Melbournes eles heading for Werribee? » Melbourne Zoo

Melbournes eles heading for Werribee?
02-12-2008

A long term plan looks to be in place by the management of the zoo to move the newly imported Asians out to bigger accomodation at Werribee, within the next 5-6 years.

Plan for elephant move from zoo | theage.com.au

comments anyone?

02-12-2008

Sounds good...but then what would become of Melbourne's elephant exhibit?

Older females, bachelors, or maybe even Indian Rhinos???

02-12-2008

Hmmm, spend $15 million on an Asian elephant exhibit and then ship them all out within a few years! Interesting statement, but with the possibility of a new gorilla/chimpanzee complex at Werribee that open range zoo could be the place to visit in another 5 years or so. The habitats that are currently there (especially the lion and hippo enclosures) are all top-notch, but the number of animals is only a few hundred.

02-12-2008

[quote=okapikpr;114644]Sounds good...but then what would become of Melbourne's elephant exhibit?

Snowleopard, my exact thought when l saw this on the news this morning.

What animals are suited to this exhibit. A big concern would be the steep terrain in allot of the enclosure.

If they could place some barriers between the coloums could bears go in here? Indian Rhinos would be great.

The more l think about this the less likely l see it happening.

My money would be on it not happening. How many directors ect will go through between now and when the funds are available for a elephant enclosure at werribee.

Just cant see why the statement was released????

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Stuart R Webster
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02-12-2008

That's interesting, as the latest info I heard was that the plan was to keep big-ticket items (I would think ele's fit into this catagory) at Melbourne Zoo. There is a plan on the table to move the bachelor group of gorillas (currently off display in the crappy old orang pits) out to Werrribee, which I think is a fantastic idea.

02-12-2008

Apart from any other consideration, isn't Werribee's focus supposed to be African animals? How do Asian elephants fit in?

02-12-2008

they dont. i cant see this happening, simple as that.

02-12-2008

just a side-note.
every few years zoos victoria seems to get a new CEO. and every few years zoos victoria seems to revise its mission.
whilst this seem to be very progressive motivations, i think these varying philosophies over the years have led Zoos Victoria up and down so many different garden paths its not funny, leaving them vulnerable to everything from hostile takeovers to staring down the barrel of a $15 million white elephant to the attacks from welfare groups over animal welfare and over-commericialisation of conservation.
these three zoos are great institutions, but smack bang in the centre and to the sides of australia's second biggest city and arguably most innovative they could be a little better.
animal people are great for zoos. they truly are; the work john kelly pioneered at taronga in the 1990s turned this institution into the 21st century conservation centre we see today. on the other hand, the appointment of business savvy guy cooper in 1998 raised eyebrows and ire, but he has turned the zoos around financially....
i guess it reflects the balancing act that zoos balance on in western society. zoos victoria probably needs to find out 'who it is' and stick to it for a while.

04-12-2008

This is pandering to the politically correct "city zoos should only keep small animals" school of thought.

If they move their elephants out to Werribee, they may as well shut down the whole Melbourne zoo and move EVERYTHING out to Werribee.

ON THE OTHER HAND; Adelaide zoo has "dispensed" with elephants (giraffes too? I'm not sure) and it's going OK.

(Guess I'll sit on the fence with this one.)

04-12-2008

The sight of a free-roaming elephant would be awesome to see, though like mentioned in the artcile would probably upset many, many visitors! The Trail of the elephant I personally think is a great enclosure. But wouldn't it be a little dangerous.....

I mean yeah perhaps the 4 females out on safari trail will be fine, but Bong Su would probably have to be kep off-display for most of the time???

Unless a new exhibit is designed. Like the hippos....

04-12-2008

This is already being discussed:

Elephants on the move

04-12-2008

Thanks for the link, but in the clip it says that most likely that some elephants will stay at Melbourne, a secondary herd in Werribee... it is much more of a pleasing plan to the public, being Melbourne and Werribee are going to gather much more crowds..

It was a bit frightening before for me I thought we were was going to lose all 5 at once!

04-12-2008

Actually it was not what was said in the clip, but what was said by others, that is that maybe Melbourne Zoo is not a suitable site for a zoo, that Melbourne can't afford three zoos, and that the real estate is too valuable.

Or at least that is how it was reported to me by a friend. So admittedly this is all second hand, but interesting people are talking that way.

04-12-2008

As it was said some time ago on the forum if the herd at Melbourne zoo gets to a size where they have to split the herd into two groups then I feel that it would not be a good move for them, The herd would of been much better going to Werribee zoo from the start, not just because they could of had much more room for a growing herd but more importantly all the family members of each generation could be kept togeather such as they do in a wild herd and in time just take out any males when they reach the right age to leave the herd, I feel Emmen zoo is an outstanding case in doing this.

04-12-2008

Yeah but there was a time that the herd got too big for Emmen and so 4 elephants were sent to Colonge, but yeah every female calf ( there has only been 4) is planning to stay there long term, spliting up the group when they have made close-knit bonds is like child authroties taking away kids from Parents......