Melbourne Zoo The Future of Zoos Victoria 2025 (Speculation/Fantasy)

[Jambo]

I believe they are most likely redeveloping a lot of the elephants area anyway from the sounds of it, so probably not so cost prohibitive compared to current plans anyway. New fencing, planting and an aerial path.

Again - I don't think it is the best move anyway. With Melbourne's lack of space overall, any planned expansion of Gorillas at Zoos Vic would be better off at Werribee. I'd love to see Baboons moved to current Gorilla enclosure (edit: at WORZ), and Gorillas moved to a new enclosure down in the wooded area beside the river (I doubt this will happen as I am sure Zoos Vic want this to remain a native nature walk). But I would love to see the Gorillas in a forest, potentially with an aerial path for the public to view them in the space.

This is true I think we can expect a lot of new exhibits in the space of the current elephant complex. Considering the current complex (especially the BOH area) is beginning to age a renovation at least would be welcomed.

There's a lot of space at Werribee to work with; I've always thought a large baboon colony numbering in the 30's or 40's would look amazing on the gorilla island.

 

[Jambo]

Does anyone know what would happen to the old Asian Elephant exhibit. Im hoping for a new Animal or a new Tiger exhibits or the Forest of Wonder gets a full revamp. But I probably won’t happen

Will likely be a variety of new animal/exhibits so I would encourage you to simply stay tuned. The areas redevelopment will take some time.

Melbourne currently already have two tiger exhibits (albeit at opposite ends of the zoo) and an impressive BTS complex so I'm inclined to say they won't but it's possible when you consider the age of their current exhibit. They may also be willing to develop a more suitable, modern day breeding complex.

 

[Tiger91]

Will likely be a variety of new animal/exhibits so I would encourage you to simply stay tuned. The areas redevelopment will take some time.

Melbourne currently already have two tiger exhibits (albeit at opposite ends of the zoo) and an impressive BTS complex so I'm inclined to say they won't but it's possible when you consider the age of their current exhibit. They may also be willing to develop a more suitable, modern day breeding complex.

Tiger cubs would almost have the same pull as elephant cubs. Especially given the time since the last lot Melbourne had. However i think upgrading the tigers could be done once the elephant area has been redeveloped. It's not like the zoo doesn't have empty exhibits that they could move species around in then pick one of the tiger exhibits and redeveloped that enclosure and those around it for tigers.

If they were smart. Redeveloping the Elephants area nicely. Then capitalizing on the income and increase in visitors to then redeveloped and redo a tiger exhibit/complex, that results in cubs. would actually ensure both redevelopments attract crowds and income possibly effectively paying themselves of, or at least making the investment worth it.

 

[The Sleepy Hippo]

Will likely be a variety of new animal/exhibits so I would encourage you to simply stay tuned. The areas redevelopment will take some time.

Melbourne currently already have two tiger exhibits (albeit at opposite ends of the zoo) and an impressive BTS complex so I'm inclined to say they won't but it's possible when you consider the age of their current exhibit. They may also be willing to develop a more suitable, modern day breeding complex.

I'd hope they do build a second Tiger exhibit in Forest of Wonders, and upgrade the existing facilities there. This can allow a new different species to take over Indrah's exhibit.

 

[Zoofan15]

Tiger cubs would almost have the same pull as elephant cubs. Especially given the time since the last lot Melbourne had. However i think upgrading the tigers could be done once the elephant area has been redeveloped. It's not like the zoo doesn't have empty exhibits that they could move species around in then pick one of the tiger exhibits and redeveloped that enclosure and those around it for tigers.

If they were smart. Redeveloping the Elephants area nicely. Then capitalizing on the income and increase in visitors to then redeveloped and redo a tiger exhibit/complex, that results in cubs. would actually ensure both redevelopments attract crowds and income possibly effectively paying themselves of, or at least making the investment worth it.

I'd hope they do build a second Tiger exhibit in Forest of Wonders, and upgrade the existing facilities there. This can allow a new different species to take over Indrah's exhibit.

