Basenjis at Taronga Zoo Sydney.

[ibigmang]

Does anyone know if there were ever any Basenjis (African barkless dogs) at Taronga Zoo in Sydney?

My father insists that he can remember seeing them there. I have not been able to find any reference to them being at the zoo. Perhaps he has got Basenjis confused with another type of wild dog.

Cheers,

ibigmang

 

[Chlidonias]

I'm thinking New Guinea singing dogs

 

[ibigmang]

Thanks Chlidonias. Might be.

 

[Steve Robinson]

Does anyone know if there were ever any Basenjis (African barkless dogs) at Taronga Zoo in Sydney?

My father insists that he can remember seeing them there. I have not been able to find any reference to them being at the zoo. Perhaps he has got Basenjis confused with another type of wild dog.

Cheers,

ibigmang

Probably best to wait until Ara gets here. He has an encyclopaedic knowledge of all things mid twentieth century Taronga.

Your father may have been remembering the New Guinea Singing Dogs.

Come to think of it, I can't remember where I first saw Basenjis. Maybe it was Taronga? Jeez, I hate getting old!

 

[ibigmang]

Thanks Steve

 

[Pertinax]

Your father may have been remembering the New Guinea Singing Dogs.

I know Sydney had them as London zoo received some of these in the 1960's 'presented by Sir Edward Hallstrom' - was he not director at Taronga?

 

[ibigmang]

I know Sydney had them as London zoo received some of these in the 1960's 'presented by Sir Edward Hallstrom' - was he not director at Taronga?

Apparently according to Wikipedia Hallstrom obtained some New Guinea singing dogs for Taronga Zoo.

 

[Chlidonias]

Taronga bred a lot of New Guinea singing dogs and the offspring went around the world. They had them up until at least the 1980s in Sydney.

 

[Steve Robinson]

I know Sydney had them as London zoo received some of these in the 1960's 'presented by Sir Edward Hallstrom' - was he not director at Taronga?

The late, lamented Sir Edward Hallstrom was, indeed, the director of Taronga for many years.

He was a wealthy industrialist with a knack for breeding and raising many species. He bred Black Rhinos when nobody else could and he developed hand feeding protocols for previously difficult bird species such as Macaws. A hands on Director, he would chew up a mixture of Arrowroot biscuits etc in his own mouth to feed the Macaw chicks.

They don't make them like him any more.

 

[tetrapod]

Taronga bred a lot of New Guinea singing dogs and the offspring went around the world. They had them up until at least the 1980s in Sydney.

New Guinea Singing dogs were still there in '86. Also remember seeing raccoon dogs and jagarundi too.