Melbourne Zoo Future of Melbourne Zoo 2023 (Speculation / Fantasy)

[Jambo]

I think it would be great to keep tapir, but would argue that the elephant Barn and paddocks are the best locations to build structures like an Insectarium, proper scale Nocturnal House, or Desert Dome, as it is a large open space devoid of any trees. Growing Wild, although not a great area of the zoo would be inappropriate for such structures as it has many large trees that would require removing.

We keep lamenting the loss of diversity in exhibits and any one of these ideas could truly expand the range of species.

Considering the struggle to find a species to replace elephants, something like one of these would be a greater drawcard to the zoo than one single endangered species.

I’d prefer if these such structures were within Growing Wild. There is the space; such as on the former elephant enclosure, and even potentially on the lawn that currently is home to the Red Pandas (if they were to move into the Carnivores precinct). There’s also an abundance of space behind the Growing Wild precinct that could be used to.

I would like the TOTE to keep its ‘Asian’ theming and a nocturnal house wouldn’t quite fit that.

 

[Jambo]

I would also love to see a nocturnal house, though would prefer to see a large nocturnal house focus on a handful of medium species e.g. Cape porcupine rather than lots of small native species. For this reason, a Desert nocturnal house would be my preference with Fennec fox, Cape porcupine etc. as well as reptiles.

A desert nocturnal house featuring those species you mentioned would be awesome. It could potentially go in the current Tapir/Peccary area where those species (Porcupine/Fennec Fox) have been floated to go. I’d even argue such an exhibit may also be suitable to Werribee and would help diversify their collection too (with the addition of reptiles species). They’d have the space for it too.

 

[Zoofan15]

A desert nocturnal house featuring those species you mentioned would be awesome. It could potentially go in the current Tapir/Peccary area where those species (Porcupine/Fennec Fox) have been floated to go. I’d even argue such an exhibit may also be suitable to Werribee and would help diversify their collection too (with the addition of reptiles species). They’d have the space for it too.

Yeah, I could see it working two ways:

The nocturnal house in the Collared peccary/tapir row would obviously be a very scaled back version (just holding Fennec fox, Cape porcupine and maybe one reptile species).

Werribee as you suggest have the space to build a huge complex - with the desert biome as the connecting theme, but encompassing multiple continents (Australasia, Africa etc).

 

[PaddyRickMFZ]

I think it would be great to keep tapir, but would argue that the elephant Barn and paddocks are the best locations to build structures like an Insectarium, proper scale Nocturnal House, or Desert Dome, as it is a large open space devoid of any trees. Growing Wild, although not a great area of the zoo would be inappropriate for such structures as it has many large trees that would require removing.

We keep lamenting the loss of diversity in exhibits and any one of these ideas could truly expand the range of species.

Considering the struggle to find a species to replace elephants, something like one of these would be a greater drawcard to the zoo than one single endangered species.

I’m just of the mindset that a nocturnal house would be better suited somewhere else, potentially WORZ, as the barn makes the most sense to hold a tapir

 

[Zoofan15]

I’m just of the mindset that a nocturnal house would be better suited somewhere else, potentially WORZ, as the barn makes the most sense to hold a tapir

Aside from being a suitable location to house the Malayan tapir, it fits with the rainforest theme of this trail. For now this comprises mostly Asian species, but even with the replacement of Indian rhinoceros with Okapi as has been proposed a decade from now, it will remain cohesive as a rainforest trail.

 

[Zoofan15]

I’m just writing up a template re. mammals by precinct. Can a recent visitor confirm where the meerkats currently are in the zoo - Growing Wild, Central Trail etc.

 

[PaddyRickMFZ]

I’m just writing up a template re. mammals by precinct. Can a recent visitor confirm where the meerkats currently are in the zoo - Growing Wild, Central Trail etc.

I visited in January and I saw meerkats at the meerkat cafe , which I believe is Growing wild. How much unused space is in and around growing Wild? By the sounds of it a South American precinct could actually be achieved

 

[Zoofan15]

I visited in January and I saw meerkats at Growing Iwld. How much unused space is in and around growing Wild? By the sounds of it a South American precinct could actually be achieved

Cheers, that what I have down. Just making sure they hadn’t cropped up anywhere else in the zoo to fill an empty exhibit as the “something exciting is coming soon.”

Template will be up soon.

 

[PaddyRickMFZ]

Cheers, that what I have down. Just making sure they hadn’t cropped up anywhere else in the zoo to fill an empty exhibit as the “something exciting is coming soon.”

