Melbourne Zoo Melbourne Zoo News 2012

Jabiru96 said:
According to the website, a new precinct planned is called "Predator-Prey" featuring snow leopards, African hunting dogs, lions and Syrian brown bear. I wonder if this is the next project after 'Growing Wild'?

Also, what will they do once Honey the last Syrian brown bear dies? They are a phase out species for Australia so they probably won't bother getting the Syrian brown bears from Cairns. I wonder if they might replace her with sun bears?

Interesting concept though. I wonder if the new area will also include the giraffe/zebra/ostrich exhibit and Baboon Lookout? It all sounds so interesting for the future of Melbourne Zoo.
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Website here: http://www.zoo.org.au/about-us/vision-and-mission/our-projects/predator-prey

I suspect it will just be a revamp of the existing area where these species are held. Possibly some totally new exhibits, but still in that same area. Not a high enough cost ($3.3m) to be a huge shift. I can't say I am at all enthused by this idea, I much much prefer biogeographic theming, and a "predator-prey" hodge-podge does nothing for me. Especially when there are apparently no prey species included...

Sun bears would be the only bears they would get I would think, assuming they do want to get more bears in the future.
 
zooboy28 said:
Website here: Predator prey | Zoos Victoria

I suspect it will just be a revamp of the existing area where these species are held. Possibly some totally new exhibits, but still in that same area. Not a high enough cost ($3.3m) to be a huge shift. I can't say I am at all enthused by this idea, I much much prefer biogeographic theming, and a "predator-prey" hodge-podge does nothing for me. Especially when there are apparently no prey species included...

Sun bears would be the only bears they would get I would think, assuming they do want to get more bears in the future.
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the article says phase one will cost $3.3 million dollars.
 
zooboy28 said:
True. Although I'm not sure how accurate these figures are, as they are exactly the same as those on the "Growing Wild" project page.
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The "Growing Wild' precinct is also divided into two phases. The first phase is the one currently being promoted.
 
So, I visited the new Growing Wild exhibit on a member's preview day last week and never even thought to post a review until now. It was still being finished off at the time and apparently the brush turkeys aren't quite used to being close to people yet so it isn't completely open yet.
Melbourne Zoo, for the most part, is a very grown up facility and before now there hasn't been any exhibits aimed at children. In the middle of the zoo is a playground and carousel but the most of the rest of the zoo is made up of immersion exhibits where you can appreciate animals from a distance. This new section seems to be Melbourne Zoo's way of trying to engage children through play. On my visit only the meerkat and giant tortoise sections were open and it didn't form a complete loop so visitors had to walk in and out of the same entrance but it worked on this occasion because only members were allowed in.
The first part is made up of three meerkat exhibits that have tunnels, little peepholes, and rocks to climb on surrounding them. All of the exhibits are a good size and have sandy substrate for the meerkats to dig in, logs and rocks to climb on, and the tunnels to their off exhibit areas were open so they could get away from the public if they wanted to. Overall they were exactly what you'd expect from a meerkat exhibit. Nothing to complain about but certainly nothing to write home about.
The giant tortoise exhibit on the other hand is completely out of the ordinary. It consists of a central building with two exhibits coming off each side. One is a grassy and the other is more forested and has woodchips on the ground. What makes it so interesting though is that the tortoises are only contained by a single, low metal beam that is about 40cm off the ground. Anyone could simply step over it. In fact, while I was there a little girl just walked right into the house and had to be coaxed out by her mum and a volunteer. I don't know how this is going to work in the long run. Aside from that, this section has a nice lawn area and a few play things for kids.
I can't but, at the same time, I can wait for the whole area to be finished. I can't because the corner that it's situated in has always been a weird spot in the zoo and has been calling out for an overhaul for a long time. And I can because I was fortunate to visit when the number of children around was at a minimum. I imagine on a busy day this section will be unbearably choc full of kids.


P.S. I don't have any photos. Sorry :(
 
PAT said:
What makes it so interesting though is that the tortoises are only contained by a single, low metal beam that is about 40cm off the ground. Anyone could simply step over it. In fact, while I was there a little girl just walked right into the house and had to be coaxed out by her mum and a volunteer. I don't know how this is going to work in the long run.
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A lot of barriers in zoos are there to protect the animals from the public. This is a good example of that of a barrier that effectively contains the animal, provides excellent viewing opportunities, but doesn't keep the public out. If they continue to use the low barn they will need to have volunteers/staff present all the time.

