Melbourne Zoo Melbourne Zoo News 2025

[austrlain zoo gower]

Yes whilst I understand this, it wasn’t covered on social media about the Giraffe Pregnancy’s, not about the import of a female Pygmy hippo which I would argue is a more private information than if the zoo still has a species. Or how many individuals they have

 

[The Sleepy Hippo]

Yes whilst I understand this, it wasn’t covered on social media about the Giraffe Pregnancy’s, not about the import of a female Pygmy hippo which I would argue is a more private information than if the zoo still has a species. Or how many individuals they have

A female pygmy hippo has been imported to Melbourne?

 

[austrlain zoo gower]

A female pygmy hippo has been imported to Melbourne?

not yet, but on my visit they were open about sharing the information that they were looking for a female Pygmy hippo to import

 

[Zoofan15]

A female pygmy hippo has been imported to Melbourne?

not yet, but on my visit they were open about sharing the information that they were looking for a female Pygmy hippo to import

It’d be great to see a female Pygmy hippopotamus imported for Melbourne Zoo.

Zoos Victoria have certainly moved quickly to arrange the import of a male Common hippopotamus for Werribee this year:

Australia set to import hippopotamuses after 40-year ban ends - ABC News

 

[austrlain zoo gower]

Melbourne Zoo update

for some reason the zoos emailed again letting me know that they do still have Cotton Top Tamarins. I was told they may have been off display during my visit, which is interesting as the enclosure was boarded up

 

[Zoofan15]

Melbourne Zoo update

for some reason the zoos emailed again letting me know that they do still have Cotton Top Tamarins. I was told they may have been off display during my visit, which is interesting as the enclosure was boarded up

Thanks for letting us know. In the wild, the birthing season is January to May and looking at the dates of litters born at Auckland and other zoos, it appears our region’s births predominately cluster in the first half of the year.

Is it possible they’ve been given privacy due to a birth event/upcoming birth?

 

[Jambo]

Melbourne Zoo update

for some reason the zoos emailed again letting me know that they do still have Cotton Top Tamarins. I was told they may have been off display during my visit, which is interesting as the enclosure was boarded up

Thanks for letting us know. In the wild, the birthing season is January to May and looking at the dates of litters born at Auckland and other zoos, it appears our region’s births predominately cluster in the first half of the year.

Is it possible they’ve been given privacy due to a birth event/upcoming birth?

Or maybe they've had a new arrival to form a new breeding pair. They still had 3.1 (offspring of the previous pair) as of last year.

Perhaps they've acquired a male for the female - and moved the three boys off display or to another facility.

 

[crimsondye]

Or maybe they've had a new arrival to form a new breeding pair. They still had 3.1 (offspring of the previous pair) as of last year.

Perhaps they've acquired a male for the female - and moved the three boys off display or to another facility.

I have heard that yes - a new female cotton top has arrived from Perth Zoo and is getting used to her new environment and bonding with Guapo

 

[FunnyJamie]

Melbourne Zoo update 20/01/25

There are not Cotton Top Tamarins housed in Tree Top Apes and Monkeys, the exhibit is boarded up. A new sign put on the last small exhibits about the wingspan of gibbons

The old mandrill enclosure has been drained of water

Sadly I did not see Khan the Komodo dragon, I looked multiple times, I am interested to see in the future where they will house him and the exhibit will not be suitable for a adult Komodo dragon

Melbourne Zoo seem to be focusing on Bugs in the Forest of wonder. There are new signs with all different species on them along with some new garden where forest harvest used to be.

The previous elephant viewing house that look out to the swimming pool is boarded up and visitors can no longer enter

The Gorillas were not visible, I believe there was maintenance in there habitat

There were some minor construction works in the old zebra part of the Giraffe habitat.

