PaddyRickMFZ
Well-Known Member
That seems like a win win for all parties. Not saying they will definitely be offered that and take it, but on paper works out nicely
Melbourne Zoo Future of Melbourne Zoo 2023 (Speculation / Fantasy)
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Oh right yeah that also makes sense in terms of there was an official ceremony around the opening era of 'Serpentaria' in 1995 where three Māori elders (not sure which Iwis they belonged to..or perhaps the three elders came from three separate Iwis) but the presenting of the Tuataras to Taronga was done with gift and ceremony in a Māori cultural way.
That sounds likely, with earlier imports dying prematurely and Okapi breeding poorly. Auckland Zoo didn’t successfully raise a giraffe calf to adulthood until 1975.
Māori elders similarly accompanied the Tuatara to Chester Zoo in 1994. Unfortunately, Taronga’s Tuatara didn’t live very long, but Chester has had success in breeding them - notably supplying Taronga Zoo.
There was a person on here a few years ago who was certain had seen a lone baby Gorilla at Perth Zoo back in the 70s or 80s..after explaining where in the zoo they thought they saw it realised they were talking about the lone Kloss Gibbon who lived in one of the old concrete primate rows between '74 & '84 (well there were 1.1 Chimps at the zoo during that time too but they described a row of cages closer to the entrance which was where the Kloss Gibbon was held).
@Zoofan15
Go Chester! They have to be one of the luckiest and most species privileged zoos in the world. I swear they have the Midas touch Chester, along with San Diego, Cincinnati, Columbus and Bronx).
Shame about the original Tuataras at Taronga. They were so beautiful, I love the noticeable difference between male and female. I hope I didn't cause their early demise through stress by pressing the button too much that lit up a red light in the little crevice cave near the display glass.
@Zoofan15
Go Chester! They have to be one of the luckiest and most species privileged zoos in the world. I swear they have the Midas touch Chester, along with San Diego, Cincinnati, Columbus and Bronx).
Shame about the original Tuataras at Taronga. They were so beautiful, I love the noticeable difference between male and female. I hope I didn't cause their early demise through stress by pressing the button too much that lit up a red light in the little crevice cave near the display glass.
PaddyRickMFZ
Well-Known Member
If I saw it where the orangutans currently are in maybe 2015, does that help anyone?
It would've been a Saimang, and so would've been prior to 2015. The Saimangs moved out in around 2013 if I can remember correctly. Back to the Lemur Islands.
I’d also add the Smithsonian National Zoo to that list, who’ve had success in breeding several kiwi over the years.
I’m sure the early demise of the Tuatara was either down to bad luck or the zoo still refining their husbandry routine.
PaddyRickMFZ
Well-Known Member
Can’t have been that early. I’m thinking 2014-2017. It also seemed stocky, so no gorillas were ever held in that exhibit
Possibly 2014 then. Although the Saimangs were definitely back on the Lemur Islands by late 2014.
And nope, i'm sure there wasn't a gorilla in there.
No, the gorillas were united in a single troop by that stage, following the arrival of Otana in 2013.
I don’t think this is a mystery we’ll ever solve @PaddyRickMFZ.
PaddyRickMFZ
Well-Known Member
Just making sUre. Was there any great ape display showcasing bonobo in that complex?Possibly 2014 then. Although the Saimangs were definitely back on the Lemur Islands by late 2014.
And nope, i'm sure there wasn't a gorilla in there.
PaddyRickMFZ
Well-Known Member
Lol
...or they mistook the Sulawesi Crested Macaques or Tonkean Macaques at PZ at the time too for Gorilla.
But sorry back to Melbourne Zoo. Did they ever have any illustrated signage near the Orangutans or Gorillas in the last decade that showed pictures of Chimps and Bonobo their fellow great apes who weren't represented at the zoo (well not anymore for 'Common' Chimps since Feb '93)...always though nicely illustrated colourful pictures of related species not held at the zoo but pictured next to the info signs of the represented/present-in-collection species is a good way for zoos to give a tiny nod of acknowledgement to other awesome related species that can't also be present at the zoo as reality dictates having to make choices of which species are feasible to keep and display (for a myriad of reasons depending on location, budgetary restrictions, space etc etc).
Just thought if there was an illustrated Bonobo near the Siamangs and Orangs at MZ (as already mentioned) it could of been a mix up perhaps.
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I've found something seriously interesting here - it's probably the best lead any of us on this thread have had!
The following link is to the website of Studio Hanson Roberts - an architectural firm that have designed a number of Zoos Victoria exhibits in the past. Scroll down to the 5th project on the page and you will see "Melbourne Zoo Masterplan" - it doesn't give any written info but it does show a map - which you can enlarge by clicking on it.
