Taronga Western Plains Zoo Taronga Western Plains Zoo News 2023

[Tiger91]

The integrated African Savannah will be their main animal based focus going forward; but what I’m most looking forward to is the new elephant barn, which will allow the entire matriarchal herd to be housed inside for an extended period over the colder months.

Dubbo has the potential to create a thriving multigenerational herd with three adult cows and a juvenile female; but are limited by the facilities. An expansion (and potentially transferring out Thong Dee to Monarto) would be of great benefit to the future development of the herd.

Personally instead of a new barn, it would be better to redesign and redevelop the elephant area as a whole. The original area and exhibits haven't been redone to any great capacity since the African elephants were imported. Which would allow for the paddocks themselves to be redesigned with better water holes and in paddocked fenced areas for trees etc. The current paddocks are a decent size but exceedingly barren. With added on bits tacked on as the need has grown.
Dubbo doesn't actually get that cold during winter so it is interesting why they want to keep the herd inside. During the morning and nights yes but day time temps still get warm enough for them to be outside. The temps at Dubbo would not be any colder then Werribee or Melbourne.

 

[Kifaru Bwana]

A friend of mine visited Dubbo yesterday and provided me with a few bits and pieces of info/updates;

• Lions - Lwazi was on display in one enclosure, with the three girls (Kiamba, Zalika, Tiombe) in the other. Evelyn and all of her cubs were off display.
• Only Mopani and her calf were on display in the main enclosure - no Likwezi.
• Persian Onager are still there, on display next to the Ostrich.
• They showed me a video of a young hippo (thought it was Kani!) separated in a smaller enclosure from the others, but on second glance it was probably Kendi.
• A smaller Spider Monkey troop are now in the former White Handed Gibbon enclosure.
• The Scimitar Horned Oryx are back in with the Camels and Barbary Sheep.
• A bachelor group of zebra are on main savannah again.
• Some young Ring Tailed Lemurs were also spotted!

How many Persian onager are left?

BTW: Grant's zebra these days are regarded as Near Threatened ... to Vulnerable with wild populations in continual decline.

 

[Zoofan15]

How many Persian onager are left?

BTW: Grant's zebra these days are regarded as Near Threatened ... to Vulnerable with wild populations in continual decline.

Two elderly male Persian onager remain at Dubbo (the last in the region). Considering the size of the initial import (a total of eight animals) from Rotterdam and the US, it’s a real shame this species wasn’t A) Supplemented by additional imports after 2-3 decades of successful breeding; and B) Dispersed to other regional holders.

It would be my preference to see all Australasian zoos cease breeding generic zebra. These can be replaced with purebred Grant’s (as and when they become available) over the course of their lifespan - which as it is, can easily be 20-25 years.

 

[Zorro]

How many Persian onager are left?

BTW: Grant's zebra these days are regarded as Near Threatened ... to Vulnerable with wild populations in continual decline.

Since this species got off to such a great start with a bulk import from Rotterdam and later from the USA and also bred very well its a shame to see them get the lack of interest this endangered species deserves, A much better option would of been sending what was left of the remaining population to some of the smaller regional zoos as what did happen in the case of the Maned Wolfs going from the Western Plains zoo then on to Altina zoo which saved this species in Australia. A poor management decision in my view.

 

[Jambo]

Since this species got off to such a great start with a bulk import from Rotterdam and later from the USA and also bred very well its a shame to see them get the lack of interest this endangered species deserves, A much better option would of been sending what was left of the remaining population to some of the smaller regional zoos as what did happen in the case of the Maned Wolfs going from the Western Plains zoo then on to Altina zoo which saved this species in Australia. A poor management decision in my view.

I think the region has a bad habit of not having species that are 'too similar to one another'. I guess here you could say the Persian Onager have effectively been shunted out of the region in favor of the Mongolian Wild Horse.

It would've been far better to see a smaller facility (like Altina or Darling Downs) acquire and breed them - I'm sure we would have had a thriving population within the region today.

