ZooChat Cup Group B2: Chester vs Taronga

[antonmuster]

At least you're being open about your logic boiling down to "It's in Australia so it automatically wins" which most people have left implicit. I think extending the reasons why it's better for this category to the nationality of the visitors is a bit too far even so, however

(Sidenote - is there a single quintessential European zoo which would have the same theoretical easy ride for that category? Although Vienna is doing well I am not sure it quite reaches that status)

Ha! I totally expected a comment like that.
Of course, my rationale isn't that "it's in Australia so it automatically wins". Sydney zoo just gave me this unique feeling of being on this alien continent with all these alien animals and plants, which you can see in the zoo, but which are also out there, somewhere on this vast continent stretching out right before you, or perching in the tree right above your head, crawling across the visitor path... it's difficult to put into words. Australia Zoo or Perth Zoo didn't give me that same strong feeling of being in Australia, Caversham Wildlife Park perhaps did, but not on the level of Sydney. Such things are ofc entirely subjective.
And these considerations are ofc *in addition* to the collection and often delightful enclosures.

 

[MRJ]

@MRJ might be well placed to describe the role Taronga has played in native conservation?

Are you trying to get me into trouble? I have the feeling my opinion will disappoint and provoke disapproval amongst some zoochatters.

It is worth saying that effective conservation is a cooperative enterprise, I doubt there are any conservation projects that either Taronga or Chester can claim as solely their own.

Taronga is involved in around 10 conservation breeding programs for endangered species on it's campuses. A conservation breeding program involves a managed program directly supporting the survival of the species in the wild. For example Taronga's regent honeyeater program breeds birds for release, up to 100 at a time. They are not the only facility in this program (we ourselves have provided 5 birds to date) however they are the founders, drivers, and main participants. This is where the issue is, all these programs are native, of course. By comparison Chester is involved in none. So on the face of it Taronga wins.

However it is a lot more complex than that. I have said before that it is very difficult for European and North American zoos to involve themselves with conservation breeding programs. There is little opportunity with native species and again as I have said before, programs for exotics are best conducted in-situ. Chester does support a large number of programs, from their website I understand around 67, Only a few of these are conservation breeding programs and again most are cooperative, so the question is how significant is Chester's involvement? It should also be noted that Taronga also supports a number of in-situ programs outside Australia, however not as many a Chester.

I don't know how significant conservation is in this game (personally as in all things zoo I would hope very) but without intimate knowledge it would be a very difficult thing to judge. My own feeling is Taronga puts up a very strong case.

One other thing both zoos have large research programs. Taronga recently opened the Taronga Institute of Science & Learning. What is interesting about this facilities is it turns the research laboratories into exhibits with each having glass walls for the public to view through. This facility in itself would be worthy of some points.

 

[TeaLovingDave]

Are you trying to get me into trouble? I have the feeling my opinion will disappoint and provoke disapproval amongst some zoochatters.

It is worth saying that effective conservation is a cooperative enterprise, I doubt there are any conservation projects that either Taronga or Chester can claim as solely their own.

Your reply has no bearing on the matter in any event, as the match has ended so you need not worry.

 

[NSU42]

I don't know how significant conservation is in this game

Really depends on the voter in this case. I think for some it probably matters very little and they judge what they can physically see at the zoo, while others it is very important.

 

[TeaLovingDave]

This is where the issue is, all these programs are native, of course. By comparison Chester is involved in none.

I can think of a few captive programmes for UK native species which Chester is involved with, for what it's worth; fen spider, harvest mouse, hazel dormouse, sand lizard and wildcat.

 

[MRJ]

...means just a little bit more than Taronga enclosing a stretch of native forest and putting species native to the surrounding area in it. ...
~Thylo

I think this is a very unfair summation of what Taronga has done, Exhibits represent specific ecosystems and Taronga Zoo has no more thrown mesh over a bit of native forest than the Bronx Zoo has thrown a bit of mesh across native forest to represent the Congo rainforest.

 

[CGSwans]

Are you trying to get me into trouble? I have the feeling my opinion will disappoint and provoke disapproval amongst some zoochatters.

.

Certainly not! I just figured you’d be our member most familiar with what Taronga was doing, and figured that if you didn’t want to say anything complimentary that you’d simply ignore the tag.

 

[MRJ]

I can think of a few captive programmes for UK native species which Chester is involved with, for what it's worth; fen spider, harvest mouse, hazel dormouse, sand lizard and wildcat.

I could not find them on their website so my apologies.

 

[MRJ]

Your reply has no bearing on the matter in any event, as the match has ended so you need not worry.

So I was not able to save the day? How disappointing! Anyway I see that Taronga won so I guess I will bask in the reflected glory of an Aussie win.

 

[Maguari]

I can think of a few captive programmes for UK native species which Chester is involved with, for what it's worth; fen spider, harvest mouse, hazel dormouse, sand lizard and wildcat.

Also Large Heath butterfly, just for completeness.

(though of course these are not really relevant to their Australia and the Islands performance!)

 

[ThylacineAlive]

I think this is a very unfair summation of what Taronga has done, Exhibits represent specific ecosystems and Taronga Zoo has no more thrown mesh over a bit of native forest than the Bronx Zoo has thrown a bit of mesh across native forest to represent the Congo rainforest.

Fair enough, but again I do not think such exhibitry is by any means bad. In fact, I love seeing exhibits like this and actively support zoos using their natural surroundings as apart of their enclosures. This is especially true with aviaries as naturally growing trees and plantlife is always more exciting to view birds in than anything else.

~Thylo

 

[MRJ]

Fair enough, but again I do not think such exhibitry is by any means bad. In fact, I love seeing exhibits like this and actively support zoos using their natural surroundings as apart of their enclosures. This is especially true with aviaries are naturally growing trees and plantlife is always more exciting to view birds in than anything else.

~Thylo

Agreed, and you will find plenty of trees and other plants in the Taronga aviaries. Zoo horticulture is an entire field of its own.