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

An opportunity for all those who want to see their vision for Melbourne Zoo come to fruition. Melbourne Zoo is advertising for a new Director.

Interestingly the job description requires that "Previous experience within zoos or public attractions with a focus on staff and visitor experience will be essential for this role". The current Director came from the YMCA.
 
An opportunity for all those who want to see their vision for Melbourne Zoo come to fruition. Melbourne Zoo is advertising for a new Director.

Interestingly the job description requires that "Previous experience within zoos or public attractions with a focus on staff and visitor experience will be essential for this role". The current Director came from the YMCA.

That's good news. Hopefully a better director, more experienced with zoos ect. can be chosen. YMCA is an interesting choice for a zoo director, is it Kevin Tanner? He's been around for quite some time now but i've always been critical about his lack of direction.
 
That's good news. Hopefully a better director, more experienced with zoos ect. can be chosen. YMCA is an interesting choice for a zoo director, is it Kevin Tanner? He's been around for quite some time now but i've always been critical about his lack of direction.
No, Keven Tanner was the previous Director and was from within the industry, but perhaps more on the aquarium side. The current Director is Michelle Bruggeman who has been there for about three and a half years.
 
No, Keven Tanner was the previous Director and was from within the industry, but perhaps more on the aquarium side. The current Director is Michelle Bruggeman who has been there for about three and a half years.

Thats interesting. I never knew Kevin Tanner was replaced; he definitely had a great tenure as director of Melbourne Zoo.

After researching Michelle Bruggeman, she seems to be focused more on the educational side of things. It'll be good to have a director who has an initiative to improve the actual zoo itself and its collection though.
 
Thats interesting. I never knew Kevin Tanner was replaced; he definitely had a great tenure as director of Melbourne Zoo.

After researching Michelle Bruggeman, she seems to be focused more on the educational side of things. It'll be good to have a director who has an initiative to improve the actual zoo itself and its collection though.
Kevin retired. Melbourne Zoo has had a history of chewing up and spitting out Directors however Kevin definitely chose his own time.
 
Kevin retired. Melbourne Zoo has had a history of chewing up and spitting out Directors however Kevin definitely chose his own time.

The key to success is definitely getting a director who is passionate about improving the zoo and willing to take it to new heights long term. Directors coming in for only short terms certainly wouldn't help.
 
An opportunity for all those who want to see their vision for Melbourne Zoo come to fruition. Melbourne Zoo is advertising for a new Director.

Interestingly the job description requires that "Previous experience within zoos or public attractions with a focus on staff and visitor experience will be essential for this role". The current Director came from the YMCA.

I'm pleased to see that zoo experience has been highlighted as a necessary background to an applicant's resume. As we've seen in the appointment of the board, extra-curricular skills have taken too much presidance over the knowledge needed to run a zoo (not a tourist attraction).

Melbourne's progress over the last decade hasn't been as crowd pleasing as intended and a change up is needed, especially in face of the elephant's departure and the redevelopment of a sizeable area of the zoo.
 
Melbourne Zoos carnivores trail is interesting
Firstly the zoo is down to only 2 elderly African wild dogs and there exibit should have 4 to get a good view of them.
The lion exibibt isn’t actually that big they do have good viewing areas but the exhibit isnt like Werribee or Taronga.
The inside lion area has a bunch of random reptiles and most aren’t predators. The coati exibibt is probably one of the best coati exibits i have seen allthought on my last visit I couldn’t see any they aren’t breeding and dont have to many one of those in the country another species nearly lost.
The snow leopard exibit is actually pritty good miskas is a good size nice rockwork and good foliage. Kang-gu exibibt is a good size plenty of spots to hide my only complaint is there is no climbing areas but not a big deal.
The tiger exibit isnt anything special it has a cool food enrichment line which is a good simulatasion but they exibit isnt that big compared to the one one trail of thr elephants
The Tasmanian devils is pointless you hardly see them and it is another double up most people just walk past it
To sum up it is a mixed bag some great exhibits some questable animals to say a coati is a major predator species is simply unbsurde
 
Melbourne Zoos carnivores trail is interesting
Firstly the zoo is down to only 2 elderly African wild dogs and there exibit should have 4 to get a good view of them.
The lion exibibt isn’t actually that big they do have good viewing areas but the exhibit isnt like Werribee or Taronga.
The inside lion area has a bunch of random reptiles and most aren’t predators. The coati exibibt is probably one of the best coati exibits i have seen allthought on my last visit I couldn’t see any they aren’t breeding and dont have to many one of those in the country another species nearly lost.
The snow leopard exibit is actually pritty good miskas is a good size nice rockwork and good foliage. Kang-gu exibibt is a good size plenty of spots to hide my only complaint is there is no climbing areas but not a big deal.
The tiger exibit isnt anything special it has a cool food enrichment line which is a good simulatasion but they exibit isnt that big compared to the one one trail of thr elephants
The Tasmanian devils is pointless you hardly see them and it is another double up most people just walk past it
To sum up it is a mixed bag some great exhibits some questable animals to say a coati is a major predator species is simply unbsurde

It's still a pretty decent trail overall. Has its good and has its bad.

The lion enclosure is okay at best. I'd like to see more vegetation in the enclosure eg. longer trees, more trees for them to climb. It's a downgrade space wise compared to Lion Park, but is a much better designed enclosure and gives improved, up close views.

