Taronga Zoo Taronga Zoo News 2013

[zooboy28]

The first births of the year (technically late last year): three Fennec Fox kits have been born to the pair imported from Europe, taking the regional population to 16 animals at three zoos (Taronga, Mogo & Adelaide).

Story & Photos here: Fennec Foxes of new bloodline are Taronga Zoo?s new residents | Taronga Conservation Society Australia

Sunday 27th January 2013

Taronga Zoo has welcomed new residents into its growing wildlife community with the birth of three Fennec Fox kits, the first litter to be born to a new breeding pair from Europe.

The Fennec Fox infants were born on 19 December 2012 to Zinder, the male from Germany, and Kebilli, the female from Poland.

“All births are special for all of us here at the Zoo, but what makes these Fennec Kits extra special is that they are the first offspring to a new breeding couple from Europe. This means that these kits are not related to any of the Fennec Foxes here in Australia,” explained keeper Tamara Bell.

These adorable kits are introducing a new bloodline into the Fennec Fox population in the Australasian region and are therefore playing a vital role in expanding the species’ genetics. They are also boosting the species’ population, which dropped to only six throughout Australia prior to 2010.

The kits, which are becoming adventurous, have started to come out of their nest box and explore some parts of their exhibit.

“They are becoming braver and bolder every day,” said Tamara.

In February, the young Fennec Foxes are set to undergo their first veterinary health check where their gender will also be determined.

Commonly found in the deserts of Sahara and North Africa, Fennec Foxes are the smallest of the dog family. They have large ears that dissipate body heat and keep them cool, as well as hairy feet that they use to dig tunnels as deep as fifteen feet where they live and rear their kits.

 

[Chlidonias]

another article about the fennecs:
Taronga Zoo's new litter of fennec foxes explore a new world | News.com.au

THEY'RE known as the "red menace" but there's nothing threatening about this litter of fennec foxes at Taronga Zoo.
As the smallest of the canines, weighing 1.5kg as adults, the siblings are more shy than sly.
But much to the delight of keepers and visitors, the foxes are finally exploring their compound, growing in confidence each day.
Before 2010 there were just six of the animals remaining in Australasian zoos, but Taronga carnivore keeper Tamara Bell said first-time parents Zinder and Kebilli had introducing a new bloodline with their three kits.
"We haven't had a mother-raised fennec fox litter since 1999. We needed new genes," she said.
"As they get bigger and grow in confidence they take further steps from the entrance of the nest.
"The CCTV monitoring we've been doing is in black and white and we can't identify them individually. All we know is they're all equally energetic and they all started eating at the same time."
Keepers will be in the dark about the gender of the infants until their first vet check on February 13.
Dad Zinder was brought from Germany, while mum Kebilli came from Poland, meaning the three kits are not related to any of the fennec foxes in Australia.

 

[tetrapod]

'Red menace'??? Are they referring to Red foxes?

 

[Chlidonias]

'Red menace'??? Are they referring to Red foxes?

I think they are. I wasn't sure on that myself.

 

[Hix]

I'm not sure why that is there - Taronga has no red foxes, and fennecs are certainly not red. Damned journalist.



Hix

 

[zooboy28]

Rather unusual news from Taronga's facebook page:

One of our keepers was working on the Giraffe platform this afternoon when a Giraffe moved its neck, and bumped her. The keeper reported back to her staff room, but as a precaution, the Zoo asked that she be checked over at hospital. Good news, as medical staff have now told her she’s fine to go home.

Not so much unusual news I guess, but rather unusual that they would announce it at all. I guess they are trying to show that they are comitted to health and safety.

 

[Hix]

I'm guessing this was during the giraffe keeper talk and feed, and bumping by neck is commonplace - it's when they hit you with their head, or neck you over, that the situation is a bit more serious.



Hix

 

[Animalgeek]

just the thought of that if the giraffe was to have hit her hard like they do in necking oh she would be lucky to live lucky it wasnt serious.

 

[ibigmang]

I was at the Giraffe keeper talk yesterday and I didn't see anything unusual.

 

[Hix]

just the thought of that if the giraffe was to have hit her hard like they do in necking oh she would be lucky to live lucky it wasnt serious.

They're not able to do that, the structure of the platform prevents them from doing so.

I was at the Giraffe keeper talk yesterday and I didn't see anything unusual.

It may have happened afterwards during the photo opportunity.



Hix

 

[Chlidonias]

scratch what I posted. Here's an article about it:
http://au.news.yahoo.com/latest/a/-/latest/16098215/zoo-keeper-injured-by-giraffe/

A zoo keeper has been taken to hospital after she was head-butted by a giraffe at Sydney's Taronga Zoo.

The incident occurred during a feeding session in an enclosure at the zoo on Friday.

The woman was taken to hospital but cleared of serious injury, the Nine Network reported.

She has since been released.

The incident comes just months after zoo keeper Lucy Melo was crushed by an Asian elephant calf, leaving her in a critical condition in hospital.

A spokesman from Taronga Zoo said it was a minor incident and the woman wasn't injured.

"One of the giraffes bumped the keeper on the head," he told AAP.

"She was fine but we have very strict protocols about anything like that."

He said she was sent to hospital purely as a precaution and she was not admitted.