In addition to upgrading their facilities, I really hope Melbourne Zoo give consideration to importing a breeding pair of Sumatran tigers from overseas. They have the resources to do so and it would result in breeding recommendations being given, resulting in cubs, which as you say are a huge draw for the zoo.

With the elephants gone, Melbourne’s biggest draw cards are undoubtedly the Sumatran tiger, Snow leopard and Western lowland gorilla.

 

[Jambo]

Tiger cubs would almost have the same pull as elephant cubs. Especially given the time since the last lot Melbourne had. However i think upgrading the tigers could be done once the elephant area has been redeveloped. It's not like the zoo doesn't have empty exhibits that they could move species around in then pick one of the tiger exhibits and redeveloped that enclosure and those around it for tigers.

If they were smart. Redeveloping the Elephants area nicely. Then capitalizing on the income and increase in visitors to then redeveloped and redo a tiger exhibit/complex, that results in cubs. would actually ensure both redevelopments attract crowds and income possibly effectively paying themselves of, or at least making the investment worth it.

I'd hope they do build a second Tiger exhibit in Forest of Wonders, and upgrade the existing facilities there. This can allow a new different species to take over Indrah's exhibit.

With the ages of Melbourne's two current tigers, I do think that they could afford to do this. They could simply move Hutan across to the Carnivores precinct, where he could rotate on display with his sister. They have a good amount of BTS exhibits there too; which have been used by the Snow Leopards in the past.

After completing an extension with a new exhibit they could acquire a new breeding pair and resume breeding, leaving the two ageing tigers in Carnivores with the hope of replacing them with another species once they pass on.

Considering the popularity of Melbourne's tiger cubs in the past, I'm sure the public will be incredibly keen to see another litter born - Melbourne's really lacked baby animals in general over the last decade.

Since the beginning of 2016 the following keystone animals have not bred;

Gorillas
Pygmy Hippos
White Cheeked Gibbon
Orangutans
Tigers
Giraffes
Lions
Red Panda
Seals

Although I acknowledge a lot of those species aren't being bred due to a variety of reasons it's a shame when you consider the 'biggest' births we've essentially had at Melbourne in that time period have been the Snow Leopard cubs or the array of Baboon infants.

 

[The Sleepy Hippo]

Not meerkats? @Zoofan15

Complete aside (other than two function rooms - Bong Su and Leopard Lodge) the only new cafe at Melbourne Zoo since the 80s/90s is the one near the Railgate - name unsure. It was named for the African Wild Dogs at one point.

All others existed already - may have been upgraded, but definitely existed and marked on the map. Playgrounds have popped up, but why do people also complain about new cafes/eateries?

 

[Jambo]

Not meerkats?

Complete aside (other than two function rooms - Bong Su and Leopard Lodge) the only new cafe at Melbourne Zoo since the 80s/90s is the one near the Railgate - name unsure. It was named for the African Wild Dogs at one point.

All others existed already - may have been upgraded, but definitely existed and marked on the map. Playgrounds have popped up, but why do people also complain about new cafes/eateries?

I certainly wouldn't consider Meerkats a 'noteworthy' birth. But perhaps for Melbourne we could add them to the list. Every other zoo has them breeding like rabbits but Melbourne will welcome a litter every decade and proudly proclaim their latest additions all over socials for months.

Yes the cafe was named AWD Cafe, but I do think it's changed its name since. It's not even labelled on the map anymore. The cafe at Growing Wild is new though isn't it? Or at least it opened with Growing Wild. I feel like there's enough food locations across the zoo - especially when you consider they have a large food court too.

 

[Zoofan15]

With the ages of Melbourne's two current tigers, I do think that they could afford to do this. They could simply move Hutan across to the Carnivores precinct, where he could rotate on display with his sister. They have a good amount of BTS exhibits there too; which have been used by the Snow Leopards in the past.

