Perth Zoo Perth Zoo News 2024

Osedax said:
Wow, I never knew Nelly and Kayak had any offspring! Which gibbon is she, and at what zoo?
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Li-Lian. She was born to Kayak and Nelly on 02/06/2007 at Perth Zoo and now lives at Melbourne Zoo.

Jin-Huan (2006) was Li-Lian’s original mate, but they failed to produce offspring. She’s currently paired with a Perth bred male named Canh (2015), who is a son of Jermei.
 
Update on native births/hatchings:

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38 Western swamp tortoises
14 Numbats
120 White-bellied frogs

38 critically endangered Western Swamp Tortoises have hatched – and this number is growing daily!

14 endangered Numbat joeys have been counted in pouches.

120 critically endangered White-bellied frogs are maturing. These tiny frogs only grow up to about an inch!
 
A new female Koala, Mindjil, has arrived and is currently living behind-the-scenes in the zoo's vet hospital while she finishes quarantine. When ready, she'll move out to the Australian Bushwalk, and join the zoo's existing koala, Wanda, who also happens to be her great-grandmother. A third, male koala will also arrive at the zoo sometime in the coming months.

Australia: Heartwarming Video of Adorable New Koala Released by Perth Zoo

Koala update | Perth Zoo | Some koala-ty news for Aussie animal lovers! Two koalas will be coming to join Wanda in the Australian Bushwalk in the coming months We can't wait... | By Perth ZooFacebook
 
I find it interesting ... why does Perth Zoo have a massive climbable gorilla statue when the zoo doesn't have any gorillas?

Are gorillas coming to replace Permai and Putra Mas as the star exhibits? That would be good for the zoo.
 
Luke899 said:
I find it interesting ... why does Perth Zoo have a massive climbable gorilla statue when the zoo doesn't have any gorillas?

Are gorillas coming to replace Permai and Putra Mas as the star exhibits? That would be good for the zoo.
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Perth Zoo has had a gorilla statue since 1990, with the current version a near exact replica of this one.

https://perthzoo.wa.gov.au/article/meet-the-artist-behind-the-gorilla-statue

To my knowledge, Perth Zoo have no intention of acquiring gorillas. Their masterplan outlines plans for a refurbished orangutan exhibit, which will remain their focus great ape species. Perth Zoo has never held gorillas and likely won’t for the foreseeable.
 
Zoofan15 said:
Perth Zoo has had a gorilla statue since 1990, with the current version a near exact replica of this one.
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Strange to have such a large statue of an animal you don't have ...

Zoofan15 said:
To my knowledge, Perth Zoo have no intention of acquiring gorillas. Their masterplan outlines plans for a refurbished orangutan exhibit, which will remain their focus great ape species. Perth Zoo has never held gorillas and likely won’t for the foreseeable.
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Shame. To be honest, I think Perth Zoo should have scrapped its plans to redevelop the elephant enclosure into African-themed exhibits. Perth's site, being dense with tree cover, should really focus on Asian species and then expand into African themes. Gorillas could have been substituted for the elephants and would have partially alleviated and minimised the large emotional hole the elephant's departure will leave in the Perth community.

It's another example of conflicting visions and themes for an Australian zoo, like Adelaide not being able to get rid of the giraffes and sticking with an African themes. Adelaide getting gorillas would have gone hand-in-hand with the Asian themes of the Giant Panda. However, I can understand that Perth Zoo is trying to give the Perth community a bit of both since WA still lacks an open-range zoo for African themed species.

Ah well, it is what it is.
 
Luke899 said:
Strange to have such a large statue of an animal you don't have ...
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Like that dragon statue at Auckland Zoo, the public have become a bit obsessed with it; but I agree a high profile individual from Perth’s collection would have been more fitting.

I think most would agree Tricia the elephant, Memphis the rhino. Alistair the lion and Puan the orangutan have been their most iconic animal stars in recent decades.
Luke899 said:
Shame. To be honest, I think Perth Zoo should have scrapped its plans to redevelop the elephant enclosure into African-themed exhibits. Perth's site, being dense with tree cover, should really focus on Asian species and then expand into African themes. Gorillas could have been substituted for the elephants and would have partially alleviated and minimised the large emotional hole the elephant's departure will leave in the Perth community.

