Sun Bear, Taronga Zoo, Sydney
Malayan Sun Bear, Taronga Zoo, Sydney
The Malayan Sun Bear is one of the animal species on display at Taronga Zoo in Sydney. Sun Bears are the smallest members of the bear family. They naturally occur in SE Asia but numbers are decreasing due to hunting, mainly for their fur or for their bile which is used in traditional Chinese medicine. Others are killed when they interfere with crops.
They eat a wide range of foods, including small mammals, birds, reptiles, fruit, eggs and a range of plants.
Malayan Sun Bear, Taronga Zoo, Sydney
Please don’t wake the tiger
Tiger, Taronga Zoo, Sydney
During our visit to Taronga Zoo in Sydney last year we had good views of the tiger shown in the photo above. I was carrying my 19 month old grandson at the time and he delighted in growling like a tiger while pointing at the animal – much to the amusement of the many people nearby. I was amazed at how low his growl was, considering his age. We had a good laugh about it. Fortunately the tiger slept on.
On my trip to Nepal in 2006 I went on an elephant safari ride through the jungle in Chitwan National Park in the south of the country. Although there are tigers in this area, sightings are quite rare. By way of compensation for not seeing one, we had excellent views of several rhinos, as well as many other animals and birds.
Further reading:
- Travels in Nepal – an archive of articles about my time in Nepal
- Tigers in Nepal
Himalayan Tahr, Taronga Zoo, Sydney
Himalayan Tahr, Taronga Zoo, Sydney
One of the animals featured on exhibit at Taronga Zoo in Sydney is the Himalayan Tahr, a close relative of the wild goat. I like seeing these animals for they remind me of the wonderful experiences I had when I trekked in Nepal a few years ago. I was fortunate to be able to see this animal in its wild state in the mountains there.
Further reading:
Himalayan Tahr, Taronga Zoo, Sydney
Polly wants a penny – or a dollar
Sulphur Crested Cockatoo, Free Flight Bird Show, Taronga Zoo, Sydney
The Free Flight Bird Show at Taronga Zoo in Sydney has been my topic here for quite a few days now. Whenever we visit the zoo we make sure we schedule one of the shows into our schedule. It is also a great opportunity to get some good photos of the birds.
At the end of each show the keepers invite audience members to come forward and give some of the parrots a donation of a coin. The birds accept the coin in their beak and immediately drop it into the donation box. In this way over $75,000 has been raised for bird conservation in recent years. Today’s photo features one of those birds, a Sulphur-crested Cockatoo which is a common bird in the Sydney region. It is also common in other parts of Australia too.
Long-billed Black-cockatoo, Taronga Zoo, Sydney
Long-billed Black-cockatoo, Taronga Zoo, Sydney
The Long-billed Black-cockatoo is also known as Baudin’s Cockatoo. In its natural habitat it is confined to the south western corner of Western Australia. I have seen this species on only a handful of occasions on my last visit to that state. Sadly, this was in 1978, so we are well overdue for a return visit to the beautiful state of Western Australia.
The next best thing is to view these beautiful birds in a zoo – surely a very poor second, but still good. On our visit to Taronga Zoo in Sydney last year we eagerly watched the Free Flight Bird Show, a twice daily introduction by the keepers to the birds of Australia. These cockatoos were on display after the show so that visitors could get a good, close up view of them. It also provided me with an excellent photo opportunity.
Long-billed Black-cockatoo, Taronga Zoo, Sydney
Long-billed Black-cockatoo, Taronga Zoo, Sydney
Long-billed Black-cockatoo, Taronga Zoo, Sydney