Taronga Zoo Taronga Visit 24/12/09

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Hix

Hix

Wildlife Enthusiast and Lover of Islands
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The day before Christmas I visited Taronga, primarily to wish some friends I used to work with a Merry Christmas. As is usual, I ended up spending a lot more time than I expected there.

My first surprise was when I was looking for a place to park. I normally drive down Bradley's Head Rd towards the function centre and park offstreet in the shade. I arrived at about 10:00am and the parking in this area is usually full by then from people not wanting to pay the exorbitant charges for using the Zoo's Carpark. I was very surprised to find it empty apart from about eight cars. This suggested there wouldn't be many people in the zoo - great! I parked, and then saw why there were no c`ars parked in this prime location:

http://www.zoochat.com/34/mosman-street-parking-restrictions-126092/
http://www.zoochat.com/34/street-parking-fees-126091/

Cursing loudly to myself, I moved my car to a vacant spot closer to Mosman and free of fees.

I should point out two things here, the first is very important:
  1. These parking restrictions have been imposed by Mosman Council, NOT Taronga Zoo. As far as I can gather, it has nothing to do with the zoo at all. Further down Bradley's Head Rd, near the service gate, NO PARKING Signs have been put up where people used to park rather badly, and this is a good thing from a safety point of view. But ticketed parking near the main entrance just sux. (Incidentally, the Council have done the same at Mosman's other big drawcard - Balmoral Beach. The difference is Balmoral has a maximum of 3 hours stay, although the prices are similar.) And just before Christmas too.
  2. Taronga, while not changing their rates for parking in their carpark, now also gives free parking for 30 minutes.

After entering through the temporary entrance I headed around towards the Australian section and passed by all the construction work:

This view from beside the new Guide's Building looking towards the CableCar Top Terminal, Amazonia on the left and the brick path under the Fig trees to the old main entrance can be seen just to the left of the tower. Not too sure what they are building here.
http://www.zoochat.com/34/constructionwork-126080/

A new path leads through the gardens (the site of the old Kookaburra Aviary) to the Rainforest Aviary. It passes by what's left of the Tassy Devil Exhibit (originally built for Numbats back in the 70's, but also housing Asian Small-Clawed Otters and Australian Water-Rats at one time or another.
http://www.zoochat.com/34/former-tasmanian-devil-enclosure-126093/

Further along, the dingo exhibit has had the back wall removed and most of the grassed area is walled off for construction - only the moat and front wall appeared to be safe. You can see all the way back to the Cablecar Terminal - pretty well everything else in the top part of the zoo has been demolished.
http://www.zoochat.com/34/constructionwork-top-precinct-126079/

Walking past the bottom Waterfowl Ponds (between the Dingo and Nocturnal House) I saw half-a-dozen Wandering Whistle Duck ducklings. The parents were very protective, chasing away the Black Duck ducklings when they ventured too close.
http://www.zoochat.com/34/wandering-whistle-duckling-126094/

The only other building works I photographed was at the old "Cats of Asia" enclosures (originally just called "Big Cats" because they held tigers, jags and leopards). The two exhibits that held Temminck's Golden and Fishing Cats have been cleaned out, as has the Tree Shrew/Squirrel cage and gardens that were between the cat cages. The easternmost enclosures remain untouched, as they were 20 years ago.
http://www.zoochat.com/34/former-quot-cats-asia-quot-enclosures-126089/
http://www.zoochat.com/34/former-quot-cats-asia-quot-enclosures-126088/

Round the corner, the Lace Monitors were out and active.
http://www.zoochat.com/34/lace-monitor-126090/

The Chimps are in their temporary home, the Orang enclosure, while the Chimp Park gets an upgrade.
http://www.zoochat.com/34/chimps-orang-enclosure-126053/
http://www.zoochat.com/34/chimps-orang-enclosure-126054/
http://www.zoochat.com/34/chimps-orang-enclosure-126055/

Although it's much smaller than the Chimp Park, according to the keepers the Chimps are loving their new home. It's very different and lots to explore so it does have some novelty value for them. They weren't that active when I watched them because it was about 35ºC and they were spending a bit of time in the shade.

Beside the exhibit was a large sign with an artist's impression of what the new enclosure will look like when completed:
http://www.zoochat.com/34/artist-impression-new-chimp-exhibit-126086/
http://www.zoochat.com/34/artist-impression-new-chimp-exhibit-126087/

Cute little Luk Chai was wandering around with his family and was towards the back of the exhibit while I was there. Just before I left some of the keepers came out into the exhibit. One walked over to the edge of the moat and I heard them discussing a log that had been pushed or thrown into the moat. One of them dived into the moat to retrieve it.

