Canberra's famed National Zoo and Aquarium is on the verge of a major expansion. To celebrate the milestone, a series of animal portraits by Canberra Times photographer ROHAN THOMSON has been made exclusively available by Fairfax, with a portion of the funds going to conservation charities selected by the zoo. Reporter CLARE SIBTHORPE explores the owners' quest to get the site up to the world-class standard it is today, as well as what the expansion means for its mission to help save endangered species.
As flames crashed towards the Canberra zoo as loud and fast as a steam train, Richard Tindale knew the sight all too well. The 2003 bushfire was the second blaze in just over a year to burn many hectares of pine trees around the National Zoo and Aquarium, but there was a silver lining - it paved the way for a major expansion that has tripled the size of the site and will soon reach its next milestone.
Natural disasters, bankruptcy, a near-collapsed aquarium and lack of experience were some struggles the Tindale family faced in transforming the basic and rundown site into a buzzing tourist attraction.
The first dilemma immediately followed Mr Tindale's bold decision to sell his building business and buy the Yarralumla site in 1998.
"We had all the passion in the world for animals, but we were empty in experience," he said.
"It took quite a while to build up the credibility with the community and convince them we were there for the right reasons."
"I left knowing I wanted to do something for animals, with animals."
Richard Tindale
The desire to help endangered animals had simmered in his mind for some years but when he visited Dreamworld's Tiger Island that dream became a realistic goal.
It was there he met Bakkar the Bengal tiger. Bakkar later spent 12 years at the Canberra zoo before dying of kidney failure.
"I left knowing I wanted to do something for animals, with animals."
He sold his business and set off on an around-the-world adventure to learn about big cats with his wife, Maureen.
"We travelled as far as South America to North America, to Canada and Alaska, Nepal, Siberia, India and a number of African areas," he said.
"We came to the conclusion there weren't many big cats left in the wild and if things kept going the way they were ... the species would get wiped out."
Of the world's 40 wild cat species, about 80 per cent of them have populations in decline, according to National Geographic.
On returning home the couple saw the sale of the Canberra Aquarium as the perfect opportunity to do more than breed cats - they could potentially help save dozens of species on the brink of extinction.
It was obviously not an easy mission to embark on, given the facility was limited to a handful of native animals and had gone bankrupt twice.
"It needed a lot of work, there was very little down there," Mr Tindale said.
"The aquarium had no reptiles along the wall and it mainly relied on day trippers from Sydney."
There was the added stress of limited experience and pricey renovations. Mr Tindale wouldn't divulge the pricetag, but admitted he put everything he had into the site.
After doing extensive research into the complicated zoo industry, hiring several skilled staff and making some personal sacrifices, the visitors eventually started flooding in.
But the family faced another setback when they tried to fill the main aquarium with salt water to add more animals and the concrete almost crumbled entirely. They rebuilt another shark tank and the empty one became a feature of the Jamala Wildlife Lodge, built in 2013.
Mr Tindale credits the zoo's financial survival to Jamala, where guests sleep in private bungalows amidst animal enclosures. They transformed their own home into the accommodation and rebuilt their house at the back of the zoo.
In December 2001, the first bushfire threatened all they worked for. It burned all surrounding pine trees and crossed all four boundaries of the zoo, with up to 50 spot fires inside the site.
"We were maybe a little complacent about it because we thought there ws no way the fires could get to us," he said.
"But it was so strong. It was just jumping down that arboretum site, jumping 100 metres and then 200 metres along the grass and we started to panic."
"The fireballs landed inside the zoo and started igniting things, including the shearing shed."
"It was also very awkward for us, because it is great to have a contingency plan but you can't evacuate 25 big cats and four giraffes. That could take months."
The fireballs landed inside the zoo and started igniting things, including the shearing shed.
Richard Tindale
Fortunately, the lack of flammable vegetation meant the zoo escaped without major damage.
The 2001 bushfires were a larger threat to the zoo than those in January 2003, which gutted nearby suburbs but just missed the zoo.
The ACT government's move to cut all the trees surrounding the site opened the door for Mr Tindale to obtain 18 hectares and begin the almost-finished expansion. He was offered 60 hectares but lacked enough water resources.
The whole process of transforming the zoo and building credibility within the industry was one of "organised chaos".
"Though some would say disorganised," Mr Tindale said.
But he felt a sense of accomplishment as he reminisced on the challenging yet rewarding journey.
Given his love of big cats, it is not a surprise the zoo boasts Australia's largest collection. It also houses Australasia's only tigon - a hybrid cross between a male tiger and a female lion.
Staff numbers have increased about six-fold in the past decade and the number of endangered species taking part in breeding programs continues to grow. Mr Tindale said the open exhibits of the expansion would allow for the breeding of more large animals than previously possible.
Mr Tindale acknowledged that managing the zoo had become the family's life but he said he'd gained considerably more than he'd sacrificed.
"I'd like to say I've given up everything, but I haven't," he said.
"The number of people who visit and get so emotional when they talk to you is unbelievable, who came here for adrenaline rush and walk away with a different view."
"It's that long-term goal of the the more people who see something special, the more impact it will have on the animal kingdom. That is what motivates us, it is what we've dedicated our lives to."
