Taronga Western Plains Zoo Taronga Western Plains Zoo News 2023

Plains-wanderers released:

From socials:

A cohort of critically endangered Plains-wanderers have been released onto properties in the Hay Plains in a further milestone for the collaborative project.

The 19 Plains-wanderers, 12 from Taronga Western Plains Zoo and 7 from Zoos Victoria Werribee Open Range Zoo, were released on the properties of conservation-focused farmers with suitable habitat. All released birds were carefully selected and underwent rigorous health checks to determine their fitness ahead of their release.
 
Female Siamang Puteri has died

"It is with sadness that Taronga Western Plains Zoo has farewelled beautiful Siamang, Puteri.

Puteri, aged 37 years, was the Zoo’s only Siamang following the loss of her partner Saudara earlier this year.

In her twilight years Puteri suffered a number of age-related health issues, affecting her daily life.

A team of keepers, vets and volunteers had been monitoring Puteri closely in the weeks and months following Saudara’s death. After significant evaluation and deliberation of her health issues and overall quality of life, the team made the difficult decision to compassionately euthanise her.

Puteri will be laid to rest alongside Saudara in zoo grounds.

Puteri was an incredible animal who well lived up to her name. Puteri means “princess” and her Keepers say this is the best way to describe her personality. She loved the luxuries in life and taking it easy by lying in the sun, waiting for her food to be brought to her. She was also strong and resilient, intelligent, and crafty, always using her mind to figure out enrichment and puzzles, unlike her partner Saudara who relied on his brute strength.

She will be dearly missed not only by her Keepers and the whole Zoo team, but the wider community.

Puteri and Saudara were an awesome and iconic duo at the Zoo for over three decades, with their call resonating throughout the Zoo and beyond into the city of Dubbo.

During their time together they amazed and delighted hundreds of thousands of zoo visitors, contributing to the regional breeding program and raising awareness for their incredible species.

Their very beautiful song will be missed from the grounds of Taronga Western Plains Zoo.

Vale Puteri."

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Patrick Keegan said:
Female Siamang puteri has died

It is with sadness that Taronga Western Plains Zoo has farewelled beautiful Siamang, Puteri.

Puteri, aged 37 years, was the Zoo’s only Siamang following the loss of her partner Saudara earlier this year.

In her twilight years Puteri suffered a number of age-related health issues, affecting her daily life.

A team of keepers, vets and volunteers had been monitoring Puteri closely in the weeks and months following Saudara’s death. After significant evaluation and deliberation of her health issues and overall quality of life, the team made the difficult decision to compassionately euthanise her.

Puteri will be laid to rest alongside Saudara in zoo grounds.

Puteri was an incredible animal who well lived up to her name. Puteri means “princess” and her Keepers say this is the best way to describe her personality. She loved the luxuries in life and taking it easy by lying in the sun, waiting for her food to be brought to her. She was also strong and resilient, intelligent, and crafty, always using her mind to figure out enrichment and puzzles, unlike her partner Saudara who relied on his brute strength.

She will be dearly missed not only by her Keepers and the whole Zoo team, but the wider community.

Puteri and Saudara were an awesome and iconic duo at the Zoo for over three decades, with their call resonating throughout the Zoo and beyond into the city of Dubbo.

During their time together they amazed and delighted hundreds of thousands of zoo visitors, contributing to the regional breeding program and raising awareness for their incredible species.

Their very beautiful song will be missed from the grounds of Taronga Western Plains Zoo.

Vale Puteri.

Log into Facebook | Facebook
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Sad news, but at least she wasn’t without her partner of three decades for very long. A number of elderly Siamang in the region have been widowed in recent years, creating a dilemma of whether to re-pair them.

Dubbo have a nice exhibit, but size wise it’s no improvement on many of the other exhibits in the region. With this in mind, it wouldn’t surprise me to see a non-breeding pair come to Dubbo in the near future.

Replacement options include a young related pairing of a male from Mogo and a female from Canberra; or perhaps the retired breeding pair from Melbourne (the female of which is the daughter of Dubbo’s deceased pair). Melbourne will be undertaking renovations in this area and would probably be happy to shift one of their pairs on while this takes place.

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Photo by @akasha
 

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IndianRhino said:
A male South-Central Black rhino calf was born about 2 weeks ago to second-time mom, Kufara:



Read more here: Black rhino birth a true labour of love
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Black rhinoceros calf named:

The calf has been named Matobo after a national park in Zimbabwe. He remains behind the scenes with his mother, Kufara.

From socials:

Taronga Western Plains Zoo is very proud to announce that our zooming little Black Rhino calf has been named ... Matobo!!

Southern Black Rhinos are endemic to southern Africa, including Zimbabwe. Matobo National Park is Zimbabwe's oldest national park.

Matobo and mum Kufara are continuing to bond in our behind-the-scenes facility, where he is getting more curious and confident by the day!
 
Giraffe update:

TWPZ have released an update on their giraffe herd:

The main news is they’ve reintroduced their breeding bull (Mtoto) to the breeding herd, which now numbers 14 giraffes, and are hoping for calves in 15 months.