ON THE BOARDS — SH|R Studios (shrstudios.com)
I have no idea how flexible this plan is, but for those of us hoping for Indian Rhinos (as I am), then judging by this it's not looking likely...
That said, I'm really not sure how much to read into this - perhaps this is just a basic "first draft" designed by the architects so that they can put a picture to the project.
Keen to hear what others think - because this looks nothing like what we have all been talking about for the past 40 pages!
BTW, the website itself is great - it has a lot of projects they have done at a lot of zoos including Auckland and Werribee.
The following link is to the website of Studio Hanson Roberts - an architectural firm that have designed a number of Zoos Victoria exhibits in the past. Scroll down to the 5th project on the page and you will see "Melbourne Zoo Masterplan" - it doesn't give any written info but it does show a map - which you can enlarge by clicking on it.
ON THE BOARDS — SH|R Studios (shrstudios.com)
I have no idea how flexible this plan is, but for those of us hoping for Indian Rhinos (as I am), then judging by this it's not looking likely...
That said, I'm really not sure how much to read into this - perhaps this is just a basic "first draft" designed by the architects so that they can put a picture to the project.
Keen to hear what others think - because this looks nothing like what we have all been talking about for the past 40 pages!
BTW, the website itself is great - it has a lot of projects they have done at a lot of zoos including Auckland and Werribee.
PaddyRickMFZ
Well-Known Member
It seems like a lot of space is missing, so I don’t know what to make of that. Komodo Dragon is interesting, but I’ll admit my first thought at seeing the plan was yikes. Thanks for the info tho
@Grant Rhino
Not gonna lie: this is pretty underwhelming to say the very least imo tbh; the Australian habitat specific areas seems interesting..but for the exotics it's a pretty (yawn emoji) plan I think).
Here's what I'd do if was Melbourne Zoo.......not that.
(source: ON THE BOARDS — SH|R Studios (shrstudios.com))
Not gonna lie: this is pretty underwhelming to say the very least imo tbh; the Australian habitat specific areas seems interesting..but for the exotics it's a pretty (yawn emoji) plan I think).
Here's what I'd do if was Melbourne Zoo.......not that.
(source: ON THE BOARDS — SH|R Studios (shrstudios.com))
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This is obviously going to be massive if it happens - so in a nutshell from looking at this map:
1. Ibis Island will house siamangs.
2. Orangutans stay where they are
3. Gorillas and lemurs stay where they are
4. Tropical Forests Guest exotics could mean anything from Pygmy hippos to okapis to something totally different in that space
5. Current older structures will be redone - the platypus house becomes the Aussie Restaurant and the reptile house becomes the new rail entrance
6. Growing Wild stays and may have more animals in it
7. Lemurs and cafe can be seen/used without entering the zoo
8. Carnivore area stays the same but maybe otters go there to where the Tassie devils are currently
9. Great Flight Aviary will be extended
10. Tigers seem to be gone
11. Giraffe stay and presumably zebra too
12. Baboons off to Werribee
13. Major Australian focus
The main point though is that when it comes to large animals, the centre of gravity will move to WORZ. The role MZ will play looks like a place where people can connect with nature (this is one of the values of the firm).
It seems that MZ is going to be what the Central Park Zoo in New York is and WORZ is going to be what the Bronx Zoo is…
What the next generation knows a zoo to be is going to be very different to what we know it to be…
That said, we don’t know how accurate or realistic this is and we also don’t know the timeframe.
1. Ibis Island will house siamangs.
2. Orangutans stay where they are
3. Gorillas and lemurs stay where they are
4. Tropical Forests Guest exotics could mean anything from Pygmy hippos to okapis to something totally different in that space
5. Current older structures will be redone - the platypus house becomes the Aussie Restaurant and the reptile house becomes the new rail entrance
6. Growing Wild stays and may have more animals in it
7. Lemurs and cafe can be seen/used without entering the zoo
8. Carnivore area stays the same but maybe otters go there to where the Tassie devils are currently
9. Great Flight Aviary will be extended
10. Tigers seem to be gone
11. Giraffe stay and presumably zebra too
12. Baboons off to Werribee
13. Major Australian focus
The main point though is that when it comes to large animals, the centre of gravity will move to WORZ. The role MZ will play looks like a place where people can connect with nature (this is one of the values of the firm).
It seems that MZ is going to be what the Central Park Zoo in New York is and WORZ is going to be what the Bronx Zoo is…
What the next generation knows a zoo to be is going to be very different to what we know it to be…
That said, we don’t know how accurate or realistic this is and we also don’t know the timeframe.
Swanson02
Well-Known Member
Personally I have two main preferences for the way Melbourne utilise their elephant exhibit after their departure.