Luk Chai heard the splash and came running over to see what was happening. He ventured into the water just as the keeper surfaced right in front of him. The sight surprised him so much he squealed in terror, turned and ran, squealing as he went. The four females all came running over immediately but saw no danger and calmed down. If they could have laughed I think they would have. The keepers were. My camera was focused on Luk Chai at the time, so I managed to get ba nice sequence of him entering the water and then running away squealing.
http://www.zoochat.com/34/luk-chai-126046/
http://www.zoochat.com/34/luk-chai-126047/
http://www.zoochat.com/34/luk-chai-126048/
http://www.zoochat.com/34/luk-chai-126049/
http://www.zoochat.com/34/luk-chai-126050/
http://www.zoochat.com/34/luk-chai-126051/
http://www.zoochat.com/34/luk-chai-126052/

Before I left the zoo I saw something interesting in the De Brazza Guenon exhibit. The male had caught and killed an Indian Mynah chick and the parents were attacking/dive bombing the guenons. The female was trying to catch them as they went past, unsuccessfully.
http://www.zoochat.com/34/de-brazza-guenon-indian-mynah-126081/
http://www.zoochat.com/34/de-brazza-guenon-indian-mynah-126082/
http://www.zoochat.com/34/de-brazza-guenon-being-attacked-indian-126083/
http://www.zoochat.com/34/de-brazza-guenon-being-attacked-indian-126084/
http://www.zoochat.com/34/de-brazza-guenon-being-attacked-indian-126085/

After that it was lunchtime, so I headed off to catch up with some friends and then left the zoo to do some last minute Christmas shopping.

:p

Hix
 
Hix said:
[*]Taronga, while not changing their rates for parking in their carpark, now also gives free parking for 30 minutes.
Hix
Click to expand...

its actaully 90 free mins :)

Hix said:
The only other building works I photographed was at the old "Cats of Asia" enclosures (originally just called "Big Cats" because they held tigers, jags and leopards). The two exhibits that held Temminck's Golden and Fishing Cats have been cleaned out, as has the Tree Shrew/Squirrel cage and gardens that were between the cat cages. The easternmost enclosures remain untouched, as they were 20 years ago.
Hix
Click to expand...

this is very shortly to be the site of the new tassie devil breeding area which will have two display exhibits.
 
90 minutes free? That's even better! And more reasonable for Mosman mothers who just want to take the kids to the zoo for an hour or so each week.

:p

Hix
 
So what is happen with the tigers, jaguars and the smaller cats. Are they still at taronga? And if yes - where exactly?
 
zoomaniac said:
So what is happen with the tigers, jaguars and the smaller cats. Are they still at taronga? And if yes - where exactly?
Click to expand...

they have no jaguars. last time i went there were:
3 lions
1 sumatran tiger
2 snow leopards
2 fishing cats-wild asia

also the construction site at the beginning is because they are renovating plaza entrance
 
Thanks and sorry. I'm a little confused:

I saw some picture here in the forum named "Work/Renovation Cats of Asia".
Isn't the "old cats of Asia" or "Big Cats" not the same exhibit where the sumatran tigers have been (or are) = the exhibit with windows in the left, lower part of the zoo, above of the (old?) dhole exhibit?
 
they still have three snow leopards, the mother is on her own and the two offspring together, they rotate them through the exhibit at diffrent times
 
There should be five snow leopards at Melbourne, unless the old female has since died.
 
Don't we all mate! - the most magnificent cat species in the world - they had them and then through half-hearted lack of commitment let them just slip away........

When Australian zoos commit to a species like that, they should go ALL OUT! For a start, they should try to import more than just one or two. I know that it's easier said than done to source a large number of unrelated scarce animals, but each of the "big four" (that is; Melbourne, Taronga, Adelaide and Perth zoos) should import at least two each, and with such a shy species try to breed them off-display.
 
UrMumzAGoat said:
so where did it go???
Click to expand...
Taronga's clouded leopard? Died in ... 2006 (?). The last one in Australia died at Melbourne in 2008
 
Chlidonias said:
Taronga's clouded leopard? Died in ... 2006 (?). The last one in Australia died at Melbourne in 2008
Click to expand...

k. thanx. but i think they should still fix up the tahr exhibit and replace the porcupine in the big cat area with a small south american cat
 
As far as I'm aware, clouded leopards have never been bred in Australia, and I don't think that there has ever been an attempt to do so. They are a difficult species to breed - worldwide, quite a few females have been killed by males who were "not in the mood" - but Aussie zoos undertook to give it a go, but only individuals were ever kept as far as I'm aware, and just grew old and died ....

Small cats do not make an effective display, being shy, solitary and mainly nocturnal, so modern Aussie zoos, which seem only interested in animals with star appeal, don't particularly want them.
 
Ara said:
Don't we all mate! - the most magnificent cat species in the world - they had them and then through half-hearted lack of commitment let them just slip away........

When Australian zoos commit to a species like that, they should go ALL OUT! For a start, they should try to import more than just one or two. I know that it's easier said than done to source a large number of unrelated scarce animals, but each of the "big four" (that is; Melbourne, Taronga, Adelaide and Perth zoos) should import at least two each, and with such a shy species try to breed them off-display.
Click to expand...

I agree with you Ara but it's not just this species which was kepted just to see them slip away, have a look back and see a number of on / off again species :rolleyes:
 
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