The orange butterfly is an Australian Lurcher, Yoma sabina rather than a Monarch. Glad to see the Cairns Birdwings are still at Melbourne. There should also be a pair of Rose-crowned Fruit-Doves in the butterfly house.
Melbourne Zoo Melbourne Zoo Review 2025 (20/1/25)
- Thread starter austrlain zoo gower
- Start date
Wonderful review great photos
austrlain zoo gower
Well-Known Member
Forest of Wonder continued -
Asian Elephants
Melbourne Zoo has had a storied History with elephants. In fact a 142 year history. Melbourne Zoo first purchased an elephant in 1883, her name was Ranee, Since then there have been many notable individuals at the Zoo
Queenie - A female Indian Elephant that gave children rides around the zoo for 40 years, she was born in the wild in around 1900. She arrived at the zoo in 1902
Mali - Born in 2010, Mali was the first elephant born at Melbourne zoo along with being the first female elephant to be born in Australia. Mali gave birth to a male calf in 2022. She has a Zig Zag tale which was passed down from Bong Su
Melbourne zoo previously elephant enclosure resided where growing wild currently is, you can still see the old elephant house, which houses the roar and snore activity. Melbourne zoo were gifted two Elephants from Malaysia. Bong su ( 1977 ) and Mek Kapah ( 1978 ). Bong su passed away in 2017, however Mek Kapah is still alive and is the Matriarch of the Herd.
Then in 2006 Trail of the Elephants was opened along with the import of 3 cows from Thailand. They are Kulab, Dokkoon and Num-oi, all of which have given birth to at least 1 calf.
Luk Chai, who was born at Taronga, joined the herd as the breeding bull in late 2020 , he has fathered 3 calfs
Elephants Calfs
Dokkoon - Mali, Man Jai ( passed away from EEHV ) and Aiyara
Num-oi - Sanook ( passed away from getting stuck in tire enrichment ) , willow ( passed away from infection soon after birth ) and Kati
Mali - Roi-Yim
Kulab - Ongard ( sent to Zoo Miami to take part in breeding Program. )
Asian Elephant Calf 2023
We are now closing a chapter at Melbourne Zoo, as the herd is relocating to WORZ, at a purpose built state of the art 21 hectare site. It will amazing for both the visitors and elephants alike. There is also a new chapter opening for Zoochatters, what could be replacing the elephants?
Elephants heading for a dip
There are 3 Elephant paddocks. The first houses the largest pool along with shade sails. I generally see the females in here, however it is sometimes connected with the 2nd paddock for the herd. It used to be viewed from a sheltered almost house that offers face painting for little kids along with some elephant statues and memorabilia. However this is not closed, and you can no longer access it.
Elephant Paddock 1
Once you have seen this area, it leads you to a pavilion, with shops, restaurants and most importantly the Elephant barn. I love how you can view the elephant barn and see the husbandry behind the scenes. On my first visit I caught the elephant being washed. The barn is a good size, but will have no competition with the new one has Werribee.
Mek kapah ?
The 2nd exhibit which is connect to the barn is the largest and contains mounds of sand that the elephants are often seen playing in. This then connects to a 3rd exhibit, with it own small barn, the habitat has a small pool, I often see bull elephants in here. This exhibit would be perfects for Tapir! All the exhibits are connect with gates that can close the visitor pathway off and allows the elephant to change exhibits.
2nd and 3rd elephant paddocks
The elephant complex no doubt is a highlight for most guest visits. But it is on the smaller size for a family of nearly 10 elephants.
Below Are some of my favourite Elephant Pictures, from 2023 - 2025
Luk Chai
Ranking -
10/10
What I love -
1. Different Habitats with terrain and pools
2. Being able to see inside the elephant barn
3. Experiencing a multi generational herd
What could be improved -
1. The size, but now moving to WORZ, this is no longer a concern.
To Be Continued ...
