Melbourne Zoo Future of Melbourne Zoo 2023 (Speculation / Fantasy)

[PaddyRickMFZ]

Somet

@PaddyRickMFZ I agree that it isn't going to happen, as I indicated in the post, but maybe a Clouded Leopard would suffice in the Coati exhibit (which I'm confident is an idea I stole from you ). I'm just angling for a Leopard Gorge, to pair with Leopard Lodge. I think those three species would be different enough, especially considering two of those "leopards" are not actually leopards...

Maybe I would put the Sri Lankan Leopard in the African Lion enclosure, and Dhole in the Dingo exhibit, allowing for a lead into Clouded Leopard and Snow Leopards. And then Sun bears in Indrah's enclosure. "Something Exciting" in the Devils enclosure.

@Zoofan15
Agreed on Great Apes that if done properly with interconnected, interesting enclosures with innovative viewing experiences, any could stand alone.
Understand what you meant by a Lion Park now, and think that for Adelaide to build one would be an absolute waste, seeing as they only have the two zoos, and regardless of what they may build at Adelaide, it will never compare to the largest Lion enclosure in Australia, that you can drive through, only an hour up the road. (And Im sure you agree on that too)

Something exciting could be Komodo’s? At this point the carnivore trail would just be Asian, and I’m fine with that

 

[Zoofan15]

Somet

Something exciting could be Komodo’s? At this point the carnivore trail would just be Asian, and I’m fine with that

It’d be good to see a reptile species as they’re underrepresented in the Carnivores precinct and Komodo dragon are a high profile, species. There’s a number of zoos with breeding pairs, so Melbourne Zoo could hold a single male.

Alternatively, the exhibit could be renovated to house a bird of prey. There’s a surplus female Andean condor that would make for a spectacular addition to the precinct; or failing that acquisition, any other bird of prey the visitors would easily be able to see i.e. not an owl that will sleep in the top corner all day.

 

[The Sleepy Hippo]

A shoe-billed stork?

 

[Zoofan15]

A shoe-billed stork?

A Shoebill would attract bird lovers from the four corners of Australia. It’s so frustrating we can’t import them.

I can only imagine the possibilities if the 1949 bird ban was lifted for even a short period of time. We could replenish our Andean condor population, import flocks of Greater flamingo and countless other exotic bird species. New Zealand is similarly running a little low on Brolga; and some cassowary wouldn’t go amiss. Auckland Zoo had cassowary up until the 1950’s, which never bred and died out following the ban.

 

[PaddyRickMFZ]

A Shoebill would attract bird lovers from the four corners of Australia. It’s so frustrating we can’t import them.

I can only imagine the possibilities if the 1949 bird ban was lifted for even a short period of time. We could replenish our Andean condor population, import flocks of Greater flamingo and countless other exotic bird species. New Zealand is similarly running a little low on Brolga; and some cassowary wouldn’t go amiss. Auckland Zoo had cassowary up until the 1950’s, which never bred and died out following the ban.

I’d love to see a variety of South American avians. Cock of The Rock anyone?

 

[Zoofan15]

I’d love to see a variety of South American avians. Cock of The Rock anyone?

It’d also be nice to see Himalayan monal in Australian zoos. Only Wellington Zoo holds them in New Zealand now - though I’m hopeful there’s still a handful left in private hands. Wellington’s Himalayan monal house now now nicely compliments the Snow leopard and Nepalese red panda exhibits.

If they had access to a few more species, a Himalayan precinct is something Melbourne could have considered. Since they have excellent Snow leopard exhibits in place, it’d make sense to build this around those exhibits in the carnivore precinct - perhaps with some it reclaimed for another precinct.

 

[Zoofan15]

Melbourne Zoo - Forest Precincts

Looking at Werribee Open Range Zoo and their masterplan, it’s quite clear the one thing you will never find there is forest habitats (fair enough, it’s an open range zoo).

I’ve previously discussed dividing Melbourne Zoo into forest zones and looking at the map and taking into account recent ideas of Asiatic lions etc. this is how I’d divide it (current trail names are titles):

—————

Gorilla Rainforest Trail

Central African rainforest: Western lowland gorilla, Black and white colobus and Pygmy hippopotamus.

Madagascan forest: Ring-tailed lemur, Red ruffed lemur.

