What are your opinions on Taronga's Elephant exhibit, whenever I go, I don't really spend much time doing anything but walking past it, so I don't know. But do you think it has enough enrichment for the Elephants, or are they bored in the pen? I'd like to hope that after all that money they made a great one, but it doesn't.... I doesn't look (to me) as though they did their best on it... But then, I am a bird nut, and barely even look at the elephants, so I wouldn't know... -Nathan!
I think, for the current and future situations, it is not ideal. I do not know how many bulls the bull facility can hold but not too far Luk Chai will have to be separated from the females and eventually Pathi Harn. Tukta will most likely stay with her mother and the females for life so that means there will be 5 cows (+ any future calfs) in the one exhibit being able to be split into two groups. Although this would not be ideal as the two exhibits (the whole exhibit split in two smaller exhibits) are not that large and could not be a long-term solution. Therefore, it has been previously said on these forums that Taronga is looking to expand the exhibit and I think that would be a good idea for the long term solution.
Where would they expand the female exhibit, across to where the Aldabran Tortoises and Condors are, or somewhere else in the Zoo entirely? If an expansion occurred, I would prefer it to be located near Wild Asia, in keeping with a biogeographical zoo layout. Alternatively, would they send excess individuals to Western Plains to build a herd there?
That is I think the most likely location or when Bethyl passes away maybe where her exhibit is. That could be a possibility with the bulls, but the cows will stay with the main herd
How Many African Elephants do they still have at WPZ? Coz that could be easily converted into an Asian Elephant Exhibit...
I do think that it would be best for them and Taronga if they moved Cuddles to the big Plains exhibit (near the hotel) and moved some of the Asian Elephants, Many Bulls and at least a female, to the exhibit that Cuddles is currently displayed in... Could help with Elephants in the Region. Are they allowed to be imported, or are they banned?
Well the Cocos Island quarantine station (where the 8 Thai elephants were quarantined) has closed so I think they can import but there is nowhere to quarantine them
Can they just use the North Head one xD Cocos Island turned up 3 new species of bird for Australia this month...
goatman.....that's a new one! Wouldn't you rather send some to Perth as they have the facilities for elephants already rather than Werribee or Monarto who have to build ones from scratch and have already spent a few million (combined) in the Monarto chimp exhibit and the Werribee batchelor gorilla exhibit?
Even if cuddles could be moved to the savannah, which is not an option, atleast the public savannah anyway that would still only provide room for one bull, or a number of cows. Anyway the public savannah is already home to hippo, giraffe, zebra, dwarf buffalo and the very rare African Kangaroo. Putting an elephant there won't work. Plus the cost to elephant proof that exhibit would be quite large. There were plans five or so tears ago to build a forth exhibit in tge area of the park near the African elephant, maybe even into onager but I think, not sure, that that idea was scrapped or atleast put on hold. Might spark up again in the future though. I wasn't impressed by taronga's exhibit but I'm a country fella and struggle to be in Sydney itself for too long anyway. There's up to five maybe more years before the boys will need to be moved out and with an aging population at dubbo it would be silly to spend millions now when it may not be necessary.
No, Cuddles at WPZ is the only African left in the country (there is still one in New Zealand). They are most likely phase outs if there is only one left and Asians are the current focus
I don't think Taronga should bother developing further elephant exhibits, there is not the space, and resources would be better used on other species requiring upgraded/expanded/new exhibits, or bringing new species to the zoo. When the herd gets too large, individuals will need to be split off and moved to another zoo, either Perth (if they do want more) or to form a new herd at one of the open range zoos.
That is another option in splitting Thong Dee/Tang Mo with Pak Boon/Tukta/Porntip + any future female calfs. There is/will be space when Bethyl passes away and there is a bit of unused lawn between the condor aviary and the aldabra tortoise/bird show arena where they could extend it and move the bird show to another location if possible. However, this is not our decision but Taronga's and we do not know the full plans for their future so we cannot decide what they can or cannot do unless we know what they plan to do. BTW, the African Waterhole will be changed and that could provide enough room for elephants.
Do you know how the African Waterhole area will be changed? According to the Taronga website exhibits in that area (e.g. ostrich and barbary sheep) are currently empty as they are being renovated.
I am pretty sure it will be. I think the reason the ostrich and barabry sheep exhibits are empty as they are making a scenic boardwalk. Could you please post a link to where this is on their website thanks. EDIT: Found it. It only says that the Barbary Sheep or off-display but something interesting as it says the gorillas are off-display. Anyone know if this is the case and why?
