Native Mammals in Australian Zoos

zooboy28 said:
-Striped Possum Dactylopsila trivirgata
Rare – Wildlife Habitat
Click to expand...
I recently came across some incredibly unexpected news - Walkabout Creek in Brisbane now has Striped Possum!! This is based on two sources - a post from a local MP and this video I attached below showing the animal. The centre just opened a new education space and the possum seems to be viewable during a wildlife discovery show during weekends. I have also emailed the centre directly but haven't receive a response.

Source: 7News Brisbane
https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=663286078448790
 
zooboy28 said:
-Lumholtz's Tree Kangaroo Dendrolagus lumholtzi
Uncommon – Currumbin Sanctuary, David Fleay Wildlife Park, Dreamworld, Oakvale Wildlife Park, Rainforestation Nature Park, Snakes Downunder, Wildlife Habitat.
Click to expand...
From today’s visit to Wildlife HQ, the zoo has reacquired Lumholtz’s Tree-Kangaroo. A male is now on-display.
 
Last edited:
A few updates all confirmed through emails. I contacted David Fleay regarding if they still had Mahogany Glider, Black-footed Tree-Rat or Greater Glider as I had never really confirmed it as they haven’t been on show for a few years now. They just told me they didn't have any of them on display now but didn’t specify which ones were actually still at the park. They did mention they have plans to upgrade their nocturnal house soon to incorporate more species.
zooboy28 said:
Whiptail Wallaby Macropus parryi
Rare – Darling Downs Zoo, Walkabout Creek Wildlife Centre
Click to expand...
Neither Darling Downs Zoo nor Walkabout Creek currently have Whiptail Wallabies. Walkabout Creek sent their last kangaroos to Lone Pine in 2021 and it seems that their last wallaby disappeared sometime before that. They have since been replaced with Swamp Wallabies at Walkabout very recently.
zooboy28 said:
-Northern Nailtail Wallaby Onychogalea unguifera
Rare – Caversham Wildlife Park, Wildlife Habitat
Click to expand...
No more Northern Nail-tail Wallabies at Caversham. They are still at Wildlife Habitat.
zooboy28 said:
-Ghost Bat Macroderma gigas
Uncommon - Adelaide Zoo, Alice Springs Desert Park, Currumbin Sanctuary, Featherdale, Gorge Wildlife Park, Perth Zoo, Taronga Zoo, Territory Wildlife Park, Wildlife Sydney.

-Little Red Flying Fox Pteropus scapulatus
Rare – Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary
Click to expand...
Sydney Zoo also have two Ghost Bats mixed with their bilby making approximately 10 holders. I should also mention that Lone Pine still have two Little Red Flying Foxes on show as of last month.
 
zooboy28 said:
Uncommon – Currumbin Sanctuary, David Fleay Wildlife Park, Dreamworld, Oakvale Wildlife Park, Rainforestation Nature Park, Snakes Downunder, Wildlife Habitat, Wildlife HQ.
Click to expand...
Walkabout Creek Wildlife Centre received their first ever Lumholtz's Tree-Kangaroo last Thursday - confirmed via email. She is a rescued female and this creates a total of nine holders for this species.
 
A pleasing recent trend with more threatened native rodent species among Australian zoos.
 
HayBrand said:
While not a zoo, Julia Creek Dunnarts are on Display at the Julia Creek Tourist Information Centre. 8 things to do in Julia Creek (Best source I could find)
Click to expand...
Perhaps...

The original "Donald" and "Duncan" were Fat-tailed Dunnarts: Tourism helps conservation of endangered dunnart
While Donald and Duncan are fat-tailed dunnarts, which are found around the country, the local Julia Creek dunnart is endangered.Ms Fleming said they did not have Julia Creek dunnarts on display because there was currently no captive breeding colony and they were in the stages of re-establishing one. "We'll never take a Julia Creek dunnart from the wild and put it on display," she said."

That article is from 2015, so those animals will be long dead. Most photos I can find which were taken at the centre are of Fat-tailed Dunnarts (generally identified as being Julia Creek Dunnarts, probably - I guess - because people were just assuming that is what they must be due to the centre being at Julia Creek and because all the information there will be for that species), but there are a few photos which do indeed show Julia Creek Dunnarts. I would suppose they have sometime quite recently obtained genuine Julia Creek Dunnarts for display (perhaps having established a breeding colony as mentioned in the 2015 article).
 
Chlidonias said:
Perhaps...

The original "Donald" and "Duncan" were Fat-tailed Dunnarts: Tourism helps conservation of endangered dunnart
While Donald and Duncan are fat-tailed dunnarts, which are found around the country, the local Julia Creek dunnart is endangered.Ms Fleming said they did not have Julia Creek dunnarts on display because there was currently no captive breeding colony and they were in the stages of re-establishing one. "We'll never take a Julia Creek dunnart from the wild and put it on display," she said."

