Osedax
Well-Known Member
Ras had mobility issues that weren't improving so she was euthanised, and Storm moved back to Dubbo. The exhibit will have "food trucks, kid's games and animal encounters" according to an email I received.
Taronga Zoo Taronga Zoo News 2024
- Thread starter loganjmuir
- Start date
Not surprising news! It seems like the YATZ exhibit space is also a temporary inclusion, perhaps in preparation for another change (ie. new species addition).
A new Pygmy Hippo complex here would be very nice and well needed considering the state of their current facilities - it's also fairly close to the current Gorilla enclosure and could still be linked in to any future Congo precinct that may be constructed.
Long term this enclosure (if kept the way it is) could be a luxury if Taronga wish to return to holding elephants again; Hari could be shifted across to this enclosure which has more than enough space for him.
That's sad to hear, I believe it was covered in one of the Who's who at the zoo episodes where she received treatment for it. Initial signs as detailed in the episode showed she had responded well to treatment but obviously things have changed since that point in time.
It makes sense why the Camels were supposedly quickly shifted across to Dubbo - I was under the impression they were a permanent addition there.
Rest in peace Ras
The Dromedary camels looked very out of place against the heritage listed Elephant Temple; and even the modern, but equally imposing bull barn used to house Gung. Their link to the Australian species in the adjacent precinct was about the only justification for housing them in this exhibit long term.
I’d be happy to see a bull Indian rhinoceros in this exhibit. The main elephant exhibit has room for a breeding pair given there’s two exhibits; and would allow Dubbo to concentrate on the other two rhino species they have. That said, Dubbo seem very proud to be the only Australian zoo to hold all three species of rhino, so I doubt that’d ever happen.
What's the deal with the zoo's Red Junglefowl? Are they actually pure Red Junglefowl or are they crossed with chickens?
~Thylo
~Thylo
Male Koala joey named:
From socials:
We’re excited to announce the name of one of our three Koala joeys! After a close vote, the chosen name is Yanada, meaning “moon” in Sydney First Language.
I haven't seen them personally, only photos, but its well recognised that theres no pure red jungle fowl left here anymore. I thought Tarongas looked far too big for jungle fowl. Gumbuya park has many of what could be considered "more pure" than most.
Of memory they are predominantly red jungle fowl, but remember talk of green being mixed in with them. They are pure jungle fowl. But are more than likely hybrids between red and green.
Osedax
Well-Known Member
I believe it was @DaLilFishie who originally discovered that the majority of the zoo's so-called Variegated Fairy Wrens, such as those in the Semi-Arid Aviary and the Finch Aviary, are actually the Purple-backed species. They certainly look like Purple-backed Fairy Wrens rather than Variegated.
While I will admit I'm no expert on the subject, especially given I hadn't seen any fairy-wren until less than a month ago, but I have to disagree with this identification. I find Taronga's birds to be well in line with Variegated and not Purple-Backed. The former can still have purple coloration on the nape/back on either side of the black collar and around the "armpit", whereas the latter has much more extension purple leading onto the crown. Comparing my photos of wild Variegated I saw that same morning outside the zoo with my photograph of the male in the Finch Aviary as well as with photographs from Birds of the World, the features of the zoo's bird (at the least individual I saw) is consistent with Variegated.
I'd be happy to be proven wrong as that would give me a fourth fairy-wren species, but I don't see the evidence pointing in that direction.
~Thylo
I only saw the fairywrens in the Semi-Arid Aviary, I didn't see them in the Finch Aviary. And of the two I saw, I only got good enough views of one to ID it as Purple-backed - the others could well be different. The signage calling them Variegated is technically not incorrect - the Purple-backed was long considered a subspecies of Variegated, but has been split relatively recently.
Admittedly, I am not terribly familiar with identifying species in this species complex, so I could well be wrong, but I certainly thought the bird I saw in the Semi-Arid Aviary looked like a Purple-backed.
