Perth Zoo Species gained and/or lost at Perth Zoo since 1992
- Thread starter steveroberts
- Start date
Heres the initial plan for the zoo from what can see when was being built between 1895 and 1898
(source: Perth 18/41. Plan of Acclimatization Society's Gardens, South Perth (Perth Zoo) bounded by Labouchere & Mill Point Roads & Onslow & Angelo Streets [scale: 1 chain to an inch]. - State Records Office of WA):
The site was chosen by the director of Melbourne Zoo, Albert Le Souef, who had modelled Melbourne Zoo on London Zoo. His son was the first director of Perth Zoo and you can see the influence of London Zoo and Melbourne Zoo on Perth Zoo with regards to the park like layout
From the zoo’s website:
When the 41-acre South Perth site was chosen in 1897, meticulous planning of the gardens became a priority. Head gardener Henry Steedman, together with Zoo founder Ernest Le Souef, dedicated countless hours to create a botanical haven. Cartloads of manure were brought in daily for two years to enrich the sandy, nutrient-poor soil. An artesian bore was sunk to irrigate the plants and trees sourced from all corners of the British empire.
The gardens flourished, boasting rose beds, lupin fields, exotic tropical plants, and a majestic collection of 60 palm tree species that still grace our grounds today.
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Think it is/was planned to be an additional exhibit for the hunting dog/painted dogs they can use with the Savannah expansion. Not sure if this is still the plan though, hope it is very much. When cheetahs were no longer at the zoo after Kifani died in 2015 and given her exhibit was then 'earmarked' for expanded lion exhibit which made complete sense, had really daydreamed that the Oak lawn could be renovated and turned into a medium sized exhibit for 2.0 or 3.0 sibling cheetahs to live in (and one of the individuals at a time could spend time in eastern state zoos for breeding purposes occasionally). At other times thought perhaps a serval habitat or larger hamadryas baboon habitat; but expanded space for the hunting dogs to use is a really good use for the area if it is still part of the expansion plan.
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No, the masterplan suggests it will be retained as a green space.
It was regarded one of the best tennis courts in Australia, hosting the Australasian Championships in 1909.
It’s progression to a giraffe exhibit actually makes perfect sense when you consider it was a large, flat piece of land - perfect for giraffes.
Source: Perth Zoo
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Oak Lawn is lucrative as a wedding venue for the zoo, so unfortunately it appears plans are to retain it for that purpose. The website noted it was closed for several months until December 2024 for maintenance, so unsure what those changes have been.
Your ideas are much better. Especially using it as a Hamadryas baboon exhibit. Had they expanded the old exhibit (now housing lemur), they could have easily accommodated a decent sized troop of baboons, which would have been a great attraction for the zoo.
Ah dang once a spot is a popular wedding venue and the money paid to the zoo to use, cannot see the zoo wanting to part with considering the money would go towards the zoo's operational costs (and while would love to say ''just use the main lawn'' get that the Oak lawn's appeal is its seclusiveness whether as main lawn cannot really tell general visitors they cant sit on at times because of a wedding ceremony. Fighting the urge of saying ''its a zoo not a wedding venue! animal based habitat space takes priority infinity-fold!'' lol. Wonder what is the plan with the rainforest retreat area.
btw thanks for the tennis court photo too and for the info about the actual site of the zoo being chosen in 1897 so the concept map could not be any earlier than that (think got mixed up because saw a mention once of 1895 being the acclimitisation board's initial meetings about establishing a zoo for Perth, the location not chosen then yet though as now know).
There’s a good overview of the zoo’s history here - including old photos and the video you shared last year. It still amazes me the zoo once had free-ranging baboons!
History
Yes, the map was dated 1898, so was a year after the site was selected. It’s impressive how quickly they held a meeting, made a plan and opened a zoo - all within 2-3 years. How many times have we seen a decade of discussions come to nothing this day and age?
