They have been making a lot of intriguing moves lately; so I am confident this all for heading in the right direction. The elephant move next year should really be the start of a few exciting developments.
Melbourne Zoo Melbourne Zoo News 2023
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Osedax
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Exactly what I was thinking! It seems like Melbourne is finally doing something useful for the region
Although it's exciting to see Melbourne have added a new species it's disappointing that they're a brother pair that are hybrids and won't likely be used for breeding.
It would've been much more exciting if Melbourne obtained a pair of Javans to join the regional breeding program for them, but alas that wasn't what panned out.
Osedax
Well-Known Member
Oh, well that's disappointing. I didn't know they were brothers. I really hope Binturong don't go the same way as Ring-tailed Coatis. This almost seems like the post-reproductive coati import all over again. Non-breeding animals of no use to the region.
It was announced Melbourne acquired two males so it's almost a certainty they're littermates.
Re. the import, I think it's much the same as Melbourne is probably only obtaining them for display and non breeding purposes. The previous pair were a non breeding brother and sister and also arrived from Singapore coincidentally as well!
I wouldn’t be too discouraged but this. Very few zoos in Europe have purebreds and many manage them on the generic level. I suspect the import of two males (likely related as you say) was done with the intention of exchanging one with another zoo in the region and receiving a female for breeding.
It’s a step in the right direction. International imports have historically been undertaken by the main zoos in the region and with Covid now behind us, we’ve seen several instances of this occurring - Auckland Zoo with tigers; Taronga Zoo with a Fennec fox; and now Melbourne Zoo with Binturong.
Ultimately though I wouldn't be surprised if Melbourne just retained the brothers long term. Hopefully this won't be the case though; as I would be beyond excited to have a Binturong breeding pair at Melbourne!
If the coati exhibit is their designated home, that may be the outcome. I’m hopeful the fact they imported from overseas indicates an intention for at least one of them to breed though. Several Binturong have been bred in recent years and it wouldn’t have been hard to source non breeding Binturong.
Melbourne love their double up exhibits so much, they may have a second exhibit one day for the offspring!
The Sleepy Hippo
Well-Known Member
There was a sign on one of the end enclosures in the Treetops that had the usual sign up - it could being made comfortable as a short-term rental for the Binturong...
It certainly sounds promising!
Well for once, “something exciting” is coming soon to Melbourne Zoo!
With the recent death of the Malayan tapir, I wonder if “something exciting” will be coming soon to their exhibit too.
If it’s the final enclosure your talking about that signs been there for a while now; and the enclosures too small for them imo anyway.
A more suitable enclosure would be the former Capuchin enclosure, beside the Colobus, which has sat empty for a few years now.
Capybara would be my best guess for a replacement as they fit the enclosure and that areas general theming. Still, it wouldn’t surprise me if Melbourne just choose to let the enclosure sit empty until the peccaries pass and then revamp the whole area.
austrlain zoo gower
Well-Known Member
This a great news for the species, a breeding pair would have been better but Melbourne seems to be going in the right direction, hopefully this continues for the elephant exhibit as there are quite a few empty exhibits around the zoo
Like I previously stated, the import of two male Binturong doesn’t indicate the zoo has no plans to breed. Imports from outside the region are a lengthy process and it’s more efficient for one zoo to import two at the same time than it is for two zoos to import those same animals independently. Teamwork makes the dream work!
I would anticipate these animals joining the breeding programme on the basis Melbourne Zoo has no apparent plans to exhibit them in the immediate future and otherwise could have waited for offspring from the purebred Javans.
The Sleepy Hippo
Well-Known Member
The first big enclosure has had the cotton-top tamarins moved into there. Not sure when but I'm pretty sure they weren't there on my last visit.
The Sleepy Hippo
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I do think (more like hope) that the reason there are so many empty enclosures at the moment is due to the elephant shift, and that they plan to rejuvenate not just TOTE but a whole lot of other areas.
As in the Zoo is in a holding pattern waiting on their departure.
In possible good news too the elephants were not doing their training when I was there but two of them were actively engaging with the travel containers.
Manjai and Luk Chai were in an enclosure together as well and having a lot of great interactions.
As in the Zoo is in a holding pattern waiting on their departure.
In possible good news too the elephants were not doing their training when I was there but two of them were actively engaging with the travel containers.
Manjai and Luk Chai were in an enclosure together as well and having a lot of great interactions.
I do think (more like hope) that the reason there are so many empty enclosures at the moment is due to the elephant shift, and that they plan to rejuvenate not just TOTE but a whole lot of other areas.
As in the Zoo is in a holding pattern waiting on their departure.
In possible good news too the elephants were not doing their training when I was there but two of them were actively engaging with the travel containers.
Manjai and Luk Chai were in an enclosure together as well and having a lot of great interactions.
It’s great to hear the two young bulls continue to have a positive relationship. It sounds like they’re a more harmonious pairing than Luk Chai and Pathi Harn were at Dubbo, who only had 2-3 contact sessions a week prior to Luk Chai’s transfer.
Space is at a premium at Melbourne Zoo, so the more time they can spend together, the more space they’ll be for all involved. The transfer to Werribee is only around 12 months away now!
There’s an enclosure in between that enclosure you mention and the current Colobus enclosure that is currently empty; that’s the enclosure I’m referring too.
Binturong are as follows:
1.0 Bhalu (20/10/2013)
1.0 Tugu (07/07/2014)
Bhalu is Indonesian for “bear”; Tugu is a place in Jakarta.
Good news!
The old Mandrill/Southern cassowary exhibit could potentially be redeveloped as a Binturong exhibit. No exhibit for them has been announced yet, but there’s more than enough space here to develop an immersive walk through.
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