Taronga Zoo Recent history of Taronga and developments etc

Zorro said:
@Zoofan15 So we could be looking at a shortfall of tiger numbers within the near future!
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Yeah, what we have is best described as an aging population and if the inevitable wave of age related deaths are compounded by a few unexpected deaths amongst the younger cohorts, there could easily be a shortfall. That said, they’re not hard to breed and this easily can be addressed. Even in the face of a shortage, I’d prefer to see new imports combined with strategic pairings; than a glut of surplus tigers produced for no other reason than to stock up the zoos.
steveroberts said:
Nice graph and cheers for info about '92 beginning to regional breeding program and wow Frank and Poetry were elderly parents for Tigers but I know so were Meta and Nico still having later cubs like Jambi etc quite old too. Interesting about Quintus and TZ's desire to describe him officially as a Sumatran Tiger when he had a mixed subspecies origin. Tetrapod told me back in late 2016 that a lot of zoos back in the day had Tigers signed as being Bengal when they were sometimes of mixed origins. I think Perth Zoo just displayed their mixed origin Tigers as 'Tiger pantherus tigris' right up to '92 when Calang arrived from MZ (as far as my memory goes back which is about '92 I've only seen Tigers displayed at zoos under their subspecies including the last Bengals at Mogo Zoo in early 2000s and last Bengals at Western Plain in mid-late 90s just before Seletan and Shiva's cubs went there, but until Tetrapod told me about Calangs arrival year I wrongly assumed Perth Zoo was already keeping Sumatrans back in the 1980s).
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You’re welcome and cheers. Given Poetry was a first time breeder at the age of 12 (and had likely been on contraception prior), it’s especially lucky she was able to breed. Her first litter (a single cub) was stillborn in July 1990; followed by the twins in November 1990 (Calang and Selatan).

Calang was transferred to Perth Zoo in 1994; with his mate, Malu, imported in 1999. To my knowledge, they were the first Sumatran tigers at Perth Zoo.

That’s correct re. Bengal tigers. Imports via animal traders in the first half of the 20th century brought them straight from India; but anything claimed to be a Bengal in recent years is just a generic hybrid. The first tigers imported from the USA by Dreamworld had an air of Siberian about them by the look of the facial hair on the males - especially Mohan.
 
Zoofan15 said:
Yeah, what we have is best described as an aging population and if the inevitable wave of age related deaths are compounded by a few unexpected deaths amongst the younger cohorts, there could easily be a shortfall. That said, they’re not hard to breed and this easily can be addressed. Even in the face of a shortage, I’d prefer to see new imports combined with strategic pairings; than a glut of surplus tigers produced for no other reason than to stock up the zoos.
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Can only agree there.

I do hope the new Sumatran Global WAZA program might do the trick for Australia. It surely would increase their relevance to the in situ work that desperately needs (financial+logistical) support.
 
tetrapod said:
That is correct. Before Malu there was an elderly female zoomix tiger held separately at PZ (remnant of the previous individuals).
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Chester the white tiger also enjoyed a brief but memorable stint at Perth Zoo during the summer of 1996 (prior to Malu’s import); with the zoo noting that exhibiting him alongside Calang provided visitors with an opportunity to compare the differences between the two:

Media Statements - Visit of rare white tiger to Perth Zoo
 
Zoofan15 said:
Chester the white tiger also enjoyed a brief but memorable stint at Perth Zoo during the summer of 1996 (prior to Malu’s import); with the zoo noting that exhibiting him alongside Calang provided visitors with an opportunity to compare the differences between the two:

Media Statements - Visit of rare white tiger to Perth Zoo
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I have an old copy of the Zoonooz magazine saying about Chester spending time out at TWPZ. Also mentioned was all the work that had been done out there to hold a large number Of Tigers in the new breeding complex! :)
 
Zorro said:
I have an old copy of the Zoonooz magazine saying about Chester spending time out at TWPZ. Also mentioned was all the work that had been done out there to hold a large number Of Tigers in the new breeding complex! :)
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Yeah, he did the rounds, having previously lived at Taronga Zoo. He was possibly the first white tiger in Australasia when he was imported in 1993. Tiger Island didn’t open until 1995.

There was an article in the Sydney Morning Herald in 1997 about the tiger complex: The Sydney Morning Herald from Sydney, New South Wales, Australia on December 10, 1997 · Page 10

The roaring financial success will bring immediate benefits to the Sumatran tigers, with a massive new enclosure under way at Western Plains, where it is hoped the animals will breed.

