Looks like around the start of this year sometime. They have / had a pair apparently.
Native Mammals in Australian Zoos
- Thread starter zooboy28
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I've seen them in the past in TWP, but I understand they weren't kept for some time?
I recently saw that Wildlife Habitat opened a large nocturnal house so I contacted the zoo requesting a species list (which can be seen here: News from Port Douglas [Wildlife Habitat Port Douglas]) and their two Striped Possums are now on display! They are even shown in their enclosure briefly in the video below.
Also, a random question but one that relates to native mammals; is it right to assume that all the Common Wombats in mainland zoos are of the mainland subspecies?
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Most zoos simply list them as "Vombatus ursinus" with no subspecies. A few list subspecifically as hirsutus (i.e. the mainland subspecies) which is probably true of almost all the non-subspecifically-listed holders. Dreamworld apparently has one tasmaniensis though.
The Tasmanian zoos obviously have tasmaniensis.
Territory Wildlife Park recently received three Red-tailed Phascogales. They are on-display in their nocturnal house: Log into Facebook | Facebook
Caversham Wildlife Park now has 14 Spotted-tailed quolls. Most are behind the scenes for their breeding program. On my visit last week I saw a male that was being trained as an ambassador animal and the keeper very kindly brought out one of the two juveniles they are also training. The only others on display are a female with three young.
They have one main breeding male who is rotated to breed with females in oestrus.
They have one main breeding male who is rotated to breed with females in oestrus.
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Tree-rats are now at Perth Zoo as well. Their recent annual report has confirmed the transfer of two Black-footed Tree-rats from the Northern Territory for their nocturnal house.
Annual report: https://perthzoo.wa.gov.au/PerthZooWebsite/media/PerthZoo/All PDFs/Perth-Zoo-AR-2021-FINAL_INTERACTIVE.pdf
Perth used to have golden-backed. There is a story there I won’t go into.
Had a memory moment being 'jogged' in relation to the discussion about the different Tree Rat species that have been kept in Perth Zoo's noc' house and after a google type found-out that the native mice that were in the noc' house 2002/2003 era that I remember being sign-labelled as Pankot(s) were Mitchell's Hopping Mouse/Mice; didn't know that was an alternative name for them. As far as can remember Greater Stick-Nest Rats have been kept there for over 20 years; think the Water Rats at PZ were kept a little later on like around 2004?
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PZ has held Spinifex hopping mice in the past, but it's possible that Mitchell's have also been on show. The water rats would have been from the early 00s onwards (don't recall them during the 90s). Stick-nest rats were kept off-display in the breeding complex at the back of the zoo. Difficult species - numbers always seemed to be constant, no matter how many offspring were bred, but I believe this has alot to do with high inbreeding coefficient in population. Don't think they were kept in the NocHouse very often. Two other rodent species that have been on display were Pebblemound mouse and Shark Bay mouse (latter also bred off-display). There were probably other species in the early days too.
Oh Pebblemound Mouse that's right, remembering seeing them in the NH too at some point in the '00s. Have to admit use to think Dibblers were a native mouse too as a kid until a PZ television special to celebrate their centenary mentioned them in their rare marsupial breeding program (not to sound like am suggesting rodents deserve any less attention than marsupials)
Even earlier, mid-late 90s? For a while they were held in the orang nursery cage which was a large glass-fronted enclosure at the end of the five exhibits (never saw them as they are nocturnal!). Eventually relocated to NocHouse.
Most of the time that enclosure was empty but has also housed palm squirrels.
A few updates from recent annual reports and inventory lists.
Adelaide Zoo now have (and are breeding) Red-tailed Phascogales according to their recent annual report.
Healesville's last Northern Quoll has died according to the 2020-2021 inventory list.
Monarto Safari Park now have a breeding colony of Mitchell's Hopping Mice. They collected seven individuals from the wild and have bred 10 thus far. They will be part of a breed-for-release programme in Mallee Cliffs National Park (NSW). Information from their annual report.
I’ve gradually been going through the Australian zoo list and searching through some of the social media pages and websites of the lesser-known zoos identifying additional native mammal holdings. I’m only really scratching the surface but here is what I’ve found below. Facebook links don’t seem to function properly when attached en masse so I’ve listed the date of the post instead or the source of evidence. 18 months was my limit but ideally from early 2021 onwards.
Yara Valley Nocturnal Zoo (VIC) have Northern Brown Bandicoot. They bred recently as well [Facebook post: 17/12/2021]
East Coast Natureworld (TAS) have Southern Brown Bandicoot. They actively breed them for release into predator-proof areas [Facebook post: 04/03/2021]. Softfoot Sanctuary (SA) also have this species [listed on website].
Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary (TAS) has Eastern Bettong [listed under Our Animals on their website].
Snakes Downunder Reptile Park and Zoo (QLD) have a male Lumholtz’s Tree-kangaroo [personally seen this month and Facebook post: 26/12/2021]. Wildlife HQ will also soon reacquire the species so that would make eight holders.
Bunbury Wildlife Park (WA) have Western Brush Wallaby [Facebook post: 02/07/2021]. The zoo received a male in October 2020 to join their existing female.
Tasmanian Pademelon at Softfoot Sanctuary (SA) [listed on website], Wings Wildlife Park (TAS) [Facebook post: 25/08/2021], Peel Zoo (WA) [Facebook post: 09/05/2021], The Funky Farm (VIC) [Facebook post: 06/12/2021], and Kyabram Fauna Park (VIC) [Facebook post: 24/12/2021]. Undoubtedly at other Tasmanian and mainland collections.
I contacted Cleland Wildlife Park (SA) but forgot to post it on here a few months ago. They no longer have Western Pygmy Possum: “No we do not currently have that species in our collection.” The Eastern Pygmy-Possums at Walkabout Wildlife Sanctuary can be seen on their night tour or by contacting the park to meet them prior to visiting (Facebook post: 27/10/2021).
The Macadamia Castle (NSW) have Short-eared Brushtail Possum in their nocturnal show [Facebook post: 18/07/2021]. Might be among the only ones that can be seen by the public regularly as Wildlife HQ no longer have their female on-display. David Fleay and Currumbin both have elderly females if I remember correctly which are education/encounter animals.
Rakali was still at Wings Wildlife Park (TAS) as of this year [Facebook post: 06/02/2021].
I find it surprising that Rakali are not in more collections a well under rated and over looked species
Thanks for that. The listings for this thread have predominantly been ZAA zoos because the non-ZAA holders are much more time-consuming and difficult to uncover - so any you can add will be great!
I do want to try and come up with a better way of providing the holders as well. We originally did it as "common", "uncommon" etc because we figured listing all the holders of species like Koalas or Eastern Grey Kangaroos would be both too difficult and too unwieldy. No idea how to get around that though, which is why we went with only listing specific collections when they were few in number.
Rakaii do make a great exhibit. However to show them they need an exhibit that is both aquatic and nocturnal, the two most difficult and expensive styles of exhibit. They are rarely held and short lived, so you would need to have your own breeding program to keep animals on display. Lastly they are not a "name" animal so would not attract any additional visitors, and they are common in the wild, so there is no conservation reason to hold them.
From my visit to Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary today - the zoo have recently doubled the size of their nocturnal house allowing for new species to be displayed. A Northern Brown Bandicoot is now on-show. Even more excitingly, the bandicoot shares its enclosure with at least two Greater Gliders [one pale white and a dark brown individual] which had remained off-show for a few years now.