Asian Elephants
Melbourne Zoo has had a storied History with elephants. In fact a 142 year history. Melbourne Zoo first purchased an elephant in 1883, her name was Ranee, Since then there have been many notable individuals at the Zoo
Queenie - A female Indian Elephant that gave children rides around the zoo for 40 years, she was born in the wild in around 1900. She arrived at the zoo in 1902
Mali - Born in 2010, Mali was the first elephant born at Melbourne zoo along with being the first female elephant to be born in Australia. Mali gave birth to a male calf in 2022. She has a Zig Zag tale which was passed down from Bong Su
Melbourne zoo previously elephant enclosure resided where growing wild currently is, you can still see the old elephant house, which houses the roar and snore activity. Melbourne zoo were gifted two Elephants from Malaysia. Bong su ( 1977 ) and Mek Kapah ( 1978 ). Bong su passed away in 2017, however Mek Kapah is still alive and is the Matriarch of the Herd.
Then in 2006 Trail of the Elephants was opened along with the import of 3 cows from Thailand. They are Kulab, Dokkoon and Num-oi, all of which have given birth to at least 1 calf.
Luk Chai, who was born at Taronga, joined the herd as the breeding bull in late 2020 , he has fathered 3 calfs
Elephants Calfs
Dokkoon - Mali, Man Jai ( passed away from EEHV ) and Aiyara
Num-oi - Sanook ( passed away from getting stuck in tire enrichment ) , willow ( passed away from infection soon after birth ) and Kati
Mali - Roi-Yim
Kulab - Ongard ( sent to Zoo Miami to take part in breeding Program. )
Asian Elephant Calf 2023
We are now closing a chapter at Melbourne Zoo, as the herd is relocating to WORZ, at a purpose built state of the art 21 hectare site. It will amazing for both the visitors and elephants alike. There is also a new chapter opening for Zoochatters, what could be replacing the elephants?
Elephants heading for a dip
There are 3 Elephant paddocks. The first houses the largest pool along with shade sails. I generally see the females in here, however it is sometimes connected with the 2nd paddock for the herd. It used to be viewed from a sheltered almost house that offers face painting for little kids along with some elephant statues and memorabilia. However this is not closed, and you can no longer access it.
Elephant Paddock 1
Once you have seen this area, it leads you to a pavilion, with shops, restaurants and most importantly the Elephant barn. I love how you can view the elephant barn and see the husbandry behind the scenes. On my first visit I caught the elephant being washed. The barn is a good size, but will have no competition with the new one has Werribee.
Mek kapah ?
The 2nd exhibit which is connect to the barn is the largest and contains mounds of sand that the elephants are often seen playing in. This then connects to a 3rd exhibit, with it own small barn, the habitat has a small pool, I often see bull elephants in here. This exhibit would be perfects for Tapir! All the exhibits are connect with gates that can close the visitor pathway off and allows the elephant to change exhibits.
2nd and 3rd elephant paddocks
The elephant complex no doubt is a highlight for most guest visits. But it is on the smaller size for a family of nearly 10 elephants.
Below Are some of my favourite Elephant Pictures, from 2023 - 2025
Luk Chai
Ranking -
10/10
What I love -
1. Different Habitats with terrain and pools
2. Being able to see inside the elephant barn
3. Experiencing a multi generational herd
What could be improved -
1. The size, but now moving to WORZ, this is no longer a concern.
To Be Continued ...
Attachments
An excellent review and photos. Thank you.
I enjoyed reading the notes about the history of elephants at Melbourne Zoo. Trail of the Elephants opened in 2003 and was undoubtedly the most modern elephant exhibit in Australasia at the time. Though it was built with the intention of importing additional cows and breeding, Bong Su and Mek Kepah initially had the run of the entire complex.
Trail of the Elephants served the zoo well throughout the births of the first four calves. It’s become more challenging to manage births since the move to PC, especially since the barn isn’t equipped to house the entire herd together, which is regarded as beneficial. The Werribee complex will certainly remedy that.
That’s Dokkoon in your photo.
Enjoying the review thus far! Just a few small corrections and additional info you may be interested in;
That building you refer to adjacent to the pool paddock was always packed. Following Mali and Ongard's births it was elephant mania and I recall having to wait in a line for ages to even enter the elephant section of the trail. There was never much space in that lookout building to view the elephants so I was glad come the recent calves births that the overall elephant hype had died down and I could stand there and watch the elephants for as long as I wished!
This viewing window has always been there for as long as I can remember. Dating back to the late 2000's when the exhibit had Binturong, at the least.
