These days children (or any other visitors, for that matter) don't have the chance of side-by-side comparison of several species of monkey (or big cats, or bears, or anything else much) the way we did when I was young. That's both a good and a bad thing.
While Twycross is a bit of an in extremis case, I think it's very much a bad thing. If you see four or five (or more!) groups of monkeys in more-or-less one place, you can see the differences - of form, of lifestyle, of behaviour. With them dotted around the zoo, you lose that. Each group just becomes another group of monkeys. That's not to say that every zoo needs a big Monkey House, but the trend for 'habitat/geography'-themed exhibits means this is slowly being lost. And it applies to other groups too - reptiles in particular.
there is another thread and poll that discusses the pros and cons of geographical zoo layouts vs taxonomical. http://www.zoochat.com/17/layout-schemes-do-you-prefer-zoos-125631/ cast your vote.
i have an updates and alot of questions melbourne are hopefully going to breed orangutan and tigers this year there almost certainly won't be any new species this year now to the questions how many gorillas do melbourne have and when is the werribee project meant to be finished are there plans for the bongo maybe to be moved to werribees new rainforest? and will there be any species with the gorillas at werribee? and is there any news on the servals at W zoo? also did W zoo use to have a adult serval that was in an un roofed enclosure along the walking trail? do melbourne have coatis still? and if so where are they kept because if they were moved to a well designed enclosure and then left to breed they would be a fantastic exhibit! and does the zoo have plans to breed mek kapah? also what will happen to small cat alley when the cats die as they are all fairly old arent they? and where do you see M zoo going in the next 5 years being realistic with australia's zoo industry?
Werribee did use to have an adult serval in an exhibit on the walking trail, not that you ever saw it. Highly unlikely that Mek Kapah will breed as she has never done so and it is a well established fact that female elephants that haven't bred in their teens cannot do so later. That said there is still one female that could be bred but is not yet pregnant.
mek kapah suffers from ovarian cysts. being quite a painful condition and given it was unlikely she would have ever fallen pregnant - the zoo vets decided to medicate her to stop her cycling permanently.
Phoenix and jay have addressed the question about Mek Kapah. Fishing cats and binturongs, at least, are in Melbourne's plans indefinitely. The serval and caracal are unlikely to be replaced. My guess is that small cat alley will be replaced in the medium term. There is only one elderly, castrated coati left. However, Melbourne is planning a cooperative import with NZA and Adelaide to reestablish the species in the region. My understanding is that there is no plans to move the pair of bongo to Werribee. There won't be a "rainforest" area built at Werribee - the gorillas will go into the zebra exhibit within Pula. I also believe the serval exhibit is being constructed, also within Pula. Melbourne has eight gorillas. Males Motaba, Yakini and Ganyeka will go to Werribee, possibly in July. Rigo and the four gorillas will stay at Melbourne.
Yes, an elderly female that now resides in MZ. Melbourne Zoo have indicated they wish remain a part of the serval program. They recently acquired 2 young females from NZA and plan to breed one/both of them in the near future.
thats good then i really like servals was the cage at werribee open air and very well hidden? does melbourne still have otters and are there plans to breed them? and what are the plans for the lions and the will leopards be kept in the collection once the old one dies? also what other species are going to be imported in the next few years at any zoos? and what will happen to melbounre's loris's will they ever be displayed?
I am rather sad at the gorilla decision. I am sure the Rigo cum females concept is NEVER EVER going to work. Some gorillas are no fit leading silverbacks. Genetics is all fine, well and good, but sometimes it does not work. In the interest of population management and I would rather advocate more gorillas being born into the programme, than for years maintaining dysfunctional gorilla groups and at the end discover the females are post reproductive. Re bongos: I cannot see any rationale for diverting the bongos outside Melbourne City Zoo. Melbourne should concentrate on themes like rainforests and I am happy they do. Werribee as the classic open range concept should go for grassland species. Lest to say again: species and population management remains precarious in Australia for many exotic species, unless it/ARAZPA aligns itself with either SSP or EEP interests.
as with elephants to melbourne - gorillas to werribee is just plain dumb. don't they get it? don't they realise they have a pretty unique opportunity to define the open range and urban zoo concepts for the 21st century? instead it seems they are spreading their uniqueness over the two zoos, and eventually all that will define them is an ugly truth - melbourne zoo gives its animals less space.
