Dannelboyz
Well-Known Member
Platypuses in Captivity
This thread aims to provide a detailed summary of current and historical platypus holders, as well as a list of all individual platypuses currently living in captivity. I will also list important breeding events.
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Current holders
There are currently ten platypus holders in the world caring for a total of 28 platypuses (12 males, 16 females). Of these, 15 hatched in the wild and 13 were captive-bred. This does not include temporary holdings of rescued animals.
· Healesville Sanctuary, Victoria, Australia (2.7)
· Taronga Zoo, New South Wales, Australia (2.2)
· Melbourne Zoo, Victoria, Australia (1.0)
· David Fleay Wildlife Park, Queensland, Australia (1.0)
· Australian Reptile Park, New South Wales, Australia (1.0)
· Lone Pine Koala Park, Queensland, Australia (2.0)
· Walkabout Creek Discovery Centre, Queensland, Australia (1.0)
· Platypus House, Tasmania, Australia (1.4)
· WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo, New South Wales, Australia (0.2)
· San Diego Zoo Safari Park, California, United States (1.1)
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List of platypuses in captivity
Healesville Sanctuary: 9 platypuses (2 males, 5 females)
Healesville Sanctuary has held platypuses since 1933 and is both the largest current holder and the most successful breeder ever. They were the first platypus breeders when director David Fleay bred a female platypus, Corrie, in 1943. Corrie was named after the Coranderrk, the site upon which the sanctuary sits.
Taronga Zoo: 4 platypuses (2 males, 1 female, 1 unknown)
Having held platypuses since 1934, Taronga Zoo is the second major holder of platypuses historically. Alongside Healesville Sanctuary, it is one of the only facilities to have successfully bred platypuses in captivity. Currently, Taronga Zoo are the third largest holder behind Healesville Sanctuary and Platypus House, with four platypuses in permanent enclosures. However, it is worth noting that the zoo does regularly take in rescues and recently returned seven platypuses to Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve.
Melbourne Zoo: 1 platypus (male)
Melbourne Zoo has held platypuses since 1937. In recent years, they have only held males. They have a single display tank and currently keep just one male.
David Fleay Wildlife Park: 1 platypus (male)
David Fleay Wildlife Park have held platypuses since 1952. The creator of the park, David Fleay, was the pioneer of platypus husbandry, being the first person to have bred platypuses in captivity when Corrie hatched at Healesville Sanctuary. In 1972, a young platypus was found dead outside its burrow, making David Fleay Wildlife Park the second zoo to have hatched a platypus.
Australian Reptile Park: 1 platypus (male)
The Australian Reptile Park have kept platypuses since 1968.
Lone Pine Koala Park: 2 platypuses (males)
Lone Pine Koala Park first started keeping platypuses in 1972. They stopped holding platypuses through the late 1980s and throughout the 1990s until the arrival of Barak. They now keep two males.
Walkabout Creek Discovery Centre: 1 platypus (male)
Walkabout Creek has held platypuses since 1992. They recently held two platypuses, Burran and Wilam, who were both captive-bred at Healesville Sanctuary. Only one of these is now held there so the other must have died. Unfortunately, I have been unable to contact Walkabout Creek to find which of the two it is. As such, both are listed here.
Platypus House: 5 platypuses (1 male, 4 females)
Platypus House is the second-largest platypus holder with five platypuses. All these platypuses are wild-born from Tasmania, so are the only Tasmanian platypuses in captivity as far as I’m aware (note that no platypus subspecies are typically accepted, but some evidence indicates that Tasmanian platypuses are genetically distinct). According to the Platypus House, ages are unknown but all five individuals are between 2 and 15 years of age.
WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo: 2 platypuses (females)
WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo acquired their platypuses from SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium in February, 2016.