Interestingly, there was a digger in the forest of wonder staff area clearing out foliage

One large enclosure in the reptile house that I believe used to house a species of crocodile as been drained and removed of foliage

Are you sure about the the Elephant viewing house, when I was there prior to your visit they had it enterable with educative display on insects, with I believe some interactive stuff too

 

[FunnyJamie]

Melbourne Zoo update

for some reason the zoos emailed again letting me know that they do still have Cotton Top Tamarins. I was told they may have been off display during my visit, which is interesting as the enclosure was boarded up

The enclosure has been blocked for an extended period of time, I believe I was originally told it was because they cut back all the foliage as they got complaints about animal viewability, and they may not have been placed back in while it grew back to a certain amount to still give the animals feeling of safety. A good place to check if they are still holdings species and notations is the food prep area of that trail. They have sheets that show species and notation being housed together for feeding. It is likely only that precinct, but it is a good way to see numbers, it is how I found out about the new colobus. I believe when I last went it only listed 1.1 of the cottontops

 

[austrlain zoo gower]

Are you sure about the the Elephant viewing house, when I was there prior to your visit they had it enterable with educative display on insects, with I believe some interactive stuff too

The elephants viewing house was most definitely closed on both my visits. It also has the blinds down blocking you from seeing inside. As you can see in my photo there is a gate blocking it, it may be open later on in the year.

The enclosure has been blocked for an extended period of time, I believe I was originally told it was because they cut back all the foliage as they got complaints about animal viewability, and they may not have been placed back in while it grew back to a certain amount to still give the animals feeling of safety. A good place to check if they are still holdings species and notations is the food prep area of that trail. They have sheets that show species and notation being housed together for feeding. It is likely only that precinct, but it is a good way to see numbers, it is how I found out about the new colobus. I believe when I last went it only listed 1.1 of the cottontops

You may be right, i think it is a combination of this, along with an import from Perth

 

[Jambo]

The elephants viewing house was most definitely closed on both my visits. It also has the blinds down blocking you from seeing inside. As you can see in my photo there is a gate blocking it, it may be open later on in the year.

This would make sense with the closure of the rest of the elephant trail recently. I don't foresee it re-opening anytime soon; probably until any eventual renovations to the surrounding area are made. And keepin mind, that is if they still elect to retain this building.

 

[Kifaru Bwana]

It’d be great to see a female Pygmy hippopotamus imported for Melbourne Zoo.

Zoos Victoria have certainly moved quickly to arrange the import of a male Common hippopotamus for Werribee this year:

Australia set to import hippopotamuses after 40-year ban ends - ABC News

Whilst I am happy about this development ..., it is not like it was an issue that could not have been adressed much earlier (... to put it diplomatically). BTW: Same is true for pygmy hippo, bongo et al.

IMO, it does seem high time the regional ZAA membership and guidelines for managed imports and directional strategies for future/planned target species in animal collection plans are shared between more zoos than effectively is the case right now in Australasia.

 

[Tiger91]

Whilst I am happy about this development ..., it is not like it was an issue that could not have been adressed much earlier (... to put it diplomatically). BTW: Same is true for pygmy hippo, bongo et al.

IMO, it does seem high time the regional ZAA membership and guidelines for managed imports and directional strategies for future/planned target species in animal collection plans are shared between more zoos than effectively is the case right now in Australasia.

ZAA should be taking over the species stud books and breeding plans etc. At the moment people from the zoos do it. It's a government entity that can strip a zoo from accreditation and keeping exotic animals. Yet it can't take on the species breeding plans and it has resulted in many species loosing a stud book keeper then that species falling out the way side and eventually being phased out by bad management.
Zoos should be submitting what species they want, if they intend to breed and species for the species and ZAA should be taking over control. That way we see more organized breeding and more species can get regiona l breeding programs. As it is all but a few have less then desirable managment outside of zoos that actually put in the effort.

 

[OzZooJoy]

ZAA should be taking over the species stud books and breeding plans etc. At the moment people from the zoos do it. It's a government entity that can strip a zoo from accreditation and keeping exotic animals. Yet it can't take on the species breeding plans and it has resulted in many species loosing a stud book keeper then that species falling out the way side and eventually being phased out by bad management.
Zoos should be submitting what species they want, if they intend to breed and species for the species and ZAA should be taking over control. That way we see more organized breeding and more species can get regiona l breeding programs. As it is all but a few have less then desirable managment outside of zoos that actually put in the effort.

I could be wrong, and others would know much more, but the ZAA isn’t a government body. A zoo can still be run without being accredited by the ZAA, that is decided by state governments.

