And for the most part the WORZ native section is not overly popular from my experience (living 5 mins down the road) it is often overlooked by people and could be better used for various other species. Namely I’d like to see African birds (more than just the Guinea fowl) and some African reptiles (more than just the Madagascar Ground Boas) on display.
Melbourne Zoo Future of Melbourne Zoo 2023 (Speculation / Fantasy)
- Thread starter Jambo
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And for the most part the WORZ native section is not overly popular from my experience (living 5 mins down the road) it is often overlooked by people and could be better used for various other species. Namely I’d like to see African birds (more than just the Guinea fowl) and some African reptiles (more than just the Madagascar Ground Boas) on display.
PaddyRickMFZ
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I certainly hope ZV would consider that, but I’m not too sure. Sizeable precinct that could be harnessed for smaller, terrestrial mammals. The walkthrough style could fit a proposed Amazon walkthrough, and some netting and renovations would make it optimal. The large kangaroo exhibit could be used to hold a predatory animal such as Andean bear or Jaguar. It would ofc need decent renovations but could see the precinct holding a variety of SA species
With the space available at Werribee, they could build a huge reptile house to display a wide range of reptiles. It’s completely possible to import reptiles from overseas, so not having enough African reptiles in Australia at present is no excuse for not compiling an impressive collection.
Too small unfortunately. And it's LONG abandoned. The gates are now rusty so the whole enclosure will need renovations if so.
Another thing I want to see is to get a species more suited to that forested section of the Tortoise enclosure. I've never seen a Tortoise go down there and it's been more than a decade since that enclosure opened. Not sure what species would be suitable there. Komodo come to the top of my head.
They already have the large Tortoise enclosure next to the Reptile House, there's no need for two imo.
Especially when they could easily move about 10 species from MZ to WORZ without having to go through any import process haha
I would personally say that based on the choice to use Asian Elephants as a proxy for African counterparts it’s safe to assume WORZ will continue the African theme for quite some time. A similar precinct with African species could easily be created with commonly kept species such as African Grey Parrots, African Lovebirds, Meyer’s Parrots plus African reptiles from MZ such as Kenyan Sand Boa, Madagascar Giant Day Gecko etc.
It’s honestly such as win-win, freeing up space at Melbourne Zoo; while creating an impressive and diverse collection at Werribee, which for a long time has lacked in mammals and birds.
A setup could be built for either Colobus or Vervets to perhaps avoid phase out of either sp. with the space made by moving the Eastern Grey Roos.
PaddyRickMFZ
Well-Known Member
As true as that is, when WORZ inevitably start lagging behind they may need to resort to diversification
The Sleepy Hippo
Well-Known Member
See I would move almost all of MZ's natives to WORZ to keep within their current Australian precinct and River walk track. I quite like it beside the river.
Then again it would be nice to have some exotics on display around the Slumber Safari "tents"
PaddyRickMFZ
Well-Known Member
I
I was counting on large renovations, and I agree on the tortoise front
Once they property cover Africa then they can look to diversity their region. An almost entirely mammal focussed collection doesn’t do any justice to a whole continent really.
Yeah the way I see it WORZ has two options. Do natives properly and display some of their threatened sp. more than just the OBPs or get rid of them entirely and go nuts with Africa.
The Sleepy Hippo
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I agree. They may need another enclosure near the RH to fit the additional tortoises, and they could move the climbing shells for children down to there as well.
The Sleepy Hippo
Well-Known Member
@Jambo - maybe this is what that little bit of lawn that I keep harping on about could be used for.
*edit* or not, as I just relooked at it on google maps and it would be a too big a space for an additional enclosure for tortoise
The Sleepy Hippo
Well-Known Member
Actually - talking the Australian Precinct at Werribee. When I was there last weekend we were completely non-plussed by the waste of space historic woolshed(?). I agree with keeping it as it is historic, but mocking it up as a woolshed felt like a waste of space and I resented the fact I walked inside once in. I assumed that some form of enclosure was going to be in there. Something.
Was dull, and was the one thing I was really disappointed in (other than the selfishness of young families that swan in the way of anyone and everyone and think the entire place is for their own convenience so bugger everyone else)
Was dull, and was the one thing I was really disappointed in (other than the selfishness of young families that swan in the way of anyone and everyone and think the entire place is for their own convenience so bugger everyone else)
The Sleepy Hippo
Well-Known Member
Speaking Bonobo at Melbourne, I'd ideally love to find a way to include them and Mandrill in the Gorilla Rainforest. If Okapi came that would be great too but not really possible.
My thought was if the off display tiger enclosure behing TOTE could be incorporated into GR then at least one of these may be able to be housed alongside the Gorilla, and give one last non Gorilla species as you leave that trail.
My thought was if the off display tiger enclosure behing TOTE could be incorporated into GR then at least one of these may be able to be housed alongside the Gorilla, and give one last non Gorilla species as you leave that trail.
Vervet monkeys are perfect for Werribee. I appreciate they’re not endangered, but sometimes fit for purpose should override the species criteria which tbh serves only to restrict Zoos Victoria in what they hold - with a heavy bias towards native species.
Werribee is an African open range zoo, so Vervets are well suited - and a large troop would be as enabling as any other exhibit.
Agreed. We simply don’t have the options available to us to import considering the Suidae ban and several ungulate bans such as Barbary sheep and Wildebeest. If Werribee is hellbent on African species only, reptiles and birds are needed to achieve a diverse collection.
The Sleepy Hippo
Well-Known Member
I'd actually love them to hold multiple troops. I'd keep the one they have in that location, and if Meerkat are moving to the new Safari Station, I would renovate their current enclosure beside the Bistro, and rename it the Vervet Coffee House, and further promote the coffee they sell, and that message, that the Vervet monkey are literally branded on.
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