Taronga Zoo Taronga Zoo News 2021

[Zoofan15]

What is the purpose of the covered towers?. Is it to prevent wind and so encourage the Orangs to use them? Or structural or both?

It’s both.

The covered towers have a fine mesh (you can just about see through at close range). It provides the orangutans with low level light as they ascend the towers, but prevents them from escaping and from inclement weather.

On my last visit, it was especially windy, so Melur rested at the top of tower for about 10 minutes before deciding whether or not to come out and traverse the wire to the next tower.

 

[tetrapod]

I've never seen it since it was revamped but I remember being rather disappointed on my one visit to see how the famous Perth orangutans were kept- 5(?) bare or grassy yards with simple children's type metal climbing frames. No inside viewing but I guess the climate makes that unnecessary...

Not sure when you saw the exhibit but it remained the same up until the renovations of of the towers during the noughties. To be honest the animal staff fully acknowledged the short-comings of the exhibits and concentrated efforts on the husbandry. This is what was missing in the previous comments, that PZ has a remarkable longevity record with their apes.
If PZ really wanted to showcase the orangs as being a jewel in their crown, then the zoo would have committed to a new forest-style complex years ago. Unfortunately those at the top are happy enough with the current status quo.
Inside viewing is very rare in Australian zoos because of a more favourable climate.

 

[tetrapod]

As much as I’d love to see Melbourne Zoo import Indian rhinoceros, I think a great replacement for the elephants could be a large scale expansion of the orangutan exhibit (with high ropes etc).

Melbourne Zoo has focussed on the purebred Sumatran orangutan on a small scale in decent decades. It’d be great to see them house a larger colony, working alongside Perth Zoo; or a small colony of Bornean orangutans in addition to a Sumatran pair (housed separately of course). This would support Auckland Zoo and make for a fascinating exhibit.

MZ aren't going to establish a third ape species, particularly when Borneans and virtually the same as Sumatrans to the public.

 

[tetrapod]

Hey in terms of Perth's Orangutan complex I meant post 2000 with the development of the walkways and the high climbing structures that give so much more space and height. Obviously the way the complex was in the '90s that remember as a kid was an eyesore and small and bare; the one positive that could be said of PZ's approach during that time was the number of seperate exhibits was the right approach to the solitary nature of the Orangs. Remember seeing the new Taronga exhibit in the '90s and thinking if they could have afforded to have constructed four of five versions of that exhibit alongside one another they would have had something quite good, except would have cost another 15 million $ and space was short.

The Taronga exhibit was aesthetically really nice. Unfortunately when you realised that the useable area was small, and bordered by the shallow moat and electric fencing to keep the apes away from the vegetation. They needed to go up and out for it to have worked really well. Multiples of similar design would have meant that all the orangs could be out at the same time too.

 

[Jambo]

The Taronga exhibit was aesthetically really nice. Unfortunately when you realised that the useable area was small, and bordered by the shallow moat and electric fencing to keep the apes away from the vegetation. They needed to go up and out for it to have worked really well. Multiples of similar design would have meant that all the orangs could be out at the same time too.

It was a decent enclosure and was much like the one Adelaide have now but definitely on the smaller scale. I believe originally the male Jantan was kept apart from the females so they would’ve had to rotate them on and off display. At least a second enclosure would’ve helped with that.

I think they’ve turned the enclosure into a lemur walkthrough at the present.

 

[steveroberts]

@tetrapod @Jambo Yeah actually now that you guys point it out the actual useable space for the Orangutans in that Taronga exhibit was limited by the decision to have a moat and electric fence within the exhibit to keep them away from the vegetation near the viewing windows which in itself now realise was a big part of the exhibit looking aesthetically pleasing to the viewers. Could be mistaken with remembering but in 2010 when the Chimpanzee troop were living in the exhibit while they were expanding the Chimp habitat, seem to remember the moat was drained and their was more accessible space in the exhibit available for the Chimps during their stay which made the exhibit seem larger. If the boundaries of the exhibit had been designed a bit further at the expense of some of the public walking area and had climbing structures of a height and breadth of Perth's current ones then the exhibit would have been a lot better, except the issue still of having to separate the individuals and have some kept in the indoor quarters because of only having a single outdoor exhibit. Saw that Taronga's Ringtailed Lemurs had moved into the exhibit looking at a map in the gallery on here after Jantan and Willow were moved to Mogo but had no idea that they'd made it a walkthrough exhibit.

