Taronga Zoo Recent history of Taronga and developments etc

[steveroberts]

@Zoofan15 @Zorro

Wish could remember exactly who on here said it for acknowledgment of info (lol would love if it actually happened to be one of you two, would feel like a forgetful bad friend if is the case).

With the Orangutans at last rehoused in decent living space and the new Reptile House about to be opened that Dr John Kelly thought a world famous zoo like Taronga deserved to have a family of Gorillas too (well a return of WL Gorillas to TZ after a 16 year absence but like you said ZooFan, first family of them at the zoo, indeed a very major undertaking that has not been repeated in Australia). Suppose too with Toby the Brazilian Tapirs move or passing it meant there was a big question mark during that period about what new resident animals would be made a home in that part of the zoo.

Of course with the late 1993 announcement that Sydney would host the 2000 'Summer' Olympic it is fair to see why some people (including a few staff at Melbourne Zoo back then apparently) thought the driving decision for Taronga to acquire the Gorilla family from Apenhaul (very fast project and undertaking from idea planning to arrival and public opening like you said) was perhaps undertaken with the knowledge that the zoo was about to receive an even larger visiting crowd of international tourists in a very short amount of time.

Would personally just like to believe that Dr Kelly was just very much passionate about Taronga and proud to be director of, and truly thought that it was time to try housing Gorillas again in the proper family setup that they hadn't managed to do before. The Gorillas arriving would be the last major event under his directorship before his unfortunate passing from long term health issues, but have a strong feeling that the Free Flight Bird Show planning did occur during the last stage of his directorship, he just sadly was no longer alive to see it completed.

 

[Zorro]

@Zoofan15 @Zorro

Wish could remember exactly who on here said it for acknowledgment of info (lol would love if it actually happened to be one of you two, would feel like a forgetful bad friend if is the case).

With the Orangutans at last rehoused in decent living space and the new Reptile House about to be opened that Dr John Kelly thought a world famous zoo like Taronga deserved to have a family of Gorillas too (well a return of WL Gorillas to TZ after a 16 year absence but like you said ZooFan, first family of them at the zoo, indeed a very major undertaking that has not been repeated in Australia). Suppose too with Toby the Brazilian Tapirs move or passing it meant there was a big question mark during that period about what new resident animals would be made a home in that part of the zoo.

Of course with the late 1993 announcement that Sydney would host the 2000 'Summer' Olympic it is fair to see why some people (including a few staff at Melbourne Zoo back then apparently) thought the driving decision for Taronga to acquire the Gorilla family from Apenhaul (very fast project and undertaking from idea planning to arrival and public opening like you said) was perhaps undertaken with the knowledge that the zoo was about to receive an even larger visiting crowd of international tourists in a very short amount of time.

Would personally just like to believe that Dr Kelly was just very much passionate about Taronga and proud to be director of, and truly thought that it was time to try housing Gorillas again in the proper family setup that they hadn't managed to do before. The Gorillas arriving would be the last major event under his directorship before his unfortunate passing from long term health issues, but have a strong feeling that the Free Flight Bird Show planning did occur during the last stage of his directorship, he just sadly was no longer alive to see it completed.

@steveroberts Actually there was a tv program (I believe it was on channel 7) that showed the whole Gorilla move by plane from Holland to Taronga, They actually put the male Silverbacks steel crate in the middle of the group and surrounded him by the females and young so they could all see him to keep them calm.
Also there was footage on the tv (I believe it was also on channel 7) of John in African when they were tracking the Black rhinos to be caught for the big shipment.
To my mind he was one of the very best Directors that Taronga ever had.

 

[steveroberts]

@Zorro

Oh wow awesome, Thankyou for the info, would be amazing to see that footage.

Do remember Darrill Clements writing about going to Zimbabwe with John Kelly in her Postcards from the Zoo memoir and he was very fearless and she remembers him admiring the scenery near their accomodation huts in the wilderness area despite being told carnivores could pounce at any minute.

