I have already emailed the zoo directly to find out which female is pregnant. I am still awaiting a response.
Taronga Western Plains Zoo Taronga Western Plains Zoo News 2020
- Thread starter Zoofan15
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My money is on Kufara (born 2010). She and her mother, Bakhita (2002), gave birth to the last calves in 2017. Kufara’s calf was born six months earlier than Bakhita’s (in April 2017), so this would be a birth interval of just over three years. Given she’s 10 years old and in her prime, I’d expect Kufara to have conceived again by now. Fingers crossed her mother isn’t far behind.
The link from around February 2019 actually alluded to more successful introductions.
TWPZ have moved some of their Meerkats (an off-display group) to their new exhibit into a new precinct called ‘The Waterhole’. TWPZ have another group living next to the Black Rhinos.
Yesterday I visited TWPZ. I hadn't been there for a while. Some changes that I noticed.
- The painted dogs exhbit looks like it's getting a face lift. The moat towards the front of the exhibit has been filled in and a new viewing window has been added. Looks nice.
- The elands were not on display. Surveyor's pegs throughout the exhibit. Don't know what is going on in there.
- A new building on the opposite side of the siamang lake. I haven't seen this before. Is it their night quarters? Very big building.
- The new waterhole area looks good. It will be a nice place to sit and have lunch when it's finished. The old lions exhibit has been renovated and signs erected saying they will have blackbuck, barbary sheep, oryx and camels on display. The new meerkat enclosure is OK with a perspex bubble for the kids in the middle. Also a small exhibit for radiated tortioses but they weren't on display.
- I didn't see any bison or wapiti. Do they still have wapiti?
- the otters area was fenced off while the pups are settling in.
Other than that it was a very nice afternoon. There was a good crowd despite the covid 19 restrictions
- The painted dogs exhbit looks like it's getting a face lift. The moat towards the front of the exhibit has been filled in and a new viewing window has been added. Looks nice.
- The elands were not on display. Surveyor's pegs throughout the exhibit. Don't know what is going on in there.
- A new building on the opposite side of the siamang lake. I haven't seen this before. Is it their night quarters? Very big building.
- The new waterhole area looks good. It will be a nice place to sit and have lunch when it's finished. The old lions exhibit has been renovated and signs erected saying they will have blackbuck, barbary sheep, oryx and camels on display. The new meerkat enclosure is OK with a perspex bubble for the kids in the middle. Also a small exhibit for radiated tortioses but they weren't on display.
- I didn't see any bison or wapiti. Do they still have wapiti?
- the otters area was fenced off while the pups are settling in.
Other than that it was a very nice afternoon. There was a good crowd despite the covid 19 restrictions
Thanks for the update - we don't hear much from Taronga Western Plains Zoo. Radiated Tortoises will be a nice addition!
Taronga Western Plains Zoo
They are currently resowing the pasture in the Eland enclosure and as such, they aren't on-display in the usual paddock.
Taronga Western Plains Zoo
The exotic mammals of Australia thread doesn't list Western Plains Zoo holding Wapiti nor Bison.
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According to the comments under this photo [Bison - Taronga Western Plains Zoo visit April 2014 - ZooChat]posted in the Taronga Western Plains media gallery, all the Bison went to Altina in early 2015. The Wapiti at TWPZ went to Altina and National Zoo and Aquarium in Canberra.
The females, Makeba and Zuri moved to Perth Zoo in 2018 and the male, Baako moved to Mogo Wildlife Park around the same time.
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I was disappointed at the time that they never built up a multi-generational pride at Dubbo with Maya and her daughters from the first litter. The opportunity was there considering Maya was young and her mate was elderly (and indeed died after they'd only been together a few years). It probably didn't help that her second litter was four males however (they were subsequently sent to Sydney Zoo).
I think a few questionable decisions get made at TWPZ. It was pretty sad to see a lot of empty paddocks on the weekend, and then other paddocks just have random surplus animals of species exhibited elsewhere to fill them. And it's all jumbled up now, when it used to be so well set out in geographic precincts.
@akasha Any idea to why this may be the case?
I don’t actually know, but it seems like it’s been on a bit of a decline for a long time now. I think funding is part of the problem, all zoos are expensive to run, but with the focus turning towards regional breeding programs it means that Aussie zoos all have similar species now. I understand that it makes sense from a conservation point of view, but it means that people are less inclined to make the effort to head out to Dubbo if they aren’t going to see anything different. Less visitors means less income. I think they are just trying to make what they have work somehow.
A couple of things I really miss are the bison, the range of macropods they had, and the one I miss the most is the awesome South America precinct they used to have. The maned wolf have been replaced with surplus cheetah, the peccary are gone (including the exhibit), and the big mixed exhibit they had for mara, capybara, guanaco, tapir and rhea, now sits empty and overgrown
Taronga Western Plains Zoo has announced that unfortunately two of the Asian Small-clawed Otters pups have died. The zoo has three remaining healthy pups that are starting to emerge from the den box.
Taronga Western Plains Zoo
Taronga Western Plains Zoo has announced the birth of 0.1 Giraffe to experienced mother Asmara. The calf was born on 1st July and has been named Layla. From their Facebook page:
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Regent Honeyeater Breeding Season Commences
Keepers caring for Taronga Western Plain Zoo’s Regent Honeyeaterpopulation have high hopes for a successful first year, as the first breeding season commences in Dubbo.
The Regent Honeyeater conservation breeding program welcomed an additional two pairs of adult birds from Taronga Zoo in June 2020. Taronga Western Plains Zoo is now home to 12 Regent Honeyeaters in a behind-the-scenes breeding facility.
“All the birds have settled in really well, especially the new additions. We have already seen the two new pairs initiating nesting which is really positive to see,” said Regent Honeyeater Keeper, Kara Stevens.
“All of the birds are now paired off and we are hopeful that at least four pairs will produce young in this our first breeding season for this species,” said Kara.
Full article: High hopes for Regent Honeyeaters
Keepers caring for Taronga Western Plain Zoo’s Regent Honeyeaterpopulation have high hopes for a successful first year, as the first breeding season commences in Dubbo.
The Regent Honeyeater conservation breeding program welcomed an additional two pairs of adult birds from Taronga Zoo in June 2020. Taronga Western Plains Zoo is now home to 12 Regent Honeyeaters in a behind-the-scenes breeding facility.
“All the birds have settled in really well, especially the new additions. We have already seen the two new pairs initiating nesting which is really positive to see,” said Regent Honeyeater Keeper, Kara Stevens.
“All of the birds are now paired off and we are hopeful that at least four pairs will produce young in this our first breeding season for this species,” said Kara.
Full article: High hopes for Regent Honeyeaters
Video of the start of the Regent honeyeater-breeding season :
Baako has since sired a male cub named Phoenix, born 23/12/2019 at Mogo Zoo to a lioness named Chitwah.
Perth Zoo plan to import new male lions for breeding after the death of their previous males in 2016. They have recently built a new exhibit, with purpose built maternity dens.