The herd is represented by two female lines - Tuli (1997) and Ntombi (2007)

Mtoto's return brought plenty of excitement to this tower of Giraffes!

The breeding herd here at Taronga Western Plains Zoo consists of 14 animals, ranging in age from 6 months to 26 years old. We are lucky enough to have 3 generations on display, with two ‘family lines’ represented.

An important component of our conservation breeding program is our bull, Mtoto. He arrived from Mogo Zoo on the south coast several years ago, and is the sire of our 5 youngest calves. He can be identified by his very dark coat pattern and solid stature. After a little time living adjacent to the herd, Mtoto has returned, generating a lot of excitement within the herd. In another 15 months or so, we may be welcoming some more calves!

Our oldest giraffe is Tuli, born way back in 1997 and the daughter of the first giraffe ever born here at Dubbo. Tuli is related to 8 other giraffes on the exhibit, including several of her ‘grandchildren’. She keeps a close eye on everything that is happening, and as the tallest giraffe on display certainly uses her great height to her advantage.

Born in New Zealand and arriving in Australia back in 2008 is Ntombi. Ntombi has a distinctive pinched face and darker coat colouration. In June of last year, Ntombi welcomed a female calf, and became a grandmother for the first time in October when her other daughter Nyah calved. Giraffe mothers will creche their calves and leave an adult to ‘babysit’. With five calves on exhibit, keepers are lucky enough to witness this behaviour, just like in the wild.
Aaaaa
 
Zoofan15 said:
Southern white rhinoceros birth:

Baby white rhino a big bundle of joy for Dubbo keepers

A male calf was born June 16 to Mopani.

Given gestation for this species is 16 months, this means this calf was conceived shortly before his sire (Umfana) was exchanged with Monarto’s bull (Satara) in April 2022.
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Rhino calf named:

The calf has been named Jabulani, a Zulu name meaning 'rejoice.’

Reported on socials:

1.0 Jabulani (16/06/2023) Umfana x Mopani

It’s great to see this calf thriving, following the last of Kamari last year. His mother (Dubbo’s only breeding female) will no doubt be bred to the new breeding bull (Satara) next year.
 
Taronga Western Plains Zoo have confirmed that Platypus will be going on-show at the zoo for the first time in a dedicated permanent display space within the future Platypus HQ facility alongside the holding space for up to 65 wild platypus, serve as an area for behavioural research and have a pre-release space. The construction is well underway and the species will go on show in the summer later this year - reported on their FB page.
 
Slender-tailed meerkat baby boom:

From socials:

On August 2, Meerkat Mum Midra and Dad Howell welcomed 6 new pups - the biggest litter ever born here at Taronga Western Plains Zoo, bringing our total number of Meerkats to 20 across two mobs!

The whole family is pitching in to look after the little ones - even the five-month-old pups, who are not quite fully grown, are doing their bit to help!
 
African wild dog update:

TWPZ has four female African wild dogs named Mambo, Spot, Bayana and Masego - the remnants of a formerly large pack.

Mambo, Spot and Bayana were born at Dubbo in August 2016 to Guban and Kimanda; while Masego is their older sister, born November 2015.
 
Zoo celebrates success breeding Greater bilby:

Dubbo zoo's 'free-range' bilbies breed life into a vanishing species

The quest to save the greater bilby has been a runaway success at Taronga Western Plains Zoo where the population has jumped from 18 to 136 in four years.

The 110-hectare conservation and breeding sanctuary at Dubbo's Zoo is fenced to protect bilbies from their major predators — cats and foxes.
 
Southern black rhinoceros calf now on display:

Matabo was born to Kufara in April.

From socials:

Southern Black Rhino calf Matobo has made his public debut, meaning there are now not one, but two rhino calves on exhibit at Dubbo – in perfect time for the school holidays!
 
Zoofan15 said:
Sad news, but at least she wasn’t without her partner of three decades for very long. A number of elderly Siamang in the region have been widowed in recent years, creating a dilemma of whether to re-pair them.

Dubbo have a nice exhibit, but size wise it’s no improvement on many of the other exhibits in the region. With this in mind, it wouldn’t surprise me to see a non-breeding pair come to Dubbo in the near future.

Replacement options include a young related pairing of a male from Mogo and a female from Canberra; or perhaps the retired breeding pair from Melbourne (the female of which is the daughter of Dubbo’s deceased pair). Melbourne will be undertaking renovations in this area and would probably be happy to shift one of their pairs on while this takes place.

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Photo by @akasha
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Dubbo's pair of White Handed Gibbons have recently moved across to the former Saimang island (of which is larger for them).
 
Jambo said:
Dubbo's pair of White Handed Gibbons have recently moved across to the former Saimang island (of which is larger for them).
Click to expand...

It’ll be interesting to see if Taronga return to gibbons with their remaining white-cheeked gibbon transferred to Perth and the exhibit now housing squirrel monkey (hopefully a temporary stay depending on Sydney Zoo’s developments).

Either way, a nice upgrade for the Dubbo gibbons. The Siamang exhibit isn’t massive, but is certainly an upgrade.
 
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