San Diego Zoo Safari Park: 2 platypuses (1 male, 1 female)
San Diego Zoo Safari Park acquired a male and female platypus from Taronga Zoo in November, 2019. These are the first platypuses held outside Australia in over 60 years. Depending on the validity of former European holdings, San Diego Zoo Safari Park and the Bronx Zoo may be the only zoos outside of Australia to have ever held platypuses.
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This thread aims to provide a detailed summary of current and historical platypus holders, as well as a list of all individual platypuses currently living in captivity. I will also list important breeding events.
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Current holders
There are currently ten platypus holders in the world caring for a total of 28 platypuses (12 males, 16 females). Of these, 15 hatched in the wild and 13 were captive-bred. This does not include temporary holdings of rescued animals.
· Healesville Sanctuary, Victoria, Australia (2.7)
· Taronga Zoo, New South Wales, Australia (2.2)
· Melbourne Zoo, Victoria, Australia (1.0)
· David Fleay Wildlife Park, Queensland, Australia (1.0)
· Australian Reptile Park, New South Wales, Australia (1.0)
· Lone Pine Koala Park, Queensland, Australia (2.0)
· Walkabout Creek Discovery Centre, Queensland, Australia (1.0)
· Platypus House, Tasmania, Australia (1.4)
· WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo, New South Wales, Australia (0.2)
· San Diego Zoo Safari Park, California, United States (1.1)
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List of platypuses in captivity
Healesville Sanctuary: 9 platypuses (2 males, 5 females)
Healesville Sanctuary has held platypuses since 1933 and is both the largest current holder and the most successful breeder ever. They were the first platypus breeders when director David Fleay bred a female platypus, Corrie, in 1943. Corrie was named after the Coranderrk, the site upon which the sanctuary sits.
- Fleay: wild-born female. Healesville, Victoria. 26 years of age.
At 26 years of age, Fleay (named after David Fleay) is the oldest platypus at the sanctuary and the oldest platypus ever recorded. She is the smaller of the two platypuses on display in the Platypus House (in the second tank from the left) and was caught in the Coranderrk Creek along with her sister who is no longer alive.
- Binarri: captive-born female. 2002 at Taronga. 17 years of age.
Binarri was one of the first platypuses born at Taronga Zoo, along with her sister Samantha. At Healesville, she is kept off-display in the breeding pools. She has been breeding since 2007 and has successfully mothered 10 offspring, half of all platypuses ever bred in captivity.
- Millsom: wild-born male. Thorpdale, Victoria. 17 years of age.
Millsom is kept on display in the last tank of the platypus house. He is a male who was rescued alongside his brother, Thorpie, when a farmer dug them up while extending a dam in Thorpdale. He was the first hand-reared platypus, being fed echidna milk as a substitute for platypus milk which could not be obtained at the time. He is a very playful platypus and regularly makes appearances in the show. Thorpie did not survive long in captivity.
- Waddirang: captive-born female. 2007 at Healesville. 12 years of age.
Waddirang (indigenous name for platypus) is the other female kept in the breeding pools. She was bred at the sanctuary in 2007 and along with her brother Burran was the first second-generation captive-bred platypus. In 2019, she successfully raised a daughter, Storm, who is the very first third-generation captive-bred platypus.
- Ember: captive-born female. 2008 at Healesville. 11 years of age.
Ember is the third offspring of Binarri and Barak. She was born in 2008 but emerged a week before the Black Saturday bushfires in February, 2009. She is generally off-display but does occasionally appear in the shows and platypus encounters.
- Tarrabi: wild-born male. Gosford, New South Wales. 10 years of age.
Tarrabi was a rehab animal from Gosford in New South Wales. Although rehab platypuses are typically released, Healesville Sanctuary was given permission to keep him in order to improve the genetics of the captive population. He is currently kept in the breeding pools where he has been bred with Waddirang and Binarri. He has sired a total of seven young, making him the most successful breeding male platypus.
- Yamacoona: wild-born female. Raymond Island, Victoria. 9 years of age.
