Taronga Western Plains Zoo Taronga Western Plains Zoo history

zoomaniac said:
Share your opinion again.

Just let us imagine what COULD be done with African AND Asian Elephants in zoos of Australia and NZL or what holders COULD keeping one of those in the region respectively:

I already mention the institutions, that are imo able to keep at least 2 individuals of Loxodonta africana. I want to add Sydney Zoo to those. Although Sydney Zoo already has Elephas maximus, it would make sense to switch the species as long as Taronga has it too (and if import regulations and interrests of Australasian zoos allow to go - more - this way one day).

For Elephas maximus, I can see the following institutions as (new) holders:
-Taronga Zoo Sydney, Australia Zoo, Orana and Darling Downs OR Wildlife HQ OR a new zoo in Brisbane and maybe Dubbo for herd/breeding groups
-Melbourne, Adelaide, Hunter Valley, Tasmania Zoo, Wellington, Auckland and maybe Hamilton for surplus bulls/older cows/other individuals.

Afaik, ZAA has still special connections to the Mandai Wildlife Reserve. So another reservoir to raise the E. m. population in the region could be the exchange with Singapore Zoo and Night Safari (leaving any different subspecies aside).

I know that keeping elephants isn't cheap. However, there must not always be a 50-Mio-USD-exhibit. If you have the space and the appropriate climate, it can be less expensive, so even non-metropolitan-cities could handle that. (I know there is more to look at, like experienced keepers, but it would be possible)

Sorry for being a little off topic;)
Click to expand...

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Just a few notes:

Taronga Zoo already hold Asian elephant (two females), but will be transferring these to Dubbo in the future.

Many of the zoos in Australasia have phased out elephants due to space including Wellington and Adelaide. Auckland, Melbourne and Perth are in the process of phasing them out. I can say with confidence none of these zoos will ever hold elephants again.

Tasmania Zoo and Wildlife HQ don’t have the space and Orana Wildlife Park and Hamilton Zoo don’t have the funding.

Adelaide and Melbourne have open range sister zoos and indeed Werribee are the next holder of this species (2024). It’s Monarto that represents the most likely chance of a new holder imo.
 
steveroberts said:
video family made visiting in 1998

Click to expand...

Thanks for sharing @steveroberts. It was great to see footage of the African elephants. I didn’t realise the bull, Congo, was tuskless. The cow with tusks was Cuddles; with Cheri and Yum Yum having stumps.

It was also nice to see a juvenile Brazilian tapir - complete with the requisite stripes! It sure if his parents were Tiapo and Tupi, who produced Arturo in 2006. I otherwise only know of one other Brazilian tapir bred at Dubbo (Branco, in 1990); with most of the Brazilian tapir in the region bred at Adelaide Zoo.
 
Osedax said:
Also interesting that the white rhinos and zebras were mixed.
Click to expand...

I saw the zebra and so wanted it to zoom in on them. They would have had a decent number of Grant’s zebras in their herd back then, following imports from Auckland Zoo in the 1980’s.

Orana tried the rhino/zebra mix. A stallion attacked a rhino and was killed when the rhino retaliated. :eek:
 
Osedax said:
Nice find! Great to see the African ele's, maned wolf, tapirs (especially the calf!), maras and a group of B+W ruffed lemurs rather than just the pair they have now. It's so odd to see giraffes reaching down to pick up white bread from the ground! Also interesting that the white rhinos and zebras were mixed.
Click to expand...

Zoofan15 said:
I saw the zebra and so wanted it to zoom in on them. They would have had a decent number of Grant’s zebras in their herd back then, following imports from Auckland Zoo in the 1980’s.

Orana tried the rhino/zebra mix. A stallion attacked a rhino and was killed when the rhino retaliated. :eek:
Click to expand...

The rhino/zebra mix lasted at Dubbo until 2003, when the rhino group had grown from 2 to 6, so there wasn't enough room for both species. The zebras went off-display until mid-2004 when they were moved into the former nilgai exhibit, which was located near the former lion exhibit (now the Waterhole precinct).
 
Abbey said:
The rhino/zebra mix lasted at Dubbo until 2003, when the rhino group had grown from 2 to 6, so there wasn't enough room for both species. The zebras went off-display until mid-2004 when they were moved into the former nilgai exhibit, which was located near the former lion exhibit (now the Waterhole precinct).
Click to expand...

It’s impressive they coexisted that long, especially it was a breeding herd with a stallion. They’re aggressive at the best of times, which appears to be heightened if they have mares/foals in the herd. Hamilton Zoo lost a juvenile Rothschild’s giraffe after it sustained injuries from being chased into a fence by their last Grant’s zebra stallion. He was retired to a farm home (not a euphemism :p) the following year.
 
found this on the Powerhouse Museum (Sydney) collection inventory site (source): Powerhouse Collection - Guide to the Western Plains Zoo leaflet from the Dahl and Geoffrey Collings Archive

Not sure what year the map is from (apologies if already posted by someone else):


Jcy50gf.md.png
 
Last edited:
steveroberts said:
found this on the Powerhouse Museum (Sydney) collection inventory site (source): Powerhouse Collection - Guide to the Western Plains Zoo leaflet from the Dahl and Geoffrey Collings Archive

Not sure what year the map is from (apologies if already posted by someone else):

Jcy50gf.md.png
Click to expand...

