Melbourne Zoo Melbourne Zoo News 2017

I got the following media release in my inbox today:

African Wild Dogs Move
8th May 2017

The African Wild Dogs at Melbourne Zoo have moved into their newly renovated home following the completion of a major extension.

The recently completed project is the first stage of the new Leopard Ridge development, a $9m project funded by the Andrews Labor Government, which is due to open in December 2017.

Leopard Ridge will expand on the predators theme started by Lion Gorge, which in addition to lions features the African Wild Dogs and the endangered Philippines Crocodile.

Leopard Ridge will also provide spectacular new exhibits for Snow Leopards and a Sumatran Tiger, plus Coatis and Tasmanian Devils.

Victorian Budget 2017/18 included $5.8 million to continue the ‘Kids Free’ policy for zoos.

Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change Lily D’Ambrosio
 
I visited Melbourne Zoo last weekend, and have some updates:

-There are some upgrading works happening at the front entrance, with the members ticket booths removed. Hopefully flow will be improved.
-A small group of Collared Peccary have moved into one of the two Pygmy Hippo exhibits, following the death of the Zoo's female.
-There have been some rearrangements in Treetop Monkeys and Apes, although the remaining male White-cheeked Gibbon still has his exhibit. The next two exhibits now hold Spider Monkeys (so no Tree Kangaroos or Ring-tailed Lemurs in this area any more), followed by the two for Brown Capuchins. The next exhibit now houses the new pair of White-Cheeked Gibbon from Perth, replacing the Colobus, which have moved to the next exhibit, which had been holding Coati (no longer displayed here). The final exhibit currently holds a pair of Crimson-bellied Conures.
-The Binturong is still displayed in the Asian trail, despite the online map showing Coati here.
-A new bronze sculpture of an Orangutan hand has been installed near their exhibit, it is very nice.
-The Giraffes and Zebras was separated with a gate dividing the exhibit, this may perhaps be due to the addition of a new zebra - there are now four in the paddock but the sign only notes three, so I guess one is new?
-The African Wild Dog exhibit has been enlarged significantly and now looks much larger and better. I am very impressed that they made these changes so soon after building the exhibit. This was done by extending the northern edge of the enclosure over the visitor's path on that side, so that Lion Gorge now has a single path through it (that will eventually link through to Leopard Ridge) rather than the loop that was in place. There does however seem to be some covered windows on the far side of the renovated exhibit, so perhaps a path will be built on that side in the future.
-Wild Seas now has some Eastern Snake-necked and Murray River Turtles sharing with the Australian Pelicans. There is also a wave machine in the seal pool which I was unaware of, but which creates some fairly decent wave action, which I gather the seals enjoy based on their activity.
-I couldn't see any Coati in their exhibit, and it didn't look very lived in, and further, there was no sign for them, with the open-topped exhibit now signed for Barn Owls.... No idea what is going on there. The nearby Cotton-top Tamarin exhibit was definitely inhabited, but the sign there was for Superb Fairy-wren.... Very confusing! :eek:o_O
-Otherwise, the Zoo seemed largely the same as three months ago, although I didn't visit the Australian section and a few other exhibits.
 
M'Zuri, formerly known as Ya Kwanza, the first gorilla born in Australia has died in France.
Mzuri was the first gorilla born in Australia on 3 June, 1984, making international headlines for being the first gorilla in the world to be born from artificial insemination.
A Melbourne Zoo spokesperson confirmed Mzuri died from cardiac arrest under general anaesthetic.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/vi...o/news-story/59f3a99a36aea2ecb7420d33460ab2ff
 
zooboy28 said:
-There have been some rearrangements in Treetop Monkeys and Apes, although the remaining male White-cheeked Gibbon still has his exhibit. The next two exhibits now hold Spider Monkeys (so no Tree Kangaroos or Ring-tailed Lemurs in this area any more), followed by the two for Brown Capuchins. The next exhibit now houses the new pair of White-Cheeked Gibbon from Perth, replacing the Colobus, which have moved to the next exhibit, which had been holding Coati (no longer displayed here). The final exhibit currently holds a pair of Crimson-bellied Conures.
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I popped down there this morning for a quick look while I had a few hours spare, and I couldn't believe the colobus have been put in that enclosure! It's less than half the size of the one they've been in for donkey's years!!!! (at least 20+ years).

