Werribee Open Range Zoo Hippo hurray at Werribee Zoo

patrick said:
a zoo in canada one had to be euthanised when it slipped on its frozen pool. you wonder, what on earth was an aquatic species like a hippo, which is a warm temperate animal at best being put outside in the snow with a frozen pool. another was kept in an unheated wooden barn for over a year i think and that caused a stirr too (may have been the same zoo again) and teh zoo was taken to court.
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I think the zoo- folk in these very cold climate countries just presume that because they are used to that climate, tropical animals can get used to it too. I don't much like seeing photos of tropical animals against 'polar' backgrounds- I once saw a photo of a Gorilla in Snow, again in a Canadian zoo. It seems all wrong to me.

With Hippos, I think a basic requirement is they should have access to heated pools at all times, but in colder countries, that's a very expensive, almost impossible, undertaking. This is a species which seems to suffer from poor housing generally in our zoos over here. Even Whipsnade's, which are probably the best exhibit, have a large unheated outdoor pool which is usually filthy and full of dung- again, an expensive operation to empty or clean it or provide a filtration system.
 
Have a look at the 'European Zoos' thread on Cpenhagen's Hippo House. It looks a very good example of how Hippos can be housed well in colder climates....
 
If anyone is interested, i've uploaded loads of photos from the West Midlands Safari Park including a couple of the Hippo group and enclosure.
 
no, but i've heard good things. the luxury tents are located on a cliff that overlooks the main savannah floodplain and the banks of the werribee river. it is very much indeed a magnificent location for an re-created african savannah....beautiful spot.
 
The Werribee hippo exhibit appears to be quite wonderful from photos, and a far cry from the substandard enclosure at the Greater Vancouver Zoo in Canada. There have been 4 hippo deaths at the zoo: 2 drowned in 1983 after walking across a frozen pond and crashing through the ice; and two more in 2004 and 2005 from various ailments.

The same zoo kept a baby hippo (named Hazina) in solitary confinement in a tiny barn for a year and a half while waiting for funds for a new enclosure. I visited during that time, and saw the horrid little box that she lived in, complete with a minute pool/bathtub. Finally a couple of years ago a new, $500,000 exhibit was built that included for the first time in the zoo's 35 year history...a heated barn!! But naturally the water outside is still ice-cold, and freezes over during really cold snaps. When it is cold the hippos (they picked up a second one from another zoo) are locked inside just so there isn't a repeat of the cracked-ice incident from 1983. Appalling conditions, and yet another reason why many northern zoos shouldn't maintain tropical animals in their collection, regardless of how the poor creatures can adapt to freezing temperatures.
 
Phoned to book but they only take bookings Fridays and week-ends. I would have preferred to give the $750 to the zoo rather than a hotel - but will visit for sure. Thanks anyway
 
In their book "The Last Great Wild Beast Show", British RSPCA inspectors Jordan & Ormrod mention a hippo at one safari park which frequently broke out due to inadequate fencing. Until such time as strong enough fencing could be provided the hippo was locked (during summer) in an old railway wagon. Without room for movement and without proper ventilation the poor animal sweated and grew distraught. Periodically buckets of water were thrown over him to try and keep his skin moist. Many weeks later fencing was finally finished and he was allowed out.
 
i think there is a recommended pairing between werribee/dubbo from memory (i think dubbo is supposed to be sending a male to werribee but don't hold me to that) but its been stalled for years for various reasons such as the development of the new hippo exhibit at werribee.

not really sure how that should effect a move however since the werribee zoo still has a large (ex drive-through) hippo exhibit that is now sitting empty..
 
Great news! We need to increase the number of hippos in Australasian zoos or they will suddenly go the way of the pymy hippo and we will be trying to breed with only a couple of ancient hippo retirees.

While going back over old threads on hippos I saw (mentioned by Patrick and confirmed by Zoo Pro) that Auckland's male has been castrated.

I know we mere mortals are not supposed to question the wisdom of zoo administrators, but what drongo decided to do that! The only male hippo in New Zealand; one of only 5 males in the region; only 20 years old (hippos live to about 50) and they castrate him! Sometimes I wonder!

I know what I'd do to the clown that came up with that bright idea! (SNIP SNIP!)
 
I agree with you Ara it does not sound like a real good move on Aucklands part, maybe they were not looking at the bigger picture, something we cant afford to do with species that are small in number in our region.
 
Before you start running down a zoo for its animal management practices, you might try to fnd out some facts first - do you know why it was castrated? Have you bothered to check before you run the zoo and its animal managers down?

I don't know the reason, although I'll try to find out, but for heaven's sake, let's not turn this forum into a place where people who don't know the facts publicly run down zoos (or other organisations).

Give yourself and this forum at least some credibility by fnding out some facts first.
 
ZooPro said:
Before you start running down a zoo for its animal management practices, you might try to fnd out some facts first - do you know why it was castrated? Have you bothered to check before you run the zoo and its animal managers down?

I don't know the reason, although I'll try to find out, but for heaven's sake, let's not turn this forum into a place where people who don't know the facts publicly run down zoos (or other organisations).

Give yourself and this forum at least some credibility by fnding out some facts first.
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Zoopro before you defend a zoo shouldn't you know the facts. If there is no valid reason for cutting off its balls shouldn't members on this forum have the right to critise the zoos actions? lets keep this forum open to both criticise poor decisions made by zoos and praise good decisions made by zoos.
 
boof said:
Zoopro before you defend a zoo shouldn't you know the facts. If there is no valid reason for cutting off its balls shouldn't members on this forum have the right to critise the zoos actions? lets keep this forum open to both criticise poor decisions made by zoos and praise good decisions made by zoos.
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I'm all for freedom of speech and criticising poor decisions, but my point is, let's find out the reason before we criticise.
 
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