scallywag2024
Well-Known Member
Does anyone know where the 3 servals went? And where the new binturong came from? I wonder if they imported a new binturong??
Wildlife HQ Zoo Wildlife HQ News 2025
- Thread starter WhistlingKite24
- Start date
Swanson02
Well-Known Member
Wildlife HQ Zoo Visit – Part Three (18/02/2024)
This is the final part of my mini Wildlife HQ Zoo Review/Walkthrough
After visiting the Baboons, we made our way toward the Sun Bear, which I had saved for last. But before reaching her exhibit, we passed a beautifully maintained mixed enclosure housing Black-and-White Ruffed Lemurs and Radiated Tortoises. It’s always a treat to see non-ring-tailed Lemur species, and my girlfriend, a big turtle fan, wanted to point out how much she loved the tortoises.
Black and White Ruffed Lemur / Radiated Tortoise Enclosure
Next, we arrived at the African Wild Dog exhibit, a long and narrow enclosure—this style is common for the species across the region. While well-kept, it wasn’t particularly remarkable. The dogs were basking in the sun near the fence, and when one noticed us, the entire group jumped in unison. I counted seven in total. Seeing them up close, I was struck by their size—their thick heads and torsos are so different from my Kelpie at home!
African Wild Dog Enclosure
Closer to the Sun Bear exhibit was a well-planted enclosure for Red Pandas. I noticed the use of small commercial dog kennels in several exhibits, including those for Red Pandas, Quokkas, Tasmanian Devils, Potoroos, and Rufous Bettongs. Some also had large air fans, like the one in the Rufous Bettong exhibit. I wasn’t sure why—maybe to keep them cool? The Red Pandas had them as well, which made me wonder how effective they actually are in cooling an alpine/temperate species in the Queensland heat or if they were more for visitor reassurance.
Nepalese Red Panda Exhibit and Industrial Cooling Fans
Just before reaching the Sun Bear, we passed a massive mesh enclosure for Squirrel Monkeys. It was so heavily vegetated that you could barely see a meter into it. The size of this enclosure surprised me—it was the second largest closed-top exhibit in the zoo, behind the Siamang habitat. I even wondered if it was originally built with Squirrel Monkeys in mind; it was so spacious you could almost house a Sri Lankan Leopard in there!
Enormous Squirrel Monkey Enclosure!
Finally, we arrived at the Sun Bear exhibit. Unfortunately, Maly was sleeping on a platform, but the enclosure itself was large, well-planted, and had a noticeable amount of toys and enrichment. It was clearly the zoo’s largest exhibit.
Sun Bear Enclosure at Wildlife HQ
As we made our way out, we passed a few exhibits again and came across a couple of heavily forested Cassowary enclosures (was unable to spot any) and a small Rufous Bettong enclosure—once again featuring those dog kennels! We also noticed a large paddock at the top of the zoo leading up to the railway line. I’m not sure if Wildlife HQ owns this land, but it got me thinking about its potential use. The zoo noticeably lacks large megafaunal species—not a single ungulate—so I could see this space being perfect for a few Zebra and an Ostrich or two to start. I’d also love to see them acquire a large cat species, assuming they’re allowed to (like Halls Gap). A Sri Lankan Leopard or a solitary Sumatran Tiger would be ideal—maybe even one from Australia Zoo if they’re looking to free up space. That said, given the direct competition between the two zoos, I’m not sure what their relationship is like.
Cassowary enclosure, Rufous Bettong enclosure and the large paddock dividing Wildlife HQ and The Big Pineapple Complex
Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by Wildlife HQ. Despite visiting the Sunshine Coast many times, I had never been, always choosing Australia Zoo instead—definitely a mistake in hindsight. Wildlife HQ is a solid little zoo in a beautiful tropical setting. The enclosures were relatively spacious, the pathways were scenic, and the upkeep—especially the landscaping—was impressive. My only real complaints were the lack of variety in bird species (Emus were the only birds I saw) and the poor state of the amenities, especially the grotty toilets.
Honestly, the Sunshine Coast feels like it has one zoo split into two, given how close Wildlife HQ and Australia Zoo are (just 25 minutes apart). Are there any other zoos in the region that are in such direct competition? It’s interesting how each zoo lacks what the other has—Australia Zoo is missing small exotic species, particularly primates, while Wildlife HQ lacks large, headline megafauna. If their collections were combined, I think we’d have one of the region’s best zoos. Imagine adding Wildlife HQ’s African species—African Wild Dog, Cape Porcupine, Hamadryas Baboon, and Serval—to Australia Zoo’s African Savannah precinct. It wouldn’t quite match Monarto or Werribee, but it would definitely elevate the experience.