Especially before CITES etc. it was a lot easier to import species. While most came from the wild, zoos clearly realised the benefit of captive breeding to establish sustainable populations (albeit often inbred) and for the purpose of exchange. Hippopotamus were worth a considerable amount and unlike elephants and etc. bred well enough for surplus to be sold/exchanged.
ramsayi
Well-Known Member
they took out the old shaded seating and put in new shade and seating, some of it was still being done on my last trip but i guess they wanted to be able to use the grass for zooyear so opened up what was done and are just finishing the last bit up.
ramsayi
Well-Known Member
ended up going today no frogs in the noc house any more, there are some in the building by wetlands.
5 splendid tree frogs
7 green treefrogs (only saw 3)
4 white lipped tree frog (only saw 3)
what i saw in the noc house was
tawny frogmouth
bilby
Western ringtail possum
Margaret river hairy marron
Dibbler
cane toad
Ghost bat
Rough scaled python
Jungle Carpet Python
Slow loriss
Savannah glider
Black footed tree rat
Hide beetle
monteith's leaf insect
spiny leaf insect.
Feathertail glider
a fair few spots where off display.
So apparently the last Maned wolves at Perth Zoo were named Arafat 1.0 born Perth Zoo 3 July 1985 to dam Juanita 0.1 & sire Dort 1.0; and Arafat's son Rapulo 1.0 born at PZ 1 October 1987 to dam **Joan 0.1 (she was also born at Perth Zoo - on 6 July 1985); they left the zoo on 11 April 1995 for TWPZ Dubbo (where many of their family had already previously gone to); Arafat died shortly after arriving there on 11 May 1985, and Rapulo died there at TWPZ on 21 June 2001.
The first Maned wolves at Perth Zoo were paternal half-siblings Juan 1.0 (born 16 December 1980) & Juanita 0.1 (born 1 February 1981) - who as mentioned was Arafat's dam. Both Juan & Juanita were born at Berlin Zoo and arrived at Perth Zoo on 28 July 1981 (and were the first Maned wolves in Australia, as far as is currently known). Juan died at Taronga Zoo on 8 January 1994 (he arrived there on 17 July 1992 from Melbourne Zoo where he'd been sent 17 April 1986) and Juanita died at Perth Zoo on 20 January 1986.
**Joan 0.1 died at Adelaide Zoo on 21 May 2000 where she had lived since being sent there 2 November 1993 (from PZ). She birthed 12 pups across 4 litters she had - between October 1987 and June 1990.
And also was a big mistake of mine thinking that the last Maned wolf(ves) left the zoo in September 1995 when was actually April 1995. I apologise majorly for that mistake, and for any errors with anyone else's posts because of my misinformation.
The first Maned wolves at Perth Zoo were paternal half-siblings Juan 1.0 (born 16 December 1980) & Juanita 0.1 (born 1 February 1981) - who as mentioned was Arafat's dam. Both Juan & Juanita were born at Berlin Zoo and arrived at Perth Zoo on 28 July 1981 (and were the first Maned wolves in Australia, as far as is currently known). Juan died at Taronga Zoo on 8 January 1994 (he arrived there on 17 July 1992 from Melbourne Zoo where he'd been sent 17 April 1986) and Juanita died at Perth Zoo on 20 January 1986.
**Joan 0.1 died at Adelaide Zoo on 21 May 2000 where she had lived since being sent there 2 November 1993 (from PZ). She birthed 12 pups across 4 litters she had - between October 1987 and June 1990.
And also was a big mistake of mine thinking that the last Maned wolf(ves) left the zoo in September 1995 when was actually April 1995. I apologise majorly for that mistake, and for any errors with anyone else's posts because of my misinformation.
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There is a report in one of the copies of Thylacinus that covers the various bloodlines for the breeding program at Perth. It was only one individual which finally left Perth for Dubbo in 1995 - I assume they left separately? Lived in the smaller of the two bear exhibits, prior to the arrival of the Cambodian sun bear trio.
