Burgers' Zoo Burgers' Zoo News 2022

[lintworm]

The new leafcutter ant display in the Bush is simple, yet very effective. Apparently it only needs to fake telegraph poles to add something significant to the Bush. Despite being only ants, most visitors noticed there was something to see and the colony got a lot of attention.

The exhibit seen from a distance:

I wish more such simple yet effective exhibits will be added to the Bush in the coming years. While there is a lot to see for enthusiasts, there isn't an awful lot of highly visible stuff for the regular visitors. This exhibit once again shows that you need next to nothing to create an attractive exhibit for an under-appreciated species, so I am curious to see what more is possible.

Some other recent births include a second white-bearded gnu, 2.1 Grant's zebra, socorro pigeons, brazilian tanagers, crested quail-doves and crested bobwhites. The latter three species bred for the first time in 2021 and decided that was something to do again. The crested bobwhites are also a great addition to the Mangrove, with activity throughout the hall. If breeding continues as successfully as it does now, many other zoos will get the chance to make their rainforest halls or butterfly walkthroughs much more interesting.

In recent months 10 occelated eagle rays left the zoo, all offspring of which transport was delayed because of covid: 1.1 to Plymouth, 1.0 to Nausicaa, 1.0 to Copenhagen, 0.1 to Mare Nostrum, 0.3 to Valencia and 1.1 to Hagenbeck. 1.2 Merriam's kangaroo rats left to Plzen, 1.2 roadrunners to Walsrode and 1.0 lion to Plock. The new banteng male came from Beekse Bergen.

Recent deaths include a female aardvark (1.1 left) and a female turkey vulture (0.2 left).

 

[LARTIS]

Nobody cares about this but ethicaly it would not feel right not admitting that I was wrong being too critical of the new mangrove hall, lintworm was right, they just needed time. They erased my two main issues with offering more educational signs and breeding the crab species.

On another note I hoped they would rebuilt some of the bush and would turn the part of the restaurant ibro an enlarged riverside for the capybaras and lowland tapirs. Offering a view both above and below the water surface.

Abother idea I had was that I thought Burgers could have mooved the external entrance to desert to the oposite side of the Indoorplayground, since the wall did not match the rockwork aesthetic of the hall, and the old space could have been adapted to an enlargement for the bobcats so they would have to separate enclosure for each a female and a male.

 

[LARTIS]

I realy hope Burgers might built a bigger aardvark enclosure, as I personaly find the current ones a bit on the smaller side, especialy the what is supposed to be the male separation part.

They have a very rich history with this species and for me personaly are the mascot of the park.

Maybe they could built something in addition at the safari part.
Did they once planned a new rhino house?

 

[PicanBird]

Nobody cares about this but ethicaly it would not feel right not admitting that I was wrong being too critical of the new mangrove hall, lintworm was right, they just needed time. They erased my two main issues with offering more educational signs and breeding the crab species.

On another note I hoped they would rebuilt some of the bush and would turn the part of the restaurant ibro an enlarged riverside for the capybaras and lowland tapirs. Offering a view both above and below the water surface.

Abother idea I had was that I thought Burgers could have mooved the external entrance to desert to the oposite side of the Indoorplayground, since the wall did not match the rockwork aesthetic of the hall, and the old space could have been adapted to an enlargement for the bobcats so they would have to separate enclosure for each a female and a male.

I realy hope Burgers might built a bigger aardvark enclosure, as I personaly find the current ones a bit on the smaller side, especialy the what is supposed to be the male separation part.

They have a very rich history with this species and for me personaly are the mascot of the park.

Maybe they could built something in addition at the safari part.
Did they once planned a new rhino house?

Ah yes, lets dig up half the bush for two grazing species that once added will not have much greenery within a year to graze from and thus end up in a sandbox again (which is the reason they currently outphased the capybaras).. And an underwater view? Do you know what the Bush is about?

Pretty sure the bobcat is currently also on the outphasing stage with only one left. An easier entrance is a good one, but should be done correctly and likely in the village/restaurant area in one of the little houses.

The rhino's are with a reason not visible in their stable.. You know poachers etc.? Their indoor I believe is quite secured and hard to get to at this moment.