Can't remember. Yes and MZ are willing to increase their otter numbers. As of yet though, their are no firm breeding plans. MZ plan to maintain the current bachelor lion pride well into the future.. Snow leopards will be, not persians. My first post on this thread outlined some planned importations. Lorises(?) are a phase-out species and it is unlikely they'll ever be put on display.
so what will be replacing the dholes??? also,i reckon taronga should fix up the tahr enclosure by putting in more foliage, better viewing opportunities, etc
Yes, what will replace the dholes? Every species that has been accommodated in that area for the past, say, thirty years has been "let go", apart from fennecs.
Melbourne Gorilla Situation Overall I agree with you. I was glad when 'Rigo' was introduced to the females and given a chance both to be with other Gorillas and possibly to breed too. However sufficient time has elapsed now to show he isn't going to breed naturally. As his grandson Mapema is already fathering babies at Duisburg in Germany genetically its not so important anyway. At this juncture I would rather see the previous group Silverback 'Motaba' returned to his rightful place as group leader (living right near them but seperated must be stressful for him anyway), and his daughter in the group exchanged with an unrelated female from Taronga. Rigo could quite possibly be placed with the two younger males as he is old and tolerant now and these three could form the trio of males to be sent to Werribee. As you point out, if they don't reorganise the group again soon, the currently nonbreeding females will eventually become even harder to obtain any(more) young from. However I think they may delay things further though while they try AI to obtain young fathered by 'Rigo' (a further waste of time in my opinion with an extremely low % chance of success )
Are MZ's gorillas involved in any breeding programs that include overseas zoos? I have more questions so i hope everyone doesn't mind! In the taronga visit thread it is said that the zoos don't like having small cats because there nocturnal and aren't a star species but has any of the zoos considered making a nocturnal house for the cats? what are the plans for the maned wolves and tapirs in aus?
Melbourne and tarongas gorillas are part of the european breeding program for the species. thus the studbook co-ordinator doesn't necessarily factor in the two zoos close proximity when recommending pairings. this would explain why no trading has ever been done between the two zoos with gorillas. from my understanding rigo was moved with the females as melbourne had been asked to stop breeding from motaba as his genes are well represented in europe. if they wanted more babies, rigo - who's genetics are not well represented was about their only option. as for small cats - currently two species seem likely to continue for the time being in australian zoos - fishing cats and servals. a number of zoos have interest in both species. maned wolves are poorly managed. virtually no zoos take any initiative to import or display the species. this is despite them being in fairy good numbers here. making matters worse zoos like taronga instead opted to reinitiate a dhole breeding program - which failed miserably when they were reluctant to import any more animals and no other zoo followed through with their commitment to do so. brazilian tapirs were chosen for phase out in favour of malayan tapirs. but the malayan tapirs suffer from eye problems in australia and so the decision was reversed. malayans are being phased out and brazilian are supposedly being retained. howevere there has been no imports of brazilians since this decision was made (maybe no IRA with biosecurity australia?) and there is no further unrelated breeding options for the animals in the region. so currently both species are on the long, long list of species in decline.
From what I remember, I was told at Altina Wildlife park most of the Mained wolves in Australia were bred from one pair. Altina has imported a new female and will be breding some more soon.
Correct on both counts. However, given Australia's 'long distance' involvement with the EEP, I think that perhaps a local exchange of animals would be more realistic and of benefit to both the Taronga and Melbourne groups.
