Ballarat Wildlife Park Ballarat Wildlife Park news

A male Tasmanian devil is expected to join the parks resident female, coming from Healesville.
The animal gave birth to three joeys at the park last year as part of a nationwide breeding program.

Wildlife park hoping to breed devil - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Ballarat Wildlife Park, Victoria, Australia.

 

Article on the oldest common wombat in captivity: Ballarat Wildlife Park - News - Oldest Common Wombat in Captivity

 

Patrick the common wombat turns 30 years old(!): Patrick the world's oldest wombat celebrates 30th birthday at Ballarat Wildlife Park | Daily Mail Online

 

Penguins coming to Ballarat:

Penguin parade to arrive for July

 

That's an interesting addition, I wonder where in the park the exhibit will be.

The article also notes that the park is hoping to add exotic mammal and bird species to its collection soon, which is surprising. It will be very interesting to see what species they do add.

I visited the park earlier this year, but haven't done a report so I should do that at some stage. It was looking good though, especially the big new crocodile barn with underwater viewing.

 

I'm not exactly surprised they would add exotic birds and mammals as they have a good range of exotic reptiles already. They do have some alpacas if you can count them, to protect the wallabies etc from foxes. Primates and some parrots will be a great new draw card for the park.

 

I thought most of their visitors were overseas visitors, so natives would be the main drawcard? I guess the exotics might attract a few Australian visitors, but a few parrots won't make much difference - and will put them more in competition with the local bird park. Some primates would be popular though.

 

Ballarat Bird Park is no competition to them, they have a limited collection of mostly native parrots housed in hard to see into, typical backyard style aviaries. The larger exotic parrots, macaws etc always make a good exhibit imo

 

Two male Sumatran Tigers will be joining the park before Christmas. Both from Australia Zoo
We’re not lion: guess who’s coming to Ballarat?

 

That’s surprising! An interesting addition..I hope the tigers moving there aren’t any of Australia Zoo’s genetically valuable tigers, that were bred in the past few years (unfortunately this seems likely). I assume the zoo will only acquire tigers as ambassadors, and not for a breeding situation.

 

*If* they're the two males that I think they'll be then they are genetically valuable on there mothers side. But not much use to the breeding programme currently because of their father's bloodline..

Scout - born 02/2016 to Kaitlyn and Juma.

Kaitlyn was one of the trio imported from Taman Safari in 2007 and hence any of her offspring are good news for the breeding programme.

Unfortunately AZ took the decision to breed her with Juma. Rather than import a more valuable male. Juma was one of AZ's original Sumatran Tiger's and was born at Mogo in 2004. His parents were both from the Nico/Meta line that most of the other Sumatran's in Australia/New Zealand originate from.

Reggie - born 03/2016 is Scout's half brother/cousin. Born to Maneki (Kaitlin's sister) and Juma. So same genetics as above

 

If you imported a valuable new male to breed with your valuable new female then all you succeed in doing is turning two valuable new bloodlines into one! I think the TAG co-ordinator knows what their doing. The aim is not to increase the captive population Sumatran tigers. The aim to slow the loss of genetic diversity.

 

Visited Ballarat last week and thought I would provide a few updates.

- The meerkat enclosure is located between the entrance and giant tortoise exhibit and has both an outdoor glass fronted yard as well as an indoor house with a glass viewing window.

- The tiger exhibit construction is well advanced with the majority of the fencing appearing complete. The exhibit is separated in to 2 yards. On this map -https://wildlifepark.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/BWP-Ed-Package-Park-Map.pdf the site closed for construction takes up the exhibits marked for quokka, wallaby and red kangaroo. The aviary marked for cockatoos and parrots has been removed.
The site fenced off for construction is quite extensive and the tiger enclosure only takes up 1/3 of the space so more enclosures may be developed there.

- In the reptile house a stud wall has been built down one corridor with 5 new tanks in it for aquatic species. The species on display are juvenile saltwater crocodiles and American alligators, macleay's water snake, a catfish species and an australian lungfish.

- The penguin area has had shade sails added over the water and a new seating area built for presentations along with a small kids sand pit.

 

I don’t know what happened to importing the two male tigers from Australia zoo but from this facebook post: Ballarat Wildlife Park it appears Maneki from Australia zoo, is the only tiger at the park.

Maneki is now currently on display after she arrived earlier this month.

 

Ballarat Wildlife Park recently welcomed three Tasmanian Devil joeys. They are all males (Ballarat Wildlife Park). The park also bred a male Southern Hairy-nosed Wombat earlier in the year (Ballarat Wildlife Park).

 

Ballarat Wildlife Park have announced the arrival of a Komodo Dragon. It (the sex of the animal is not explicitly mentioned but presumably a male) is called Toothless and is one of the dragons imported from Prague. Ballarat now have two Komodo Dragons.
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Wow, really sad news. Maneki the Sumatran Tiger has been put to sleep due to a terminal illness. She only produced one cub at Australia Zoo and was one of the genetically valuable animals imported from Indonesia.

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What a bummer.

I really can never get my head around the fact that genetically valuable individuals - one in a million imports (as Sumatran tigers overseas are more or less all from the same limited gene pool) - and you do not breed up the numbers nor have the genes circulated within your population proper. Somehow, a failure of good animal management and wasting ex situ breeding ops.