ZSL Whipsnade Zoo ZSL Whipsnade Zoo News 2022

Lafone said:
The issues have been building really and in the last year or so the lack of restocking etc is a concern.

The spider monkeys all moved to ZSL London, with nothing to replace, the sea lions went to YWP, nothing more incoming to replace them and the notable / big exhibits where there were groups of animals (often breeding) are going down to one (cheetah, sloth bear, bear) or none (lions). It needs a bit of a rethink or replan really. Some of the collection is aging (the conversation about the lions will be back on about the chimps as time moves on for example).

Much of the signage is now noticeably way behind other zoos (the tiger enclosure pictures are all the tigers when they were cubs over three years ago for example), faded and outdated and educational material is looking pretty tired in a lot of areas - the education message is lacking. The lack of money is pretty obvious.

It's good news they say they will get more lions but the timetable to reopen will be the interesting thing. It does feel like being the poorer cousin to London has really hit now, in terms of where the investment is going and given the huge impact of the pandemic it's not surprising really. This is the time that income impact is being seen, combined with a lot of animals of a 'certain age'.

It is still a lovely place to visit and there are some great animals to see, in good spaces. But there's a sense of slide. I hope as income picks back up there is a good strategy to make all of Whipsnade that it could be.
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One could argue the rot truly set in when the wolves were euthanised.

From recall, Wolf, Onager, Impala, Kudu, Moose, Roan, Lechwe, Axis deer, Thompsons gazelle, Red River hog and American bison can also be added to the list of noticeable departures in recent years.

Add to this a terminally rotting Grade Listed Tecton Elephant House (with spiralling maintenance costs); a defunct Discovery Centre (with the loss of many reptile and invertebrate species) a weed-infested, poorly maintained chalk lion that’s meant to advertise the zoo’s presence, and a site that still operates off of its original 1930’s plumbing!
 
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Embu said:
Ahh OK I see what you mean now. They can't use the pandemic as an excuse (I'd forgotten about the sealions move to YWP).

Am I correct in thinking about 10 years ago they created a wild area bringing in species that used to live in Britain hundreds/thousands of years ago? Bison, lynx, wolverine? If they did do this have these now died/moved on and is the area no longer?
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They do have the bison lynx and wolverine still though it’s just two adult lynx now.
 
Panthera1981 said:
One could argue the rot truly set in when the wolves were euthanised.

From recall, Wolf, Onager, Impala, Kudu, Moose, Roan, Lechwe, Axis deer, Thompsons gazelle, Red River hog and American bison can also be added to the list of noticeable departures in recent years.

Add to this a terminally rotting Grade Listed Tecton Elephant House (with spiralling maintenance costs); a defunct Discovery Centre (with the loss of many reptile and invertebrate species) a weed-infested, poorly maintained chalk lion that’s meant to advertise the zoo’s presence, and a site that still operates off of its original 1930’s plumbing!
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Very true indeed.

The only recent new exhibit was animatronic dinosaurs which are nice for kids and fun for them in a way but not really the best focus (and to sound 188, the music was on repeat and blared out quite a distance)
 
Lafone said:
The only recent new exhibit was animatronic dinosaurs which are nice for kids and fun for them in a way…
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Plus the zoo would argue they’re low maintenance - they don’t have to feed them or muck them out!:p

Does anyone have any update on the Brown bear? Are they going to source any more or just stick with the solitary female?
 
pipaluk said:
Let's face it, much as I hate to admit it, both ZSL zoos are going down the pan!! It is one bad news story after the other. As a long standing fellow I am very distressed by what is(or rather isn't) happening!!
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Both zoos are a shadow of there former self management could do a lot better
 
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Zorro said:
Both zoos are a shadow of there former self management could do a lot better
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I would also add that, personally, we shouldn’t use the pandemic as the sole reason for the situation both sites find themselves in, though I’m sure some within ZSL would try! Its certainly exacerbated the issues, but some of these have been self-inflicted and existed for years, perhaps decades!
 
Panthera1981 said:
I would also add that, personally, we shouldn’t use the pandemic as the sole reason for the situation both sites find themselves in, though I’m sure some within ZSL would try! Its certainly exacerbated the issues, but some of these have been self-inflicted and existed for years, perhaps decades!
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Could not agree more both zoos have been on the slide for years more so London zoo,bad management
 
Panthera1981 said:
I would also add that, personally, we shouldn’t use the pandemic as the sole reason for the situation both sites find themselves in, though I’m sure some within ZSL would try! Its certainly exacerbated the issues, but some of these have been self-inflicted and existed for years, perhaps decades!
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I agree though I think the pandemic / money issue has just started to bring things to a noticeable head and it’s so much ‘less’ than london as it goes along.
 
Embu said:
Whipsnade have lost few Individuals in the last 4 years,
1 x elephant
1 x white rhino
1 x cheetah
6 x lions
2 x brown bears

And any other animals I've missed
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Its far more cheetahs than that surely?
There were 5 females 2 males + mum
The Red panda female went recently too.
 
Ectotherm said:
Its far more cheetahs than that surely?
There were 5 females 2 males + mum
The Red panda female went recently too.
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Re Cheetah that's the only one that I'm aware of but you are probably correct there's probably a lot more that have died.
 
If we're being completely honest, what zoo in the country, Chester aside, would be exempt from being described in the way that Whispnade and ZSL are being described here? There is a thread on Edinburgh right now in a similar vein. My local zoo, Marwell, has become notorious on this forum for similar things. I am happy to be corrected with positive stories from other zoos but it seems to me that the overall picture of the UK zoo 'scene' has not been a positive one in recent years. Yes we can complain about bad management decisions, and to do so is often completely legitimate. Even to this distant observer, the decisions made by ZSL appear puzzling at the best of times. But we musnt forget that zoos have been suffering for some years now - even more so now given the realities of a global pandemic which has decimated visitor numbers and (alongside brexit) massively impacted the movement of animals.
 
