Australia Zoo Australia Zoo News 2024

A few notes from my visit to Australia Zoo today. It was very wet but I quite enjoy visiting a zoo in wet weather as the crowds are usually smaller and the animals showcase some interesting behaviours:
  • 19 locally-endemic and newly-described Robert Irwin’s Banded Snails, Figuladra robertirwini, have arrived at the zoo. This species has already bred off-show and will soon be placed on-display in the reptile house.
  • a pair of Satin Bowerbirds, which is a returning species after many years, have arrived at the zoo and are now in the walkthrough aviary. A large flock of Zebra Finches (returning species) have been added along with already reported new flocks of Bush Budgerigars and Superb Parrots.
  • a male pair of Radjah Shelducks have arrived joining their lone old female duck.
  • only a single male Sacred Kingfisher is currently housed in the walkthrough aviary.
  • Rainbow Lorikeets were attending to a nest box with two fertile eggs.
  • the new female Southern Hairy-nosed Wombat from Melbourne Zoo is now on-show next to the Tasmanian Devil. She was very active.
  • King Cobra is back on-show again next to the White-lipped Tree-Frogs and Boyd’s Forest Dragon mix.
  • Perenties have bred from their pair Adeline and Axel. Six eggs were laid and at least two have hatched so far, continuing a very long history with breeding the species stemming back to pre-Australia Zoo days.
  • Barking Owl was on-show today in the birds of prey aviary. First time I have seen it there though the zoo regularly rotate their birds in this space.
  • Central Bearded Dragon and Saw-shelled Turtle have been added to the entrance lizard enclosure with the Cunningham’s Skinks.
  • the two-storey cabins with views of a new freshwater crocodile and turtle pond will open just before Christmas at the Crocodile Hunter Lodge.
  • Crocoseum renovations were ongoing with new seating across the entire stadium.
  • Some more general titbits; Spotted Python is still at the zoo despite not being on-show for almost a decade with a 25-year-old snake remaining in the reptile live show, the Noisy Pitta is still around after a few years of not seeing it and the Brush-tailed Rock-Wallaby have finally become accustomed to the main rock mound above the Quokka instead of the small rock mound.
  • wildlife on zoo grounds was incredible; a pair of Azure Kingfishers are resident now behind the cheetah now and they were perching right next to the cheetah at one stage, Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoos were regular flyovers and flock of Plumed Whistling-Ducks were common.
 
A Southern Cassowary chick has hatched at the zoo - reported on their FB page.

Details on Southern cassowary chick:

Adorable cassowary chick settling into new home at Australia Zoo | Noosa Today

An adorable cassowary chick has arrived at Australia Zoo, already bonding with proud father, Kevin, who visitors can admire sporadically during the upcoming holiday season.

Now settling into its loving new home, the chick will join siblings Fergo and Laura, who were born in 2021, making history as the Zoo’s first successful breeding of these endangered birds in their then 51-year history.
 
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