Taronga Zoo Taronga Zoo News 2023

Abbey said:
This isn't 100%, but I feel like Chuck hasn't been at Taronga for a while. Combined with @Zoofan15's information that he was transferred to either WA to SA, I don't think Zillie's move is related to Chuck.

Do Perth or Adelaide Zoos hold cassowary?
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That’s correct. Though they were there in 2021, my friend who visits Taronga regularly said they’ve only had Macca for at least a year. Both Perth and Adelaide Zoo have them. I think we can rule out Adelaide as they have a young pair (both under 10 years), but Perth Zoo bred a chick in 2016. Chuck could either be the intended mate for this chick (if a female); or it’s mother, which is proven breeder.

Caversham Wildlife Park in WA; and Gorge in SA also have cassowary.
 
Zoofan15 said:
That’s correct. Though they were there in 2021, my friend who visits Taronga regularly said they’ve only had Macca for at least a year. Both Perth and Adelaide Zoo have them. I think we can rule out Adelaide as they have a young pair (both under 10 years), but Perth Zoo bred a chick in 2016. Chuck could either be the intended mate for this chick (if a female); or it’s mother, which is proven breeder.

Caversham Wildlife Park in WA; and Gorge in SA also have cassowary.
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Chuck was there mid last year, I think it's more likely he was transferred out late last year.

Perth and Gorge both breed them; so I'd imagine Chuck could've been sent to either facility.
 
Some more Taronga updates from today:

- Wetlands Aviary: Superb Fruit Dove is now signed. I heard one but did not manage to see it.
- Visitors are now able to view the giraffe barn at certain times
- Young male giraffe Ebo has been castrated
- I saw 2 very shy Fat-tailed Dunnarts in Nguwing nura
- The population of Murray River Turtles in the outdoor platypus exhibit in Nura Diya has grown significantly
- The Java Sparrows have bred in the Wetlands Aviary.
- Palm Aviary: The Wompoo Fruit Doves have bred, and the Nicobar Pigeons are nesting. The male White-rumped Shamas are very vocal!
- Pygmy Hippos: Kambiri is not on display, hopefully because she has a calf!
- The Ruddy Shelducks are finally signed in the Pygmy hippo exhibit
- There is now a Saw-shelled Turtle in the Wetlands Aviary. It looks very much like the large individual I saw at Featherdale on my visit in January
- I saw 8 Ghost Bats and 7 bilbies in Nguwing nura
- The Cunningham Skink exhibit in the Blue Mountains Bushwalk is currently empty
- Blue Mountains Bushwalk: One of the male Eastern Whipbirds has become too territorial to be in the main aviary, so is now housed with Echo the lyrebird
- Seals: a young fur seal who I assumed to be Kobe was in Seal Cove (Charlie’s usual exhibit), with Charlie in Seal Bay (the old Leopard Seal exhibit). However, I also saw another fur seal pup BOH.
 
Thanks for the update!
Osedax said:
Young male giraffe Ebo has been castrated
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Am not surprised as he's now reached breeding age. Taronga's intentions are to hold a non breeding group.
Osedax said:
Pygmy Hippos: Kambiri is not on display, hopefully because she has a calf!
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Fingers crossed she is either heavily pregnant or has recently given birth!:)
Osedax said:
The Ruddy Shelducks are finally signed in the Pygmy hippo exhibit
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They share the exhibit, correct?
Osedax said:
Seals: a young fur seal who I assumed to be Kobe was in Seal Cove (Charlie’s usual exhibit), with Charlie in Seal Bay (the old Leopard Seal exhibit). However, I also saw another fur seal pup BOH.
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Was Charlie in with the girls in seal bay?
 
- An acrylic sheet will be added over the mesh in the squirrel monkey/former gibbon exhibit. Apparently, keepers were fed up with guests reaching in and patting their feet!
- The Superb Parrots in the Woodlands Classroom in the Taronga Institute of Science and Learning are breeding
- The tree kangaroos have been introduced for breeding
- There is a new species of huntsman spider in the BTB house. Unsure exactly which species.
- The Argiope in the BTB house have been replaced by a Nephila sp.
- There is now a Variegated Fairy Wren and at least one Double-barred Finch in the Semi-Arid Aviary
- Signage has been installed in the BTB house next to the Atherton Tablelands Bicoloured Snails about Taronga’s new breeding program for Campbell’s Keeled Grass Snail (Advena campbellii)
- Australian Brush Turkey is now signed alongside the Nicobar Pigeons in Moore Park/Circular Aviary. Pretty pointless really, as Taronga has hundreds of brush turkeys in the grounds (some belong to the zoo but most are wild). I don’t know if the signage was indicating that there are or will be brush turkeys in the aviary or if it was just educating people about the wild and free roaming ones.
- Seal Bay: Nala, Tarni, Amalie and April were there in the morning, with Charlie in the exhibit in the afternoon instead.
- The Crawly Critters ALIVE! Live Show (terrible name I know) featured Spiny Leaf Insect, Giant Burrowing Cockroach, Flinders Ranges Scorpion and Australian Barking Tarantula.
- There is now a Masked Woodswallow in the Blue Mountains Bushwalk
- In addition to the Ruddy Shelducks now being signed in the second Pygmy hippo exhibit, the Egyptian Goose is now finally signed in the first exhibit!
- The ostriches came from Dubbo

Keepers were pretty thin on the ground to be honest, so unfortunately @Zoofan15 I was not able to get answers to your questions, though I was told that the camels will be remaining in the old bull elephant exhibit.
 
