Perth Zoo Perth Zoo News 2012

Pertinax said:
Do meerkats have the same concept and appeal in Australia/NZ as in the UK, where longterm media exposure through advertising for online Insurance(comparethemarket.com) have made them a Household name as cute humanised personalities, so that nowdays they are an exhibit 'must' at every Zoo. Or are they still just a 'small animal' in your Zoos?
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yes they do. Originally from Telecom adverts on tv (these were the sole reason the species was imported into NZ in the first instance), and more recently from The Lion King.

I think their popularity in the UK is greater because you have those "Simples" adverts I've heard about but don't want to search out and watch (!), but the general appeal is still there.
 
Meerkat Manor also helped.

:p

Hix
 
Pertinax said:
Do meerkats have the same concept and appeal in Australia/NZ as in the UK, where longterm media exposure through advertising for online Insurance(comparethemarket.com) have made them a Household name as cute humanised personalities, so that nowdays they are an exhibit 'must' at every Zoo. Or are they still just a 'small animal' in your Zoos?
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I think they're either present or planned at every significant exotics collection outside of Qld, where they're currently not permitted to be kept for reasons that escape all of us.

They're a true ABC animal.
 
Chlidonias said:
I think their popularity in the UK is greater because you have those "Simples" adverts I've heard about but don't want to search out and watch (!), but the general appeal is still there.
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Yes 'simples' is the Insurance adverts :rolleyes: I mentioned above.

Afaik the first time Meerkats were exposed to a wider public audience, apart from in one or two small 'unknown' zoo exhibits, was a T.V. wildlife documentary called 'Meerkats United' which was made several decades ago now. This was followed by at least one other similar one. Then later there was Lion King and the american-made 'Meerkat Manor' T.V. series- (made on the back of their popularity and one of the most long-winded, repetitious and poor quality 'wildlife' series I've come across:() and finally the longrunning 'ComparetheMarket.com' Insurance ads. Each of these 'exposees' seems to have created fresh popularity for Meerkats with subsequent generations.
 
64 dibblers bred at Perth were released into Waychinicup National Park on 5 October. Perth has bred 640 dibblers since 1998.
 
Alligators feature at renovated Perth Zoo - Yahoo! Sport New Zealand
20 December 2012

Australia Zoo has said "see you later alligators" to several of its animals, offering Perth Zoo three new American alligators for a new exhibit.

The snappy creatures, on loan for a couple of years, have arrived in Perth in time for the summer school holidays.

Environment Minister Bill Marmion said the alligators were just three-years-old and 90cm long.

"A fully grown American alligator can reach 4.5m and weigh up to 380kg," he said.

Native to south-eastern USA, American alligators live in freshwater swamps and marshes.

They will be on display in Perth Zoo near the sun bears.

Mr Marmion also officially unveiled a new entrance at Perth Zoo on Thursday.

"The new entry area features dramatic new shade structures, beautiful Australian-inspired gardens, improved signage and an upgraded ticketing office," he said.

"The modern shade structures include animal cut-outs and mirror the design of the zoo's striking solar pergola."

Mr Marmion said the $600,000 main entry upgrade, funded by the state government, was long overdue because the existing entrance was built in 1970-71.
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Recently two echidnas have been born to females who were themselves born at Perth zoo. This is the first second generation breeding anywhere, and was also surprising as the mothers are only four years old, and they were previously thought not to mature until at least five.
 
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