After completing an extension with a new exhibit they could acquire a new breeding pair and resume breeding, leaving the two ageing tigers in Carnivores with the hope of replacing them with another species once they pass on.

Considering the popularity of Melbourne's tiger cubs in the past, I'm sure the public will be incredibly keen to see another litter born - Melbourne's really lacked baby animals in general over the last decade.

Since the beginning of 2016 the following keystone animals have not bred;

Gorillas
Pygmy Hippos
White Cheeked Gibbon
Orangutans
Tigers
Giraffes
Lions
Red Panda
Seals

Although I acknowledge a lot of those species aren't being bred due to a variety of reasons it's a shame when you consider the 'biggest' births we've essentially had at Melbourne in that time period have been the Snow Leopard cubs or the array of Baboon infants.

Melbourne Zoo has undeniably had a lull in high profile births; though the current state of affairs suggests the next 10 years could be very eventful:

The zoo has a young breeding pair of giraffe; and an older female of reproductive age, who has had a non-surviving calf (indicating attempts to breed).

The Hippopotamus IRA will hopefully lead to the import of a female Pygmy hippopotamus in the next year or two (with breeding commencing).

The Western lowland gorilla troop will hopefully receive two females in the next year or so, with breeding then recommencing.

The orangutan colony could see the arrival of a new female following an expansion to the exhibit.

 

[Jambo]

Melbourne Zoo has undeniably had a lull in high profile births; though the current state of affairs suggests the next 10 years could be very eventful:

The zoo has a young breeding pair of giraffe; and an older female of reproductive age, who has had a non-surviving calf (indicating attempts to breed).

The Hippopotamus IRA will hopefully lead to the import of a female Pygmy hippopotamus in the next year or two (with breeding commencing).

The Western lowland gorilla troop will hopefully receive two females in the next year or so, with breeding then recommencing.

The orangutan colony could see the arrival of a new female following an expansion to the exhibit.

Back to the species I mentioned, it's a shame Melbourne have gone down the route of no longer breeding and electing to being a 'non breeding facility' with a lot of their species they currently hold. This is all good and well, but when your essentially a facility like that for majority of the animals that you have it does get quite annoying when you take account the breeding powerhouse that Melbourne once was.

Once those species you mention start breeding, I feel like Melbourne's popularity will start to pick back up again. Even for myself; with the little changes Melbourne's had animal wise and collection wise, I've found very little reason to visit Melbourne as often as I used to. Moving towards acquiring female pygmy hippos and gorillas would be a good start imo.

 

[Zoofan15]

Not meerkats? @Zoofan15

Complete aside (other than two function rooms - Bong Su and Leopard Lodge) the only new cafe at Melbourne Zoo since the 80s/90s is the one near the Railgate - name unsure. It was named for the African Wild Dogs at one point.

All others existed already - may have been upgraded, but definitely existed and marked on the map. Playgrounds have popped up, but why do people also complain about new cafes/eateries?

I certainly wouldn't consider Meerkats a 'noteworthy' birth. But perhaps for Melbourne we could add them to the list. Every other zoo has them breeding like rabbits but Melbourne will welcome a litter every decade and proudly proclaim their latest additions all over socials for months.

Yes the cafe was named AWD Cafe, but I do think it's changed its name since. It's not even labelled on the map anymore. The cafe at Growing Wild is new though isn't it? Or at least it opened with Growing Wild. I feel like there's enough food locations across the zoo - especially when you consider they have a large food court too.

Meerkats aren’t noteworthy for me! Though Wellington Zoo report their otter posts (they don’t even breed) hit the highest engagement on socials, so I imagine after the elephants, meerkat babies would be up there for Melbourne Zoo.

On the subject of otters, they did breed a litter back in 2020, which would have been a boost for the zoo’s social media engagement; but aren’t a draw card in their own right in the same way cubs of Snow leopard or Sumatran tiger are.