:p

Hix
 
Auckland Zoo has a brilliant barrier for their giant tortoises, which works fine for the tortoises, and keeps children from walking in (but any visitor could get in if they wanted too). It is just a series of short (~40cm) metal poles about 50 cm apart around the exhibit, which is raised behind a rock garden.
 

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Yes auckland zoo does have a great design but what i was thinking was if the tortouses were sucsesful in breeding and and the eggs did hatch then they would need to rethink the desgin then.
 
Animalgeek said:
Yes auckland zoo does have a great design but what i was thinking was if the tortouses were sucsesful in breeding and and the eggs did hatch then they would need to rethink the desgin then.
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if they did breed the eggs wouldn't be left in the enclosure, they would be in an incubator cabinet, and the babies wouldn't be put back in this enclosure after they hatched.
 
zooboy28 said:
Auckland Zoo has a brilliant barrier for their giant tortoises, which works fine for the tortoises, and keeps children from walking in (but any visitor could get in if they wanted too). It is just a series of short (~40cm) metal poles about 50 cm apart around the exhibit, which is raised behind a rock garden.
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Singapore Zoo (I think it was) has a similar design; I've seen it elsewhere at any rate.
 
Chlidonias said:
Singapore Zoo (I think it was) has a similar design; I've seen it elsewhere at any rate.
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Here is a pic of theose at Singapore, it does have a similar fence, but I think there was another barrier in front of that to kkep people out.

Taronga's Aldabrans are kept behind the same sort of posts too, but this is seperated from the public by a garden, which covers the small slpe down to their sunken enclosure.
 

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This morning on the Today show they had the weather presenter at Melbourne Zoo to show around the Growing Wild Project. It looked to me that the public are actually allowed to go into the tortoise enclosure with volunteer supervision. At least, that is what the weather presenter hinted at.
 
nanoboy said:
Dude, not even a pic from your phone's camera?
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Not even on my phone.

And in regards to the barrier, the exhibit that used to hold all four giant tortoises (but only has two now because two have moved to the new exhibit) uses a simple, low pine fence to contain the tortoises but there is a garden to buffer the path from the exhibit. The real difference with the new one is that the metal bar is all that is separating the exhibit from the visitor path so the distinction between animal space and visitor space isn't so pronounced.
 
I've noticed that on Melbourne Zoo's website that G-Ann isn't listed with the rest of the group, has something happened to her or is it probably just a mistake?
 
soona said:
I've noticed that on Melbourne Zoo's website that G-Ann isn't listed with the rest of the group, has something happened to her or is it probably just a mistake?
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Indicates to me that she may have died...:(

As 'Johari' is already 12 years old and unbred, 'Mbeli' is 7 years and wildcaught female 'Julia' has only ever had the one baby, they must be thinking of some reorganisation to improve their chances of more breeding soon?
 
Pertinax said:
Indicates to me that she may have died...:(
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That was my first thought too, though I'm hoping this isn't the case. :(

I've had the same thoughts re-reorganizing, it seems a shame that the females have had so little opportunity to raise infants especially as they have such a large and in my opinion generally outstanding enclosure. I'm wondering if Rigo will be 'retired' at some point, or if he'll stay in the group for the rest of his life.
 
Pertinax said:
Indicates to me that she may have died...:(

As 'Johari' is already 12 years old and unbred, 'Mbeli' is 7 years and wildcaught female 'Julia' has only ever had the one baby, they must be thinking of some reorganisation to improve their chances of more breeding soon?
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And wasn't Julia raised with chimps in Africa before going to to Jersey (then Melbourne)? If so, she has come a long way to now socialise like a gorilla and be integrated into a troop, and even have a baby.

If G-Anne died, she leaves Ghubari/Ganyeka at Werribee. Sad really. Melbourne is probably going to have to get anew male within five years to still get some babies out of their breeding age females.
 
soona said:
I've noticed that on Melbourne Zoo's website that G-Ann isn't listed with the rest of the group, has something happened to her or is it probably just a mistake?
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Yeah (read back a few posts), I also noted this too. Hope it is just an error but it doesn't seem so as all of the others are listed (including Yuska the old girl). Sad if it is true. :(
 
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