Taronga Zoo Taronga Zoo News 2023

Last time I visited Taronga before this week (a couple of months ago), I found the long-beaked echidna was apparently no longer occupying part of the Tasmanian devil enclosure - as others have noted - and contacted Visitor Information over email. They told me he was still on show in that enclosure, but was on rotation so I'd just need to get lucky and visit at the right time. I went back both yesterday and today, and there was no sign at all in the enclosure of echidna presence (and I'm very sceptical that they could rotate an echidna into a sleeping area that had been occupied by a predator in the preceding hours/days). So I asked several different volunteers or staff members today. Answers were mixed:

- Not sure, sorry!
- Off-show but going to move into the new Reptile House when it's ready (I wondered if they misspoke, and meant the new Australian Nocturnal House - Nguwing Yama)
- I haven't heard anything so if he's not on show then it could be because he died
- Not sure but if Visitor Information said he's still there then that will be right

I've got no idea what to believe, but I'm hoping he'll be back in Nguwing Yama soon. To have such an incredibly rare zoo animal at Taronga, it seems a massive shame to be keeping him off-show.
 
It wouldn't surprise me if future projects at Taronga are under revision. It wasn't that long ago I seen a few news articles of people and government people calling out taronga's current state of building up the zoo into a concrete zoo instead of a place for animals. The director was even defending the building of the new reptile areas being a new big concrete building etc.

Which is, a very poignant point, the zoo is over developed when it comes to non animal related areas. And I see no reason that the Congo precinct wouldn't have also been on that track as well. A few species mixed with large amounts of space dedicated to humans and not animals. So it would be good to see Taronga start dedicating its space to animals again while utilising the already built up areas for humans without adding to them. With the backlash in mind their is bound to be a rethink of future projects to avoid it in the future.
 
Michael Stace said:
Hello, I'm planning to visit Taronga Zoo for the first time in two weeks and I just wanted to know if the long-beaked echidna they have at the zoo is currently on display or not?
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It doesn’t appear it is as nobody has seen it. As per above, @chrisjpl was advised over email it rotates use of the exhibit (which offers no guarantee of seeing it); while another staff member advised it’s off display. I agree with others it’s a shame to have such a fascinating creature off display!
 
Michael Stace said:
Hello, I'm planning to visit Taronga Zoo for the first time in two weeks and I just wanted to know if the long-beaked echidna they have at the zoo is currently on display or not?
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JR the Barton's Long-beaked Echidna is currently off-display. I believe he may be moving into the new nocturnal house (Nguwing Yana) when it opens in the next couple of months. Even when he was on-display in the Tassie Devil house, he was almost impossible to see as they are a nocturnal species.
 
Great Ape News

Taronga Zoo have announced the death of the juvenile gorilla, Fikiri, attributing the cause to an aggressive gastrointestinal infection.

The chimpanzee infant born to Ceres is a female and has been named Cekiri in honour of Cebele and Fikiri

From socials:

Taronga Wildlife Hospital staff were given the honour of naming the newborn, and in a touching gesture, paid tribute to two beloved past animals that touched the hearts of all in the Taronga community. Cekiri is a combination of names from five-year-old Chimpanzee Cebele, who recently passed away from a rare cancer, and four-year-old Western Lowland Gorilla Fikiri, who succumbed to an aggressive gastrointestinal infection.
 
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Zoofan15 said:
Great Ape News

Taronga Zoo have announced the death of the juvenile gorilla, Fikiri, attributing the cause to an aggressive gastrointestinal infection.

The chimpanzee infant born to Ceres is a female and has been named Cekiri in honour of Cebele and Fikiri

From socials:

Taronga Wildlife Hospital staff were given the honour of naming the newborn, and in a touching gesture, paid tribute to two beloved past animals that touched the hearts of all in the Taronga community. Cekiri is a combination of names from five-year-old Chimpanzee Cebele, who recently passed away from a rare cancer, and four-year-old Western Lowland Gorilla Fikiri, who succumbed to an aggressive gastrointestinal infection.
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Such a touching tribute to name the baby in memory of Cebele and Fikiri. What a shining light little Cekiri is in such a challenging time.
 
Nocturnal house opening soon:

Taronga’s socials are inviting people to come and see their fat-tailed dunnarts in the nocturnal house, mentioning the building is opening soon.

It’s four months after the originally scheduled opening of May 2023, but it doesn’t look like it’s too far away now!

Fingers crossed the long-beaked echidna shows up when it opens!
 
Zoo now has Spinifex hopping mice; nocturnal house opens in one week:

From socials:

Nature's little acrobats the Spinifex hopping mice have made a mighty return to Taronga!

In just one week, guests will once again be able to come face-to-face with an abundance of night-loving native species as we open nguwing nura - Nocturnal Country a brand-new state-of-the-art Nocturnal Habitat located on beautiful Cammeraigal Country.
 
Zoofan15 said:
Zoo now has Spinifex hopping mice; nocturnal house opens in one week:

From socials:

Nature's little acrobats the Spinifex hopping mice have made a mighty return to Taronga!

In just one week, guests will once again be able to come face-to-face with an abundance of night-loving native species as we open nguwing nura - Nocturnal Country a brand-new state-of-the-art Nocturnal Habitat located on beautiful Cammeraigal Country.
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That's good news, it's certainly been a long time coming.
 
Zoofan15 said:
Zoo now has Spinifex hopping mice; nocturnal house opens in one week:

From socials:

Nature's little acrobats the Spinifex hopping mice have made a mighty return to Taronga!

In just one week, guests will once again be able to come face-to-face with an abundance of night-loving native species as we open nguwing nura - Nocturnal Country a brand-new state-of-the-art Nocturnal Habitat located on beautiful Cammeraigal Country.
Click to expand...
The nocturnal house opens tomorrow. 9 species are confirmed - Platypus, Chuditch, Greater Bilby, Feathertail Glider, Spinifex Hopping Mouse, Fat-tailed Dunnart, Ghost Bat, Rufous Bettong and Yellow-bellied Glider. I will be volunteering at the zoo on Monday and will hopefully have enough time to see nguwing nura. Fingers crossed for Long-beaked Echidna!
 
Osedax said:
The nocturnal house opens tomorrow. 9 species are confirmed - Platypus, Chuditch, Greater Bilby, Feathertail Glider, Spinifex Hopping Mouse, Fat-tailed Dunnart, Ghost Bat, Rufous Bettong and Yellow-bellied Glider. I will be volunteering at the zoo on Monday and will hopefully have enough time to see nguwing nura. Fingers crossed for Long-beaked Echidna!
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I’m impressed so far with the variety of species. Many of these will be unfamiliar to international visitors - who come to Australian zoos expecting to see a dingo, an emu, a kangaroo and a koala. This is a precinct that goes beyond the required and will no doubt leave lasting impressions.
 
Zoofan15 said:
Nocturnal House Opens (Media Release and Video)

nguwing nura – Nocturnal Country

Taronga’s nocturnal house will be home to approximately 230 animals. These include 12 nocturnal species from around Australia (nine of which were listed by @Osedax above).

Video for those who can’t visit in person:

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This video confirms another species - Long-nosed Potoroo. There are now only 2 species that haven't been confirmed.
 
Osedax said:
This video confirms another species - Long-nosed Potoroo. There are now only 2 species that haven't been confirmed.
Click to expand...

My friend visited today and didn’t see an echidna. There was no signage up and several of the exhibits were empty. Long-nosed potoroo, greater bilby and a thriving colony of spinifex hopping mouse were seen.

Hopefully the other species are on display soon and the echidna is one of the remaining two!
 
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