A look at the Melbourne Zoo masterplan » Melbourne Zoo

08-04-2008

not much i presume

08-04-2008

13....................but reads a lot!

08-04-2008

on that note, what happened to the giant gourami in the "elephant research station"... he was cool.[/quote]

Yeah and the interaction screens have gone

08-04-2008

Thank you very much, hopefully i shall find more friends here than in school (i have much trouble in school)

08-04-2008

who reads what? and 13, 14 What?

08-04-2008

I think I've mixed up clouded leopards with leopard cats. From memory, i thought there were leopard cats in the small-cats area, though i may be completely wrong. If there is leopard cats at the Melbourne Zoo, then, under this proposal, they could be housed in a sufficiently refurbished otter exhibit suitable for displaying cats (and ultimately prevent them from escaping).

I suggested that a Sun bears exhibit could be developed to simply make use of that currently unoccupied area and to "complete" the SE Asian rainforest. I personally would prefer the suggestion of the area being used for the development of a chimpanzee exhibit; as it would establish Melbourne Zoo as one of the best locations in the world to see the great apes, and complement the african rainforest.

The tree shrews would be housed in a smallish exhibit, so if they did die, the exhibit could simply be converted into another avairy or be removed.

08-04-2008

I do like the idea of developing primate islands within the Asian rainforest and would be happy to see the Asian lake used for this or the riverbanks exhibits (I would basically just want to see the Asian lake used for something).

I have been aware that the zoo are phasing out tapirs, so it was more of an optimistic suggestion as I quite like the tapirs. I can't see why M. Zoo couldn't just reverse their stance and get some tapirs (or have they still got one?). There is certainly enough land to build a quality exhibit.

The reason why I would prefer the Asian lake to be developed into a riverbanks themed area is because it would a) Give Melbourne Zoo a unique exhibit b) Would greatly expand the SE Asian rainforests animal collection with the inclusion of fishing cats, reptiles, fish, water birds and (possibly) tapirs c) Allow for the M. Zoo to utilise the area between the tigers & elephants to be developed into an extended aboreal primates precinct, thus keeping most of the primates in the same area while being developed into two sections.

If the islands were used to house the gibbons and langurs, what should the area between the tigers and elephants be developed into (considering the goal of building more spacious aboreal primates exhibits would be easily meet without taking up any of the additional land, as the tree-top walk would feature only 5 species instead of 7)?

08-04-2008

there are no leopard cats in any Australian Zoo/
I love Tapirs too but they suffer chronic eye problems in this country. the program got off to a good start in the 1990s with Adelaide and Taronga Zoo importing 4 unrelated founders and both breeding them but by the ealry 2000's it became clear this species was having trouble in the Australian sunlight. The female at Melbourne Zoo, Semangka was born at Taronga.
Javan Langurs and Lion-taileD Macaques are both being phased out in Australian zoos to allow all the zoos to focus on Francois Langurs....initiating this program in itself is a minefield of negotiations as to source new blood for the sub-species program Australian zoos must look to China; Patrick has pointed out their is somewhat of a clause in that any zoo must accept a pair-as these animals live in multiple female groups this would result in a bachelor group needing to be formed and the number of animals released from China is limited-severely handicapping IMO the viability of this program.
Your other ideas are good though

08-04-2008

Mmmm... I really thought last time i was at the zoo (in February) there was a species of cat in the first exhibit coming from the central path, that was not the fishing cat, golden cat, bobcat or serval; a species i hadn't previously seen at Melbourne. I'll just have to go back to check!

08-04-2008

or save yourself the bother and check www.isis.org

09-04-2008

i'm pretty sure melbourne zoo DID once have leopard cats. it also has had caracals and ocelots not that long ago, as well as the current fishing cats, bobcat, golden cats and servals it displays.

however as far as i know, leopard cats haven't been at the zoo for quite a few years now.

the tapir at melbourne is held off display. as far as i'm concerned the eye problem is something melbourne hardly addressed from the start. thats based on the fact that i saw that animal displayed in full sun for over around year before they put up a lousy shadecloth that was still not even close to good enough.

i suspect malayan tapir can be kept healthy in australia, i just don't thin any of the zoos are bright enough to work out how to do it. which is a shame, since the animals obviously breed well here...

09-04-2008

Melbourne Zoo had an number of very successful breeding pairs of leopard cats for many years. They produced a number of offspring that have been sent to other zoos, both within the region, and overseas.

There is currently only one leopard cat left in the region, at Hamilton Zoo in New Zealand, and there are no plans to import more at this stage.

09-04-2008

A ha I new it! Acccording to the following site, Melbourne Zoo does have one (though the subspecies is not actually from SE Asia).
http://app.isis.org/abstracts/abs.asp (under C; Clouded leopard)

09-04-2008

no, knew nothing!

not even the difference between a clouded leopard and leopard cat it seems....(again)

09-04-2008

What i meant to say is Melbourne has one of the clouded leopard (which i thought initially) and leopard cat.