Melbourne Zoo Melbourne Zoo News 2025
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First successful breeding of critically endangered frogs:
Hope spawns at Melbourne Zoo for endangered Gippsland frogs - ABC News
Zoos Victoria's amphibian specialists have successfully bred two critically endangered Victorian frog species for the first time — the Watson's tree frog and the southern giant burrowing frog.
Both frogs are native to the Gippsland region in eastern Victoria and are critically endangered.
Tadpoles of both species were collected from the wild in 2022 to establish conversation breeding programs at Melbourne Zoo's Amphibian Bushfire Recovery Centre.
Zoos Victoria amphibian specialist keeper Damian Goodall said this was the first breeding season since the frog founders had reached sexual maturity and marked an early, significant success in the species' recovery.
Hope spawns at Melbourne Zoo for endangered Gippsland frogs - ABC News
Zoos Victoria's amphibian specialists have successfully bred two critically endangered Victorian frog species for the first time — the Watson's tree frog and the southern giant burrowing frog.
Both frogs are native to the Gippsland region in eastern Victoria and are critically endangered.
Tadpoles of both species were collected from the wild in 2022 to establish conversation breeding programs at Melbourne Zoo's Amphibian Bushfire Recovery Centre.
Zoos Victoria amphibian specialist keeper Damian Goodall said this was the first breeding season since the frog founders had reached sexual maturity and marked an early, significant success in the species' recovery.
Visited a few days ago and have gotten the time to write up a few updates:
- Otters - Paula and Odie moved into the first Pygmy Hippo enclosure this week. They're settling in and will be here for the foreseeable. I asked a keeper (an otter keeper) who was at the exhibit and they said they weren't aware of any plans to import a mate for Felix unfortunately.
- Gorillas - Otana and Kanzi were out together, however Kanzi was maintaining her usual distance. A volunteer I talked to had no info on what the plan was going forward, but she did say Kanzi has adjusted well following her mother's passing and they are seeing a lot of positive interactions between her and her father.
- Cotton Top Tamarins - it looks like a new pair has moved into the usual enclosure in the Treetop Trail, but I could be wrong. There had been no Tamarins there for a while.
- Black and White Colobus - only saw a pair on display in one enclosure.
- Orangutans - two new shelter dark green shelter structures have been added to the outdoor enclosure. Gabby sat in one. No sign of Malu.
- The little indoor building (holding a small collection of insects) adjacent to Luk Chai's former paddock was also open - which was good to see, especially following concerns it would close following the elephants departure.
- Saw a pair of Luzon Bleeding Heart Doves in the aviary following the Tigers.
- There are now three Koalas on display.
- Just saw one of the female Nyala out on habitat.
- Also was greeted with a hive of activity - Indrah was out walking around, as was Mishka who came and sat right next to the viewing mesh (the closest I've ever seen her!). Most of the Little Penguins were also swimming and it was really cool to see them do this in large numbers, something I don't think I've ever seen before at Melbourne.
- On a final note, there also appeared to be a crate in one of the Red Panda exhibits. Not sure if it's from Scarlett's arrival last year or whether there's a new arrival (or a planned transfer out).
Thanks for the update.
It’s disappointing to hear there’s no plans to import a female Pygmy hippopotamus at this stage, though perhaps not surprising considering only the import of a bull Common hippopotamus (for Werribee) has been reported in the media.
Melbourne Zoo’s breeding pair of otter (Odie and Paula) are seven years apart in age, so it’s likely Paula (15 years old) will pass well before Odie - and probably within the next year or two. This could be an opportunity to transfer across one of Taronga’s female Pygmy hippopotamus (as a second display animal). With Darling Downs Zoo importing a male for breeding (and reportedly Taronga), the region doesn’t need a third breeding holder.
I’m glad they’re doing something with that space, even if it’s not a new species for the zoo. I really love watching otters so hopefully this gives me more opportunities to view them in the short term while something else is planned for it.
There used to be Otters in that enclosure in the late 2000's so it's exciting to see them in that enclosure again.
The enclosure itself provides Odie and Paula with a lot more space. It was really cool to see them via a much bigger underwater viewing window. Odie and Paula seemed to be making the most of the much larger pool.
It’s strange they gave Pygmy hippopotamus Felix the run of both exhibits for what turned out to be a brief period of time.
