ZSL Whipsnade Zoo Whipsnade Zoo 2018

What does that mean? six weeks on and the bison is still there so what exactly does he know?
It meant that anything posted by Panthera1981 regarding Whipsnade is usually reliable, anyway he did not say when, he said it would leave shortly, that could be a few months!

Regardless of that, plans could change
 
It meant that anything posted by Panthera1981 regarding Whipsnade is usually reliable, anyway he did not say when, he said it would leave shortly, that could be a few months!

Regardless of that, plans could change
I spoke to a keeper the other day actually and he said they where just considering moving Tex as it is difficult to manage him on the steep hill. Something like that anyway
 
I spoke to a keeper the other day actually and he said they where just considering moving Tex as it is difficult to manage him on the steep hill. Something like that anyway

Funny how things change, the Bison were only brought back to Whipsnade because local residents complained about them not being present on the local landmark of Bison Hill. I would rather seem him stay put with some company perhaps( a couple more Bison) as I think keeping a longterm solitary member of a herd species like this isn't exactly a good advert for their management..
 
I spoke to a keeper the other day actually and he said they where just considering moving Tex as it is difficult to manage him on the steep hill. Something like that anyway
I don't understand why it is "difficult to manage him on the steep hill".

After all, American bison were kept very successfully on Bison Hill for many decades so why is it difficult now?
 
so if an old animal like him dies or gets sick on the Hill it is not safe and/practical to deal with that. Ask any of the keepers how they feel about having to work with the awful facilities in that exhibit and you may get a realistic practical answer as I did when I asked. Previous generations had different expectations
 
It meant that anything posted by Panthera1981 regarding Whipsnade is usually reliable, anyway he did not say when, he said it would leave shortly, that could be a few months!

Regardless of that, plans could change
that's rather different to your first answer
 
Previous generations had different expectations

The only reason Bison returned, and it was not that long ago, was to repopulate that particular enclosure. Of course policies and ideas change but if they don't think its workable now maybe better to just move him out of the collection to a Bison farm or wherever.
 
so if an old animal like him dies or gets sick on the Hill it is not safe and/practical to deal with that. Ask any of the keepers how they feel about having to work with the awful facilities in that exhibit and you may get a realistic practical answer as I did when I asked. Previous generations had different expectations
If facilities are a problem, improve them or build better facilities. Bison Hill is iconic, in the true meaning of the word, as I think it is the only animal enclosure in Britain named on an OS map (please correct me if I'm wrong). Its place near the White Lion make it Whipsnade's shop window and I hope that will remain the case as long as it is practical to do so.
 
I would love to see the facilities improved and the wisent moved up there. It’d be a stunning enclosure with a decent sized herd.
 
I would love to see the facilities improved and the wisent moved up there. It’d be a stunning enclosure with a decent sized herd.

It is an extremely exposed site, no shelter from the elements. Wisent are essentially woodland dwellers, whereas American Bison are(largely) plains dwellers. I do not think it would suit the former. Either American Bison or nothing IMO. They might be better just closing it as an animal exhibit and ignoring any resultant local 'landscape' protests if they aren't prepared to maintain Bison in it. But as GL says, why not just improve the facilities and keep it going as its always been.
 
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It has been confirmed that, with the closure of London Zoo’s aquarium, a freshwater exhibit will open at Whipsnade in 2019.
 
For some years she and Kay Lee were at loggerheads but from about 2015 they had been fine through the day and only separated at night. There had been a little friction since they stopped walking and handling the elephants (not surprising really) but I think this is more about convenience than animal management. I don't much like the look of that little paddock myself from the pictures I have seen
 
Following the death of her companion Azizah in February this year, Asian Elephant Mya is due to be transferred to Naples Zoo in the near future where she will join their lone elephant Jula.

La Lettera di Jula | Facebook

Its great that she will be joining a lone elephant. Hopefully she and Jula will get along well together. But it definitely is sad to see her leave Whipsnade.:(
 
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