This is one enclosure of five that feature as a rotating exhibit for a number of Asian species: Sumatran tigers, white-cheeked gibbons, Siamang gibbons, Malayan tapirs and lowland Anoas.
This woven stainless steel mesh is used in virtually all zoo exhibits today, replacing the old barred look, and being used for containment when there is no room available for moat's.
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Asian exhibit--Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium--Tacoma, Washington
Posted by
Wade G. Burck
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8 comments:
Wade, this exhibit is beautiful. It is new since we were last here in 2001, when Lara lived in Olympia. PD Zoo's clouded leopard breeding program is among the best in the world, and their breeding pair Raja and Josie are genetically valuable to the survival of the species. Often clouded leopards must undergo AI since the male often kills the female. If you have the stomach for it, here are pictures of their AI.
http://www.cloudedleopard.org/BlogHome.aspx?page=1&tag=breeding
I was surprised that this pair underwent AI because when we were there, they were exhibited together, and were getting along very well. They had been raised together almost all their lives, and my grandchildren saw them since they were small enough to hold in the palm of your hand. I was also previously surprised when hearing about another clouded leopard AI at another institution that the semen is inserted surgically in the uterine horn, not vaginally.
Mary Ann
Mary Ann,
Lazing together in the sun, and mating are two different deals. In the case of genetically valuable specimens, I would think AI is a much better alternative, to injury or death and it has been advanced to such an art. I think I told you, my plan when I left the circus in 1994, was to become an equine reproductive specialist. The cost of schooling and providing for the boys made it a very unrealistic dream, but it is an incredible fascinating world.
In the case of equine, many valuable stallions have been injured, and AI is a much better alternative to a crippling injury. Often times, a mare with full particulars is so valuable, she isn't even allowed to be bred and carry to term. Instead eggs are flushed and inseminated and put into a "surrogate" bag of bones to complete the pregnancy.
Something to do with not being able to get the champagne chilled right, and a comfortable temperature in the barn jacuzzi.
Wade
Wade, I'm looking for more information on Josie and Raja. This article features the woman who hand-raised them, and their first litter was hand-raised after Josie injured one of the three cubs, which led to its death.
http://www.tacoma.washington.edu/terrain/archive/june2007/wild.htm
The article also says that Raja and Josie no longer get along. I'm still looking to see whether the first litter was produced by mating or AI, and whether the AI previously mentioned "took". Thank you for the horse breeding information. I did not know about the surrogate mothers for genetically valuable mares.
Mary Ann
Mary Ann,
People have equal rights. But like animals, people are not created equal. If the mare is a valuable show horse and on a show circuit, you can't stop her ribbon winning ways to get pregnant, and besides why would you want your beauiful, toned and conditioned champion mare, all stretched, lumpy and saggy? LOL
Wade
Wade, I know what you are saying, but I was very surprised to learn that Heidi Klum has had three children, and there is no way that that doll is stretched, lumpy, or saggy.
Mary Ann
See Mary Ann, there is a reason we are all stretched,lumpy and saggy, but tell us Wade,what's your excuse??..LOL
Further information about Raja and Josie:
1. Their only litter was conceived by mating, not AI.
2. There were several attempts at AI done vaginally. Josie is very compliant, and was not sedated for these.
3. According to the ultrasounds following the surgical AI, the resident reproductive physiologist is quite certain that Josie was pregnant, but the fetus or fetuses were either resorbed or miscarried. They plan to try again next year.
Mary Ann
Wade and Mary Ann,
I see now. It would explain alot. they currently at the zoo, but that exhibit is used also for porcupines and asian otters. Or at least in the same area. They do alot of rotation since they have a show arena where zookeepers come out and talk about the animals. When we were there it was the Porcupines.
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