Melbourne Zoo Melbourne 2013 news

Auckland giraffe to begin trip to Melbourne - National News | TVNZ
15 April 2013

A giraffe born and raised at Auckland Zoo will begin a five day journey to Melbourne today to be part of an Australasian breeding programme.

Nakuru, who stands at 3 metres tall and weighs nearly 500 kilograms, will depart the zoo this morning and travel through the streets of Grey Lynn and Mt Eden before arriving at the Auckland Port around 2pm.

Pridelands team leader Nat Sullivan said residents might be able to catch a glimpse of the African-native during her travels, as the crate she is in has an open roof for her to stick her head out.

"She's a really confident animal, she's not scared of much.

Sullivan said while the 15-month-old would be missed at the zoo, she was sure Nakuru would be taken care of at her new home.

"I know she's going to another really good zoo, and I know she'll be really well looked after there."

Nakuru has been undergoing crate-training for the past month to prepare her for the long journey, as well as being vaccinated and fitted with a micro-chip containing identification information.

"We will be spending a lot of time with her and checking on her regularly, which will hopefully help her feel secure," said Sullivan.

The zookeeper will accompany Nakuru onboard the ship to Australia, where she will spend her first in month in quarantine at Weribee Open Range Zoo before heading to Melbourne Zoo.
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A new interactive display has opened at the back of the Orang-Utan viewing shelter - "Zoopermarket", which allows visitors to scan everyday grocery items and see which contain palm oil. It really is a very cool and interesting exhibit, I have put a photo in the gallery here: http://www.zoochat.com/51/zoopermarket-melbourne-zoo-april-2013-a-317511/#post664039

Story & Photo here: Check that out! | Zoos Victoria

24 April 2013

‘Checkout ’ takes on a special meaning at the Zoopermarket officially launched today at Melbourne Zoo.

At a normal supermarket checkout, consumers pay for their selected products. At the Zoopermarket, consumers will get to check out the ingredients in some items commonly found on supermarket shelves.

Knowing what’s what when confronted with an array of products can be confusing, especially since Australia’s labelling laws allow palm oil to be labelled as ‘vegetable oil’.

Scanning selected Zoopermarket items will reveal whether the manufacturer is using palm oil, and if so whether it is being produced sustainably.

The Zoopermarket is the latest stage in the ongoing Don’t Palm us Off campaign, which aims to draw consumer attention to the widespread use of unsustainably produced palm oil and facilitate their communication with manufacturers on this issue to encourage use of sustainably sourced palm oil.

The clearing of rainforest in order to plant vast expanses of palm oil trees is the single largest factor in harming wildlife populations in South East Asia, including the rapidly diminishing orang-utan population.

Palm oil is found in about 40% of the products on supermarket shelves. Certified Sustainable Palm Oil (CSPO) is an alternative ingredient that is produced without harming local wildlife and communities.

Now Zoo visitors can see for themselves how some common supermarket products rate in terms of their use of palm oil.

Visitors will be able to scan selected products, see where they rate on this three-stage scale, and email manufacturers accordingly, either to congratulate them or to ask for a change in palm oil policy.

The Zoopermarket is located at our Orang-utan Sanctuary giving visitors viewing Asia’s only Great Apes better information about the issue that is pushing them towards extinction.
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Bongo Birth

Don't think this has been posted yet, but exciting news - a male calf was born a month ago! I think this takes the regional population to ten, although it is a shame it was a male, as there is now a high male bias (7.3).

Story & Photo here: Bounding Bongo Baby | Zoos Victoria

26 April 2013

The Eastern Bongo baby bounded out into his exhibit at Melbourne Zoo this morning, hot on the heels of his mother Binti. While Binti grazed calmly and enjoyed some crunchy carrots, her calf frolicked around, running and leaping with great energy and agility.

Eastern Bongos are Africa’s largest forest antelope species: spectacular animals with chestnut red coats, distinctive long, strong, and curved horns, and black and white markings that help to camouflage them against foliage.

Mother Binti and her male calf have largely been in seclusion since the birth on March 23, because that is their instinctive wild behavior. Carnivore Department Supervisor John Warriner explains that ‘by nature, this is one of the species that we call hiders.

‘During the first few weeks after giving birth, Bongo mothers hide their babies, go off to feed, and only return once a day to nurse the calves.

‘The mother even eats the placenta and the newborn’s faeces, as a defense strategy, so there will be no smells to attract predators to the spot where her calf is hidden.'

This is only the third-ever Eastern Bongo calf born at Melbourne Zoo.
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This article identifies both parents: Melbourne Zoo celebrates birth of Eastern Bongo calf | Taronga Conservation Society Australia

Mother Binti was born at Taronga Zoo Sydney and Father Ndugu was born at Taronga Western Plains Zoo Dubbo.
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zooboy28 said:
It looks like Melbourne Zoo imported the Mara, as the census notes state that the species has now been added to the "eligible for importation" list (for Australia and NZ), and that an import has occurred in the last 12 months. Melbourne has the only mara in the region, with 2.2. TWPZ had 1.3 a year ago, but don't have any now.
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There was a story about the mara importation in the latest ZAA newsletter, which said that the two pairs came from Whipsnade Zoo (England), after a rather long importation process.
 