With 2 aardvarks the enclosure right now is fine. They sleep during the day, so guests wouldn't see them move around anyways.

The park right now is adding smaller species which is exactly what it needed, more things to discover rather than massive changes to the current line-up

 

[LARTIS]

Ah yes, lets dig up half the bush for two grazing species that once added will not have much greenery within a year to graze from and thus end up in a sandbox again (which is the reason they currently outphased the capybaras).. And an underwater view? Do you know what the Bush is about?

Pretty sure the bobcat is currently also on the outphasing stage with only one left. An easier entrance is a good one, but should be done correctly and likely in the village/restaurant area in one of the little houses.

The rhino's are with a reason not visible in their stable.. You know poachers etc.? Their indoor I believe is quite secured and hard to get to at this moment.

With 2 aardvarks the enclosure right now is fine. They sleep during the day, so guests wouldn't see them move around anyways.

The park right now is adding smaller species which is exactly what it needed, more things to discover rather than massive changes to the current line-up

Sorry, but no I have no idea what you refer to with what the bush would be about?

The terrace is one giant blob of covered ground so what is the point. This is my personal preference and others might agree or not.

All change is inevitable and I was not suggesting it needed to be adapted now. All I wanted was to look forward to what could be potentialy improoved, as a lot in Burgers Zoo should not change when it was already was very much on.

In regard of the rhino house, other parks have indoor facilities.

 

[lintworm]

The terrace is one giant blob of covered ground so what is the point. This is my personal preference and others might agree or not.

Have you visited the zoo recently? There is no terrace anymore in the Bush since the 2020 renovation, minus a very small area near the ants.

A new rhino house was built behind the scenes about 10 years ago, I don't think that had much to do with safety, more with cost cutting exercises which meant building the stables next to the current giraffe one, as was initially planned, proved to expensive.

A new aardvark enclosure would be a good thing and in the Safari one could build a larger one with better viewing into sleeping dens, and mixes with other animals would be possible too.

 

[PicanBird]

Have you visited the zoo recently? There is no terrace anymore in the Bush since the 2020 renovation, minus a very small area near the ants.

A new rhino house was built behind the scenes about 10 years ago, I don't think that had much to do with safety, more with cost cutting exercises which meant building the stables next to the current giraffe one, as was initially planned, proved to expensive.

A new aardvark enclosure would be a good thing and in the Safari one could build a larger one with better viewing into sleeping dens, and mixes with other animals would be possible too.

The rhino enclosure sure has to do with the safety of the rhinos. It is one of the reasons staff is officially not even allowed to disclose its location.

Honestly I think the aardvarks would be done justice if a second pair would be kept in a nocturnal enclosure to see them both sleeping and active

 

[lintworm]

After having a hand-raised chick earlier in the year, the Montezuma quails are now raising their own chicks free-ranging in the Desert for the first time. Quite a success for a species that they have had for less than a year. They are currently the only ones in a European zoo, but if this success continues that will likely change.

Burgers' Zoo - Montezuma-kwartels hebben jongen | Facebook | By Burgers' Zoo | De Montezuma-kwartels in de Desert, een nieuwe vogelsoort voor Burgers’ Zoo, hebben jongen. Het is even goed zoeken vanwege de goede schutkleuren die ze...

 

[JurassicMax]

The Northern cardinals (Cardinalis cardinalis) are raising their second litter of young this year in the Desert, a total of 4 chicks have hatched.

The Victoria crowned-pigeons (Goura victoria) are currently incubating eggs.

Sources:
Instagram of Burgers Zoo (02/08/2022) Login • Instagram
Instagram of Burgers Zoo (06/08/2022) Login • Instagram

 

[LARTIS]

Have you visited the zoo recently? There is no terrace anymore in the Bush since the 2020 renovation, minus a very small area near the ants.

A new rhino house was built behind the scenes about 10 years ago, I don't think that had much to do with safety, more with cost cutting exercises which meant building the stables next to the current giraffe one, as was initially planned, proved to expensive.

A new aardvark enclosure would be a good thing and in the Safari one could build a larger one with better viewing into sleeping dens, and mixes with other animals would be possible too.