(Thanks to @Newzooboy and @snowleopard so much for the maps btw)
Had been curious with the maned wolves at the zoo because their original two (fairly big) exhibits
shown on the c.1975 map were (numbered as 29 & 30) originally used for jabirus/black-necked storks and peafowl respectively, were repurposed for the arriving maned wolves in the early 1980s until I believe about 1988 (other two maps from c.1987 show the symbol of maned wolf for the zoo's individuals in these exhibits:
Map - 1975 - ZooChat
Zoo Map - 1987 - ZooChat
Map - 1987 - ZooChat
and additionally (uploaded file at bottom) from this 1985 aerial shot of the zoo can see the exhibits.
My understanding though is that the construction for what became 'Harmony Farm' (known just as 'The Homstead' since sometime in 1997) on the site of these maned wolfs' exhibits began in 1988. The maned wolves were either not on public-display at the zoo anymore or a new of the individuals were housed in one or two of the concrete and bar 'pit' exhibits - listed as number 22 on directly above c.'87 map, neighbouring Barney & Missy the Syrian brown bears, Mawar & Shah the sun bears, and the zoo's striped hyenas and African hunting dogs (the latter may have not been at the zoo at the time, if that was the case some more did arrive prior to 'African Savannah' opening, but that is an African hunting dog symbol on map above am certain - but I digress.
Though sometime in 1992 when sun bear 0.1 Mawar died (her companion 0.1 Shah the year before) their (c.1988 completed) exhibit in the bears exhibit complex thenbecame home to either Arafat 1.0 or Rapulo 1.0 the maned wolf(ves) until their April 1995 departure to Dubbo (where the number 17 is marked on c.1999 map below naming the bear exhibit complex is right exactly where that exhibit is - now has been Raja the Komodo dragon's exhibit for past almost 12 years as you all know).
Perth Zoo Map - Any idea of year? - ZooChat
But had been curious where perhaps the maned wolves had been housed at the zoo in the between years (c.1988-1992) as the old bear and dog 'pit' exhibits had been vacated of their animal residents around the time the new bear exhibit complex opened.
In June 2021 asked Perth Zoo about and got this email reply info:
''..spoke to our Records Officer who advised that some of the group was housed in our quarantine block and others in a large off display enclosure near the nursery.''
(just thought would post in case anyone was interested; wasnt sure whether to here or Maned Wolf thread, but thought probably more logical to here).
**to be brutally honest, the latter exhibit they lived in (and the old bear 'pit' exhibit(s) if any of them did indeed live there a while) was a very 'raw deal' for them in comparison to their original two exhibits, the large off-display enclosure near the zoo's nursery sounded decent though depending on how 'large' is to be interpreted. Sorry Perth Zoo, still '' love ya' '' though.
Had been curious with the maned wolves at the zoo because their original two (fairly big) exhibits
shown on the c.1975 map were (numbered as 29 & 30) originally used for jabirus/black-necked storks and peafowl respectively, were repurposed for the arriving maned wolves in the early 1980s until I believe about 1988 (other two maps from c.1987 show the symbol of maned wolf for the zoo's individuals in these exhibits:
Map - 1975 - ZooChat
Zoo Map - 1987 - ZooChat
Map - 1987 - ZooChat
and additionally (uploaded file at bottom) from this 1985 aerial shot of the zoo can see the exhibits.
My understanding though is that the construction for what became 'Harmony Farm' (known just as 'The Homstead' since sometime in 1997) on the site of these maned wolfs' exhibits began in 1988. The maned wolves were either not on public-display at the zoo anymore or a new of the individuals were housed in one or two of the concrete and bar 'pit' exhibits - listed as number 22 on directly above c.'87 map, neighbouring Barney & Missy the Syrian brown bears, Mawar & Shah the sun bears, and the zoo's striped hyenas and African hunting dogs (the latter may have not been at the zoo at the time, if that was the case some more did arrive prior to 'African Savannah' opening, but that is an African hunting dog symbol on map above am certain - but I digress.
Though sometime in 1992 when sun bear 0.1 Mawar died (her companion 0.1 Shah the year before) their (c.1988 completed) exhibit in the bears exhibit complex thenbecame home to either Arafat 1.0 or Rapulo 1.0 the maned wolf(ves) until their April 1995 departure to Dubbo (where the number 17 is marked on c.1999 map below naming the bear exhibit complex is right exactly where that exhibit is - now has been Raja the Komodo dragon's exhibit for past almost 12 years as you all know).
