tdierikx Posted December 14, 2015 Share Posted December 14, 2015 Woke up at sparrow's yesterday, swung by a friend's place to pick her up at ungodly... and drove up past Cessnock to check out Hunter Valley Zoo... I have but one word... WOW!! Got me some cracker photos of some animals I've not seen up close before... and they have BABY meerkats!!! Here are a few teaser photos for you... Serval Capuchin Spider Monkey Macaques Malayan Tapir - Berani (from Taronga) Ostrich Alligator Maned Wolf Baby Meerkats! Rest of the potos can be found here... Enjoy! T. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirislin Posted December 14, 2015 Share Posted December 14, 2015 I thought the spider monkey was having a cuppa at first! :laugh: Is it a private zoo? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirislin Posted December 14, 2015 Share Posted December 14, 2015 I wonder why Maned wolves have evolved to have such long legs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tdierikx Posted December 14, 2015 Author Share Posted December 14, 2015 Yes... it is a privately owned zoo, but open to the public. They have seen some major expansion over the past 12-18 months... with Taronga sending them a number of animals... Fennec Foxes, Malayan Tapir, Spider Monkeys, and this week the Lions are moving to Hunter Valley too - tomorrow to be exact... *grin* T. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gillybob Posted December 14, 2015 Share Posted December 14, 2015 I think Maned wolves lived in long grass plains areas but not sure. BABY MEERCATS arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. I haven't been to a zoo since by boys were under five and the oldest is 44 now so some changes must have happened. I don't like caged animals much but would go just for the meercats. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tdierikx Posted December 15, 2015 Author Share Posted December 15, 2015 The Meerkat enclosure at Hunter Valley is world class IMHO... lots of thought for behaviours and enrichment... AND for the public's viewing/photographing pleasure... well worth going just to see that... T. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirislin Posted December 15, 2015 Share Posted December 15, 2015 has one of the baby meerkats lost the tip of its tail or do they just end like that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tdierikx Posted December 15, 2015 Author Share Posted December 15, 2015 They've all lost the tips of their tails... apparently when they are in the burrows, the little ones will grab anything at hand to suck on, and have done the damage to each other. Should be fine once they are weaned in a week or two. Happened to the previous litter too, and they are all fine now. T. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottsmum Posted December 15, 2015 Share Posted December 15, 2015 Just saw that Tarongas Lions are on their way there. https://www.facebook.com/tarongazoo/?fref=ts I had no idea it even existed before this threat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tdierikx Posted December 15, 2015 Author Share Posted December 15, 2015 Taronga have sent Hunter Valley a number of animals now... Fennec Foxes, Spider Monkeys, Malayan Tapir (Berani), and now the Lions... I'm going up again soon when the lions are on display... their new enclosure is so much bigger and better for viewing than at Taronga - they should love it! T. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottsmum Posted December 15, 2015 Share Posted December 15, 2015 I seriosuly had no idea it was there. I'd be there in a flash if I was still sydney based :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted December 15, 2015 Share Posted December 15, 2015 Great pics, T !! That looks an amazing spot :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tdierikx Posted December 15, 2015 Author Share Posted December 15, 2015 Well worth the 2.5 hour each way drive perse... lol! T. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roova Posted December 15, 2015 Share Posted December 15, 2015 Brilliant photos! Thank you so much for sharing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirislin Posted December 16, 2015 Share Posted December 16, 2015 that's amazing that Taronga have sent so many animals there. I'm curious about how private zoos like this work, I wonder if they have to buy the animals or are they shared. I hope they have some kind of protection. I always remember the Bacchus Marsh lion park when I was a kid. It seems amazing now that it was allowed in Australia, but you were allowed to drive your cars through the paddocks with the lions, just like in Africa. Lots of signs saying dont get out of our cars, dont open windows etc. Sadly the park went bust and all the lions, and there were alot, we shot. It was hushed up at the time but years later I spoke to a man who was there, he said it was a massacre. So I'm hoping this new private zoo keeps breeding animals under control. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tdierikx Posted December 16, 2015 Author Share Posted December 16, 2015 The Taronga lions are past breeding age... no chance of them making more lions... *grin*... and both females are also on contraception to thoroughly make sure. The 2 older lions are 15-16 years of age, and the younger female is 12. Most Australian zoos have strict contraception protocols in place in order to not end up with surplus animals that have nowhere to go. Hunter Valley is no exception to this general rule. T. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirislin Posted December 16, 2015 Share Posted December 16, 2015 (edited) good to know. I googled the Lions park after I wrote here and it seems there were a few deaths of people there! Stupid news paper articles saying the lion attacked for no reason. Err well duh! It's a lion! They eat meat, little 12 year old boys are made of meat, that's a good reason. It seems it was mismanaged. When it went bust the animals were abandoned. 2 hippos in another zoo are rescues from there now. It was terrible at the time. I dont know what happened to the owners, they should have been charged with cruelty. edited to apologise for getting Edited December 16, 2015 by Kirislin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat Posted December 27, 2015 Share Posted December 27, 2015 1450078200[/url]' post='6772260']Yes... it is a privately owned zoo, but open to the public. They have seen some major expansion over the past 12-18 months... with Taronga sending them a number of animals... Fennec Foxes, Malayan Tapir, Spider Monkeys, and this week the Lions are moving to Hunter Valley too - tomorrow to be exact... *grin* T. Wow. They have a lot more variety since the last time I looked at going. Will have to check it out. Lovely photos. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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