Melbourne Zoo's diminishing collection

Yoshistar888

Yoshistar888

Well-Known Member
5+ year member
[Mod note: thread split from this thread: Exotic Mammals in Australian Zoos]


I don't think it's right to blame all the major zoos, at least Taronga, Perth and Adelaide actually have a decent collection and somewhat try to maintain it.

Melbourne on the other hand has been rapidly diminishing it's collection at a rapid pace replacing it's unique animals for more repeated exhibits and kids activities. Remember growing wild that was supposed to have Mara in it? It takes up a good chunk of the zoos land and has no species that cant be found in other areas of the zoo.
 
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Yoshistar888 said:
I don't think it's right to blame all the major zoos, at least Taronga, Perth and Adelaide actually have a decent collection and somewhat try to maintain it.

Melbourne on the other hand has been rapidly diminishing it's collection at a rapid pace replacing it's unique animals for more repeated exhibits and kids activities. Remember growing wild that was supposed to have Mara in it? It takes up a good chunk of the zoos land and has no species that cant be found in other areas of the zoo.
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Collection planning is the regional selection of species to prioritize or deprioritize, so its not really that linked to the collections of any one zoo. The highlighted passage though is kind of in opposition to the sustainability and genetic diversity of populations that sustained collection planning is focused around. With only so many zoos in the region, to have sustainable populations collections will need to be more similar between zoos. As well zoos will have to hold more a given species. The focus on unique animals is that same picking up a species on a whim that has been previously discussed. Having a species at one or two zoos in the region is simply a dead-end population, that will die out fairly shortly.
 
Yoshistar888 said:
I don't think it's right to blame all the major zoos, at least Taronga, Perth and Adelaide actually have a decent collection and somewhat try to maintain it.

Melbourne on the other hand has been rapidly diminishing it's collection at a rapid pace replacing it's unique animals for more repeated exhibits and kids activities. Remember growing wild that was supposed to have Mara in it? It takes up a good chunk of the zoos land and has no species that cant be found in other areas of the zoo.
Click to expand...
Who is blaming all? noticed I used the word "some". Well Tarongas collection is nothing like it use to be as some would remember they to have phased out a lot of species over the last few years, What was the collection planning with the Indian rhinos?, one pair and then no others in the region, Francois Langers one group (two spares on a small zoo) again after years of having them, Maned wolfs were to be phased out until a small regional zoo took over the species and did an outstanding job of them in the region. there are more but lets not kid ourselves in thinking they could have done better!
 
nczoofan said:
Collection planning is the regional selection of species to prioritize or deprioritize, so its not really that linked to the collections of any one zoo. The highlighted passage though is kind of in opposition to the sustainability and genetic diversity of populations that sustained collection planning is focused around. With only so many zoos in the region, to have sustainable populations collections will need to be more similar between zoos. As well zoos will have to hold more a given species. The focus on unique animals is that same picking up a species on a whim that has been previously discussed. Having a species at one or two zoos in the region is simply a dead-end population, that will die out fairly shortly.
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I think you misunderstood the term when i meant animals being replaced, not by common animals in the Australasian region but by species already present at the zoo.

Zorro said:
Who is blaming all? noticed I used the word "some". Well Tarongas collection is nothing like it use to be as some would remember they to have phased out a lot of species over the last few years, What was the collection planning with the Indian rhinos?, one pair and then no others in the region, Francois Langers one group (two spares on a small zoo) again after years of having them, Maned wolfs were to be phased out until a small regional zoo took over the species and did an outstanding job of them in the region. there are more but lets not kid ourselves in thinking they could have done better!
Click to expand...

Sure tarongas collection may be becoming smaller but the decline is nothing compared to melbourne zoos decline since the 2000's but particuarly in recent years. Of course Taronga and the other zoos could have done better i'm just saying that Melbourne has done a poorer job than most.
 
Yoshistar888 said:
I think you misunderstood the term when i meant animals being replaced, not by common animals in the Australasian region but by species already present at the zoo.



Sure tarongas collection may be becoming smaller but the decline is nothing compared to melbourne zoos decline since the 2000's but particuarly in recent years. Of course Taronga and the other zoos could have done better i'm just saying that Melbourne has done a poorer job than most.
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Perhaps you should go back over resent years and see how many one off species have gone from Tarongas collection!
 
Zorro said:
Perhaps you should go back over resent years and see how many one off species have gone from Tarongas collection!
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Heres melbournes exotic list in the last decade, this is not definitive there is definitely animals from the old cat section and the monkey section that are missing as I can barely remember my older visits to the zoo as I was young.

