Melbourne Zoo Future of Melbourne Zoo 2022 (Speculation / Fantasy)

austrlain zoo gower said:
Ok so wild dogs probably die out
Would the two colubus be a breeding pare
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They will yes. Melbourne may or may not receive a replacement for them not sure. I’d love to see an overpass to allow the Lions to access that enclosure as well. Such overpass would be similar to one used for Tigers at Auckland.

The Colobus monkeys are a related pair, non breeding.
 
Jewels of Asia and India
Trail could consist of
Asian small clawed otter
Sumatran tiger
Indian rhino
Blackbuk or water buffaloes
Malayan tapir
Orangutan
Siamang
It would be nice to see a bit more foliage in the elephants area

I would love Melbourne to focus on orangutan a bit more by putting siamangs in the area but I guess they lost 3 of 6
 
Ok jambo
Thanks that lion idea would be so cool
I beI’ve in 2008 a couple of colubus monkey bred properly a different pair
Maned wolf would be cool in wild dog enclosure
 
austrlain zoo gower said:
I would love Melbourne to focus on orangutan a bit more by putting siamangs in the area but I guess they lost 3 of 6
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I wouldn’t be concerned about Melbourne transferring three of their orangutans to Sydney Zoo. They were all surplus to the breeding programme (retired pair and their daughter); and the zoo plans to import a female Sumatran orangutan in the future to pair with Malu. The hybrids will remain at the zoo as ambassador animals.

Long term, it’d be nice to see Melbourne expand their orangutan facilities via an aerial pathway. It makes efficient use of space given it has a minimal footprint on the zoo and vastly expands the distances they can traverse. Having visited a similar set up at Auckland, I can confirm it’s highly enriching for the apes and visitors alike!
 
austrlain zoo gower said:
Ok jambo
Thanks that lion idea would be so cool
I beI’ve in 2008 a couple of colubus monkey bred properly a different pair
Maned wolf would be cool in wild dog enclosure
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That would make the Carnivores precinct so much better imo.

Yes, that pair is now deceased. The remaining pair are both females:
0.1 Mkasu (unk x unk) 00-00-1996 at Melbourne Zoo**
0.1 Kipenzi (Brodie x Clover) 00-00-2012 at Melbourne Zoo**

I too would love to see Melbourne get Maned Wolf's back. They would suit the Wild Dog enclosure nicely.
 
austrlain zoo gower said:
Jewels of Asia and India
Trail could consist of
Asian small clawed otter
Sumatran tiger
Indian rhino
Blackbuk or water buffaloes
Malayan tapir
Orangutan
Siamang
It would be nice to see a bit more foliage in the elephants area

I would love Melbourne to focus on orangutan a bit more by putting siamangs in the area but I guess they lost 3 of 6
Click to expand...

For me here's how the precinct should look (in order from trail entrance):

-Asian Short Clawed Otter
-Two small aviaries for Asian birds (both were empty when I last visited)
-Sumatran Tiger (breeding pair hopefully!)
-An aviary in between here for larger Asian birds, such as Peacocks
-Malayan Tapir
-Butterfly House
-South East Asian themed plaza
-Indian Rhino + Blackbuck (two adjacent enclosures)
-Binturong
-Orangutan + Saimang (make use of the island opposite, for a secondary Orangutan enclosure)

For me, simply putting the Orangutans on the island which is in the centre pretty much (can be viewed at the end, and just after the entrance near the tigers), will make the whole precinct much more attractive and lively. Especially an overhead Orangutan aerial pathway connecting both enclosures.
 
I would love to the the orangutan sanctuary expansions they could run it so they orangutans could see the rhinos ect
Ithis would provide great enrichment
 
Spot on jambo the island which doesn’t really do anything would be a great home for the orangutan
Could they combined the siamang and orangutan togeather
 
austrlain zoo gower said:
Spot on jambo the island which doesn’t really do anything would be a great home for the orangutan
Could they combined the siamang and orangutan togeather
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It was originally planned for Pelicans, but it has been a nuisance lately as local birds have taken over the island and pooped all over it, so they've had to cut down all of the trees. The island could be a natural experience for them, a mix of climbing poles and ropes and even natural trees as well. They would also be able to see the Tigers on the other side of the lake, and the Indian Rhinos in the distance.

The saimang and Orangutan could be combined, although the specific individuals have had issues with them in the past. I don't see why an attempt isn't made to introduce Malu and his future female companion though. The issues in the past mainly stemmed from the hybrids (Gabby and Kiani).
 
Note: The Asian Trail will likely be the next point of focus for Melbourne, as losing the Elephants means losing a keystone species thats part of that trail. It's called the Trail of Elephants for a reason, and half of it is mainly based around the Elephants anyway. I think we can expect some redevelopments here.
 
austrlain zoo gower said:
The carnivores trail in my opinion should consist of in order
Maned wolf
Lions
Coati?
Digested area
Snow leopard
Tiger
Tasmanian devil

Would coati still be around
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The entire Coati population in the region is elderly and related. I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re phased out in the near future from all zoos.
austrlain zoo gower said:
Where could maned wolfs be sourced from
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These facilities all hold Maned wolf: Adelaide, Altina, Crocodylus, Darling Downs, Hunter Valley, Mansfield, Shoalhaven, Wildlife HQ.

Altina have had multiple successes in breeding them in recent times and are a logical source for surplus stock. Hunter Valley and Darling Downs have also bred recently. Many of the others hold non breeding animals.
 
Coati false out maybe
Animals suitable for coati exhibit
Red panda
Bintarong
But going with the carnivores them there isn’t much and Bintarong should go in Asian area
And they probably wont want to move red panda from pretty notable area
 
austrlain zoo gower said:
The carnivores trail in my opinion should consist of in order
Maned wolf
Lions
Coati?
Digested area
Snow leopard
Tiger
Tasmanian devil

Would coati still be around
Click to expand...

My plan for the Carnivores precinct would be:

- Two Lion enclosures (connected via overhead overpass), gives more overall space for the Lions and is much more enticing for the public.
- Caracal / Serval- this enclosure which currently holds Coati would be suitable for a species of cat that likes to climb
- Snow Leopard
- Sun Bear
-Komodo Dragon

Coati will likely die out within the next five or so years. Again, I don't see Melbourne getting them back. I'd remove Sumatran Tigers and Tasmanian Devils from the precinct (both are double-ups, and have other enclosures within enough space).
 
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austrlain zoo gower said:
Coati false out maybe
Animals suitable for coati exhibit
Red panda
Bintarong
But going with the carnivores them there isn’t much and Bintarong should go in Asian area
And they probably wont want to move red panda from pretty notable area
Click to expand...

I'd like to see Binturong in the Asian precinct instead. Red Panda have a suitable hope near the Japanese Garden, it gives them much more climbing space then they would have in the Coati enclosure.
 
austrlain zoo gower said:
Coati false out maybe
Animals suitable for coati exhibit
Red panda
Bintarong
But going with the carnivores them there isn’t much and Bintarong should go in Asian area
And they probably wont want to move red panda from pretty notable area
Click to expand...

I’d actually favour renovating the Coati exhibit into an aviary for a bird of prey. Mammals are of much more interest to me than birds and reptiles, but even I’ll admit the Carnivores Precinct is too mammals dominated.

An owl species could be ideal for this area given it wouldn’t require much space and would provide an interesting point of contrast.
 
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