Australia Zoo Australia Zoo News 2023

Zoofan15 said:
The giraffes transferred out from Australia Zoo are definitely bulls. As @Jambo mentions, the articles states they’re joining a bachelor herd at Werribee. There’s no reason to believe Werribee have any intention of breeding giraffe, when they have numerous upcoming projects that will take priority over establishing a second herd of giraffes.

The article mentions the giraffe are subadults, which rules out Forrest; though a change of breeding bull would be beneficial given how well represented he is.
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According to motorists who saw the giraffes, the one missing an Ossicone was the larger of the two, with the other being a smaller individual in a smaller box, which absolutely rules out Forest. Plus, he's one of the most famous animals at the zoo and a world record holder. I don't think Australia Zoo would even consider giving him up, regardless of how represented his bloodline is.
It's possible that Jesse is the missing Ossicone giraffe, and he's simply large enough to be mistaken for one of the breeding females (I'll see if I can find some photos of him to check spot patterns).
I believe the zoo has a giraffe calf born between Jesse and Princess Lasagna Baby, though I'm not sure any information on it.
So it could be that the pair being moved are Jesse and the 'mystery calf.'
 
Always_Amity said:
According to motorists who saw the giraffes, the one missing an Ossicone was the larger of the two, with the other being a smaller individual in a smaller box, which absolutely rules out Forest. Plus, he's one of the most famous animals at the zoo and a world record holder. I don't think Australia Zoo would even consider giving him up, regardless of how represented his bloodline is.
It's possible that Jesse is the missing Ossicone giraffe, and he's simply large enough to be mistaken for one of the breeding females (I'll see if I can find some photos of him to check spot patterns).
I believe the zoo has a giraffe calf born between Jesse and Princess Lasagna Baby, though I'm not sure any information on it.
So it could be that the pair being moved are Jesse and the 'mystery calf.'
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The exact sex of 'Princess Lasagne Baby' was never confirmed, although the name does seemingly imply it's a female, I guess there's a chance that calf could've been found out to be a male later on (incorrect initial sexing isn't unusual).

If so, that would make sense as to this individual being the smaller calf (as they would only be around fifteen months at the moment).

If this is 'Princess Lasagne Baby'; I'm confident Werribee will happily give this little one a long desired, new name.:)
 
Jambo said:
The exact sex of 'Princess Lasagne Baby' was never confirmed, although the name does seemingly imply it's a female, I guess there's a chance that calf could've been found out to be a male later on (incorrect initial sexing isn't unusual).

If so, that would make sense as to this individual being the smaller calf (as they would only be around fifteen months at the moment).

If this is 'Princess Lasagne Baby'; I'm confident Werribee will happily give this little one a long desired, new name.:)
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When Zarafa was born in May 2023, @WhistlingKite24 noted Australia Zoo had a total of eight giraffes (noting the seven below as well as an eighth mystery calf):

1.0 Forrest
0.1 Rosie
0.1 Penny
0.1 Sally
1.0 Jesse
0.1 PLB
0.1 Zaraffa

It appears there was an additional calf born circa 2022 which I suspect was the second young bull transferred to Werribee (in addition to Jesse).

Curiously, I can’t find any mention of PLB on Australia’s socials (even around July 2022, when the name was inflicted upon her). So much for my fears it’d be rammed down our throats.
 
Always_Amity said:
It's possible that Jesse is the missing Ossicone giraffe, and he's simply large enough to be mistaken for one of the breeding females (I'll see if I can find some photos of him to check spot patterns).
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Looking at images of the breeding females, I am confident none of them fit the missing Ossicone Giraffe. Sally has rather wide spaces between the spots on her neck, Penny has notably darker spots, and Rosie has jagged, almost Masai-esque looking edges to some her spots and a darker face, none of which match with the photos I've found of the missing Ossicone giraffe.
I've also found images of the missing Ossicone giraffe at the raised feeding platform, and it does appear to be slightly shorter than the breeding females.
Based on the ages of the calves at the zoo, I am now confident in saying that I was incorrect, and that the giraffe that lost the top half of it's right Ossicone around mid-May this year is indeed Jesse.
So apologies for any confusion there folks. That's absolutely my bad, I'd just assumed based on the height of the giraffe in the previous images I'd seen of it that it was one of the adult females, rather than an older calf yet to be shipped out.
 
I give credit to Australia zoo for their Giraffe breeding program they have done well with them and have produced many calfs. I believe a smart move for them would be to import a new male from the USA or Europe via New Zealand for future breeding and perhaps considering how much off exhibit housing they have to keep a mother bull.
 
Zorro said:
I give credit to Australia zoo for their Giraffe breeding program they have done well with them and have produced many calfs. I believe a smart move for them would be to import a new male from the USA or Europe via New Zealand for future breeding and perhaps considering how much off exhibit housing they have to keep a mother bull.
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Since contraception is available for female giraffes, it appears Australia Zoo’s herd were genetically valuable when they commenced breeding a decade ago.

Regionally, Masamba (2002) at Hamilton Zoo would be one of the most genetically valuable bulls (if not the most valuable) as he’s the great grandson of John (imported by Auckland Zoo in 1960), who only has handful of living descendants. John’s only great-grandchild in a breeding situation is Ntombi at Dubbo, who also has daughters in the breeding herd.

With regards to Australia Zoo, importing 1.0 or 1.1 (via New Zealand) would be a smart move as there’d be high demand for their offspring (ensuring ongoing breeding recommendations which are good for publicity/visitor engagement).
 
Zoofan15 said:
Since contraception is available for female giraffes, it appears Australia Zoo’s herd were genetically valuable when they commenced breeding a decade ago.

