ZSL Whipsnade Zoo Whipsnade zoo 2017

I doubt the figures for the free-ranging animals are accurate anyway; presumably they are estimates only.

I assume that the two muntjac at London Zoo are ex-Whipsnade which would contribute to the decline in numbers although, checking the previous inventories, the Whipsnade’s population of muntjac has been steadily decreasing in recent years as shown below. (The figure for 2012 seems to be an anomaly as there was a huge increase the following year.)

2011 (26)
2012 (4)
2013 ( 21)
2014 (14)
2015 ( 7)
2016 (6)
2017 (2)​

Maguari said:
I remember seeing a really low reported number for muntjac before and then seeing more (adult) individuals than that the next time I visited…….
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Yes, see the figure for 2012 above!
 
Tim May said:
I doubt the figures for the free-ranging animals are accurate anyway; presumably they are estimates only.

I assume that the two muntjac at London Zoo are ex-Whipsnade which would contribute to the decline in numbers although, checking the previous inventories, the Whipsnade’s population of muntjac has been steadily decreasing in recent years as shown below. (The figure for 2012 seems to be an anomaly as there was a huge increase the following year.)

2011 (26)
2012 (4)
2013 ( 21)
2014 (14)
2015 ( 7)
2016 (6)
2017 (2)​



Yes, see the figure for 2012 above!
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Dear Tim, I take the figures with a coupla pinches of salt methinks.
I just wonder how they have arrived at their estimates. It will certainly not have been quantifiable and random square grid sampling. I would hence thus treat the current figures as somewhat an underestimate of the true wild population on the South Downs at Whipsnade.

It would seem fair to believe that around the South Downs and beyond a resident population of Chinese muntjac is still flourishing with their numbers unknown. I assume that till date no extermination or wild-to-captive capture program will have taken place in order to rid the countryside of an invasive deer taxon.

Where the figures pertain to the Chinese water deer I guess that might be another underestimate. Allthough, I do know some years ago Berlin Zoo received these deer ex Whipsnade. But surely, the population is still around the Downs and probably higher than the Zoo Inventory would have us believe. Perhaps you can clarify the latter situation too!???
 
I would take a guess that on census day they just have someone drive around the park and count all the animals they see, and because (as Pertinax said above) Reeves' muntjac are quite secretive the numbers are much lower whereas something like the wallabies are much more visible. Perhaps it would also explain Maguari's note on the prairie dogs being absent in some years - they simply weren't seen on the day.
 
Whatever the true count of Muntjac remaining, with such a tiny number left their days at Whipsnade are probably numbered now.
 
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Kifaru Bwana said:
But surely, the population is still around the Downs and probably higher than the Zoo Inventory would have us believe.
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There are certainly some Chinese Water Deer around in the wild in Bedfordshire, though their preferred habitat is the flatter wetlands as in Cambridgeshire and Norfolk. But I don't think they can enter or leave Whipsnade Park, at least not on a regular basis being as its an enclosed area. You might get a few escapes but more unlikely that they come the other way....
 
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Maguari said:
I notice the prairie dogs are listed again - I seem to recall they were missing from the stocklists for a time.
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I haven't checked earlier than 2005 but the prairie dogs have been listed in the last thirteen animal inventories; for the last six years they have been consistently reported as numbering twenty individuals!
 
Tim May said:
I haven't checked earlier than 2005 but the prairie dogs have been listed in the last thirteen animal inventories; for the last six years they have been consistently reported as numbering twenty individuals!
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Fair enough - sure I remember a discussion on here about them not being listed, though thinking about it that may have been referring to ISIS.
 
Last October I failed to see any Muntjac, except for one possible sighting in Owl Wood, although due to the huge nature of Whipsnade they would have plenty of space to hide!

Worth noting that again the only suid mentioned is Red River Hog, no Wild Boar or Gloucester Old Spots.
 
Macaw16 said:
Last October I failed to see any Muntjac, except for one possible sighting in Owl Wood, although due to the huge nature of Whipsnade they would have plenty of space to hide!

Worth noting that again the only suid mentioned is Red River Hog, no Wild Boar or Gloucester Old Spots.
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The Wild boar are usually sent away to breed in winter, so aren't there in January.

I suspect the totals for Mara, Chinese Water Deer and Prairie Dog are all under estimated! I've seen 30 deer in the rhino paddock alone in the last year on more than one occasion. Given the count is done in January, maybe many of the free roaming animals are hidden away sheltering from the elements?! Unless they spray each animal as it's counted, there's no chance of obtaining an exact figure anyway.
 
Pertinax said:
Whatever the true count of Muntjac remaining, with such a tiny number left their days at Whipsnade are probably numbered now.
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Unless they bring in some more to save them being culled in the wild (as they may have to be under the invasive species legislation).
 
pipaluk said:
The Wild boar are usually sent away to breed in winter, so aren't there in January.
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Agreed. This is a problem with the current style of Animal Inventory that only lists the animals in the collection as at 1st January.

I wish the ZSL Animal Inventory would revert to the old format, which was much more informative, giving the number in the collection on 1st January, number of births, number of arrivals, number of deaths, number of departures and number in the collection on 31st December.
 
Tim May said:
I wish the ZSL Animal Inventory would revert to the old format, which was much more informative, giving the number in the collection on 1st January, number of births, number of arrivals, number of deaths, number of departures and number in the collection on 31st December.
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As do I; as it stands the only way to halfway replicate this is to save copies of previous ones for comparison before they are taken offline each year, but naturally this only permits a broad comparison as it does not show species or individuals which enter the collection after one inventory is issued, but which leave or die prior to the next inventory being issued.
 
Does anyone know why many of the species aren't mentioned on the map or the zoo website, because there are alot of animals on zotierliste like gemsbok and someone mentioned a single american bison which appear nowhere and I fear that when I visit for the first time in a few weeks that i'll miss a lot. If anyone has any info i'd be grateful.
 
Evo said:
Does anyone know why many of the species aren't mentioned on the map or the zoo website, because there are alot of animals on zotierliste like gemsbok and someone mentioned a single american bison which appear nowhere and I fear that when I visit for the first time in a few weeks that i'll miss a lot. If anyone has any info i'd be grateful.
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No-one will know why the species aren't on the map I'm afraid! The map is fairly hopeless!!

The American Bison is behind the penguins on the Downs, along with the Prairie Dog.

Gemsbok are in the paddock between the giraffe & the otter/red panda

Anything else just ask
 
Glad to see that the Magpie Goose group is now 3:3 from the 1:1 listed in last years. Where are the Magpie Geese in the zoo as I missed them last time I visited?
 
A brief visit yesterday and, after passing inspection, it looks like the partition fencing within the old the wolf enclosure (giraffe side) has now been removed to create some kind of "super-paddock" for the hunting dogs. The old dens have also been filled in and replaced with a shelter/kopje.

Regarding the inventory, what does it say about peafowl? I've only seen 2 in the last year and no peahen for 5+ years!
 
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