Template will be up soon.

Imagine chucking some meerkats in the Pygmy hippo exhibit. Not sure if you guys are aware of this but there was a sign near the old elephant shrew exhibit asking what small animal we thought would go in there

 

[Zoofan15]

Imagine chucking some meerkats in the Pygmy hippo exhibit. Not sure if you guys are aware of this but there was a sign near the old elephant shrew exhibit asking what small animal we thought would go in there

The pool drained and filled with sand. Finish what they started by replacing one half of the Pygmy hippopotamus/Mandrill exhibits with Southern cassowary. Very disappointing to see such a deterioration.

 

[Jambo]

I’m just writing up a template re. mammals by precinct. Can a recent visitor confirm where the meerkats currently are in the zoo - Growing Wild, Central Trail etc.

They’re in growing wild.

 

[Jambo]

How much unused space is in and around growing Wild? By the sounds of it a South American precinct could actually be achieved

A decent bit, but not a whole lot. A small South American precinct could definitely be achieved and there’s already one species (the tortoises) there.

 

[PaddyRickMFZ]

A decent bit, but not a whole lot. A small South American precinct could definitely be achieved and there’s already one species (the tortoises) there.

I was under the impression they were Aldabra tortoises. Are they Galapagos? If so that’s a good start.
side note, surely Australia revoke the avian ban when the dodo becomes de extinct, would love to see one at MZ

 

[Zoofan15]

I was under the impression they were Aldabra tortoises. Are they Galapagos? If so that’s a good start.
side note, surely Australia revoke the avian ban when the dodo becomes de extinct, would love to see one at MZ

Yes, they’re Aldabra. Melbourne Zoo doesn’t hold Galapagos giant tortoises. With this species breeding well at zoos like Auckland, they may well acquire them in the future though.

I’ll believe the de-extinction of the Dodo when I see it. Still waiting for the Tasmanian tigers they’ve been “talking” about cloning for decades.

 

[Jambo]

I was under the impression they were Aldabra tortoises. Are they Galapagos? If so that’s a good start.
side note, surely Australia revoke the avian ban when the dodo becomes de extinct, would love to see one at MZ

No, they’re Aldabran, but could be ‘fill ins’ for the Galapagos sub species.

 

[PaddyRickMFZ]

Yes, they’re Aldabra. Melbourne Zoo doesn’t hold Galapagos giant tortoises. With this species breeding well at zoos like Auckland, they may well acquire them in the future though.

I’ll believe the de-extinction of the Dodo when I see it. Still waiting for the Tasmanian tigers they’ve been “talking” about cloning for decades.

I believe this specific company only began the process within the last couple years, did they by chance release an estimated time period? If they Tassie Tiger really does get brought back, we would have to have it in Australian sections throughout the country. Would be an amazing addition to MZ and WORZ.(of course every other zoo would benefit but we don’t care about them in this thread)

 

[Zoofan15]

Mammals Template (2023 vs 2028)

The following is a list of mammals by precinct.

As per my previous post, I will be using this template to draw up a futuristic species list - I’ll using 2028 as an arbitrary date as it’s five years on and allows for reasonable time for redevelopment post-elephants.

This is the original template (feel free to use it how you want - there are no right or wrong answers); I will edit it in my next post to show my changes made by 2028.

Gorilla Rainforest:

Current:

Pygmy hippopotamus
Western lowland gorilla
White-cheeked gibbon
Black and white colobus
Black-handed spider monkey
Black and white ruffed lemur
Ring-tailed lemur
Emperor tamarin
Cotton-top tamarin

Trail of the Elephants:

Current:

Asian elephant
Sumatran tiger
Asian small-clawed otter
Sumatran orangutan
Hybrid orangutan
Siamang
Bolivian squirrel monkey

Central Trail:

Current:

Nepalese red panda
Platypus
Giraffe
Plains zebra
Hamadryas baboon
Malayan tapir
Collard peccary

Australian Bush:

Current:

Tasmanian devil
Eastern grey kangaroo
Southern hairy-nosed wombat
Koala

Wild Sea:

Current:

Australian sea lion
New Zealand fur seal

Lion Gorge:

Current:

African lion
Sumatran tiger
Snow leopard
Dingo
Tasmanian devil
Brown-nosed coati

Growing Wild:

Current:

Slender-tailed meerkat

 

[Zoofan15]

I believe this specific company only began the process within the last couple years, did they by chance release an estimated time period? If they Tassie Tiger really does get brought back, we would have to have it in Australian sections throughout the country. Would be an amazing addition to MZ and WORZ.(of course every other zoo would benefit but we don’t care about them in this thread)

No time frame has been given, but like I say, I’m still waiting for the Tasmanian tigers and Wooly mammoths we were promised, so not holding my breath. There’s more information here: A ‘De-extinction’ Company Wants to Bring Back the Dodo

Tasmanian tigers are innately elusive, so I’d assume off display breeding colonies at one of the open range zoos years before one appeared in a zoo. It’d be the one Australian species that would be worthy of replacing the elephants imo!

