Taronga Zoo is ending the year with good news all round. On October 4 \u2013 International Zookeeper Day \u2013 lion keepers at Taronga Western Plains Zoo in Dubbo, New South Wales, welcomed three lion cubs, born late in the evening. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe cubs are doing really well, they\u2019re hitting all their milestones,\u201d zookeeper Melanie Friedman said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThey\u2019ve had their first quick vet check and we can confirm there\u2019s two boys and a girl, their eyes are open and they\u2019re all weighing in around five kilograms.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
African Lions are currently classified as vulnerable in the wild, and Marion was imported, along with her sister, Evelyn, from the United States in 2018, to introduce diversity into the zoo\u2019s conservation program, providing a new genetic bloodline. October\u2019s births were the second litter for the breeding pair, Marion and Lwazi, who last had cubs in April 2022. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In late November, the zoo announced it has released 15 endangered chuditch from Dubbo into Vulkathunha-Gammon Ranges National Park in South Australia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Taronga\u2019s conservation breeding program commenced in 2022, and in the eight months since, has since successfully bred 37 joeys, all of which the zoo intends to release back into the wild, a significant achievement given the species is now extinct in four states and territories. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe mixed-age cohort of 15 individuals were carefully selected from the conservation breeding program to ensure we inject genetically robust and diverse individuals into the newly established wild population in South Australia,\u201d Taronga Wildlife Conservation Officer Rachael Schildkraut said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Chuditch are one of the top 20 priority mammals listed under the Federal Threatened Species Strategy with the species range reduced to five per cent of its former distribution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The work is a collaboration between the Department for Environment and Water and Taronga Conservation Society Australia, with the released chuditch fitted with radio tracking collars to assist in ongoing research. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhile there are no quick fixes to rebuilding populations, VHF radio tracking collars will allow us to collect data, monitor changes to the ecosystem and carry out long term planning of how we can best sustain the species,\u201d Department for Environment and Water\u2019s Rob Brandle said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
JULIA GARDINER<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Taronga Zoo is ending the year with good news all round. On October 4 \u2013 International Zookeeper Day \u2013 lion keepers at Taronga Western Plains Zoo in Dubbo, New South Wales, welcomed three lion cubs, born late in the evening. \u201cThe cubs are doing really well, they\u2019re hitting all their milestones,\u201d zookeeper Melanie Friedman said. 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On October 4 \u2013 International Zookeeper Day \u2013 lion keepers at Taronga Western Plains Zoo in Dubbo, New South Wales, welcomed three lion cubs, born late in the evening. \u201cThe cubs are doing really well, they\u2019re hitting all their milestones,\u201d zookeeper Melanie Friedman said. \u201cThey\u2019ve had their first 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