Native Mammals in Australian Zoos

JM01 said:
I went to Healsville today. They have a Smoky Mouse. I'm also a bit confused whether they have Rakali or not. It said on the signs there were Rakali and I asked several people there and got different answers. Some of the staff said they don't have any, some said they do have some. Wikipedia lists that they have Rakali and I read an article about them having a captive population of Rakali.
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Yes they have had them. Do they have them now? I don't know but tend to think not. The problem with short-lived, fecund mammals is that all available spaces fill up quickly, then breeding is stopped, then the animals get old and die off. The answer is management euthanasia, don't know what your opinion is but it is anathema to the folks at Zoos Vic.
 
MRJ said:
Yes they have had them. Do they have them now? I don't know but tend to think not. The problem with short-lived, fecund mammals is that all available spaces fill up quickly, then breeding is stopped, then the animals get old and die off. The answer is management euthanasia, don't know what your opinion is but it is anathema to the folks at Zoos Vic.
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The zoo was a great experience I really enjoyed but I was disappointed that I didn't see any Rakalis since they are one of my favourite animals. But yeah that makes sense they all died off. They had a sign still up for it and Wikipedia lists them as being there so that's why I thought I'd se them.
 
@JM01

They are a really awesome animal hey Rakalis. First time seeing Platypus at Taronga Zoo in the mid 1990s remember left the Platypus House being almost equally captivated by seeing (Australian) Water Rats, as they were still called then, in the adjacent exhibit for the first time too. The alternative naming of them as Rakali has been a really interesting move that from memory was using a name for them by one of the Koori languages from the south-east somewhere to try foster a more positive public perception of them as a native rodent that belongs and contributes to their habitat ecosystems (where any rat native or introduced seems to gain negative response from majority of general public or less concern compared to marsupial species, luckily though many exceptions to that like us on here and people who work with animals).

If the last of the Rakali at Healesville have actually in fact died now, really hoping will see arrival of new individuals to the Sanctuary very very soon. Believe Perth Zoo does captive breeding for wild release program still for their Rakalis over in the southwest region (saw a video on their website few years ago).

Actually ZooChat is much more of the frontline of news updates for the comings and goings of species from animal institutions because of the knowledge of the members on here collectively including keepers, proprietors and thorough researchers. Wikipedia pages on zoos/wildlife parks/aquariums etc can remain out of date for quite some time as are not always updated by staff or management personally.
 
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Hello.
What was the last time Bennett's tree-kangaroos were held captive in Australia? It turns out two individuals were held by São Paulo (and later on sent to Belo Horizonte) in the late 1970s. I was just wondering where these little guys could have come from, so I thought posting here would be an adequate choice.
 
Enzo said:
Hello.
What was the last time Bennett's tree-kangaroos were held captive in Australia? It turns out two individuals were held by São Paulo (and later on sent to Belo Horizonte) in the late 1970s. I was just wondering where these little guys could have come from, so I thought posting here would be an adequate choice.
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That seems incredibly unlikely. What is your source?
 
Enzo said:
Hello.
What was the last time Bennett's tree-kangaroos were held captive in Australia? It turns out two individuals were held by São Paulo (and later on sent to Belo Horizonte) in the late 1970s. I was just wondering where these little guys could have come from, so I thought posting here would be an adequate choice.
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My inclination was to think that was not likely either. I then checked with a former senior zoo person as to if they had been kept in the past, and his answer was "never" (in living memory at least [edit]), with the caveat there may have been the very occasional rescue animal. The only way they could have been Bennett's would have been if they were poached then smuggled out of the country. Would San Paulo have gone to that extent to obtain these animals? Seems unlikely. Sure they were not a New Guinea species?
 
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There was a Tree-Kangaroo at Dizzy Lamb Park in far north Perth outskirts locality of Carabooda (what replaced the Wanneroo Lion Park site to my understanding or neighbouring) in the early-mid '90s. My recollection was it was a more creamy light brown-to-greyish colour like Lumholtz's or Bennett's but when I think about it the only thing can say with certainty was there was a Tree-Roo and in all likeliness was a Matschie's given to them by Perth Zoo. Was a good little park had a Tassie Devil in a semi circle exhibit with a viewing wall barrier, and a Quoll in an identical setup exhibit on the other half of the circle, am wondering if despite being a West Australian park it was still more likely to have been a Tiger Quoll instead of a Western Quoll, I just remember was a Quoll, was quite young 5 or 6 (would of been 1994 or 1995). Koalas too. Quite a well stocked little wildlife park considering it was an attachment to a small sparsely resourced fun park. Closed about 2000/2001 (now a paintball range called WASP) think the species collection had dwindled by then. Seeing the Tree-Kangaroo there has been a long fascination the past 30 years approx'.
 