That is correct, I have falsely assumed they would just rebuilt the previous plane terrace, based on the sketches that do not show what the entire side is going to look like. Guess it is zurichs masoala complex with a restaurant and special exhibition that lead me to hope Burgers might bring back the previous rainforest exhibition, maybe with some animals like the invertebrate that sadly did not seem to thrive in the main hall. Did I once again miss an update, or did Burgers just stop posting about the Sun beetle larva they had set free? I personaly felt that the restaurant terrace was a bit of an invasion into the natural habitat that was the oposite of what the hall (conservation) meant. Several times, was I able to see people feed chips/french fries to the crowned pigeons, and once the screaming piha was locked inside the restaurant, and when we told a staff member they remarked that this had happened before and that the birds allways survived the night and are set free the next morning. The bush is no doubt among the best exhibits even on a global scale, I just thought maybe the restaurant below another restaurant could have been converted into discovery lab or nocturnal house. Personaly I find it valid to state the two perspectives are too much of a difference to replace one with the other, but I do not like that the Safari restaurant used to be reservered many visits, as it established an inequality, what is literaly the oposite of an instituion of education and experience.

This european stock list of bred bird species names the montezuma quail as the most bred species of new world quails bred in 2021 with 106 hatchlings, so the chance of the species becoming kept more often seems allready increased.

Vereinigung für Artenschutz, Vogelhaltung und Vogelzucht (AZ) e.V.

 

[robreintjes]

I like the creative exhibit, but last week I saw a lot of ants outside the borders of this exhibit. Hopefully the birds and lizards prevents the Bush (and visitors) from a great escape.

 

[PicanBird]

I like the creative exhibit, but last week I saw a lot of ants outside the borders of this exhibit. Hopefully the birds and lizards prevents the Bush (and visitors) from a great escape.

Outside the borders? Where exactly?

 

[lintworm]

Some quick notes from a recent visit:
- New fish species: Black-banded myleus (Myleus schomburgki) not signed in the caiman enclosure and Southern pompana (Trachinotus africanus). The latter are now signed, but have been present for a while, I hadn't noticed the former before but they are still unsigned and I needed ZIMS help for ID
- The speckled mousebirds seem on their way out. The species sign has been removed and I couldn't locate any. It would be a pity to lose another bird species from the Bush, seemingly without replacement. Especially as this is such a unique bird order that fits so well and it very entertaining to watch. A new arrival is a 3rd white-winged wood duck.
- The turquoise tanagers are very showy these days in the area around the restaurant. They seem to like this open area a lot. I also had my first good views of the montezuma quail family, I counted 4 chicks and 1.2 adults (+ the single hand-raised chick that goes its own way). They were very relaxed in the area near the pond.
- The argus pheasant(s?) are still present behind the scenes, their call could be heard throughout the day. With Sumatran laughingthrush also still present this would be a good opportunity for an aviary in the Rimba (as was originally planned). People not seeing animals is a general complaint among the average zoo visitors in Burgers', but in recent years the number of species has dropped even further and the reindeer and jackal enclosure has now been empty for months without any work being done... Species richness is at an all-time low (especially in Bush, Safari and Park), despite their being a lot of empty space to work with. It sometimes make me wonder these days if they are checking to see how low they can go without losing visitors. I know they are bringing some rarities still (like montezuma quail), but apart from fish only NA-Porcupine and black-tailed prairie dog have entered the collection the past 9 months, while losing quite a bit more. I have been less pessimistic than other around here, but it really starts to show...

 

[PicanBird]