 

[Jambo]

Could be mistaken with remembering but in 2010 when the Chimpanzee troop were living in the exhibit while they were expanding the Chimp habitat, seem to remember the moat was drained and their was more accessible space in the exhibit available for the Chimps during their stay which made the exhibit seem larger.

Your probably right, here. There was really no reason for the moat in the first place other than the fact that it made the exhibit look a bit better. With a Chimp troop of more than 20 individuals moving into the exhibit in that time they probably would’ve had to drain the most to give them the maximum amount of space possible.

Saw that Taronga's Ringtailed Lemurs had moved into the exhibit looking at a map in the gallery on here after Jantan and Willow were moved to Mogo but had no idea that they'd made it a walkthrough exhibit.

There is a boardwalk extending through the middle of the enclosure but I’m not sure if it’s for the visitors or just for keepers. When I visited back in April it was off limits to the public but it may have been to due to Covid.

 

[marmolady]

The lemur exhibit was built on the site of the old seal pools and is walk through:

The exhibit is the first of its kind in Australia, combining opportunities for education, active play and lemur viewing in one amazing space.

Located on the site of Taronga’s historic seal pools, the Lemur Forest Adventure invites visitors to follow a trail winding through dense forest gardens where they’ll discover sensory-based information suitable for all ages.

From there, visitors move into the centre of the exhibit and the Observation Outpost, where kids can climb, balance, swing, sway, slide and splash on a range of exciting new play structures and mimic the behaviour of the lemurs living in the adjacent enclosure.

Play like a Lemur at Taronga these school holidays

This was the previous lemur exhibit; they have since moved to the old orangutan enclosure.

 

[Zoofan15]

This was the previous lemur exhibit; they have since moved to the old orangutan enclosure.

Thanks for that.

I found countless articles about this lemur exhibit that opened six years ago. I never imagined they’d have moved to another new exhibit so soon after.

 

[Zoofan15]

Multiples of similar design would have meant that all the orangs could be out at the same time too.

Do you recall what groupings the Taronga orangutans were kept in towards the end of the 1990’s/early 2000’s.

Auckland Zoo’s TV series implied Wanita lived with the two adolescent Bornean females, Melur and Gangsa.

I’m guessing Wendy and her then adolescent daughter, Willow, lived together; with Judy housed either with them or Jantan?

 

[Jambo]

This was the previous lemur exhibit; they have since moved to the old orangutan enclosure.

The enclosure is now home to their Capybara.

I have no idea why the Lemurs where moved out so soon, but it could’ve been simply that the Capybara suited the lemur exhibit more and the orangutan exhibit was vacant, and a more suitable home for their lemurs.

 

[Jambo]

Do you recall what groupings the Taronga orangutans were kept in towards the end of the 1990’s/early 2000’s.

Auckland Zoo’s TV series implied Wanita lived with the two adolescent Bornean females, Melur and Gangsa.

I’m guessing Wendy and her then adolescent daughter, Willow, lived together; with Judy housed either with them or Jantan?

I believe Jantan lived seperate away from the girls as he liked his own space. He wasn’t introduced to Willow until the chimps moved into their enclosure temporarily back in 2010, and they were moved elsewhere. Apparently then did Jantan show interest in Willow.

 

[Zoofan15]

I believe Jantan lived seperate away from the girls as he liked his own space. He wasn’t introduced to Willow until the chimps moved into their enclosure temporarily back in 2010, and they were moved elsewhere. Apparently then did Jantan show interest in Willow.

That’s right. Their website gave this account of their history:

We have tried to introduce them a couple of times over the past five years, but each time Jantan was very obviously not keen on the idea. He would stay as far away from the amiable Willow who would gently approach Jantan, gingerly touching his hands and feet with just one out-stretched finger. She even came with offerings of food, which for our gutsy girl is quite a friendly move! But Jantan would continue to ignore her and turn the other way - seeming somewhat agitated with the situation so efforts to get them together were temporarily abandoned.

I’ve found an article that noted Wanita and Willow were sharing accomodation back in 1994. The Bornean imports from Hong Kong arrived aged six and seven respectively and would have been seen as little threat to Wanita initially. This relationship sadly soured once at Auckland - mostly due to Gangsa’s jealously issues.

 

[WhistlingKite24]

Jumilah, the 18-year-old Sumatran Tiger had to be euthanised this week: Log into Facebook | Facebook

 

[steveroberts]

@WhistlingKite24 Sorry to hear that but thanks for telling us, rip Jumilah, remember when she was a cub.