 

[Zorro]

I think the region has a bad habit of not having species that are 'too similar to one another'. I guess here you could say the Persian Onager have effectively been shunted out of the region in favor of the Mongolian Wild Horse.

It would've been far better to see a smaller facility (like Altina or Darling Downs) acquire and breed them - I'm sure we would have had a thriving population within the region today.

I do see where you are coming from but from a major zoo and looking at it from a conservation angle with both species being endangered with both needing captive populations they should be held for this reason alone, If a major zoo has leopards I would not expect it to not hold Jaguars because they look alike. I agree if they did lose interest then why not past them off to another regional zoo to work with as they did with the Maned Wolfs?. I believe whom ever makes these decisions could do far better.

 

[Jambo]

I do see where you are coming from but from a major zoo and looking at it from a conservation angle with both species being endangered with both needing captive populations they should be held for this reason alone, If a major zoo has leopards I would not expect it to not hold Jaguars because they look alike. I agree if they did lose interest then why not past them off to another regional zoo to work with as they did with the Maned Wolfs?. I believe whom ever makes these decisions could do far better.

Certainly not my thinking - just something I've picked up on in regards to the regions zoos! It does sort of make sense when you take into account the amount of zoos and space we have as a whole; zoos can't afford to import and hold whatever species they wish as regional cooperation is required to sustain comfortable regional breeding populations.

 

[Zorro]

Certainly not my thinking - just something I've picked up on in regards to the regions zoos! It does sort of make sense when you take into account the amount of zoos and space we have as a whole; zoos can't afford to import and hold whatever species they wish as regional cooperation is required to sustain comfortable regional breeding populations.

With the amount of Onagers that they had they could have maintained them long into the future with the odd import from time to time, why bother going to all that trouble, time and expense in the first place to import from two counties just to let it fizzle out to nothing? as was also the case with Maned Wolfs, they could do better!

 

[Zoofan15]

I do see where you are coming from but from a major zoo and looking at it from a conservation angle with both species being endangered with both needing captive populations they should be held for this reason alone, If a major zoo has leopards I would not expect it to not hold Jaguars because they look alike. I agree if they did lose interest then why not past them off to another regional zoo to work with as they did with the Maned Wolfs?. I believe whom ever makes these decisions could do far better.

In an ideal world, zoos would prioritise endangered and critically endangered species; but the reality is they need to get visitors through the door. For privately owned zoos, it’s a matter of survival; but even government funded zoos can’t become complacent on this matter to the extent of being seen as a money pit.

Persian onagers may well be endangered but they don’t draw in the crowds. Plains zebra are the most enabling equid; along with Przewalski’s horse. I appreciate Persian onagers, but to the average visitor, they’re a glorified donkey.

I’m not say this is how I want to see zoos run; but it’s the reality of operating a financially viable attraction.

 

[Kifaru Bwana]

Certainly not my thinking - just something I've picked up on in regards to the regions zoos! It does sort of make sense when you take into account the amount of zoos and space we have as a whole; zoos can't afford to import and hold whatever species they wish as regional cooperation is required to sustain comfortable regional breeding populations.

I don't agree with you here. Przewalski horse are classed as EN and Asiatic wild als as NT. However, both assessment date back to 2015 and no formal re-evaluations have been done since. Persian onager should really be classed CR and Przewalski horse as EN.

The Persian onager has a world population of possibly 175 (Touran), 28 (Garmsar captive-breeding center) and no estimate (Bahram-e-Goor, their former main stronghold). Whereas IUCN lists Asiatic wild ass as NT is just irrelevant, where this subspecies is Critically Endangered clearly.

Figures from the IUCN Red List (2015) list for Przewalski horse at 320 in Mongolia and 220 in PR China (figures from 2015). These figures are far from what the current number of Przewalski horses is in the wild.

