Melbourne Zoo Melbourne Zoo News 2014

zooboy28

zooboy28

Well-Known Member
Surprisingly little news so far this year, but the zoo has just announced its first (five) big births for the year on Facebook:

Five male Philippine Crocodiles have hatched at Melbourne Zoo.

This is a very exciting day for the world's most endangered crocodile, and our Keepers who play a big role in the breeding program.
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There's a photo there too!

This is the second-ever breeding of this species in Australia, following last years hatching of four eggs. That breeding was the second ever outside the Philippines (Gladys Porter Zoo, USA was first) so is this the third-ever breeding?
 
zooboy28 said:
That breeding was the second ever outside the Philippines (Gladys Porter Zoo, USA was first) so is this the third-ever breeding?
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Last year, 2 babies hatched on 15.7. in Zoo Köln / Germany, and on 23.7. another 7 babies hatched at Krokodilzoo Protivin / Czech rep. There might be more successful zoos I´m not aware of. Köln has animals of Mindanao origin, Protivin keeps those of Luzon origin.
 
The Lions have now been moved to there temporary exhibit whilst there usual enclosure is rebuilt, The new lion enclosure is expected to be ready by December 2014 all being well

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Nisha said:
The Lions have now been moved to there temporary exhibit whilst there usual enclosure is rebuilt, The new lion enclosure is expected to be ready by December 2014 all being well
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This is actually a significant historical marker for Melbourne Zoo. The Lion Park was the first new enclosure at Melbourne Zoo after the Zoo had been through several decades of decline, and an almost successful campaign to close it in the early 1960's. It marked a turning point for the zoo.

The only enclosures I can think of that are still in existence and still in use as enclosures that predate it are:
1. The Great Flight Aviary, which was significantly rebuilt in the late 1970's.
2. The hexagonal (?) cockatoo aviary, which was converted from an early monkey cage.
3. The giraffe enclosure, which has also been significantly extended and modified.

Effectively since that enclosure was built the entire zoo has been rebuilt. It has also been through at least three master plans and I don't know how many directors.
 
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Where is the temporary enclosure? And are there any plans or descriptions of the predictor precinct anywhere?
 
Shirokuma said:
Where is the temporary enclosure? And are there any plans or descriptions of the predictor precinct anywhere?
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The temporary accommodation is presumably one of the big cat cages that have recently held snow leopards and Sumatran tigers, a couple of which have been empty recently (one following the death of Persian leopard).

There are plans for the new precinct, or at least the first part of it, with lions, wild dogs and Philippine crocodile. There is a description here: Predator Prey Precinct to change the face of Melbourne Zoo | Zoos Victoria and there have been plans posted online somewhere, but I can't find them now!

To start the construction they would have also needed to move the African wild dogs which were housed on the opposite side of the bridge to the lions, but I doubt they stayed at the zoo, more likely moved out to Werribee.
 
Giant Anteaters have been approved, now it's up to the importation. I really hope there's more than two zoo's keen on establishing them.
 
My understanding is there is no IRA for anteaters and there won't be for many years.
 
I don't want Melbourne Zoo to build the Predator Prey Precint. I like the area as it is. It it my favourite part of the zoo The lions, bears, big cats and small cats exhibits are the best exhibits at Melbourne Zoo. They are designed so you can get within metres of the animals. I like that idea a lot and thats what makes this area special. The new exhibits would not be like this and there would be huge crowds of people. Predator Prey is just destroying Melbourne Zoo's best exhibits.
 
Thylacineotway said:
I watched the builders take down Small cat alley the other day. It was so sad.
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While I'm not a big fan of the idea of Predator-Prey (especially given the lack of prey species), small cat alley wasn't a great place in terms of display, and new serval enclosures will hopefully be built to improve this situation. Other than serval there were only coati and otters (and maybe still red pandas?) left here - all of which are also housed (much better) elsewhere in the zoo. The loss of this block of exhibits isn't surprising nor is it disappointing, just a sign of progress.
 
If Melbourne Zoo had of publisied Small Cat Alley more, it would of been a better place, even if it did not resemble it's name. After Matoomba's death, the popularity of the exhibit dropped.
Also, I don't know why the serval hissed at me every time I walked by. It only started doing this after Matoomba died.
 
By saying things like our Caracal is one of the only Caracals in Australia. People would think this interesting and would more likely want to see the caracal.
 
Thylacineotway said:
By saying things like our Caracal is one of the only Caracals in Australia. People would think this interesting and would more likely want to see the caracal.
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I always thought the small cats would have been better off in the large cat exhibits anyway (I don't know if they were secure enough). I will/do miss some of the species but I definitely won't miss those cramped and tiny enclosures.
 
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