Melbourne Zoo Melbourne Zoo history

Discovered this video of 'Zoo Family' which was shot at Melbourne in the 80's and it featured some really interesting shots of some of the former enclosures around the zoo at the time.


Key timestamps:

1.45 - Cheetah enclosure, which I believe was apart of a row featuring dogs and alike to the left of the main entrance.

5.08 - Meerkat enclosure to the right of the entrance.

7.33 - A row featuring a Leopard? Not sure whereabouts in the zoo this was.

8.37 - Kangaroo + Emu walkthrough

9.16 - Hippo row (three enclosures for the hippos) - held only Pygmy's at the time but previously also held Common Hippos. Rather small enclosures in fact (and were built in the late 60's I believe).

9.50 - Treetop Monkey trail featuring White Cheeked Gibbons.

10.30 - Giraffe enclosure

15.00 - Short glimpse of the zebra enclosure (again, not sure whereabouts in the zoo this was located)

16.37 - Blackbuck enclosure (which was just above the giraffe enclosure)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There's more videos from this TV series which i'll hopefully watch and summarise later for those interested.
 
Zoofan15 said:
Weren’t the leopards held in Big Cat Row?

In any case, it was nice to see the melanistic leopard at 7.38.
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They were, but that dosen't look like the Big Cat row to me.

There was a Bear row below, but I believe that contained open topped enclosures (not cages) - although someone who actually visited in the 80's might be able to confirm. Otherwise, from maps it dosen't seem Leopards were held anywhere else in the zoo.
 
Jambo said:
They were, but that dosen't look like the Big Cat row to me.

There was a Bear row below, but I believe that contained open topped enclosures (not cages) - although someone who actually visited in the 80's might be able to confirm. Otherwise, from maps it dosen't seem Leopards were held anywhere else in the zoo.
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It look likes the row leading past the back of house facilities for the cats (staff access only). There’s zero barriers between the big cat cages and the public and no signage to indicate what the species are. At 7.45, there’s a shot of a strip of grass behind the row of cages with what looks like the perimeter fence in the background.

According to the 1978 map (seven years prior), I agree there’s nothing to suggest leopards were held elsewhere.

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Zoofan15 said:
It look likes the row leading past the back of house facilities for the cats (staff access only). There’s zero barriers between the big cat cages and the public and no signage to indicate what the species are. At 7.45, there’s a shot of a strip of grass behind the row of cages with what looks like the perimeter fence in the background.

According to the 1978 map (seven years prior), I agree there’s nothing to suggest leopards were held elsewhere.

View attachment 585421
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It might be in fact be apart of the Big Cat row then, considering the perimeter fence is also in view.

Another shot though, does show bricks apart of the leopard's back wall, which was something only some of Melbourne's initial cages had (that were built in the early 1900's) - so that seems to contradict things a little.

It may actually be an off display facility too, for all we know. Melbourne certainly kept some of their cats off display during that time.
 
Some more 'Zoo Family' highlights:


0.48 - Leopards apart of the Big Cat Row
1.10 - Mzuri the baby gorilla
20.08 - the Great Flight Aviary
20.19 - short shot of the chimps in one of the former Great ape grottoes
20.28 - Peggy the elephant in the former elephant enclosure


0.34 - Chimps in one of the former great ape grottoes
1.00 - old Seal enclosure - note the zebras are right next door
1.54- Better view of the chimp great ape grotto which was tiny; there’s also an orangutan in the neighbouring grotto
3.44 - Squirell Monkey cage - which actually still remains opposite the main roundabout (hidden in the foliage)
6.44 - Bong Su in the old elephant enclosure - the old elephant barn can also be glimpsed
8.00-10.15- shots of the Chimp grotto and the moat
10.52 - the Lions apart of Lion Park
17.45 - Former Red Panda enclosure
 
tetrapod said:
Not sure whether the guenons were there in the 70s, but recall seeing them once in the 80s. Presumably they were earmarked for the Arboreal Primate complex when space was available. Shame that MZ never imported a male. Do we know when they died out?
I recall the last badgers were moved to an exhibit by the Syrian bears.
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That would make sense then as the first were only imported in 1982. I believe they died out sometime in the 90's; it's possible they may have received an exhibit in the arboreal trail at a later date.

The badger enclosure you speak of next to the bears housed Wombats in its later years too (before it was demolished for the Carnivores precinct). Common Wombats too I think.

Zoofan15 said:
Melbourne’s Chacma baboon troop were in a row, which at one point included Mandrill, Chacma baboon, Hamadryas baboon and Southern pig-tailed macaque. The Chacma baboon troop were euthansied in the early 1990’s.
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I never knew Melbourne had any macaque species in the past, let alone Southern pig tailed macaques; do you know when they had them?
 
Jambo said:
I never knew Melbourne had any macaque species in the past, let alone Southern pig tailed macaques; do you know when they had them?
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I was told this by somebody I know who worked at Melbourne Zoo in the early 1990’s, so I’m guessing it was around this time period. They were once a common species in the region. Auckland Zoo had them too.

Melbourne Zoo also had Lion-tailed macaque. @PAT reported seeing them on his visit in 2009 and noted they were the remnants of a population that had been at the zoo for a while.

Historically, Melbourne Zoo imported 20 macaques from Thailand in 1939 - which were noted to be the first of their species at the zoo. A 1930 article detailed the zoo holding Rhesus macaque, so the 1939 import would have been one of the five remaining macaque species native to Thailand (probably Crab-eating or pig-tailed).
 
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@MRJ @Jambo @tetrapod

Hi guys, was wondering if any of you might be able to give a rough estimation of the sq m or sq ft dimensions of the old Ape 'grottoes' am quite curious (am assuming they were completed in 1974 just prior to the arrival of Rigo and Yuska (is that right those two were the first?) the WL Gorillas?

