Wild Herds Precinct Opens New Wild Herds exhibit opens An exciting new exhibit called ‘Wild Herds’ will officially open at Taronga Western Plains Zoo Dubbo today. Designed to reflect a traditional Mongolian village, Wild Herds is home to two species – Takhi (a Mongolian horse also known as Przewalski’s Horse) and Fallow Deer. “We’re very excited to open another new exhibit here at Taronga Western Plains Zoo,” Director Steven Hinks said. “Wild Herds offers guests a truly immersive experience with a Deer Walkthrough and a beautiful outlook to the Zoo’s Takhi herd from a replica Mongolian ger. “It’s a lovely new space for our guests to explore and it achieves what we set out to do – showcase the Mongolian Takhi and the Zoo’s role in helping to bring this species back from the brink.” Takhi, meaning “spirit” in Mongolian, were declared extinct in the wild in 1967. In the 1990s Taronga Western Plains Zoo was part of a global zoo effort to reintroduce the Takhi to its native land, releasing seven zoo-bred horses into the Gobi Desert, where their progeny still roam. “Today, thanks to the ongoing efforts of global zoos, there are now over 300 Takhi in Mongolia,” Steve said. “The species has been reclassified from extinct in the wild to endangered. We’re so very proud to have been a part of this story and through our new exhibit we can share this story in a compelling way.” Wild Herds includes an audio overlay voiced by now retired Zoo Keeper John Davis, who accompanied the seven Takhi to Mongolia in 1995. “Hearing the story of the journey from one of our longest serving Zoo keepers is a really nice part of the Wild Herds experience,” Steve said. “Add to this the elements of Mongolian village life we’ve been able to replicate, as well as the charming walkthrough experience with the Zoo’s new herd of Fallow Deer, and the result is a wonderful new part of the Zoo to spend some time in.” Taronga Western Plains Zoo has a very successful ongoing breeding program for the Takhi, and this year has welcomed two foals, the most recent a male named Khan born just in late May. Khan and the rest of the Takhi herd have settled into their new home in Wild Herds. Guests will be able to learn more about the Takhi during the NSW school holidays at an informative Keeper Talk at 2.30pm daily. The $720,000 Wild Herds exhibit, jointly funded with the NSW Government, is the third experience developed from the Zoo’s 10 year Visitor Experience Plan, following the opening of the Savannah Safari in late 2016 and Lion Pride Lands earlier this year.
construction of hire centre Redevelopment of the hire centre Riding a bike around the Taronga Western Plains Zoo is a quintessential part of a visit to the Zoo in Dubbo. The old hire centre had been around for a long time, so it was time to redevelop it and improve the area to make hiring a bike or electric cart easier and quicker for visitors. The redevelopment of the hire centre sees $1.3 million invested in the area to construct new storage areas for the bikes as well as a charging area for our electric carts. The project also includes the construction of a new ticket booth, installation of security cameras as well as the installation of a 100kw solar system to power the facility and the neighbouring building in the area. The new facility will aim to make hiring bikes and electric carts for guests more efficient and allow us to store the fleet. The hire centre redevelopment will be completed in November 2018.
Squirell monkey move New at the Zoo “Taronga Western Plains Zoo has welcomed six male Bolivian Squirrel Monkeys to the island on the Savannah Lake this month .The troop are visiting Dubbo on a temporary basis from Taronga Zoo before they move to Melbourne Zoo permanently at the end of the year”- TARONGA WEBSITE I’m guessing that they have been exported as their enclosure is being demolished to make way for the new African precinct at Taronga zoo. Squirell monkeys will probably return to Taronga when an enclosure is able to be found/built for them as they are a very interactive and popular species. Melbourne zoo is only left with 3 of their original 6 monkeys so the 3 remaining monkeys might be introduced to the Taronga troop (currently at TWPZ) making a bachelor group of 9. If they decide not to introduce the 2 groups together than they would probably move the Taronga group of 6 into Melbourne zoo’s current Squirell monkey enclosure and then move Melbourne’s current group into the Treetop walkway (probably the previous Lemur and Coati enclosure).
I believe Squirrel Monkeys are still on display at Taronga, back in the Amazonia exhibit, now that the construction of the Institute of Science and Learning is completed. Perhaps they are keeping a smaller group in this enclosure than was possible in the walk-through exhibit, and thus have exported the surplus.
Mopani the White rhino is pregnant. She is 4 months into her 15 month pregnancy. Amazing news from TWPZ. Zoo Announces Rhino Pregnancy On World Rhino Day Eve
She had a male calf, Macheo (now deceased) who was born in 2013. I also found she had a female calf, Kamari in 2015 who I believe is still alive: White rhino born at Dubbo's Taronga Western Plains Zoo goes on show - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
An Eastern Bongo calf was born at the zoo on Wednesday 5 September; this is the fifth calf for mum Djembe. They are yet to get close enough to determine the sex of the calf. Fantastic news The full article is on Taronga’s website here which I notice has recently been updated for both zoos.
Fantastic news! I was wondering when the next birth would occur. I hope the recently imported female will produce offspring soon.
I visited on Sunday and Monday, then found out about this on Tuesday. If I had known I would have waited an extra day!
Recent news The zoo’s King Cheetah cubs have now gone on display: Cheetah cubs now on exhibit A second cheetah exhibit has opened just after the new Lion Pridelands: Second Cheetah exhibit now open Update on Kanlaya the 4 month old elephant calf: Big growth for our smallest Elephant Three Ring tailed lemur babies have been born: Three Ring-tailed Lemur babies born in Dubbo
They aren't King Cheetahs, they are regular spotted Cheetahs. "King Cheetah" is just a name which only applies to animals which are striped.
Some recent news; - The Bongo calf born earlier this year is a male and has been named ‘Kamau’. Taronga Western Plains Zoo - TWPZ has recently welcomed three Spider Monkey babies (1:2). Taronga Western Plains Zoo
To finish off the year, a video about TWPZ’s 2018 highlights has been put up on their facebook page with a fair amount of great achievements! Here is the link:Taronga Western Plains Zoo