Considering gestation is usually between five to six months it's amazing they've managed to breed again so quickly following their last litter just six months ago.
Gomez and Pepper also had twins in October of 2022, and twins in September of 2023.
Adelaide Zoo Adelaide Zoo News 2025
- Thread starter WhistlingKite24
- Start date
Gomez and Pepper also had twins in October of 2022, and twins in September of 2023.
5-7 months is actually a standard natural birth interval for Cotton-top tamarin.
Auckland Zoo’s most successful breeding female tamarin produced nine litters between 1996 and 2001. The first seven surviving litters were all followed by birth intervals of 5-7 months. Her one non-surviving litter was interestingly followed by her longest birth interval (eight months); and the ninth litter was her last with that male, so the birth interval was N/A.
That Aussie Guy
Well-Known Member
I visited Adelaide Zoo yesterday, and noticed and found out a few changes and exciting developments.
New Maned Wolf
A new maned wolf has arrived from Wildlife HQ! I can't remember his name, but he arrived on the 28th of February, and introductions were being held yesterday. From what I saw and what I heard from a keeper watching the introduction, they are tolerating each other, but haven't actually interacted much. While I was watching, Ninka was laying in her tunnel/den, while the new male was walking through the plants and exploring the enclosure. The short dead-end path near them has been fenced off during the introductions.
Capybara Update
I don't know how long it's been like this, but the capybara have access to most of the yard of the old farmyard contact area, as well as the old little penguin enclosure. A small mud wallow(?) pond has been dug in that yard too, giving the capybaras overall a quite large and suitable enclosure. Salvador (the largest and oldest of the capybara), turns 1 this month.
Envirodome
Yellow seahorses are no longer kept in the Envirodome. With this tank, the pig-nosed turtle tank, and the old katydid/Southern angle-headed dragon tanks all empty, and missing signage (in the case of the new fish tank), the Envirodome could really use a renovation. ZoosSA recently sent out a survey to those subscribed to their e-news, where one of the questions asks about which new developments you're most excited about, with an Envirodome refurbishment being one of the options, so hopefully we see this happen soon.
Aldabra Giant Tortoise/Spur-Thighed Tortoise Shelter
The shelter for the tortoises, in the far back corner of their enclosure, adjacent to Arturo's yard, has been demolished, with intentions to rebuild it.
Panda Updates
Xing Qiu and Yi Lan have a black curtain between their two indoor enclosures, as well as white paint over one of the windows. I was informed that they're trying to prevent them from having too much of a relationship prior to breeding, which will hopefully lead to increased mating activity when they are introduced.
Black-Footed Tree Rat Death
The black-footed tree rat has passed away. Her aviary is now home to three potoroos, and their joey.
Rock Wallaby/Kangaroo Enclosure Fencing
New fencing is being built for the rock wallaby and kangaroo enclosure. Contrary to the old fencing, which was low with the use of a dry moat to keep the animals in, the new fence is the same standard mesh, but is quite tall, with a big overhang, which does make viewing less pleasant.
Red-Tailed Phascogale in the Nocturnal House
Signage has gone up in the Nocturnal House for red-tailed phascogales where I believe the mulgara used to be. The enclosure was empty and the signage extremely new-looking, however, so I'm assuming that they haven't actually moved in yet, but will be in the near future.
Cape Barren Goose Aviary Change
The Cape Barren geese have been moved into the large aviary opposite the front of the Nocturnal House, rather than in their shared enclosure with the pelicans. I was informed that this is a temporary change as a fox was sighted at the zoo.
Sumatran Tiger Updates
All the Sumatran tigers have been separated, and are now all kept in separate enclosures, with rotations allowing two individuals to be on display at a time.
New Maned Wolf
A new maned wolf has arrived from Wildlife HQ! I can't remember his name, but he arrived on the 28th of February, and introductions were being held yesterday. From what I saw and what I heard from a keeper watching the introduction, they are tolerating each other, but haven't actually interacted much. While I was watching, Ninka was laying in her tunnel/den, while the new male was walking through the plants and exploring the enclosure. The short dead-end path near them has been fenced off during the introductions.
Capybara Update
I don't know how long it's been like this, but the capybara have access to most of the yard of the old farmyard contact area, as well as the old little penguin enclosure. A small mud wallow(?) pond has been dug in that yard too, giving the capybaras overall a quite large and suitable enclosure. Salvador (the largest and oldest of the capybara), turns 1 this month.
