From my visit to Werribee...

Swanson02 said:
I said it was drastic mate, I didn't say Zoo management's wouldn't look at all. We as superfans only represent a tiny minority of Zoo guests, Zoo's main priority is ensuring the majority, families and the like, have a good experience. So when I criticize Melbourne or Adelaide for wasting space on a giant playground I wouldn't really expect management to care as I wasn't their target audience for such a project. It is naive to believe we are a bigger deal than we actually are, the current ZoosVic Ceo isn't hankering at her keyboard excitedly waiting to punish some poor bus driver cause he casually mentioned Bongos returning to Melbourne.
Click to expand...

Your snark is unwarranted and misrepresents what I said. I don't think the CEO is refreshing ZooChat looking for staff to punish either, but someone there will be viewing this thread (and the equivalent ones for Healesville, Werribee and Kyabram) and if anything really has been leaked that shouldn't have, it's a reasonable assumption that it will be followed up. As said up-thread, though, I don't think it's on ZooChat members to protect staff from their own indiscretion, as long as they haven't been led to believe a conversation was held in confidence.

As an aside, I'm pretty free with my criticisms of Zoos Victoria on this page - I don't expect for a moment that Zoos Vic cares about my disappointment with their management but I'm certainly not bothered if they know about it.
 
this seems to good to be true

10 tapirs would be incredible they are solitary and would need 10 exhibits
little alone bongo which were phased out and Melbourne said they wenrnt going to house them

This would be great but when something is to good to be true it generality is but I sort think he would be making this up, hopefully the keeper is telling the truth it just seems to much
 
CGSwans said:
Shrugs. I don't particularly care what you believe but it's very well-known to people who have been here awhile that zoo managements all over the world are aware of ZooChat and follow what is said here, and they tend to dislike "leaks" from their staff. That's fine - I think the onus is on them to ensure employees know what is expected of them, not us, and I welcome the news when we get it. It is, however, naive to think that a forum that has been live for nearly 20 years is flying under the radar of management.
Click to expand...
I hate to burst your bubble, but the *vast* majority of zoo upper management do not frequent, and honestly aren't even aware of, zoochat. Yes, some zoo's management keep tabs on this forum (or have keepers who keep tabs on the forum, or have zoochat members who watch the forums and them submit emails or whatnot to zoo management), and obviously there are some standout examples of members who are either high level keepers or outright management/owners at various facilities, but, overall, the total number would be minute compared to the total number of zoo's out there. I've been in and out of the zoological field professionally for over 10 years, attended numerous conferences and other workshops interacting with other, actual zoo professionals, and know quite a few personally just through work and networking and such, and I think I've found a combined total of like...maybe? three or four other people who were even aware of this website, and none of them were upper management. They simply don't have time or desire to moderate such a thing, and to think a large number of the worlds most well known zoo's are closely monitoring a forum that is...niche at best, is honestly laughable. Yes, there are a few incidences in the past of some transfers and such in a certain few European collections being halted, apparently in part, due to info being prematurely posted on this forum, but as mentioned, 99.9% of the time, information posted on this forum and its overall limited audience, is simply not on the radar of management. Much more attention is put to facebook, twitter, and instagram, amongst other more main stream social media, and even then, that monitoring is more geared towards staff not breaking social media posting policies, and less towards watching for rumors about future plans from random, non-staff sources.
 
austrlain zoo gower said:
this seems to good to be true

10 tapirs would be incredible they are solitary and would need 10 exhibits
little alone bongo which were phased out and Melbourne said they wenrnt going to house them

This would be great but when something is to good to be true it generality is but I sort think he would be making this up, hopefully the keeper is telling the truth it just seems to much
Click to expand...
It is understandable to doubt it, and I did at first, but my assumption is he was exaggerating. When he said there were like 10, he may have just meant a lot, which may signify a breeding operation. If they do plan on housing 10, it could be spread through multiple exhibits, such as the pre existing one, and splitting some of the elephant exhibits into many enclosures. As previously suggested, they could be an advocate for deforestation and be a breeding hub to supply zoos in the region. The Bongo doesn’t seem to far fetched to me, just considering how he portrayed it. As I believe Jambo said, phasing out the Bongo also came with a stroke of bad luck
 
Also just to follow up after reading TLD's post (didn't see it before I posted), what he says is absolutely true, and the number of places keeping tabs on here is very likely in the multiple dozens, if not more, but *collectively*, relative to the massive number of facilities in the United States, Europe, and everywhere else, is a proverbial drop in the hat, so to speak.
 
