Taronga Zoo Kodiak Bears. GOING GOING...3,2
- Thread starter Coquinguy
- Start date
how about cos you just find sport really boring? 
apart from the fact that melbourne's bear exhibit is tiny - its also almost entirely concrete. a good third of the exhibit is taken up by a pool that the bears virtually never use and for whatever reason the keepers have made no effort to refurbish it ever since i remember. no new logs to climb - nothing.
its been a disgrace for a long time.
apart from the fact that melbourne's bear exhibit is tiny - its also almost entirely concrete. a good third of the exhibit is taken up by a pool that the bears virtually never use and for whatever reason the keepers have made no effort to refurbish it ever since i remember. no new logs to climb - nothing.
its been a disgrace for a long time.
I remember the old bear pits at Melbourne - concrete walls, concrete floor and each with a concrete "igloo", for want of a better term, to climb on. Except for the polar bear - instead of an igloo he had a (concrete) pool. No logs or anything organic in the enclosures.
Taronga's (and Adelaide's) were much the same, except that Taronga's were much deeper, being built on a steep slope.
Way back in 1970 I spent about 30 minutes watching a polar bear at Taronga playing in its pool with a small pebble. (In those days animals such as these were not given toys.) The bear was using its mouth to put the pebble on the back of its paw, then flinging it into the water and diving for it. This was not stereotypical behaviour, and he seemed to enjoy it very much. He was one of two male polars that Taronga had at that time. One died in 1984 and the other was sent to New Zealand. They were Taronga's last polars.
Taronga's (and Adelaide's) were much the same, except that Taronga's were much deeper, being built on a steep slope.
Way back in 1970 I spent about 30 minutes watching a polar bear at Taronga playing in its pool with a small pebble. (In those days animals such as these were not given toys.) The bear was using its mouth to put the pebble on the back of its paw, then flinging it into the water and diving for it. This was not stereotypical behaviour, and he seemed to enjoy it very much. He was one of two male polars that Taronga had at that time. One died in 1984 and the other was sent to New Zealand. They were Taronga's last polars.
Hey, Poor old bethal, having worked with her for a few months when we did still have the 3 and then again when it was just the girls it does sadden me to see her by herself, Kodiacks are amazing animals but when we are taking on conservation roles as zoo's the sun bears are a very important to our region, kodiack aren't endangered so unfortunatly the time of the kodiacks are over. And the volly you would have seen at the enclosure yesterday is a wonderful young man whos a youth volenter at our zoo, he stands out there for 2 hours 3 times a week during school hols and 3 hours on the weekends during school time, i don't know if he is a zoobeat forum member, but still i just send a shout of congrates to a wonderful and very motivated young person wanting to make a change in the world, even though he's still at school.
Have I missed something? Has poor old Bethel been taken off display or has she (as seems more likely) finally gone to bear heaven?
I was at Taronga on Easter Monday and noticed that the sun bears were in her former enclosure and that a Sumatran tiger is in their former home.
I was at Taronga on Easter Monday and noticed that the sun bears were in her former enclosure and that a Sumatran tiger is in their former home.