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MRJ said:
I then checked with a former senior zoo person as to if they had been kept in the past, and his answer was "never", with the caveat there may have been the very occasional rescue animal.
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Both London Zoo and Berlin Zoo obtained the species from Melbourne Zoo in the late 19th century - and each received multiple individuals - so either the phrase "very occasional" is doing some heavy lifting, or the answer of "never" is plain incorrect :p

That said, I am also extremely doubtful of this Sao Paulo claim! I would be inclined to suspect it actually pertains to Ursine Tree Kangaroo.
 
TeaLovingDave said:
Both London Zoo and Berlin Zoo obtained the species from Melbourne Zoo in the late 19th century - and each received multiple individuals - so either the phrase "very occasional" is doing some heavy lifting, or the answer of "never" is plain incorrect :p

That said, I am also extremely doubtful of this Sao Paulo claim! I would be inclined to suspect it actually pertains to Ursine Tree Kangaroo.
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Fixed it for you.
 
TeaLovingDave said:
Both London Zoo and Berlin Zoo obtained the species from Melbourne Zoo in the late 19th century - and each received multiple individuals - so either the phrase "very occasional" is doing some heavy lifting, or the answer of "never" is plain incorrect :p

That said, I am also extremely doubtful of this Sao Paulo claim! I would be inclined to suspect it actually pertains to Ursine Tree Kangaroo.
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I've seen an old photo of them at Melbourne from around that sort of time-frame, but in terms of "recently" - as in, for most of the 20th century - they haven't been kept in zoos, and certainly not any time even close to the 1970s.

Looking back through the posts @Enzo has made which include some photos of the Sao Paulo animals, the ones good enough for identification are Grizzled Tree Kangaroos (D. inustus).
 
Chlidonias said:
Looking back through the posts @Enzo has made which include some photos of the Sao Paulo animals, the ones good enough for identification are Grizzled Tree Kangaroos (D. inustus).
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I think I meant to suggest Grizzled rather than Ursine :p I always get those two mixed up, and there were large numbers of the former exported in the 1970s.
 
Chlidonias said:
That seems incredibly unlikely. What is your source?
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Hello, Chli.
My source is BH's record book itself, although I am not sure if they identified their tree-roos correctly...
I am totally sure, however, that the tree-kangaroos held by Rio are not the same ones kept by Belo Horizonte.
BH's roos arrived on new year's eve in 1977, while Rio's came from São Paulo in 1975.
 
zooboy28 said:
-Platypus Ornithorhynchus anatinus
Uncommon - Australian Reptile Park, David Fleay Wildlife Park, Healesville Sanctuary, Lone Pine Koala Park, Melbourne Zoo, Platypus House, Taronga Zoo, Walkabout Creek Discovery Centre, Wildlife Sydney
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New holder for Platypus. A male has moved to Taronga Western Plains Zoo from Sydney for Dubbo's $12 million platypus conservation centre with a capacity to house 65 platypus: Hopes $12m platypus refuge in regional NSW can help halt decline of iconic species
 
JM01 said:
I would really love to see a Common Spotted Cuscus one day. It's a shame no zoos have them in Australia.
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I believe that Taronga Zoo use to have them in the 70s (perhaps 80s) in their collection when they use to have a much wider range of species at that time!
 
JM01 said:
I would really love to see a Common Spotted Cuscus one day. It's a shame no zoos have them in Australia.
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Zorro said:
I believe that Taronga Zoo use to have them in the 70s (perhaps 80s) in their collection when they use to have a much wider range of species at that time!
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A private zoo in Queensland obtained the species in 1934 and bred them for what is believed to be the first time in captivity in 1937. The zoo sent a pair to Melbourne Zoo in 1936 in exchange for a pair of Rhesus macaques.

There’s mention of Taronga holding them in an article dated November 1973. A mother is shown with an infant (presumably bred at Taronga).
 
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