Use to have a video cassette copy of the doco 'Flight of the Rhino' about the capturing, transporting and settling in at Western Plains. My Mum was from Zimbabwe so the story was very close to her heart. Unfortunately lent it to someone years ago and never got it back. Some powerful scenes in it.

One scene that really love too that doesn't actually have the Black Rhinos on screen but is footage when the local Shona rangers working in the project are dancing around a night campfire singing a local song about their deep cultural love, connection and sacredness of the Rhinoes (with really cool hand clapping percussion accompaniment as well).

Believe Dr Kelly appears in the documentary but was too young to appreciate who he was.

Agree with you wholeheartedly about him being one of the greatest directors ever at Taronga, and am sad his life was cut short by health battles.

In Postcards from the Zoo Darrill Clements mentions that John Kelly asked for top respiratory doctors from St Vincent's to come and have a look at poor Archie the hybrid Orang and his respiratory problems (sadly he passed before he even turned 21), but as Dr Kelly was about to undergo a major major double lung and heart replacement surgery (which sadly even then was a procedure that would simply buy a bit more time of life, but not much). So Dr Kelly admirably said he'd let the St Vincent hospital doctors 'tinker' around with him first before he trusted them enough to let them anywhere near his beloved Archie, thought that was a very stoic thing he said and a testament to his love for the animals under his care.

 

[Zoofan15]

@steveroberts Actually there was a tv program (I believe it was on channel 7) that showed the whole Gorilla move by plane from Holland to Taronga, They actually put the male Silverbacks steel crate in the middle of the group and surrounded him by the females and young so they could all see him to keep them calm.

I’d never seen the gorilla documentary, but Taronga (and Melbourne) both featured in some fantastic documentaries throughout the 1980’s and 1990’s. There was at least two about the chimpanzee - covering the move to the one air exhibit in 1980 and the suspicious deaths of four infants in 1989.

I agree with comments from yourself and @steveroberts regarding John Kelly, he does sound like a phenomenal director - truly a world leader in his field. He achieved a lot for the zoo; while demonstrating a care and compassion for the animals in his care. He also sounded highly knowledgeable about animals - which isn’t necessarily something that can said for every zoo director of the modern age.

 

[Zoofan15]

Black rhinoceros documentary:

The black rhinoceros documentary can be found here for anyone who’s interested. I watched it a few months back for the first time and throughly enjoyed it.

 

[steveroberts]

@Zoofan15

Oh brilliant, you found it you legend, have not seen since 2001 when lent my video copy but never got it back, gonna be so great to finally get to watch again, thanks so much

 

[Zorro]

I’d never seen the gorilla documentary, but Taronga (and Melbourne) both featured in some fantastic documentaries throughout the 1980’s and 1990’s. There was at least two about the chimpanzee - covering the move to the one air exhibit in 1980 and the suspicious deaths of four infants in 1989.

I agree with comments from yourself and @steveroberts regarding John Kelly, he does sound like a phenomenal director - truly a world leader in his field. He achieved a lot for the zoo; while demonstrating a care and compassion for the animals in his care. He also sounded highly knowledgeable about animals - which isn’t necessarily something that can said for every zoo director of the modern age.

Actually from what I can recall when it came the day of crating the Gorillas move to Australia it went quite well, the only problem I can recall was trying to get the Silverback into the crate, He would enter but kept his back leg out of the crate knowing they would not shut the door on him. He must have worked out that he was in for a move as all the others were crated and he was the last one, in the end he just strolled in and sat down, I guess he had worked out what was going on. It was a good move placing in the middle of the whole group for the long trip.

 

[Zorro]

@Zoofan15

Oh brilliant, you found it you legend, have not seen since 2001 when lent my video copy but never got it back, gonna be so great to finally get to watch again, thanks so much

Lets see if he can find the Gorilla move footage

 

[Zoofan15]

Actually from what I can recall when it came the day of crating the Gorillas move to Australia it went quite well, the only problem I can recall was trying to get the Silverback into the crate, He would enter but kept his back leg out of the crate knowing they would not shut the door on him. He must have worked out that he was in for a move as all the others were crated and he was the last one, in the end he just strolled in and sat down, I guess he had worked out what was going on. It was a good move placing in the middle of the whole group for the long trip.

