tree kangaroos » Melbourne Zoo

tree kangaroos
18-07-2007

Good news for the tree roo fans amongst us with the birth of the seventh joey at melbourne
New joey a jolly Goodfellow | Herald Sun

19-07-2007

yeah i saw this in the paper yesterday. it confirms what i long suspected (from keeping aclose eye on the isis data) melbourne are the best breeders of the species.

the good news is that the zoo is to aquire a new female from the US, still i'm somewhat dissapointed thats all they are getting - i imagine an entirely new "pair" would be much more desireable and i think OS zoos should give credit where credit is due....(no doubt the zoo has tried to secure an unrelated male as well)

whilst tree-kangaroos are one of my personal all time zoo favorites, i'm still pleasently supprised at how popular they are, even here in australia (where they are pretty much considered as a "native" animal). the melboune display pair are usually highly active and always have joeys visible.

with this new female melbourne should soon have 3 breeding pairs. hopefully the new female, when matched with a melbourne-born male, will prove to be as a prolfic breeder as her australian counterparts - who produce a young every 11 months or so...

anyone know if ALL of currumbins animals related to melbournes?

19-08-2007

jay,

Thought this might interest you. A joey Goodfellow's has just been born at Krefeld Zoo in Germany. Currently, 6.5 Goodfellow's are at 3 zoos. Beauval (France) and Krefeld keep the buergersi subspecies and Frankfurt the shawmayeri.

Melbourne keeps and breeds the shawmayeri subspecies, so I guess the 2 individuals readied for export to Germany will go to Frankfurt? Any check on that guys?

Any reason why the Taronga zoo maintains only a lone male (Currumbin keeps 1.2)?

19-08-2007

Great news, I have heard that Currumbin has also got a new import from the US as well, so more good news there

19-08-2007

jelle,

shawmayeri is a pseudonym for buergersi - at least according to tim flannery, the worlds leading tree-kangaroo expert. so the good news is that both are indeed the same, making for a larger population of a genetically pure subspecies. in fact on melbournes signage at the zoo the animals are now listed correctly as D.g.buergersi

on the question of why taronga keeps 1.0 and currumbin 1.2 - you have to keep in mind that both zoos aquired tree-kangaroos from melbourne. its highly likely that tarongas male has a full sibling in the currumbin trio.

unfortunately currumbin is not having much luck breeding them. i have no idea if taronga has tried to import a female.

19-08-2007

I was at taronga about ten days ago. The tree roo's exhibit has been changed around and is looking good. I think Taronga's long term plan is to open a New Guinea section, so I think that they would have plans to get a female, but like you, I don't know.

19-08-2007

Pat have a look at the Currumbin web site in the section about the Goodfellows TKs, the way I am reading it they seem to have bred them ok and have supplyed Melbourne zoo with a few animals, maybe its the way i am reading it? see what you think.

19-08-2007

i have heard the melbourne keeper refer to "the breeding program with currumbin" as if the two zoos work together so i certainly wouldn't be supprised if currumbin-born animals have headed south. my comment was more refering to recent years - i know melbourne sent currumbin at least one new breeding animal just a few years ago (pretty sure i remember it being a male), however they have been yet to record a birth. i know nothing on the age or breeding history of any of the animals held there so it could be for a variety of reasons.

there is some evidence that D.g.buergersi actually form breeding pairs in the wild, and melbourne zoo manage them in stable, permanant pairs - even when joeys are in the pouch. the news article at the top of the thread suggests this is something unique to melbourne zoo, which may explain at least partly, why they are blessed with such success.

19-08-2007

I know some of our zoos are "trying" to get some new animals from NG but I have heard no news in resent times of this, have you heard anything on this

21-08-2007

Guys,

I found an interesting link to Currumbin's Goodfellow's tree kangaroo program. The curator or team leader Brett Smith seems to be an authority on the species. Currumbin has bred 4 joeys from the resident pair.

They also write that 2 females have been sent to Melbourne to form the nucleus of their breeding programme.

Here is the link: CWS - Goodfellow's Tree-kangaroo - captive breeding program

Good luck with it!

Maybe one of you can find out what the current situation is with Currumbin's Goodfellow's???

21-08-2007

Both Currumbin and Taronga are jointly importing additional animals from San Diego Zoo in the very near future, so additional pairings can be made.

Beauval Goodfellow's tree kangaroo birth
22-08-2007

The Beauval Zoo, France on 28/7/2007 reported a new joey in the pouch of one of its 2 female Goodfellow's tree kangaroo.

Maybe, this second birth is a resurgence for the European breeding programme and renewed interest in a beautiful and highly unusual species.

22-08-2007

that is great news i do hope u r right jelle they are a fantastic species

22-08-2007

thats good news zoopro. i suppose with these new pairings and the new melbourne female from germany, things might really start taking off for the goodfellows here. indeed i can see us very quickly ending up with the biggest regional population. have adelaide now decided to phase out their matschie's and switch over?

22-08-2007

Yes, Adelaide are following the regional recommendation, to phase out Matchie's in favour of Goodfellow's. They are the last remaining zoo in the region with Matschie's