That article is from 2015, so those animals will be long dead. Most photos I can find which were taken at the centre are of Fat-tailed Dunnarts (generally identified as being Julia Creek Dunnarts, probably - I guess - because people were just assuming that is what they must be due to the centre being at Julia Creek and because all the information there will be for that species), but there are a few photos which do indeed show Julia Creek Dunnarts. I would suppose they have sometime quite recently obtained genuine Julia Creek Dunnarts for display (perhaps having established a breeding colony as mentioned in the 2015 article).
Click to expand...
Back in about 2001 the Julia Creek dunnart was classified as Critically Endangered and researchers noted a boom in their wild population. Given their status and their temporary abundance we (Moonlit Sanctuary) were asked to take a group to establish an insurance population, which we did. Subsequently researchers determined them to be a boom/bust species, not surprising given where they live, and reclassified them as Least Concern. We returned most of our animals to Queensland, some went to Fleays and others were released.

More recently they have been classified as Near Threatened because of the intrusion of prickly acacia into the habitat and land cultivation.

I note the article describes them as Endangered, which they are not, and the threats as "pests and the ongoing drought". In conservation terms a captive population is not required (although fine if they want to keep displaying the animals), but what is required is habitat restoration. In a zoo context, I'd call this greenwash, but no doubt is more palatable in a rural community where land clearing is regarded as a right and necessity.
 
Last edited:
@MRJ

Wow interesting story.

So feral (fox/cat/dog) proof fenced-off protected hectares of their natural ecological environment would be best population support insurance for JC Dunnarts? (or any small marsupial in plight), plus perhaps continued horticultural intervention to try remove as much prickly acacias as possible from said area...typing this last paragraph have realised possibly the most 'captain obvious' statement have ever written hahaha (suppose just ruminating while have chance to hear from wise minds).

The boom-bust population pattern is interesting to learn about too.
 
steveroberts said:
@MRJ

Wow interesting story.

So feral (fox/cat/dog) proof fenced-off protected hectares of their natural ecological environment would be best population support insurance for JC Dunnarts? (or any small marsupial in plight), plus perhaps continued horticultural intervention to try remove as much prickly acacias as possible from said area...typing this last paragraph have realised possibly the most 'captain obvious' statement have ever written hahaha (suppose just ruminating while have chance to hear from wise minds).

The boom-bust population pattern is interesting to learn about too.
Click to expand...
The answer is, to my best knowledge, no, predator proof fencing would not be an answer or maybe not even be desirable. Julia Creek dunnarts live in deep cracks in the soil and can quickly retreat to those cracks when on the surface. I doubt predation has much effect on the population.

The threat would be prickly acacia and land-use changes destroying the cracks, denying the dunnarts their refuge. Boom/bust means the population booms during good seasons and almost disappears during poor seasons. If conservation is confined to a small fenced area there may not be enough animals present during bust seasons for them to stage a recovery during good seasons. I could be wrong, I'm not in touch with recent developments.
 
Last edited:
PossumRoach said:
I wanted to ask how much of the holders keep Kangaroo Island Kangaroo?
Click to expand...
A significant number especially on the east coast. Kangaroo Island kangaroos have a reputation of being very visitor friendly, and we have certainly found that ourselves. However they are not reported separately so no figures would be available.
 
MRJ said:
A significant number especially on the east coast. Kangaroo Island kangaroos have a reputation of being very visitor friendly, and we have certainly found that ourselves. However they are not reported separately so no figures would be available.
Click to expand...

That is interesting it may be due to them having no contact with humans or large predators for that matter since the Ice age, thus may have mostly lost their fear of predation akin to the Dodo. This is probably what makes them more relaxed and less skittish with people compared to mainland red and grey Kangaroos.
 
As of my visit to Territory Wildlife Park on 29/11/22, I can confirm that both the Common Planigale (kept in the Nocturnal House) & Black Wallaroo (an old male kept alone in the Rocky Ridge) are both still alive & well.
DSCN4540.JPG
 

Attachments

  • DSCN4540.JPG
    DSCN4540.JPG
    388.6 KB · Views: 65
zooboy28 said:
Uncommon – Currumbin Sanctuary, David Fleay Wildlife Park, Dreamworld, Oakvale Wildlife Park, Rainforestation Nature Park, Snakes Downunder, Walkabout Creek Discovery Centre, Wildlife Habitat, Wildlife HQ.
Click to expand...
Billabong Sanctuary near Townsville has received its first Lumholtz's Tree-Kangaroo - a male that wasn't able to be released: 登录 Facebook | Facebook
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top