Yeah that’s an interesting detail that Kibabu’s was placed in the middle to reassure the others. Due to the stress of transit, even well bonded animals (e.g. a pair of Siamang) are separated; but an exception would have been made for the two dependent infants.

The transfer of six week old Shabani would have to one of the youngest transfers in the history of this species of a mother/offspring dyad.

 

[steveroberts]

@Zoofan15

By the way, sorry if have vague recollection but am certain you have already elaborated on this but was Mervyn the Chimp' in the community responsible for those infant Chimp deaths in '89?

 

[steveroberts]

@Zoofan15 @Zorro

Thought you guys might find this interesting. Remember from watching the OOS documentary that there were discussions by Taronga about possibly having some Gibbons as a sharer of the exhibit with the Orangutans, but they ended up choosing the Crab-eating Macaques instead. They used footage of Mary the Muller's Gibbon when discussing the idea, but thought if they'd gone through with the idea probably more likely a pair of Gibbons from another species like Siamangs or White-handed would of been chosen as think that TZ's primate keepers knew Mary liked to live on her lonesome since she lost her partner Robinson in '86 (rejecting another male Muller sent from Perth Zoo a few years after Robinson died).

 

[Zoofan15]

@Zoofan15

By the way, sorry if have vague recollection but am certain you have already elaborated on this but was Mervyn the Chimp' in the community responsible for those infant Chimp deaths in '89?

Yes he was (and it was three infants, not four sorry). This is the write up in the Sydney Morning Herald for the documentary:

During the period of Sonny's closely monitored introduction to the females, disturbing events unfold. Three of the four baby chimps are wounded, two fatally. The third, whilst not badly injured, is rejected by its mother and all the other females and is as good as dead. Surveillance equipment points the finger at eight-year-old Mervyn.

The three infants that died were Chiki’s son Chad (born July 1989; died Dec 1989), Lulu’s daughter Leakey (born Aug 1989; died Sep 1989), Sacha’s son Sokwe (born Aug 1989; died Oct 1989).

 

[steveroberts]

@Zoofan15

Poor little things ,

That's so sad about the one rejected by its mother and all the other females too. The cold callous side of nature.

Mervyn sounds like he was a little psycho, and while he's just doing what Chimpanzees are known to be capable of doing, he clearly had a nasty and violent streak and was not gifted with the admirable sort of peaceful good nature that the likes of Lubutu and his sire Snowy had.

Have read comments by primatologists who while praising Gorillas and Orangutans actually talk about how disturbingly violent and malicious Chimpanzees truly can be. One primatologist said they felt a million times safer when approached by a big silverback Gorillla (not sure what type of Gorilla, possibly several encounters amalgamated into one expression of comparison) than they did when approached by adult Chimpanzees (particularly males). Gorillas get a bad rap in the media for their sheer size but are so placid when compared to Chimps who seem to be widely underestimated about how dangerous and vicious they can be (although is a well known fact by animal experts and keepers etc).

 

[Zoofan15]

@Zoofan15

Poor little things ,

That's so sad about the one rejected by its mother and all the other females too. The cold callous side of nature.

Mervyn sounds like he was a little psycho, and while he's just doing what Chimpanzees are known to be capable of doing, he clearly had a nasty and violent streak and was not gifted with the admirable sort of peaceful good nature that the likes of Lubutu and his sire Snowy had.

Have read comments by primatologists who while praising Gorillas and Orangutans actually talk about how disturbingly violent and malicious Chimpanzees truly can be. One primatologist said they felt a million times safer when approached by a big silverback Gorillla (not sure what type of Gorilla, possibly several encounters amalgamated into one expression of comparison) than they did when approached by adult Chimpanzees (particularly males). Gorillas get a bad rap in the media for their sheer size but are so placid when compared to Chimps who seem to be widely underestimated about how dangerous and vicious they can be (although is a well known fact in animal working and studying work).

