Taronga Zoo Recent history of Taronga and developments etc

[Zoofan15]

@Astrobird

True. To be honest (Cairns/Mareeba/Shambala was great species wise, actually learnt about the zoo when emailed Perth in late 2003 to ask where Barney & Missy the Syrian Bears had gone.) though that zoo was very much open range in terms of its generous exhibit sizes and site size (3 acre exhibit for the Syrian Bears was amazing) had always catalogued Cairns in my mind with the rural country zoos as a separate category from the 'big 4 open range zoos' (Dubbo, Werribee, Monarto, Orana) even though so many of them (Altina etc) are open range zoos too actually. I'd made an assumption too without stating it so my bad, that it was moreso species planning in the 1990s or '80s with acquiring species and enough holders for an ongoing population in the region (but again wasnt specified, and irrelevant as if enough other country zoos with acres and acres, open range style had come on board the same time as Cairns did in 2003 and further Brown Bear imports had occured respectively then '90s, early '00s it wouldnt matter when there would likely still be Syrian Brown Bearns in the region).

To have created a viable regional population of Syrian brown bears, action would have really needed to be taken in the 1980’s or 1990’s when they were still readily available. By the start of the 2010’s, we had an handful of elderly bears (from a non viable number of founders). Melbourne imported young bears in 1985 and 1987 and a male and female produced the last litter (unplanned) in the region in 1993. They weren’t difficult to breed and were readily available from Europe at this time.

Fast forward to 2023 and they’re now held by 20 European facilities, the majority of which are abstract zoos nobody’s ever heard of. Armenia alone has three holders. The most well known holders are the Heidelberg Zoo and Lisbon Zoo; as well as the Ramat Gan Zoo and the Jerusalem Biblical Zoo (all of which we’ve participated in exchanges with as a region over the past two decades). The last Syrian bear birth in captivity appears to have been in 2018, suggesting we’re heading for a global phase out.

 

[Zoofan15]

Taronga Zoo Video (1993)

I came across this video of Taronga Zoo that was filmed for Play School (1993):

Elephants:

The elephants feature from 3.17 onwards and there’s a great shot of Heman and Burma interacting across the fence at 3.46. Heman understandably looks even more impressive in the early 1990’s than he did a decade later in the photos I posted from the 2000’s.

Chimpanzee community:

My guesses:

6.40 Susie (1948)
6.43 Shiba (1981)
6.50 Snowy (1983)
8.02 Fifi (1947) and her granddaughter, Kuma (1991)

 

[steveroberts]

@Zoofan15

Oh I forgot about thar one but saw as a kid. From memory Trisha says Heman's name in a very charismatic way

@Hix

Cheers Hix (nice Kingfisher photos by the way). Yeah I assume the rounded exhibit that had Binturongs from '79-'04 (and is essentially the same exhibit currently since '05 albeit biggee and different exterior) was built in '76 or early '77 for the arrival of the first Chinese Red Pandas (if I remember right from Chlidonias's Red Pandas in Australia research postings)

 

[Zorro]

Taronga Zoo Video (1993)

I came across this video of Taronga Zoo that was filmed for Play School (1993):

Elephants:

The elephants feature from 3.17 onwards and there’s a great shot of Heman and Burma interacting across the fence at 3.46. Heman understandably looks even more impressive in the early 1990’s than he did a decade later in the photos I posted from the 2000’s.

Chimpanzee community:

My guesses:

6.40 Susie (1948)
6.43 Shiba (1981)
6.50 Snowy (1983)
8.02 Fifi (1947) and her granddaughter, Kuma (1991)

You know it would not have been that hard to cover that concrete in that elephant yard with sand and save their feet!

 

[Zoofan15]

@Zoofan15

Oh I forgot about thar one but saw as a kid. From memory Trisha says Heman's name in a very charismatic way

I’ll confess to watching that video on mute, but went back and thought it was good how they made an effort to learn the elephants names and state they were Indian elephants.

You know it would not have been that hard to cover that concrete in that elephant yard with sand and save their feet!

Very true. There’s been several elephants in the region including Kashin and Bong Su that have suffered from arthritis in middle age due to the concrete floors they stood on during their youth and prime years. They new exhibits built at the main zoos in the 1990’s and 2000’s will alleviate this problem; and the move to the open range zoo will be an even greater improvement.