Taronga has five tigers, two in Sydney and three cubs born in captivity which were moved to Dubbo last year as part of the zoo's breeding program.

The new enclosure will cater for 12 of the big cats, and the extra space will boost negotiations with zoos in the United States which are considering sending all their Sumatran tigers to Australia so the animals can be bred in their own region.

For Sydney fans, Taronga's popular pair of Sumatran tigers, Shiva and Selatan, will remain in their harbour-view home.
 
Zoofan15 said:
Yeah, he did the rounds, having previously lived at Taronga Zoo. He was possibly the first white tiger in Australasia when he was imported in 1993. Tiger Island didn’t open until 1995.

There was an article in the Sydney Morning Herald in 1997 about the tiger complex: The Sydney Morning Herald from Sydney, New South Wales, Australia on December 10, 1997 · Page 10

The roaring financial success will bring immediate benefits to the Sumatran tigers, with a massive new enclosure under way at Western Plains, where it is hoped the animals will breed.

Taronga has five tigers, two in Sydney and three cubs born in captivity which were moved to Dubbo last year as part of the zoo's breeding program.

The new enclosure will cater for 12 of the big cats, and the extra space will boost negotiations with zoos in the United States which are considering sending all their Sumatran tigers to Australia so the animals can be bred in their own region.

For Sydney fans, Taronga's popular pair of Sumatran tigers, Shiva and Selatan, will remain in their harbour-view home.
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So I guess the current 3 have room to move then?.
When I first visited TWPZ the reason given for not having Lions or Tigers was that there was a problem having them under open range conditions ;)
 
Zorro said:
When I first visited TWPZ the reason given for not having Lions or Tigers was that there was a problem having them under open range conditions ;)
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Lions thrive under open range conditions. They’re remarkably tolerant in my experience - as evidenced by the fact they routinely bred under the most crowded conditions they were kept in by the early zoos. Drive Through Lion Safari Parks seem to be a thing of the past, but were widespread through the region a few decades back.

Tigers are more sensitive. It’s easy to see why they prefer a smaller exhibit with a high level of vegetation to an open field. Assiqua apparently disliked the Dubbo site when she was imported in 2001. There was one final attempt to breed with Shiva and Selatan that year (the cubs died); and when Shiva died in 2002, Taronga took the opportunity to swap Selatan with Juana and Assiqua.
 
Zoofan15 said:
Lions thrive under open range conditions. They’re remarkably tolerant in my experience - as evidenced by the fact they routinely bred under the most crowded conditions they were kept in by the early zoos. Drive Through Lion Safari Parks seem to be a thing of the past, but were widespread through the region a few decades back.

Tigers are more sensitive. It’s easy to see why they prefer a smaller exhibit with a high level of vegetation to an open field. Assiqua apparently disliked the Dubbo site when she was imported in 2001. There was one final attempt to breed with Shiva and Selatan that year (the cubs died); and when Shiva died in 2002, Taronga took the opportunity to swap Selatan with Juana and Assiqua.
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Yes thats correct, but you have not understood the comment, the reason was more to do with them not having them there and finding an excuse for not having them at the time of opening, It was pointing at the fact of containment fencing would have to be different under open range conditions to suit the open stye zoo rather than the normal city zoo nothing more!
 

5:58-13:25

a person's December 1989 video footage of a visit to Taronga. Thank you so much M.P Hicks for filming your visit for a look back.

The Video Footage Includes:

