Hopefully some young can be retained for our own zoos in the future as it appears there are a few single aged animals currently held and numbers are likely to drop over the next few years
Adelaide Zoo Adelaide Zoo News 2025
- Thread starter WhistlingKite24
- Start date
Adelaide Zoo will be retaining the third cub in this litter; but I agree the ageing population of tigers in something that needs to be addressed.
13 Sumatran tigers were imported in Australasia between 2000-2008 (with a baby boom following); but since then, there’s just been two tigers imported (Ramah and Zayana in 2022).
With Ramah and Zayana receiving a breeding recommendation for another litter, it’s possible the species coordinator will wait and see what that yields before making further recommendations. Cubs from this paring could provide mates for the tigers at Taronga and Australia Zoo, with the latter having several young tigers surplus via the three siblings of whatever tiger they breed with from their younger cohort.
Long term, it’d be nice to see some fresh imports of course.
A few updates from the Zoos SA Annual Report 2024-2025:
- 107 Red-tailed Phascogales were bred at Adelaide Zoo and 97 of them were released into the wild.
- 15 Regent Honeyeaters and eight Little Penguins hatched at the zoo. Two wild-born penguins further joined the colony.
- a Pink Cockatoo hatched as well at the zoo. The chick will be used in the free-flight show.
- Twelve Giant Burrowing Cockroaches, two Murray-Darling Carpet Pythons and a new African Spurred Tortoise arrived.
- Three Western Swamp Turtles hatched at Adelaide after being laid at Monarto.
- The new flocking aviary for Orange-bellied Parrot at the zoo will be for specifically 40 non-breeding, non-releasable individuals helping to alleviate regional housing pressure to allow the program to function well.
Hamadryas baboon infant:
I see the 2024/2025 annual report also mentions the birth of a male Hamadryas baboon infant.
It appears it was a non-surviving infant as the youngest male currently in the troop was born 2023; and as of their August 2025 update (i.e after the annual report ended 30/06/2025), there was no mention of an infant in the troop.
I will follow up with the zoo.
1.0 Tomkay (2014) Horus x Chappi
0.1 Quasi (2017) Jabari x Qetesh
0.1 Lily (2022) Tomkay x Quasi
1.0 Jabari (2023) Tomkay x Quasi
1.0 Djibouti (2016) Horus x Chappi
0.1 Mahali (2018) Jabari x Macey
It's good to see them investing in orange bellies, it's still annoying that they have never allowed private aviculture to help out with them. I know many breeders of Neophema that would happily take on and breed them.
Especially after this years wild counts may not trend as high as last years.
That Aussie Guy
Well-Known Member
One was on display a few months ago during my last visit, but I'm excited to hear they obtained a second individual. A very nice species to see return after a few-year absence, and certainly a great species to add some more interest to the Envirodome
Perth Zoo's last Red Panda - female Maiya - has been transferred to Adelaide Zoo for breeding purposes with male Ravi - confirmed via email a few days ago.
That Aussie Guy
Well-Known Member
Adelaide Zoo has a second African Spurred Tortoise!
While the tortoise mentioned is the one that came to them a year ago, the video makes frequent allusions to there being more than one African Spurred Tortoise, and this frame in particular shows what appears to be a second AST between the focus tortoise and Aonika. Where it came from, I'm not sure, perhaps from Hunter Valley Zoo which according to the Exotic Reptiles thread held one individual too? Can anyone confirm?
Video Link:
EDIT: That might explain this @Osedax: Hunter Valley Zoo News [Hunter Valley Zoo]
As such, it can be assumed that the second tortoise has been transferred, making Adelaide Zoo the sole holder of the two females in the region
While the tortoise mentioned is the one that came to them a year ago, the video makes frequent allusions to there being more than one African Spurred Tortoise, and this frame in particular shows what appears to be a second AST between the focus tortoise and Aonika. Where it came from, I'm not sure, perhaps from Hunter Valley Zoo which according to the Exotic Reptiles thread held one individual too? Can anyone confirm?
Video Link:
EDIT: That might explain this @Osedax: Hunter Valley Zoo News [Hunter Valley Zoo]
As such, it can be assumed that the second tortoise has been transferred, making Adelaide Zoo the sole holder of the two females in the region
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I’d agree your assumption that the female African spurred tortoise at Hunter Valley Zoo transferring to Adelaide Zoo is a likely one.
The video mentions they’re the only African spurred tortoises in Australia, so we at least have confirmation Hunter Valley Zoo no longer has the species, following @Osedax noting the species wasn’t seen on their visit.
That Aussie Guy
Well-Known Member
That's exciting! Nice to see the species return to Adelaide, and in an enclosure that will actually allow them to be viewed
Veiled chameleons named:
From socials:
Thanks to your votes, the two new Veiled Chameleons officially have names — and we couldn’t be more excited to introduce them.
Say hello to Karma (the female veiled chameleon) and Kuzco (the male veiled chameleon). With lightning-fast tongues that can stretch up to one and a half times their body length, Veiled Chameleons are incredible hunters.
From socials:
Thanks to your votes, the two new Veiled Chameleons officially have names — and we couldn’t be more excited to introduce them.
Say hello to Karma (the female veiled chameleon) and Kuzco (the male veiled chameleon). With lightning-fast tongues that can stretch up to one and a half times their body length, Veiled Chameleons are incredible hunters.
African spurred tortoise named:
From socials:
Imara, meaning “strong” or “resolute”, reflects her incredible journey. Once a victim of the illegal wildlife trade, she has recovered with confidence, personality and plenty of curiosity and now she’s helping us share the reality of wildlife trafficking with thousands of visitors.
From socials:
Imara, meaning “strong” or “resolute”, reflects her incredible journey. Once a victim of the illegal wildlife trade, she has recovered with confidence, personality and plenty of curiosity and now she’s helping us share the reality of wildlife trafficking with thousands of visitors.
Macropod update:
From socials:
Adelaide Zoo has some new residents hopping about! Four Tammar Wallabies have joined the mixed habitat alongside the Grey Kangaroos.
Smaller than their kangaroo cousins, these little macropods love open flats and coastal scrub—and they have some quirky tricks up their sleeves… like the ability to drink seawater!
In the wild, you might spot them on Kangaroo Island or Innes National Park.
From socials:
Adelaide Zoo has some new residents hopping about! Four Tammar Wallabies have joined the mixed habitat alongside the Grey Kangaroos.
Smaller than their kangaroo cousins, these little macropods love open flats and coastal scrub—and they have some quirky tricks up their sleeves… like the ability to drink seawater!
In the wild, you might spot them on Kangaroo Island or Innes National Park.