Taronga Zoo Recent history of Taronga and developments etc

steveroberts said:
@Zoofan15 Yeah was waiting to see other footage too, but great footage that was there. The Koalas Walkabout would of been brand new at the time and looked identical to how it still is hey. The Seals looked like the pool they had was perhaps deeper and bigger than had expected it to be back then, though perhaps simply a camera footage illusion. Was cool to see like @Steve Robinson mentioned that they had Anoa too back then, pretty awesome. From memory the surplus Indian Antelope in the Hallstrom era daya just prioe were fed to the carnivores after being put down (if recall Terry Boylan's book correctly). Was interesting to see the Sun Bears in one of the old pits thar from what can deduce was one of the ones now under Great Southern Oceans and not the Canyon exhibit they would be in soon after (ie Red Pandas home now). Was that a brown coated American Black Bear in the footage too??

Found that clip accidentally while searching foe recent visit footage to see if someone had filmed the Squirrel Monkeys in Nelly & Kayak's old exhibit (there is fleeting footage of one of the Squirrel Monkeys running along a branch or rope for a nanosecond in one of the visit vids from last few days..couldnt find anything yet on the Lions back in their exhibit taken).
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I’m open to correction but I believe the bears that followed the Malayan sun bears were Asian black bears and then Cinnamon bears (a subspecies of black bear). It would have been great to visit Taronga, Auckland etc. in this era and see a diverse range of ursids.

Taronga’s last Polar bear (a female named Ingrid) was sent to Auckland Zoo in 1984. Although she’d been off display for some time, I assume she (and the other Polar bears) would have been on display 12 years earlier in 1972 when this footage was taken.

That sounds like a likely use for the surplus Indian antelope. They breed readily and the carnivores needed meat.
 
@Zoofan15

Thanks for the info bro. Yeah that's interesting regarding Ingrid (she was one of the two last Polar Bears at Auckland right? passing in 1995?) It's surprising hearing about a zoo having a Polar Bear still but off display for a few years..though there have been a lot of examples have learnt about on here and books/reports/zoo email info replies sometimes where have been surprised what animals have been off display for lengthy times (its possible Perth Zoo had a Hokkaido Brown Bear off display until 1995, thought Tetrapod suggested it was a typo for 1985).

Another Taronga example being when finding out about Ali Jaguar's death in mid 1996 realise he must have gone off display for last few months while what had been his last (public) exhibit was transformed into Berani (and later Denise) Tapir's first home.

& the Pumas (trio originally if remember info right and included two named Cheyenne & Sioux) were off display for last year or two before the remaining individuals went to Mogo in c.1991 being some of Mogo's very first exotic charges from memory.

Yeah thats right werentbAmerican Black Bears who moved into the canyon exhibit in c.1979 either Cinnamon subs/variant or at very least had substantially brown(ish) colored fur or perhaps all of those individuals did. @Hix after the Sun Bear duo from the 1970s departed the canyon exhibit and the American Black Bear duo or trio moved in, is my recollection accurate that you said it was in between that the exhibit was revamped a bit i.e bit of vegetation and waterfall feature?
 
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steveroberts said:
@Zoofan15

Thanks for the info bro. Yeah that's interesting regarding Ingrid (she was one of the two last Polar Bears at Auckland right? passing in 1995?) It's surprising hearing about a zoo having a Polar Bear still but off display for a few years..though there have been a lot of examples have learnt about on here and books/reports/zoo email info replies sometimes where have been surprised what animals have been off display for lengthy times (its possible Perth Zoo had a Hokkaido Brown Bear off display until 1995, thought Tetrapod suggested it was a typo for 1985).

Another Taronga example being when finding out about Ali Jaguar's death in mid 1996 realise he must have gone off display for last few months while what had been his last (public) exhibit was transformed into Berani (and later Denise) Tapir's first home.

& the Pumas (trio originally if remember info right and included two named Cheyenne & Sioux) were off display for last year or two before the remaining individuals went to Mogo in c.1991 being some of Mogo's very first exotic charges from memory.