Envirodome
Yellow seahorses are no longer kept in the Envirodome. With this tank, the pig-nosed turtle tank, and the old katydid/Southern angle-headed dragon tanks all empty, and missing signage (in the case of the new fish tank), the Envirodome could really use a renovation. ZoosSA recently sent out a survey to those subscribed to their e-news, where one of the questions asks about which new developments you're most excited about, with an Envirodome refurbishment being one of the options, so hopefully we see this happen soon.
Aldabra Giant Tortoise/Spur-Thighed Tortoise Shelter
The shelter for the tortoises, in the far back corner of their enclosure, adjacent to Arturo's yard, has been demolished, with intentions to rebuild it.
Panda Updates
Xing Qiu and Yi Lan have a black curtain between their two indoor enclosures, as well as white paint over one of the windows. I was informed that they're trying to prevent them from having too much of a relationship prior to breeding, which will hopefully lead to increased mating activity when they are introduced.
Black-Footed Tree Rat Death
The black-footed tree rat has passed away. Her aviary is now home to three potoroos, and their joey.
Rock Wallaby/Kangaroo Enclosure Fencing
New fencing is being built for the rock wallaby and kangaroo enclosure. Contrary to the old fencing, which was low with the use of a dry moat to keep the animals in, the new fence is the same standard mesh, but is quite tall, with a big overhang, which does make viewing less pleasant.
Red-Tailed Phascogale in the Nocturnal House
Signage has gone up in the Nocturnal House for red-tailed phascogales where I believe the mulgara used to be. The enclosure was empty and the signage extremely new-looking, however, so I'm assuming that they haven't actually moved in yet, but will be in the near future.
Cape Barren Goose Aviary Change
The Cape Barren geese have been moved into the large aviary opposite the front of the Nocturnal House, rather than in their shared enclosure with the pelicans. I was informed that this is a temporary change as a fox was sighted at the zoo.
Sumatran Tiger Updates
All the Sumatran tigers have been separated, and are now all kept in separate enclosures, with rotations allowing two individuals to be on display at a time.
Thank you for this comprehensive update, it’s much appreciated!
Wow, I’m surprised to hear all the Sumatran tigers have been separated (basically Delilah from her three cubs, which are now all living separately). Although well and truly past the dispersal age, having Delilah on contraception would have potentially allowed her to tolerate living with one of her daughters long term. The male cub is due to be exported to the US mid-2025; and one of the female cubs is reportedly transfering out; but separating Delilah and the remaining female cub could suggest an intent to breed from Delilah again in the future (as oppose to putting her on contraception). With a number of facilities housing ageing tigers and a reported lack of surplus to replace them (that saw two Sumatran holders go into generics), this wouldn’t be hard to imagine.
The male Maned wolf would be Nico, Toco or Rocco (brothers born circa July 2024 at Wildlife HQ).
Adelaide's intentions to construct a third tiger exhibit on the site of the old Lion exhibit seem to also further solidify their intentions to breed from Delilah again. Whether that will be with Kembali or another, new male brought in. I had previously thought they may have considered pairing up one of her offspring instead but they may as well try with Delilah again.
The separation of the two female cubs is surprising yet supports what we heard about one of the female cubs transferring out. It's possible she could be sent away for breeding purposes, but I wonder if there's instead the chance that the two female cubs didn't get along in a pair and they're sending away the other female cub as a result. It wouldn't make much sense in a population sense to breed from Delilah again, and also one of her daughters considering their genetic value.
Kembali and his twin sister at Hamilton Zoo (Kirana) are the only offspring of the founder Oz to breed in the region, so there’d definitely be value in their descendants - and potentially breeding from Kembali again (with Delilah). The only surprise to me was these twins were paired with twins (Scout and Delilah) - the result being four young females of equivalent genetic value (with a fifth, a male, soon to leave the region).
Presumably Ramah and Zayana at Auckland Zoo will produce a second litter, meaning I don’t anticipate Hamilton’s cubs to breed in New Zealand in the near future. It makes the most sense for their Australian counterparts to breed; perhaps with Hamilton’s cubs either remaining with their mother (if a cohesive trio can be maintained); or one or both of the cubs transfer to Wellington as and when their ageing pair pass on. Like Adelaide, Hamilton plan to build a third exhibit, but will otherwise have five tigers to rotate between their exhibits. I remain of the opinion that Cahya transferring to Orana to pair with Reggie is a strong likelihood.