Bold denotes animals i never saw

Exotic animals gained and retained since 2010

Mexican Cantil
Brown Nosed Coati
Crimson Bellied Conure

Exotic Animals lost since 2010

Mandrill
Bongo
Cussarow species (i never got to see Betty)
Plumed Baskilisk
Brazilian Tapir
Binturong
Indian Peacock
Black and White Ruffed Lemur
Syrian Brown Bear
Veiled Chameleon (most likely)
Rothschild Giraffe (pure)
Emerald Tree Boa
Rock Rattlesnake
White Nosed Coati
Sunda Slow Loris (same as below)
Bornean Slow Loris (never saw but on the thread)
Caracal
Mara
Brazilian Agouti
Dart frog species
Fire bellied Newt species
Javan Langur
Greater Tree Shrew
Puma


Maned Wolf*
might have been 2009 or 2010

In the late 2000's Melbourne zoo also lost Jaguars, European Badger, Asiatic Golden cat and others mainly in it's carnivore section.

Possibly more.

I don't know much about the 2000's for Melbourne zoo but I do know they lost a number of animals as stated on the Exotic Mammals thread and possibly birds and reptiles as well.
 
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Yoshistar888 said:
Heres melbournes exotic list in the last decade, this is not definitive there is definitely animals from the old cat section and the monkey section that are missing as I can barely remember my older visits to the zoo as I was young.

Bold denotes animals i never saw

Exotic animals gained and retained since 2010

Mexican Cantil
Brown Nosed Coati
Crimson Bellied Conure

Exotic Animals lost since 2010

Mandrill
Bongo
Cussarow species (i never got to see Betty)
Plumed Baskilisk
Brazilian Tapir
Binturong
Indian Peacock
Black and White Ruffed Lemur
Syrian Brown Bear
Veiled Chameleon (most likely)
Rothschild Giraffe (pure)
Emerald Tree Boa
Rock Rattlesnake
White Nosed Coati
Sunda Slow Loris (same as below)
Bornean Slow Loris (never saw but on the thread)
Caracal
Mara
Brazilian Agouti
Dart frog species
Fire bellied Newt species
Javan Langur
Greater Tree Shrew
Puma


Maned Wolf*
might have been 2009 or 2010

In the late 2000's Melbourne zoo also lost Jaguars, European Badger, Asiatic Golden cat and others mainly in it's carnivore section.

Possibly more.

I don't know much about the 2000's for Melbourne zoo but I do know they lost a number of animals as stated on the Exotic Mammals thread and possibly birds and reptiles as well.
Click to expand...

The last Maned wolf died in 2010.
 
Yoshistar888 said:
Melbourne on the other hand has been rapidly diminishing it's collection at a rapid pace replacing it's unique animals for more repeated exhibits and kids activities.
Click to expand...

In the timeframe you are referring to, Melbourne started with a much larger animal collection than the other zoos, often holding species found nowhere else, so not really surprising they have amassed the most "phase-outs". therefore I'm not sure its fair to single them out as worse than any other zoo in this particular regard.
 
toothlessjaws said:
In the timeframe you are referring to, Melbourne started with a much larger animal collection than the other zoos, often holding species found nowhere else, so not really surprising they have amassed the most "phase-outs". therefore I'm not sure its fair to single them out as worse than any other zoo in this particular regard.
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Thats quite true, Taronga/TWPZ has imported its fair share of species which have been phased out or are on the list to be, One of them the Onager kept at Dubbo is a good case in point, Endangered, does well breeding in large zoos like TWPZ, I believe two pairs were imported from Rotterdam and more later from the USA yet some could of been placed in other zoos here, they would of thrived at Monatro zoo. They set themselves up for an excellent start which would of cost a lot of time and money Yet now dwindled down to almost none, imports could of been done but nope another species to add to the be out list!
Do I even need to mention the Dholes yet another must have species which went no where!
 
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I would say that all four big city zoos have lost their fair share of species over the last couple of decades in a combination of lack of planning, lack of interest, slimming down the collection and change of direction. These zoos effectively direct the management planning for the smaller zoos and the region. Sad state of affairs when you compare the direction in European and US zoos.
 
tetrapod said:
I would say that all four big city zoos have lost their fair share of species over the last couple of decades in a combination of lack of planning, lack of interest, slimming down the collection and change of direction. These zoos effectively direct the management planning for the smaller zoos and the region. Sad state of affairs when you compare the direction in European and US zoos.
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Very well said I believe you have said exactly how it is, You have hit the nail right on the head here, Its worrying to see our major zoos going in this direction, this should never have got this far but my question is WHY has this happened, could it be the bean counters? or hiring Non zoo minded people to run a animal focused enterprise or what?
The only saving grace in my view are the many regional zoos which from what I can see are starting to show the big guys hows its done, something I would never have seen coming in the past, but perhaps our saving grace in getting back to running a real zoos how it should be!
 