In the open range environments of Dubbo, Monarto and Werribee there is sufficient room to manage both Persian onager and Przewalski horse. The fact that Dubbo/TWPZ has managed to breed up numbers from the initial 8 and then let them completely wither is absolutely inexcusable given their status in the wild and the optimum climate and space at TWPZ. I have no other words for it.

 

[Zorro]

In an ideal world, zoos would prioritise endangered and critically endangered species; but the reality is they need to get visitors through the door. For privately owned zoos, it’s a matter of survival; but even government funded zoos can’t become complacent on this matter to the extent of being seen as a money pit.

Persian onagers may well be endangered but they don’t draw in the crowds. Plains zebra are the most enabling equid; along with Przewalski’s horse. I appreciate Persian onagers, but to the average visitor, they’re a glorified donkey.

I’m not say this is how I want to see zoos run; but it’s the reality of operating a financially viable attraction.

I never realised zoos had to be financially viable

 

[Kifaru Bwana]

In an ideal world, zoos would prioritise endangered and critically endangered species; but the reality is they need to get visitors through the door. For privately owned zoos, it’s a matter of survival; but even government funded zoos can’t become complacent on this matter to the extent of being seen as a money pit.

Persian onagers may well be endangered but they don’t draw in the crowds. Plains zebra are the most enabling equid; along with Przewalski’s horse. I appreciate Persian onagers, but to the average visitor, they’re a glorified donkey.

I’m not say this is how I want to see zoos run; but it’s the reality of operating a financially viable attraction.

This whole financial viability argument in relation to Persian onager no, zebra yes and P. horse yes just does not hold water. Managing 10-20 Persian onager and perhaps a P. horse herd of 10-15 are both small tuppence to maintain annually. Even visitor appeal wise both are perfect for the setting of an open range zoo. In fact, whereas their ranges do not overlap, it would even be reasonable to maintain onager and wild horses on one exclosure (Mongolian khulan, the local subspecies for Mongolia and parts of PR China overlap with the Przewalski horse and occur sympatrically without any issue.

 

[Jambo]

I don't agree with you here. Przewalski horse are classed as EN and Asiatic wild als as NT. However, both assessment date back to 2015 and no formal re-evaluations have been done since. Persian onager should really be classed CR and Przewalski horse as EN.

The Persian onager has a world population of possibly 175 (Touran), 28 (Garmsar captive-breeding center) and no estimate (Bahram-e-Goor, their former main stronghold). Whereas IUCN lists Asiatic wild ass as NT is just irrelevant, where this subspecies is Critically Endangered clearly.

Figures from the IUCN Red List (2015) list for Przewalski horse at 320 in Mongolia and 220 in PR China (figures from 2015). These figures are far from what the current number of Przewalski horses is in the wild.

In the open range environments of Dubbo, Monarto and Werribee there is sufficient room to manage both Persian onager and Przewalski horse. The fact that Dubbo/TWPZ has managed to breed up numbers from the initial 8 and then let them completely wither is absolutely inexcusable given their status in the wild and the optimum climate and space at TWPZ. I have no other words for it.

I'm not saying Persian Onagers have more favour than the Mongalian Wild Horses - but I feel like what @Zoofan15 said in his post above certainly deserves more food for thought. Mongolian Wild Horses ARE a far more appealing species to the public, and with space not a luxury something like this would have to be taken into account. Additionally, if we go back a few decades ago (to when this decision was effectively made), the situation was far different for both of these species - Mongolian Wild Horses were the obvious focus on a conservation level.

Considering Persian Onager are also inept to mixed species enclosures, I can confidently say that Werribee (for example) would struggle to find them a suitable enclosure on display especially at this point with a good part of the zoo going to the fifty acre elephant complex.

 

[Zoofan15]

I never realised zoos had to be financially viable

How do you think staff wages get paid and animals get fed?

Not all zoos are government funded and those that are still have to justify their existence. There’s currently a debate whether New Plymouth’s council can justify funding the Brooklands Zoo (the alternative being to close it).

