canberrabirds

Mugga Zoo site as nature reserve?

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Subject: Mugga Zoo site as nature reserve?
From: Julian Robinson <>
Date: Tue, 11 Nov 2008 09:26:54 +1100
Elizabeth has mentioned that the old Mugga Lane zoo is for sale. This site is habitat for many interesting birds that do not generally appear in adjacent Callum Brae reserve, or at least not in such large numbers. Or they may not remain at all if the zoo area disappears since it is used for breeding. Mostly small birds - finches and nesting thornbills etc, but also water birds on the dam and it is often used by dollar birds much more than the reserve.

Has COG made a case for cancelling the lease and making the area a part of the Callum Brae reserve? I realise that the interesting or different bird habitat is partly thanks to exotics and weeds, but it could still be modified to retain the bird-interesting aspects in a politically correct way if necessary i.e. replace exotic with native to still provide lots of understory, shrubs.

The complex understory there seems partly a lesson about the effects of kangaroos - the lesson hopefully being learned at Mulligans. The zoo area has been fenced off and as far as I know roos haven't used it much or at all. The contrast between inside the fence and outside is more than the planted exotics, there is grass and near-ground complexity that can't exist in the reserve with current numbers of roos. Which is why the small birds thrive there.

I believe it should be used right now as an example or base for research into the need for roo culling, it really is an excellent illustration of the effects of uncontrolled grazing and what is currently lost in many or most of Canberra Nature Park reserves -- and it doesn't need more time or money to make the point.

Is there any chance of having the site incorporated into the surrounding reserve? Personally I'd like it left exactly as it is but properly fenced off from the road, partly as a 'historic' ruin, a fascinating place to wander around.

Julian


At 08:56 AM 11/11/2008, Elizabeth Compston wrote:
Yesterday, at about 5.30pm we saw 4 dollar birds, in an aerial
display above Callum Brae, near the old zoo.  I see that it is up for
sale.  It is still a mess.

Elizabeth


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