Melbourne Zoo Melbourne Zoo News 2022

[IndianRhino]

@Zoofan15 I can confirm that SDZ currently has 4 (3.1) individuals. They have a breeding pair, Jasper (1997) and Kesi (2002) and their two male offspring, Ajani (2016) and Isoke (2018).

From what I’ve heard, there are no plans to transfer any of the animals at the moment but I wouldn’t be surprised if one or both of the younger boys are exported elsewhere soon as Jasper and Kesi have another breeding recommendation.

Unfortunately, I doubt SDZ will respond to your email as I’ve tried doing so myself in the past and never received a response or received one saying that the zoo staff are really busy and don’t have time to answer questions about specific animals. However, I can try and ask a keeper/docent about this potential transfer the next time I visit.

 

[Zoofan15]

@Zoofan15 I can confirm that SDZ currently has 4 (3.1) individuals. They have a breeding pair, Jasper (1997) and Kesi (2002) and their two male offspring, Ajani (2016) and Isoke (2018).

From what I’ve heard, there are no plans to transfer any of the animals at the moment but I wouldn’t be surprised if one or both of the younger boys are exported elsewhere soon as Jasper and Kesi have another breeding recommendation.

Unfortunately, I doubt SDZ will respond to your email as I’ve tried doing so myself in the past and never received a response or received one saying that the zoo staff are really busy and don’t have time to answer questions about specific animals. However, I can try and ask a keeper/docent about this potential transfer the next time I visit.

Thanks for that information @IndianRhino and for offering to ask for us via your next visit.

It’s good to know their population and that’s it’s grown (even if it’s only by the birth of another male infant). I’m thinking the two adolescent males could be likely candidates given @Astrobird was under the impression more than one Mandrill is coming from San Diego.

Perhaps Melbourne will hold two adolescent males for the time being, with the view of moving one on in the future and receiving females.

 

[Jambo]

Thanks for that information @IndianRhino and for offering to ask for us via your next visit.

It’s good to know their population and that’s it’s grown (even if it’s only by the birth of another male infant). I’m thinking the two adolescent males could be likely candidates given @Astrobird was under the impression more than one Mandrill is coming from San Diego.

Perhaps Melbourne will hold two adolescent males for the time being, with the view of moving one on in the future and receiving females.

Well it does seem Melbourne are just keen on getting some mandrills back to the same. Two males are better than nothing imo.

Melbourne does have previous links with San Diego, eg. the Ongard transport, and so it would make sense they would inquire with San Diego about importing some of their surplus mandrills.

For the time being the two young brothers could be displayed together, and down the line, females could be imported from overseas to breed with a remaining male while the other would be sent elsewhere, possibly to Adelaide to help with the breeding over there. I don't see why not, if required, Melbourne can't have the two males heading up a troop though together.

 

[WhistlingKite24]

Melbourne Zoo have finally announced the successful hatching of the Gila Monster that was bred in April 2021; the first of its species to have been bred at the zoo since 2008. The male juvenile is now on show in the reptile house.

Source: Zoos Victoria's YouTube

 

[steveroberts]

Melbourne Zoo have finally announced the successful hatching of the Gila Monster that was bred in April 2021; the first of its species to have been bred at the zoo since 2008. The male juvenile is now on show in the reptile house.

Source: Zoos Victoria's YouTube

That's awesome, Gila Monsters are so cool, hope that young guy in the video has a long and comfy life at MZ.