Osedax
Well-Known Member
I'll admit I haven't looked too closely at the ones in the Finch Aviary, I think I just assumed that, as there are Purple-backed in the Semi-Arid Aviary, the ones in the Finch Aviary would be too. However this assumption could certainly be entirely incorrect. But I would say that, compared to wild fairy wrens I have seen, of both relevant species, the individuals in the Semi-Arid Aviary are much closer to Purple-backed.
I very much doubt they would have more than one species in the aviary. Wrens have been in private aviculture for a while now, yet their popularity is limited. They are exceedingly aggressive for a bird that size, two species likely would not tolerate the same aviary.
I'd like to see a photo of the birds in the Semi-Arid Aviary if you have one. It would be good to confirm the presence of another species there. That said, and for what it's worth, on ZIMS the complex is still lumped together and the zoo lists all of their birds as nominate lamberti, which is now Variegated. I somewhat doubt they don't breed their various birds together...
~Thylo
Osedax
Well-Known Member
Thank you! This looks like a Variegated to me. My understanding is a Purple-Backed would have the same violet-purple you see around the collar and under the wing in the photographed bird extend from the collar to at least the crown, if not to the bill. It does seem like the degree and depth of purple varies and there are individuals of PC that look similar to the above bird, but there's nothing about that bird that distinguishes it as PC and not Variegated. Given that, I don't really see any cause to think the zoo has misidentified a portion of the fairy-wren group imo.
~Thylo
Article on proposed Sky Safari:
Residents in ritzy suburb furious about iconic zoo attraction
The Taronga Conservation Society has lodged plans for the new Sky Safari cable car with NSW Planning Minister Paul Scully, who will decide whether the project will go ahead.
The society said the higher pylons reflect 'Taronga's commitment to preserve the current tree canopy, including avoiding the need to cut through heritage-listed hoop pines' and would allow for canopy growth.
A Taronga Zoo spokeswoman said the larger gondolas would fit 10 people each, compared with the previous system's six, and have flip-back seats to allow larger wheelchairs and prams.
Full article in link.
Residents in ritzy suburb furious about iconic zoo attraction
The Taronga Conservation Society has lodged plans for the new Sky Safari cable car with NSW Planning Minister Paul Scully, who will decide whether the project will go ahead.
The society said the higher pylons reflect 'Taronga's commitment to preserve the current tree canopy, including avoiding the need to cut through heritage-listed hoop pines' and would allow for canopy growth.
A Taronga Zoo spokeswoman said the larger gondolas would fit 10 people each, compared with the previous system's six, and have flip-back seats to allow larger wheelchairs and prams.
Full article in link.
I visited Taronga yesterday, and had my first failure to see JR since he moved into the new nocturnal house - unfortunately because I had guests with me who had (unsurprisingly) never seen a long-beaked echidna. My impression was that the potoroo population in that enclosure was larger than previously.
I also couldn't see the chudditch, which has been true for the past couple of visits now. I noticed that two nest boxes have been added to that enclosure, so potentially the keepers are experimenting with how to balance viewability against the animal's wellbeing. (But I'm entirely speculating.) I did see the bettong in the glider enclosure, which was great because I'd not seen that animal at all previously despite spending a lot of time in that building to watch JR.
I had a random question for the forum. I think I remember reading that one of Taronga's walkthrough aviaries had a platypus living in the pond (additional to the platypus featured in the nocturnal house). Is that correct or am I totally imagining it? Is it still there? And which aviary? Thanks! And Merry Christmas.
I also couldn't see the chudditch, which has been true for the past couple of visits now. I noticed that two nest boxes have been added to that enclosure, so potentially the keepers are experimenting with how to balance viewability against the animal's wellbeing. (But I'm entirely speculating.) I did see the bettong in the glider enclosure, which was great because I'd not seen that animal at all previously despite spending a lot of time in that building to watch JR.
I had a random question for the forum. I think I remember reading that one of Taronga's walkthrough aviaries had a platypus living in the pond (additional to the platypus featured in the nocturnal house). Is that correct or am I totally imagining it? Is it still there? And which aviary? Thanks! And Merry Christmas.