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Osedax said:
- An acrylic sheet will be added over the mesh in the squirrel monkey/former gibbon exhibit. Apparently, keepers were fed up with guests reaching in and patting their feet!
- The Superb Parrots in the Woodlands Classroom in the Taronga Institute of Science and Learning are breeding
- The tree kangaroos have been introduced for breeding
- There is a new species of huntsman spider in the BTB house. Unsure exactly which species.
- The Argiope in the BTB house have been replaced by a Nephila sp.
- There is now a Variegated Fairy Wren and at least one Double-barred Finch in the Semi-Arid Aviary
- Signage has been installed in the BTB house next to the Atherton Tablelands Bicoloured Snails about Taronga’s new breeding program for Campbell’s Keeled Grass Snail (Advena campbellii)
- Australian Brush Turkey is now signed alongside the Nicobar Pigeons in Moore Park/Circular Aviary. Pretty pointless really, as Taronga has hundreds of brush turkeys in the grounds (some belong to the zoo but most are wild). I don’t know if the signage was indicating that there are or will be brush turkeys in the aviary or if it was just educating people about the wild and free roaming ones.
- Seal Bay: Nala, Tarni, Amalie and April were there in the morning, with Charlie in the exhibit in the afternoon instead.
- The Crawly Critters ALIVE! Live Show (terrible name I know) featured Spiny Leaf Insect, Giant Burrowing Cockroach, Flinders Ranges Scorpion and Australian Barking Tarantula.
- There is now a Masked Woodswallow in the Blue Mountains Bushwalk

Keepers were pretty thin on the ground to be honest, so unfortunately @Zoofan15 I was not able to ask your questions, though I was told that the camels will be remaining in the old bull elephant exhibit.
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Thanks for the update @Osedax

That’s interesting to know none of the four female Australian sea lions (Nala, April, Tarni and Amalie) were housed with the bulls (Charlie and Storm). Fingers crossed some of them could be pregnant, including April who is on breeding loan.
 
Osedax said:
though I was told that the camels will be remaining in the old bull elephant exhibit.
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Will the camels remain in the old bull exhibit long term though? I was under the impression they were merely a stand-in species for future projects.
Osedax said:
- An acrylic sheet will be added over the mesh in the squirrel monkey/former gibbon exhibit. Apparently, keepers were fed up with guests reaching in and patting their feet!
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Also, how incredibly ignorant do you have to be to pet a zoo animal, much less a species you could catch disease from.
 
loganjmuir said:
Will the camels remain in the old bull exhibit long term though? I was under the impression they were merely a stand-in species for future projects.
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I don’t know about long term, but I was told that one of the reasons they were chosen for that exhibit is because camels are a very calm species that would not be affected by the construction noise of the new reptile house right next door.
 
loganjmuir said:
Will the camels remain in the old bull exhibit long term though? I was under the impression they were merely a stand-in species for future projects.

Also, how incredibly ignorant do you have to be to pet a zoo animal, much less a species you could catch disease from.
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Osedax said:
I don’t know about long term, but I was told that one of the reasons they were chosen for that exhibit is because camels are a very calm species that would not be affected by the construction noise of the new reptile house right next door.
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It sounds like the camels could be a short-medium term inhabitant for that exhibit then. It’s an adequate way to address the issue of an empty exhibit while focussing on priority projects like the reptile and amphibian house and the native precinct. Replacing the camels is a consolidation project, which could take place further down the line.
 
loganjmuir said:
Will the camels remain in the old bull exhibit long term though? I was under the impression they were merely a stand-in species for future projects.

Also, how incredibly ignorant do you have to be to pet a zoo animal, much less a species you could catch disease from.
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Osedax said:
I don’t know about long term, but I was told that one of the reasons they were chosen for that exhibit is because camels are a very calm species that would not be affected by the construction noise of the new reptile house right next door.
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Zoofan15 said:
It sounds like the camels could be a short-medium term inhabitant for that exhibit then. It’s an adequate way to address the issue of an empty exhibit while focussing on priority projects like the reptile and amphibian house and the native precinct. Replacing the camels is a consolidation project, which could take place further down the line.
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They also fit nicely with the nearby Australian precinct.:D

In saying that, I do believe the camels are a ‘temporary’ replacement. Whether that be five years or ten years though will be foreseen. I’d imagine the exhibit will be redeveloped following their departure (but current projects will probably be priority).
 