Yoshistar888 said:
Heres melbournes exotic list in the last decade, this is not definitive there is definitely animals from the old cat section and the monkey section that are missing as I can barely remember my older visits to the zoo as I was young.

Bold denotes animals i never saw

Exotic animals gained and retained since 2010

Mexican Cantil
Brown Nosed Coati
Crimson bellied conure


Exotic Animals lost since 2010

Mandrill
Bongo
Cussarow species (i never got to see Betty)
Plumed Baskilisk
Brazilian Tapir
Binturong
Indian Peacock
Black and White Ruffed Lemur
Syrian Brown Bear
Veiled Chameleon (most likely)
Rothschild Giraffe (pure)
Emerald Tree Boa
Rock Rattlesnake
White Nosed Coati
Sunda Slow Loris (same as below)
Bornean Slow Loris (never saw but on the thread)
Caracal
Mara
Brazilian Agouti
Dart frog species
Fire bellied Newt species
Javan Langur
Greater Tree Shrew
Puma


Maned Wolf*
might have been 2009 or 2010

In the late 2000's Melbourne zoo also lost Jaguars, European Badger, Asiatic Golden cat and others mainly in it's carnivore section.

Possibly more.

I don't know much about the 2000's for Melbourne zoo but I do know they lost a number of animals as stated on the Exotic Mammals thread and possibly birds and reptiles as well.
Click to expand...

I researched more into this and it's worse than I thought. Evidence can be found within the zoochat gallery or on this thread or the Melbourne news thread. Also the big/small cat thread.

exotic Species Gained and Retained since 2010

Ball Python?
Brown Nosed Coati
Cantil
Ring Tailed Lemur?

exotic Species lost since 2010


Chattering Lory
Nanday Conure
Green Iguana
Reeves Pheasant
Dusky Lory
Mute Swan
Black Capped Capuchin
Mandrill
Bongo
Razor Billed Cussarow (i never got to see Betty)
Plumed Baskilisk
Brazilian Tapir
Binturong
Indian Peacock
Black and White Ruffed Lemur
Syrian Brown Bear
Veiled Chameleon (most likely)
Rothschild Giraffe (pure)
Emerald Tree Boa
Rock Rattlesnake
White Nosed Coati
Sunda Slow Loris (same as below)
Bornean Slow Loris (never saw but on the thread)
Caracal
Mara
Brazilian Agouti
Blue Poison Frog
Splash Backed Poison Arrow Frog
Japanese Fire Bellied Newt
Javan Langur
Greater Tree Shrew
Puma
Persian Leopard
Sun Conure
Crimson Bellied Conure
Jardines Parrot
Golden Pheasant
Blue Fronted Amazon Parrot
Forest Cobra
Maned Wolf
Jewelled Lacerta
Fishing Cat? (theres a photo of one in the gallery taken after 2010)
Lady Amherst's Pheasant
Green Peafowl
Serval (on cat thread)

Permanent off display animals (might as well be species lost)

Rainbow Boa
Kenyan Sand Boa
Golden Lion Tamarin
Goodfellows Tree Kangaroo
Emperor Tamarin


Status unsure

Central American Wood Turtle (seen in my 2019 visit but no note of it in my 2020 visit or visits by other zoo-chatters).
Tinnemeh Grey Parrot (Signed for a small portion of time then sinage was removed, I know @WhistlingKite24 saw these in late 2018 but I don't think anyone has seen them since)

Not including off displays, unsures and question marks the total stands at just 2 new aquisitions with a whopping 44 phase outs. If you include question marks, unsures and permanent off displays the total stands at 4 acquisitions and 52 phaseouts.

Keep in mind this does NOT count species lost in the late 2000's so Jaguars, Temmicks Golden Cat and European Badgers have not been included on the list.

Native species don't fare much better, especially the reptile and bird collections, I might make a list on them if necessary
 
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toothlessjaws said:
Yes, but you should see the list of species Taronga had in 1980. The trend to smaller collections is not limited to Melbourne. They just happen to be the zoo with the biggest collection the longest.
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I'm also looking at, yes Taronga might have lost more species, but unlike Melbourne their ratio would not be 1:22 and also unlike melbourne it would have been over a space of 40 years whereas I am strictly reffering from Jan 1 2010 to the current date.

Losing 44-52 exotic species in a single decade and only gaining 2-4 is the plight, it's about the numbers, but also about the time. I havent even mentioned native species.
 
Jambo said:
MZ definitely had Ring Tailed Lemur before 2010, and i’m pretty sure they had Brown Nosed Coati before then too.
Click to expand...

Prior to the renovation of the Carnivore section they had White Nosed Coatis, I dont think they ever had both species at once.
 
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