Ungulates in Australia
- Thread starter Ara
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The information on the source of the founding pair came from an old Taronga guidebook which I've had for years and was confirmed to me by Peter Newman who was an ungulate keeper at Taronga back in the Hallstrom era.
I've gotta be honest (and probably blow my credibility) by admitting that I'm only ASSUMING that there has been no fresh blood since then. Iam certain , however ,that Taronga was the source for all other zoos in the region.
I've gotta be honest (and probably blow my credibility) by admitting that I'm only ASSUMING that there has been no fresh blood since then. Iam certain , however ,that Taronga was the source for all other zoos in the region.
Peter Newman also told me that Sir Edward Hallstrom arrived once when he (Peter) was attending to the blackbuck, which in those days were kept in two adjoining concrete floored yards which were not all that spacious.
"How many blackbuck have we got now, Peter?" asked Sir Edward.
"94, Sir Edward", replied Peter.
"Hmm",said Sir Edward, "Let's try for 100, eh?"
(How times have changed!)
"How many blackbuck have we got now, Peter?" asked Sir Edward.
"94, Sir Edward", replied Peter.
"Hmm",said Sir Edward, "Let's try for 100, eh?"
(How times have changed!)
It strikes me that I was a bit hard on old Sir Edward Hallstrom a few posts back --- after all, he was a product of his time --- so I'm gonna be a real stirrer now and say that what Aussie zoos need today is another Sir Edward and a few less "academics".
Sir Edward was a seriously rich man, a total zoo nut, a guy who was not shy about spending his fortune on Australian zoos. He was also totally "hands-on."( A bit too hands-on. He was blind in one eye from having been kicked by one of Taronga's giraffes.)
Although Taronga was his local zoo, he was equally generous to Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth zoos, supplying them all with animals at his own expense.
He had his faults, of course. He was a bit of a publicity hound, and he had some unusual ideas on animal keeping, but he sure did get results!
Sir Edward was a seriously rich man, a total zoo nut, a guy who was not shy about spending his fortune on Australian zoos. He was also totally "hands-on."( A bit too hands-on. He was blind in one eye from having been kicked by one of Taronga's giraffes.)
Although Taronga was his local zoo, he was equally generous to Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth zoos, supplying them all with animals at his own expense.
He had his faults, of course. He was a bit of a publicity hound, and he had some unusual ideas on animal keeping, but he sure did get results!
Aw, I just threw that academics crack in to be a bit outrageous and to maintain my image as a grumpy old @#$%^& !!
( Runs up white flag !!)
Actually, I think Aussie zoos are run exceptionally well. We have the expertise but a few big donors would sure be welcome.
I just wish that some of the rich people in this country were interested in other animals apart from racehorses.
( Runs up white flag !!)
Actually, I think Aussie zoos are run exceptionally well. We have the expertise but a few big donors would sure be welcome.
I just wish that some of the rich people in this country were interested in other animals apart from racehorses.
most of our big zoos are three quarters of the way through this slow, difficult and expensive process of needing to completely redevelop virtually all their exhibits. the process has been in action here in melbourne since the very late eighties and in about 5-8 years time i predict they should be pretty much done.
when that happens - and the entire zoo becomes "modernised" i'm hoping that will free up a bit of money to focus more on animal aquisitions (which will be needed since by then we will probably have a lot fewer animals), simpler breeding facilities and conservation initiatives.
still, no doubt by then we might be into exhibits on an even grander scale!, so in fact we may be continuing to rebuild our zoos for eternity...
when that happens - and the entire zoo becomes "modernised" i'm hoping that will free up a bit of money to focus more on animal aquisitions (which will be needed since by then we will probably have a lot fewer animals), simpler breeding facilities and conservation initiatives.
still, no doubt by then we might be into exhibits on an even grander scale!, so in fact we may be continuing to rebuild our zoos for eternity...
thats about right. most of our Australian zoos budget on exhibits lasting for around 20 years. however exhibits which attracted higher levels of capital investment in the first place are expected to last much longer, think Taronga's snow leopard, chimp etc, and to use contemporary examples wild asia and at Melbourne Trail of the Elephants.
i imagine that most of the newer exhibit across all the regions zoos should last more than 2 decades, no just in terms of the physical infrastrucutre but also the design phiosophies which guided their development.
i mean, Melbourne's gorilla forest exhibit must remain responsive to future regional planning goals, think p. hippo and guenon, but all in all, that exhibit has some very timeless qualities which will last for decades to come.
i think the less fake rock, brickwork etc the better. after all, trees, hidden moats and water barriers borrow from nature, which is timeless.
it is nice to see our zoos emerging into this more progressive era. though for one, id like to get down to adelaide before it gets completely done-up, just so i know what it looked like once upon a time
i imagine that most of the newer exhibit across all the regions zoos should last more than 2 decades, no just in terms of the physical infrastrucutre but also the design phiosophies which guided their development.
i mean, Melbourne's gorilla forest exhibit must remain responsive to future regional planning goals, think p. hippo and guenon, but all in all, that exhibit has some very timeless qualities which will last for decades to come.