Was also curious if indeed the 1966 opened Lion Park actually gave the Lions an acre of enclosure/habitat/exhibit space to live in?

Remember that you guys MRJ & Tetrapod answered for me, well a considerable amount of questions regarding MZ back then lol, but specifically remember you two explaining that the aroboreal 'treetops' walkway with the Gibbons and Monkeys was also completed in the early 1970s around the time of the Great Ape grottos right? just decided to finally ask about the Ape grottos and Lion 'park' too because have been curious since learning about them (travesty but have not been to MZ yet, planning on early next year).
 
steveroberts said:
Hi guys, was wondering if any of you might be able to give a rough estimation of the sq m or sq ft dimensions of the old Ape 'grottoes' am quite curious (am assuming they were completed in 1974 just prior to the arrival of Rigo and Yuska (is that right those two were the first?) the WL Gorillas?
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They were very small - my memory is shady, but I would probably say about 750 square metres each. Keep in mind there were three enclosures; for the gorillas, chimps and orangutans.
Rigo and Yuska were the first Gorillas and they arrived in 1973, but I believe they were held in cages initially (I wasn’t around at this time! but I did read it somewhere).
steveroberts said:
Was also curious if indeed the 1966 opened Lion Park actually gave the Lions an acre of enclosure/habitat/exhibit space to live in?
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It was definitely an acre in size (possibly even two), but was unfortunately divided into two enclosures sometime in the 90’s? with one side given to African Wild Dogs. The enclosure was deemed as being too large for lions. :rolleyes:
steveroberts said:
Gibbons and Monkeys was also completed in the early 1970s around the time of the Great Ape grottos right?
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It was completed in two stages; some of the enclosures (at the end) were opened in the mid 80’s I believe. There’s a plaque there with the year it opened; and I believe it was 1985/86 but can’t be too sure.
 
@Jambo oh right so the treetops walk was actually mid '80s not '70s (I think my memory of the info from MRJ and Tetrapod got mixed up, might of been subconsciously thinking of them mentioning the Ape grottos), oh and thanks for reminding me that it was '73 not '74 that Rigo & Yuska arrived at Melbourne. 750 sq m as in each exhibit right, would of still been the better Great Ape facility in Aus until the opening of Chimp Park in 1980 with its 1,500 sq m of space (now more like 2,000 sq m). That's so impressive about the size of Lion 'Park' considering it was built 56-57 years ago. Lol too large for Lions, a pride animal which roam the savannahs and woodlands of Africa and West Asia. I'm glad the African Hunting Dogs got a decent sized exhibit but at the expense of reducing the Lions' available space to roam is a shame. Thanks for the info.
 
@Jambo did appreciate the footage of the Zoo Family it was interesting to see and thanks for the info about the Ape Grottos, Lion Park and Arboreal Primate Walkway.

Really find it interesting seeing you and @Zoofan15 trying to work out exactly where those Leopards the regular patterned and melanistic individual were being housed for the filming of that scene. I actually have asked @tetrapod & @MRJ about the 'Big Cat Row' having never seen it and being very curious (also Melbourne Zoo had the largest number of felids hands-down back in the day, very impressive) MRJ pointed out though that 'Big Cat Row' was very archaic in spatial dimensions for its resident felids; similar dimensions to the exhibits at Perth Zoo prior to Nov 1984 and at Taronga for Meta & Nico the Sumatran Tigers and their cubs aswell as the two female generic Leopards (pens of 85 sq m at most) in the 'Big Cat House' complex (and Quintus and other generic Tigers prior to some of Meta & Nico's cubs taking over some of the 5 conjoined pens).
 
steveroberts said:
@Jambo oh right so the treetops walk was actually mid '80s not '70s (I think my memory of the info from MRJ and Tetrapod got mixed up, might of been subconsciously thinking of them mentioning the Ape grottos), oh and thanks for reminding me that it was '73 not '74 that Rigo & Yuska arrived at Melbourne. 750 sq m as in each exhibit right, would of still been the better Great Ape facility in Aus until the opening of Chimp Park in 1980 with its 1,500 sq m of space (now more like 2,000 sq m). That's so impressive about the size of Lion 'Park' considering it was built 56-57 years ago. Lol too large for Lions, a pride animal which roam the savannahs and woodlands of Africa and West Asia. I'm glad the African Hunting Dogs got a decent sized exhibit but at the expense of reducing the Lions' available space to roam is a shame. Thanks for the info.
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You were right on the money though; I believe the first half of Treetop monkeys was actually opened beforehand in the 70’s with the latter half being opened in the 80’s.

The Grottoes were definitely the very best in the region at the time. Giving the great apes their first use of outdoor space; a novelty at the time as most zoos displayed them in cages. Unfortunately they were rather small, and even all three expanded together made just a decent sized gorilla enclosure to today’s standards.
 
steveroberts said:
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Such a shame they never captured the young male melanistic Jaguar, Maya. He was born September 1987 at Taronga Zoo and arrived at Melbourne Zoo in March 1989.

The plan was to breed him with Muana, who was imported from Budapest Zoo in 1997, but sadly this never eventuated due to her having to be speyed for medical reasons shortly after her arrival. They nonetheless formed a compatible pair that were housed together most days.
 
Thought perhaps where have circled in blue on this 1973 aerial of Melbourne Zoo is where the Leopards were filmed in that 1985 episode of the Zoo Family. Maroon circled is where assume '(Big) Cat Alley/Row' was, yellowy-orange circle is assumedly 'Lion Park' and purple circle is what assume was to be the site of the 'Great Ape Grottoes'?

MZoo-aerial-1973.jpg


& below same aerial coloured circles free

Melbourne-Zoo-aerial-1973.jpg
 
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