 

[Jambo]

I could be wrong, and others would know much more, but the ZAA isn’t a government body. A zoo can still be run without being accredited by the ZAA, that is decided by state governments.

You are correct, the ZAA is a non for profit organisation operated by facilities and institutions that are part of the ZAA. The ZAA is overseen by a board consisting of members. Therefore the members are usually higher ups in zoo management and they select studbook keepers who are usually well versed with that particular species at their respective facility.

Zoos should be submitting what species they want, if they intend to breed and species for the species and ZAA should be taking over control.

The ZAA does mostly operate in this manner. They decide which species are 'focus' species for the region and which conservation programs should be pursued. This is streamlined from a range of suggestions thrown out there from the accredited facilities. So they do get a partial say.

 

[Zorro]

Whilst I am happy about this development ..., it is not like it was an issue that could not have been adressed much earlier (... to put it diplomatically). BTW: Same is true for pygmy hippo, bongo et al.

IMO, it does seem high time the regional ZAA membership and guidelines for managed imports and directional strategies for future/planned target species in animal collection plans are shared between more zoos than effectively is the case right now in Australasia.

Unfortur

ZAA should be taking over the species stud books and breeding plans etc. At the moment people from the zoos do it. It's a government entity that can strip a zoo from accreditation and keeping exotic animals. Yet it can't take on the species breeding plans and it has resulted in many species loosing a stud book keeper then that species falling out the way side and eventually being phased out by bad management.
Zoos should be submitting what species they want, if they intend to breed and species for the species and ZAA should be taking over control. That way we see more organized breeding and more species can get regiona l breeding programs. As it is all but a few have less then desirable managment outside of zoos that actually put in the effort.

You are correct some species are badly managed

 

[Tiger91]

You are correct, the ZAA is a non for profit organisation operated by facilities and institutions that are part of the ZAA. The ZAA is overseen by a board consisting of members. Therefore the members are usually higher ups in zoo management and they select studbook keepers who are usually well versed with that particular species at their respective facility.

The ZAA does mostly operate in this manner. They decide which species are 'focus' species for the region and which conservation programs should be pursued. This is streamlined from a range of suggestions thrown out there from the accredited facilities. So they do get a partial say.

It should be more of a say to better manage populations, that way we could avoid the mess we are in.
While they are not themselves a government run institution they are a governing body for the government I.e there job is to asses and maintain zoo standards etc, which is given to them by the government to run. They also gate keep species, if your not ZAA approved member your not getting a sumatran tiger, cheetah, elephant or of memory even rhino and giraffe. So a zoo could still run but a large chunk of exotic species are of the table unless you are assessed and admitted into ZAA.
Which is why it would make more sense for them to be fully uncharge of running stud books and species management.

 

[Zorro]

It should be more of a say to better manage populations, that way we could avoid the mess we are in.
While they are not themselves a government run institution they are a governing body for the government I.e there job is to asses and maintain zoo standards etc, which is given to them by the government to run. They also gate keep species, if your not ZAA approved member your not getting a sumatran tiger, cheetah, elephant or of memory even rhino and giraffe. So a zoo could still run but a large chunk of exotic species are of the table unless you are assessed and admitted into ZAA.
Which is why it would make more sense for them to be fully uncharge of running stud books and species management.

100% correct

 

[steveroberts]

@Kifaru Bwana @Mlawlor @Tiger91 @Zorro

Hey guys, was thinking if you created a ZAA future trajectory thread (similar to this old thread ARAZPA / ZAA), even the Future of Zoos Victoria thread (The Future of Zoos Victoria 2025 (Speculation/Fantasy) [Melbourne Zoo]) with regard to ZoosVic. Its just keep clicking this thread thinking there is some news today at Melbourne Zoo. (Have done the same before many times too on threads with broader discussions of course because of the connections with every topic, particular zoo(s) then their governing bodies/organisations and species management etc, the discussions naturally broaden discussion scope because its so interesting and important to us all of course. Just suggesting because have had similar suggestions shared with me when I do exactly the same thing, with Perth Zoo discussion threads most recent examples of myself personally doing).