Yeah thats right werentbAmerican Black Bears who moved into the canyon exhibit in c.1979 either Cinnamon subs/variant or at very least had substantially brown(ish) colored fur or perhaps all of those individuals did. @Hix after the Sun Bear duo from the 1970s departed the canyon exhibit and the American Black Bear duo or trio moved in, is my recollection accurate that you said it was in between that the exhibit was revamped a bit i.e bit of vegetation and waterfall feature?
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Yes, that’s correct. Ingrid was born 1963 at Detroit Zoo and imported by Taronga Zoo 11/07/1964, along with two other young females (also born at Detroit Zoo and all sired by the same male):

0.1 Unnamed (02/11/1963)
0.1 Unnamed (14/11/1963)
0.1 Unnamed (31/12/1963)

Their names weren’t recorded in the studbook and Taronga didn’t know which of the above was Ingrid.

Ingrid spent her final years at Taronga with an elderly male. When he died, that prompted Taronga Zoo to approach other zoos in the region to take on Ingrid, of which Auckland accepted.

Ingrid joined Auckland Zoo’s bears, Joachim and Lisbeth. They were littermates, wild born in 1962. Lisbeth died in 1990 and Joachim and Ingrid in 1995.
 
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Historical Photos

https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/n...llery/c115f08c08d236464f82e893f98c7187?page=4

I thought people would be interesting in seeing these historical photos of Taronga Zoo. There’s multiple errors in the captions e.g. a sea lion is called a seal, gibbons are called monkeys etc. so take them with a pinch of salt.

Of particular interest was the photo of a young Frala with her newborn son in 1998. The photo is incorrectly dated April 1998 (it was taken March 1998). We know that because the infant sadly died the month it was born. He was the first gorilla born at Taronga Zoo and the first in Australia to be delivered naturally. I would assume from the size (and Frala’s tolerance of the interaction) that the younger gorilla inspecting the infant was Frala’s then seven year old daughter, Shinda.

12 year old Sutu (chimpanzee) is photographed in 1986 and I believe the oldest chimpanzee in the trio of chimps is Susie (1948-1995) with a then 11 year old Shiba to her right.
 

Really cool to see a Seal show from now over 30 years ago, mid 1991 (5 min into the video). Bill one of the Fur Seals was one of the performers, and a young Harbour Seal named Rupert if I heard right who is quite adorable.

Other moments in the vid' include seeing Camels where the current Reptile House(s) has stood now for over 28 years now, Burma & Ranee the Elephants, some of the Macaws that were at the zoo back then, Reticulated Python either in the old Hallstrom Reptile House or in a standalone exhibit that apparently existed for the species for a short time back then, Toby the Brazilian Tapir, Ringtailed Lemur and a Monkey species cant identify with certainty (assuming Crab-Eating Macaque) in the old Monkey pits, one of the old Seal pools, an Emu, Donkey, Cow, Pigs, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Chicken doing performances during a talk with a keeper in the old Friendship Farm vicinity, (more grainy footage these latter ones) the Chilean Flamingos, Bethyl & Cynthia & Barney the Kodiak Bears, two of the American Black Bears who a bit over a year after being filmed here went to Malaysia.
 
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steveroberts said:

Really cool to see a Seal show from now over 30 years ago, mid 1991 (5 min into the video). Bill one of the Fur Seals was one of the performers, and a young Harbour Seal named Rupert if I heard right who is quite adorable.

Other moments in the vid' include seeing Camels where the current Reptile House(s) has stood now for over 28 years now, Burma & Ranee the Elephants, some of the Macaws that were at the zoo back then, Reticulated Python either in the old Hallstrom Reptile House or in a standalone exhibit that apparently existed for the species for a short time back then, Toby the Brazilian Tapir, Ringtailed Lemur and a Monkey species cant identify with certainty (assuming Crab-Eating Macaque) in the old Monkey pits, one of the old Seal pools, an Emu, Donkey, Cow, Pigs, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Chicken doing performances during a talk with a keeper in the old Friendship Farm vicinity, (more grainy footage these latter ones) the Chilean Flamingos, Bethyl & Cynthia & Barney the Kodiak Bears, two of the American Black Bears who a bit over a year after being filmed here went to Malaysia.
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Thanks for sharing @steveroberts. The elephants, Ranee and Burma, were also featured; though we all would have had a better view if the person filming had stood by the railings to film.
 
steveroberts said:

Really cool to see a Seal show from now over 30 years ago, mid 1991 (5 min into the video). Bill one of the Fur Seals was one of the performers, and a young Harbour Seal named Rupert if I heard right who is quite adorable.