Adelaide’s third exhibit will still be a while off, so further breeding may be delayed until then. Delilah is nine years old, so could comfortably wait at least another three years until it becomes more critical to breed (also bearing in mind Kembali will be in his mid-teens by then).
That Aussie Guy
Well-Known Member
I forgot to add as well, and I don't know if it's been reported yet or not, but some of the fencing around the mesh viewing area for the baboons has come down. There is still a fence that keeps you a fair distance away from the mesh, but you can now clearly look through it to see them. The glass window into their enclosure is still closed off and I believe painted over, however, to prevent them seeing their reflection in the glass and thus being triggered into anger.
The aviary row opposite the giraffes/meerkats is destined to become a carnivorous plant garden, which will be quite interesting to see once completed!
The aviary row opposite the giraffes/meerkats is destined to become a carnivorous plant garden, which will be quite interesting to see once completed!
Thanks for the update.
@Swanson02 advised the plan was to replace the glass on the Hamadryas baboon exhibit (which has cracks) with mesh. The alpha male became stressed due to interactions with visitors through the glass, which he perceived as threatening. Unfortunately (like many primates), baboons are highly reactive to the general public - which rewards their inappropriate behaviour (such as attempts to provoke them).
The alpha male baboon, Tomkay (2014), is far from an ideal leader, with reports he attacks his females. It’s likely the exhibit (which is claustrophobic) exacerbates this issue; but a lack of discipline from his father and the small troop size he grew up in undoubtedly contributed to his behaviour. Adelaide has housed baboons in this exhibit for many years without the issues they’re having with this troop now.
I’m hopeful the move to Monarto will be a positive for the baboon troop. Additional females (probably from Sydney Zoo since the troop is closely related to the Melbourne troop) would allow the beta male Djibouti (2016) to establish a harem, reducing his tendency to cause trouble in the troop.
That Aussie Guy
Well-Known Member
I was waiting for email confirmation of my suspicions before saying anything, but with the recent sad news about the Melbourne coatis, I thought it best to announce briefly now. The Fennec foxes have moved into the old South American coati enclosure, and the coati was nowhere to be seen. I didn't ask any keepers about anything, but I think I can safely say this is the end for South American coatis being on display in Australia. Whether or not the last individual is still surviving, I don't know, hence the email confirmation I'm seeking.
Following the passings of the recent two females, we do know Adelaide were actively monitoring their last female, Samba (2011) as the passings of her two sisters would've surely had a profound effect on her. Hopefully she's just been retired off display.
Luckily Darling Downs plan to acquire Coatis in the near future, so hopefully this won't spell the end of Coatis within the region.
Do the Fennec Foxes have access to both enclosures now?
Adelaide Zoo’s last coati was still alive as of a month ago (I don’t know whether she was on display or not at that point); but many zoos hold elderly animals off display in their final years (Melbourne’s last two coati being a recent example).
An import of nine coati is expected by the end of 2025, so hopefully this is just the beginning of a revival of this species in Australia.
For now though, it appears there are indeed no coati on display in Australia.
Michael Stace
Active Member
As today is National Panda Day, I was wondering if anyone here has asked any keepers recently if the zoo intends to start a VIP Panda experience with Xing Qiu and Yi Lan at some point in the future or is it too early to say?
Once they’ve settled in (which shouldn’t be far away), I’m sure they’ll start one up. They ran with Wang Wang and Funi, so I don’t see why not.
It would be an ideal time now while the pandas are pre-reproductive; but even once of breeding age, running encounters outside of breeding season should in no way impair their chances of breeding.
Once breeding season has passed, the female will undergo either a pregnancy or pseudo pregnancy (which are indistinguishable via visual observation), so any disruption will be minimised during this time.
Giant Panda Visitor Numbers
Since Xing Qui and Yi Lan went on display in January 2025, 47000 people have visited the zoo.
New Pandas Begin Life at Adelaide Zoo
Comparative stats:
In the first six months of Wang Wang and Funi’s arrival at Adelaide Zoo, 328,000 people visited the zoo.
