, they are really very flighty animals, easily upset and responding strongly to novel stimuli. As such, training will play a huge role in the future. It will be necessary to have each female trained to accept the procedures associated with artificial reproduction, including rectal ultrasound and artificial insemination. This training is progressing well and we expect to begin ultrasound procedures before long.
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zooboy28 said:
Since 1991 TWPZ has held Australia's only Black Rhino breeding herd (there are some surplus males currently held at Monarto, and individuals have also been displayed at Taronga),
I know that Taronga Park have kept Black Rhinos in the past, I believe from at least the 1960's and possibly earlier, when they had a number- up to half a dozen/three pairs?

Did they ever breed from those, and are any of the current ones at TWPZ from that source or descended from them?
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Pertinax said:
I know that Taronga Park have kept Black Rhinos in the past, I believe from at least the 1960's and possibly earlier, when they had a number- up to half a dozen/three pairs?

Did they ever breed from those, and are any of the current ones at TWPZ from that source or descended from them?
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I don't know, although the way the article is written seems to imply that, as the herd was bolstered by imports, it existed before then, possibly from the Taronga stock (which would make sense).
 
Jabiru96 said:
Why move Gung? They purpose built (or renovated) a facility just for him and now want to move him to Dubbo? Moving this particular animal sounds a little bit silly if you ask me.
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I'm a bit confused by this as well. There is no way to utilise his exhibit space for the female herd, so it wouldn't help in that respect. It might give Gung himself more room, and having him near/with his sons might be beneficial for them. Alternatively Taronga might want that exhibit for something else, possibly even a new bull, but that's pure speculation.
 
zooboy28 said:
I'm a bit confused by this as well. There is no way to utilise his exhibit space for the female herd, so it wouldn't help in that respect. It might give Gung himself more room, and having him near/with his sons might be beneficial for them. Alternatively Taronga might want that exhibit for something else, possibly even a new bull, but that's pure speculation.
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A new bull.......interesting. Putra Mas from Perth perhaps (purely speculation)?
 
zooboy28 said:
It might give Gung himself more room, and having him near/with his sons might be beneficial for them. Alternatively Taronga might want that exhibit for something else, possibly even a new bull, but that's pure speculation.
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Keeping him with other males(his sons) would be better than having him alone in the Zoo for long periods. But they would have to move him back for mating- unless they sent the females to him.

Or maybe, as suggested above, they just want to use a different male(the Perth one?)
 
My understanding is that import permits requires for Gung to have contact with other elephants to socialise. With the female herd now being handled in pc, that is impossible because the bull enclosure is 100 or more meters away from the rest of the elephant facility with no possible way to connect both parts. My guess is that is why they are moving him. The way the elephant facilities were built was a terrible mistake and now the elephants have to pay for the mismanagement.
 
Yassa said:
My understanding is that import permits requires for Gung to have contact with other elephants to socialise. With the female herd now being handled in pc, that is impossible because the bull enclosure is 100 or more meters away from the rest of the elephant facility with no possible way to connect both parts. My guess is that is why they are moving him. The way the elephant facilities were built was a terrible mistake and now the elephants have to pay for the mismanagement.
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As I understand (I think it was discussed on this forum years ago), Gung was meant to go to Auckland (along with a few females I think) and Taronga would only keep an all female herd, breeding using AI. Auckland then pulled out of the elephant importation so Taronga was stuck with a bull, thus they had to use the land and resources they had to make a bull exhibit they is not great functionally and aesthetically.
 
AI breeding is not what it is cracked up to be. It would be far more beneficial to have a naturally breeding elephant herd.

Perhaps it would even be more beneficial to have a complete elephant breeding complex at TWPZ …

What will happen next … as even Gung is not too old (just an adolescent in puberty at 13 only).

Are both elderly female elephants Burma and Gigi still at Dubbo?
(previously holding also African - herpes transmission (???)
 
Kifaru Bwana said:
AI breeding is not what it is cracked up to be. It would be far more beneficial to have a naturally breeding elephant herd.

Perhaps it would even be more beneficial to have a complete elephant breeding complex at TWPZ …

What will happen next … as even Gung is not too old (just an adolescent in puberty at 13 only).

Are both elderly female elephants Burma and Gigi still at Dubbo?
(previously holding also African - herpes transmission (???)
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Burma and Gigi are still at Dubbo, and so is Cuddles the African.
 
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