The birth of Mary the sun bear was near a miracle.
Staff at the National Zoo and Aquarium were shocked when the healthy little fur ball came from a mother with severe behavioural issues and a father with recurring melanomas.
The zoo hopes to have more of these success stories through a plan to expand its captive breeding programs. The aim is to have 90 per cent of the animals involved in breeding programs. However, it is much more complicated than placing two animals in together and hoping for the best.
Mary's success story was an exception. Her mum Otay was freed from a cage barely bigger than herself in a restaurant in southeast Asia, while chefs prepared to serve her paws as a delicacy. When the traumatised bear arrived at the Canberra zoo she would obsessively pace in a corner of her enclosure - a habit she keeps to this day.
The health of Mary's dad Arataki was not much better. He suffered several skin cancers until the most recent one was treated with nuclear-radiated gold dust, a treatment zoo owner Richard Tindale said was not inexpensive.
"To have a sun bear with these stereotypical behaviour issues and create a safe sanctuary for her to feel comfortable enough to raise a cub is rare"
Renee Osterloh
Despite these health issues, with Mary the couple were able to produce a healthy cub.
Operations manager at Canberra's National Zoo and Aquarium Renee Osterloh said Mary is now a vital member of the international breeding program for sun bears.
"To have a sun bear with these stereotypical behaviour issues and create a safe sanctuary for her to feel comfortable enough to raise a cub is rare," she said.
Unfortunately, not every baby-making pursuit had gone so well. While the zoo had luck with ring-tailed lemurs, zebras, red pandas and giraffes, there had also been many disappointments.
Ms Osterloh's voice was thick with tears as she described the sudden death of Berani the Sumatran tiger in 2015. The zoo was at the tail end of the 18-month meticulously-planned courtship process with Berani and Rhani, when Be
rani died of kidney failure.
"We had tried for so long to get them used to each other slowly, with the female at her last estrous cycle which we believed would have been successful," she said.
"It was a huge shock to everyone. It really is devastating when you are so close to achieving something and then that happens."
There are an estimated 400 Sumatran tigers left in the world.
It was equally frustrating when the zoo failed to breed African serval cats for more than six years - until for unexplained reasons they finally bred 18 months ago.
Mr Tindale said that sometimes all the science in the world just can't make love blossom.
"You put two lions together they will breed straight away," he said.
"Tigers are a bit fussier. I've seen situations where because tigers are critically endangered an international stud book will make the decision all the way to Poland and they will say you will mate this one with this one and it just doesn't happen."
"It can be extremely disappointing when the future of the species depends on it."
The decision of which animals will mate is not one for individual zoos. They are at the bottom of the decision-making hierarchy of the Zoo and Aquarium Association, which co-ordinates breeding programs for 94 Australasian zoos.
An international species manager decides which zoos animals are sent to and who their partner will be, until a security population is released into the wild. Breeding is carefully controlled to increase the genetic diversity of each species. The difference of 1 per cent in a genetic make-up could be the difference between inbreeding and outbreeding.
"Twelve years ago we along with other zoos had to put money in to redo the whole system to ensure its accuracy," Mr Tindale said.
"The program cost a collective $US38 million just to rewrite. It's a very complicated process."
Genetics aside, there are several logistical challenges that come with transferring animals between zoos. When Shaba the Giraffe moved from Mogo Zoo to Canberra, the journey was planned down to the height of each branch.
Ms Osterloh said understanding the complex process of captive breeding was crucial to knowing what the expansion will mean for endangered wildlife.
The zoo's new focus on open-range exhibits aims to lead to more successful breeding efforts, as it phases out the least endangered species.
"Giraffes will do best through the expansion, with the larger space and the breeding facilities that we have," Ms Osterloh said.
"We need to stimulate natural behaviour as much as possible by having more space for the animals to feel happy and relaxed in the environments, which has a knock-on effect. We will have several larger animals, such as our three new rhinos, who we are hoping will successfully breed now that they have a larger space."
Animal rights activists argue that despite the move towards open-range exhibits, it is virtually impossible to replicate natural conditions in a zoo.
"Zoos in Australia have evolved and we have changed our ways and practices."
Renee Osterloh
Ms Osterloh said she agreed with those statements but said staff were committed to learning about natural habitats to create the best environment possible. She also pointed to continuous funding for in-the-field conservation efforts.
She became emotional when asked about the belief that zoos prioritise profit over animal welfare.
"That's telling someone who knows the entire situation and dedicates their lives to the going out and learning more about their natural habitat that what they're doing is wrong," she said.
"Zoos in Australia have evolved and we have changed our ways and practices."
Mr Tindale expressed pride at the zoo's expansion and hope for the future of conservation.
"Everybody has different opinions about our bigger exhibits, from people who think tiny cages are best so they can get up close to not entertaining captivity at all," he said.
"Somewhere in the middle is where we stand. We believe animals should be in captivity because they have to be to save the species."
"We would love to be in a situation where the world doesn't have to have animals in captivity, but that's a fair way off - it could happen, but not in our lifetime."
"I bought this site with a promise to do something with animals, for animals, and with this expansion we can do more of that. We can't change the world but we can make a contribution."