If all goes to plan, Melbourne Zoo's 'Wild Sea' precinct should be finished in December this year. So which animals should get new exhibits in 2010? This is my list of wants in order of priority: 1. Build a new baboon exhibit or move the baboons to Werribee Zoo. 2. Build new Binturong and Red Panda exhibits. 3. Move Quokka to the Aus Bush precinct and move white-cheecked gibbons to the island opposite the orangutans. 4. And if there's still time in the year, import a pair of fishing cats and build them a new exhibit. They are my thoughts. What are yours?
I would personally like to see another litter from Binjai and Ramalon. Is the zoo trying to breed them again at the moment??
They already have three exhibits for rishing cats don't they? Are these breedable or are more needed to kick start the gene pool? I'd like to see new exhibits for them and the other small cats anyway. I like your other ideas and aswell as gibbons opposite the orangs how about the dusky leaf monkeys on the other island (or even better import a group of francois langurs and pairs could be made from Taronga and Melbourne groups to go to other Australian Zoos. I think the bintourongs could go into the treetop monkeys and apes exhibits (there are already tree shrews there so it isn't strictly monkeys and apes) 'cos it'll be ages until it's pulled down.
I believe there are plans to breed the tigers this year. The two fishing cats are brother and sister and are both nearing the end of their reproductive age. Same goes for the other small cats. Like your ideas too PAT. Placement of the binturong in the TTAAM is a good short term plan. Last i heard, their current enclosure was insecure.
i once posted a very lengthy description of my thought son how the zoo should progress. that thread will be off in the archives someplace... but basically, thinking about ZoosVictoria long term as a whole, in the short term... new arid-themed mixed species development at werribee centered around hamadryas baboons. allowing for a mass expansion of the group. very similar to what is at singapore. however as per availability we would substitute barbary sheep for ibex. suggested complimentary exhibits could include dwarf mongoose, fennec fox, serval and crested porcupine. melbourne takes pride in the attraction that made them a name and constructs a brand new multi-story gorilla house on the site of the old ape grottoes and existing house. it includes a second outdoor enclosure for bachelors and an indoor playroom for infants or particularly cold weather. it also includes visitor facilities, and very small animal exhibits. this development sees the relaunch of the zoos african rainforest, with a reshuffle of the treetop apes exhibit (now holding african only species), a refurbishment of the existing outdoor gorilla enclosure and bongo/congo buffalo yard situated behind the primate boardwalk. and lastly out at heallesville they desperately need a new state of the art reptile facility with an indoor amphitheater. i would like to see the zoo acquire crocodiles, and develop a show that shows off the amazing variety of herps this continent has to offer. i'd also abandon the idea of a nocturnal house and instead start keeping the zoo open until midnight half the days of the week. since 90% of our native mammals are nocturnal, we may as well turn heallesville into a world class night zoo i've been giving zoosvic some bloody great ideas for years - its about time they started paying me!
Sorry for digging up this old thread but I've been wondering for a while what Melbourne Zoo plans on doing next. It's interesting to note that two and a half of the things LOU pointed out have happened (baboons, binturongs, and quokkas all have new homes) and, with the opening of a new precinct just around the corner, it looks like we might be in for a bit of a rest now that the most outdated part of the zoo has been refurbished. Some smaller projects that I would like to be undertaken include; -Moving the cats out of the small cat alley because I don't much like those exhibits. I've always wanted the fishing cats to move to the large aviary between the elephants and the orang-utans and the servals or caracal could be moved to the big cat exhibit that is free at the moment. The small cat exhibits could hold species that are more size appropriate, like marmosets, quolls, small birds etc. -I always think it's a wasted opportunity to not have the binturongs in the Asian rainforest section either. Maybe a basic exhibit could be built for them somewhere along the trail and the exhibit that they're currently could become home to the red pandas or coatis. Ultimately, I would like the whole to upper right hand side of the zoo to become a South American themed area. A few species that are already spread throughout the zoo that could be included are; tapirs, peccaries, coatis, spider monkeys, capuchins, various marmosets and tamarins, macaws, and agouti. This would fit into the space and give Melbourne Zoo three great rainforest areas for three different continents (and it hasn't been done at any of the other major Australian zoos on this scale).
