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

[Jambo]

Healesville really need to stock up on high profile natives (Cassowary, Dingo etc). Their current collection would appeal mainly those wanting to see a wider variety of native birds, which is a pretty narrow niche. They should aspire to be a world renowned destination for natives, which is completely achievable with a few additions.

They do have a fair collection as it is, but I do agree, they could do much more to be the top native Australian facility there is. They already have the high profiles (Kangaroos, Wallabies, Tassie Devils, Koalas, Echidnas, Dingoes, Platypus, Wombats ect.) but I’m sure there’s plenty more species they could look into as well. I’d love to see a Tropical North section; Cassowary, Tree Kangaroo, Crocodiles, freshwater fish ect.

I’ve always said to myself the first step they should take is acquiring some Saltwater Crocodiles and developing an entire precinct for them. That would certainly bring in a crowd (both locals and tourists) if they could do something like Australia Zoo does.

 

[Zoofan15]

I agree. I miss seeing the cassowary as soon as I walked in, and it pains me seeing them right next to a Pygmy hippo… More dingos can never do any harm, I know walking them around the park id extremely popular with children, and better suited to HS. I agree on the bird front, most people wanting to see natives won’t even go there because their only point of difference represents a very small percentage of the population. Most international visitors can see the natives at MZ. Taking both species away from MZ and moving them to HS would do wonders

@The Sleepy Hippo mentioned international tourists comprise only 10% of attendance so this weakens my assumption Melbourne Zoo is stocked with natives to appease those wanting to see their first Koala.

I agree with marketing, they could create a business model that encourages visitors to visit all three facilities to see DIFFERENT species. For Victorians, there’s the annual pass; now they just need something for international visitors.

 

[Zoofan15]

I’ve always said to myself the first step they should take is acquiring some Saltwater Crocodiles and developing an entire precinct for them. That would certainly bring in a crowd (both locals and tourists) if they could do something like Australia Zoo does.

I greatly enjoyed seeing Australia Zoo’s collection of Saltwater crocodiles and agree a precinct is the way to go. I’ve been to other facilities who have a single exhibit - and it’s boring. You see one crocodile basking in the sun or bubbling under the water and that’s it; but a precinct would allow them to showcase different life stages - I was excited to see juveniles at one facility; and to see new hatchlings would also be great.

 

[Jambo]

I agree. I miss seeing the cassowary as soon as I walked in, and it pains me seeing them right next to a Pygmy hippo… More dingos can never do any harm, I know walking them around the park id extremely popular with children, and better suited to HS. I agree on the bird front, most people wanting to see natives won’t even go there because their only point of difference represents a very small percentage of the population. Most international visitors can see the natives at MZ. Taking both species away from MZ and moving them to HS would do wonders

I’ve always found Healesville barely scrap the surface with their collection. They have most of the ‘main’ ‘iconic’ species but aside from that they don’t really have much else. They do have a reasonable bird collection, but again, it could be better. The reptiles are also in a similar boat. They have a small snake house and some enclosures for lizards here and there but for god sakes Australia had millions of reptile species they could potentially have!

A large scale Reptile House that’s multiple stories is something I would want to see, combine it with a cascading waterfall that runs right through the centre leading to a large freshwater pool with freshwater fish below. That would certainly invite me to visit Healesville more often!

 

[PaddyRickMFZ]

I’ve always found Healesville barely scrap the surface with their collection. They have most of the ‘main’ ‘iconic’ species but aside from that they don’t really have much else. They do have a reasonable bird collection, but again, it could be better. The reptiles are also in a similar boat. They have a small snake house and some enclosures for lizards here and there but for god sakes Australia had millions of reptile species they could potentially have!

A large scale Reptile House that’s multiple stories is something I would want to see, combine it with a cascading waterfall that runs right through the centre leading to a large freshwater pool with freshwater fish below. That would certainly invite me to visit Healesville more often!