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scottie31 said:
If we're being completely honest, what zoo in the country, Chester aside, would be exempt from being described in the way that Whispnade and ZSL are being described here? There is a thread on Edinburgh right now in a similar vein. My local zoo, Marwell, has become notorious on this forum for similar things. I am happy to be corrected with positive stories from other zoos but it seems to me that the overall picture of the UK zoo 'scene' has not been a positive one in recent years. Yes we can complain about bad management decisions, and to do so is often completely legitimate. Even to this distant observer, the decisions made by ZSL appear puzzling at the best of times. But we musnt forget that zoos have been suffering for some years now - even more so now given the realities of a global pandemic which has decimated visitor numbers and (alongside brexit) massively impacted the movement of animals.
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I agree with you 100% There are quite a few zoos that appear to have deteriorated lately but there are still plenty of UK zoos progressing really well lately like Twycross, Dudley, Blackpool and Wild place project. I really don't like how negative the zoo community has become lately. There are so many brilliant things to focus on, including within ZSL zoos, but so many people seem to come on here and complain without giving it a second thought or even considering reasons as to why certain things might be happening.
 
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scottie31 said:
If we're being completely honest, what zoo in the country, Chester aside, would be exempt from being described in the way that Whispnade and ZSL are being described here? There is a thread on Edinburgh right now in a similar vein. My local zoo, Marwell, has become notorious on this forum for similar things. I am happy to be corrected with positive stories from other zoos but it seems to me that the overall picture of the UK zoo 'scene' has not been a positive one in recent years. Yes we can complain about bad management decisions, and to do so is often completely legitimate. Even to this distant observer, the decisions made by ZSL appear puzzling at the best of times. But we musnt forget that zoos have been suffering for some years now - even more so now given the realities of a global pandemic which has decimated visitor numbers and (alongside brexit) massively impacted the movement of animals.
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Sadly the only zoos that really seem to make much progress are newer ones. Yorkshire Wildlife Park, Hamerton and Exmoor have all improved in the last few years for a start. I would also throw Wingham into that category. But you are right, the majority have been in decline : ZSL, Edinburgh, Marwell are the worst examples but there are plenty of others.
 
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GiraffeJack10 said:
I agree with you 100% There are quite a few zoos that appear to have deteriorated lately but there are still plenty of UK zoos progressing really well lately like Twycross, Dudley, Blackpool and Wild place project. I really don't like how negative the zoo community has become lately. There are so many brilliant things to focus on, including within ZSL zoos, but so many people seem to come on here and complain without giving it a second thought or even considering reasons as to why certain things might be happening.
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That’s not really very fair. Balance is possible (maybe not on the internet or in forums where everything has to be put in a polarised position of love or hate I grant you).

It’s possible to really love a place and still want it to improve and also to be concerned about the position it finds itself in. I was at whipsnade on Sunday and had a lovely day in the bright sunny weather with some great photos of the lynx and the tigers and a good stroll around the rhinos, popping to the water deer with a decent coffee and going to see where the hunting dogs were hiding out past the giraffes. Lots to like.

But I also worry about the general trend and how ‘left behind’ it feels in comparison to places advancing, building, landscaping actively planning and progressing collections like say YWP or Hamerton (examples at two ends of the size scale). And ‘because reasons’ doesn’t really help - it’s still losing stock and not looking it’s best. I hope this is a great year for whipsnade in 2022 but the trend hasn’t been upwards and the pandemic is really just icing the cake.

I visited YWP to see the sea lions in their new enclosure late in 2021 and on seeing it and their new space and pools found myself pleased for them that they’d moved tbh - that’s a shame for whipsnade.
 
Lafone said:
That’s not really very fair. Balance is possible (maybe not on the internet or in forums where everything has to be put in a polarised position of love or hate I grant you).

It’s possible to really love a place and still want it to improve and also to be concerned about the position it finds itself in. I was at whipsnade on Sunday and had a lovely day in the bright sunny weather with some great photos of the lynx and the tigers and a good stroll around the rhinos, popping to the water deer with a decent coffee and going to see where the hunting dogs were hiding out past the giraffes. Lots to like.

But I also worry about the general trend and how ‘left behind’ it feels in comparison to places advancing, building, landscaping actively planning and progressing collections like say YWP or Hamerton (examples at two ends of the size scale). And ‘because reasons’ doesn’t really help - it’s still losing stock and not looking it’s best. I hope this is a great year for whipsnade in 2022 but the trend hasn’t been upwards and the pandemic is really just icing the cake.

I visited YWP to see the sea lions in their new enclosure late in 2021 and on seeing it and their new space and pools found myself pleased for them that they’d moved tbh - that’s a shame for whipsnade.
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I take absolutely no pleasure in criticising ZSL, but even a casual zoo visitor can see the direction Whipsnade has taken in recent years - and I’ve talked to plenty! Considering it’s not hamstrung by the many problems that hold back London, that’s insulting.

It’s going to take more than just one “good year” to turn the current situation around I’m afraid.
 
Embu said:
Am I correct in thinking about 10 years ago they created a wild area bringing in species that used to live in Britain hundreds/thousands of years ago? Bison, lynx, wolverine? If they did do this have these now died/moved on and is the area no longer?
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Yes in 2010, Whipsnade acquired lynx, wolverine and moose for the Wild Wild Whipsnade exhibit that featured species which once inhabited Britain. Whipsnade still has lynx and wolverine but, unfortunately, there are no longer moose.
(European bison had been kept at Whipsnade for decades so it was unnecessary to bring in these.)
 
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