Regionally, Masamba (2002) at Hamilton Zoo would be one of the most genetically valuable bulls (if not the most valuable) as he’s the great grandson of John (imported by Auckland Zoo in 1960), who only has handful of living descendants. John’s only great-grandchild in a breeding situation is Ntombi at Dubbo, who also has daughters in the breeding herd.

With regards to Australia Zoo, importing 1.0 or 1.1 (via New Zealand) would be a smart move as there’d be high demand for their offspring (ensuring ongoing breeding recommendations which are good for publicity/visitor engagement).
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I saw some months ago one of the AZ Giraffe keepers on a tv show in which he stated one of the reasons they have been so successful was due to the climate at the zoo. They did have a large outside area to roam but unfortunately much of it has been fenced off for the White rhinos.
 
Zorro said:
He merely meant it was a help being warm all year around which suited them. ;)
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Queensland’s climate would be greatly beneficial to Australia Zoo’s herd given giraffes are intolerant of cold temperatures. Between 2011 and 2013, a total of 10 giraffes died in North American zoos from cold climate related causes, combined with an inadequate diet.

Regionally, a study was conducted at Auckland Zoo after five giraffes were noted to have died in July. It was determined the nutrition they were receiving from their feed was inadequate, but only became critical during New Zealand’s coldest month of the year when their energy expenditure on thermoregulation was at its highest.
 
Zoofan15 said:
Queensland’s climate would be greatly beneficial to Australia Zoo’s herd given giraffes are intolerant of cold temperatures. Between 2011 and 2013, a total of 10 giraffes died in North American zoos from cold climate related causes, combined with an inadequate diet.

Regionally, a study was conducted at Auckland Zoo after five giraffes were noted to have died in July. It was determined the nutrition they were receiving from their feed was inadequate, but only became critical during New Zealand’s coldest month of the year when their energy expenditure on thermoregulation was at its highest.
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I am not the one debating these facts here!
 
A few notes from my trip to Australia Zoo today:
  • Regent Honeyeaters are back on-display in the walkthrough aviary after a year or so without them. The new kingfishers and engaging king-parrots were very easy to see today and were feeding in the open at the 9:30 bird feeding. I couldn’t spot any finches nor the pitta (still in aviary just not seen). I also noticed the king-parrots brought out the male Eclectus Parrots more as they were squabbling over the food dishes.
  • all four Sumatran Elephants were a joy to see as they trumpeted loudly, bathed together and had a dust bath. The elephants didn’t have access to the extension today and there still actually seems to be a bit of construction to go in that space. The nearby elusive Elongated Tortoises are still mixed with the Radiated Tortoises; the zoo has 1.2 adults on-show and a single hatchling.
  • two new mammal exhibits have since opened at the zoo following my last visit; quokkas and cheetahs. The quokka exhibit located within Roo Heaven enables the trio of Quokkas to move into the shade where they were resting. The new cheetah enclosure didn’t incorporate the entire island as I was expecting but provided the cheetahs with plenty of grassy space with a few key shade spots. The winding pathway leading towards the cheetahs was excellent; some interesting theming like a protea garden and fake weaver nests that hung around the shaded viewing areas. Photos in the gallery.
  • the Black-necked Storks were attending to their nest and actively adding twigs. They were carrying water to the nest as well but there were no eggs currently. One of the brolgas also looked very settled but it wasn’t clear if it was incubating.
  • the turtle pond is closed for renovations. With recent publicity of a certain turtle species, one does wonder but I won’t speculate.
  • checked on the binturongs as it had been a while. Both approaching 20 years old, both Melbourne-born siblings are still kicking.
  • the pair of cassowaries were fenced off for this year’s breeding season.
  • no sign of the Mary River Turtle and its sign has been removed.
 
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Robert Irwin has announced on his social media that the Irwins Turtles have gone on display!

At least one individual (a female) has been placed into the native turtle exhibit, which has undergone some renovations specifically to accommodate them (also of note, the water has been changed to be clear rather than murky, and the bottom is sandy, allowing for a much easier viewing experience, which is a bonus)

It does appear that the other native turtles (Broad-Shelled River Turtle, Brisbane River Turtle and Kreftt's Turtle, iirc) have been removed from the exhibit. Whether this is temporary to allow the Irwin's Turtles to settle in or a permanent removal is not known.
 
Always_Amity said:
Robert Irwin has announced on his social media that the Irwins Turtles have gone on display!

At least one individual (a female) has been placed into the native turtle exhibit, which has undergone some renovations specifically to accommodate them (also of note, the water has been changed to be clear rather than murky, and the bottom is sandy, allowing for a much easier viewing experience, which is a bonus)

It does appear that the other native turtles (Broad-Shelled River Turtle, Brisbane River Turtle and Kreftt's Turtle, iirc) have been removed from the exhibit. Whether this is temporary to allow the Irwin's Turtles to settle in or a permanent removal is not known.
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Saw it coming, the enclosure was made vacant a while prior to this (rather close to their acquisition of Irwin’s Turtle), so it was a pretty easy slot in. If I had to guess, they’ll be reopening the enclosure solely for the Irwin’s, not mixing them in with other species. No one really seemed to look at the enclosure other than to briefly appreciate the landscaping when it was just named ‘Freshwater Turtles’, and it would be very unlike Australia Zoo to acquire a species with ‘Irwin’ in both of it’s names and not display them in an enclosure that’s named after an Irwin.
 
Australia Zoo has acquired four Freshwater Crocodiles, an adult male, adult female and two juveniles, from the Wildlife Dome in Cairns due to that facilities closure.

They have been placed behind the scenes at the zoo, though interestingly, the zoo states they have "some pretty grand plans coming up for these Freshies in the future."
 
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