 

[Zoofan15]

@WhistlingKite24 Sorry to hear that but thanks for telling us, rip Jumilah, remember when she was a cub.

Jumilah represents the fourth generation of her family at Taronga Zoo, dating back to the arrival of Nico and Meta in 1979.

It was a real joy to see Jumilah finally give birth to her cubs in 2011 after a long and difficult journey to motherhood. Her and Satu were barely compatible (largely due to Satu’s aggressive nature); and when Jumilah did finally conceive after two years of intros, the first litter (a single cub) was stillborn.

 

[steveroberts]

@Zoofan15 @Jambo @marmolady There was a documentary had taped on a vhs from 1994 funded by Channel 7 I think called 'Orangs on Stage' (am going to try dig it up and see if a tech savy friend can 'digitise' it or whatever the term is to a computer so can upload online as have searched and can't find it anywhere on the internet which probably shouldn't find surprising) think it was about 30 minutes long maybe 45. Haven't rewatched it since about 1999 but seem to remember Jantan back then being only about 6 or 7 so was still with his mum Judy. Archie was the big flanged male (sadly only lived two years after the move to the new exhibit ongoing respiratory problems but pretty sure you all already know his story) and in the documentary there was an attempt to reintroduce Archie to his mum Wendy in the old exhibits but he got too rough and antisocial with her. He also put a birds feather into his press release drinking bubbler in his old exhibit so it ran constantly and got nicknamed 'Archie's fountain' by the keepers. The doco films their experience moving to the new exhibit and theres a little moment captured of the Crab-Eating Macaques first time in the exhibit which happened a few days before the Orangs first day. Theres also some brief footage of famous Mary the Muller's Gibbon and how for a brief time the zoo's Squirrel Monkeys were moved onto her island but kept eating all the leaves etc of the Moreton Bay Fig tree so Mary got her home back (funnily enough the zoo flirted with the idea of having Mary live alongside the Orangutans in the new exhibit but decided it was better to try the Crab-Eating Macs' alongside the Orangs' which as we all know only lasted about five years). Theres also footage of Melbourne Zoo specifically their (at the time) new rainforest areas showing either Frank or Poetri the Sumatran Tiger(s) and their new moat based public viewing area, the new Small-Clawed Otter exhibit, the Lowland Gorilla family and one of the Pygmy Hippos emerging from the water, from memory the MZ footage was shown to demonstrate what could be achieved with a state of the art rainforest themed exhibit(s) and Taronga seemed to want to try emulate it at the time.

Remember seeing two young Orangutans playing in the indoor area adjacent to the outdoor exhibit around 1996 sometime and because of the documentary assumed they were Jantan and Willow but have come to realise think they were the young newly arrived Bornean females, Gangsa etc

 

[Zoofan15]

Remember seeing two young Orangutans playing in the indoor area adjacent to the outdoor exhibit around 1996 sometime and because of the documentary assumed they were Jantan and Willow but have come to realise think they were the young newly arrived Bornean females, Gangsa etc

That sounds like it would have been Melur and Gangsa. They arrived from Hong Kong Zoo in February 1995 and were joined by a young male Bornean orangutan from Auckland Zoo in December 1996.

The imports of the 1.2 Bornean orangutans represents Taronga’s attempt to refocus their colony after three decades of breeding hybrids. It’s a shame the death of the male in 1998 ended their attempts to build up a purebred colony.

 

[steveroberts]

@Zoofan15 Yeah was a real shaming learning about the male's untimely death in 1998. That was the turning point right of Taronga deciding to just be a holder of their last hybrids as only a few years later Gangsa, Melur (thanks for the reminder of her name btw) and Wanita were sent to Auckland.

 

[Zoofan15]

@Zoofan15 Yeah was a real shaming learning about the male's untimely death in 1998. That was the turning point right of Taronga deciding to just be a holder of their last hybrids as only a few years later Gangsa, Melur (thanks for the reminder of her name btw) and Wanita were sent to Auckland.

Auckland Zoo were grateful to receive the three females from Taronga as their female population had been reduced to Indra and her daughter, Intan (and Indra was becoming overwhelmed by the mating attentions of the males).

A TV special on the life of Indra noted she had a close relationship with Dara, who died in 2000. They arrived as juveniles of three and six years respectively in 1983, so it’s interesting how their friendship lasted into adulthood.

Unfortunately the same couldn’t be said for Melur and Gangsa, who were half sisters born 18 months apart and had grown up together.