* a Red Panda in their old exhibit (roughly where the Otter/Pygmy Hippo/Fishing Cat exhibits are now
* Mary the Bornean Grey Gibbon in her exhibit (looks like it was a previous one to her Island which now is home to a group of Cotton-Top Tamarins)
* Seals at the bottom of Zoo including what may have been a female Elephant Seal
* Barney, Bethyl and Cynthia the Kodiak Bears (where Sun Bears are now)
* Himalayan Tahr on 'Tahr' mountain
* Aldabra Tortoises where they are today
* old Pygmy Hippo exhibit
* Friendship Farm (current site of Elephant exhibit) didnt realise they use to keep Wombats there
* The long-standing Giraffe exhibit thats recently been upgraded
* The Dromedary Camels when they had an exhibit where the Reptile House now is (since 95)
* Koala Walkabout
* The Alligators in their exhibit when they had access to the island still (before 1999/2000 when the Squirrel Monkeys moved in and the exhibit was tured into two)
* The Freshwater Crocodiles in their old exhibit at the top of the Zoo (thanks Hix for info)
* The now demolished Platypus House with a Platypus swimming in the indoor viewing tank
* Few of the Monkeys in the old Monkey pits (where the Blue Mountains Wollemi Bushwalk is now)
* a Sumatran Tiger in one of the old Tiger cages they lived in prior to '92/'93 where the Tasmanian Devil House is now (the Tiger in the footage could be Meta, Nico or one of their offspring Shiva or Jambi)
* an Wedge-Tailed Eagle exhibit I dont recognise
* the Asian Elephants in their old Elephant exhibit where Dromedary Camels currently are
* (very exciting to see) the Black Rhino in their old exhibit back of the Zoo where the bushpart
of Backyard-to-Bush is now (they left the Zoo for Western Plain Zoo about 13-18 months after this footage would have been taken)
* a Mandrill in an enclosure Hix told me about that now is part of the space in the Sumatran Tiger Trek exhibit
 
The wooden building seen at 8:20 is the old Curators Building.
The Wedgetailed Eagles were in an enormous aviary down the bottom of the zoo near Sarina's Cafe and the Concert Stage. I was in the aviary in 1989 (they had just hatched a chick) and the concrete part of the roof was falling off in pieces, and not long afterwards the eagles were moved and the aviary knocked down.

:p

Hix
 
Another Taronga video, this filmed in 1998 with thanks to Armindo Souza for uploading to youtube:


The Video Shows:

Binturongs - Mr and Mrs B.
Red Pandas
Sun Bears - Mr Hobbs and Victoria
Friendship Farm - Domestic Turkeys wandering, Scottish Highland Cattle,
Alpacas, Ponies.
Sumatran Tigers - Selatan and Shiva
White Tiger - Chester
Rhinoceros Iguana (temporarily in the Fennec Foxes exhibit)
Snow Leopard (either Prafula or Omaha)
Malayan Tapir - Berani (think Denise was still to arrive)
Himalayan Tahr
Meerkats
Giraffes
Zebras
Chimpanzees
Giraffes again from above-view sharing exhibit with Scimitar Horned Oryx
Golden Lion Tamarin
Pygmy Marmosets
Cotton Top Tamarin
Agouti
Komodo Dragon - Tuka
Southern Brown Tree Frogs or Whistling Tree Frogs?
Cane Toad
Eastern River Cooter?
Cunningham's or Hosmer's Spiny-tailed Skink?
Japanese Giant Salamander
Sun Conures with Scarlet Macaw or Red-and-Green Macaw
Koalas
note: Nothing to see after 15:05
 
@WhistlingKite24

I have no clue actually but I've been meaning to email Taronga again to try find some answers to some burning questions (those poor staff who have to put up with reading, researching and replying to my emails lol, theyve always seemed really lovely people though) so I'll ask them. I remember seeing the Japanese Giant Salamander there in April 1995 when the Reptile House first opened and at some point like around 2001/2002 I'm pretty sure they were no longer displayed. It was great to see the Salamander in the video as I probably last saw it around the same time that footage was taken.

Btw I just founf a first video to that one. The Zoo visit starts at 1:58,


In the footage you see:

Wetlands Walk (Herons etc)
Kangaroo Walk (Kangaroos, Cape Barren Goose)
Koalas
Short-Beaked Echidna and Quokka together
Platypus in Platypus House (swims at a Turtle sharing exhibit)
Koala
Mexican Spider Monkeys
Fur Seals in Old Seal Pools
Elephants in Elephant Temple Exhibit (Burma, Ranee and Heman)
Fiordlands Penguins & Little Penguins in same exhibit
De Brazzas Guenon
Western Lowland Gorillas (including toddler, very cute)
Andean Condor in old aviary opposite the Gorillas
a Spider (species?)
Kodiak Bears - Barney, Bethyl and Cynthia
Aldabra Tortoises
 
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Theres also this from 1998:


It shows the Crab Eating Macaques and De Brazzas Guenon in the old Monkey pit exhibits and
the former Goodfellows Tree Kangaroo exhibit as well as some great footage in the Reptile House, the Giraffes, the Gorillas, Heman the Asian Elephant with one tusk left, the Furs Seals in old Seal Pools, Chimps' in Chimpanzee Park.
 