Yami was found washed out of her burrow on Raymond Island, Victoria, in 2011. At the time she was less than a third of her current weight and was not fully weaned, so she has been partially hand-raised. She is kept off display but is a regular participant in platypus shows. She is also often used for the Wade with the Platypus experience because she is very friendly with people.
- Alooka: captive-born female. 2011 at Healesville. 8 years of age.
Alooka and her brother Birrarung (the male platypus who was sent to San Diego Zoo Safari Park last year) were the first offspring sired by Tarrabi. She is the fourth platypus that sometimes appears in platypus shows.
- Storm: captive-born female. 2019 at Healesville. 0 years of age.
Storm was born late last year but emerged from her burrow on a stormy day in 2020. She is the daughter or Waddirang and Tarrabi, making her the first successful third-generation captive-bred platypus.
Taronga Zoo: 4 platypuses (2 males, 1 female, 1 unknown)
Having held platypuses since 1934, Taronga Zoo is the second major holder of platypuses historically. Alongside Healesville Sanctuary, it is one of the only facilities to have successfully bred platypuses in captivity. Currently, Taronga Zoo are the third largest holder behind Healesville Sanctuary and Platypus House, with four platypuses in permanent enclosures. However, it is worth noting that the zoo does regularly take in rescues and recently returned seven platypuses to Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve.
- Annie: wild-born female. New South Wales. 25 years of age.
Annie first arrived at Taronga Zoo in 1995 as a baby after she was rescued from a dog attack. When she arrived, keepers did not think that she would survive the night. However she not only survived the night, but is still living as the oldest platypus at Taronga and the second oldest platypus ever recorded.
- Mackenzie: captive-born male. 2000 at Healesville. 19 years of age.
Mackenzie was the fourth platypus successfully bred in captivity and the second oldest captive-bred platypus alive today. He was named after Sir Colin Mackenzie, the founder of Healesville Sanctuary where he was born.
- Trey: wild-born male. Birthplace unknown. ~19 years of age.
Trey was wild-born but came to Taronga from another zoo (presumably either Melbourne Zoo or Healesville Sanctuary). According to staff, he is of a “similar age” to Mackenzie.
- Morundah: wild-born female. Morundah, New South Wales. Age unknown.
I am unable to find much information on Morundah, but she is wild-born and I believe she arrived at the zoo recently from Morundah, New South Wales.
Melbourne Zoo: 1 platypus (male)
Melbourne Zoo has held platypuses since 1937. In recent years, they have only held males. They have a single display tank and currently keep just one male.
- Sam: captive-born male. 2004 at Taronga. 15 years of age.
Sam was the fifth platypus bred at Taronga Zoo. At the time he emerged, Taronga Zoo was the most successful platypus-breeding facility in the world. He has been kept at Melbourne Zoo since 2006.
David Fleay Wildlife Park: 1 platypus (male)
David Fleay Wildlife Park have held platypuses since 1952. The creator of the park, David Fleay, was the pioneer of platypus husbandry, being the first person to have bred platypuses in captivity when Corrie hatched at Healesville Sanctuary. In 1972, a young platypus was found dead outside its burrow, making David Fleay Wildlife Park the second zoo to have hatched a platypus.
- Wally: wild-born male. Mount Warning, New South Wales. 7 years of age.
Wally was found as an injured and underweight young platypus in January, 2014 near Mount Warning, New South Wales. He was brought into care at David Fleay Wildlife Park and has been there since.
Australian Reptile Park: 1 platypus (male)
The Australian Reptile Park have kept platypuses since 1968.
- Yaro: captive-born male. 2015 at Healesville. 4 years of age.
Yaro and his brother Wilam are the most recent offspring of Binarri and Tarrabi from Healesville Sanctuary.
Lone Pine Koala Park: 2 platypuses (males)
Lone Pine Koala Park first started keeping platypuses in 1972. They stopped holding platypuses through the late 1980s and throughout the 1990s until the arrival of Barak. They now keep two males.