I’m inclined to believe it was rough play. An adolescent of eight could have killed the infants outright if that was his intention. I’m thinking it was a combination of him not knowing his own strength and a lack of protection from their mothers.

Lulu wasn’t regarded as the best mother and Chiki could apparently be a bit complacent - as can her daughter, Cara (who lost an infant in similar circumstances). Sacha was only nine years old and a first time mother, so it’s likely none of them would have been as protective as they should have been.

When I was at Wellington Zoo this week, Kitwe (eight years old) began to have a tantrum. As soon as he began slamming the ground and throwing things, Sally scooped up her infant and moved out the way. She’s an excellent mother and proactive in protecting him.

 

[steveroberts]

@Zoofan15

Oh that's a big relief that he was actually just playing with them and underestimated his strength. Yeah that makes sense as if he was an outright infant killer then surely Taronga would of sent him away or euthanised him around that then for the general well-being of the rest of the Chimp community.

 

[Zoofan15]

@Zoofan15

Oh that's a big relief that he was actually just playing with them and underestimated his strength. Yeah that makes sense as if he was an outright infant killer then surely Taronga would of sent him away or euthanised him around that then for the general well-being of the rest of the Chimp community.

Based on my knowledge of chimpanzees and they facts we have available, it’s my belief that’s the case - though if we were able to see the documentary, we’d know for sure!

Mervyn was eventually exported in 1992 along with several others. He and Danny were living separately, with the latter unable to be safely introduced to Snowy due to being an adult male.

The introduction of Snowy to the community took years to compete. Three years in, they’d made significant progress with Bessie (an adult female) able to cohabit with him, along with several juveniles. Shiba was apparently the first to accept him. Two groups were managed over that time (friends of Snowy; and not friends of Snowy), with the aim to transfer as many into his group as possible.

 

[steveroberts]

@Zoofan15

That biography you wrote for Snowy and his life events was incredible man and such deeply interesting reading (and by extension a fascinating insight into Taronga's Chimpanzee colony's inter-social dynamics at the time).

Such a big and complicated feat Taronga went with bringing Snowy into the community, and so different from the usual Chimpanzee practice which differs from other primate species of female Chimps instead of males dispersing to join non natal groups rather than the males.

Snowy had to deal with a lot like you outlined, glad he didn't end up losing his arm to Lulu's panick driven bite when Snowy was actually interacting with the infant peacefully, and glad the ensuing pneumonia didn't kill him luckily either..but sad of course about his tragic moat drowning in '99 ending his life, though obviously keepers and vets went above and beyond to try save him, but as you outlined further too, his alpha tenure would likely of been removed not long after anyway.

Believe that as prime example Lubutu and his record alpha reign along with being a decent and fair alpha male to females and infants alike was a big legacy to Snowy in a way too, even though by Chimpanzee lore Lisa was the only parent of Lubutu to be of any significance to him, like to think good nature can be transmitted through genes too so think Lubutu and his life was an extension on Snowy's legacy too.

Wish a place could of been secured for Ernie from Melbourne in early '93 so he didn't have to be euthanised..but suppose it would of been difficult as a transition like Snowy's was (wish another zoo had been able to take him).

From memory Hix was one of our comrades who mentioned the fenced off smaller westernmost enclosure that became Snowy's home from his arrival until securing his place in the group (cool that Shiba was a legend and first to accept him) was originally home to Taronga's Mandrills for the beginning years of 'Chimpanzee Park'; can not understand why they put Black-backed Jackals in with the Chimp' troop initially, that was always going to end badly (for the Jackals). In comparison read somewhere that some wild Chimpanzees had been observed keeping Hyraxes in a pet like manner..though obviously would need to double check the validity of that claim (believe it was Tree Hyraxes from memory).

 

[Hix]

Just a few small points

I’m also laughing that they couldn’t think of anything more imaginative for construction works on the key than a dead Playtypus.

Live Platypus = Platypus
Dead Platypus = Construction works???