Presumably they were hoping the otters would remain a cohesive group for longer; but a number of zoos (Canberra being the latest) have had issues of otters challenging their parents for dominance at this age. Even within a same-sex group of brothers, Auckland Zoo had to seperate them into two due to conflicts.
Odie the otter is a genetically valuable, so it wouldn’t surprise me to see him re-paired upon Paula’s death - either with Melbourne holding two groups; or with him transferring out.
austrlain zoo gower
Well-Known Member
They may have put the otters in this enclosure to allow the redevelopment or change of species in the forest of wonder. I would not make much sense as the trail is looking very bare
It appears to be a split to reflect conflicts in the group necessitating the separation of the parents from their male offspring since the sons haven’t been reported to have been moved out of the old exhibit (i.e. they otherwise could have gone with their parents to the Pygmy hippopotamus pool):
0.1 Paula (2010) Imported 2011 (Germany)
1.0 Odie (2017) Imported 2019 (Singapore)
1.0 Gunther (2020) Odie x Paula
1.0 Murphy (2020) Odie x Paula
1.0 Rodney (2020) Odie x Paula
It does seem like Melbourne didn't anticipate this (or at least hadn't planned for this move).
The TOTE exhibit is rather small, so it would make sense if conflicts had arisen between the five otters. I saw their three sons in that said exhibit but that doesn't mean there isn't plans to transfer them elsewhere.
From what I’ve seen, it’s quite common in otters as they enter young adulthood and begin challenging their parents. The natural social order is a bonded pair and young, with the young from the previous litter sometimes remaining with them to learn parenting skills.
The strangest combination I’ve seen was at Hamilton Zoo, who once housed 2.1 together - a breeding pair and an older male, who was apparently tolerated by the prime aged breeding pair. I’m not sure if he was castrated, but he was also on the smaller size and clearly not perceived as a threat by Moba (breeding male).
The Sleepy Hippo
Well-Known Member
Redevelopment of Forest of Wonders should involve cleaning up the "lake" and hot wiring it's perimeter and have a bigger group of otters in the lake and smaller group in current enclosure.
I wonder if the otter issues is due to a lack of space, if we are seeing lack of cohesion due to a perceived lack of space/territory. Being a smaller species we tend to build smaller habitats, but whether this is at the disadvantage of being able to form larger cohesive groups.
It’s certainly a possibility but I will note that Auckland Zoo maintained a parent pair and the offspring of three litters in their previous otter exhibit (which was small). The family was split into father and sons/mother and daughters, with the latter transferred out. Despite having a new exhibit three times the size of the old one, the group of brothers (the father died early on) soon began fighting and had to be segregated into two groups.
My conclusion is that within reason, the exhibit size is at least secondary to the natural social order as the cause of conflicts (parents raise offspring, who then disperse).
Otters are a naturally territorial species so it makes sense that disputes can arise. It's unusual for family groups to split up however; they usually remain tight knit for life, however some offspring decide to disperse and form pairs of their own and others don't.
It's entirely possible the exhibits size could be having an impact on these issues we're seeing. To be fair, whilst Auckland's new complex for their otters was bigger than the previous one, they still effectively shared the same water body (which is disappointingly small too).
The issues arise as the young reach sexual maturity and begin to challenge their parents. Like you say, some groups remain cohesive and the adult offspring actually assist with caring for the pups, which is great practice for them rearing their own litters.
Auckland Zoo had an unusual situation where they housed a mother and daughter with a newly arrived male, who impregnated them both. The mother and daughter were later separated and each lived with a male.
austrlain zoo gower
Well-Known Member
Sorry, I wasn't able to get any photos of either. I thought I had taken one of the sign that was present explaining the otter move, but alas, it appears I hadn't.
Updates via Melbourne's Website:
Keep an eye out for Felix the Pygmy Hippo’s new neighbours on your next stroll along Melbourne Zoo’s Gorilla Trail. Odie and Paula, our otter parents, have temporarily moved in while we navigate some family dynamics within their group. They’re settling in well, very active and loving their new digs.
We’re excited to welcome Moon Jellyfish to Wild Sea at Melbourne Zoo — a brand-new species for the space and a truly magical addition to your underwater journey. Their arrival is the result of months of behind-the-scenes work by our expert team, including the installation of specialised jellyfish displays (called Kreisels), the setup of delicate hatching systems, and the creation of facilities to ensure a thriving Moon Jelly population.
