Community Chat

[Yahooey]

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBUIhcOwwcA

[Yahooey]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCQ2RDgN49Y

Tatu's Birth announcement and weigh in

[Yahooey]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBUIhcOwwcA

Tatu's First day on exhbit

[Marp]

Time sure does fly!!!  Below is this morning's post from Greenville Zoo about Tatu.

It is amazing to think that he was born 4 weeks ago tomorrow. Tatu, like everyone at the zoo is looking forward to a beatuiful Monday and hoping that the sun is shining on you.

[Marp]

"Our" baby boy is more gorgeous every day.

[Marp]

What lovely spots.

[luvmyteddy4]

---

@Marp wrote:

What lovely spots.

---

I can't believe I missed the whole story and birth! This is wonderful...

[Marp]

We're losing Walter 

The Greenville Zoo announced Thursday that the Giraffe Species Survival Program has recommended that Walter, the zoo’s adult male giraffe, be transferred to the Turtle Back Zoo in West Orange, NJ and a new adult male be put in place in Greenville.

Zoo officials said the decision to move Walter is due to the giraffe’s successful pairing with Autumn, the zoo’s female giraffe, which resulted in the successful birth of Kiko and Tatu.

“Walter and Autumn came to us in 2007 and made their debut in our newly opened giraffe exhibit, so it’s hard to imagine him not being here,” said zoo administrator Jeff Bullock. “I know our staff and the community will miss him, but it’s important to remember that this change will help ensure the survival of this magnificent species for future generations.”    

Zoo officials released the following details about the move and the SSP:

The purpose of the SSP recommendations is to create better genetically matched breeding groups, so in addition to the 20 transfers, the SSP has also recommended 39 females, including Autumn, for breeding. Since Autumn is still considered genetically valuable to the captive population, the SSP has recommended that Miles, a seven-year-old male giraffe, be transferred from the Houston Zoo to the Greenville Zoo to breed with her. Miles is ranked 12th genetically within the male breeding population of 53 giraffes and Autumn is ranked 10th genetically within the female breeding population of 61 giraffes. The Greenville Zoo is postponing Miles’ arrival until late summer or early fall so that Tatu has time to grow before they introduce a new male. While Tatu will likely be part of a future SSP transfer recommendation, for now, there are no plans for him to leave the Greenville Zoo.  

Species Survival Programs were created in the 1970s to manage the captive breeding populations for individual species. In general, the goal is to manage a captive population for 100 years into the future while maintaining a genetic variability of at least 96%. This often means moving animals from one facility to another to spread out the gene pool, much like what happens in the wild. Over time, closed breeding groups would eventually die off due to inbreeding, which weakens animals genetically over generations and can create life-threatening deformities. 

The Greenville Zoo is preparing for Walter to leave in late March or early April.   

[doxie1]

I am going to miss Walter. I am thankful they are trying to save the species. He has become a member at the zoo so it will be hard.

doxie

[Marp]

@doxie1, it saddens me that he is being moved but at the same time it will be nice to meet and get to know Miles.  He is expected late summer or early fall.

The poor director of the zoo was doing an interview for local TV and had to take time to remind people that although we think of Walter, Autumn, Tatu and Kiko as a family in the wild Walter and Autumn would have little to do with each other outside of breeding season, they are not a family as humans know family.

Of course he is right but still...