But not in Queensland. After deliberating since 2006 on my application to keep this species, the Queensland Government have finally denied my request. Reason? The Leopard Tortoise poses a SERIOUS risk to the environment!!! Smart State eh?
I think that is worthy of its own thread Steve, so am going to copy these posts over to there. I have been bitten by a leopard tortoise, i dont think i will ever be the same, scared for life
What antelope are they tring o bring in? and do you think that they will get them? off topic: are thompson gazelle kept in zoos? also where will the chimp enclosure be when werribee eventually gets them? and what is the new savannah?
Yep, that's the only sable antelope in Australia, although there are a bull and 3 cows at Orana in New Zealand. As for Thompson's gazelles, worldwide there are lots in zoos (particularly in the United States) but none in Australia.
Chimps are years and years away. The new land is between the current lower savannah and the Princes Freeway. Werribee needs fresh imports of Greater Kudu, Scimitar-horned Oryx and Waterbuck if they are to remain in the Werribee (and regional) collection. Eland, Blackbuck and Addax are probably ok, but would still benefit from fresh imports. Werribee also has plans to exhibit Bongo, Impala and Lowland Nyala in the future.
So would that land become a new walking area of the zoo? and when do they want to start getting as of these animals and why wouldn't werribee make an african rainforest area it could be fantastic
Werribee actually doesn't have a lot of money to play with. The Government poured dollars into "Kubu River Hippos" and "Lions on the Edge". It's probably going to be a while before you see any developments with those sorts of price tags at Werribee. The same goes for Melbourne, btw - they've done "Trail of the Elephants", "Orang-utan Sanctuary" and "Wild Sea" in the last seven or eight years. The next development, the baboon exhibit, will be somewhat more humble. I don't think Werribee has firm plans as to what the new land will be.
there are a few species i would like to see at WORZ way before elephants... black rhino indian rhino chimpanzee fishing cat serval (in a proper exhibit) otter baboon siamang and in an ideal world, maned wolves and dhole (and maybe even tapir, giant anteater and caybarra) lemurs (x2) more herpes
Interestingly, as of January Werribee has made plans for a number of South American species (spider monkey, mara, agouti, capybara, llama and coati) as well as fennec fox, hyena, siamang, chimpanzee, ring-tailed lemur, hamadryas baboon, bongo, lowland nyala, impala and African crested porcupine. Obviously some of those species fit into the African savannah theme, but as many don't.
werribee is an open range zoo. in fact it is only zoo i know that calls itself this. which is great, as the name defines what it is conceptually about - open spaces. and this isn't just about giving the animals open spaces - its about animals from open spaces. the zoo is themed on animals from open spaces - grasslands. its a concise definition as to what an open range zoo is really about and in my mind, gives werribee a unique theme that not even san diego's wild animal park has. there are no gorillas in paddocks here..... well not just yet anyway. which is why i get down when i read about plans for siamang at werribee and baboons in melbourne. the way i see it - werribee is not even half built, but they have made a great start and i want them to see it through. there is no point listing intention for impala or nyala. the zoo hasn't even got half the ungulates that are available. there is an option for a whole second zone and safari experience at werribee. pretty much imagine everything werribee has done so far, except tigers replace lions, fishing cats to servals, otters for meerkats, rhesus replace vervets. the separate bus station (could be a train, a monorail or even better a boat) takes visitors on a safari through india's grasslands. again - all the animals are there in australia, for the taking. no what about the volcanic plains walk? mirror this again except instead of wallabies animals of south amarica's cerrado grasslands and pantanal wetlands. and there are A LOT!! funny enough, if they ditched the gorilla option for chimps the spider monkeys for capuchins and the siamang for rhesus - they'd actually still be on theme!
how do you know all this? maybe the area over the other side of the savannah is going to be a brand new south american experience! also when are some of these species meant to start being imported and displayed? and also when are the coati meant to be imported because melb wanted some aswell didn't they?
Online census and plan, in this case. There's no time-line on any of this. It could be years away and, as we know far too well, our major public zoos are wont to change direction frequently. I believe the coati importation plans are being held up by the need to have them listed as a species eligible for import.