This exciting experience gives you the rare opportunity to head behind-the-scenes and meet Bella, Iha or Pania. View an intimate training session led by our expert keepers, where you'll see how our seals learn and enact a range of behaviours, designed to give them the best welfare possible. Learn all about the bonds they share with their trainers, natural instincts, individual stories and how our Marine Response Unit are assisting injured marine species and birdlife out in the wild.
- Confirmation that Paula and Odie the Short Clawed Otters were moved to one of the Pygmy Hippo exhibits due to social tensions:
Keep an eye out for Felix the Pygmy Hippo’s new neighbours on your next stroll along Melbourne Zoo’s Gorilla Trail. Odie and Paula, our otter parents, have temporarily moved in while we navigate some family dynamics within their group. They’re settling in well, very active and loving their new digs.
- Moon Jellyfish are now on display in Wild Sea:
We’re excited to welcome Moon Jellyfish to Wild Sea at Melbourne Zoo — a brand-new species for the space and a truly magical addition to your underwater journey. Their arrival is the result of months of behind-the-scenes work by our expert team, including the installation of specialised jellyfish displays (called Kreisels), the setup of delicate hatching systems, and the creation of facilities to ensure a thriving Moon Jelly population.
- And, there are now special behind the scenes encounters available every Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday until 28 April to meet the zoos seals:
This exciting experience gives you the rare opportunity to head behind-the-scenes and meet Bella, Iha or Pania. View an intimate training session led by our expert keepers, where you'll see how our seals learn and enact a range of behaviours, designed to give them the best welfare possible. Learn all about the bonds they share with their trainers, natural instincts, individual stories and how our Marine Response Unit are assisting injured marine species and birdlife out in the wild.
I visited Melbourne Zoo today. First time since 2018 and noted the following updates. Absolutely manic school holiday crowds (both in number and manner) but I stayed at the zoo from 9am to almost 5pm, enjoying every bit. Apologies if some of this overlaps with other posts:
- Two enormous Hercules Moths are currently pupating in the butterfly house. Four O’clock Moths (unseen) are a new species for the butterfly house as well.
- Chameleon Gecko and Northern Banded Knob-tailed Geckos are now in Growing Wild building with the Aldabra Giant Tortoises.
- Egyptian Beetle and Golden Huntsman are newer additions in the bug building opposite the squirrel monkeys.
- the new pair of Rose-crowned Fruit-Doves have already fledged a chick in the butterfly house as well. I saw it today perched among the butterfly feeders. Pictured below.
- reptile breeding success has included four Reticulated Pythons, 24 Veiled Chameleons, a Lace Monitor (on-show in reptile house), six Corn Snakes and two Centralian Knob-tailed Geckos. Gila Monsters have a clutch as well. The chameleon hatchlings can be seen via a window looking into the off-display area and a Reticulated Python hatchling has been mixed with the Macleay’s Water Snake in Digest-Ed opposite the lions.
- Short-finned Eels (or similar eel species) have been added to the entrance tank at the reptile house.
- Fat-tailed Dunnarts have also arrived at Melbourne (off-show currently).
- a Moon Jellyfish display has been opened as previously mentioned in Wild Sea. Incredibly popular.
- Flame Angelfish and a Magnificent Foxface (happy to be corrected on this species) has been added to the new coral display.
- Southern Purple-spotted Gudgeon and Olive Perchlet have been added to the final freshwater tank at Wild Sea.
- there are at least two Kangaroo Island Kangaroo joeys currently. No Tammar Wallabies were seen but three Swamp Wallabies were located.
- I wasn’t able to locate any Orange-bellied Parrots. There was however an unsigned aviary opposite the koala aviary that had three White-browed Woodswallows and a pair of Red-tailed Black Cockatoos (they looked like the naso subspecies but happy for a local to clarify).
- all three Black-and-white Colobus were grooming. As mentioned, there is a pair of Cottontop Tamarins in the first exhibit.
- general highlights included four Golden Coin Turtles swimming around (its housemate the Spiny Terrapin remained out of view), a well-stocked butterfly house being a significant improvement since my last visit with greater variation of species, active binturong, quokka and potoroo, the frog house - which I visited three times as I loved it so much, the new Komodo Dragon and King Cobra, vocal lions and tiger and three peccaries to finish the day.