Werribee Open Range Zoo werribee animals

animal kid

Well-Known Member
im just wondering but how many species does werribee actually have i don't think it's that many and what animals do they want to acquire and when for there new expansion plan?
 
try their website

Zoo Victorias website isn't very good for those sort of things anymore... It just has highlight animals.

Off the top of my head I can think of...
Meerkat
Emu
Brolga
Some sort of macropod
Zebra
Waterbuck
Ostrich
Vervet Monkey
Lion
Hippo
Cheetah
Wild dog
Serval (although I don't know if they're on display)
White Rhino
Giraffe
Dromedary camel
Addax
Scimitar horned oryx
Bison
Prwzalski?? (why do I even bother trying to spell it. LOL) horse
Eland
Some reptiles, bugs and farm animals in the african village and information centre as well.
 
there are a few other odds and ends from memory - all doomed for regional extinction or willingly being phased out.

in addition there is:

a sable bull (who was supposed to be exported to NZ but i don't think it ever happened)
a red deer doe,
possibly still one white-tail deer,
congo buffalo pair
small herd of kudu cows
small blackbuck herd
and an elderly pair of chital


sadly, poor management (in the form of castration of males) left the congo buffalo, kudu, chital and blackbuck herds all unbreedable and in the case of the kudu and buffalo - irreplaceable.

the recent change in management will hopefully see the collection "bulked up" again with non african ungulate species in the future.

banteng, asian buffalo, balckbuck and numerous deer species (that the zoo used to maintain) can all be reacquired.

worth mentioning is that they also have a few rare watusi cattle. which, whilst being a domestic species are a rather exotic looking african breed nonetheless.
 
Thanks, PAT and phoenix - that's the sort of information zoo websites should give us, but rarely do.

Zoo websites which don't include an inventory or listing of the species at that particular zoo are all too common and hardly worth looking at.
 
also i was told the blackbuck are breeding and also are the baboons and porcupines still moving to werribee

and i their any gemsbok is aus because i thought that werribee wanted some?
 
No, there are no gemsbok in Australia any more - the only gemsbok that I'm aware were ever in Australia were at Pearl Coast Zoo in Broome many years ago, and have long ago died out.

They are a brilliant looking antelope, but if Werribee or any other zoo wanted them it would take a lot of money, infuence with the right people and patience to get them.
(There's probably more chance of legally importing cocaine!)
 
Hey I'm still impressed that Werribee has Watusi cattle. Are they a going concern, and are they the only examples in Australia?
 
I believe there are some privately owned watusi in South Australia at the rare breeds farm, not sure about anywhere else.
 
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If they had a bull they would probobly castrate him.

Many Australian zoos seem hell bent on stopping animals breeding untill they all die of old age.
 
If they had a bull they would probobly castrate him.

Many Australian zoos seem hell bent on stopping animals breeding untill they all die of old age.

Beat me to it... I was thinking 'yet again another breeding group', even if they are unusual domestics.
 
The watusi cattle were destined for the Korral in the village between the lions and hippos but got a bigt field paddock instead.
 
Servals should be on display in coming months.. new species of Giraffe *should* be coming out tomorrow ish, but there is a small chance of a delay for some small, not major reasons :p Plans for black rhinos, gorillas and in the long term, asian elephants.. and I *think* baboons. also, some VERY VERY VERY small talk of Koalas. (I'm talking bees dick here..)
 
Thanks for the info. Are the giraffes pure rothschilds, pure anything or your general hybrids?
 
From memory one is rothschild and the other is a mix of three. :) Though my memory is pretty poor ;)
 
No probs. And I may be off a little about the release. They need to be introduced to the other two first, which has been slowly happening the past few days (just bringing them closer) so it'll all depend on that, but I'd say early June.. late at the LATEST. They have been a little unpredictable!
 
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