ZSL Whipsnade Zoo ZSL Whipsnade Zoo News 2022

Rajang-GOAT said:
I have been informed that Columbo the Sloth Bear has passed away- apparently there is a sign outside his enclosure at Whipsnade Zoo announcing this. Very sad news.
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Awful news, I hope more zoos in the UK try and get sloth bears... far too rare currently.

FBBird said:
Oh dear, that’s a subspecies gone from U.K., and a third of the actual U.K. population of the whole species…..
Also it leaves ZSL with only one bear taxon…..again:(
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Any chance they use this enclosure for bears again after this? Weren't the sloth bears only at Whipsnade because they were moved from London?
 
As I posted in the other thread what very sad news. He’s been so amazing to see over the years - unusual and a lot of fun, playing around with Ursula (and then there was Lanka their mother). A bit like the lions it’s a sad moment when animals that have been such a feature (even if they were moves from London it was a better space for them) die, Columbo being the last of the group.
 
Lafone said:
As I posted in the other thread what very sad news. He’s been so amazing to see over the years - unusual and a lot of fun, playing around with Ursula (and then there was Lanka their mother). A bit like the lions it’s a sad moment when animals that have been such a feature (even if they were moves from London it was a better space for them) die, Columbo being the last of the group.
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How old was he?
 
Mayki said:
Any chance they use this enclosure for bears again after this? Weren't the sloth bears only at Whipsnade because they were moved from London?
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Correct. The move was for a variety of reasons, but most notably for the benefit of Lanka, as her mental health was becoming pronounced and of concern since the death of her mate (and the cubs father) Ceylon. The Whipsnade enclosure at least provided her with an off-show paddock away from the public, although you could spot her from the train if you knew where to look!

As much as I’d like this exhibit to be used for bears again, I have a suspicion this is where the macaques will be going. Hope I’m proved wrong though.
 
Panthera1981 said:
Correct. The move was for a variety of reasons, but most notably for the benefit of Lanka, as her mental health was becoming pronounced and of concern since the death of her mate (and the cubs father) Ceylon. The Whipsnade enclosure at least provided her with an off-show paddock away from the public, although you could spot her from the train if you knew where to look!

As much as I’d like this exhibit to be used for bears again, I have a suspicion this is where the macaques will be going. Hope I’m proved wrong though.
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I was just thinking about the macaques and that enclosure simply because it’s been hard to work out where they would be going. Geographically in terms of zoo layout they fit I guess. Would be lovely to see bears there though.
 
Rajang-GOAT said:
I have been informed that Columbo the Sloth Bear has passed away- apparently there is a sign outside his enclosure at Whipsnade Zoo announcing this. Very sad news.
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Sad news about Columbo.

I doubt the enclosure will be restocked anytime soon.

The old Przewalski's Horse enclosure next to the Sloth Bear enclosure is the proposed location for the Sulawesi Macaques from London, mixed with Anoa. A new visitor path is planned round the enclosure, behind the Sloth Bear enclosure and sewerage work and rejoining the road by the tigers/emu.

One would think they would wait until the works had been completed and perhaps incorporate any changes to the enclosure under this project.
 
Brownie said:
Sad news about Columbo.

I doubt the enclosure will be restocked anytime soon.

The old Przewalski's Horse enclosure next to the Sloth Bear enclosure is the proposed location for the Sulawesi Macaques from London, mixed with Anoa. A new visitor path is planned round the enclosure, behind the Sloth Bear enclosure and sewerage work and rejoining the road by the tigers/emu.

One would think they would wait until the works had been completed and perhaps incorporate any changes to the enclosure under this project.
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Mixed with the Anoa of course, that makes sense but hadn’t crossed my mind when I thought about this. Can’t say I’ve heard of that combination before though.

How did you hear of that out of interest?
 
Mayki said:
Any chance they use this enclosure for bears again after this? Weren't the sloth bears only at Whipsnade because they were moved from London?
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The Sloth Bears represented London's biggest attempt to reignite life into the Mappin Terraces. I remember there was a big 'The Bears Are Back' advertising campaign when they first arrived. I thought Sloth Bear was an odd choice though, they are much less showy than some other Bear species and I think that proved to be the case at London. They seemed to fare better after the move to Whipsnade.
 
Pertinax said:
The Sloth Bears represented London's biggest attempt to reignite life into the Mappin Terraces. I remember there was a big 'The Bears Are Back' advertising campaign when they first arrived. I thought Sloth Bear was an odd choice though, they are much less showy than some other Bear species and I think that proved to be the case at London. They seemed to fare better after the move to Whipsnade.
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You could also add London’s LAST attempt to that statement, considering the eyesore the Mappins has become.

I too remember the media and commercial hype surrounding “Bear Mountain.” London spared no expense with the advertising. To be fair, they made a pretty decent fist of it with the exhibit and it was exciting, coming not many years after the zoo was close to going bust. The bears also shared the exhibit with Hanuman langur.

Columbo’s death is significant to ZSL as a whole. Unless significant money is thrown at it (ridiculous amounts!) the Sloth bears represent the final ursine species the Mappin Terraces would ever exhibit. Considering what it’s become, that’s a sad state of affairs.
 
FBBird said:
It would be nice, I’m not sure what the BIAZA planning is for bears.
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Panthera1981 said:
As much as I’d like this exhibit to be used for bears again, I have a suspicion this is where the macaques will be going. Hope I’m proved wrong though.
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My personal view on the situation is that maybe Balou or Raj (the pair of male Indian Sloth Bears at Johnson's of Old Hurst) could move to Whipsnade and maybe eventually be paired with a female to breed, especially considering the original plan was for them to live together, but introductions seem to have been unsuccessful, so maybe keeping them separate in their current set up could be slightly compromising to their quality of life.
 
Rajang-GOAT said:
My personal view on the situation is that maybe Balou or Raj (the pair of male Indian Sloth Bears at Johnson's of Old Hurst) could move to Whipsnade and maybe eventually be paired with a female to breed, especially considering the original plan was for them to live together, but introductions seem to have been unsuccessful, so maybe keeping them separate in their current set up could be slightly compromising to their quality of life.
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Interesting but are the Bears at JOOH, EEP bears or are they purchases from a private collection?
Some of the smaller zoos who have purchased from Privates have had knock backs trying to get their animals into the EEP.

Where did the two Indian sloth bears come from?
 
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