Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!usc!samsung!munnari.oz.au!yoyo.aarnet.edu.au!sirius.ucs.adelaide.edu.au!spam!jday
From: jday@spam.ua.oz (Jemery Day)
Newsgroups: sci.bio
Subject: Re: Thanks for monotreme replies... one more question.
Message-ID: <787@spam.ua.oz>
Date: 21 May 91 05:46:23 GMT
References: <1991Apr23.082506.29920@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu> <1991May20.170733.14785@ssd.kodak.com>
Organization: Statistics, Pure & Applied Mathematics, University of Adelaide
Lines: 38

In article <1991May20.170733.14785@ssd.kodak.com> bredy@alkp.serum.kodak.com (Dan Bredy (x37360)) writes:
>Speaking of duck-billed platypuses, have any of these ever been raised in
>captivity? If so what zoos (preferably in North America) might one be able to
>see them in?
>

Platypus have bred twice in captivity in Australia. The first time was around
the 1930's - 1940's, and despite many efforts has not been repeated until the
last 12 months or so. Details of this first success can be found in a book by
David Fleay, which has Platypus in the title and was published in Australia
possibly in the 1960's.

Warrawong Sanctuary, in the Adelaide hills, South Australia, has successfully
bred platypus (3 babies I think). The parents were relocated from Kangaroo
Island, South Australia, where an introduced (but not captive) population
continues to thrive.

Warrawong is more like a wildlife refuge than a zoo. It has a carefully
constructed fence to keep out feral cats, foxes, dogs, goats, rabbits ... and
has a collection of animals (indigenous to the area) which are given pretty free
rein in the 30-40 acres of land inside the fence. They are not kept in cages nor
are "on display" for the sole benefit of visitors. The platypus in question live
in a series of artificial dams which were constructed to resembleplatypus
natural habitat as closely as possible, and the breeding success was only
noticed when the baby platypus were spotted learning to swim in the dams, in
addition to the 6 original platypus.

According to information from Warrawong Sanctuary, no other platypus have been
bred in captivity, and the mortality rate of captive platypus is often
extremely high.

Sorry that I can't answer the second question - I have never been to North
America - and besides, why should platypus in North American zoos follow
directly from captive breeding success?

>Thanx,
>
>Dan