WORZ are getting spotted hyenas - and there are already quite a lot in the region at various zoos including Monarto, Canberra, Altina and Mogo.
I agree with Zorro - we don't need more than one species of hyena in the region.
Melbourne Zoo Future of Melbourne Zoo 2023 (Speculation / Fantasy)
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WORZ are getting spotted hyenas - and there are already quite a lot in the region at various zoos including Monarto, Canberra, Altina and Mogo.
I agree with Zorro - we don't need more than one species of hyena in the region.
PaddyRickMFZ
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We of course don’t need 2 species, but I am just trying to think of something to replace the dingo at MZ, which realistically should be moved to the Aussie section. Stripes Hyenas could also at a point of different for the roar and snore guests, and showcase how interesting of a species they are
As much as I’d love to see Striped hyena return to the region, I agree it makes more sense to concentrate on Spotted hyena. There’s recently been an initiative to import this species and Monarto plan to import more in the near future. With Werribee coming on board, we have the potential to create a thriving regional population - that previously has only been sustained through minor breeding efforts.
While I wouldn't put dingos in my top 30 favourite species of animal (and of course I prefer African Wild Dogs), I don't think they are a bad fit for that part of the zoo. I don't think they need to go into the Australian section. The predator precinct is not geographically based - in fact it is completely the opposite:
Snow leopards from Central Asia
Coatis form South America
Lions from Africa
Tigers from Southeast Asia
Dingos and Tassie devils from Australia
PaddyRickMFZ
Well-Known Member
It’s just a bit of a shame something like a dingo, which could be geographically relocated with ease, is taking up an exhibit which could be home to an exotic carnivore such as maned wolf or Striped Hyena. I agree we should focus on spotted hyena, which are also one of my favourite species of all time and I have managed to see them at a zoo only once(same with striped). Considering that they are bound to become endangered at one point, I hope that when that day does eventually come Australia decide to set up a breeding operation
I still can’t see them on the import list, but they had to have been imported at some point, and I doubt they’d revise the list purely to exclude the striped hyena
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Remember there were other Snow leopard breeders in the region before like Mogo zoo?.
I believe the National zoo imported Sri Lankan Leopards before the DDZ and bred them before DDZ so what's your point?
Remember there were other Snow leopard breeders in the region before like Mogo zoo?.
I believe the National zoo imported Sri Lankan Leopards before the DDZ and bred them before DDZ so what's your point?
There were other snow leopard holders in the region (with aging snow leopards) but not breeders. MZ brought in the breeding pair from overseas. If they hadn't done so the species would've died out in the region.
Okay so it was National Zoo first rather than DDZ (my mistake) - but my point is exactly what it originally was: one zoo brought them in and bred them first.
Altina did the same thing with Maned Wolves.
No zoo in the region has striped hyenas, so someone will have to be the first if anyone ever introduces them.
I don't think we should dismiss any species just because no other zoo holds it (but I do think we should dismiss various species for other reasons).
If MZ decided not to import a breeding pair of snow leopards simply because other zoos weren't breeding them then we wouldn't have them going forward. If Altina didn't import maned wolves then Australia wouldn't have any of them either.
The precinct is designed to be geographically diverse, hence the number of different species from different regions. It's meant to showcase the Carnivores from across the world, and personally I think it does an okay job of it. If I was to give feedback on what would make it better though; i'd say simply having a specific order of regions (eg. Africa, Asia and then Australia) would make for a more cohesive and intriguing precinct.
Potentially down the line Melbourne may have space for surplus stock from Werribee, and the current Dingo enclosure is perfect for them imo.
Just a note re. importing new species: @Zorro @Grant Rhino @PaddyRickMFZ
CITES I species can only be imported with the support of a regional breeding programme. This means that a zoo can’t just import Striped hyena because they want to, the ZAA has to be onboard with other zoos expressing an interest.
