Belgian zoo guides

[Mr Gharial]

A continuation of Dutch zoo guides. I make guides for aviaries, terrarium houses and difficult-to-find species.

Sadly, with the current state of the world. I am not actually able to check if my guides are correct. So if you find any mistakes, please do point them out as soon as possible! Maybe then I can still edit them. (Mistakes like wrong names, wrong map locations or wrong (sub)species)

I'm starting with Planckendael, and hope to eventually create guides for most (if not all) zoos in Belgium. I'm planning on creating Pakawi park next, but I have no local for the park. So if anyone knows the species or is visiting soon, please message me so we can discuss.

Some notes/rules on the guides:
Guides include:
- Picture
- Common English name
- Distribution map (unless a guide has 20 or more species)
- Location on the park map
- Name of the area (if it is named)

Guides can be created for:
- Aviaries with 3 or more species
- Reptile houses / Exhibit complex with 3 or more species
- Exhibit with 3 or more species, if one of said species is difficult to find or unsigned (Excluding Safari paddocks, but including Exhibits like Gelada rocks in Blijdorp)

 

[Mr Gharial]

Planckendael is currently half finished, and I hope to finish the rest this week
(To follow: African and Australian waterfront aviaries, Australian reptile house, Chilean aviary and the two remaining Asian aviaries that I haven't named yet)
(Took some creative liberties with the names of the aviaries)

 

[Mr Gharial]

Planckendael - European wader aviary

(Curse these ducks and their large distribution maps!)

 

[Mr Gharial]

Planckendael - Iberian aviary

 

[Mr Gharial]

Planckendael - East Africa aviary

 

[Mr Gharial]

Planckendael - Village aviary

 

[Mr Gharial]

Planckendael - South/East Asia aviary

 

[Mr Gharial]

Planckendael - Central China aviary

 

[KevinB]

I am glad that my descriptions had allowed you to correctly localize the aviaries, even without knowing Planckendael. Only the map for the weaver bird aviary is slightly off, as that aviary is a little bit further towards the edge of the African village, opposite the porcupine exhibit.

That said, the beaver shown in the European aviary area is not there anymore, but apparently hasn't yet been removed from the map, although the beaver enclosure has since been replaced by a wading bird beach, making it very unlikely they will get beavers again.

With regards to naming the aviaries you were a little more creative then me, but I must say I do appreciate your choice of names.

 

[Mr Gharial]

Planckendael - Outback house

 

[Mr Gharial]

Planckendael - Australian waterfront aviary

I hope to have the remaining Greater Asia aviary and Chilean aviary out tomorrow

I was messaged by a friendly Pakawi park local who's willing to help me with species lists.

I'm not very familiar with Belgian zoos (sadly), so I'm not sure which other parks could use guides or not. I'm trying to save Antwerp and Pairi daiza for last, as they have a lot of area to cover, so if anyone has any ideas on what's next feel free to contact!

 

[Mr Gharial]

Planckendael - Greater Asia aviary


No idea what I'm going to call the other greater Asia aviary. The greater greater Asia avairy?

 

[KevinB]

Planckendael - Australian waterfront aviary
View attachment 529397
I hope to have the remaining Greater Asia aviary and Chilean aviary out tomorrow

I was messaged by a friendly Pakawi park local who's willing to help me with species lists.

I'm not very familiar with Belgian zoos (sadly), so I'm not sure which other parks could use guides or not. I'm trying to save Antwerp and Pairi daiza for last, as they have a lot of area to cover, so if anyone has any ideas on what's next feel free to contact!

For Antwerp you should be able to find a thread with a list for the bird house here on ZooChat, although I haven't updated it since summer 2021 and there have been some changes since (which perhaps they could help you with at the Laafsekikkers forum). I want to update it, and the animal houses at Antwerp will be reopening again tomorrow, but given my current health situation and the still very present omicron virus it will probably be a few more months before I can do that update.

I don't have full lists for the buffalo aviary at Antwerp or the mixed aviaries and houses at Pairi Daiza, but I am willing to give you what I know.

 

[Mr Gharial]

Planckendael - Chilean coast aviary

 

[Mr Gharial]

Does anyone have a better name for the second greater Asia aviary? Because it's done but I don't wanna call it the "Greater greater Asia aviary"

 

[KevinB]

Does anyone have a better name for the second greater Asia aviary? Because it's done but I don't wanna call it the "Greater greater Asia aviary"

I generally call it the large mixed Asian aviary. Being non-creative I would call it the largest Asian aviary or the crane and galliform aviary or something along those lines. Being more creative, maybe the "Bamboo forest" aviary or something along those lines? The aviary contains several large bamboo clumps/groves and there used to be a bamboo forest nearby with the road to the Asian greenhouse (now being transformed into the orangutan area).

 

[Mr Gharial]

Maybe the "Bamboo forest" aviary or something along those lines?

Lifesaver

Planckendael - Great bamboo aviary

 

[KevinB]

Planckendael - Village aviary
View attachment 529199

I visited Planckendael today and the species composition of this aviary has been changed. It now houses village weaver, green woodhoopoe and vulturine guineafowl, golden-breasted starling is not there anymore.

Unfortunately the lemur area was closed so I could not check out the secretary bird aviary. I did however see from a distance there were still four signs next to it, but wasn't able to make out for which species.

It might be a while unfortunately before I can check out that aviary again.

 

[Mr Gharial]

I visited Planckendael today and the species composition of this aviary has been changed. It now houses village weaver, green woodhoopoe and vulturine guineafowl, golden-breasted starling is not there anymore.

Any other updates?

Planckendael - Village aviary V2

 

[KevinB]

Any other updates?

Planckendael - Village aviary V2
View attachment 529933

I'm sorry. No, I did not see any other changes to the species lists I provided previously. However I did not see the secretary bird aviary (which I will try to give an update about as soon as possible, but I'm not sure when it will happen) and the Australian waterfront aviary was also not viewable, as the entire Oceania area was closed for renovation work (which I will comment on later in the news thread).