 

[steveroberts]

It's going to be a real shame when those two elderly male Persian Onagers pass away someday (hopefully not too soon, want to go say hello to them again up in Dubbo). Yeah I think its totally valid the thinking that Mongolian/Przwalski/Tanaki horses are essentially seen by a lot of the regions zoo management as being the preferred species to keep over Persian Onagers (why it has to be one or the other dont subscribe to that thinking but see the similarities, remember this discussion with similarities between Fishing Cats and Clouded Leopards)...personally I think Persian Onagers are equally as striking and charsimatic as Mongolian Wild Horses (in fact was more fascinated by them when went to Western Plains in 1998, had heard about the Mongolian Wild Horses before going but missed any pre-info about the Persian Onagers so didnt even know about them until was looking at them in awe with the zoo keeper and tour guide talking about them so they have always left a big impression personally; was always dissapointed that no other open range zoos in the region got on board with keeping them and when was looking into what a hypothetical new open range zoo could import was sad to see they no longer seem to be on the live import list (but of course Mongolian Wild Horses are). Happy Christmas guys btw

 

[Zorro]

How do you think staff wages get paid and animals get fed?

Not all zoos are government funded and those that are still have to justify their existence. There’s currently a debate whether New Plymouth’s council can justify funding the Brooklands Zoo (the alternative being to close it).

Since I have been following Australian zoos and their populations for over 50 year I can say I do know a zoo has to pay for itself I do not need to hear the obvious for my posts. Maintaining a grass eating animal in an established exhibit would be just peanuts for a major zoo so your point is mute. Unless you can put up a better argument don't reply to this.

 

[Kifaru Bwana]

How do you think staff wages get paid and animals get fed?

Not all zoos are government funded and those that are still have to justify their existence. There’s currently a debate whether New Plymouth’s council can justify funding the Brooklands Zoo (the alternative being to close it).

I am not denying there is a financial aspect to every zoo, there definitely is. However, if you bring up funding and finance from Government, Council or Federal State both Taronga Zoo and TWPZ receive for a good part government funding. Since, the thread is about TWPZ, let us stick to the zoo under discussion!
1) Taronga Zoo - new development: $16M upgrade project approved for Taronga Zoo - Build Australia
2) TWPZ - new development: Zoo gets tourism funding to develop new wildlife experience

It is worth pointing out that both zoos at the time were under a Conservative/Liberal Fed Government.

Personally, I am convinced and would underline zoos as education facilities must and should fall under good part Municipal/Govt. funding for being living museum exhibitors and essentially perform the same tasks for the public good as universitities, colleges of higher learning and museums.

 

[Tiger91]

I never realised zoos had to be financially viable

When ever liberals especially are in power there is a majour push for financial viability over anything else. Even when they are fully funded by the public.
I work in health and a family member used to work in the botanic gardens in Sydney and it is the same in both. The zoos would be no different. And these decisions would be some of the thinking that has been a direct result of reductions in species in our zoos.

 

[Tiger91]

Since I have been following Australian zoos and their populations for over 50 year I can say I do know a zoo has to pay for itself I do not need to hear the obvious for my posts. Maintaining a grass eating animal in an established exhibit would be just peanuts for a major zoo so your point is mute. Unless you can put up a better argument don't reply to this.

Creating exhibits is the biggest cost for species like Persian onagers. While yes any fenced of yard can exhibit them, creating exhibits for them that zoos have to try and make look half decent would be there biggest cost.

 

[Kifaru Bwana]

Creating exhibits is the biggest cost for species like Persian onagers. While yes any fenced of yard can exhibit them, creating exhibits for them that zoos have to try and make look half decent would be there biggest cost.

An exhibit for Persian onager at Dubbo - TWPZ really does not cost the Earth much.

Second, they can be exhibited with Przewalski horse in large open range concept given that both occur sympatrically in the wild without any hybridisation.