Seeing some crocs would be amazing! Freshies, salties, fish, tree kangaroos, cassowaries, maybe couscous and potentially even domestic water buffalo if they want to represent invasive species. What is the scale for HS nocturnal house? They should definitely have a huge one if entirely native focused. I don’t think they have perenties do they? Very popular species also. There are so many direction HS could go but as of right now, they seem to be content with almost the bare minimum, sprinkled with some birds

 

[Zoofan15]

Seeing some crocs would be amazing! Freshies, salties, fish, tree kangaroos, cassowaries, maybe couscous and potentially even domestic water buffalo if they want to represent invasive species. What is the scale for HS nocturnal house? They should definitely have a huge one if entirely native focused. I don’t think they have perenties do they? Very popular species also. There are so many direction HS could go but as of right now, they seem to be content with almost the bare minimum, sprinkled with some birds

Healesville have Lace monitor, but not Perentie. They were very popular when I visited Perth Zoo and something Healesville should consider.

As a whole, Zoos Victoria really need to focus on their zoos complimenting each other instead as world class destinations instead of each of them doing a basic job of holding a handful of species. Specialise, not generalise!

 

[PaddyRickMFZ]

Healesville have Lace monitor, but not Perentie. They were very popular when I visited Perth Zoo and something Healesville should consider.

As a whole, Zoos Victoria really need to focus on their zoos complimenting each other instead as world class destinations instead of each of them doing a basic job of holding a handful of species. Specialise, not generalise!

All zoos should complement each other, not be redundant. When I went to PZ I was very excited for the perentie, and I was satisfied, as were the numerous other guests who were just as interested as me

 

[Zoofan15]

All zoos should complement each other, not be redundant. When I went to PZ I was very excited for the perentie, and I was satisfied, as were the numerous other guests who were just as interested as me

It’s gone down the pan in recent revisions, but Zoos SA provided an excellent example of a city zoo and open range zoo complimenting each other in their previous masterplan.

Points of difference are the most basic rule of tourism. Zoos Victoria wants their visitors to visit all three/four, so given them a reason to.

The exception is where two facilities are needed to support each other in a breeding programme e.g. a bachelor and breeding troop of gorillas, but most of Zoos Victoria’s examples are double ups for the sake of double ups.

 

[Jambo]

Seeing some crocs would be amazing! Freshies, salties, fish, tree kangaroos, cassowaries, maybe couscous and potentially even domestic water buffalo if they want to represent invasive species. What is the scale for HS nocturnal house? They should definitely have a huge one if entirely native focused. I don’t think they have perenties do they? Very popular species also. There are so many direction HS could go but as of right now, they seem to be content with almost the bare minimum, sprinkled with some birds

I think a large Reptile House and a large Nocturnal House are definitely both concepts that Healesville should consider.

Healesville could potentially also have a large Nocturnal House that could explore nocturnal species in different environments; the desert, the bush and the wetlands. I feel like there are a lot of native species that could fit each themed zone, most of which Healesville/Zoos Vic has already anyway.

 

[Zoofan15]

I think a large Reptile House and a large Nocturnal House are definitely both concepts that Healesville should consider.

Healesville could potentially also have a large Nocturnal House that could explore nocturnal species in different environments; the desert, the bush and the wetlands. I feel like there are a lot of native species that could fit each themed zone, most of which Healesville/Zoos Vic has already anyway.

In addition to a nocturnal house, Healesville would also be suitable for night tours as @The Sleepy Hippo suggested.

Potentially there could be a restriction on this re. Moonlit Sanctuary vis a vis competition; but it’s worth investigating. I mention this as Taronga Zoo (and Sydney Zoo) aren’t allowed to allow visitors to hold Koala because of Featherdale etc.

 

[PaddyRickMFZ]

It’s gone down the pan in recent revisions, but Zoos SA provided an excellent example of a city zoo and open range zoo complimenting each other in their previous masterplan.

Points of difference are the most basic rule of tourism. Zoos Victoria wants their visitors to visit all three/four, so given them a reason to.

The exception is where two facilities are needed to support each other in a breeding programme e.g. a bachelor and breeding troop of gorillas, but most of Zoos Victoria’s examples are double ups for the sake of double ups.

The giraffe double up is another example of that, as is the zebras, while I’m personally fine with the meerkats due to their little space requirements. Can someone remind me the original plan for that area, I vaguely remember it being appealing. The giraffes and lions at Adelaide were the most disappointing revisions, aside from an extra tiger exhibit. The sun bears and tapirs were great however.