Update posted this morning on their website inidcates construction of Predator Prey will commence in January 2014, after funding was secured for the first stage of the project. Most exciting however, Stage 2, which, if it is built, will include giant anteaters and komod dragons.
Precinct to cover a quarter of the zoo.
 
glyn said:
Update posted this morning on their website inidcates construction of Predator Prey will commence in January 2014, after funding was secured for the first stage of the project. Most exciting however, Stage 2, which, if it is built, will include giant anteaters and komod dragons.
Precinct to cover a quarter of the zoo.
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- What is the current species list for the predator prey complex phase 1 ? Also what habitats will it replace?
 
glyn said:
Update posted this morning on their website inidcates construction of Predator Prey will commence in January 2014, after funding was secured for the first stage of the project. Most exciting however, Stage 2, which, if it is built, will include giant anteaters and komod dragons.
Precinct to cover a quarter of the zoo.
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Can you post a link to this please Glyn? Giant Anteaters sound awesome.

EDIT: Don't worry, I found it here: http://www.zoo.org.au/news/predator-prey-precinct-to-change-the-face-of-melbourne-zoo
 
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uszoo said:
- What is the current species list for the predator prey complex phase 1 ? Also what habitats will it replace?
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Why the thumbs down?

There is a page about the development here: Predator Prey | Zoos Victoria It sounds like it will mostly be a major overhaul of the corner of the zoo that currently houses (almost exclusively) carnivores, and that most species will be retained.
 
Interesting that Sun Bear were also mentioned; this is exciting as long-term it is in line with regional priorities. In the short to med-term though, the syrian bears moving to the new preciinct would benefit greatly from a new home.
So far, the species I have heard slated for this development on various sites are:
Wild Dog
Lion
Snow Leopard
Syrian Brown Bear/Sun Bear
Komodo Dragon
Praying Mantis
Giant Anteater
 
Given the success of the program this is essential. I have always said, send the giraffe and zebra out to Werribee and expand the elephants down that way.
 
glyn said:
Given the success of the program this is essential. I have always said, send the giraffe and zebra out to Werribee and expand the elephants down that way.
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Glyn, not debating the meritsor need for expansion, do you think visitors would miss seeing the giraffe and zebra? Or are the elephants a big enough attraction for people not to care?
 
glyn said:
Given the success of the program this is essential. I have always said, send the giraffe and zebra out to Werribee and expand the elephants down that way.
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If you would tie this in with a theming around elephants and various other wildlife from their part of the globe ... that would be fine. And yes, I would say Werribee is more the African savannah environment with big wide open spaces and zebra / giraffe would fit well.
 
Jay you could probably argue the same thing about river hippo and rhino; personally, I think, given how excellent WORZ is and the fact its only half an hour from the city, MZ would be better to focus on forest and rainforest species and leave WORZ to do the giraffe and zebra thing.
The treetop primates section could do with an overall too; perhaps moving bongo to this area too would be an idea. Gorilla would benefit from an upgrade to their night dens and the grotto at the front of their exhibit; Madagascan fauna would fit into this area nicely.
The Predator Prey area and Growing Wild phase 2 should just about have this zoo amazing all over.
But back to the elephants...I really think MZ should invest in them in the city campus. They have proven themselves to not only be a great breeding herd, but also a great attraction and everything should be done to ensure their place in this zoo is sustainable. Taronga would do well to do the same thing....
 
glyn said:
Jay you could probably argue the same thing about river hippo and rhino; personally, I think, given how excellent WORZ is and the fact its only half an hour from the city, MZ would be better to focus on forest and rainforest species and leave WORZ to do the giraffe and zebra thing.
The treetop primates section could do with an overall too; perhaps moving bongo to this area too would be an idea. Gorilla would benefit from an upgrade to their night dens and the grotto at the front of their exhibit; Madagascan fauna would fit into this area nicely.
The Predator Prey area and Growing Wild phase 2 should just about have this zoo amazing all over.
But back to the elephants...I really think MZ should invest in them in the city campus. They have proven themselves to not only be a great breeding herd, but also a great attraction and everything should be done to ensure their place in this zoo is sustainable. Taronga would do well to do the same thing....
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Again, I have to agree there. For starters the WORZ is as the name suggests an open range zoo and provides all that one may expect of large open spaces for African wildlife. Secondly, it will stimulate an increased interest in visiting both institutions; the city zoo environment for its rainforest theming and the outback place for savannah / safari enjoyment. Something of a win-win situation don't you think if you build on this for public appeal?
 
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