Jambo said:
Thanks for asking those questions.:)

What did you ask re. the adaax?

I'm mostly interested in where the Hyena where going to go. Potentially in the back vacant Lion enclosure? It's good to see they're importing some founders from overseas as evident by the delay due to covid.
Click to expand...
Sorry I didn’t see this earlier, but I heard from other people on Zoochat they would be housed between the Wild Dogs and Hippos? After the announcement of this new walking trail it could mean a new home for them though
 
austrlain zoo gower said:
this seems to good to be true

10 tapirs would be incredible they are solitary and would need 10 exhibits.
Click to expand...

I’ve known many instances where a 1.1 pair of tapir have lived amicably and females can sometimes live together (especially if related). 10 tapir could potentially be held across four exhibits depending on the genders and dynamics imported.

I’ll say an import of 10 tapir with the view of dispersing them to other zoos is more likely than Melbourne maintaining double figures long term.
 
I agree. Double figures for a long time seems impractical, but occupying the abandoned elephant exhibits for a small period of time before being dispersed makes sense to me. Also, I didn’t mention this earlier because he seemed rather unsure about it, and it is common knowledge, but the elephant enclosure may also be used to expand the gorilla/orangutan exhibits, which I am hoping is not the case, due to the available wetland.
 
Jambo said:
Melbourne did state they would no longer continue with Bongo but this was back in 2015 so this could have changed.

Really doubt a Werribee keeper would make all this up.
Click to expand...
PaddyRickMFZ said:
The Bongo doesn’t seem to far fetched to me, just considering how he portrayed it. As I believe Jambo said, phasing out the Bongo also came with a stroke of bad luck
Click to expand...

It’s worth bearing in mind that the decision to phase out Eastern bongo could change just as readily as management changes.

Decisions are reviewed and considering the Bovid IRA has been completed since the phase out decision of a decade ago, there will be renewed regional interest - perhaps proving the catalyst to reacquire this species again.
 
Melbourne is probably being the main importer and will export some to Taronga ect. Melbourne might keep a male and a female or a male and two females, it would be great to see the species reintroduced
Bongo would be great to see but they were a confined phase out but times have changed it is highly Likely they might house them in the future they could be implemented however I think it will probably be a male, a new exhibit will have to be built
I think fennec fox will be implemented in a mini African section I suggested

It is highly likely Melbourne will house Indian rhino as you said

Just to clarify i never meant to say that you were wrong but I meant to say I thought the keeper was telling the truth as a doubt they would come out with all this without it being true but my autocorrector has a different idea, I think it is clear the Melbourne will not house 10 tapir but rather be a main breeder,

Great to get some new news that may come true.
 
austrlain zoo gower said:
Melbourne is probably being the main importer and will export some to Taronga ect. Melbourne might keep a male and a female or a male and two females, it would be great to see the species reintroduced
Bongo were a confined phase out but times have changed it is highly Likely they might house them in the future they could be implemented however I think it will probably be a male, a new exhibit will have to be built
I think fennec fox will be implemented in a mini African section I suggested

It is highly likely Melbourne will house Indian rhino as you said

Just to clarify i never meant to say that you were wrong but I meant to say I thought the keeper was telling the truth as a doubt they would come out with all this without it being true but my autocorrector has a different idea, I think it is clear the Melbourne will not house 10 tapir but rather be a main breeder,

Great to get some new news that may come true.
Click to expand...
All of that seems realistic. I heard all of the information first hand and am still taking it with a grain of salt, because any of those plans could change. One thing that I find hard to believe though is the Fennec Fox, although maybe because Werribee won’t house them Melbourne will? Either way, both zoos have an exciting future coinciding with the transfer of the elephants
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top