Gorilla infants are the biggest paradox. People flock following the announcement of the birth to see a newborn, barely visible against the tight grip of its mother. The baby becomes far more engaging 3-6 months later when it begins crawling; and even more so once it reaches the perpetually active playful 1-3 years.

 

[Jambo]

Gorilla infants are the biggest paradox. People flock following the announcement of the birth to see a newborn, barely visible against the tight grip of its mother. The baby becomes far more engaging 3-6 months later when it begins crawling; and even more so once it reaches the perpetually active playful 1-3 years.

Well when you haven't seen a little one in more than a decade I can understand the excitement!

Kanzi was incredibly popular, much like Mzuri was three decades before her. Once Buzandi and Bambuti were born in the 90's, the hype had semi died down but the trio of youngsters born in 1999/2000 provided a new phenomen for zoo visitors. It's not everyday you get to see three gorilla infants all born five months apart and being peer raised!

I personally will make sure to visit as soon as I can when the next gorilla infant is born. The same can be said for the new elephant complex at Werribee which has given me a reason to visit Werribee much sooner than I otherwise would have.

 

[Zoofan15]

Well when you haven't seen a little one in more than a decade I can understand the excitement!

Kanzi was incredibly popular, much like Mzuri was three decades before her. Once Buzandi and Bambuti were born in the 90's, the hype had semi died down but the trio of youngsters born in 1999/2000 provided a new phenomen for zoo visitors. It's not everyday you get to see three gorilla infants all born five months apart and being peer raised!

I personally will make sure to visit as soon as I can when the next gorilla infant is born. The same can be said for the new elephant complex at Werribee which has given me a reason to visit Werribee much sooner than I otherwise would have.

I would put elephants in the same boat in that they have a long childhood. Melbourne Zoo gave the advice following the birth of their latest cohort that due to the crowds, some people might prefer waiting a few months for the hype to die down - given the calves would still remain small/cute for sometime to come.

By circumstance, I took that advice in that I visited when the oldest calves were 12 months old. They were reliably on exhibit on every visit (as opposed to newborns, which need rest); and the paths weren’t congested with visitors to an insane degree. They were just as engaging, if not more so at that age.

Similar to the gorilla infants, the hype surrounding the first calf (Mali) in 2010 was unmatched; with Sanook and Man Jai proving popular, but nothing to compare to the level of interest their predecessors drew.

 

[Jambo]

I would put elephants in the same boat in that they have a long childhood. Melbourne Zoo gave the advice following the birth of their latest cohort that due to the crowds, some people might prefer waiting a few months for the hype to die down - given the calves would still remain small/cute for sometime to come.

By circumstance, I took that advice in that I visited when the oldest calves were 12 months old. They were reliably on exhibit on every visit (as opposed to newborns, which need rest); and the paths weren’t congested with visitors to an insane degree. They were just as engaging, if not more so at that age.

Similar to the gorilla infants, the hype surrounding the first calf (Mali) in 2010 was unmatched; with Sanook and Man Jai proving popular, but nothing to compare to the level of interest their predecessors drew.

Absolutely. Even with the recent trio of calves, there was nowhere near as much hype/interest compared to when Mali and Ongard were born.

I remember having to wait ages just to get a quick glimpse of Mali in the paddock before we were ushered on by volunteers. To be fair, this was mere weeks after she was born from memory and they were also limiting how many people could view the elephants still at that time.

Equally I always recall the Gorilla viewing window always being a popular congestion spot (even when there were no young offspring within the troop). This was back when they had a large, engaging troop - nowadays the exhibit seems to be a shell of itself and I've often found myself surprisingly being the only one at the viewing window!

 

[The Sleepy Hippo]

I certainly wouldn't consider Meerkats a 'noteworthy' birth. But perhaps for Melbourne we could add them to the list. Every other zoo has them breeding like rabbits but Melbourne will welcome a litter every decade and proudly proclaim their latest additions all over socials for months.

Yes the cafe was named AWD Cafe, but I do think it's changed its name since. It's not even labelled on the map anymore. The cafe at Growing Wild is new though isn't it? Or at least it opened with Growing Wild. I feel like there's enough food locations across the zoo - especially when you consider they have a large food court too.

