New exhibits for Australia Zoo » Australia Zoo

16-08-2007

Australia Zoos head elephant keeper does have experience with bulls. As far as I know he grew up with one. It will also not be that hard for the zoo to get elephant keepers. that is a job many people are willing to move overseas to do. Australia zoo is doing very well financially alot better than public zoos. I'd estimate atleast $50,000,000 through the gates then there is retail, Food and beverage (which is the primary source of income for the majority of zoos and wildlife parks), special tours, royalties from current and past documentaries. It will be a long time before Australia Zoo will have to start worrying about how they are going to pay for anything. Now that Taronga and melobourne did get their elephants it makes it easier for any other zoo to import these animals. The only thing that will be able to stop future imports is if the government place an outright ban on importing elephants fullstop. Why? With the two city zoos and I stress city zoos arguments for import any zoo that has similar facilities or can better those facilities (example larger space like Aust. Zoos off exhibit area) Then if that zoos permit is denied by the government that opens them up for legal action against the federal government. a case which I'm sure a rich private zoo will win.

16-08-2007

but when aust zoo get them , i feel there will beless oposition, when they build supplementary facilities, they will the best in the world. there is 30 acres out abck of zoo where the 3 girls sepnd some f there time, with a huge lake. the zoo will do the best they can, i mean look at the supp tiger facilities!

16-08-2007

Australia Zoo certainly does have plans to join the regional breeding program. While Steve's untimely death may have effected the immediacy and taken away a bit of political clout which may slow the process down, it is still on the agenda.

I was there in May and the keepers were saying that they wish to incorporate the bullen's girls with the new elephants over a lengthy period, so that any new elephants will be able to learn from example in relation to behaviours.

Considering the Bullens girls are all around 50, it would suggest that it would happen sooner rather than later.

16-08-2007

so far the zoo hasn't applied for import with the department of environment and heritage. at least its not published on the web. that could mean they are years and years off.

if a zoo imported elephants from another zoo - there would be very little outlets for legal opposition. australia zoo forged excellent relationships with a number of zoos such as singapore, which is apparently working alongside our zoos. however giving up a breedng age elephant - particuarly a breeding cow is a pretty big ask. not saying it couldn't happen, but with the US zoos battling population decline and the european program probably looking after itself primarily also, it may leave little options for them in aquiring asian elephants. certainly, i imagine that australia zoo would be rightly very wary about going through what our other zoos did.

16-08-2007

I would say importing from other zoos like Singapore could be a good place for them to aquire some animals to start forming a herd, maybe Singapore could help Aust zoo aquire others, they may have a few contacts in that part of the world.

16-08-2007

You're quite right about the close ties between us and Australia Zoo. Keeper exchanges will be commencing by the end of the year. Steve was very keen on learning ele and primate husbandry and i'm pretty sure Singapore has/will commit some animals to Australia Zoo.

We don't have any intention to export any of our 8 female eles, but our 6 year old bull will need a new home eventually. We could probably help secure eles from Indonesia, but the problem with that is subspecies difference. Indonesian zoos hold mostly E.m.sumatranus. Another option would be Malaysian zoos.

16-08-2007

I bet that young bull has put on a fair bit of size since you sent us those last pics of him Zooish, He would be a good start for Aust zoo to aquire its herd.

16-08-2007

That is very much the same scenario as at Jersey Zoo after Gerald Durrell died. He was the big fundraiser with the books and TV etc and without him they floundered for money. In the last few years they've really struggled and have done a lot of 'rebranding' and marketing to try and get fully back on course.

Steve Irwin I found acutely embarassing to watch on the TV as I didn't appreciate his 'full-on' approach and 'wrangling' techniques... (sorry you Aussie fans, I appreciate he's a national hero). Anyway, there's no denying his draw-power and his Zoo will no doubt suffer from his premature demise.

16-08-2007

Hi Jarkari, do you know of any attendance figures for Aust zoo in resent times? do you know if they are still making money now?

17-08-2007

no offence taken. of my personal experience about 9 in 10 were embarassed by him and the rest were from queensland....

17-08-2007

and not all queenslanders were enamoured of him. This one had a great deal of respect for his achievements but could't stand his style.

17-08-2007

patrick tackles jay, grabs him by the ears, shouts loudly at him "your beautiful!" and them wrestles him into a creek

17-08-2007

Yeah, it was the yanks that really took to him in a big way. Most Australians found him a bit too full-on.

17-08-2007

oh, well, that's alright then.... Wasn't sure if it was okay to 'come out' like that on this forum....

17-08-2007

So did folk in the UK, he appealed especially to children, teenagers and lager-swilling louts- all the most impressionable sections of the community.....