Picking up from recent comments by Osedax and Zoofan15 (and my own update a few weeks ago), I was able to visit nguwing nura [nocturnal house] today and had quite a long chat with a keeper inside. The update on JR is that he's still housed by the Tassie devils for now, but is definitively off-show there and no longer rotating in to sleep all day in an on-show den. The goal is to relocate him to nguwing nura, specifically into the yellow-bellied glider exhibit. But they are trying to trade-off between the value of him being on show, and the benefit of his current location where he digs in the soil for worms and also engages in nesting behaviours. The keepers are apparently concerned that moving him back indoors would be a reduction in his quality of life, and they're trying to think what they could provide in the glider enclosure to offset that impact for him. The keeper was quite committed that they do intend to bring him back on show, but implied that a resolution is likely still weeks/months away. I was disappointed to hear that, but also very glad to hear he's been benefiting from an enriching environment off-show. It's hard to argue against that.

More generally nguwing nura was good. The chuditch was active and visible; the keeper was pleased about this as it's still such early days with the enclosure, as was I! And in fact all 8 species were easily visible to some degree. The large group of bilbies were very active having just been fed mealworm. I liked that the bilby and potoroo enclosures aren't entirely glassed off. The platypus, which is a hand-raised rescue, was also very active and was drawing a significant (but also respectfully quiet) crowd. As others have said, it's a quality space - but no sign yet of the bettongs or feathertails.
 
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Success following Booroolong frog release:

From socials:

In early March, 638 Taronga-bred Booroolong frogs were reintroduced to a creek on the Northern Tablelands of NSW where species once thrived until their population was tragically extirpated by the 2019/20 drought.

Just last week, Taronga Zoo staff and our partners from Department of Planning and Environment travelled back to the creek to conduct four night long surveys in the first post-winter monitoring of the released frogs

In ribetting news, the team were greeted by a significant number of healthy Booroolong frogs! In total, they located, weighed, measured and swabbed 69 individual frogs, with this only being a proportion of the frogs along the transect. Although it’s early days, and the released females are not yet mature, the frogs have all grown significantly and appear to be doing very well.
 
Pygmy Hippopotamus Update

My friend visited today and advised Kambiri is back on exhibit, but unfortunately has not got a newborn calf with her.

Fergus and Kambiri have recently been reintroduced for breeding, so fingers crossed for a healthy calf in 2024.
 
Taronga’s TV Series Returning

Who’s Who In The Zoo is returning for a fourth season:

Returning: Taronga: Who’s Who In The Zoo | TV Tonight

Viewers will see that when it comes to caring for their animals, nothing is too much trouble for the keepers. From building a bachelor pad for a harassed squirrel monkey to safely teaching a fur seal pup to swim, it’s all in a day’s work.

Giraffe Jimiyu requires the biggest team ever assembled of vets, nurses, keepers, specialists, and backyard crew to ensure he makes it through a dangerous general anaesthetic procedure. And with the vision of working to ensure a shared future for wildlife and people, we go into the field with Taronga’s conservationists and see the opening of the latest jewel in Taronga’s crown, an exclusive native animal habitat called Nura Diya Australia.
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Zoofan15 said:
I hope once Sydney Zoo (or another facility) are able to receive Taronga’s bachelor male squirrel monkeys, they’ll looking at acquiring gibbons again. I know many people have fond memories of Mary the Muellers gibbon and the white-cheeked gibbons were no less charismatic.
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Or if they really needed to find the bachelor squirrel monkeys a home there's always Dubbo who have a spare primate island at the moment.
 
Jambo said:
Or if they really needed to find the bachelor squirrel monkeys a home there's always Dubbo who have a spare primate island at the moment.
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That could also work well. I understand in addition to the bachelor males, they have a handful of juvenile males from the last cohort still in their natal troop. They’re taking a break from breeding, so may well wait until the youngest males can be integrated into the bachelor troop and then ship them all over to Dubbo.
 
Updates from my recent visits to Taronga:
  • Obi the young male zebra has been castrated.
  • The seven lions are still in all together. A couple of weeks ago, they were all snoozing together on the platform in the enclosure, yesterday they were a bit more spread out. One of the males was climbing the tree, in the tradition of his father, Ato, and some of the females were wrestling in the grass. You can still tell the cubs from their parents, but at 2 years, 3 months, they are now at the same age their great-grandmother, Kuchani, was when she gave birth to their grandfather, Johari. The females are contracepted.
  • I enjoyed watching Taronga's male Goodfellow's tree kangaroo for an extended period - he was particularly active. I believe the zoo holds 1.1, the female Kwikila and the male Makali, which leaves the fate unknown of the previous breeding male Parum. I would guess he has passed away, but it would be helpful to have confirmation either way.
  • Unfortunately I wasn't able to take a photo, but the exterior of the reptile house is close to completion.
  • I actually saw the Fishing cat! As far as I'm aware, Taronga just holds the female, Maew.
 
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