There are maps from the 90s (maybe 80s) that show a cafe marked there. I'm sure it was built anew when Growing Wild was developed, but a cafe is marked on the map. (I have little memory of that part of the Zoo as in the 90s I exclusively entered via the Railgate, and have much clearer memories of that half of the zoo.

 

[The Sleepy Hippo]

Absolutely. Even with the recent trio of calves, there was nowhere near as much hype/interest compared to when Mali and Ongard were born.

I remember having to wait ages just to get a quick glimpse of Mali in the paddock before we were ushered on by volunteers. To be fair, this was mere weeks after she was born from memory and they were also limiting how many people could view the elephants still at that time.

Equally I always recall the Gorilla viewing window always being a popular congestion spot (even when there were no young offspring within the troop). This was back when they had a large, engaging troop - nowadays the exhibit seems to be a shell of itself and I've often found myself surprisingly being the only one at the viewing window!

Kimya's death is a tragedy, but the silverlining is that Melbourne's troop might experience a much needed renewal far sooner than if she were still alive. (Sad as it is to say)

 

[Zoofan15]

Kimya's death is a tragedy, but the silverlining is that Melbourne's troop might experience a much needed renewal far sooner than if she were still alive. (Sad as it is to say)

Very true. From a welfare perspective, it’s unacceptable for Kanzi to remain with her father in a 1.1 pair so either females from Taronga will be brought over or females will be imported.

A key deciding factor would be Taronga’s intentions around continuing with the species. By transferring Frala and Mbeli to Melbourne (and Johari to Mogo), they could reduce their holdings to a bachelor troop. If they wish to continue with gorillas, they’ll likely want to retain Mbeli and so Melbourne’s only option for sourcing females would be to import.

 

[Zoofan15]

There are maps from the 90s (maybe 80s) that show a cafe marked there. I'm sure it was built anew when Growing Wild was developed, but a cafe is marked on the map. (I have little memory of that part of the Zoo as in the 90s I exclusively entered via the Railgate, and have much clearer memories of that half of the zoo.

I don’t know how new it is, but it is indeed marked as ‘kiosk’ on the 1992 map and 2009 map; and is in the exact same location on the current map.

I called in there briefly on one of my visits to look for hand sanitiser as the plethora of hand sanitiser stations around the zoo (left over from Covid) were all empty.

 

[Jambo]

There are maps from the 90s (maybe 80s) that show a cafe marked there. I'm sure it was built anew when Growing Wild was developed, but a cafe is marked on the map. (I have little memory of that part of the Zoo as in the 90s I exclusively entered via the Railgate, and have much clearer memories of that half of the zoo.

It was certainly a newly built cafe when Growing Wild was built so I'm thinking it might be the old one which has since been heavily renovated, or a completely new one built on the site of the old one; which I too can't remember too well.

Here's a photo of the current cafe for reference;

 

[Tiger91]

Absolutely. Even with the recent trio of calves, there was nowhere near as much hype/interest compared to when Mali and Ongard were born.

I remember having to wait ages just to get a quick glimpse of Mali in the paddock before we were ushered on by volunteers. To be fair, this was mere weeks after she was born from memory and they were also limiting how many people could view the elephants still at that time.

Equally I always recall the Gorilla viewing window always being a popular congestion spot (even when there were no young offspring within the troop). This was back when they had a large, engaging troop - nowadays the exhibit seems to be a shell of itself and I've often found myself surprisingly being the only one at the viewing window!

The thing with gorillas is that the larger the troop the more engaging they are. Melbournes troop of 3 now 2, has lost most of the engagement a larger troop especially one with infants has. Even a bachelor troop with 5 or 6 males would be more eventful and engaging.

Hopefully we will see a new litter of snow leopards again sometime in the future. They are an importable species and there is a few holders still. So hopefully Melbourne will continue with this species.