Melbourne Zoo Melbourne Zoo's Future direction

A

animal kid

Well-Known Member
I was wondering whether anyone knows melbourne zoos next big (or small) project now that stories from the sea is almost complete(it is looking very good to).
plus what would you like to see?

for me:
i would love to see the treetop monkeys and apes area redone i would love for the 2 crested gibbons to get a new enclosure as long as i has close up viewing (mainly for the female gibbon than for people:) ) does anyone know there names?

and i would like small cat alley to be redone to house 2-3 species in bigger cages.
and a new exhibit for the snow leopards based on a mountain slope or something similar
 
I think there are a few smaller projects Melbourne want to accomplish before they have any big projects for a long time. The elephant exhibit, orang-utans and now wild sea have all been completed in quick succession so it might be time for a break. But I know that they are going to build a new tiger facility near the current one and that they want to build a baboon exhibit on the sight of the bongo exhibit.
 
PAT said:
I think there are a few smaller projects Melbourne want to accomplish before they have any big projects for a long time. The elephant exhibit, orang-utans and now wild sea have all been completed in quick succession so it might be time for a break. But I know that they are going to build a new tiger facility near the current one and that they want to build a baboon exhibit on the sight of the bongo exhibit.
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So... bongo to Werribee, and perhaps a couple of eland into the giraffe/zebra/ostrich exhibit?

I'd like to see the baboons move out of the empty quarter. That area I've had earmarked in my mind as a future South American zone for quite some time.
 
CGSwans said:
So... bongo to Werribee, and perhaps a couple of eland into the giraffe/zebra/ostrich exhibit?

I'd like to see the baboons move out of the empty quarter. That area I've had earmarked in my mind as a future South American zone for quite some time.
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Send the Baboons out to Werribee for a new exhibit for that zoo.

Also if Melbourne did build a future South American exhibit include Giant Otters ;), and NO jaguars :rolleyes:
 
mmmmm.. south america.

i want an giant glasshouse to be built on the site of the fairground that has an in depth ecology lesson on rainforests. leave the rope bridges at home - instead something stylish that is very similar to the temperate rainforest at the melbourne museum.

the melbourne museum display is excellent - featuring fish, amphibians, insects and birds. glass boxes built into the landcape hold small or dangerous animals like snakes and frogs. and spiders and other insects are seen in the context of their burrows or enclosures built in inside logs.

this could easily be transferred to a south american context. free ranging birds, marmosets, agouti and sloth are all possible. so too would be free ranging iguanas provided the zoo only released single sex (unthievable) adult specimens.

ideally the flooded section of the forest would also have manatee - but thats a dream of mine.

BUT

the most valuable investment for any 21st century modern zoo is a large, multi-purpose exhibition hall. this would feature rotating animal displays of various themes. whilst the rest of the zoo is presented geographically - the ability to create new temporary displays along any theme, allows the zoo to keep up to date with modern environmental issues and radically, radically expand its educational ability. it also ensures that they always have a fresh new attraction without having to worry about demolishing and rebuilding giant exhibits. zoos after all, are living museums. and museums have embraced the rotating show concept - as it works. i see no reason why zoos should be any different.

animals can be brought in on temporary loan from other zoos if need be and the zoo can use it as a way to trail innovative new designs. the exhibitions can be based on anything from island diversity to what's living (and need conserving) in melbournes backyards. from nocturnal adaptations to desert life.

werribee have something similar going on on a much smaller scale.
 
MARK said:
Send the Baboons out to Werribee for a new exhibit for that zoo.

Also if Melbourne did build a future South American exhibit include Giant Otters ;), and NO jaguars :rolleyes:
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Well yes, Werribee makes more sense. They currently have one primate species there as opposed to 18 on display at Melbourne.

I'd still move the bongo out to Werribee (especially if they manage to source more of them) and bring a couple of eland to Melbourne. You might expand the mixed-species exhibit that adjoins the bongo yard into that space as well. Would love to be able to see rhino at Melbourne, but I doubt that will happen as, along with the hippos and cheetahs, they are one of the few big draws that Werribee has that aren't at Melbourne.

Why on earth would you be opposed to re-establishing jaguars in the region? They're an obvious flagship species for a South American zone. I'd also like to see Brazilian tapir (since it seems that Malayans aren't working out) and the return of Maned wolves - I think Dubbo has a surplus. Giant otters would be amazing, giant anteaters are apparently planned. My pet idea for a South American zone is a large walk-through Amazon treetops exhibit that might have macaws, amazons, conures, toucans, green iguanas, sloths and various small primate species. 'Twould be amazing.
 
phoenix said:
this could easily be transferred to a south american context. free ranging birds, marmosets, agouti and sloth are all possible. so too would be free ranging iguanas provided the zoo only released single sex (unthievable) adult specimens.
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Haha. Snap!
 
Great ideas Phoenix, I think you should be working for Melbourne zoo, this post takes me back to your thread about Boring Australian's or should that of been Boring Australian zoo's?
 
Why on earth would you be opposed to re-establishing jaguars in the region? They're an obvious flagship species for a South American zone.


I was joking about NO jaguars, and I do agree with you they are an obvious flagship species for a South American zone BUT our zoo body in this country do not want them here
 
these are all great idea's!

with werribees expansion i think it would make sense to move the bongo out there and with the new gorilla rainforest i would expect that werribee would get some other african species, maybe even melbourne's colobus troop? also was it said that werribee were going to make another large grassland area based on a dry river bed for the rhino? if so would that be the white rhino or would they get black rhino?

and what happened to the maned wolf at melbourne did it go to dubbo?
 
the maned wolf died.

it's rather radical, but i would move the giraffe, zebra, lions and all the other savannah species, be them african or otherwise, out of melbourne.

the two zoos would be clearly defined - one is a lesson in grasslands ecology - the other is a lesson in forest (and now marine) ecology.

melbournes bongo should be bred, bred, bred - eventually the females and breeding male kept at werribee and bachelor males kept at melbourne.
 
oh thats sad :( do they want more?

thats is a good idea though if that was done the two zoos could
have half of melborune as rainforest, one quarter as the marine area and a new area focusing on temperate and boreal forest with species like lynx, red pandas, deer and bear.
and werribee could have some south american species like maned wolf tapir and maybe guanaco?
 
From what I've read/seen in the next 20 years all three zoos in Vic are coming "together" and developing in that sense. I honestly can't remember what else I was going to say :P haha
 
phoenix said:
the maned wolf died.

it's rather radical, but i would move the giraffe, zebra, lions and all the other savannah species, be them african or otherwise, out of melbourne.

the two zoos would be clearly defined - one is a lesson in grasslands ecology - the other is a lesson in forest (and now marine) ecology.

melbournes bongo should be bred, bred, bred - eventually the females and breeding male kept at werribee and bachelor males kept at melbourne.
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I second that absolutely. It make no sense to have the African species at Melbourne and the big open spaces at Werribee. Use the space available to expand the African theme (and yes also move out the colobus there ... they fit with any savannah theme).

Concentrate on making Melbourne itself into a showcase for rainforests of S.E. Asia and South America.

Any suggestions for the gorilla there? If you move out the bongo .... that is!
 
todays herald sun has a page on future projects for victoria and one of them that was expected to be started by 2011 was a revamp of melbourne zoo!?
 
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