Hope you enjoyed
This is the final part of my mini Wildlife HQ Zoo Review/Walkthrough
After visiting the Baboons, we made our way toward the Sun Bear, which I had saved for last. But before reaching her exhibit, we passed a beautifully maintained mixed enclosure housing Black-and-White Ruffed Lemurs and Radiated Tortoises. It’s always a treat to see non-ring-tailed Lemur species, and my girlfriend, a big turtle fan, wanted to point out how much she loved the tortoises.
Black and White Ruffed Lemur / Radiated Tortoise Enclosure
Next, we arrived at the African Wild Dog exhibit, a long and narrow enclosure—this style is common for the species across the region. While well-kept, it wasn’t particularly remarkable. The dogs were basking in the sun near the fence, and when one noticed us, the entire group jumped in unison. I counted seven in total. Seeing them up close, I was struck by their size—their thick heads and torsos are so different from my Kelpie at home!
African Wild Dog Enclosure
Closer to the Sun Bear exhibit was a well-planted enclosure for Red Pandas. I noticed the use of small commercial dog kennels in several exhibits, including those for Red Pandas, Quokkas, Tasmanian Devils, Potoroos, and Rufous Bettongs. Some also had large air fans, like the one in the Rufous Bettong exhibit. I wasn’t sure why—maybe to keep them cool? The Red Pandas had them as well, which made me wonder how effective they actually are in cooling an alpine/temperate species in the Queensland heat or if they were more for visitor reassurance.
Nepalese Red Panda Exhibit and Industrial Cooling Fans
Just before reaching the Sun Bear, we passed a massive mesh enclosure for Squirrel Monkeys. It was so heavily vegetated that you could barely see a meter into it. The size of this enclosure surprised me—it was the second largest closed-top exhibit in the zoo, behind the Siamang habitat. I even wondered if it was originally built with Squirrel Monkeys in mind; it was so spacious you could almost house a Sri Lankan Leopard in there!
Enormous Squirrel Monkey Enclosure!
Finally, we arrived at the Sun Bear exhibit. Unfortunately, Maly was sleeping on a platform, but the enclosure itself was large, well-planted, and had a noticeable amount of toys and enrichment. It was clearly the zoo’s largest exhibit.
Sun Bear Enclosure at Wildlife HQ
As we made our way out, we passed a few exhibits again and came across a couple of heavily forested Cassowary enclosures (was unable to spot any) and a small Rufous Bettong enclosure—once again featuring those dog kennels! We also noticed a large paddock at the top of the zoo leading up to the railway line. I’m not sure if Wildlife HQ owns this land, but it got me thinking about its potential use. The zoo noticeably lacks large megafaunal species—not a single ungulate—so I could see this space being perfect for a few Zebra and an Ostrich or two to start. I’d also love to see them acquire a large cat species, assuming they’re allowed to (like Halls Gap). A Sri Lankan Leopard or a solitary Sumatran Tiger would be ideal—maybe even one from Australia Zoo if they’re looking to free up space. That said, given the direct competition between the two zoos, I’m not sure what their relationship is like.
Cassowary enclosure, Rufous Bettong enclosure and the large paddock dividing Wildlife HQ and The Big Pineapple Complex
Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by Wildlife HQ. Despite visiting the Sunshine Coast many times, I had never been, always choosing Australia Zoo instead—definitely a mistake in hindsight. Wildlife HQ is a solid little zoo in a beautiful tropical setting. The enclosures were relatively spacious, the pathways were scenic, and the upkeep—especially the landscaping—was impressive. My only real complaints were the lack of variety in bird species (Emus were the only birds I saw) and the poor state of the amenities, especially the grotty toilets.
Honestly, the Sunshine Coast feels like it has one zoo split into two, given how close Wildlife HQ and Australia Zoo are (just 25 minutes apart). Are there any other zoos in the region that are in such direct competition? It’s interesting how each zoo lacks what the other has—Australia Zoo is missing small exotic species, particularly primates, while Wildlife HQ lacks large, headline megafauna. If their collections were combined, I think we’d have one of the region’s best zoos. Imagine adding Wildlife HQ’s African species—African Wild Dog, Cape Porcupine, Hamadryas Baboon, and Serval—to Australia Zoo’s African Savannah precinct. It wouldn’t quite match Monarto or Werribee, but it would definitely elevate the experience.