"We called an ambulance and had paramedics check her and they gave her the all clear," the spokesman said.

"As further precaution the manager just asked if she could be taken to hospital."

He said occasionally giraffes move their heads around and she was bumped by one of them but she's fine.

 

[Coquinguy]

Visited yesterday, not a lot to report..but here goes.
-P Hippo off display
-At least one Fiordland Penguin still hanging on
-New Sun Bear very active
-Fennec Fox kits on display and very cute
-Cassowary have now moved to the 'African Waterhole' which is a hodge-podge, run-down section that counts Sumatran Tigers, Brazillian Tapir and Bongo and Zebra, as well as the Barbary Sheep, as its residents.
-Juvenile Komodo on display

 

[Jabiru96]

Visited yesterday, not a lot to report..but here goes.
-P Hippo off display
-At least one Fiordland Penguin still hanging on
-New Sun Bear very active
-Fennec Fox kits on display and very cute
-Cassowary have now moved to the 'African Waterhole' which is a hodge-podge, run-down section that counts Sumatran Tigers, Brazillian Tapir and Bongo and Zebra, as well as the Barbary Sheep, as its residents.
-Juvenile Komodo on display

Mr Munro the fiordland crested penguin is the last one. The two females die some years ago.

I think the cassowaries have moved temporarily due other Lemur Fitest Adventure construction disturbing them. And I know what you mean in terms of the African Waterhole: zebras, bongo, Barbary sheep and then suddenly Brazilian tapir and Sumatran tiger, an now cassowary!

 

[zooboy28]

Visited yesterday, not a lot to report..but here goes.
-P Hippo off display
-At least one Fiordland Penguin still hanging on
-New Sun Bear very active
-Fennec Fox kits on display and very cute
-Cassowary have now moved to the 'African Waterhole' which is a hodge-podge, run-down section that counts Sumatran Tigers, Brazillian Tapir and Bongo and Zebra, as well as the Barbary Sheep, as its residents.
-Juvenile Komodo on display

Which specific exhibit have the cassowary moved into? Presumably this is only a relatively temporary move until they can move back into their old enclosure?

Here is an article on the new sun bear - it says she is very active and destructive! There is also a great photo of her up a dead tree: Mary Gets Busy with the Furniture | Taronga Conservation Society Australia

 

[Coquinguy]

The cassowary are in the exhibit that has been used to hold oryx, camels and ostrich...what cracks me up is that Taronga has gone to the expense of refurbishing the exhibit; id rather of seen them housed behind the scenes, as it is obviosly only a temporary measure.
the waterhole exhibit is kind of laughable; the zoo really needs to do something about this area because as it is, it really does not have much 'value' IMO.

 

[zooboy28]

The cassowary are in the exhibit that has been used to hold oryx, camels and ostrich...what cracks me up is that Taronga has gone to the expense of refurbishing the exhibit; id rather of seen them housed behind the scenes, as it is obviosly only a temporary measure.
the waterhole exhibit is kind of laughable; the zoo really needs to do something about this area because as it is, it really does not have much 'value' IMO.

Well thats just weird, I would have thought they would be in one of the exhibits holding zebra or bongo. It would have made more sense to keep them off-display than refurb that enclosure temporarily. The lemur exhibit should be finished mid-year, so they can move back then can't they?

The African Waterhole has got less and less African over the years, and shouldn't really be called that anymore. I think they should keep it as an African area, but clearly it needs major work, but this can't happen until they make space for the redundant animals (especially the tigers) in other parts of the zoo.

 

[Coquinguy]

What would be great is if Taronga constructed a new lion enclosure; a good site would be where they are currently keeping the cassowary. That would then mean that the whole Cats of Asia exhibit could be used to concentrate on Sumatran Tigers.
The African Waterhole 'brand' needs to be dropped and a more logical sequence of exhibits planned for that area long-term.

 

[zooboy28]

What would be great is if Taronga constructed a new lion enclosure; a good site would be where they are currently keeping the cassowary. That would then mean that the whole Cats of Asia exhibit could be used to concentrate on Sumatran Tigers.
The African Waterhole 'brand' needs to be dropped and a more logical sequence of exhibits planned for that area long-term.

I do like that idea, I think that would be a great site for a lion pride. The rest of the area is a bit tricky (given the steep-ness), but could be developed into a very nice area. It would be nice if it followed a progression from savannah (lions, giraffes, zebra) to woodland (nyala) to rainforest (bongo, pygmy hippo), ultimately linking in to the gorilla exhibit. Other enclosures for small mammals (meerkats, fennec foxes), birds and reptiles could flesh the area out very nicely.

 

[ibigmang]

The cassowary are in the exhibit that has been used to hold oryx, camels and ostrich...what cracks me up is that Taronga has gone to the expense of refurbishing the exhibit; id rather of seen them housed behind the scenes, as it is obviosly only a temporary measure.
the waterhole exhibit is kind of laughable; the zoo really needs to do something about this area because as it is, it really does not have much 'value' IMO.

Zooreaucracy gone mad.


I'm off on the Zoo Friends history walk tomorrow.

 

[zooboy28]

I'm off on the Zoo Friends history walk tomorrow.

How was it? It sounds like a cool idea, zoo history is something that I find fascinating, and I can imagine that Taronga would have a very rich history. Do they run these walks often?