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Proceedings of the First Symposium on Marsupials in New Zealand

Abstract

Abstract

Of the six species of wallaby feral in New Zealand, four have been held in captivity at the Auckland Zoo since 1970. These are the tammar wallaby Macropus eugenii, the parma wallaby M. parma, the red-necked wallaby M. rufogriseus, and the brush-tailed rock-wallaby Petrogale penicillata. In addition a colony of the agile wallaby M. agilis has been maintained.

The main factors in successful management are careful acclimatisation of new arrivals, the avoidance of stress, attention to the quality of the environment and to the materials used, strict attention to nutrition and diets, and an established preventative medicine programme. Regular recording and data collection are essential, and all animals are individually identified to facilitate these procedures.

The main disease problems have been the occurrence of Fusiformis necrophorus infection ("lumpy jaw" syndrome) and a predisposition to primary or secondary pneumonia. Ecto- and endo-parasitism is not a problem but nevertheless the animals are treated regularly with an anthelmintic as part of the preventative medicine programme.

Successful breeding colonies have been established for all species, using either wild-caught or captive-bred animals.

The wallaby species feral in New Zealand have a definite place in captivity, not only for exhibition purposes, but also as reproductive colonies providing opportunity for research and animal studies.