—————

Trail of the Elephants

Indonesian rainforest: Sumatran tiger, Sumatran orangutan, Siamang

Indian forest: Asiatic lion, Sloth bear, Dhole

—————

Main Trail

Central African rainforest: Okapi, Eastern bongo, Mandrill

Malaysian rainforest: Malayan tapir and Dusky langur

—————

Australian Bush

Queensland forest: Koala, Eastern grey kangaroo

Queensland rainforest: Lumholtz's tree kangaroo and Southern cassowary

Tasmanian forest: Tasmanian devil and pademelon

—————

Lion Gorge

Himalayan forest: Snow leopard, Nepalese red panda, Hiamlauan tahr and Himalayan monal

—————

Wild Sea

South American rainforest: Golden lion tamarin, Cotton-top tamarin, Bolivian squirrel monkey and Pygmy marmoset

—————

Growing Wild

Asian river forest: Sri Lankan leopard, Asian-small clawed otter, Fishing cat

—————

A handful of birds and reptiles would be slotted into these precincts and other available space.

 

[PaddyRickMFZ]

Melbourne Zoo - Forest Precincts

Looking at Werribee Open Range Zoo and their masterplan, it’s quite clear the one thing you will never find there is forest habitats (fair enough, it’s an open range zoo).

I’ve previously discussed dividing Melbourne Zoo into forest zones and looking at the map and taking into account recent ideas of Asiatic lions etc. this is how I’d divide it (current trail names are titles):

—————

Gorilla Rainforest Trail

Central African rainforest: Western lowland gorilla, Black and white colobus and Pygmy hippopotamus.

Madagascan forest: Ring-tailed lemur, Red ruffed lemur.

—————

Trail of the Elephants

Indonesian rainforest: Sumatran tiger, Sumatran orangutan, Siamang

Indian forest: Asiatic lion, Sloth bear, Dhole

—————

Main Trail

Central African rainforest: Okapi, Eastern bongo, Mandrill

Malaysian rainforest: Malayan tapir and Dusky langur

—————

Australian Bush

Queensland forest: Koala, Eastern grey kangaroo

Queensland rainforest: Lumholtz's tree kangaroo and Southern cassowary

Tasmanian forest: Tasmanian devil and pademelon

—————

Lion Gorge

Himalayan forest: Snow leopard, Nepalese red panda, Hiamlauan tahr and Himalayan monal

—————

Wild Sea

South American rainforest: Golden lion tamarin, Cotton-top tamarin, Bolivian squirrel monkey and Pygmy marmoset

—————

Growing Wild

Asian river forest: Sri Lankan leopard, Asian-small clawed otter, Fishing cat

—————

A handful of birds and reptiles would be slotted into these precincts and other available space.

Thanks for the list. Some amazing additions there. I appreciate the use of wild sea. Is it okay with you if I use that template?

 

[Zoofan15]

Thanks for the list. Some amazing additions there. I appreciate the use of wild sea. Is it okay with you if I use that template?

Thanks. I had to make some cuts - Hamdryas baboon, Black-handed spider monkey, Collared peccary, Giraffe, zebra, Dingo, Slender-tailed meerkat; and species we’d discussed like Fennec fox, but these are predominantly arid, scrub or Savannah species and there’s no reason they couldn’t be housed at Werribee (if not already).

Sure, go ahead. Thanks for asking though. It’ll be interesting to see your ideas. Everyone is welcome to use the above template (Post #2407) if they wish. As noted, I didn’t accomodate reptiles or birds beyond Southern cassowary; but they’d be slotted into the precincts or other available space where possible.

 

[PaddyRickMFZ]

Gorilla Rainforest Trail

Central African rainforest: Western lowland gorilla, Black and white colobus and Pygmy hippopotamus, Bonobo.

Madagascan forest: Ring-tailed lemur, Red ruffed lemur, Black and white ruffed lemur, radiated tortoise

—————

Trail of the Elephants

Asian Small Clawed Otter, Fishing cat. Sumatran tiger, Sumatran orangutan, Siamang, White-cheeked gibbon, Asiatic lion, Sloth bear, Binturong, Malayan Tapir, dusky langur.

—————

Main Trail

Central African rainforest: Okapi, Eastern bongo, Mandrill, Yellow-backed duiker, Blue duiker, African dwarf crocodile.

