Going to University of WA next week to hear our Minister for Planning speak about her visions for Perth in the coming years. I will ask her if there is any chance we can have an open plains zoo to give our elephants and big cats more room. It is so depressing seeing our animals like this.
OK managed to talk to the Minister the other night and asked if we could have an open range zoo at some stage. She seemed really interested in the idea (please let it be so). Werribee is sending her an information package - so fingers crossed the seed has been planted. There are so many projects underway over here and she is all about diversity and making Perth more interesting and appealing (not so dullsville).
You know what really surprised me? The Minister did not seem aware of such zoos? I told her about Werribee but I could see she was trying to imagine it. If anyone can get this launched - she can!
I have emailed Werribee with her address and they are going to send a full info package to her. Our government is full steam ahead to lift the profile of Perth and we have the money due to the mining boom up north. She has great imagination and I have a good feeling about things for our animals. AS far as visiting - anything is possible.
Isn't the current restriction on hoofstock importation going to make any new open-range zoo a pretty limited affair? There would be plenty of room for elephants and big cats, but this kind of setting, especially with Perth's brilliant climate, would just seem empty to me without large herds of ungulates.
Well they could still have giraffe zebra rhino lions cheetah African wild dogs Przwalskis Horses camels various deer elephants perhaps hippo
other speces for Perths Open range Meerkat Vervet monkey (start a new group in conjuction with the Werribee group)
the idea of an open range zoo in WA is not a new one. the issue came up a few years ago and a potential site was canvassed. perth zoo certainly could do with a sister open range zoo and would have few problems acquiring a starter selection of staple ungulates for display there. however, one of perth zoos largest precincts is its "african savannah" and long-term i would suggest that the best thing for the the zoo, in this hypothetical scenario, would be to move these animals to the open range to capitalise on the distinctness of the two kinds of zoos. obviously, i feel the same goes for elephants. this would leave half the city zoos exhibits free for expanding populations of program species, be it ones the perth zoo currently keeps or not.
My idea is MORE room for our animals! It is pointless to ungrade old enclosures to new ones and then realising the new ones are smaller than the old! Our elephants and rhino deserve better. It is hard to see a big cat for the mounds of grass and they have worked out where to hide - which does nothing for the disappointed paying public. Come on Minister - put pen to paper.
With Taronga, Melbourne and Adelaide all having enormous open-range zoos it only makes sense that Perth attempts to jump on board with their own. The cost factor is a major concern, as well as the importation of animals. If it ever does get off the ground then I'm sure that it will be tough to begin with large herds of ungulates, as Australia (and especially Perth) is so isolated from everywhere else. Perhaps hoofstock can be obtained from the other 3 Aussie open-range zoos, and slowly integrated into a future collection. It would be wonderful for Australia if this happened, but it is difficult to see anything progressing anytime soon.
well perth zoo already have a decent african savannah collection, which could be utilised at the new zoo. but an open range zoo needs more than 3 or four zebras and as you suggest, they would have little difficulty acquiring additional giraffe, zebra, rhino and maybe even a couple of antelope from one of the existing open range zoos. getting primates and carnivores such as cheetah and lions would be no problems whatsoever. if they wanted asian animals also they would have no problems acquiring blackbuck, any of 5 or so species of deer, buffalo, banteng etc. the smart move would also be to make an luring attraction of the asian elephants out there, but fat chance that will ever happen. i see dubbo and werribee holding on tightly to theirs and really only sharing with eachother and wherever the cairns animals end up. werribee has room to hold at least another two or more hippo, depending on fights, so i cant see them giving up any soon.
So what sort of open concept should it be, a large open paddock arrangement like monarto, or werribee, with open, more modern exhibits? I think both, trails for aivaries, and primates, and small cats, mayve savannah platforms etc, then large habitats like monarto for big cats, eles, and savannah species.