I understand that the new gibbons need to have a larger enclosure, but what adds insult to injury is the fact that the 2 ruffed lemur have an enclosure much, much larger with a beautiful big tree, yet the colobus get this tiny little place! Surely the 'higher' primate should get the larger enclosure in this case???

Hopefully this is only temporary and something bigger and nicer can be made for them sooner rather than later. I always get a bit miffed when one of my favourite animals get 'downgraded to economy class'.....

On a positive note, I was very happy to see the large extension to the dogs enclosure :) They got 'upgraded to first class' which I was very pleased about...
 
Sad news about Mzuri @kiang. Here is the official release by Melbourne Zoo/Zoos Victoria:

Memories of Mzuri | Zoos Victoria

Melbourne Zoo Director Kevin Tanner has announced the very sad news that Melbourne's beloved gorilla Mzuri has died in the French zoo where he was living in a bachelor group.

Mzuri was the first gorilla born in Australia, on 3 June, 1984. His birth also made news internationally, because he was the first gorilla ever born as the result of artificial insemination (AI). The AI was carried out by a talented team of veterinarians and medical specialists.

Mzuri's parents were Yuska, who is still at Melbourne Zoo, and the late Rigo, who died on 18th July 2013.

Yuska didn't have sufficient mothering skills to look after her firstborn without help, so senior Primate Keeper Ulli Weiher took on the co-mothering role, with support from the Primate Department team.

Although Zoo staff always called him Mzuri, meaning beautiful, he was officially named Ya Kwanza, meaning THE FIRST, via a public naming competition. Everyone who worked with Mzuri over the years found him to be loveable, intelligent, and affectionate.

It was a sad day for Zoo staff and many others in Melbourne when Mzuri departed in June 1993 to become the leader of the gorilla group at the renowned Jersey Zoo, founded by naturalist Gerald Durrell. However, it was a wonderful opportunity for Mzuri to have his own group at another leading zoo.

After his breeding years in Jersey ended, Mzuri moved into a bachelor group in France. Keepers there were also devoted to him, and they were devastated to have to share the sad news.

Many Zoo staff, volunteers, members, and frequent visitors will have wonderful memories of such a special individual.

Goodbye Mzuri!


Mzuri fathered three offspring at Jersey Zoo:

Mapema (M) born 30 April 1986)
Unnamed (F) stillborn 19 September 2000
Ya Pili (M) born 22 July 2003; died 12 October 2007

Mapema has fathered nine offspring at Dusiburg Zoo.

Source: 0855 - YA KWANZA

Mzuri is survived in Australasia by his mother, Yuska, and half brother, Yakini.
 
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Grant Rhino said:
I popped down there this morning for a quick look while I had a few hours spare, and I couldn't believe the colobus have been put in that enclosure! It's less than half the size of the one they've been in for donkey's years!!!! (at least 20+ years).

I understand that the new gibbons need to have a larger enclosure, but what adds insult to injury is the fact that the 2 ruffed lemur have an enclosure much, much larger with a beautiful big tree, yet the colobus get this tiny little place! Surely the 'higher' primate should get the larger enclosure in this case???

Hopefully this is only temporary and something bigger and nicer can be made for them sooner rather than later. I always get a bit miffed when one of my favourite animals get 'downgraded to economy class'.....

On a positive note, I was very happy to see the large extension to the dogs enclosure :) They got 'upgraded to first class' which I was very pleased about...
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I don't think the colobus will be moved anywhere else, unless space becomes available. There are only two left and they never seem to move anyway, so perhaps a larger space was excessive and they will be content with the smaller exhibit. They are only ever sitting still when I have seen them. In contrast to the much more active gibbons. The ruffed lemurs at least use botht he tree and ground area of their exhibit.
 
Zorro said:
Maybe the Colobus are another phase out species for Australian zoos?
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Another bummer?!?

As for gorilla: all the more reason to redouble efforts to get half bro Yakini into a breeding situation elsewhere!!! Aside: What is the current situation anyway with breeding at Melbourne nowadays?
 