Perth Zoo Map - Any idea of year? - ZooChat
But had been curious where perhaps the maned wolves had been housed at the zoo in the between years (c.1988-1992) as the old bear and dog 'pit' exhibits had been vacated of their animal residents around the time the new bear exhibit complex opened.
In June 2021 asked Perth Zoo about and got this email reply info:
''..spoke to our Records Officer who advised that some of the group was housed in our quarantine block and others in a large off display enclosure near the nursery.''
(just thought would post in case anyone was interested; wasnt sure whether to here or Maned Wolf thread, but thought probably more logical to here).
**to be brutally honest, the latter exhibit they lived in (and the old bear 'pit' exhibit(s) if any of them did indeed live there a while) was a very 'raw deal' for them in comparison to their original two exhibits, the large off-display enclosure near the zoo's nursery sounded decent though depending on how 'large' is to be interpreted. Sorry Perth Zoo, still '' love ya' '' though.
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The oryx were phased out due to a lack of suitability to a city zoo. I’m not sure if they were purebred Scimitar-horned oryx (or hybrids with Gemsbok like the last of the Auckland/Hamilton stock), but like Auckland and Hamilton Zoo, Perth Zoo clearly decided the oryx were better suited to breeding large herds at open range zoos.
Jaiden
Well-Known Member
Thanks it does make sense since of lack of Sustainability and space maybe in the future we can see them again
Wow great work again Jaiden, yeah the baboons now lemur exhibit was there from the start but didnt have the baboon quintet troop living in it until 1996 for some reason; just was empty or had Egyptian geese in sometimes (the vervets the original intended inhabitants kept escaping), and the serval exhibit and sometimes meerkat or lovebirds exhibit next door were empty for first few years too (the hyraxes imported as original planned residences had to be euthanised because of tuberculosis believe it was). Mungo the serval got roam of one of the enclosures in 1997 sometime and eventually roam of the next door enclosure too (believe one of the poor meerkats tunneled its way into Mungo's exhibit unfortunately and got eaten by him, had lovebirds in the other exhibit for a fair while too, then Mungo had both exhibits before he died in March '03). Way too small a living space for a serval these days, but they used to plant food high up on the ledges etc and some hidden as enrichment for him.
The original oryxes arrived at the zoo in '87 from Marwell (think 1.3) and about 12 were born at Perth Zoo between Aug '88 and Oct' '91; some were sent to Tipperary and Monarto during the 1990s and then the last few went to Dubbo in either May '98 or May '99 (their studbook says May 1999 but believe might of been a typo).
Jaiden
Well-Known Member
Wow 12 is a lot to be born in a city Zoo
Yeah it is hey. Not sure where they were housed before their exhibit was built (well were old ungulate yards but my understanding is they were all demolished for the Savannah construction with the exception of Himalayan tahr exhibit for few years longer they remained and old Japanese macaque exhibit until 1999 nearby). Well either way their exhibit was never suitable for them being a hill exhibit it suited the hyenas much better. Was surprised that the Pearl Coast Zoo scimitar oryxes and Perth's oryxes besides both herds coming from the UK and many ending up at Tipperary or their descendants, were not connected imports besides the state and country of import origins.
Is possible the last few oryx did leave in May 1999 for Dubbo but they left that exhibit in mid 1998 for the hunting dogs to take over while their exhibit was renovated a bit for the lion trio 1.2. Then the surviving two 0.2 hunting dogs left the exhibit in early early '99 after being the only ones in their small pack not to eat the accidentally euthanasia formula laced horse meat in late '98 (was either 1.1 or 0.2, the two most dominant dogs in the pack who died from, and the pack of four became a duo of two surviving females believe), they those last two hunting dogs were then moved to the old lion exhibit (now Jaya's southmost yard), and the hyenas moved in as Zoofan15 mentioned.
Thing is wonder if the last few oryxes were kept at the zoo's food-growing site in Byford they had at the time perhaps, for a short while before being moved to Dubbo, if not then bts on site somewhere.
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