 

[Jambo]

A couple of updates to begin the second half of 2022:

• Starting off with some exciting news: i've received some confirmation dates regarding Melbourne's elephant pregnancies. Dokoon is due in November, Mali in December and then Num Oi in January. Those are rough dates..The keepers are incredibly excited and they believe Dokoon and Mali could even give birth weeks, possibly days apart due to elephants in the wild usually giving birth around the same time as one another.
• Melbourne have a new Galapagos Tortoise enclosure outside the Reptile House. They've extended the previous enclosure and doubled the size; it's much better use of space, although it's pretty much all grass, nothing interesting about it besides a group of rocks in the centre.
• It's the little penguin breeding season, and Melbourne are hopefully expecting lots of chicks very soon.
• Melbourne's Red Pandas have moved off display; their trees have gone through abscission so i'm assuming this is the reason.
• Unfortunately, Kimya is still not pregnant. Melbourne *hopefully* plans to import some new females, although that's the keeper mentioned there aren't any firm plans in place. They'll likely come from outside the region.
• Some of the Cotton Top Tamirans have either been moved off display or sent to another facility. Melbourne only have their original pair in the main enclosure.
• Izumi has been integrated with the other four Spider Monkeys. They were at five so presumably one has died.
• In very unfortunate news, Melbourne are down to one Colobus monkey. Hopefully the remaining individual won't be the last and they plan to replace it upon its death.
• Kiani the Orangutan is now spending most of her time in the indoor enclosure; Malu and Gabby were in the outdoor enclosure. I was told this was due to Kiani and Gabby fighting.
• Melbourne don't have the Nyala anymore..not sure what happened to them.
• There's also a new path exiting the Australian trail, back to where it was a decade ago. The old koala enclosure still sits empty. There's also new aviaries for Rainbow Lorikeets.

Apologies if some of this news has already been mentioned!

 

[MRJ]

A couple of updates to begin the second half of 2022:

• Melbourne have a new Galapagos Tortoise enclosure outside the Reptile House. They've extended the previous enclosure and doubled the size; it's much better use of space, although it's pretty much all grass, nothing interesting about it besides a group of rocks in the centre.

I'm presuming these are Aldabra tortoises, or has the Zoo added Galapagos tortoises as well? Thanks for the report.

 

[Kifaru Bwana]

I'm presuming these are Aldabra tortoises, or has the Zoo added Galapagos tortoises as well? Thanks for the report.

Melbourne Zoo should have 6 young growing Aldabran tortoises in the Growing Wild precinct.

Galapagos tortoise (generic / hybrid) are only maintained at Australian Reptile Park, Dubbo WPZ and Perth Zoos in Australia.

 

[Zoofan15]

I'm presuming these are Aldabra tortoises, or has the Zoo added Galapagos tortoises as well? Thanks for the report.

Melbourne Zoo should have 6 young growing Aldabran tortoises in the Growing Wild precinct.

Galapagos tortoise (generic / hybrid) are only maintained at Australian Reptile Park, Dubbo WPZ and Perth Zoos in Australia.

It’s implied they’re Aldabra tortoises as @Jambo made reference to their previous enclosure i.e. Galapagos giant tortoise didn’t previously have an enclosure. Galapagos must have been a typo.

There also wouldn’t be a huge amount of Galapagos giant tortoise in the country to spare. Australian Reptile Park have 1.1, Perth Zoo have 2.0 and Taronga Zoo have a small breeding colony - which hasn’t bred since 2014.

The Australian Reptile Park undertook the first import into the region in over 40 years when imported their female in 2019, so Melbourne would probably have to go a similar route if they want this species in the short term.

 

[MRJ]

It’s implied they’re Aldabra tortoises as @Jambo made reference to their previous enclosure i.e. Galapagos giant tortoise didn’t previously have an enclosure. Galapagos must have been a typo.

There also wouldn’t be a huge amount of Galapagos giant tortoise in the country to spare. Australian Reptile Park have 1.1, Perth Zoo have 2.0 and Taronga Zoo have a small breeding colony - which hasn’t bred since 2014.

The Australian Reptile Park undertook the first import into the region in over 40 years when imported their female in 2019, so Melbourne would probably have to go a similar route if they want this species in the short term.

"Implied" presumes knowledge. It's been two or three decades since I have been past that exhibit at Melbourne Zoo, so couldn't be sure what they were exhibiting. I do remember when the first Aldabra tortoises arrived, curtesy of a doctor who worked or had connections in the Seychelles.