My first preference is similar to the one you mentioned where Melbourne convert the "Bull Enclosure" into a secondary exhibit for their Orangutans, connected to the original Orangutan exhibit via a series of high ropes akin to Auckland. Additionally, the Bull barn would be converted into another off-exhibit area for the Orangutans as well. This would literally double the Orangutan's area and I could see this complex comfortably holding a breeding group of 3.3 Orangutans and offspring, making it the region's second largest breeding center after Perth.
The remaining two elephant exhibits in this scenario would remain relatively the same and house a 1.1 pair of Indian Rhinoceros (potentially a mature Hari and an imported cow). The pair could be rotated between the "pool exhibit' and "cow exhibit' to provide enrichment and the cow barn with its three large stalls should easily accommodate a 1.1.1 grouping. (I've done a small diagram of the whole complex below)
I see this preference as the more likely of my two to occur, the Indian rhino's albiet a crowd drawer don't quite hold the gravitas of an elephant herd but that could be made up for with the expansion of the Orangutans and a world-class high ropes system. Overall the area would require no change in theming bar a simple name fix to "Trail of the Rhinos" or something similar.
My second preference involves the Tapirs that have been so heavily rumored. This scenario would consist of a rotation system between all three of Melbourne's current elephant exhibits, with a pair of 1.1 Indian Rhinoceros and a breeding group of 2.2 either Malayan or Brazilian Tapirs. Personally, I'd prefer Brazilians even though they would ruin the entire trail's theming, this is due to them both being more suited to Australian conditions and the fact that other zoos (Adelaide and DDZ) have expressed future interest in attaining Brazilians from overseas.
In this scenario, the Tapirs would inhabit the current bull barn, with its one large stall being divided into three or four smaller stalls. The off-display yard adjacent to the bull barn would also be utilized in this scenario to provide a second outdoor area for the Tapirs. Therefore on an average day, you'd have the two cows out together on exhibit, one of the bulls in the barn and the other with access to a stall and the holding yard. You could even give a tapir full run of the cow barn (now rhino barn) during the day to provide extra enrichment, whilst the rhinos are out on exhibit. Unfortunately, In this scenario, the Orangutans would remain the same as they are now.
The biggest issue with this preference if Brazilians are selected over Malayans, is how Melbourne handles the geographical mismatch. I have three options -
- The Trail remains the same, just renamed the "Asian Trail" and Brazilian Tapirs are claimed as a substitute for their Malayan cousins. (I wouldn't put this lazy option passed Melbourne tbh)
- The Trail is rebranded as the "Trail of the giants" or the "Dark Forest Trail", Melbourne could really lean into the child-aimed theming they have recently been going for with the Dinos at the Zoo and Growing Wild. Making the whole trail seem more whimsical, embracing the butterflies, and displaying mythical creatures like the unicorn "Indian Rhino" and Baku "Tapir".
- The most ambitious option of the three is rebranding the area as "Ancient Australia" with the Indian Rhino and Brazilian Tapir as stand-ins for Diprotodon and Palorchestes respectively. The proximity to Melbourne's "Australian Bush" section could also add a really cool past vs present dynamic, not to mention other easy-to-move species like Aldabra tortoises and Komodo dragons could be brought in as stand-ins for Meiolania and Megalania aswell. This is obviously the most expensive option but would really set Melbourne Zoo apart on a national level and the "Ancient Australia" theming could entice the magic pudding of funding that is anything indigenous-related. I just want to see an 'Elephant Odyssey' at SZ style area implemented in an Australian Zoo
Anyway sorry for my ramblings and hope these diagrams are somewhat intelligible. If anyone likes this in-deep theorization I might do one for Taronga next.
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@Grant Rhino
Not gonna lie: this is pretty underwhelming to say the very least imo tbh; the Australian habitat specific areas seems interesting..but for the exotics it's a pretty (yawn emoji) plan I think).
Here's what I'd do if was Melbourne Zoo.......not that.
(source: ON THE BOARDS — SH|R Studios (shrstudios.com))
I agree. This is the disappointing masterplan I’ve ever seen. The emphasis on Australian natives is ridiculous considering they already have two sister zoos focussing on natives (one exclusively).
The Hamadryas baboons are gone (these better show up at Werribee) and the elephants are being replaced with a mixed species giraffe exhibit (wow, never seen one of those before
).Instead of an expansion to the orangutan exhibit, they have a tiny exhibit eight times smaller than “Australian woodlands) with a tiny aerial pathway they think will impress visitors because it passes by the cafe. The gorillas apparently have one too.
I have to say just about every one of our ideas for Melbourne has been better than this.
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