Hope you enjoyed
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Osedax
Well-Known Member
Featherdale and Sydney Zoo. They are literally three streets apart.
Jaiden
Well-Known Member
@Swanson02 Wow Wildlife hq does look like a good zoo I really want to visit someday but want to go to Taronga first. I hope you enjoyed your visit
Maned wolf transfer:
Toco the Maned wolf has transferred to Adelaide Zoo. Toco was born at Wildlife HQ in July 2024 and has two brothers (Nico and Rocco), who remain at Wildlife HQ along with their parents, Eberado and Eartha.
From Zoos SA newsletter:
Meet eight-month-old Maned Wolf Toco, Adelaide Zoo’s newest resident. Arriving from Wildlife HQ in Queensland last month, Toco has joined 13-year-old Ninka in the leafy Maned Wolf habitat near the Sea Lion lawn.
Toco the Maned wolf has transferred to Adelaide Zoo. Toco was born at Wildlife HQ in July 2024 and has two brothers (Nico and Rocco), who remain at Wildlife HQ along with their parents, Eberado and Eartha.
From Zoos SA newsletter:
Meet eight-month-old Maned Wolf Toco, Adelaide Zoo’s newest resident. Arriving from Wildlife HQ in Queensland last month, Toco has joined 13-year-old Ninka in the leafy Maned Wolf habitat near the Sea Lion lawn.
A few small updates from Wildlife HQ today:
- the new binturong is the former breeding female from Perth, Selasa.
- both quoll enclosures are still vacant. The winter holding for the Radiated Tortoises has been knocked down. The Sugar Glider and outdoor snake enclosure near the baboons are gone as well.
- three small American Alligators are now house outdoors among the older alligator enclosures.
- the two male Red Pandas are now housed side by side opposite the wild dogs. The red panda enclosure behind the Cottontop Tamarins now has a Tasmanian Devil.
- two night monkeys were seen in their exhibit and are still unsigned and settling in. They didn't move from their nest box but remained very visible peering out constantly. They are an excellent addition and hopefully they adapt well.
- Cottontop and Emperor Tamarin infants were good fun to watch. The wild dogs were having a big carcass feed which was thrilling to watch up close as the dominant male took his share among begging and chasing wild dogs
A Northern White-cheeked Gibbon has been born to their pair Tao and Tien. A first for the zoo and Queensland. Simply delightful news for the facility; hopefully their Siamangs follow suit as well - reported on their FB page.
Great news! I suspected this pair would receive a breeding recommendation considering Tao was separated from his previous partner, Jermei, in order to form this pairing. Hopefully she will be successful in producing a surviving infant with her new mate, Kayak, in due course at Perth as well.
I'm intrigued by Wildlife HQ's siamangs - their pair are first cousins I believe, so I'm not sure whether or not breeding is on the cards for them or not. While Auckland's pair of the 1990s/2000s bred prolifically, they are not that well represented - Zain is Irian's only surviving offspring and Sue's offspring are yet to breed, although I believe Orana's infant descends from this line.
That’s correct that Wildlife HQ’s pair of Siamang are cousins. Their respective mothers are both daughters of Armstrong and Fern. I would assume it’s a non-breeding pairing as there’s unrelated pairs in the region that aren’t even breeding.
Auckland’s pair (Itam and Iuri) had the following offspring:
0.1 Peggy (1989)
0.1 Sue (1991)
1.0 Ipoh (1993) Exported 2002
0.1 Iebe (1995) Died 2004
1.0 Irian (2001)
1.0 Iwani (2003) Died 2015
0.1 Iberani (2003) Died 2003
Sue’s eldest son (Intan) is paired with a non-viable female, so will likely never breed.
Peggy produced three offspring with her mate Oscar at Orana Wildlife Park. One of her daughters remains there and has indeed produced her first infant with an imported male. Another daughter (Kasih) is at Hamilton Zoo and paired with an unrelated male (but no offspring as of yet).
While the gibbon infant is yet to be sexed, they have been named Xoai Nhi (pronounced 'swah knee'), meaning 'little mango'.
Reported on Facebook.