Australia Zoo Australia Zoo News 2022

Quick little thing, on my most recent visit I talked to a keeper about their off-display cheetahs, and supposedly there are plans for (at least some of) them to be moved elsewhere soon, as the reason they were sourced originally was for a planned on-display enclosure, but they've seemingly given up on that now and are taking them somewhere else for breeding.
 
Tricoart said:
Quick little thing, on my most recent visit I talked to a keeper about their off-display cheetahs, and supposedly there are plans for (at least some of) them to be moved elsewhere soon, as the reason they were sourced originally was for a planned on-display enclosure, but they've seemingly given up on that now and are taking them somewhere else for breeding.
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Makes sense. They were never gonna breed when housed in such close proximity to the tigers.

It’s a shame proper exhibits couldn’t have been constructed for them though, so breeding could take place. I’ve seen several Cheetah exhibits across the region and none of them have been especially imaginative. Just a grass field with a platform or a tree to give them shade. For breeding, all they’d need is antechamber exhibits adjoining a raceway. It would have been inexpensive to build and Australia Zoo have the room.
 
Zoofan15 said:
Makes sense. They were never gonna breed when housed in such close proximity to the tigers.

It’s a shame proper exhibits couldn’t have been constructed for them though, so breeding could take place. I’ve seen several Cheetah exhibits across the region and none of them have been especially imaginative. Just a grass field with a platform or a tree to give them shade. For breeding, all they’d need is antechamber exhibits adjoining a raceway. It would have been inexpensive to build and Australia Zoo have the room.
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As you say they are never going to breed being kept around the tiger’s, A cheetah exhibit is long overdue but I guess keeping them in a existing enclosure costs nothing. With the number of imports from South Africa its a shame none have contributed to the regions population
 
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I visited Australia Zoo today and noticed the following observations and developments. The elephants are continuing to settle into the display space. The keepers now run a short presentation and training demonstration around 10am and the elephants spent most of the morning in the sand. Notes are below and for more photos see here [Australia Zoo - ZooChat]:
  • two Barcoo Grunters Scortum barcoo are now in the turtle pond opposite the tortoises.
  • a new Common Wombat recently arrived as a future breeding male for the zoo. A new enclosure has been formed by dividing the main enclosure into two with a mock rock barrier.
  • lots of action in the wetlands area. Following on from my last visit, two brolga eggs are currently being incubated. One of the birds was incredibly defensive against anything that entered their exhibit and it drove out every wild ibis incessantly. The pair were trumpeting all morning which was a joy to hear. The nearby Black-necked Storks had their attention occupied by a wild black duck and its ducklings. One of the storks tried several times to catch and eat the ducklings but the duck stood its ground.
  • the three Emu chicks are now on-display in the wetlands area. Unfortunately, the cassowary chick was not on-exhibit today due to recent rain apparently. The enclosure for the chick is opposite the alligator row near the front of the zoo.
  • not too much to report from the rainforest aviary where most of the news is usually from. The Noisy Pitta was very showy today and I didn’t even need to actively find it. He was out in the open sunbathing. Lots of young Gouldian Finches and Pacific Emerald Doves as well. One of the Rainbow Lorikeets in the aviary has developed a habit of landing on visitors and keepers were monitoring it.
  • in the reptile house, the number of Dyeing Poison Dart Frogs continues to grow and I counted at least 12 different individuals in the display group. I only saw one Blue Poison Dart Frog. This exhibit is maturing nicely with all the vegetation growing and the frogs are now climbing up to the top of the enclosure with the mock rock backdrop, allowing them to be seen at eye level. A very successful display.
Main highlights from today:
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A recent video from the zoo's series about swapping male Komodo Dragons, Gili and Naga with Snakes Downunder Reptile Park and Zoo and subsequent breeding introductions. Once arrived, male Naga and female Indah were introduced successfully and during the second attempt, the male actually caught up with the female.

Source: Animal Planet's YouTube channel
 
WhistlingKite24 said:
A recent video from the zoo's series about swapping male Komodo Dragons, Gili and Naga with Snakes Downunder Reptile Park and Zoo and subsequent breeding introductions. Once arrived, male Naga and female Indah were introduced successfully and during the second attempt, the male actually caught up with the female.

Source: Animal Planet's YouTube channel
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Although I dread to think what they’d name the hatchlings, it’d be great to see Australia Zoo finally breed this species.

They’d be the first zoo in Queensland to achieve eggs being laid from this species and only the second in Australia, with the Australian Reptile Park in NSW hopefully welcoming healthy hatchlings next month from their clutch of eggs laid late last year.
 
Zoofan15 said:
Although I dread to think what they’d name the hatchlings, it’d be great to see Australia Zoo finally breed this species.

They’d be the first zoo in Queensland to achieve eggs being laid from this species and only the second in Australia, with the Australian Reptile Park in NSW hopefully welcoming healthy hatchlings next month from their clutch of eggs laid late last year.
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Yes definitely fingers crossed for the AZ eggs. I remember a few years ago they had a number of adults named on their website, not sure what happened to them?.
 
