I have also mentioned this on the forum before, when one considers the large amount of overseas visitors that they get one would believe they would have at least an interesting and comprehensive collection of native species including Tree Kangaroos and Quolls as you say. I have seen in the past when I looked at their social site some people complaining about the lack of species especially animals like Lions not being displayed in their African savanna exhibit!
Australia Zoo Australia Zoo News 2024
- Thread starter WhistlingKite24
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Basically, when our Goodday brother in arms and Ozzie conservation anchorman passed away Australia Zoo vision and Mission like has taken a back burner collection-wise and only focusses on the Americanised approach of milking the old dance (without making much of Steve's wonderful ideas to improve the park in the future). Basically, Sumatran tigers and elephants are going nowhere now.
Imagine also that with their 2 native crocodilians ... they do maintain low key (conservation-wise) North American alligator over some of the Australasian species and S.E. Asian ones that urgently require some conservation focus from the ex situ zoo community (Siamese, Philippine and New Guinea (2 species) crocodilians and the Sunda and Indian gharial or even venturing into display of marsh/mugger crocodiles or both African ones (Nile and West African suchus).
Tree kangaroos and quolls are completely unknown to most international visitors (and many Aussie visitors as well) and what you don't know you don't miss.
At the end of the day, they’re trying to operate a financially successful attraction and a cheap species that the general public like to see is always going to win favour over a species the general public won’t even appreciate. Everything costs money and decisions have to be pragmatic with regards to appealing to their target audience.
Yes, and I like to think I have been trying to do that over the last 23 years. But possibly not the best way to maximise profits.
I should add that it is not essential that zoos teach taxonomy. I do think it essential that zoos teach conservation, and I hope they do that through their shows and encounters.
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A few additional updates:
- Alkira, a new female Southern Hairy-nosed Wombat has arrived from Melbourne Zoo. She was bred at Melbourne in 2022.
- nine Pacific Emerald Doves recently moved to Taronga Zoo and been added to their rainforest aviary there where they have started nest building. This moves some surplus doves out and splits up the 40+ individuals that have been freely breeding for many generations.
Yes, the old Baba Dioum adagium: QUOTE
“In the end, we will conserve only what we love; we will love only what we understand and we will understand only what we are taught.”
UNQOUTE
As you say even Aussie countrymen do not know about their 2 tree Roo species or the various quoll species ... let alone how endangered f.e. the southern hairy nosed wombat are .... and in need of our conservation action and assistance.
The new wombat is actually a very nice addition.
And really, I am surprised that Australia Zoo is - correct me if I am wrong - Dendrolagus-less-less.
Well said @Kifaru Bwana
Always_Amity
Well-Known Member
Off the top of my head, Australia Zoo's native mammal collection is as follows;
-Short-Beaked Echidna
-Dingo
-Tasmanian Devil
-Red Kangaroo
-Eastern Grey Kangaroo
-Swamp Wallaby
-Black-Footed Rock Wallaby
-Quokka
-Koala
-Common Wombat
-Southern Hairy-Nosed Wombat
Overall a very lackluster line up. Even the exotic-focused Wildlife HQ just up the road has a better selection of native mammals.
Well the quote is from a great African conservationist and philosoper, the Senegal ex-Forestry Department chief, IUCN official ... BABA DIOUM. Remember his name.
Yes, indeed .... very disappointing.
Specials: Only black-footed rock wallaby, quota and southern hairy nosed wombat.
Always_Amity
Well-Known Member
Particularly disappointing is that their three Wallaby species are mixed in with Eastern Grey Kangaroos with minimal signage that, as I recall, was mostly contained to the indoor portion of the large fake climbing rock, which is an area the vast majority of guests do not visit and those who do rarely bother to pay more than a glance at the blocks of text along the walls.
This means that the majority of guests (especially international ones) would be hard pressed to tell any of the three Wallabies apart from each other or, indeed, from a young Kangaroo.
That large very fake rock (mountain) would have to be the worse fake looking rock I have seen in any zoo most visitors would not know what they are even looking at its quite disappointing.
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Always_Amity
Well-Known Member
Certainly doesn't help that the damn thing is several decades old at this point.
Ugly as it is, it could of been a really neat opportunity to display some smaller native species (Hopping Mice would be the PERFECT little inclusion to Roo Heaven, come on) or even act as a little 'museum' displaying taxidermy, models or skeletons of the many mammals in Australia that have gone extinct, but no. Who would want a zoo to display animals or educate the public on conservation issues when you could instead have a weird liminal empty space!
Actually, the last time I actually bothered to go inside it they had a lone vending machine selling chips, chocolate and soft drinks shoved into one of the corners. So technically not empty I suppose.
I don't go there anymore in my view its far below parr, The only real interest appears to be in any big or flash looking species like Tigers and elephants. The collection in my view is quite poor The main thing that comes to my mind there is the word hype!
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The thing with Australia zoos collection is that they were never needing to build up the collection the same way other zoos do. Because their main form of early income was crocodile farming. So they could get and display what they wanted without needing extra to flesh it out to bring in money as they already had an in house money printer. Im not sure if they still do the croc farming or not.
Australia Zoo don’t do crocodile farming. Where did you hear that?
Australia Zoo opened in 1970 as Beerwah Reptile Park; and in 1982, was renamed the Queensland Reptile and Fauna Park, with an additional 4 acres purchased. In 1987, they opened the Crocodile Environmental Park, which housed mainly Saltwater crocodiles rescued/relocated from the wild.
Australia Zoo have rescued Saltwater crocodiles from crocodile farms (which they oppose); with others captured/relocated after they became a threat to humans.
Hopefully when young Bob is a bit older he can take up the reins of the zoo and give it a better direction, it has the potential to be far greater than it is now with some vision and direction, It has the climate size and location to become outstanding the stagnation is a setback which I hope they will overcome someday. If they built something like Auckland zoos South East Asian rainforest exhibit it would be a sure winner the plantings at the zoo now are wonderful with its hot humid sub tropical climate. A little imagination would go a long way!
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Always_Amity
Well-Known Member
Not sure if you're mixing them up with another zoo, but Australia Zoo has never been a crocodile farm, in fact they are very vocal about their belief that the practice of croc farming is cruel, outdated, and detrimental to wild crocodiles. They talk about it every day, during every Crocoseum show, and encourage guests to sign a petition on their website to ban the harvesting of wild eggs for croc farms.