Always_Amity
Well-Known Member
I did the Night Zoo last night and, due to the format of the tour (following a set path at night) I didn't get to see a decent portion of the zoo, but here's some updates on the animals we did see, mostly information that came from the keeper talks. I'm unsure if any of this is already public knowledge, but I'll put it out there anyway.
-The zoo's Trio of Radiated Tortoises consists of 2 males and a female (who was previously assumed to be a male). They were part of the smuggling confiscation from a few years back and are estimated to be about 10 years old.
-The zoo has no plans to breed their servals, though acknowledged that they could get a breeding recommendation for one of their two older males, in which case they'd be more likely to move the male out than a female in. They also mentioned they sometimes bring their dingos into the large planted enclosures while the Servals are locked in the middle enclosure, which is a form of enrichment both species apparently love.
-The zoo has 7 male African Wild dogs who are all brothers from 2 separate litters. Like the Servals they have no plans to breed them due to lack of space.
-Sari the Binturong is sadly reaching the end of his life. At 16 he's begun having hip problems, and is on daily medication to ensure he's not in pain. His enclosure has been altered slightly, bring his perches lower down and closer together so he doesn't have to climb around as much.
-Peck, the Emu in the cafe area, was very interested in guests, and very, very vocal. He walked right through the group, and one of the 3 keepers was on constant 'Emu Duty' to keep shooing him away. According to them "it's okay he just wants to mate with you."
-The male Tasmanian devils at the front of the zoo have been split up due to aggression. Keepers came in one morning a few weeks ago and found one "clinging to life" after a fight, and that male has since been removed from the group and placed in the habitat that previously held Rock Wallaby. On my visit on Feb 5th this exhibit was empty and unsigned but had been altered, so I assume the fight happened at the end of January.
-The parks two Bilby's are in two separate enclosures, back to back. One is viewable from the main path down the middle (though is rarely actually visible, even on the Night Zoo tours) and the other - Nick - is visible from the back, beside the Reptile Barn, and is much more often visible.
-The American Alligator Hatchlings between the Rhino Iguana and the Freshwater Crocodile are 8 years old.
-It seems like the zoo now only has a single Maned Wolf, Eartha. We only saw her, and the language the keepers used definitely implied she was the only one there. When she first arrived they only got weights on her once a year during her yearly checkups while she was under anaesthesia. They did some intense training to get her comfortable with a scale, and they've now gotten monthly weights the last few months.
-The zoo's Trio of Radiated Tortoises consists of 2 males and a female (who was previously assumed to be a male). They were part of the smuggling confiscation from a few years back and are estimated to be about 10 years old.
-The zoo has no plans to breed their servals, though acknowledged that they could get a breeding recommendation for one of their two older males, in which case they'd be more likely to move the male out than a female in. They also mentioned they sometimes bring their dingos into the large planted enclosures while the Servals are locked in the middle enclosure, which is a form of enrichment both species apparently love.
-The zoo has 7 male African Wild dogs who are all brothers from 2 separate litters. Like the Servals they have no plans to breed them due to lack of space.
-Sari the Binturong is sadly reaching the end of his life. At 16 he's begun having hip problems, and is on daily medication to ensure he's not in pain. His enclosure has been altered slightly, bring his perches lower down and closer together so he doesn't have to climb around as much.
-Peck, the Emu in the cafe area, was very interested in guests, and very, very vocal. He walked right through the group, and one of the 3 keepers was on constant 'Emu Duty' to keep shooing him away. According to them "it's okay he just wants to mate with you."
-The male Tasmanian devils at the front of the zoo have been split up due to aggression. Keepers came in one morning a few weeks ago and found one "clinging to life" after a fight, and that male has since been removed from the group and placed in the habitat that previously held Rock Wallaby. On my visit on Feb 5th this exhibit was empty and unsigned but had been altered, so I assume the fight happened at the end of January.
-The parks two Bilby's are in two separate enclosures, back to back. One is viewable from the main path down the middle (though is rarely actually visible, even on the Night Zoo tours) and the other - Nick - is visible from the back, beside the Reptile Barn, and is much more often visible.
-The American Alligator Hatchlings between the Rhino Iguana and the Freshwater Crocodile are 8 years old.
-It seems like the zoo now only has a single Maned Wolf, Eartha. We only saw her, and the language the keepers used definitely implied she was the only one there. When she first arrived they only got weights on her once a year during her yearly checkups while she was under anaesthesia. They did some intense training to get her comfortable with a scale, and they've now gotten monthly weights the last few months.