 

[Zoofan15]

I do remember when the first Aldabra tortoises arrived, curtesy of a doctor who worked or had connections in the Seychelles.

These are the arrival years I have for the adults:

1.0 Wilbur (1930) - imported 1965
0.1 Jean (1960) - imported 1975
1.0 Little John (1940) - imported 1995

Eight younger tortoises (2012) arrived in 2021.

*Years of birth are estimates.

 

[Jambo]

I'm presuming these are Aldabra tortoises, or has the Zoo added Galapagos tortoises as well? Thanks for the report.

Melbourne Zoo should have 6 young growing Aldabran tortoises in the Growing Wild precinct.

Galapagos tortoise (generic / hybrid) are only maintained at Australian Reptile Park, Dubbo WPZ and Perth Zoos in Australia.

Yes, no that's my bad, I was referring to their Aldabran Tortoises.

Males, Wilbur and Little John are now in the extended, renovated enclosure outside the Reptile House, and female Jean and the eight younger tortoises are located in Growing Wild. There's hope the younger eight tortoises can start a breeding program following failed success in recent years with Jean.

 

[Zoofan15]

Yes, no that's my bad, I was referring to their Aldabran Tortoises.

Males, Wilbur and Little John are now in the extended, renovated enclosure outside the Reptile House, and female Jean and the eight younger tortoises are located in Growing Wild. There's hope the younger eight tortoises can start a breeding program following failed success in recent years with Jean.

A founder base of eight tortoises will give them a much better chance of breeding success rather than relying on a single female.

The successful clutches at Auckland Zoo have all come from the same female; with the other yet to produce viable eggs. A breeding programme centered around the latter would otherwise still be a work in progress.

 

[Jambo]

A couple of updates to begin the second half of 2022:

• Starting off with some exciting news: i've received some confirmation dates regarding Melbourne's elephant pregnancies. Dokoon is due in November, Mali in December and then Num Oi in January. Those are rough dates..The keepers are incredibly excited and they believe Dokoon and Mali could even give birth weeks, possibly days apart due to elephants in the wild usually giving birth around the same time as one another.
• Melbourne have a new Galapagos Tortoise enclosure outside the Reptile House. They've extended the previous enclosure and doubled the size; it's much better use of space, although it's pretty much all grass, nothing interesting about it besides a group of rocks in the centre.
• It's the little penguin breeding season, and Melbourne are hopefully expecting lots of chicks very soon.
• Melbourne's Red Pandas have moved off display; their trees have gone through abscission so i'm assuming this is the reason.
• Unfortunately, Kimya is still not pregnant. Melbourne *hopefully* plans to import some new females, although that's the keeper mentioned there aren't any firm plans in place. They'll likely come from outside the region.
• Some of the Cotton Top Tamirans have either been moved off display or sent to another facility. Melbourne only have their original pair in the main enclosure.
• Izumi has been integrated with the other four Spider Monkeys. They were at five so presumably one has died.
• In very unfortunate news, Melbourne are down to one Colobus monkey. Hopefully the remaining individual won't be the last and they plan to replace it upon its death.
• Kiani the Orangutan is now spending most of her time in the indoor enclosure; Malu and Gabby were in the outdoor enclosure. I was told this was due to Kiani and Gabby fighting.
• Melbourne don't have the Nyala anymore..not sure what happened to them.
• There's also a new path exiting the Australian trail, back to where it was a decade ago. The old koala enclosure still sits empty. There's also new aviaries for Rainbow Lorikeets.

Apologies if some of this news has already been mentioned!

Also, I forgot to mention a new male Tasmanian Devil has moved into the enclosure next to the Wombats.

Melbourne now have three Tasmanian devils; including a male and female in the Carnivore trail.

 

[MRJ]

These are the arrival years I have for the adults:

1.0 Wilbur (1930) - imported 1965
0.1 Jean (1960) - imported 1975
1.0 Little John (1940) - imported 1995

Eight younger tortoises (2012) arrived in 2021.