i think the less fake rock, brickwork etc the better. after all, trees, hidden moats and water barriers borrow from nature, which is timeless.
it is nice to see our zoos emerging into this more progressive era. though for one, id like to get down to adelaide before it gets completely done-up, just so i know what it looked like once upon a time
sorry to be my usual mr negative, but id'e have to disagree with you on that one glyn. i think the elephant exhibits will date very fast. it wont take long for the public to start crying too small again..(in fact i think a few already are!)
too true! its been around for coming up for twenty years and is still IMO melbournes best represention of a "modern exhibit" with the best immersion by far. i think $10,000 would make it spectacular, but its fine as is nontheless...
and aint that the truth!! one of the reasons melbourne gorilla exhibit has aged so well. its predominatntly just a mimick of nature. interestingly when i say it could do with a $10,000 refurb, i would spend the majority of that money removing or hiding the few bits of fake rock there is....
nature is timeless. so i wonder how some of the newer exhibits heavily influenced by the cultural-themeing trend will age?..
i like cultural themes, they work wonderfully at immersing humans in a way thats relevant to them (most d**kheads can get an african or asian "vibe" from buildings, but probably not from a garden or even animals). but i think at the moment the zoos do overdo it quite a bit. so many buildings take away from the wild feeling of place, not something i thought was desireable. certainly, i don't feel much like i'm in a rainforest at melbournes elephants or orangutans - the early to mid 90's exhibits however (gorillas, pygmy hippo, tigers and otters)....now thats a rainforest!
the new orangutan exhibit for example. parts of it are fantastic, but other elements just seem, well, a bit boring. for starters its surrounded by a tall concrete wall. its been artistically "aged" (isn't that ironic? we have gone from old concrete walls to demolishing them in favour of hidden moats, back to concrete walls again and not only that we even paint them to look old!!!) but it still looks like a big high ugly wall to me. there is even an obvious set of concrete steps in the back of the exhibit..
i think in a few years, when the excitement rubs off a bit, i think we will compare the orangs to the gorillas and still think the older gorilla exhibit is better...
(Note: other posts about Orangutan Enclosures moved to this thread: http://www.zoobeat.com/2/orangutan-enclosures-8240/ )
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on the trail of the elephants comment im going to stick up for melbourne and say that whilst i guess i would like to see the size of the exhibit expanded in the future, as weve already discussed, i still think the exhibit is well designed, including the cultural theming, horticulture and husbandary aspects.
although im sure things could be improved, its not every day an australian zoo builds a new elephant exhibit so obvioulsy some mistakes were bound to occur.
to the future....and whilst some people are saying too small, i guess there are always going to be people who are critical and say that zoos are too small. and i have to agree, after all, they arent the wild.
although im sure things could be improved, its not every day an australian zoo builds a new elephant exhibit so obvioulsy some mistakes were bound to occur.
to the future....and whilst some people are saying too small, i guess there are always going to be people who are critical and say that zoos are too small. and i have to agree, after all, they arent the wild.
Yep, Taronga had them.
Founders were two pair received from Britain (Duke of Bedford) in 1949.
Ten years later they had bred sufficiently for Taronga to send a small group to Melbourne and a single (spare) buck to Adelaide. He was returned to Taronga for breeding purposes in 1963.
The herd went well, and were kept in the vicinity of what is now the "free- flight bird show" until Western Plains opened in the late 1970's, at which time they were all sent to Dubbo.
Since then I suppose lack of fresh blood has been the end of them.
(just thought there might have been a last remnant somewhere.)
Founders were two pair received from Britain (Duke of Bedford) in 1949.
Ten years later they had bred sufficiently for Taronga to send a small group to Melbourne and a single (spare) buck to Adelaide. He was returned to Taronga for breeding purposes in 1963.
The herd went well, and were kept in the vicinity of what is now the "free- flight bird show" until Western Plains opened in the late 1970's, at which time they were all sent to Dubbo.
Since then I suppose lack of fresh blood has been the end of them.
(just thought there might have been a last remnant somewhere.)
interesting.. we had a thread running here about species no longer in the region. it's always of interest to me.
theres all sorts of odd deer still round the place. werribee still have a single doe white-tailed deer and a red deer i belive - but none are on display in classic werribee fasion..
monarto have a single chamois too i think. no doubt from wild caught feral NZ stock.
for awhile now werribee have been headed towards having nothing non-african but
p. horses and bison, phasing-out the blackbuck, chital, sambar and asian buffalo that once called the "asian grasslands" exhibit home...
theres all sorts of odd deer still round the place. werribee still have a single doe white-tailed deer and a red deer i belive - but none are on display in classic werribee fasion..
monarto have a single chamois too i think. no doubt from wild caught feral NZ stock.
for awhile now werribee have been headed towards having nothing non-african but
p. horses and bison, phasing-out the blackbuck, chital, sambar and asian buffalo that once called the "asian grasslands" exhibit home...