- Barak: captive-born male. 1998 at Healesville. 21 years of age.
At 21 years of age, Barak is the oldest male platypus in captivity and the oldest captive-bred platypus still living today. He came to Lone Pine from Healesville where he and his twin brother Yarra Yarra were the second and third captive-bred platypuses ever. At the time, they were the first successful captive-bred platypuses in over 50 years. Yarra Yarra unfortunately struggled with arthritis as a result of a fractured hip. He died at 249 days of age, weighing half as much as Barak.
- Aroona: captive-born male. 2012 at Healesville. 7 years of age.
Aroona was one of two platypuses which hatched at Healesville in 2012, although his brother does not appear to be alive and I cannot find any information on his identity.
Walkabout Creek Discovery Centre: 1 platypus (male)
Walkabout Creek has held platypuses since 1992. They recently held two platypuses, Burran and Wilam, who were both captive-bred at Healesville Sanctuary. Only one of these is now held there so the other must have died. Unfortunately, I have been unable to contact Walkabout Creek to find which of the two it is. As such, both are listed here.
- Burran: captive-born male. 2007 at Healesville. 12 years of age.
Burran is the brother of Waddirang, offspring of Binarri and Barak.
- Wilam: captive-born male. 2015 at Healesville. 4 years of age.
Wilam is the brother of Yaro, offspring of Binarri and Tarrabi.
Platypus House: 5 platypuses (1 male, 4 females)
Platypus House is the second-largest platypus holder with five platypuses. All these platypuses are wild-born from Tasmania, so are the only Tasmanian platypuses in captivity as far as I’m aware (note that no platypus subspecies are typically accepted, but some evidence indicates that Tasmanian platypuses are genetically distinct). According to the Platypus House, ages are unknown but all five individuals are between 2 and 15 years of age.
- Jupiter: wild-born male. Tasmania. Age unknown.
Jupiter is the only male at Platypus House. He is housed with his mate, Dawn.
- Dawn: wild-born female. Tasmania. Age unknown.
- Poppy: wild-born female. Tasmania. Age unknown.
Poppy is housed with Freya.
- Freya: wild-born female. Tasmania. Age unknown.
- Pumpkin: wild-born female. Tasmania. Age unknown.
Pumpkin is the newest platypus to be housed at Platypus House. It is unclear whether she is housed with the other females or on her own.
WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo: 2 platypuses (females)
WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo acquired their platypuses from SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium in February, 2016.
- Zoey: wild-born female. Birthplace unknown. 24 years of age.
Zoey is one of the oldest platypuses in captivity. She has been housed with Jackie for many years, both at WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo and SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium.
- Jackie: wild-born female. Birthplace unknown. 16 years of age.
San Diego Zoo Safari Park: 2 platypuses (1 male, 1 female)
San Diego Zoo Safari Park acquired a male and female platypus from Taronga Zoo in November, 2019. These are the first platypuses held outside Australia in over 60 years. Depending on the validity of former European holdings, San Diego Zoo Safari Park and the Bronx Zoo may be the only zoos outside of Australia to have ever held platypuses.
- Eve: captive-born female. 2003 at Taronga Zoo. 16 years of age.
Eve is 16 years of age. She was one of the twins born to Maryanne and Abby in Taronga’s second successful clutch along with her brother Adam who is no longer alive. At the time of Adam and Eve’s emergence, they were the only known twin platypuses of opposite sex. Eve is also the younger sister of Birrarung’s mother, Binarri, making her Birrarung’s aunt.
- Birrarung: captive-born male. 2011 at Healesville. 8 years of age.
“Birrarung” is the traditional name of the Yarra River in Melbourne, one of the major rivers near his birthplace at Healesville Sanctuary. He is the twin brother of Alooka, who is still held at Healesville Sanctuary along with their parents.
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