Taronga Zoo Taronga Zoo: Leopard Seals

Hi,

I'd like to learn more about the leopard seals kept at Taronga Zoo-basic husbandry, numbers of animals kept so far etc.

Thanks in advance.

 

well atm they have three leopard seals, one male named casey and two females, Brooke who has been at the zoo for sometime now and Sabine who is a new female.
all three of the seals were brought in as rehabilitation seals washed up on Australian beaches and due to qurantine restrictions and the logistics of actually taking a giant leopeard seal back to antartica they have all stayed at the zoo.
Currently only brooke is on display in the heritage listed seal pools which arnt great for her becuase there is no temperature control and the water is a lot warmer then it would naturally be for her. in the new GSO they wil have temperature controlled pools so all three seals re expected to put on a lot more wieght and look more like their wild counterparts.

i dont remeber how much fish they eat each day but i can find out for you maybe this weekend? in terms of husbadry it diffres between the seals. Brooke has close conatct with a number of her keepers and some swim in with her. the two new seals are slightly diffrent as they are still quite wild so contact is slightly more controlled and no swimming occurs

hope that helps.... cant wait to see the two new young ones in the big pool

 

Hi Torie,

Thanks for the information so far. Yes, I'd be happy to hear more about the feeding schedule and other details (how long has the oldest female been kept?). They swim with the leopard seal? Considering the death of the American biologist Kirsty Brown in 2003 due to a leopard seal-isn't that a bit risky?

 

i think but i could be wrong that brooke has beeen around for about 6 years??

there is only a handfull of keepers who swim with her and they started the traning when she was very young so she is used to it and i think they are very carefull about when they go in and the keper is never unattended.... but all those people go in with fully grown tigers so i guess the risk factor is a bit simmiler?

 

Thanks. They go in with tigers, too? Oh my; You surely have very open-minded insurance companies there...
Looking forward to the infos about the feeding and other aspects.

 

taronga doesnt do in with tigers... but some of the queenslad zoos do like dreamworld and australia zoo

 

its a queensland thing

 

A Queensland thing-OK...Say, those Queensland insurance agencies don't cover foreigners, too-do they ?

 

Visitors to Dreamworld can also stroke the tigers, get their photos done. Definately a Queensland thing.

 

I've actually done some work with brooke, so will answer what questions I can later when I am on my home computer. I have some pics as well if people want to see some, actually have 1400, but won't show them all!

 

It's a legal thing in QLD. Not an insurance thing. QLD doesn't really have it's own standards on keeping carnivores but in NSW it is illegal to go in with carnivores weighing over 20kgs (pinnipeds and marine mammals excepted I think). Also you can apply to have this changed for you but NSW aren't that big on it anyway.

 

Has anyone here seen Attenborough's: Life in the Freezer..? I wouldn't be swimmimg with Leopard Seals after watching that...

The name Leopard doesn't just refer to their spots methinks......

 

Hi all,

When did all three leopard seals pass away? And did they ever all live together in the leopard seal purpose built pool in the GSO which sadly now holds none. I used to love seeing Brooke I believe her name to be in the old pool in the middle of the Zoo.

Also do they plan on ever getting anymore leopard seals?

 

In regards to when they all passed, i'm not exactly sure. I believe Brooke never made it to see her new Great Southern Oceans exhibit sadly (if I remember she died just before she was scheduled to be moved over), while a pair (Casey and Sabine) were held together in the main pool with the big viewing window. If they do acquire any new leopard seals it will certainly be from rescues as in NSW they are unable to be returned to the wild by law (I think).

 

One of the unexpected highlights of my Taronga visits was seeing these amazing and sinister-looking creatures( twice). I didn't know they had them so the first time a real surprise though I'd seen one in Napier.NZ. previously, but Taronga's was a better display. Seems the chances of any more going on display depend on the vagaries of another rescued animal coming into captivity.