 

[steveroberts]

@Zorro @Zoofan15

Yeah it would not of been difficult for them to do at all. At the exact same time over at Perth Zoo Tricia, Permai, Putra Mas and Teduh were living on soil and sand ground on their feet plus a bathing pool (granted it was not very big space, all in Putra Mas's current bull yard as the one Elephant yard at the time, but did get to walk the grounds often too). If there was any concrete there it was only in the off display yards (but obviously until 1986 poor Tricia was in atrocious conditions).

 

[Zoofan15]

@Zorro @Zoofan15

Yeah it would not of been difficult for them to do at all. At the exact same time over at Perth Zoo Tricia, Permai, Putra Mas and Teduh were living on soil and sand ground on their feet plus a bathing pool (granted it was not very big space, all in Putra Mas's current bull yard as the one Elephant yard at the time, but did get to walk the grounds often too). If there was any concrete there it was only in the off display yards (but obviously until 1986 poor Tricia was in atrocious conditions).

Thinking back, Auckland Zoo were certainly ahead of the curve with their current elephant exhibit, which opened in 1992. It’s adequate by today’s standards and lags behind Melbourne’s exhibit but compares favourably to Perth’s exhibit, which even after the expansion in the 2000’s looks cramped.

Auckland Zoo previously had an elephant house (built 1923) and an adjacent yard. It had two stalls and could accomodate two elephants separately from each other. The pool was seperate, with the elephants walked across each afternoon for a swim.

 

[Zorro]

@Zorro @Zoofan15

Yeah it would not of been difficult for them to do at all. At the exact same time over at Perth Zoo Tricia, Permai, Putra Mas and Teduh were living on soil and sand ground on their feet plus a bathing pool (granted it was not very big space, all in Putra Mas's current bull yard as the one Elephant yard at the time, but did get to walk the grounds often too). If there was any concrete there it was only in the off display yards (but obviously until 1986 poor Tricia was in atrocious conditions).

Yes I have seen Putra Man off exhibit yards some years ago and they were/are all concrete!

 

[Zorro]

Thinking back, Auckland Zoo were certainly ahead of the curve with their current elephant exhibit, which opened in 1992. It’s adequate by today’s standards and lags behind Melbourne’s exhibit but compares favourably to Perth’s exhibit, which even after the expansion in the 2000’s looks cramped.

Auckland Zoo previously had an elephant house (built 1923) and an adjacent yard. It had two stalls and could accomodate two elephants separately from each other. The pool was seperate, with the elephants walked across each afternoon for a swim.

I saw that exhibit in 1999 still have some pics of the two girls like looked nice enough!

 

[Zoofan15]

I saw that exhibit in 1999 still have some pics of the two girls like looked nice enough!

That would have been a good time to visit. Burma would have been 17 years old and energetic and playful. They used to walk Kashin and Burma (as well as their predecessors) through the zoo, which was a cool sight to see. The exhibit itself had a capacity of three cows. There was plans to expand it for the import of 1.1 elephants from Thailand, but as you know the cow was rejected for being aggressive and the bull went to Taronga.

 

[Jambo]

That would have been a good time to visit. Burma would have been 17 years old and energetic and playful. They used to walk Kashin and Burma (as well as their predecessors) through the zoo, which was a cool sight to see. The exhibit itself had a capacity of three cows. There was plans to expand it for the import of 1.1 elephants from Thailand, but as you know the cow was rejected for being aggressive and the bull went to Taronga.

I believe they walked the cows around the zoo up until Kashin’s death in 2009.

The walks always received quite the crowd, and the elephants were therefore very very popular. Kashin’s one of the only zoo animals I know of that had a large public memorial for her!

 

[Zorro]

That would have been a good time to visit. Burma would have been 17 years old and energetic and playful. They used to walk Kashin and Burma (as well as their predecessors) through the zoo, which was a cool sight to see. The exhibit itself had a capacity of three cows. There was plans to expand it for the import of 1.1 elephants from Thailand, but as you know the cow was rejected for being aggressive and the bull went to Taronga.

Also the rhinos arrived the day before we got there and I believe I still have a pic of the traveling crates. Also the flamingo area had a sign in it says future flamingo flock.

 

[Jambo]

Also the rhinos arrived the day before we got there and I believe I still have a pic of the traveling crates. Also the flamingo area had a sign in it says future flamingo flock.

Do you remember seeing the old aquarium.

This is a zoo map from the same year you visited 1999, uploaded by @zooboy28.

 

[Zoofan15]

I believe they walked the cows around the zoo up until Kashin’s death in 2009.