It's another example of conflicting visions and themes for an Australian zoo, like Adelaide not being able to get rid of the giraffes and sticking with an African themes. Adelaide getting gorillas would have gone hand-in-hand with the Asian themes of the Giant Panda. However, I can understand that Perth Zoo is trying to give the Perth community a bit of both since WA still lacks an open-range zoo for African themed species.

Ah well, it is what it is.
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I personally find mixed species savannahs in Australasian zoos somewhat underwhelming given there’s rarely variation beyond giraffe, zebra, nyala and ostrich. When there is variation, it’s usually in the form of Indian antelope that the general public then mistake for an African species.

African lions remain one of the biggest attractions in zoos and so if zoos want to focus on African species, it’d be nice to see lions held in exhibits large enough to house a breeding pride; instead of the small exhibits housing non-breeding pairs/trios more commonly seen. Perth could have built a spectacular lion exhibit, complimented by a larger hyena exhibit.
 
Zoofan15 said:
Like that dragon statue at Auckland Zoo, the public have become a bit obsessed with it; but I agree a high profile individual from Perth’s collection would have been more fitting.

I think most would agree Tricia the elephant, Memphis the rhino. Alistair the lion and Puan the orangutan have been their most iconic animal stars in recent decades.

I personally find mixed species savannahs in Australasian zoos somewhat underwhelming given there’s rarely variation beyond giraffe, zebra, nyala and ostrich. When there is variation, it’s usually in the form of Indian antelope that the general public then mistake for an African species.

African lions remain one of the biggest attractions in zoos and so if zoos want to focus on African species, it’d be nice to see lions held in exhibits large enough to house a breeding pride; instead of the small exhibits housing non-breeding pairs/trios more commonly seen. Perth could have built a spectacular lion exhibit, complimented by a larger hyena exhibit.
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Do we know what the plan is for the mixed savannah and the current african precincts ?. It would be quite an asset to combine there white rhino, giraffe and african hoof stock into a mixed exhibit. They could potentially design a really nice mixed exhibit that may free up space that these species currently take up to house other species. Or enable new species like nyala or eland which are the other typical savannah species to be acquired. Ideally WA Gov would hurry up and build an open range zoo, but i dont forsee that happening.
 
Tiger91 said:
Do we know what the plan is for the mixed savannah and the current african precincts ?. It would be quite an asset to combine there white rhino, giraffe and african hoof stock into a mixed exhibit. They could potentially design a really nice mixed exhibit that may free up space that these species currently take up to house other species. Or enable new species like nyala or eland which are the other typical savannah species to be acquired. Ideally WA Gov would hurry up and build an open range zoo, but i dont forsee that happening.
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Yes, the masterplan outlines the following:

- Giraffe, zebra, ostrich and guinea fowl housed together
- A new giraffe house
- An expanded meerkat exhibit that runs parallel to a kid’s playground with tunnels

https://perthzoo.wa.gov.au/PerthZooWebsite/media/PerthZoo/All PDFs/8331-Master-Plan-RCII_A4-Digital-Brochure_website.pdf

All pretty generic stuff, though to be fair, the general public are more excited by these species than antelopes. I agree an open range sister zoo would be a real asset to Perth Zoo and enable them to focus more on rainforest species; while reducing megafauna.

Interestingly, the masterplan concept art implies an adjacent exhibit for bongo, but I can find no recent mention of this species in the masterplan. They were originally mentioned years ago in conjunction with Indian rhinoceros as a FAQ of what could replace the elephants. It appears these ideas have long been revised.
From Perth Zoo’s website FAQ: Our curatorial team are also looking at what new species would best suit our site in the future. This could include Bongo, a stunning antelope species and nature’s armoured tanks, the endangered One-horned Rhino. This rhino species love to swim and could make a big splash in a future waterhole exhibit at the Zoo.
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Zoofan15 said:
Yes, the masterplan outlines the following:

- Giraffe, zebra, ostrich and guinea fowl housed together
- A new giraffe house
- An expanded meerkat exhibit that runs parallel to a kid’s playground with tunnels

https://perthzoo.wa.gov.au/PerthZooWebsite/media/PerthZoo/All PDFs/8331-Master-Plan-RCII_A4-Digital-Brochure_website.pdf

All pretty generic stuff, though to be fair, the general public are more excited by these species than antelopes. I agree an open range sister zoo would be a real asset to Perth Zoo and enable them to focus more on rainforest species; while reducing megafauna.

