Visited yesterday for the first time in 2 years and it was wonderful to be back.
Saw the new tortoise enclosure on the slope opposite the geladas, although the condensation on the glass made viewing a little tricky. The snowy owl enclosure was empty with a sign saying it was closed for maintenance. No sign of the howler monkeys in the first of the triple pits - couldn't see them indoors either.
Only saw 2 arctic foxes but Daseep (Sumatran tiger) was very active wrestling with a large meaty bone that had been hung from a tree. There was work going on in the snow leopard's indoor enclosure - from what I could see, the section behind the glass is being split into 2 separate enclosures and metal shutters have been fixed in front of the glass which can be dropped down to make the area private.
Very happy to see one of the binturongs out and active - the enclosure is starting to mature nicely. The other binturong and palm civet were curled up indoors. Also great to see cassowary back at DZC. The anteaters were curled up together fast asleep. No sign of the sloths, so nice to see a video feed of what they actually look like when they are awake. Also, no sign of the short-clawed otters, although there was a notice up saying that they were under veterinary observation.
There was a new covered platform in lemur wood and several of the enclosures had been rebuilt. The vegetation is regrowing and the whole area looks good. The pond has been cleaned and stocked with a variety of carp - some really nice specimens of ghost carp in there.
I liked the enclosure for ibis next to the Queen Mary ballroom. Work on the new outdoor orang enclosure is progressing well. There is chain link fencing going up between the telegraph poles and curved metal baffles being fitted at the top of the poles. I was amazed by how much Sprout (youngest orang) had grown - she doesn't look like a baby anymore. All the gibbons were shut in their indoor enclosure.
I get the impression that there has been a lot of maintenance work going on during the lockdowns and the site is generally looking smart. The Discovery Centre is really looking it's age so I'm glad it's one of the next tectons to be conserved.
Looking forward to visiting again.
Saw the new tortoise enclosure on the slope opposite the geladas, although the condensation on the glass made viewing a little tricky. The snowy owl enclosure was empty with a sign saying it was closed for maintenance. No sign of the howler monkeys in the first of the triple pits - couldn't see them indoors either.
Only saw 2 arctic foxes but Daseep (Sumatran tiger) was very active wrestling with a large meaty bone that had been hung from a tree. There was work going on in the snow leopard's indoor enclosure - from what I could see, the section behind the glass is being split into 2 separate enclosures and metal shutters have been fixed in front of the glass which can be dropped down to make the area private.
Very happy to see one of the binturongs out and active - the enclosure is starting to mature nicely. The other binturong and palm civet were curled up indoors. Also great to see cassowary back at DZC. The anteaters were curled up together fast asleep. No sign of the sloths, so nice to see a video feed of what they actually look like when they are awake. Also, no sign of the short-clawed otters, although there was a notice up saying that they were under veterinary observation.
There was a new covered platform in lemur wood and several of the enclosures had been rebuilt. The vegetation is regrowing and the whole area looks good. The pond has been cleaned and stocked with a variety of carp - some really nice specimens of ghost carp in there.
I liked the enclosure for ibis next to the Queen Mary ballroom. Work on the new outdoor orang enclosure is progressing well. There is chain link fencing going up between the telegraph poles and curved metal baffles being fitted at the top of the poles. I was amazed by how much Sprout (youngest orang) had grown - she doesn't look like a baby anymore. All the gibbons were shut in their indoor enclosure.
I get the impression that there has been a lot of maintenance work going on during the lockdowns and the site is generally looking smart. The Discovery Centre is really looking it's age so I'm glad it's one of the next tectons to be conserved.
Looking forward to visiting again.
No sign of the Brown Bear enclosure being started, and looks like the Tiger extension has been scrapped as there's nothing to indicate anything happening on it.