The walks always received quite the crowd, and the elephants were therefore very very popular. Kashin’s one of the only zoo animals I know of that had a large public memorial for her!

Burma still gets the walks to this day, but outside of visitor hours. One of her favourite places is the hillside out the back of the zoo, where she can forage through the vegetation. Seeing her and Kashin walk through the zoo was always a highlight for me. The tigress in the old lion pit (Nisha) enjoyed seeing them go past; and they’d even explore other exhibits. I saw them on the hill of the baboon exhibit once; and I’ve seen footage of them in the lion moat.

It was great enrichment for the elephants and previous elephants like Ma Schwe even left the premises (there’s photos of her online stood next to a tram outside the zoo): Log into Facebook

 

[Zorro]

Do you remember seeing the old aquarium.

This is a zoo map from the same year you visited 1999, uploaded by @zooboy28.

I don't recall it perhaps I missed it not sure bro!
I did spend a lot of time at the hippo pools which was quite intesting with some of the pens made over a small running river.

 

[Zoofan15]

Also the rhinos arrived the day before we got there and I believe I still have a pic of the traveling crates. Also the flamingo area had a sign in it says future flamingo flock.

Do you remember seeing the old aquarium.

This is a zoo map from the same year you visited 1999, uploaded by @zooboy28.

The three Southern white rhinoceros arrived in October 1999, so that means of Pridelands would have been open, including the new lions exhibit and the new hippopotamus/baboon exhibits. The Primate Trail would have also been worth a visit with six year old chimpanzee (Luka) and five year old orangutan (Isim) being active juveniles; along with their elder siblings.

I remember seeing the aquarium on my visits as a child in the 2000’s, though from memory, they mostly had tortoises etc. in their. I don’t recall seeing fish; though I was more interested in the mammals (especially at that age). @Zorro would have seen the California sea lions in the old exhibit, which would have been interesting.

 

[Zorro]

The three Southern white rhinoceros arrived in October 1999, so that means of Pridelands would have been open, including the new lions exhibit and the new hippopotamus/baboon exhibits. The Primate Trail would have also been worth a visit with six year old chimpanzee (Luka) and five year old orangutan (Isim) being active juveniles; along with their elder siblings.

I remember seeing the aquarium on my visits as a child in the 2000’s, though from memory, they mostly had tortoises etc. in their. I don’t recall seeing fish; though I was more interested in the mammals (especially at that age). @Zorro would have seen the California sea lions in the old exhibit, which would have been interesting.

Yes pride lands was open also the antelope could walk between that and the hippo area, I like it.
Had a nice chat with one of the managers on the day!

 

[Zoofan15]

I don't recall it perhaps I missed it not sure bro!
I did spend a lot of time at the hippo pools which was quite intesting with some of the pens made over a small running river.

That was a spectacular exhibit. The original exhibit opened in 1923 and contained two adjacent exhibits with Motions Creek running through them. The exhibit you saw was built in 1982 and was located just up from the previous exhibit. It was initially one large exhibit, but dividing rails were installed in the early 1990’s, separating Snorkel from the other hippopotami. These railings were removed again to allow her the run of both exhibits, after they failed to get the three hippos to cohabit in the new exhibit (1999-2016).

 

[Zorro]

That was a spectacular exhibit. The original exhibit opened in 1923 and contained two adjacent exhibits with Motions Creek running through them. The exhibit you saw was built in 1982 and was located just up from the previous exhibit. It was initially one large exhibit, but dividing rails were installed in the early 1990’s, separating Snorkel from the other hippopotami. These railings were removed again to allow her the run of both exhibits, after they failed to get the three hippos to cohabit in the new exhibit (1999-2016).

I really liked the zoo overall I can only imagine how much better is is now! I hope they focus more on the Flamingos since they are they only flock in the region!

 

[Jambo]

That was a spectacular exhibit. The original exhibit opened in 1923 and contained two adjacent exhibits with Motions Creek running through them. The exhibit you saw was built in 1982 and was located just up from the previous exhibit. It was initially one large exhibit, but dividing rails were installed in the early 1990’s, separating Snorkel from the other hippopotami. These railings were removed again to allow her the run of both exhibits, after they failed to get the three hippos to cohabit in the new exhibit (1999-2016).

Didn't she move into the baboon exhibit for a while? That would've been quite a sight to behold! Although from what I've heard, that idea didn't really turn out as good as initially anticipated; the baboons attacked Snorkel most of the time she was on (or near) land.