Great find! They have Bengal tiger listed (but no Sumatran). Their first Sumatran tigers were Shiva and Selatan’s triplets that were born in 1995 and transferred over at adolescence.

It’s also interesting to see the zebra noted to be Grant’s - suggesting late 80’s through to mid-90’s.
 
@Zoofan15

Thanks bro. Do you think its possible its probably before April 1984 as email from the zoo I got in 2020 says first Maned Wolf arrived from Taronga on April 11 1984 and they are not named on the map that I can see; and also the first Asian(xAfrican) Lions arriving in 1989 not being listed either? Tibooburra Red Kangaroos is an interesting specific on a clade of Reds have never heard of before (and probably a zoo invented one). Know of the tiny settlement of Tibooburra way out on the tri state 'corner country' of NSW, Qld and Sth Aus. Didnt know Western Plains had Entellus (Hanuman) Langurs once upon a time (probably did see it reported on here and forgot lol).
 
steveroberts said:
@Zoofan15

Thanks bro. Do you think its possible its probably before April 1984 as email from the zoo I got in 2020 says first Maned Wolf arrived from Taronga on April 11 1984 and they are not named on the map that I can see; and also the first Asian(xAfrican) Lions arriving in 1989 not being listed either? Tibooburra Red Kangaroos is an interesting specific on a clade of Reds have never heard of before (and probably a zoo invented one). Know of the tiny settlement of Tibooburra way out on the tri state 'corner country' of NSW, Qld and Sth Aus. Didnt know Western Plains had Entellus (Hanuman) Langurs once upon a time (probably did see it reported on here and forgot lol).
Click to expand...
I had a look on the website and it says circa. 1985.
 
steveroberts said:
@Zoofan15

Thanks bro. Do you think its possible its probably before April 1984 as email from the zoo I got in 2020 says first Maned Wolf arrived from Taronga on April 11 1984 and they are not named on the map that I can see; and also the first Asian(xAfrican) Lions arriving in 1989 not being listed either? Tibooburra Red Kangaroos is an interesting specific on a clade of Reds have never heard of before (and probably a zoo invented one). Know of the tiny settlement of Tibooburra way out on the tri state 'corner country' of NSW, Qld and Sth Aus. Didnt know Western Plains had Entellus (Hanuman) Langurs once upon a time (probably did see it reported on here and forgot lol).
Click to expand...
Patrick Keegan said:
I had a look on the website and it says circa. 1985.
Click to expand...

Yes, that all fits. Taronga Western Plains Zoo imported their first Grant’s zebra from Auckland Zoo in October 1983:

1.0 Sundance (1982) - died 1992
0.1 Misty (1982) - died 2003
1.0 Shannon (1983) - died 1996
0.1 Cilla (1983) - died 2009

It’s interesting to know Dubbo held ‘Bengal’ i.e. generic tiger as early as 1985. With Taronga’s Sumatran tiger breeding programme in full swing, they likely transferred over some of their hybrids. 1985 was an especially busy year for Taronga’s Sumatran tigers. In addition to Nico and Meta, they had Sinta and Usha (hand raised females from litters born December 1983 and March 1985) and Meta’s new litter (born September 1985), which she raised.
 
steveroberts said:
@Zoofan15

Thanks bro. Do you think its possible its probably before April 1984 as email from the zoo I got in 2020 says first Maned Wolf arrived from Taronga on April 11 1984 and they are not named on the map that I can see; and also the first Asian(xAfrican) Lions arriving in 1989 not being listed either? Tibooburra Red Kangaroos is an interesting specific on a clade of Reds have never heard of before (and probably a zoo invented one). Know of the tiny settlement of Tibooburra way out on the tri state 'corner country' of NSW, Qld and Sth Aus. Didnt know Western Plains had Entellus (Hanuman) Langurs once upon a time (probably did see it reported on here and forgot lol).
Click to expand...
I have a few early maps from the zoo opening in 1977 (filed away here somewhere) I seemed to recall a giant (South American) anteater being shown on the very early zoo maps, I never got to see any which was hardly surprising in the heat of the day.
The Entellus Langurs were there when I visited a couple of months after it first opened, I believe it was on the Island closest to the entry
 
Osedax said:
In 1982? they were gifted a pair of "Bengal tigers" from a couple who had imported them privately for their property. I'll see if I can find the full story again.
Click to expand...
I found it! Here is an extract from Taronga Western Plains Zoo: 40 Years In The Making, a souvenir magazine made for the zoo's 40th anniversary in 2017.

Kerry Packer once wanted two Bengal tigers on his 14,000 hectare property at Ellerston. He got the tiger cubs from England but after months of red tape from quarantine officials, Mr Packer gave up and donated the tigers - plus a free range compound and moat worth $50,000 - to the Western Plains Zoo.

