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Proceedings of the First Symposium on Marsupials in New Zealand

Development and Maintenance of Colonies

Development and Maintenance of Colonies

Records are incomplete prior to 1975, but from information available it is clear that only in the last few years have viable and expanding colonies been established. Stock losses from disease or injury were substantial until the introduction of new management and feeding techniques, and the application of a strict preventative medicine programme. Figures for additions through importation and births, and for losses from disease or injury are shown in Table 1.

Two encouraging factors emerge from these figures. Firstly the incidence of death from disease has fallen dramatically between 1971 and the present, as has the incidence of disease occurrence itself. During the last eighteen months only three animals have required treatment, and none has died. Secondly, the number of births has risen, and within the four established colonies there have been twelve pouch-young from fifteen females since May 1976. Our definition of a successful birth is the first appearance of a pouch-young, page 147
Table 1. Additions and losses of wallaby stocks at Auckland Zoo 1968-1977 - all species included.
YEAR IMPORTS BORN TOTAL ADDITIONS DEATHS TOTAL LOSSES
INJURY DISEASE
1968 3 n.r.

n.r. no records.

3 n.r. n.r. 3
1969 25 n. r. 25 n.r. n.r. 26
1970 0 n.r. 0 n.r. n.r. 13
1971 23 2 25 12* 18 30
1972 7 1 8 0 6 6
1973 1 3 4 0 8 8
1974 1 2 3 0 5 5
1975 9 2 11 8* 1 9
1976 23 4 27 6 0 6
1977 7 8 15 3* 0 3
to May
Table 2. Number of wallabies displayed at Auckland Zoo (1 May 1977).
Species No. ♂♂ No. ♀♀ No. ? sex TOTAL
Agile 2 4 2 8
Parma 0 1 0 1
Red-necked 3 5 0 8
Rock 3 4 0 7
Tammar 1 4 1 6
Total 9 18 3 30
page 148 usually at about three to four months after birth has actually taken place. These two factors have resulted in an overall increase in the wallaby population, and this has been supplemented by the translocation of rock-wallabies from Motutapu Island and red-necked wallabies from the South Island.

Deaths from injury are tabled separately to highlight the disastrous results that attacks by feral dogs can have on wallaby colonies. In 1971 and 1975 twenty wallabies were either killed outright or died shortly after attack from injuries received or from shock. Only eight days ago a further three suffered the same fate. Although the Zoo has a three metre perimeter fence surrounding it and all precautions are taken to prevent entry of dogs through open gateways, it has proved impossible to entirely eliminate the risk, and dog traps are now set every evening as a precautionary measure. Any animal caught is destroyed. In our experience attacks have been by two or more animals acting together, and any organisation considering setting up colonies for display or research purposes should be aware of the danger, particularly in urban areas where roaming dogs are liable to form packs.

The numbers of each species currently held are shown in Table 2.

* killed by dogs

4 dead on arrival from Australia

2 died after capture and translocation