 

[Jambo]

The giraffe double up is another example of that, as is the zebras, while I’m personally fine with the meerkats due to their little space requirements. Can someone remind me the original plan for that area, I vaguely remember it being appealing. The giraffes and lions at Adelaide were the most disappointing revisions, aside from an extra tiger exhibit. The sun bears and tapirs were great however.

I think Gorillas were meant to replace the Giraffes over at Adelaide. Those plans have unfortunately since been scrapped.

 

[Zoofan15]

The giraffe double up is another example of that, as is the zebras, while I’m personally fine with the meerkats due to their little space requirements. Can someone remind me the original plan for that area, I vaguely remember it being appealing. The giraffes and lions at Adelaide were the most disappointing revisions, aside from an extra tiger exhibit. The sun bears and tapirs were great however.

The biggest loss was a gorilla complex in favour of an African Savannah (featuring giraffe, zebra and nyala). It’s something you can see at any zoo - and is surpassed on a grand scale by the immense exhibits at Monarto.

I also thought retaining lions was a bad move if they’re just gonna hold a bachelor pride (which can and have been housed at Monarto). By all means scrap the gorilla complex and build a lion park, but don’t do it half-assed and build a small exhibit for a bachelor pride.

In addition to this, Sri Lankan leopards were canned in favour of a third Sumatran tiger exhibit, which is nonsensical when you consider they’re experiencing their highest profile visitation now with two exhibits and the third exhibit will only accomodate those cubs into adulthood, which won’t be any great attraction long term.

 

[PaddyRickMFZ]

The biggest loss was a gorilla complex in favour of an African Savannah (featuring giraffe, zebra and nyala). It’s something you can see at any zoo - and is surpassed on a grand scale by the immense exhibits at Monarto.

I also thought retaining lions was a bad move if they’re just gonna hold a bachelor pride (which can and have been housed at Monarto). By all means scrap the gorilla complex and build a lion park, but don’t do it half-assed and build a small exhibit for a bachelor pride.

In addition to this, Sri Lankan leopards were canned in favour of a third Sumatran tiger exhibit, which is nonsensical when you consider they’re experiencing their highest profile visitation now with two exhibits and the third exhibit will only accomodate those cubs into adulthood, which won’t be any great attraction long term.

I was also looking at Monarto and I really hope WORZ acquire Barbary sheep and chimps. Every open range zoo has Barbary sheep, so I don’t know why WORZ don’t yet. Chimps are also a no brainer

 

[Zoofan15]

I was also looking at Monarto and I really hope WORZ acquire Barbary sheep and chimps. Every open range zoo has Barbary sheep, so I don’t know why WORZ don’t yet. Chimps are also a no brainer

I think like elephants, more consideration will be given to primates social needs long term with regards to welfare. Many issues around females rejecting young are the consequence of a lack of opportunity to observe the raising of young, which they have the opportunity to see in larger troops.

You also see a wider range of social behaviours in large troops and Auckland’s chimpanzees are the perfect example of the effects a lack of socialisation has on chimpanzees long term.

With this in mind, I’m confident we’ll see more and more examples of zoos housing chimpanzees in communities - and open range zoos are the obvious location to build these. Thank God Taronga opened their chimpanzee park in 1980 - otherwise they’d have been phased out by now like Auckland, Melbourne etc.

 

[The Sleepy Hippo]

The Treetop Monkeys extension has long been considered but I think at this point they’ve now considered it not feasible due to the recent expansion of the BTS big cat facilities behind.

Most of the current enclosures lack size for the primates (which Melbourne is evidently seeing as an issue). The exhibit as a whole has depleted both collection wise and exhibit wise as well. You can tell the exhibits beginning to gain some age to it and the lack of Melbourne restocking the collection and leaving multiple enclosures empty for years now does make me think they’re anticipating or planning for a change. They certainly wouldn’t want it to get to the point where it’s heritage listed and they have to keep it forever.

The Platypus House actually takes up a fair bit of space, and if your counting the former Meerkat enclosure next door; there’s a decent sized area that could be used for other purposes. Another species could certainly slot in there. Again, I don’t see Melbourne maintaining this exhibit any longer. Nobody really goes in there anymore (despite it being right in the middle of the zoo), and the enclosures always held a single male who’s mostly in his BOH area.

