Taronga Western Plains Zoo Orangutans

[Zoo-Lover-1-2-3]

Hi everyone! Sorry if there is a better place to post this in but I couldn’t find a better place to do so. Here’s my question: I know that the zoo used to house orangutans but they don’t hold them anymore right? And if so what happened to them and what is the exhibit used for now or what replaced it? Hope someone can help me with this question. Thanks!

 

[Abbey]

Hi everyone! Sorry if there is a better place to post this in but I couldn’t find a better place to do so. Here’s my question: I know that the zoo used to house orangutans but they don’t hold them anymore right? And if so what happened to them and what is the exhibit used for now or what replaced it? Hope someone can help me with this question. Thanks!

Thank you for your question. As far as I am aware, Taronga Western Plains Zoo (in Dubbo) has never housed orangutans, although they did hold siamangs until 2023 (the siamang exhibit how houses a pair of white-handed gibbons).

Taronga Zoo (in Sydney) held orangutans for many years. The last two, hybrid siblings Jantan and Willow, now live off-display at Mogo Wildlife Park. The Orangutan Rainforest exhibit (opened in 1993 or 1994) is still there and now houses a bachelor troop of ring-tailed lemurs. There had been plans to demolish this exhibit and use that area for the Congo Forest development (a new exhibit for gorillas and okapi), but that seems to have been shelved for now.

 

[Zoofan15]

Hi everyone! Sorry if there is a better place to post this in but I couldn’t find a better place to do so. Here’s my question: I know that the zoo used to house orangutans but they don’t hold them anymore right? And if so what happened to them and what is the exhibit used for now or what replaced it? Hope someone can help me with this question. Thanks!

Thank you for your question. As far as I am aware, Taronga Western Plains Zoo (in Dubbo) has never housed orangutans, although they did hold siamangs until 2023 (the siamang exhibit how houses a pair of white-handed gibbons).

Taronga Zoo (in Sydney) held orangutans for many years. The last two, hybrid siblings Jantan and Willow, now live off-display at Mogo Wildlife Park. The Orangutan Rainforest exhibit (opened in 1993 or 1994) is still there and now houses a bachelor troop of ring-tailed lemurs. There had been plans to demolish this exhibit and use that area for the Congo Forest development (a new exhibit for gorillas and okapi), but that seems to have been shelved for now.

That’s correct. Taronga Western Plains Zoo has never housed orangutans (or any great apes for that matter). There were initial plans to house a bachelor troop of chimpanzees there in the early 1990’s, but these never came to fruition.

Taronga Zoo’s Orangutan Rainforest opened in early 1994. It was first mentioned as being in the planning stages in articles from 1989. Their colony contained six orangutans upon opening:

0.1 Judy II (Hybrid)
Born 26 October 1957 at Taronga Zoo
Died at Taronga Zoo 10 June 2007
Sire: Rufus, Dam: Helen

0.1 Wendy (Hybrid)
Born 20 March 1961 at Taronga Zoo
Died at Taronga Zoo 27 April 2001
Sire: Rufus, Dam: Helen

1.0 Archie (Hybrid)
Born 6 May 1975 at Taronga Zoo
Died at Taronga Zoo 25 March 1996
Sire: Roy, Dam: Wendy

0.1 Wanita (Hybrid)
Born 23 March 1979 at Taronga Zoo
Sent to Auckland Zoo 6 March 2001
Sire: Roy, Dam: Wendy

0.1 Willow (Hybrid)
Born 9 May 1985 at Taronga Zoo
Sent to Mogo Zoo 2017
Sire: Perang, Dam: Wendy

1.0 Jantan (Hybrid)
Born 11 July 1987 at Taronga Zoo
Sent to Mogo Zoo 2017
Sire: Perang, Dam: Judy II

 

[Zoo-Lover-1-2-3]

Thanks for all of the help!

 

[Tiger91]

Thank you for your question. As far as I am aware, Taronga Western Plains Zoo (in Dubbo) has never housed orangutans, although they did hold siamangs until 2023 (the siamang exhibit how houses a pair of white-handed gibbons).

Taronga Zoo (in Sydney) held orangutans for many years. The last two, hybrid siblings Jantan and Willow, now live off-display at Mogo Wildlife Park. The Orangutan Rainforest exhibit (opened in 1993 or 1994) is still there and now houses a bachelor troop of ring-tailed lemurs. There had been plans to demolish this exhibit and use that area for the Congo Forest development (a new exhibit for gorillas and okapi), but that seems to have been shelved for now.

Do we know why mogo have them of display?

 

[Abbey]

Do we know why mogo have them of display?

My understanding was that it was better for their wellbeing to be off-display. Jantan and Willow spent quite a bit of time away from the public view during the last decade or so with their time at Taronga (such as when the chimps took up temporary home in their exhibit) and also with the splits in Mogo's gorilla troop.

With G-Ann and Kaius reintegrated into Mogo's gorilla troop, there would be the exhibit space available for them again, but if they are very acclimatised to being off-display, then I trust Mogo is doing the right thing by their animals as I'm sure they would otherwise love to have the species in their public collection.