Great videos @steveroberts. It was so great to see footage of the zoo’s Sumatran tiger pair, Shiva and Selatan - easily the region’s most famous pair of tigers and huge crowd pullers. In most photos or footage I’ve seen of Taronga’s tigers, they’re never off those iconic bamboo beds.

I’ve found some additional photos of Taronga’s tigers here (Post #9): Australasian Sumatran Tiger Population
 
@Zoofan15 Thanks heaps, although its not my footage just a lucky find on youtube. Thats awesome with the photos. Was nice to see footage of Selatan and Shiva aswell as all the other animals like the Snow Leopards, Bears, Red Pandas, Tuka the Komodo, Gorillas, Chimps, Ele's, Seals, Spider Monkeys etc (I got emotional seeing Mr and Mrs B. the old Binturong duo, my Dad sponsored them in my name as a Christmas present to me in 1997).
 
steveroberts said:
Another Taronga video, this filmed in 1998 with thanks to Armindo Souza for uploading to youtube:


The Video Shows:

Binturongs - Mr and Mrs B.
Red Pandas
Sun Bears - Mr Hobbs and Victoria
Friendship Farm - Domestic Turkeys wandering, Scottish Highland Cattle,
Alpacas, Ponies.
Sumatran Tigers - Selatan and Shiva
White Tiger - Chester
Rhinoceros Iguana (temporarily in the Fennec Foxes exhibit)
Snow Leopard (either Prafula or Omaha)
Malayan Tapir - Berani (think Denise was still to arrive)
Himalayan Tahr
Meerkats
Giraffes
Zebras
Chimpanzees
Giraffes again from above-view sharing exhibit with Scimitar Horned Oryx
Golden Lion Tamarin
Pygmy Marmosets
Cotton Top Tamarin
Agouti
Komodo Dragon - Tuka
Southern Brown Tree Frogs or Whistling Tree Frogs?
Cane Toad
Eastern River Cooter?
Cunningham's or Hosmer's Spiny-tailed Skink?
Japanese Giant Salamander
Sun Conures with Scarlet Macaw or Red-and-Green Macaw
Koalas
note: Nothing to see after 15:05
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Thanks for tracking down these videos.

I was wondering if anyone knew where the tamarin, marmoset and agouti exhibits were located in the zoo. I was thinking that they might have been opposite Serpentaria, as they didn’t seem to be shaded over.

The late 1990s is just before my time, so great to see the zoo in an iteration familiar although beyond my memory.
 
@Abbey Hey Abbey, no worries just glad to find the videos. Yeah the Tamarins, Marmosets and Agoutis were opposite Serpentaria; in exhibits that were bird aviaries; I think they first had a combined species immersion exhibit in early '90s with Golden Lion Tamarin, (species?) Agouti, (species?) Macaws and Sun Conures, but I think the species (minus bird species) had to be seperately housed again for reasons unknown. There was this circular aviary too (in existence from at least early '90s) which housed Tamarins/Marmosets over time (and last time I saw it in 2003/2004 it has Common Tree Shrews living in it) but this was right next door to the same aviaries and still opposite Serpentaria (albeit slightly closer to eastern viewing windows of Chimp' Park) and would have been one of the exhibits filmed in the video (I'm guessing the Golden Lion Tamarin's exhibit).
 
steveroberts said:
@Abbey Hey Abbey, no worries just glad to find the videos. Yeah the Tamarins, Marmosets and Agoutis were opposite Serpentaria; in exhibits that were bird aviaries; I think they first had a combined species immersion exhibit in early '90s with Golden Lion Tamarin, (species?) Agouti, (species?) Macaws and Sun Conures, but I think the species (minus bird species) had to be seperately housed again for reasons unknown. There was this circular aviary too (in existence from at least early '90s) which housed Tamarins/Marmosets over time (and last time I saw it in 2003/2004 it has Common Tree Shrews living in it) but this was right next door to the same aviaries and still opposite Serpentaria (albeit slightly closer to eastern viewing windows of Chimp' Park) and would have been one of the exhibits filmed in the video (I'm guessing the Golden Lion Tamarin's exhibit).
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Thanks Steve, super interesting. I remember the circular aviary, although I don't remember it until it having tree shrews in it as you mention (2003/2004 would be my earliest memories of Taronga). The structure is on the 1999 map, although not marked as to what species was held there at the time.
 
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