Interestingly, the masterplan concept art implies an adjacent exhibit for bongo, but I can find no recent mention of this species in the masterplan. They were originally mentioned years ago in conjunction with Indian rhinoceros as a FAQ of what could replace the elephants. It appears these ideas have long been revised.
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I can understand them going for generic species like giraffe and zebra, you have to travel quite a distance to actually see them in a zoo, if your in Perth outside of PZ. It's a shame they are not expanding redesigning so that the rhino can go in with them. That would make a great mixed exhibit. And being on the smaller side would allow for a more landscaped layout to look better. Something far larger exhibits can't really replicate.
 
Article on gibbon habitat as part of the master plan:

REVEALED: Huge change coming to Perth Zoo

Work is underway on the new $11.7 million primate crossing, which will include a 14-metre tower to connect rope pathways for gibbons to swing across.

Mr Whitby said the gibbons — who are currently limited to space above an island on the zoo’s pond — would have their habitat tripled.

The 14-metre height has been chosen because the gibbons know it is dangerous for them to drop from that level.
 
Just came back from Perth zoo and spoke to some of the keepers about the African Savannah expansion. And they said the plan for Barkari and Memphis is The zoo will remove the fence separating the exhibits and send Barkari to an other zoo for breeding and the the zoo will get some female rhinos to accompany Memphis. While if Memphis passes during or before construction the zoo would probably keep Barkari and breed him with the females that the zoo plans to get. Btw The zoo has updated there masterplan website and updated the African Savannah design and it seems that the zoo has plans to get a Nayla A Future Vision For Perth Zoo
 
ZooJaya said:
Just came back from Perth zoo and spoke to some of the keepers about the African Savannah expansion. And they said the plan for Barkari and Memphis is The zoo will remove the fence separating the exhibits and send Barkari to an other zoo for breeding and the the zoo will get some female rhinos to accompany Memphis. While if Memphis passes during or before construction the zoo would probably keep Barkari and breed him with the females that the zoo plans to get. Btw The zoo has updated there masterplan website and updated the African Savannah design and it seems that the zoo has plans to get a Nayla A Future Vision For Perth Zoo
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What species are Barkari and Memphis?
 
ZooJaya said:
Just came back from Perth zoo and spoke to some of the keepers about the African Savannah expansion. And they said the plan for Barkari and Memphis is The zoo will remove the fence separating the exhibits and send Barkari to an other zoo for breeding and the the zoo will get some female rhinos to accompany Memphis. While if Memphis passes during or before construction the zoo would probably keep Barkari and breed him with the females that the zoo plans to get. Btw The zoo has updated there masterplan website and updated the African Savannah design and it seems that the zoo has plans to get a Nayla A Future Vision For Perth Zoo
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Thanks for the update.

With the incoming Southern white rhinoceros founders, many of the rhinos we have in the region will drop in (comparative) genetic value. Bakari’s sister has produced two surviving calves at Orana Wildlife Park, but neither have been placed in breeding situations. Their mother is wild born, explaining the interest in breeding from Bakari.

It wouldn’t surprise me if Perth received non-breeding surplus females to integrate with Memphis. There’s several in New Zealand which are from non-breeding or well represented lines.
Osedax said:
What species are Barkari and Memphis?
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Southern white rhinoceros.
 
Does any one know about the masterplan of the Asian rain forest or Australian bushwalk if anyone does I would love to know
 
All I know of the masterplan is
The African Savannah has plans to expand the rhinos habitat and are getting a Bongo,Nayla And ostrich


And the zoo will build a Platypus house probably near the nocturnal house.
 
It's interesting that the master plan has pictures of two bongo and Nyala as part of there visual pictures of the new savannah expansion. I wonder if this is purely foe aesthetic reasons or are they wanting to actually aquire them.
 
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