 

[Osedax]

Do we know why mogo have them off display?

My understanding was that it was better for their wellbeing to be off-display. Jantan and Willow spent quite a bit of time away from the public view during the last decade or so with their time at Taronga (such as when the chimps took up temporary home in their exhibit) and also with the splits in Mogo's gorilla troop.

With G-Ann and Kaius reintegrated into Mogo's gorilla troop, there would be the exhibit space available for them again, but if they are very acclimatised to being off-display, then I trust Mogo is doing the right thing by their animals as I'm sure they would otherwise love to have the species in their public collection.

I was told on my visit in January 2021 that there were plans to have them on display again, most likely on G-Anne's old island.

 

[Zoofan15]

My understanding was that it was better for their wellbeing to be off-display. Jantan and Willow spent quite a bit of time away from the public view during the last decade or so with their time at Taronga (such as when the chimps took up temporary home in their exhibit) and also with the splits in Mogo's gorilla troop.

With G-Ann and Kaius reintegrated into Mogo's gorilla troop, there would be the exhibit space available for them again, but if they are very acclimatised to being off-display, then I trust Mogo is doing the right thing by their animals as I'm sure they would otherwise love to have the species in their public collection.

I was told on my visit in January 2021 that there were plans to have them on display again, most likely on G-Anne's old island.

It would be great to see the orangutans on display, with modifications to the exhibit ensuring privacy for them. Even simple things like providing them with hessian sacks could prove an effective solution. When Auckland Zoo opened their Orangutan Park in 1987, the exhibit was reasonably exposed (climbing frames in an open field of rolling hills). The orangutans would often use the sacks (with holes nibbled in them) to observe the public as they walked past.

It was encouraging to hear G-Ann and Kaius were successfully integrated with the main troop. Long term, Mogo may aspire to hold a bachelor troop; but if it’s possible, I’d love to see the orangutans on display in the interim.

 

[Tiger91]

My understanding was that it was better for their wellbeing to be off-display. Jantan and Willow spent quite a bit of time away from the public view during the last decade or so with their time at Taronga (such as when the chimps took up temporary home in their exhibit) and also with the splits in Mogo's gorilla troop.

With G-Ann and Kaius reintegrated into Mogo's gorilla troop, there would be the exhibit space available for them again, but if they are very acclimatised to being off-display, then I trust Mogo is doing the right thing by their animals as I'm sure they would otherwise love to have the species in their public collection.

That makes sense, especially if they are not the type of orangs that have a love of the public.
It's unfortunate to have such a high profile species of display tho.

 

[Tiger91]

It would be great to see the orangutans on display, with modifications to the exhibit ensuring privacy for them. Even simple things like providing them with hessian sacks could prove an effective solution. When Auckland Zoo opened their Orangutan Park in 1987, the exhibit was reasonably exposed (climbing frames in an open field of rolling hills). The orangutans would often use the sacks (with holes nibbled in them) to observe the public as they walked past.

It was encouraging to hear G-Ann and Kaius were successfully integrated with the main troop. Long term, Mogo may aspire to hold a bachelor troop; but if it’s possible, I’d love to see the orangutans on display in the interim.

Or even better, as they are a multi site organization. Invest in gorillas at mogo where they are already set up. Then look into setting up orang exhibits up at the hunter valley site. Building from scratch would be more expensive, but it would give them the ability to build an exhibit thats tailored to there animals and or exhibits that they can keep these two of show, while investing on space to have some on show and invest in the species as they want going into the future.

The hunter valley region is hugely popular with tourists, and it sits on arguably one of the busiest routes on the east coast. There is no competition near by, the site is very under utilised and would benefit from orangs.

 

[Zoofan15]

Or even better, as they are a multi site organization. Invest in gorillas at mogo where they are already set up. Then look into setting up orang exhibits up at the hunter valley site. Building from scratch would be more expensive, but it would give them the ability to build an exhibit thats tailored to there animals and or exhibits that they can keep these two of show, while investing on space to have some on show and invest in the species as they want going into the future.

The hunter valley region is hugely popular with tourists, and it sits on arguably one of the busiest routes on the east coast. There is no competition near by, the site is very under utilised and would benefit from orangs.

It would make sense to consolidate one species of great ape at each site (Mogo and Hunter Valley) and like you say, allows for something purpose built to be constructed for the orangutans with their needs in mind.

If the orangutans are to remain at Mogo long term, it’s easy to see them phasing the species out upon their eventual deaths; but a new facility at Hunter Valley would enable them to join either the Bornean or Sumatran orangutan breeding programme. Both would benefit from an additional holder, especially Bornean orangutan, which is only held at Auckland Zoo.

I had hoped Taronga Zoo were considering orangutans in place of the elephants, but we’ve since had confirmation of Indian rhinoceros. How differently things could have turned out had their Bornean orangutan colony in the 1990’s bred. The premature death of the male (1989-1998) was unfortunate; and I’ve often wondered why his half-brother Isim (1994) was never sent in his place.