Other moments in the vid' include seeing Camels where the current Reptile House(s) has stood now for over 28 years now, Burma & Ranee the Elephants, some of the Macaws that were at the zoo back then, Reticulated Python either in the old Hallstrom Reptile House or in a standalone exhibit that apparently existed for the species for a short time back then, Toby the Brazilian Tapir, Ringtailed Lemur and a Monkey species cant identify with certainty (assuming Crab-Eating Macaque) in the old Monkey pits, one of the old Seal pools, an Emu, Donkey, Cow, Pigs, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Chicken doing performances during a talk with a keeper in the old Friendship Farm vicinity, (more grainy footage these latter ones) the Chilean Flamingos, Bethyl & Cynthia & Barney the Kodiak Bears, two of the American Black Bears who a bit over a year after being filmed here went to Malaysia.
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Wow, great to see the Harbour Seal, flamingoes, black bears, rheas, old Kodiak Bear exhibit, Friendship Farm etc. Interesting to see they had lemurs that far back and that even in 1991, there were a bunch of wild ibises in the zoo and very interesting to see a (presumably captive) ibis used in a show! I assume the lemurs would have been housed in the old monkey pits?
 
Osedax said:
Wow, great to see the Harbour Seal, flamingoes, black bears, rheas, old Kodiak Bear exhibit, Friendship Farm etc. Interesting to see they had lemurs that far back and that even in 1991, there were a bunch of wild ibises in the zoo and very interesting to see a (presumably captive) ibis used in a show! I assume the lemurs would have been housed in the old monkey pits?
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Taronga had Lemurs going back to at least the 80's. They held a bachelor group at the time, and one of the males (who was later sent to Adelaide), holds the regional longevity record following his death in 2014.
 
Playschool visiting Taronga Zoo in 1983.

Here in first video Don Spencer helps carnivore keeper Gary|Garry feed the Lion 1.2 trio and Quintus the Tiger (Quintus the III,IV,or Vth).



Here in second video is Elaine Hudson with Chimpanzee colony/troop/family & Jan Kingsbury with Hippo' mother and baby <3


Here in third video Elaine Hudson helps marine mammal keepers feed Seals (and Sea-Lions possibly)


more to come
 
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steveroberts said:
Playschool visiting Taronga Zoo in 1983. Here in first video Don Spencer helps keeper Gary|Garry feed the Lion 1.2 trio and Quintus the Tiger (Quintus the III,IV,or Vth).

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Nice find. The lionesses are a very dark golden colour, which is cool to see. Taronga bred a litter circa 1981 and one of the lionesses looks quite old, so I’d assume that’s the mother and the other lioness and the lion (both of which look young) are her offspring.

The mother may have been called Mary and I believe the litter was triplets, but don’t quote me on that (it was years ago I saw a photo of them).

The twins born 2003 were noted as being the zoo’s first lion cubs in 22 years.
 
steveroberts said:
Playschool visiting Taronga Zoo in 1983.

Here in first video Don Spencer helps carnivore keeper Gary|Garry feed the Lion 1.2 trio and Quintus the Tiger (Quintus the III,IV,or Vth).



Here in second video is Elaine Hudson with Chimpanzee colony/troop/family & Jan Kingsbury with Hippo' mother and baby <3


Here in third video Elaine Hudson helps marine mammal keepers feed Seals (and Sea-Lions possibly)


more to come
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I’m very excited to see the chimpanzee footage. The older female at 0.13 is Susie (1948), with her daughter, Shiba (1981). The chimpanzees behind them are likely Sonny (1978) and Melissa (1978). Their white tufts means they’re a maximum of seven years old. Adult male on the rocks is Jo Jo (1964), with Bessie (1950) sitting behind him.
 
steveroberts said:
Playschool visiting Taronga Zoo in 1983.