African Desert— Fennec Fox, Aardvark, Slender-tailed meerkat, Cape porcupine

Extras- Raccoon dog, Red Panda, Himalayan Monal

Australian Bush

The Amazon Rainforest- Toucan, sun conure, scarlet macaw, yellow and gold macaw, button’s macaw, cock of the rock etc. Squirrel Monkey, Black-handed Spider Monkey, Red-rumped agouti, Giant Anteater, Capybara, Brazilian Tapir, Golden lion tamarin, Cotton-top tamarin, Pygmy marmoset, common marmoset, Patagonian mara, brown-nosed coati. Melanistic Jaguar.
The grasslands and Andes- Spectacled bear, collared peccary, Maned Wolf
The river: Cuvier’s dwarf caiman, black caiman, red bellied piranha
Nocturnal House- Ocelot, kinkajou, jaguarundi, pampas cat.

Lion Gorge

Predators of Asia: Ussuri Dhole, Sri Lankan Leopard, Clouded Leopard, Snow Leopard, Malayan Sun Bear, Komodo Dragon.

—————

Wild Sea

Birds of the world-
Variety of aviaries, including Asia, Africa, Europe and North America. Multi layered.
Highlights: Andean Condor, Bald Eagle, Lesser Flamingo, Shoebill stork

—————

Growing Wild

Courtesy of @Jambo :

• the burrows (Wombats, Echidnas and Tassie Devils)
• the treetops (Tree Kangaroo, Koala)
  
• the shores (Little Penguin, Pelicans)
  
• the wetlands (Platypus, Aviary with swans, ducks, shoebills)
  
• the backyard (Kangaroo and Wallaby walkthrough, Kookaburra and Cockatoo walkthrough aviary)
• And an insect house designed around an actual house!

Daintree Rainforest- Southern Cassowary, Lumholtz’s tree kangaroo

 

[The Sleepy Hippo]

It’d also be nice to see Himalayan monal in Australian zoos. Only Wellington Zoo holds them in New Zealand now - though I’m hopeful there’s still a handful left in private hands. Wellington’s Himalayan monal house now now nicely compliments the Snow leopard and Nepalese red panda exhibits.

If they had access to a few more species, a Himalayan precinct is something Melbourne could have considered. Since they have excellent Snow leopard exhibits in place, it’d make sense to build this around those exhibits in the carnivore precinct - perhaps with some it reclaimed for another precinct.

Surely we could import fertilised eggs?

 

[Zoofan15]

Surely we could import fertilised eggs?

No, the ban extends to live birds and fertilised eggs unfortunately. The only exception is the Parrot IRA, birds such as Fiordland crested penguin capable of migrating naturally from New Zealand to Australia; or if the chicks are incubated, hatched and reared in a quarantine facility. In the case of the latter, it was done once in 2001 to import Auckland’s Greater flamingo flock, but has never been repeated - indicating it was a highly costly and in depth process logistically.

 

[The Sleepy Hippo]

No, the ban extends to live birds and fertilised eggs unfortunately. The only exception is the Parrot IRA, birds such as Fiordland crested penguin capable of migrating naturally from New Zealand to Australia; or if the chicks are incubated, hatched and reared in a quarantine facility. In the case of the latter, it was done once in 2001 to import Auckland’s Greater flamingo flock, but has never been repeated - indicating it was a highly costly and in depth process logistically.

I guess if there is a will, there's a way!

Speaking of the lists above and penguins, what I'd appreciate alongside the Little Penguin and Pelican would be a Pacific Gull. They are essentially just a huge seagull, but I love watching them when down at the Prom

 

[Zoofan15]

I guess if there is a will, there's a way!

Speaking of the lists above and penguins, what I'd appreciate alongside the Little Penguin and Pelican would be a Pacific Gull. They are essentially just a huge seagull, but I love watching them when down at the Prom

Though they can be entertaining to watch in a natural/beach setting, I don’t feel like they’d make for an inspiring zoo exhibit as the human/animal interaction wouldn’t be there.

I suppose it could be an encounter where groups of 4-6 pay $200 to sit around a table in the middle of the exhibit and eat fish and chips while they get swarmed with seagulls. It’d be even more entertaining to those watching.

 

[PaddyRickMFZ]

Though they can be entertaining to watch in a natural/beach setting, I don’t feel like they’d make for an inspiring zoo exhibit as the human/animal interaction wouldn’t be there.

I suppose it could be an encounter where groups of 4-6 pay $200 to sit around a table in the middle of the exhibit and eat fish and chips while they get swarmed with seagulls. It’d be even more entertaining to those watching.

I’d do that if the food was provided

 

[The Sleepy Hippo]

Though they can be entertaining to watch in a natural/beach setting, I don’t feel like they’d make for an inspiring zoo exhibit as the human/animal interaction wouldn’t be there.