It will be interesting to see the state of Aussie zoos in another 10 to 15 years time with the reduction of so many species from Australian collections it appears to be the "trend" of the major zoos here!
 
zooboy28 said:
I don't think the colobus will be moved anywhere else, unless space becomes available. There are only two left and they never seem to move anyway, so perhaps a larger space was excessive and they will be content with the smaller exhibit. They are only ever sitting still when I have seen them. In contrast to the much more active gibbons. The ruffed lemurs at least use botht he tree and ground area of their exhibit.
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I see the colobus jumping around from branch to branch a lot - they have often been very active when I've seen them - but of course the gibbons are far more active.
 
I always wondered why the Colobus had a large enclosure with relatively little climbing opportunities - you always seemed to look down on them on logs on the ground - are they really mostly ground dwelling?
How many spider monkeys are left in the collection? last time I went there was 4, but they seem to go from 2 to as many as 6, yet I haven't heard of them breeding them for several years now (last spider baby would be that female Estella, that needed to be hand raised with help from its grandmother) I have seen some kept in off show enclosures, incl the new baboon house.
As much as I enjoy the concept of Melbourne Zoos tree top primate enclosures, I don't think they actually display most of the species, at their best. The viewing windows are usually cramped and crowded and most of the animals activity seems to happen below the window level, meaning you do need to push thru to the front of the crowds to see down into the enclosures. They would make awesome aviaries for more of their exotic parrots however.
My favorite memories of the long departed De Brazza monkeys was when they were kept in with the gorillas, and I've often wished they would put the Colobus in there as well. I remember a keeper saying the gorillas got on quite well with the De Brazza's, so I was disappointed when they sent my favorites away to Tasmania...
 
Colobus are foliforous and tree dwelling residents! Hence, why little Climbing opps ... is something of a no-brainer for them. Rarely do they venture onto forest floors in the wild.
 
Kifaru Bwana said:
Colobus are foliforous and tree dwelling residents! Hence, why little Climbing opps ... is something of a no-brainer for them. Rarely do they venture onto forest floors in the wild.
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Yes. 90% of the times I've seen them (at Melbourne Zoo and in other zoos) they have been high up. I've seen them on the ground too, but very rarely.
 
Astrobird said:
My favorite memories of the long departed De Brazza monkeys was when they were kept in with the gorillas, and I've often wished they would put the Colobus in there as well. I remember a keeper saying the gorillas got on quite well with the De Brazza's, so I was disappointed when they sent my favorites away to Tasmania...
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I'm pretty sure there was an unfortunate incident with one of the De Brazza's being killed by the gorillas. Gorillas and monkeys is not a sensible mix, although it is done in several zoos (albeit often until deaths occur).
 
Chlidonias said:
I'm pretty sure there was an unfortunate incident with one of the De Brazza's being killed by the gorillas. Gorillas and monkeys is not a sensible mix, although it is done in several zoos (albeit often until deaths occur).
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There are lots of Zoos that still have Gorillas and monkeys mixed, but an equal number where they have abandoned it for various reasons as sooner or later problems often seem to arise as you outline above.
 
Kifaru Bwana said:
As for gorilla: all the more reason to redouble efforts to get half bro Yakini into a breeding situation elsewhere!!! Aside: What is the current situation anyway with breeding at Melbourne nowadays?
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Yakini would probably have to leave Australasia to have a female group, but as Ya Kwanza's son Mapeema has nine offspring in Germany, this genetic line is pretty safe I think. Yakini's half-brother Ganyeki is perhaps more important genetically than Yakini as on his mother's side he is the only offspring of G.Anne, herself the only(?) offspring of wildcaught parents, but again he would need to go outside Australasia.
 
Kifaru Bwana said:
@Pertinax, I am sure the latter move (M Ganyeki) back to Europe will happen sooner rather than later.
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I just checked and although G.Anne is not the only offspring of both her parents, I think she is the only surviving offspring (of the mother.) that has bred herself. Ganyeki is definately G.Anne's only offspring- I hope he can be used somewhere perhaps. Fortunately Ya Kwanza's only son Mapeema has been a successful breeder in Duisburg.
 
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