Here in first video Don Spencer helps carnivore keeper Gary|Garry feed the Lion 1.2 trio and Quintus the Tiger (Quintus the III,IV,or Vth).



Here in second video is Elaine Hudson with Chimpanzee colony/troop/family & Jan Kingsbury with Hippo' mother and baby <3


Here in third video Elaine Hudson helps marine mammal keepers feed Seals (and Sea-Lions possibly)


more to come
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Re. the hippos, that baby would be Louise (born in 1982 to Billy and Lindy). It's interesting to see she survived at least until 1983; and didn't die in infancy as previously presumed.
 
(Re: Playschool at Taronga Zoo 1983)

Here in 4th video Don Spencer with Spider Monkeys & Jan Kingsbury with keeper holding Jack the Common Ringtail Possum, Common Bluetongued Lizard and Eastern Longnecked Turtle.



Whole video link below (1985 was year of VHS release, was filmed in 1983), includes Giraffes, Asian Elephants, orphaned male Eastern Wallaroo joey named Sky <3, Red Kangaroos, Farm Animals. Zoo episode begins at 32 minutes & 23 seconds:

 
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Jambo said:
Great finds again!

It's interesting to see the Black Rhino. I wonder if anyone here has any information on that individual?

The female elephant seen would also be Burma (I assume); but the short shot makes it hard to tell.
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Female elephant would be either:

0.1 Ranee II (00/00/1955) Arrived 1962; Died 1998
0.1 Burma (00/00/1959) Arrived 1982; Transferred 2005

Black rhinoceros would be either:

0.1 Taronga (23/08/1958) Ferdinand x Peggy
0.1 Dynah (Unknown) Arrived 28/08/1981

Both were transferred to Dubbo 08/11/1991.
 
Taronga Zoo (1990)

This video is quite interesting:


Highlights:

2.11: Chimpanzee family - Spitter (1960) with her offspring, Sally (1985) and Gombe (1988).

2.53: Flamingo flock. Interesting to see Taronga had a flock of at least five flamingos in 1990.

3.47: A Snow leopard skull is seen on a touch table of skulls and pelts. This may have been on loan from Melbourne Zoo, who had adult male Snow leopard (Lakh) die that year.

4.04: Snow Leopard Mountain - Mangar and Shimbu (siblings) were born at Melbourne Zoo in March 1989 and arrived at Taronga Zoo in February 1990. They transferred back to Melbourne Zoo in April 1991.

5.23: Orangutan cages (sadly no shots of the orangutans themselves).

9.58: Elephants - Ranee (1955) and Burma (1959).
 
I remember visiting in the late 70s I was quite shocked how depressing the place looked. Concrete Lion and Tiger pits. Small concrete elephant yard. and round house. Concrete for bears and also the antelope enclosures.

The Hippos pools like concrete bath tubs with steel bars separating each pool.
The great ape row of all concrete boxes with steel bars on one side only and the very small concrete building with steel bars on one side for the gorillas. I never returned again.
I did see the Flamingos at the time also Australia's last Gnu.
The Black rhinos were kept in concrete yards with open type viewing windows in the concrete walls with steel bars. inserted.
 
Re: The Ele' 1988 Wickham family footage

There's actually a lot longer footage with the Ele' on the actual video (link to in the first vid, didnt link here in entirety as lots of family footage that follows majority of vid, family members themselves in footage talking at the zoo very witty and charming bunch, if you wanna see Chimps, Giraffes, Koala walkabout, Roos, Pelicans, Seal Show and footage of Elephants its on there, I ran out of data space for the day getting shorts fron it so couldn't upload Chimps, Giraffes, Eles', Seal Show specitics etc). I think from memory of watching that Ele' is actually Heman you just cant see his remaining tusk in that nanosecond shot. Chronologically too the Seal visit was before the Elephants and Black Rhinos. Just combined the latter with the Oryx and Barbary Sheep footage.

@Zoofan15 Great find man the 1990 one
 
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