*Years of birth are estimates.

Thanks for that. It would be the arrival of Jean that I'm thinking of as I am sure I would not have remembered the first arrival. And if memory serves me right, she was named after the wife of the person who arranged the import. Having said that, it was a very long time ago...

 

[Zoofan15]

Thanks for that. It would be the arrival of Jean that I'm thinking of as I am sure I would not have remembered the first arrival. And if memory serves me right, she was named after the wife of the person who arranged the import. Having said that, it was a very long time ago...

That makes sense as the first import was a gift from the government of Mauritius in 1965. It was noted to be an era where a Koala could be swapped for a tortoise and I have indeed have come across similar stories of big cats etc. being received in exchange for what we’d all consider low key species like kangaroos and Kea.

 

[Kifaru Bwana]

These are the arrival years I have for the adults:

1.0 Wilbur (1930) - imported 1965
0.1 Jean (1960) - imported 1975
1.0 Little John (1940) - imported 1995

Eight younger tortoises (2012) arrived in 2021.

*Years of birth are estimates.

So, your record of 1965 is male Wilbur from Mauritius! When @Jambo mentioned that Jean had failed to reproduce ...., she is now in her early 60's. These new younger individuals were acquired with breeding (?) in mind and it should be noted that breeding may not occur for another 10 years (usually these tortoises mature at 15-20 years of age depending upon size of carapace) and sexing tortoises is usually done later in their teens (when it is easier to determine the sex of tortoises). Essential is a large group of male and female tortoises and that both sexes are separated part of the year (otherwise males will exhaust and chase continuously after the females).

Further, it is down to the coniditions within the facility and husbandry techniques (they require a diet low on protein (otherwise pyramiding will occur and bring heart disease, oedema and other intestinal diseases on) and substrate is equally important (loose sandy soils! for mating and egg disposition and pools with shade zones). Nutritionwise, low carb and low in sugar diets are essential ..., remember these giants are island megaherbivores. Once in a while they do scavenge on consuming dead conspecifics or birds et cetera.


All of this pertains to breeding the Aldabrans, but is equally applicable to the Galapagos tortoises too. Allthough in the latter case it becomes more complex with 14 recorded species (1 extinct) and another yet to be described. Most of the current Galapagos tortoises in captivity in Australia are generic/hybrids hatched at Honolulu Zoo in the sixties and early seventies and only a few are pure-breds (Gosford has 2.0 C. becki and Dubbo 0.1 C. guentheri and possibly 1.0 porteri).

NOTE: Recent evidence has shown that the current Chatham island (San Cristobal) Galapagos tortoises today are not the same as the museum specimens of Chelonoidis chathamensis described by the California Academy of Sciences in 1905/06 and be given a new name. True DNA rather than mitochondrial DNA is required to ascertain whether it current San Cristobals are a distinct new species in its own right or other.

 

[Zoofan15]

So, your record of 1965 is male Wilbur from Mauritius! When @Jambo mentioned that Jean had failed to reproduce ...., she is now in her early 60's. These new younger individuals were acquired with breeding (?) in mind and it should be noted that breeding may not occur for another 10 years (usually these tortoises mature at 15-20 years of age depending upon size of carapace) and sexing tortoises is usually done later in their teens (when it is easier to determine the sex of tortoises). Essential is a large group of male and female tortoises and that both sexes are separated part of the year (otherwise males will exhaust and chase continuously after the females).

Further, it is down to the coniditions within the facility and husbandry techniques (they require a diet low on protein (otherwise pyramiding will occur and bring heart disease, oedema and other intestinal diseases on) and substrate is equally important (loose sandy soils! for mating and egg disposition and pools with shade zones). Nutritionwise, low carb and low in sugar diets are essential ..., remember these giants are island megaherbivores. Once in a while they do scavenge on consuming dead conspecifics or birds et cetera.