The Painted Dog enclosure is decent again. I've seen them use their large pool before, which was quite a sight. I also like the large plants, which the dogs sometimes hide behind. Despite the annoyance that you can't see them, it's good to know they have a place to go to to get away from the public if they need too. I'd imagine Melbourne will get some more Painted Dogs back once their remaining two males die.

The indoor DigestEd does have predators. Snakes, Spiders ect. It's nice as the entire Predator precinct isn't only focused on mammals.

The Coati enclosure is quite nice, and is very nicely designed for them. I like it. Red Pandas aren't carnivores, but are the only species, besides maybe binturong that would fit into the enclosure. @Zoofan15 had the idea of an Eagle species being moved into the enclosure, and I ride the idea. Wedge Tailed Eagle would be great.

I don't even need to talk about the Snow Leopard enclosures, i've discussed how good they are before. The second enclosure does allow climbing oppurties. I'm not sure if you notice but there's scaffolds in his enclosure which Kang Ju can climb up on to watch the golfers at Royal Park.

The tiger enclosure is simple. More vegetation could be used. I'd like to see this enclosure repurposed for Sri Lankan Leopards though rather than being a double up for their tigers.

The Tasmanian Devil enclosure is rather good for them, but you can never really see them. This area would be much better for Komodo Dragons imo.
 
I'm pleased to see that zoo experience has been highlighted as a necessary background to an applicant's resume. As we've seen in the appointment of the board, extra-curricular skills have taken too much presidance over the knowledge needed to run a zoo (not a tourist attraction).

It actually says 'experience within in zoos or public attractions' which leaves it open to a lot of people without zoo experience....
 
It actually says 'experience within in zoos or public attractions' which leaves it open to a lot of people without zoo experience....

I’d like to think having zoological experience would put those candidates ahead; however in reality, it sounds like somebody with marketing skills and experience overseeing the operations of a tourist attraction could well get the job. It’s a shame as their preoccupation will be with visitor numbers, not progressing the zoo (at least not in the direction anyone on here would want). .
 
I’d like to think having zoological experience would put those candidates ahead; however in reality, it sounds like somebody with marketing skills and experience overseeing the operations of a tourist attraction could well get the job. It’s a shame as their preoccupation will be with visitor numbers, not progressing the zoo (at least not in the direction anyone on here would want). .

A similar thing happens in UK zoos quite often, non-zoo people, but with marketing skills/experience etc instead, get the top jobs. It happened again very recently in one UK zoo.
 
A similar thing happens in UK zoos quite often, non-zoo people, but with marketing skills/experience etc instead, get the top jobs. It happened again very recently in one UK zoo.

I've heard people claim before that if you can manage people, you can manage anything.

Personally, I disagree with this on the basis a team will have little respect for a leader who knows less than they do; or worse, knows nothing about what they're managing.

An effective leader leads from the front and inspires those around them with ideas based on their knowledge and experience. The team will ideally share their vision or at least believe in it and be motivated to provide the drive behind it.
 
I've heard people claim before that if you can manage people, you can manage anything.

Personally, I disagree with this on the basis a team will have little respect for a leader who knows less than they do; or worse, knows nothing about what they're managing.

An effective leader leads from the front and inspires those around them with ideas based on their knowledge and experience. The team will ideally share their vision or at least believe in it and be motivated to provide the drive behind it.
Correct and some zoos are suffering because of it
 
If anyone has the following info would be appreciated
Plans for Wild Sea [have the layout not the plans]
Plans for tree top apes and monkeys[have layout not plans]
Plans for leopard ridge[ phase 2 of carnivores trail]
Snow leopard exibit plans
Old layout of bear/big cat and primate islands
Tapir and peccaries would really like

Any trail or exibibt pans would be much appreciated
Thanks






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If anyone has the following info would be appreciated
Plans for Wild Sea [have the layout not the plans]
Plans for tree top apes and monkeys[have layout not plans]
Plans for leopard ridge[ phase 2 of carnivores trail]
Snow leopard exibit plans
Old layout of bear/big cat and primate islands
Tapir and peccaries would really like

Any trail or exibibt pans would be much appreciated
Thanks






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I know you didn't ask but I found some initial Growing Wild plans. Quokka, Wombats and Echidna were planned to be featured. Tree Kangaroos were too although they weren't listed. This is one of the first drawings for the precinct, but if it did end up like this, would me much much better today.

Photo can be seen on this website: https://jeavons.net.au/project/melbourne-zoo/

The plans for Lion Gorge:

predators_concept_plan.jpg


There's also this plan posted on here of Wild Seas by @Triffle :

full
 
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I also found this former plan with Zoos Victoria for redevelopment to create an African area, and upgrade the Australian Bush.

Interestingly it appears a Giraffe, Zebra and Baboon enclosure was planned to be featured. The plans are blurry, but it appears an African aviary is also there as well.

For Australia, a Wallaby walkthrough is featured, alongside a Kangaroo and emu enclosure which isn't a walkthrough. There's also Wombat and Koala enclosures, and a waterhole area which I assume was planned to feature cafes and the like.

Melbourne%20Zoo%20Future%20Directions%20Planning%20Zoos%20Victoria
 
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