CITES I species can only be imported with the support of a regional breeding programme. This means that a zoo can’t just import Striped hyena because they want to, the ZAA has to be onboard with other zoos expressing an interest.
On this note, I wonder if this tells us something about Taronga’s plans to import Okapi. Okapi are a CITES I species and we’ve all be wondering if Melbourne have an interest in acquiring them. Presumably somebody besides Taronga plans to do so, with Melbourne being the most likely candidate imo.
Also, it's worth mentioning that there's no real successful regional breeding programs for Striped Hyenas worldwide so i'm not sure where they'll be able to obtain stock from. A few European facilities do hold them, but there's very limited breeding.
Okapi and Bongo in as replacements for the elephants?
Both species would easily suit the current elephant enclosures without much modification, so would be suitable fits and popularity wise, I think Okapi would make up for the elephants departure!
Okapi and Bongo in as replacements for the elephants?
Both species would easily suit the current elephant enclosures without much modification, so would be suitable fits and popularity wise, I think Okapi would make up for the elephants departure!
Yes, all the pieces fit in my opinion. Taronga and Melbourne are the two most influential zoos in Australia, so if any two were to collaborate on importing Okapi (a difficult to source species), it would be these two imo.
Like I say, presumably somebody is supporting Taronga in trying to source them and Melbourne has every reason to. If it’s true that Eastern bongo are also returning to Taronga, I’d say we have two reasonably strong hints Okapi could be on the way.
So when MZ imported the breeding pair of snow leopards, who would've been the zoos who expressed interest? I'm assuming Wellington and Tasmania - but would there have possibly been others as well?
And second question: Does this refer to any species (such as snow leopards) or only a new species (such as striped hyena) that isn't currently held in the region?
Wellington 100% had interest in importing them at this time; and I assume Tasmania Zoo did too as they received the male cub from Melbourne relatively early on. I’m not aware of any other facilities.
That’s a good question and one I don’t 100% know the answer to. I was told the import of a CITES I species requires the support of a regional breeding programme, so from that I’d assume that any new species MUST have the support of the region to establish a population; while the import of an exisiting species requires an intention to continue with the species. For example, Melbourne Zoo couldn’t have imported their Snow leopards if the region was planning to phase them out. In that case, the answer to your question would be both.
Altina obtained their Maned worlds from the Western plains zoo after they lost interest in them but them later imported to add a new bloodline to the animals that they had bred, thanks to them that they are still with us today!
PaddyRickMFZ
Well-Known Member
I’d love to see Okapi in one of the elephant exhibits, Rhinos taking up 2, tapirs in the barn and Bongo occupying the (possibly) old Tapir exhibit and off display peccary enclosure. Then when the peccaries pass *more sadness* it can be expanded into that. Thoughts?Okapi and Bongo in as replacements for the elephants?
Both species would easily suit the current elephant enclosures without much modification, so would be suitable fits and popularity wise, I think Okapi would make up for the elephants departure!
The Okapi would require two of the elephant exhibits - one for the bull and one for the cow. The Eastern bongo (small herd) would then take up the third exhibit, so there’d be no room for Indian rhinoceros under these plans. It’d greatly enhance the zoos African rainforest collection though!
The peccary and tapir exhibits could be combined to house either another pair or a single bull, to breed with first generation daughters in the breeding herd.
austrlain zoo gower
Well-Known Member
My plan,
I think hari could go in the main elephant exibit, who said there has to be a female, blackbuck or other deers from India combined, tapir in the last exibit barn and when they are not on show the male okapi can live in the exibit and visa versa and a female in the first elephant exibit and bongo in the tapir and peccarie, this is the route imo that makes the most sense
I think hari could go in the main elephant exibit, who said there has to be a female, blackbuck or other deers from India combined, tapir in the last exibit barn and when they are not on show the male okapi can live in the exibit and visa versa and a female in the first elephant exibit and bongo in the tapir and peccarie, this is the route imo that makes the most sense
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