Some quick notes from a recent visit:
- New fish species: Black-banded myleus (Myleus schomburgki) not signed in the caiman enclosure and Southern pompana (Trachinotus africanus). The latter are now signed, but have been present for a while, I hadn't noticed the former before but they are still unsigned and I needed ZIMS help for ID
- The speckled mousebirds seem on their way out. The species sign has been removed and I couldn't locate any. It would be a pity to lose another bird species from the Bush, seemingly without replacement. Especially as this is such a unique bird order that fits so well and it very entertaining to watch. A new arrival is a 3rd white-winged wood duck.
- The turquoise tanagers are very showy these days in the area around the restaurant. They seem to like this open area a lot. I also had my first good views of the montezuma quail family, I counted 4 chicks and 1.2 adults (+ the single hand-raised chick that goes its own way). They were very relaxed in the area near the pond.
- The argus pheasant(s?) are still present behind the scenes, their call could be heard throughout the day. With Sumatran laughingthrush also still present this would be a good opportunity for an aviary in the Rimba (as was originally planned). People not seeing animals is a general complaint among the average zoo visitors in Burgers', but in recent years the number of species has dropped even further and the reindeer and jackal enclosure has now been empty for months without any work being done... Species richness is at an all-time low (especially in Bush, Safari and Park), despite their being a lot of empty space to work with. It sometimes make me wonder these days if they are checking to see how low they can go without losing visitors. I know they are bringing some rarities still (like montezuma quail), but apart from fish only NA-Porcupine and black-tailed prairie dog have entered the collection the past 9 months, while losing quite a bit more. I have been less pessimistic than other around here, but it really starts to show...

The white-winged ducks actually introduced 0.2. The previous lady died in the early stages.So for a short time the only white-winged duck was a male.

What tank is that African Pompano kept? In the bush is doubtful as it is usually a saltwater fish

But regarding species, there is fun things ahead to my knowledge

 

[lintworm]

What tank is that African Pompano kept? In the bush is doubtful as it is usually a saltwater fish

They are in the tunnel in the ocean with the eagle rays, together with the other pompano species. According to ZTL they are apparently the only ones in Europe.

But regarding species, there is fun things ahead to my knowledge

Lets wait and see . It also doesn't show well to your employer (and others) that you say you have knowledge you cannot share. Either say it (which would be unwise) or just keep silent.

 

[Ursus]

They are in the tunnel in the ocean with the eagle rays, together with the other pompano species. According to ZTL they are apparently the only ones in Europe.

I can only find snubnose on ZTL, did you by chance have any photos? Or else someone might took it off ZTL

 

[PicanBird]

They are in the tunnel in the ocean with the eagle rays, together with the other pompano species. According to ZTL they are apparently the only ones in Europe.



Lets wait and see . It also doesn't show well to your employer (and others) that you say you have knowledge you cannot share. Either say it (which would be unwise) or just keep silent.

Hehe, there we go, the ocean that phrasing was off.

Regarding your second statement, the employer does not share things either. A lot of projects are kept behind many doors for 90% of the staff. So instantly assuming the knowledge is from employment is a bit harsh.
The knowledge I do have is from the volunteers.

So it is kinda an unneccesairy attack you did there bud.

 

[Kalaw]

I can only find snubnose on ZTL, did you by chance have any photos? Or else someone might took it off ZTL

I cannot provide photos of the species, but I can provide photos of their sign.

The African Pompano is the second to the top on the right collumn. Sorry for the low quality of the photo.

 

[PicanBird]

I cannot provide photos of the species, but I can provide photos of their sign.

The African Pompano is the second to the top on the right collumn. Sorry for the low quality of the photo.

ah! The signage in the ocean is often outdated as the ecosystem is quite actively looked on and thus often species are phased out and in without singage being updated.

 

[lintworm]

Regarding your second statement, the employer does not share things either. A lot of projects are kept behind many doors for 90% of the staff. So instantly assuming the knowledge is from employment is a bit harsh.
The knowledge I do have is from the volunteers.

So it is kinda an unneccesairy attack you did there bud.

The exact source does not change the point. You frequently (here and on another forum) say you know stuff that is going to happen, without actually sharing it. You are not the only person to have ever done so (I have been guilty of it too long ago), but it does not add any value to the forum (rule number 1) and it doesn't exactly give a good impression.

ah! The signage in the ocean is often outdated as the ecosystem is quite actively looked on and thus often species are phased out and in without singage being updated.

This sign was actually renewed very recently, it cannot have been in place much longer than a couple of weeks (it also shows the correct sweetlips that was only introduced last year as further proof). The sign is what alerted me to the exact species. There is a small school of smaller pompano in this tank alongside a (single?) larger one, which is presumably T. blochi, the species that has been there since a long time. The smaller ones are "relatively" new, I only noticed them in 2021/2ish and will be T. africanus.