WhistlingKite24 said:
A recent video from the zoo's series about swapping male Komodo Dragons, Gili and Naga with Snakes Downunder Reptile Park and Zoo and subsequent breeding introductions. Once arrived, male Naga and female Indah were introduced successfully and during the second attempt, the male actually caught up with the female.

Source: Animal Planet's YouTube channel
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This video was filmed in December 2020. So far they haven't had breeding success.

Zorro said:
Yes definitely fingers crossed for the AZ eggs. I remember a few years ago they had a number of adults named on their website, not sure what happened to them?.
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Not sure. Maybe they were sent elsewhere in the region? Australia only currently has their pair, Naga and Indah.
 
Zorro said:
Yes definitely fingers crossed for the AZ eggs. I remember a few years ago they had a number of adults named on their website, not sure what happened to them?.
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Australia Zoo acquired 3.2 Komodo dragons (Ora, Fat Boy, Slim, Lulu and Alice) around 1999 - they were wild born and had been imported that decade by Wyndham Crocodile Park.

Ora, Lulu and Alice were kept in an off display breeding trio of 1.2, but sadly never bred; while Slim was for some time the only male on display. Fat Boy (now deceased) was the last survivor of these original imports.

Their are currently around 9.5 Komodo dragons in Australian zoos (all from the Los Angeles and Prague imports of 2012 and 2020 respectively), with Australia Zoo holding 2.2 dragons.
 
Zoofan15 said:
Australia Zoo acquired 3.2 Komodo dragons (Ora, Fat Boy, Slim, Lulu and Alice) around 1999 - they were wild born and had been imported that decade by Wyndham Crocodile Park.

Ora, Lulu and Alice were kept in an off display breeding trio of 1.2, but sadly never bred; while Slim was for some time the only male on display. Fat Boy (now deceased) was the last survivor of these original imports.

Their are currently around 9.5 Komodo dragons in Australian zoos (all from the Los Angeles and Prague imports of 2012 and 2020 respectively), with Australia Zoo holding 2.2 dragons.
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Correct I remember those names on their website, I also remember that Taronga had a large male a few years ago that was very large.
 
Zoofan15 said:
Ah, that would have been Tuka, he arrived at the zoo in 1991 from Ragunan Zoo in Indonesia and lived until 2015.
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Taronga currently have a male also named Naga (mind the confusion). He was part of a recent import that includes some of the Komodo's now at Adelaide and Perth, and also the Australian Reptile Park I believe.
 
Jambo said:
Taronga currently have a male also named Naga (mind the confusion). He was part of a recent import that includes some of the Komodo's now at Adelaide and Perth, and also the Australian Reptile Park I believe.
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That was from the 2012 import (Los Angeles). Dragons from this import are also at Perth and the Australian Reptile Park; while Adelaide Zoo has a female from the 2020 import (Prague).

Here’s a list of the destination of the dragons from these imports (researched by @WhistlingKite24 and current as of October 21):

Los Angeles Import (2012)

1.0 Kuasa/Kozzie - Hartley's Crocodile Adventures
1.0 Naga - Taronga Zoo
1.0 Raja - Perth Zoo
1.0 Kraken - Australian Reptile Park
0.1 Daenerys - Australian Reptile Park
0.1 Lavaclaw - Ballarat Wildlife Park
0.1 Indah - Australia Zoo

Prague Import (2020)

1.0 Balu - Darling Downs Zoo
1.0 Toothless - Ballarat Wildlife Park
1.0 Gili - Snakes Downunder Reptile Park and Zoo
1.0 Naga - Australia Zoo
1.0 Ragnar - Australia Zoo
0.1 Cecilia - Adelaide Zoo
0.1 Lagertha - Australia Zoo
 
I visited the zoo today and noted the following observations and developments:
  • I saw both Southern Cassowary chicks that are currently on display at the zoo. There is a four-month-old chick housed opposite the alligators in the front of the zoo and one is currently being reared by their male. I’d never seen a cassowary chick and they were such a treat to see. It was fascinating to watch the chick in with the male.
  • a pair of Central Bearded Dragons are now mixed with the Yakka Skinks and Shingleback in the reptile house. I can confirm that the female King Cobra did lay eggs recently but unfortunately they were not viable. The zoo will continue attempting to breed their cobras.
  • there was so much construction work at the zoo today; half of tiger temple was closed and the viewing glass had been removed with more plants having been recently added into the exhibit. The elephant cable path is being extended as well and there was some welding work occurring today. The dingo exhibit was closed due to recent storm damage.
  • I did manage to see a Black-footed Rock-Wallaby in Roo Heaven which I had started doubting were still in there. The Southern Purple-spotted Gudgeon are also still in the rainbowfish/turtle tank in Bindi’s Island which again are usually not visible at all.
Highlights from today:
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