I mostly agree about converting Growing Wild into an Australian Bush precinct. Take the Meerkats out. They could have an enclosure somewhere else. Maybe replacing the Platypus right next to the giraffes. Move the tortoises up to the Reptile House with the others where they’ve recently extended the enclosure. Growing Wild could then be used a little bit as was planned and could be themed;

• the burrows (Wombats, Echidnas and Tassie Devils)
• the treetops (Tree Kangaroo, Koala)
  
• the shores (Little Penguin, Pelicans)
  
• the wetlands (Platypus, Aviary with swans, ducks, shoebills)
  
• the backyard (Kangaroo and Wallaby walkthrough, Kookaburra and Cockatoo walkthrough aviary)
• And an insect house designed around an actual house!

They could move the heritage weatherboard behind Zillie to this area to be used as an Insect House - steal the idea from Taronga. This would allow space for a new exhibit beside the old mandrill and Tree-Top.

 

[Zoofan15]

They could move the heritage weatherboard behind Zillie to this area to be used as an Insect House - steal the idea from Taronga. This would allow space for a new exhibit beside the old mandrill and Tree-Top.

Building on this idea, they could then expand the old Mandrill exhibit to accomodate a breeding troop (the current exhibit can only accomodate five adults). It would tie in nicely with the Western lowland gorilla and Pygmy hippopotamus exhibit; as well as allowing for the development of a Black and white colobus walkthrough.

We’re all hopeful for Okapi, but this could easily be a decade away since the Giraffe/Okapi IRA ain’t happening until we get the Hippopotamus IRA done and even then it isn’t certain the Giraffe IRA will follow. I mention this, as I know many of us were thinking Mandrill could occupy the baboon exhibit - linking to Eastern bongo/Okapi on the main trail.

 

[PaddyRickMFZ]

Building on this idea, they could then expand the old Mandrill exhibit to accomodate a breeding troop (the current exhibit can only accomodate five adults). It would tie in nicely with the Western lowland gorilla and Pygmy hippopotamus exhibit; as well as allowing for the development of a Black and white colobus walkthrough.

We’re all hopeful for Okapi, but this could easily be a decade away since the Giraffe/Okapi IRA ain’t happening until we get the Hippopotamus IRA done and even then it isn’t certain the Giraffe IRA will follow. I mention this, as I know many of us were thinking Mandrill could occupy the baboon exhibit - linking to Eastern bongo/Okapi on the main trail.

I’m hoping the hippo IRA shouldn’t be too far away from finishing, meanwhile with NZ’s research the giraffe IRA shouldn’t take too long. Xenarthra I’m hoping will follow, with nothing else really on the horizon afaik. If the giraffe IRA doesn’t get completed, there’s always NZ as the middleman. A couple month quarantine with the individuals spread between the facilities would no doubt attract a lot of visitors with the fear of missing out. What if instead of the insect house being there, it’s in the Aussie section where all the kids will be, if not next to the butterfly house. This means the exhibit could be expanded to potentially hold bonobo, with mandrill hopefully next to duiker(species idk). That strip of the Congo would include the African Dwarf Crocodile, Okapi, Bongo, Yellow-Backed/Blue/Zebra Duiker and mandrill. The gorilla rainforest would have Ring Tailed Lemur, Black and White Ruffed Lemur, Red Ruffed Lemur, Western Lowland Gorilla, Pygmy Hippo, Bonobo, Black and White Colobus (exhibit also home to Pygmy hippo).

 

[The Sleepy Hippo]

Healesville really need to stock up on high profile natives (Cassowary, Dingo etc). Their current collection would appeal mainly those wanting to see a wider variety of native birds, which is a pretty narrow niche. They should aspire to be a world renowned destination for natives, which is completely achievable with a few additions.

For the they would need to house crocodiles too.

 

[The Sleepy Hippo]

The giraffe double up is another example of that, as is the zebras, while I’m personally fine with the meerkats due to their little space requirements. Can someone remind me the original plan for that area, I vaguely remember it being appealing. The giraffes and lions at Adelaide were the most disappointing revisions, aside from an extra tiger exhibit. The sun bears and tapirs were great however.

The tapir section of their plan is already in existence. Their Malayan tapir was out basking in the sun all day, while the Brazillian tapir was resting in its house.