I mean I know it’s their logo, but there’s a spade, a digger, a workman…

And a hardhat, which is what the platypus is wearing.

and the giraffes have moved out of their iconic exhibit after several decades.

No they haven't. They're still in the same exhibit they've always been in, it's just been renovated.

I believe the Gorilla exhibit was actually built to house the Giant Pandas?

No it wasn't. The Giant panda exhibit was built to house Giant Pandas. When the pandas left it had Toby the tapir. Then they knocked it down and built an exhibit for gorillas. They kept the public walkway, and expanded the moat significantly, but they had to redo the exhibit. It's all on the same site, but to say the gorilla exhibit was built to house Giant Pandas is not correct - it's a different exhibit.



Hix

 

[Zoofan15]

@Zoofan15

That biography you wrote for Snowy and his life events was incredible man and such deeply interesting reading (and by extension a fascinating insight into Taronga's Chimpanzee colony's inter-social dynamics at the time).

Such a big and complicated feat Taronga went with bringing Snowy into the community, and so different from the usual Chimpanzee practice which differs from other primate species of female Chimps instead of males dispersing to join non natal groups rather than the males.

Snowy had to deal with a lot like you outlined, glad he didn't end up losing his arm to Lulu's panick driven bite when Snowy was actually interacting with the infant peacefully, and glad the ensuing pneumonia didn't kill him luckily either..but sad of course about his tragic moat drowning in '99 ending his life, though obviously keepers and vets went above and beyond to try save him, but as you outlined further too, his alpha tenure would likely of been removed not long after anyway.

Believe that as prime example Lubutu and his record alpha reign along with being a decent and fair alpha male to females and infants alike was a big legacy to Snowy in a way too, even though by Chimpanzee lore Lisa was the only parent of Lubutu to be of any significance to him, like to think good nature can be transmitted through genes too so think Lubutu and his life was an extension on Snowy's legacy too.

Wish a place could of been secured for Ernie from Melbourne in early '93 so he didn't have to be euthanised..but suppose it would of been difficult as a transition like Snowy's was (wish another zoo had been able to take him).

From memory Hix was one of our comrades who mentioned the fenced off smaller westernmost enclosure that became Snowy's home from his arrival until securing his place in the group (cool that Shiba was a legend and first to accept him) was originally home to Taronga's Mandrills for the beginning years of 'Chimpanzee Park'; can not understand why they put Black-backed Jackals in with the Chimp' troop initially, that was always going to end badly (for the Jackals). In comparison read somewhere that some wild Chimpanzees had been observed keeping Hyraxes in a pet like manner..though obviously would need to double check the validity of that claim (believe it was Tree Hyraxes from memory).

What I have heard regarding Lubutu’s leadership style was that he had the opportunity to observe the leadership styles of Snowy, who was alpha until 1999 and Gombe, who was alpha from 1999 until his death in 2001. This would have given him an opportunity to observe what it took to be successful leader by observing what worked and didn’t work with regards to maintaining popularity.

One thing I found out in recent years was that Lisa initially rejected Lubutu. Fortunately staff were able to return the infant to her while still only days old and she was otherwise an excellent other. It came as a surprise as she reared her first infant (Lobo) without issue. He was sadly the other chimpanzee to drown in Taronga’s moat.

 

[Abbey]

Taronga Zoo Map (from year 2000) from GML Heritage Report 2002 (link: https://heritagensw.intersearch.com.au/heritagenswjspui/retrieve/9aea7765-416e-4499-a6de-3d85c046bb62/H06764 - TARO.pdf)

This is the oldest map in my own collection - from May 2001.

The construction site near the tortoises in the 2000 map is now the condor aviary (where the birds are still housed to this day). Their previous exhibit is on this map still, but without an animal symbol on it (opposite the gorillas). The Creatures of the Wollemi exhibit (now Blue Mountains Bushwalk) has likewise been completed and opened.

Please excuse the blue circle to the left of the gibbon and the brown path around the Australian section - I believe they were my own childhood additions to the original.