This is a unique idea that even I hadn't thought of! I do think this exhibit would actually be suited to the Tamarins. But I've always felt like Melbourne's overall bird collection (outside of the GFA) has always lacked and so I'd preferably retain these aviaries for them.
This paddock used to house Man Jai, and occasionally Luk Chai too when the pair had their interaction sessions. Prior to this, Ongard used to reside here. And he often spent time with his father there as well. I have some fond memories and photos of the pair playing around. Ongard was only tiny back then!
That building you refer to adjacent to the pool paddock was always packed. Following Mali and Ongard's births it was elephant mania and I recall having to wait in a line for ages to even enter the elephant section of the trail. There was never much space in that lookout building to view the elephants so I was glad come the recent calves births that the overall elephant hype had died down and I could stand there and watch the elephants for as long as I wished!
I’d fully agree with this. When I visited just over a year ago, the three elephant calves were aged between 10-12 months and it was the perfect age to see them.
Aside from the crowds, elephant calves at the neonate stage stay closer to their mother (especially if they have a strict mother like Roi-Yim did) and are more erratic with their appearances e.g out in the paddock in the morning for an hour or so, then sleeping.
Fast forward to the one year mark and the calves are every bit as cute; perpetually active; in and out of the pool; and interacting with each other and the wider herd. I consequently spent a significant amount of time watching them on my visits.
austrlain zoo gower
Well-Known Member
Final Part - Forest of Wonder
Next to the 3rd Elephant enclosure is a small roofed viewing area were you can view some species of reptile, along with some animal skulls. You can also look out to the elephant barn and bull.
Boyd's Forest Dragon
Next to the 3rd elephant enclosure is Forest Harvest which houses squirrel monkeys, it used to house binturong. It is old and the metal wire makes it looks worn down. There used to be about 6-8 squirrel monkeys at the zoo, they are now down to 2 elderly males, looks like another phase out, overall is very low quality and a poor viewing experience.
Squirrel Money, Bad viewing experience
Ranking
5/10
What I love -
1. Good animals to breakup 2 major ones
What could be improved -
1. Using glass instead of mesh
2. Using different materials
3. Maybe a different species, binturong would suit this better
Orang-utan Sanctuary
The last area of the Forest of Wonder is the orangutang sanctuary. Opened in 2006, it used to house 6 Orangutang's and 2 Siamangs. However some of the orangutang did not get along with the siamang and they were relocated to the Japanese gardens. They are now back in the netted enclosure. 3 Orangutang's were given to Sydney Zoo, the result is a bare looking enclosure.
My first impression of the area was that it had not aged as well as the Gorilla and TOTE.
The first enclosures was fully netted and home to 2 siamang, Kemala and Batak. Kemala is the daughter of Isador and sampit, who live in the Japanese Garden. There are high climbing platforms that the animals were swinging from. The enclosure was a good size for the 2 individuals. I am not a fan of fully enclosed habitats, however it works quite well for these animals, as they used the meshing at the top to swing around. One of the highlights of my visit was watching the pair singing for over half an hour, if fact they were singing right in front of the viewing window, it was a magical experience.
Siamangs and Enclosure
Inside View
The 2nd area was inside. There was a glass viewing for the Siamang, along with a platform that they could sit on. There is also on indoor sections for the orang utans, along with a fake shopping centre for there palm oil initiative. There are currently only 2 orang utans at MZ, Malu and Gabby. This made the habitat looks quite bare. There have been some minor renovations done since 2006, including taller climbing towers, that the orang-utans love to use. What makes the exhibit look dated is the concrete wall behind , which previously was grey, but was now painted in a different colours of greens along with the lack of any large foliage. Previously they did have some trees that had no leaves, due to the winter however they have been gone for a while.