The tigers (a pair named John and Sally) arrived in Dubbo on 12th February, 1981. Their exhibit was one of several new ones made around that time; exhibits for koalas, white rhinos, spider monkeys, dingoes and banteng also opened between 1979-81.
 
article about the zoo's Cheetahs from September 1987: https://ia802905.us.archive.org/16/...4-081-083/australian-zoologist-24-081-083.pdf

and video this video: Reuters India - WATCH: Australia is building the world's first platypus refuge at Taronga's Western Plains Zoo : Reuters India : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive - from 2021 about the Platypus and their specialised facilities being in the works for them at the zoo, pretty cute footage of the Platypuses and interesting brief comments about by Cameron Kerr - Taronga Conservation CEO
 
steveroberts said:
article about the zoo's Cheetahs from September 1987: https://ia802905.us.archive.org/16/...4-081-083/australian-zoologist-24-081-083.pdf

and video this video: Reuters India - WATCH: Australia is building the world's first platypus refuge at Taronga's Western Plains Zoo : Reuters India : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive - from 2021 about the Platypus and their specialised facilities being in the works for them at the zoo, pretty cute footage of the Platypuses and interesting brief comments about by Cameron Kerr - Taronga Conservation CEO
Click to expand...

What a fascinating article!

Kibo and Mikumi were sent to Orana Wildlife Park at 16 months of age and were the founders of their successful breeding programme. They each sired several cubs to Orana’s original breeding female, Malaika.

Yatima (1997), who was the daughter of Mikumi, is the
great grandmother of two of Orana’s three males - Gorse (2014) and Matata (2014), who were part of the last litter of Cheetah raised at Orana.

1.0 Kibo
Born 11 June 1987 at Taronga Western Plains Zoo
Sent to Orana Wildlife Park 29 October 1988
Died at Orana Wildlife Park 19 February 1999

1.0 Mikumi
Born 11 June 1987 at Taronga Western Plains Zoo
Sent to Orana Wildlife Park 29 October 1988
Died at Orana Wildlife Park 12 November 1998
 
https://ia601508.us.archive.org/0/items/WesternPlainsZooNSW/Western Plains Zoo NSW.mp4

(source: Western Plains Zoo NSW : Merv Thomas : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive)

Great video of the zoo by Merv Thomas few years back sometime between 1996 and 2002 (internet archive saying 1982 is an error) {*guess would be late 2000 or in 2001
theres a GST joke mentioned. Although Sumatran Tigers did not make an appearance}.

(side note: pronounciation in some of the video quite amusing, Siamang referred to as Sumatran monkey and sort of described as being apart from Gibbons, obvs' the intent was to talk about their distinctive size and robustness, but almost sounds like trying to classify them as being relatives of Gibbons rather than being them *unique to Syndactylus subfamily but still a member of Gibbon family. Lemur pronounciation kinda funny).

The baby Peccaries are so cute.

some of species in video:

African Hunting Dogs
B+W Ruffed Lemurs
Barbary Sheep
Bengal Tiger (including Bona the white Bengal Tiger)
Bilby
Black Rhino
Bongo
Burchell's Zebra
Cheetah
Collared Peccaries (including babies)
Dromedary Camel
Eland
Giraffe
Hippopotamus
Kangaroos
Lion
Meerkats
Przewalski's Horse
Ringtailed Lemurs
Siamang
Sth White Rhino
 
Last edited:
steveroberts said:
https://ia601508.us.archive.org/0/items/WesternPlainsZooNSW/Western Plains Zoo NSW.mp4

(source: Western Plains Zoo NSW : Merv Thomas : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive)

Great video of the zoo by Merv Thomas few years back sometime between 1996 and 2002 (internet archive saying 1982 is an error) {*guess would be late 2000 or in 2001
theres a GST joke mentioned. Although Sumatran Tigers did not make an appearance}.

(side note: pronounciation in some of the video quite amusing, Siamang referred to as Sumatran monkey and sort of described as being apart from Gibbons, obvs' the intent was to talk about their distinctive size and robustness, but almost sounds like trying to classify them as being relatives of Gibbons rather than being them *unique to Syndactylus subfamily but still a member of Gibbon family. Lemur pronounciation kinda funny).

The baby Peccaries are so cute.

some of species in video:

African Hunting Dogs
B+W Ruffed Lemurs
Barbary Sheep
Bengal Tiger (including Bona the white Bengal Tiger)
Bilby
Black Rhino
Bongo
Burchell's Zebra
Cheetah
Collared Peccaries (including babies)
Dromedary Camel
Eland
Giraffe
Hippopotamus
Kangaroos
Lion
Meerkats
Przewalski's Horse
Ringtailed Lemurs
Siamang
Sth White Rhino
Click to expand...

The young male lion at the start of the video would be Jasiri. He was born July 1999 at Melbourne Zoo and is under two years of age in this video. The lionesses who joined him from Taronga aren’t shown (they transferred over in 2001), so my guess is this video was taken late 2000/early 2001.

It’s strange they didn’t show the Sumatran tiger. They had at least one (Juara) at the time. I believe his brothers (Ramalon and Lari) had gone to Melbourne and Mogo respectively by that time.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top