A new anoa calf has been born in Surabaya Zoo following GSMP breeding recommendations!
Surabaya Zoo (Kebun Binatang Surabaya/KBS) is one of the zoos in Indonesia that works to follow the GSMP breeding recommendations and support ‘demographically and genetically healthy ex situ populations’ of anoa (Bubalus depressicornis).
This is the second GSMP species born in Surabaya Zoo in 2020, following babirusa birth in February 2020! This anoa was born on 20th July 2020. Currently, they have 6 (2.4) anoa. They feed their anoa primarily with grass, with additional feeds of carrots, water spinach, beans, banana, and sweet potatoes as additional feed. Sometimes they also feed them jackfruit leaves, vegetables as part of enrichment program.
The new member is named “Toreto", a male anoa born from Bobby (male) and Wendy (female). Toreto’s parents were originally rescued from a Wildlife Authority (KSDA) office in Palu, Southeast Sulawesi and they have been in Surabaya Zoo since 25th March 2006. Breeding from these two “founder” individuals has been valuable in increasing the genetic diversity of the ex-situ population, as they are animals from wild populations, whose genetics are underrepresented in the global ex situ population. We hope this anoa birth can support the ex-situ population under GSMP program that can be genetically health back up population for the wild. We also hope that all Indonesian zoos can work together in cooperative breeding to do help us in our anoa breeding in the future.
Here we describe the breeding process:
End of September to early October 2019: They put Bobby & Wendy in separate side by side enclosure to make them closer for one week.
October 2019 to January 2020: They put them together until observing some behavioural signs indicating oestrus, such as swollen red vulvar, yelling, low appetite, male anoa became more aggresive and following female.
February – July 2020: They separated male from female after did not find any sexual signs. They observed and monitored pregnancy signs closely with medical team. At this stage, they fed them extra food with vegetables and fruits, as well as multivitamin.
20thJuly 2020: At 7am in the morning, the keeper found Wendy has given birth a calf in healthy condition. After 1-2 hours, this calf can walk itself and suckling from its mother.
Photo: Surabaya Zoo