Malu in food coma, Inside orang-utan area, Gabby outside, enclosure
Ranking -
7/10
What I love -
1. Siamang exclosure offers many climbing opportunities
2. Siamang enclosure is of a good size
3. Inside Orang-utan area, that guest can look in
4. Different climbing platforms fro orang utans
5. Up close glass viewing of both species
What could be improved -
1. The additions of some more orang utans
2. Adding some more foliage possibly to help cover up the correct walls
Forest of Wonder final ranking and conclusion
Forest of Wonder in its current state is a good precinct, however in less than 1 months, the Elephants will have left, knowing MZ, they will probably leave the enclosures bare for a little while. It seems likely that they will close of the trail and just allow you to visit the orangutang sanctuary. None of the enclosures are amazing, but there are also no major letdowns. What is making me nervous is the approach the zoo appears to be going down. It gives me no pleasure in saying but MZ is focusing on BUGS for Forest Of Wonder. There were about 10 bug signage posters, along either a new garden for butterfly’s and bees. It is quite surprising. Hopefully this is only temporary though.
How to improve -
Minor renovations to the Orang-utan Sanctuary and tiger habitats.
Final Ranking
45.5/60
Highlight of the Precinct
Elephants and butterfly house
Low of the Precinct
Starting to look dated looking Orang-utan Sanctuary
Squirrel monkeys enclosure looks like it is out of 1970s
Animals of Forest of Wonder
Asian Small Clawed otter - 4:1
Sumatran Tiger - 1.0
Asian Elephant - 2:7
Squirrel monkey - 0.2
Siamang - 1.1
Sumatran Orangutan - 1:1
Vacant Exhibits
None currently, however elephants very soon to be.
Order of review
Gorilla Rainforest
Forest of Wonder
Growing Wild
Lion Gorge
Wild Sea
Australian Bush
Main Trail ( with reptiles )
Final thoughts, opinions and photos
Next to the 3rd Elephant enclosure is a small roofed viewing area were you can view some species of reptile, along with some animal skulls. You can also look out to the elephant barn and bull.
Boyd's Forest Dragon
Next to the 3rd elephant enclosure is Forest Harvest which houses squirrel monkeys, it used to house binturong. It is old and the metal wire makes it looks worn down. There used to be about 6-8 squirrel monkeys at the zoo, they are now down to 2 elderly males, looks like another phase out, overall is very low quality and a poor viewing experience.
Squirrel Money, Bad viewing experience
Ranking
5/10
What I love -
1. Good animals to breakup 2 major ones
What could be improved -
1. Using glass instead of mesh
2. Using different materials
3. Maybe a different species, binturong would suit this better
Orang-utan Sanctuary
The last area of the Forest of Wonder is the orangutang sanctuary. Opened in 2006, it used to house 6 Orangutang's and 2 Siamangs. However some of the orangutang did not get along with the siamang and they were relocated to the Japanese gardens. They are now back in the netted enclosure. 3 Orangutang's were given to Sydney Zoo, the result is a bare looking enclosure.
My first impression of the area was that it had not aged as well as the Gorilla and TOTE.
The first enclosures was fully netted and home to 2 siamang, Kemala and Batak. Kemala is the daughter of Isador and sampit, who live in the Japanese Garden. There are high climbing platforms that the animals were swinging from. The enclosure was a good size for the 2 individuals. I am not a fan of fully enclosed habitats, however it works quite well for these animals, as they used the meshing at the top to swing around. One of the highlights of my visit was watching the pair singing for over half an hour, if fact they were singing right in front of the viewing window, it was a magical experience.
Siamangs and Enclosure
Inside View
The 2nd area was inside. There was a glass viewing for the Siamang, along with a platform that they could sit on. There is also on indoor sections for the orang utans, along with a fake shopping centre for there palm oil initiative. There are currently only 2 orang utans at MZ, Malu and Gabby. This made the habitat looks quite bare. There have been some minor renovations done since 2006, including taller climbing towers, that the orang-utans love to use. What makes the exhibit look dated is the concrete wall behind , which previously was grey, but was now painted in a different colours of greens along with the lack of any large foliage. Previously they did have some trees that had no leaves, due to the winter however they have been gone for a while.
