David R

Someone on here must know him reasonably well? Mark I still haven't had much of a chance to look over those links, or the ones in the response to my letter. I'm happy to be the go between seems how I have already been in contact with MAF regarding this issue. I'll try to look at those links over the next few days, and if others could too so we can come up with a list of things we need to find out from them, like what tests need to be done etc.

You do not have to bear the 'big stick', your heart strong and get the Russians out of my threads I <3 Google language translator...

Fairly self-explanatory, I'll start... Good: -Managed to make do with only one car and thus saved a heap of cash. -Business hasn't gone under yet so I still have a job. -Dad finished his car and I got to spend a weekend with him driving round Hawkes Bay on its first real outing. -Got a new job, starting next year, with a big pay rise. -Not spending money of cars meant more money to spend on other hobbies [ie new 5' tank and green aro] -Saw the Smashing Pumpkins live, twice even! -Also saw the police, foo fighters, and me first and the gimme gimmes -Girlfriend passed PCE2, final 6-hour exam before becoming a Chartered Accountant -I've gotten away with another year with out putting a ring on her finger... :lol: Bad: -Still haven't bought a house. -Still only have one boring car.

I'll lay off the vodka... :oops:

В Матери России сома хранит вас! Мы должны объединиться и раздавить грязные американцы, и никому проблем своей родины и ее способность хранить рыбу и пить водку!

All of the above? Taken about 5 minutes before he found his way out of his outdoor cage and went for an adventure around the back lawn, nearly giving me a heart attack! :lol:

Hey Mystic, Думаю, вы правы, происходит по количеству людей, которые знают эту должность, прежде чем был достигнут ...

List them as dogs or guinea pigs? Tell TradeMe they're not biologists and they had better know they're stuff if they are going to try tell you otherwise... :lol:

A giant gourami over a metre long?!?! :lol:

I would be happy to contribute financially if there is any cost involved, although given that its Auckland Zoo and Ti Point who initially stand to make a bit of money from this I'd hope they would be too. Is anyone friendly with the reptile keepers at the zoo?

Yes, and because the ones that were confiscated have no IHS they aren't prepared to allow them to be released to the general public from containment facilities.

I have read the letter several times, and in the context of the discussion "release" means release from containment to the general public, transferring to another containment facility is not "releasing" it. I even mentioned in my original letter to them that other places (like Ti Point) had them, so I doubt they'd be ignorant enough to think Auckland Zoo are the only ones in the country with them. Although we are dealing with bureaucrats here so anything is possibly...

If the hole is at the bottom of the tank and you're not fussed about looks or noise you could have a pipe with a 90* bend and a vertical pipe cut off at the right height for the water level. Your drawing doesn't really show a wet/dry filter as there is no "dry" part. The more media you have above the water level with the water trickling through it the better. Here's how the sump on my 5' is set up; http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k186/ ... /Sump2.jpg It wouldn't be hard to DIY something like this, you could use plastic plant pots or pond plant baskets to hold the media.

and I hear the photographer forgot his camera...

There is released and released. If an animal is "containment" it can be moved or its offspring sold to other containment facilities. They are talking about releasing it to the general public, not just containment facilities. Navarre I think you're right about it not being a "new" animal, that is most likely the easiest/only way. I'll look into it more over the holidays...

I think what they're saying is that even though the animal is already here they need to define the health risks as if it was being imported because of the smuggled animal that was used to breed the current population. Does anyone know of any other Leopards that are/were here in private hands other than the one donated to the zoo?

We got ours from Sim, he's a good guy and he had no problems with it. We bought three off him, but found out very quickly that they didn't get along, and he even helped find homes for the other two that we decided not to keep! I'm not sure who's male/s he used to mate with his females though, so this years lot may have a different father from ours.

I recently wrote to MAF questioning the status of the Leopard Tortoise as a "Containment Animal" (ie for zoos only), and have finally got a reply. Unfortunately its in PDF format (they must still use typewriters or something :-? ) so I can't post it here. In short it says that the reason for the status is that the female that was gifted to the Auckland Zoo by Elanor Hannah, who brought it to NZ in 1956, was mated with an animal that had been attempted to be smuggled into the country in 1996 and was seized at the border. And there lies the problem. As an illegal import, the health status and any particular disease risks were, and still are, unknown. The animal may have passed exotic diseases to other tortoises held by the Auckland Zoo, including its offspring. Without more information around the disease risk we are not prepared to allow this animal or its offspring to leave containment at the Auckland Zoo. An Import Health Standard is needed to bring animals, such as tortoise, legally into New Zealand. An Import Health Standard is generally based on risk analysis, and determines what tests and treatments must be given before an animal can be given biosecurity clearance in New Zealand. There is currently no Import Health Standard to allow the import of the Leopard Tortoise into New Zealand. With out an Import Health Standard it is not possibly to grant biosecurity clearance to the Leopard Tortoise and allow their release from the Auckland Zoo. You can apply for an Import Health Standard and more information about htis process can be found on our webpage at the following link. http://www.biosecurity.govt.nz/ihs/search And thats where I've stopped. I haven't had time to look through the link or even reply to their email. I just thought I'd throw it out there for people to discuss and think about over the xmas break. So....... ps. if anyone wants me to forward them a copy of their PDF reply send me an email at [email protected]

What is everyone doing on Christmas Day or is it just another stat holiday for you? Probably eating far too much thanks to my obsessive mother (eleven desserts one year, for <20 people!! good left overs tho). Won't be opening any presents though as mine is swimming around in my 5' tank at home in Auckland... Who will you be with? My family, + gf who's parents have gone on a cruise for the next two weeks. Where? Whangarei Does youre family have any special Christmas traditions? Mums obsessive cooking, and tying a ribbon around our mad fox terriers neck and watching him go berserk trying to eat it... :lol: What did you ask Santa for? A green arowana, which I received a couple of months early. I'm getting a ticket to The Who from dad which will be awesome, and I asked for a leopard gecko but I don't think there's one under the tree... :lol:

I'm off work for the next three weeks!! :P :P I have worked my fair share of xmas and new year shifts though, and if my medical goes well tomorrow and I start a new job next year then there's every chance I could be working over the holiday period next year....

Good luck guys, I hope you can lift them!!

Gutted! Had it settled down a bit or was it still being aggressive?

:-?

Enter GH KH into Google and this is the first link to come up. Took me less time to find it than to write this post... http://www.chelonia.org/Articles/waterchemistry.htm

How closely is it monitored?