Melbourne Zoo Melbourne Zoo Baboon Exhibit

L

LOU

Well-Known Member
Zoos Victoria have written a media release regarding the new baboon exhibit at Melbourne Zoo.


Baboon Lookout - Zoos Victoria


It will be called 'Baboon Lookout', will cost $1.2m and will be built adjacent the giraffe/zebra/ostrich exhibit.

The completion date for this project is set for December this year.

:)
 
Are there any concepts anywhere also what will happen to the bongo/bongo's that live their now?

and did or does melbourne have plans to rebuild their giraffe and tiger enclosures aswell or was that just something i dream't up? :o
 
About bloody time!:) The current baboon enclosure is disgraceful, as it keeps a vibrant troop of primates in an outdated chainlink cage. Hopefully it is bulldozed at the end of the year.
 
snowleopard said:
About bloody time!:) The current baboon enclosure is disgraceful, as it keeps a vibrant troop of primates in an outdated chainlink cage. Hopefully it is bulldozed at the end of the year.
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I think they are divided into two groups at present.
 
werribee needs more species, particularly of primates.

werribee is predominantly african savanna themed.

melbourne already has an excellent exhibit for baboons - mandrills

who.

makes.

these.

decisions?
 
phoenix said:
werribee needs more species, particularly of primates.

werribee is predominantly african savanna themed.

melbourne already has an excellent exhibit for baboons - mandrills

who.

makes.

these.

decisions?
Click to expand...

I could not agree more :rolleyes:
 
i also agree phoenix, and for several reasons.
for starters, as you said, there is a superb mandrill exhibit already built at MZ-$1.2 million would buy a lot of new mandrills to introduce new bloodlines into a species currently languishing in this country.
also, as pointed out, weribee lacks primates-send the baboons there (because we all know there isnt much of a future for an open-range zoo basing its future around ungulate attractions), consolidate the gorilla troop at the city campus and keep the open space of the giraffe/bongo paddocks as they are to such a time when the MZ elephant herd needs more space and expand into there (i know this suggestion will create an uproar).
with two zoos so close to one another why cant one decide to focus on grasslands and the other rainforests/temperate ecosystems and just stick to it.
 
phoenix said:
werribee needs more species, particularly of primates.

werribee is predominantly african savanna themed.

melbourne already has an excellent exhibit for baboons - mandrills

who.

makes.

these.

decisions?
Click to expand...

Sigh.
I can see why you are jaded Phoenix. There does not appear to be any cohesiveness within the plans. I'm beginning to feel that The Aussie zoos are trying to mediocre themselves out of business.
 
The sad thing is that no matter how much we critesize em we're about 20 people whereas they'll still get millions of visits a year no matter how much we complain...
 
I still freely admit to being flabbergasted that the baboon rock has been renovated at Melbourne. Given the entire species assemblage and current animal collection it would seem more tenable to site a mandrill exhibit in the general Congo theme with gorillas and bongos (which even more tellingly seem now on "phase out" and transfer ...). Second - as some of our fellow Aussie forumsters have argued - transfer out instead all the baboons to Werribee as the No. 1 Open Range Zoo with a African savannah theme .....

But then, I am not up on the NOW collection plan, nor can I fully agree/understand the rationale of the Biosecurity unimport- and exportability issues .... ;)
 
Kifaru Bwana said:
I still freely admit to being flabbergasted that the baboon rock has been renovated at Melbourne. Given the entire species assemblage and current animal collection it would seem more tenable to site a mandrill exhibit in the general Congo theme with gorillas and bongos (which even more tellingly seem now on "phase out" and transfer ...). Second - as some of our fellow Aussie forumsters have argued - transfer out instead all the baboons to Werribee as the No. 1 Open Range Zoo with a African savannah theme .....
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1. The current exhibit is not a "rock" and is not being renovated. It is being demolished and replaced elsewhere in the zoo.
2. The mandrill exhibit *is* in the gorilla rainforest. The bongo exhibit is to the immediate north of the giraffe/zebra/ostrich exhibit.
3. Bongo are not, at present, a 'phase-out' species for Melbourne. Since they are the only bovid at the zoo and a recent arrival, this is not really likely in the short-term.
 
Far behind schedule I would guess, since I was there on the tenth of january, and it was far from being completed. But it looked nice on the drawings, and I liked the zoo in general. Except the old baboon enclosure, they don't have any bad enclosures anymore. But I do hope they will build some nice new exhibits on the zoo's 'right side' because it would balance the zoo al little bit more, and get rid of all that 'dead space', it's incredible zoo's keep having that when they have limited space.
 
Hi All,

A little bit off topic and I can start a new thread if need be,,,

But, what is everyones opinion on the new seal/penguin enclosure at Melbourne ?

Cheers :)
 
The penguin exhibit is nice, the seals have enough space to swim. The top of it looks sterile and ugly, and the fake waterplants look exactly as what they are, FAKE. And the interior of the underwaterviewing area should not have been made with that multimedia theme. But as I pointed out, the exhibit itself looks like a good one, only melbourne has tried to make it look like something but did this too poorly in my opinion, and that's a pity.
 
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