Malu in food coma, Inside orang-utan area, Gabby outside, enclosure
Ranking -
7/10
What I love -
1. Siamang exclosure offers many climbing opportunities
2. Siamang enclosure is of a good size
3. Inside Orang-utan area, that guest can look in
4. Different climbing platforms fro orang utans
5. Up close glass viewing of both species
What could be improved -
1. The additions of some more orang utans
2. Adding some more foliage possibly to help cover up the correct walls
Forest of Wonder final ranking and conclusion
Forest of Wonder in its current state is a good precinct, however in less than 1 months, the Elephants will have left, knowing MZ, they will probably leave the enclosures bare for a little while. It seems likely that they will close of the trail and just allow you to visit the orangutang sanctuary. None of the enclosures are amazing, but there are also no major letdowns. What is making me nervous is the approach the zoo appears to be going down. It gives me no pleasure in saying but MZ is focusing on BUGS for Forest Of Wonder. There were about 10 bug signage posters, along either a new garden for butterfly’s and bees. It is quite surprising. Hopefully this is only temporary though.
How to improve -
Minor renovations to the Orang-utan Sanctuary and tiger habitats.
Final Ranking
45.5/60
Highlight of the Precinct
Elephants and butterfly house
Low of the Precinct
Starting to look dated looking Orang-utan Sanctuary
Squirrel monkeys enclosure looks like it is out of 1970s
Animals of Forest of Wonder
Asian Small Clawed otter - 4:1
Sumatran Tiger - 1.0
Asian Elephant - 2:7
Squirrel monkey - 0.2
Siamang - 1.1
Sumatran Orangutan - 1:1
Vacant Exhibits
None currently, however elephants very soon to be.
Order of review
Gorilla Rainforest
Forest of Wonder
Growing Wild
Lion Gorge
Wild Sea
Australian Bush
Main Trail ( with reptiles )
Final thoughts, opinions and photos
Attachments
I fully agree with your assessment of the orangutan complex not aging as well as the Gorilla Rainforest (which is 16 years older).
Melbourne’s orangutan exhibit is reminiscent of Auckland Zoo’s Orangutan Park (1987-2017), with its high walls and large grassed area with climbing frames. Auckland’s exhibit similarly looked very dated by the time it was demolished.
The greatest issue with Melbourne’s exhibit aesthetically is the sway poles. They make the exhibit looked cluttered for the minimal benefit the apes get from them. Undoubtedly, aerial pathways are the image of a modern zoo and provide the greatest enrichment for apes in my opinion, as well as expanding their habitat beyond the confines of the exhibit.
The elephant skull is Peggy by the way:
0.1 Peggy (Asian elephant)
Born in the wild 00/00/1931
Arrived at Melbourne Zoo 01/01/1939
Died at Melbourne Zoo 30/10/1988
austrlain zoo gower
Well-Known Member
I totally agree. The orangutang sanctuary has not aged as well. I have to agree, the exhibit looks quite busy and cluttered. I only really see the animal using the bigger modern poles and newer structures. They could remove some of them and then add some more foliage. I think the Siamang made better use of the poles back when they were there.
Thanks for the info on the elephant skull. That is quite a long life for an elephant! 57 Years
It is also interesting how much development happened at the zoo between 1990 to mid 2000s. The exhibits all look like from different eras and different styles. Between The Gorillas, Pygmy Hippo, Mandrill, Tiger, TTAAM, TOTE, and the orangutan sanctuary just to name a few. Today these are some the zoos most popular enclosure. There has been less development from 2007 - 2025
Wild Sea, Growing Wild and Lion Gorge. None of these precincts are that great either. Lion gorge is a small collection of random carnivores, and some omnivores. Do Binturongs work well with Lions?
Last edited:
This enclosure also used to hold Peacocks dating back to the initial opening of TOTE. I'm not sure whether the aviary predates the construction of this precinct. The shaded hut construction was only completed about a decade ago for the Binturong who had been off display for a period before that.
Melbourne attempted to mix the Saimang and Orangutans in the late 2000's, however this was without success. The older Saimang pair (Isidor and Sampit) of whom the experiment was trialed with and they just rarked the orangutans up. At one point one of the orangutans (I'm fairly sure it was a young Malu) went after one of the Saimang infants and that pretty much put an end to the whole endeavor with the Saimangs moved out to the former Lemur Islands.
The Squirrel Monkeys are a bachelor troop. So if there are indeed two remaining, they would be two males.
austrlain zoo gower
Well-Known Member
The squirrel monkeys were a typo on my end
There have also been a lot of smaller redevelopments during this time too; new Kangaroo/Emu enclosure, Giraffe enclosure extension, Baboon enclosure, Lemur Islands ect.