I suppose it could be an encounter where groups of 4-6 pay $200 to sit around a table in the middle of the exhibit and eat fish and chips while they get swarmed with seagulls. It’d be even more entertaining to those watching.

Pacific Gulls at the Prom eat by swooping down to pick up turban shells and other molluscs, fly high and then drop the shells onto the rocks to crack them open!

 

[The Sleepy Hippo]

BUT of course the real seagull like bird I want in the zoo, which would require the birdban to be lifted is the Marabou Stork!!!

 

[Zoofan15]

Pacific Gulls at the Prom eat by swooping down to pick up crustaceans, fly high and then drop the crustaceans onto the rocks to crack them open!

Yeah I’ve also seen gulls do that with Pipi (Paphies australis) in New Zealand. That’s what I mean though, you wouldn’t get to witness even a fraction of the behaviour that makes them entertaining in a captive environment (unless they created a massive aviary). The closest we’d probably get is a marine rescue facility, which would probably focus more on penguins etc.

 

[Jambo]

Thanks. I had to make some cuts - Hamdryas baboon, Black-handed spider monkey, Collared peccary, Giraffe, zebra, Dingo, Slender-tailed meerkat; and species we’d discussed like Fennec fox, but these are predominantly arid, scrub or Savannah species and there’s no reason they couldn’t be housed at Werribee (if not already).

Sure, go ahead. Thanks for asking though. It’ll be interesting to see your ideas. Everyone is welcome to use the above template (Post #2407) if they wish. As noted, I didn’t accomodate reptiles or birds beyond Southern cassowary; but they’d be slotted into the precincts or other available space where possible.

Thinking along those lines.

I think this is an interesting question: What species do we think don’t have a future at Melbourne going forward? (within the next quarter of a century)

Only two are definitive: Asian Elephants (going to Werribee), Collared Peccary (being phased out)

My only ‘probables’ would be: Seals, Giraffe, Zebra, African Lion, Hamadryads Baboon, - mainly due to the fact that they are all much better suited to Werribee and and don’t have the abundance of space at Melbourne. Regarding the seals, I can see Melbourne phasing them out, especially as they only hold rescues.

My ‘maybes’ would be: Sumatran Tiger, Black and White Colobus and Malayan Tapir.

Malayan Tapir may be being phased out. Hopefully not though. Black and White Colobus could have a future at Melbourne, but are another species that would be better suited for Werribee. And Sumatran Tigers are another topic themselves. Could possibly have a future at Melbourne. Or they might not. I could see Werribee being a dark horse option if they deem there’s not the space at Melbourne for them.

 

[Zoofan15]

Thinking along those lines.

I think this is an interesting question: What species do we think don’t have a future at Melbourne going forward? (within the next quarter of a century)

Only two are definitive: Asian Elephants (going to Werribee), Collared Peccary (being phased out)

My only ‘probables’ would be: Seals, Giraffe, Zebra, African Lion, Hamadryads Baboon, - mainly due to the fact that they are all much better suited to Werribee and and don’t have the abundance of space at Melbourne. Regarding the seals, I can see Melbourne phasing them out, especially as they only hold rescues.

My ‘maybes’ would be: Sumatran Tiger, Black and White Colobus and Malayan Tapir.

Malayan Tapir may be being phased out. Hopefully not though. Black and White Colobus could have a future at Melbourne, but are another species that would be better suited for Werribee. And Sumatran Tigers are another topic themselves. Could possibly have a future at Melbourne. Or they might not. I could see Werribee being a dark horse option if they deem there’s not the space at Melbourne for them.

Pinnipeds will definitely be on the way out. Like Auckland Zoo, Melbourne Zoo will be viewing the pool as a large expenditure in filtration and treatment costs for little return (people like the seals, but they’re not a main attraction by any means).

I can’t see Sumatran tiger being held at Werribee, though I wish they would build a large complex there. It was something I’d considered until told the Asian elephants are ambassadors for their African counterparts, rather than signifying Werribee expanding into Asian species. I think it’s Melbourne or nothing for Sumatrans, but see no justification for phasing them out.

I’d like to see giraffe, zebra and lion phased out. None of them are major crowd pullers and I’d like to see Zoos Victoria bite the bullet and do it. Even the general public aren’t as simplistic as they imagine in that they can’t see Melbourne as a zoo without them; and for the minority that are, they can visit Werribee.