 

[Zoofan15]

Mammals (2028)

The following is a list of mammals by precinct I would like to see in 2028.

Precincts are as follows:

African Rainforest (formerly Gorilla Rainforest):

2028:

Pygmy hippopotamus
Western lowland gorilla
Mandrill (replaces cassowary)
Black and white colobus
Red ruffed lemur (replaces Black and white)
Ring-tailed lemur

Asian Rainforest (formerly Trail of the Elephants):

2028:

Sumatran tiger
Asian small-clawed otter
Sumatran orangutan
Hybrid orangutan
Siamang
Indian rhinoceros bull (elephant paddock)
Indian rhinoceros cow (elephant paddock)
Sri Lankan leopard (elephant paddock)
Malayan tapir (elephant barn)

Central Trail:

2028:

Nepalese red panda
Platypus
Eastern bongo (replaces giraffe and zebra)
Hamadryas baboon
Fennec fox (replaces tapir)
Cape porcupine (replaces peccaries)
Slender-tailed meerkat (replaces peccaries)

Australian Bush:

2028:

Dingo
Tasmanian devil
Eastern grey kangaroo
Southern hairy-nosed wombat
Koala

Wild Sea:

2028:

Australian sea lion (breeding colony)

Lion Gorge:

2028:

African lion
Sloth bear (replaces Sumatran tiger)
Snow leopard
Maned wolf (replaces Dingo)
Clouded leopard (replaces Tasmanian devil/coati)

South American Rainforest (formerly Growing Wild):

2028:

Jaguar
Brazilian tapir
Black-handed spider monkey
Golden Lion tamarin
Emperor tamarin
Cotton-top tamarin

 

[PaddyRickMFZ]

Mammals (2028)

The following is a list of mammals by precinct I would like to see in 2028.

Precincts are as follows:

African Rainforest (formerly Gorilla Rainforest):

2028:

Pygmy hippopotamus
Western lowland gorilla
Mandrill (replaces cassowary)
Black and white colobus
Red ruffed lemur (replaces Black and white)
Ring-tailed lemur

Asian Rainforest (formerly Trail of the Elephants):

2028:

Sumatran tiger
Asian small-clawed otter
Sumatran orangutan
Hybrid orangutan
Siamang
Indian rhinoceros bull (elephant paddock)
Indian rhinoceros cow (elephant paddock)
Sri Lankan leopard (elephant paddock)
Malayan tapir (elephant barn)

Central Trail:

2028:

Nepalese red panda
Platypus
Eastern bongo (replaces giraffe and zebra)
Hamadryas baboon
Fennec fox (replaces tapir)
Cape porcupine (replaces peccaries)
Slender-tailed meerkat (replaces peccaries)

Australian Bush:

2028:

Dingo
Tasmanian devil
Eastern grey kangaroo
Southern hairy-nosed wombat
Koala

Wild Sea:

2028:

Australian sea lion (breeding colony)

Lion Gorge:

2028:

African lion
Sloth bear (replaces Sumatran tiger)
Snow leopard
Maned wolf (replaces Dingo)
Clouded leopard (replaces Tasmanian devil/coati)

South American Rainforest (formerly Growing Wild):

2028:

Jaguar
Brazilian tapir
Black-handed spider monkey
Golden Lion tamarin
Emperor tamarin
Cotton-top tamarin

Thanks for the list, although I believe we discussed a few extra things. Okapi of course near the eastern bongo, as I doubt the bongo can replace that itself. You may have missed a few primates on the gorilla trail, but that’s not of importance really. We also agreee on capybara and giant anteater in the South American precinct, and many other treetop mammals such as coati, anteaters and kinkajous to name a few. To save you time I would just label that miscellaneous treetop mammals. With okapi and bongo occupying the giraffe and zebra enclosures, there may be some space to work with, so I’d ask for some brainstorming on that front. Just me but I’d love to see Himalayan tahr encircling the red panda exhibit. I believe I drew a diagram recently. Really great that you were able to spend the time writing that up