Wild Sea and Growing Wild haven't aged well to say the least. Lion Gorge is decent at most, but I do agree lacks variation and only the Snow Leopard exhibits can really be considered as 'stand-outs'.
What do you mean by this?
austrlain zoo gower
Well-Known Member
What do people think of when they hear carnivores?
I don’t think coati, binturong and dingo come to mind.
don’t get me wrong, I love seeing underrepresented species at zoos, but they would be better suited in other areas of the zoos.
I mean that Binturongs are omnivores and Lions are carnivores. The precinct was marketed as apex predator. I remember when the species got release that it was quite disappointing.
Most people just skip the binturong enclosures because you never really see them. This enclosure would be better suited for a different predator species
Not to mention Tasmanian Devil along with Sumatran tigers were already featured in other enclosures. Tasmanian devil no longer.
There have been some minor things done around the zoo, however nothing really amazing or groundbreaking. Especially when you look at the quality of some of the older enclosures. The lion enclosure is quite small for its inhabitants. Despite being some of the newest enclosure. It is interesting to see how highly quality the lemur island is compared to other ensures built at a similar time.
I will go into more detail about want I think MZ should do along with ranking of what exhibits need renovating the first
I don’t think coati, binturong and dingo come to mind.
don’t get me wrong, I love seeing underrepresented species at zoos, but they would be better suited in other areas of the zoos.
I mean that Binturongs are omnivores and Lions are carnivores. The precinct was marketed as apex predator. I remember when the species got release that it was quite disappointing.
Most people just skip the binturong enclosures because you never really see them. This enclosure would be better suited for a different predator species
Not to mention Tasmanian Devil along with Sumatran tigers were already featured in other enclosures. Tasmanian devil no longer.
There have been some minor things done around the zoo, however nothing really amazing or groundbreaking. Especially when you look at the quality of some of the older enclosures. The lion enclosure is quite small for its inhabitants. Despite being some of the newest enclosure. It is interesting to see how highly quality the lemur island is compared to other ensures built at a similar time.
I will go into more detail about want I think MZ should do along with ranking of what exhibits need renovating the first
Last edited:
Peggy became Melbourne Zoo’s longest lived Asian elephant, surpassing the previous record set by Queenie (1900-1945). Peggy and Betty both arrived 1939, with Betty dying in 1973.
Mek Kepah is an impressive 52 years and will hopefully enjoy a good life at Werribee Open Range Zoo, where similarly long lifespans will become commonplace.
With regards to housing Binturong next to lions, they don’t appear to be phased by the presence of an apex predator in the same way small felids are. They’re by no means an engaging exhibit though. Four visits and I have saw them once. In my opinion, the exhibit is too big and the towers reduce visibility entirely.
I think we can all appreciate the different types of Carnivores the precinct showcases. Even to the smaller reptiles and insects that are kept in the indoor Lion building.
I'd much rather have a precinct with a diverse collection of Carnivore species rather than just the main apex predators you think of - Lions, Tigers, Leopards ect.
austrlain zoo gower
Well-Known Member
I agree with this, but it is about picking the right carnivores. Melbourne zoos original lineup with quite good. African wild dog, Coati, lion, tiger, Tasmanian devil and snow leopard
I think we all love seeing lesser known creatures at zoos. However for your average person when they don’t know an animal well I think they would like to see it and build a connection and understanding. Look at Melbournes previous collection. It was one of the most diverse in Australia possibly worldwide. As it slowly declined however we started complaining
It had enough variety. 2 predators that everybody knows. Tiger and Lions
Melbourne either needs to go down the road of geograpgical precincts, weather that be climate or continent or go all in on a variety of species showcasing a specific category of animal. Personally I prefer Geographic. I gets weird when part of your precincts are geographical, ie Gorilla Rainforest and Forest of wonder, and then they contain species from other parts. You should either choose a species. ie trail with the zoos primates. Of trail with animals from the Asian rainforest. It also can help with education and guests understanding. They can see what animals all live together in the natural habitats
Then Snow Leopards, which are not housed much in Australia. Making them a draw card
The rest of the animals were all interesting and great education to the public that predators come in all shapes and sizes. I just don’t think Binturong suit the enclosure very well. I would much prefer to see a servel, fishing cat or some active species that people can view regularly. At other zoos, binturong are often active, and if they are not then you can at least see them. The lion enclosure it quite small, I personally think incorporating it with the current dingo enclosure would be a good idea. Maned wolf or African wild dog could like in this enclosure if they wanted
Furthermore. The whilst tigers are a big drawcard. They already had them in a fine enclosure. Something like a bear species would be cool to see at Melbourne either at Lion gorge or at forest of wonder.