All of this pertains to breeding the Aldabrans, but is equally applicable to the Galapagos tortoises too. Allthough in the latter case it becomes more complex with 14 recorded species (1 extinct) and another yet to be described. Most of the current Galapagos tortoises in captivity in Australia are generic/hybrids hatched at Honolulu Zoo in the sixties and early seventies and only a few are pure-breds (Gosford has 2.0 C. becki and Dubbo 0.1 C. guentheri and possibly 1.0 porteri).

NOTE: Recent evidence has shown that the current Chatham island (San Cristobal) Galapagos tortoises today are not the same as the museum specimens of Chelonoidis chathamensis described by the California Academy of Sciences in 1905/06 and be given a new name. True DNA rather than mitochondrial DNA is required to ascertain whether it current San Cristobals are a distinct new species in its own right or other.

Thanks for sharing your insight @Kifaru Bwana.

Yes, Melbourne Zoo obtained these young tortoises with breeding in mind - though with several holders in the region I imagine there could be swapping upon at sexual maturity given Melbourne’s are either from the same clutch (or at most a couple of clutches) and related. I’m assuming they have an idea of gender based on incubation temperature (but haven’t read this anywhere to confirm).

Auckland Zoo attributed part of their success to the return of the non breeding male from Ti Point. It apparently fired up the breeding male and inspired him to successfully mate with one of the females. It’s been nice to see them achieve repeated success in recent times.

 

[Zoofan15]

Thanks for sharing your insight @Kifaru Bwana.

Yes, Melbourne Zoo obtained these young tortoises with breeding in mind - though with several holders in the region I imagine there could be swapping upon at sexual maturity given Melbourne’s are either from the same clutch (or at most a couple of clutches) and related. I’m assuming they have an idea of gender based on incubation temperature (but haven’t read this anywhere to confirm).

Auckland Zoo attributed part of their success to the return of the non breeding male from Ti Point. It apparently fired up the breeding male and inspired him to successfully mate with one of the females. It’s been nice to see them achieve repeated success in recent times.

Apologies @Kifaru Bwana, the young Aldabra tortoises at Melbourne Zoo are NOT from the same clutch. Their hatch dates are as follows:

1.0 Diego (Aug 2012)
0.1 Dore (Jan 2013)
0.1 Mahe (Feb 2013)
0.1 Zoli (Feb 2013)
1.0 Zave (May 2013)
0.1 Lavani (May 2013)

With this in mind, the zoo has a viable breeding group that will hopefully achieve success in the next 10-20 years.

 

[Jambo]

Thanks for sharing your insight @Kifaru Bwana.

Yes, Melbourne Zoo obtained these young tortoises with breeding in mind - though with several holders in the region I imagine there could be swapping upon at sexual maturity given Melbourne’s are either from the same clutch (or at most a couple of clutches) and related. I’m assuming they have an idea of gender based on incubation temperature (but haven’t read this anywhere to confirm).

Auckland Zoo attributed part of their success to the return of the non breeding male from Ti Point. It apparently fired up the breeding male and inspired him to successfully mate with one of the females. It’s been nice to see them achieve repeated success in recent times.

Apologies @Kifaru Bwana, the young Aldabra tortoises at Melbourne Zoo are NOT from the same clutch. Their hatch dates are as follows:

1.0 Diego (Aug 2012)
0.1 Dore (Jan 2013)
0.1 Mahe (Feb 2013)
0.1 Zoli (Feb 2013)
1.0 Zave (May 2013)
0.1 Lavani (May 2013)

With this in mind, the zoo has a viable breeding group that will hopefully achieve success in the next 10-20 years.

I’m assuming breeding is behind the thinking of expanding the enclosure opposite the reptile house! The enclosure could easily hold ten plus tortoises, and considering they also have the large enclosure in Growing Wild, they will have quite the space for a breeding program.

Melbourne also have two young tortoises. Not sure about their age, but they’re size equivalent to a Leopard Tortoise so I’d say about one to two years old.