In the three months Xiao Xiao and Fei Fei were at Auckland Zoo in 1988-1989, 300,000 people visited them.
300,000 people visited Xiao Xiao and Fei Fei at Taronga Zoo; but given Sydney’s population was nearly triple Adelaide and Auckland’s, I will exclude it from the analysis below.
————————
These stats clearly illustrate the influence of the novelty factor versus the duration of the stay:
Xiao Xiao and Fei Fei were exhibited at Auckland Zoo for three months from 1988-1989 (following a three month stay at Taronga and Melbourne Zoo). Aside from the fact that many people visiting had never seen a Giant panda before, the short duration of their stay meant people were fully aware it was a limited time offer to see them.
What’s interesting is that despite the knowledge Adelaide’s first pair of Giant pandas would be staying in Adelaide for at least five years, visitation numbers were still an impressive 50% of the 1988-1989 touring pair at Auckland. It clearly illustrates the appeal of a novel and charismatic species many of the people visiting Adelaide Zoo had never seen before.
If we project the two month visitation numbers for Adelaide’s current pair to six months (which is a generous estimate when you consider the first couple of months will likely be busier than the third through to six month), it arrives at less than half of what the previous pair attracted. It’s understandable when Adelaide Zoo has had the species for 15 years; and will have them for at least the next five years.
It’ll be interesting to see how visitors numbers track over the next five years; especially if this pair are successful in producing Australia’s first Giant panda cub, which would undoubtedly see a monumental surge in visitation during the cub’s first year.
Since Xing Qui and Yi Lan went on display in January 2025, 47000 people have visited the zoo.
New Pandas Begin Life at Adelaide Zoo
Comparative stats:
In the first six months of Wang Wang and Funi’s arrival at Adelaide Zoo, 328,000 people visited the zoo.
In the three months Xiao Xiao and Fei Fei were at Auckland Zoo in 1988-1989, 300,000 people visited them.
300,000 people visited Xiao Xiao and Fei Fei at Taronga Zoo; but given Sydney’s population was nearly triple Adelaide and Auckland’s, I will exclude it from the analysis below.
————————
These stats clearly illustrate the influence of the novelty factor versus the duration of the stay:
Xiao Xiao and Fei Fei were exhibited at Auckland Zoo for three months from 1988-1989 (following a three month stay at Taronga and Melbourne Zoo). Aside from the fact that many people visiting had never seen a Giant panda before, the short duration of their stay meant people were fully aware it was a limited time offer to see them.
What’s interesting is that despite the knowledge Adelaide’s first pair of Giant pandas would be staying in Adelaide for at least five years, visitation numbers were still an impressive 50% of the 1988-1989 touring pair at Auckland. It clearly illustrates the appeal of a novel and charismatic species many of the people visiting Adelaide Zoo had never seen before.
If we project the two month visitation numbers for Adelaide’s current pair to six months (which is a generous estimate when you consider the first couple of months will likely be busier than the third through to six month), it arrives at less than half of what the previous pair attracted. It’s understandable when Adelaide Zoo has had the species for 15 years; and will have them for at least the next five years.
It’ll be interesting to see how visitors numbers track over the next five years; especially if this pair are successful in producing Australia’s first Giant panda cub, which would undoubtedly see a monumental surge in visitation during the cub’s first year.
That Aussie Guy
Well-Known Member
Splendid Tree Frogs are now being kept in the enclosure previously housing katydids/Southern angle-headed dragon, with hope that breeding will occur.
It’s inevitable it will attract criticism with one of many arguments against funding the loan of Giant pandas being that it detracts from conservation programmes for native species.
Ultimately, any debates are pointless. A loan of five years has been agreed to and the pandas will be here for the duration - might as well enjoy them!
I’m sure it’s been a real delight for visitors to see young pandas in Adelaide once again given Wang Wang and Funi were in their late teens by the time of their departure.
In all the articles I’ve read on the loan of Xiao Xiao and Fei Fei in 1988-1989 (to Taronga, Melbourne and Auckland), the three year old Fei Fei was described as particularly charismatic due to her playfulness.
The acquisition of pre-reproductive pandas by Adelaide Zoo was apparently intentional, allowing Yi Lan time to acclimatise to the Southern Hemisphere breeding season (which varies by six months from their home range).
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Really good forward thinking from Adelaide - hopefully this results in breeding success eventually!