Edinburgh Zoo Edinburgh Zoo News 2020

Interesting. Seems like fairly stable numbers, so maybe a turn around for Edinburgh's recent trend
 
Interesting. Seems like fairly stable numbers, so maybe a turn around for Edinburgh's recent trend

Species lost:

Rock Hyrax
Barbary Macaque
Big Hairy Armadillo
Dwarf Mongoose
Smew
Hamerkop
Montserrat Oriole

Species gained:

Asian Palm Civet
Domestic Guineafowl
White-winged Wood Duck
Black Kite
Swift Parrot
Emei Shan liocichla
White-rumped Shama

Species gained/lost within the year:

Eurasian Beaver

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So in terms of tetrapod species there was no change - although I can see a few species which have been lost subsequently.

One worrying trend in these figures is that they appear to have had quite the reduction in numbers for three of their partula snail groups, both in terms of deaths and disposals - one hopes they are not winding things down!

Partula affinis - from 253 to 68 (152 births, 157 deaths, 180 disposals)
Partula suturalis vexillum
- from 187 to 67 (167 births, 193 deaths, 67 disposals)
Partula taeniata simulans
- from 858 to 276 (713 births, 635 deaths, 660 disposals)
Partula tohiveana
- from 457 to 582 (640 births, 98 deaths, 417 disposals)
 
It says on here that they've got a Common Palm Civet, or at least they did at the end of 2019. Anyone got info about this?

I expect this will be an "Animal Antics" show animal - several of the new arrivals are I think.
 
Species lost:

Rock Hyrax
Barbary Macaque
Big Hairy Armadillo
Dwarf Mongoose
Smew
Hamerkop
Montserrat Oriole

Species gained:

Asian Palm Civet
Domestic Guineafowl
White-winged Wood Duck
Black Kite
Swift Parrot
Emei Shan liocichla
White-rumped Shama

Species gained/lost within the year:

Eurasian Beaver

---

So in terms of tetrapod species there was no change - although I can see a few species which have been lost subsequently.

One worrying trend in these figures is that they appear to have had quite the reduction in numbers for three of their partula snail groups, both in terms of deaths and disposals - one hopes they are not winding things down!

Partula affinis - from 253 to 68 (152 births, 157 deaths, 180 disposals)
Partula suturalis vexillum
- from 187 to 67 (167 births, 193 deaths, 67 disposals)
Partula taeniata simulans
- from 858 to 276 (713 births, 635 deaths, 660 disposals)
Partula tohiveana
- from 457 to 582 (640 births, 98 deaths, 417 disposals)
Have they participated in Partula release efforts perhaps?
 
Had a question, unsure if its been asked before, but has anyone managed to see the margay since it was moved behind the rhinos/education centre? I've had absolutely no luck even at the usual peak-Margay times and trying all the boost-yourself-up-the-fence-to-see-in-the-nest-box tricks. I expect being moved to a markedly busier area of the park what with all the staff vehicles going in and out just behind the cage and the women's restroom right next-door might have something to do with it (I always feel like a creep having to go halfway up the stairs towards the ladies bathroom to try and have a look in the nest-box :oops:). I've tried my last 3-4 visits now and I haven't seen it since, if I never have a chance to see it again I'll be a little disappointed. And does anyone know whether it was Sarah or Pulyah which was moved? I know there was talk of one of them having left the collection but I can't remember which

Also not sure if this is super reliable, but if you're having trouble with the swift parrots, I couldn't find them after about ten minutes inside the walkthrough itself. If you're going out of the exit towards Living Links/new Animal Antics and look in the window at the back, I got some lucky views of them coming down to drink from the dishes, though unfortunately no great pictures because of the window.

And if you're planning visiting while the Covid-regulations are still in place (so, for the next five years), stay away from Budongo until the end of the day. I went in around lunch and there was a queue going up the stairs, that wouldn't move because the people at the top wouldn't move away from the first viewing window despite the poor volunteer repeatedly shouting advice. But I went back an hour from closing and it was completely empty, like it was the first time I had ever been in there completely alone. I got to see some cute sibling moments between Velu and Masindi, and I saw a single male chimp in the room to the right, so I assume that was the new male waiting to be intergrated to the rest of the troop, I hope this time it at least goes better than the chimp from Blair Drummond did. The line for Koala Territory also stretched back to Living Links, so yeah I'm gonna avoid that place for a while I think. The pygmy hippo house I believe is also shut for the moment being, so the most you're likely to see of them is in the outdoor pool close to the playpark.

And this is more of a personal thing, but the one-way system really screws up my usual zoo route. I would normally go up through the left through the pelicans and river hogs, but you have to essentially do a full circuit before you can reach them again. Oh well. I absolutely fell in love with the Cloud Rats though, so cute!
 
I haven't seen the margay since they moved either. It's a shame the old big cat area is in the state that it's in or that would have been perfect for them.

The one-way system also messed up my route. Normally I got down to see the waldrapp and baer's pochard before walking up to the monkey house. Quieter that way I think but there's nothing one can do.

And yes, the cloud rats are adorable
 
and I saw a single male chimp in the room to the right, so I assume that was the new male waiting to be intergrated to the rest of the troop, I hope this time it at least goes better than the chimp from Blair Drummond did.

What happened to 'the chimp from Bair Drummond'? Attacked fatally? (Its always very tricky introducing newcomers). Any idea why they have got this extra male now?
 
What happened to 'the chimp from Bair Drummond'? Attacked fatally? (Its always very tricky introducing newcomers). Any idea why they have got this extra male now?

I never visited whilst Tupelo was at Edinburgh so wouldn’t be able to say how her introductions went or why she has now died.

However, the reason Maadili has moved over to Edinburgh from Copenhagen is because of the lack of breeding males. Of the four western males already in the group, two of them have been vasectomised (Paul and Frek) due to their descending from an overrepresented bloodline (their father is one of the most successful breeding males in the history of the EEP), and one of the other two (Louis) is very old now; I think he’s 44. That leaves Rene as the only male that can breed and isn't ancient, so Maadili’s addition is very much a welcome one.
 
I have only seen the Margay once since she moved to that enclosure, I try numerous times every visit but to no avail! It was the male that moved to another collection.
 
Tulpeo didn't adjust to the troop well, and got into some bad fights with the higher-ranking males. She tore a toe off of the second-in-command Kindia and he had to be put down during surgery. I don't remember whether Tulpeo herself was simply moved on or also had to be put down due to injuries, but either way a horrible situation and a net loss for the troop.

@Quincey lucky! Any tips at all on how you saw her in there? Time of day? Was she in the nest basket? etc etc.
 
Tulpeo didn't adjust to the troop well, and got into some bad fights with the higher-ranking males. She tore a toe off of the second-in-command Kindia and he had to be put down during surgery. I don't remember whether Tulpeo herself was simply moved on or also had to be put down due to injuries, but either way a horrible situation and a net loss for the troop.

That sounds rough, but that does explain why Kindia also passed away around that time. Tupelo died at Edinburgh, so unsure if it was illness or injury related......she was quite young in any case. She had only ever lived in a group with one male, so it's not at all surprising that she must have been scrappy with the various males of the Edinburgh troop.
 
Just watched the 3rd part of the new serious about the zoo and sorry but they let 2 cases life in pain before being put down both at highland woodland park but owned by Edinburgh am ashamed to live in Edinburgh after that totally bad included that primate keeper and Edinburgh's completed the keepers are **** 2 keepers both at Edinburgh and both I recognized from keeper talks and both lady's seamed to be the only ones to care
 
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