some of the phase outs at the zoo have been scene because they don’t meet some of Zoos Victoria’s own criteria
I think we all love seeing lesser known creatures at zoos. However for your average person when they don’t know an animal well I think they would like to see it and build a connection and understanding. Look at Melbournes previous collection. It was one of the most diverse in Australia possibly worldwide. As it slowly declined however we started complaining
It had enough variety. 2 predators that everybody knows. Tiger and Lions
Melbourne either needs to go down the road of geograpgical precincts, weather that be climate or continent or go all in on a variety of species showcasing a specific category of animal. Personally I prefer Geographic. I gets weird when part of your precincts are geographical, ie Gorilla Rainforest and Forest of wonder, and then they contain species from other parts. You should either choose a species. ie trail with the zoos primates. Of trail with animals from the Asian rainforest. It also can help with education and guests understanding. They can see what animals all live together in the natural habitats
Then Snow Leopards, which are not housed much in Australia. Making them a draw card
The rest of the animals were all interesting and great education to the public that predators come in all shapes and sizes. I just don’t think Binturong suit the enclosure very well. I would much prefer to see a servel, fishing cat or some active species that people can view regularly. At other zoos, binturong are often active, and if they are not then you can at least see them. The lion enclosure it quite small, I personally think incorporating it with the current dingo enclosure would be a good idea. Maned wolf or African wild dog could like in this enclosure if they wanted
Furthermore. The whilst tigers are a big drawcard. They already had them in a fine enclosure. Something like a bear species would be cool to see at Melbourne either at Lion gorge or at forest of wonder.
some of the phase outs at the zoo have been scene because they don’t meet some of Zoos Victoria’s own criteria
Last edited:
As I said in my post above, small felids are uncomfortable being housed close to apex predators and consequently make for poor display animals. That’s why it’s unlikely Melbourne Zoo will ever house Fishing cat etc. in the carnivores precinct.
The main draw cards are undoubtedly Sumatran tiger, African lion and Snow leopard. One of the old Snow leopard exhibits previously housed Syrian bears and Malayan sun bears were considered for this precinct, but ultimately scrapped. Ultimately they’ve struck a good balance, but I would agree coati were a much better fit for the exhibit than their successors (Binturong). I also appreciated the inclusion of a South American species.
austrlain zoo gower
Well-Known Member
Malaysian sun bear could suit the current Sumatran tiger enclosure at either lion gorge or Forest of Wonder. Binturong are quite a shy species. And having this massive habitat for them would not help either. Furthermore as I experienced in Indonesia, binturong prefer to hunt at night, they are also nocturnal active during the late evening through to very early morning. This explains why they are had to view. MZ should look for a species that isn’t nocturnal, and won’t be scared by large fields. That is why Coati were the best option. They could have just kept them in there, and made some modifications to the inclosure to support there older years. Binturong could have been housed in forest of wonder, where they would fit in quite well.
Just because animals get older and less active doesn’t mean that you should just move them behind the scenes
Just because animals get older and less active doesn’t mean that you should just move them behind the scenes
The original plan was for Snow leopard, Malayan sun bear and Komodo dragon to form the second stage of the Carnivore precinct (the first stage was African wild dog and African lion). Instead, Malayan sun bear became Sumatran tiger; and Tasmanian devil replaced Komodo dragon in these plans. Both these species were of course a double up at the time.
It’s worth noting that in the planning stages, the future of sun bears was looking far more promising with three cubs born in the region between 2006-2010, with the hope of more to follow. I’m not optimistic of the future of this species in the region at this point given the lack of births, the ageing population and the challenges around sourcing more (especially males).