ZSL Whipsnade Zoo ZSL Whipsnade Zoo News 2023

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. Kharis mane is almost completely gone now.

This is rather concerning, particularly for Blackpool if the plan is to still send him back. Unless the intention was always to castrate him, it would be nice to have some information from the zoo on the matter if there’s an underlying health condition.
 
Had an enjoyable if busy visit today. Good view of the new Aardvark investigating their out door area and saw one of the porcupines sleeping in the new Meerkat house.
The two baby otters were spending a lot of time outside with the parents in close attendance.
Also saw the Visayan warty piglet, born on 10th November, for the first time, it was outside with all the adults. The mother is very protective especially towards the other female.
 
Had an enjoyable if busy visit today. Good view of the new Aardvark investigating their out door area and saw one of the porcupines sleeping in the new Meerkat house.
The two baby otters were spending a lot of time outside with the parents in close attendance.
Also saw the Visayan warty piglet, born on 10th November, for the first time, it was outside with all the adults. The mother is very protective especially towards the other female.

a lot to look forward to on my next visit! Will the three Aardvarks live together? That’s great they have had a warty pig birth.

apparently some marabou storks have come from marwell, are they mixed with the exhisting pair?
 
This is rather concerning, particularly for Blackpool if the plan is to still send him back. Unless the intention was always to castrate him, it would be nice to have some information from the zoo on the matter if there’s an underlying health condition.
But this is just down to lack of Testosterone as living alone he doesn’t need to worry about standing out being a strong male.. .. as soon as he moves back with a female it will naturally grow back as she will come into season sending his Testosterone level back up!
 
But this is just down to lack of Testosterone as living alone he doesn’t need to worry about standing out being a strong male.. .. as soon as he moves back with a female it will naturally grow back as she will come into season sending his Testosterone level back up!
I don’t think it works like that
 
a lot to look forward to on my next visit! Will the three Aardvarks live together?
I think I might have seen 3 Aardvarks together in the afternoon on my recent visit, two sleeping and one active and eating, all indoors. Or maybe it hadn't arrived yet, and I just saw 2, because I don't remember thinking much of it at the time.
 
Visited yesterday, much of the same at Whipsnade.
Although, there is now a third aardvark. Kharis mane is almost completely gone now.
Good to see all the rockhoppers out, 19 of them, and the new bear den is taking great shape.
A third Aardvark ? Where did the third came from ?
 

I get that’s the first answer in quora but looking more widely there appear to be a number of causes for male mane loss for example temperature, stress, testosterone changes due to absence of females, illness / disease as well as losing pride dominance / fighting or losing to another male.

Hopefully it will be something as simple as a hormonal change due to Khari now being a solitary male and if they do get any females the mane will grow back. It’s also been a stressful move I would imagine however as it’s a very different life than he had in a different place. It’s not a usual occurrence one way or another. I’m sure the keepers are keeping a close eye on him though and if there were any concerns a vet would have checked him out.

It will be interesting if whipsnade make any mention of it - they didn’t sign the neutered males not having manes in the old pride leading to lots of ‘all the lions are females’ comments from visitors.
 
Such a shame to see these images of Khari's mane now. I visited him at Blackpool multiple times and I always thought him and his dad looked magnificent. He has gone through a lot of stress recently with loosing his dad and moving home. Hopefully when he moves back to Blackpool he well regain his mane.
 
They still have both.

Whipsnade has just the one male pygmy hippo, Tapon, now. If you attend the hippo talks they speak about him but it's also on their blogs etc.

Hippopotamus

Five things you need to know about hippos

And in last years stock check

https://www.zsl.org/sites/default/files/media/2022-02/ZSL Whipsnade Zoo - Stocklist 2022.pdf

London has two pygmies (I believe they are Thug and Nicky but someone who visits London regularly can probably confirm much better than me).
 
Whipsnade has just the one male pygmy hippo, Tapon, now. If you attend the hippo talks they speak about him but it's also on their blogs etc.

Hippopotamus

Five things you need to know about hippos

London has two pygmies (I believe they are Thug and Nicky but someone who visits London regularly can probably confirm much better than me).

Yes, I was referring to both Commons and Pygmys. :)

Tapon should be seventeen years of age; he's their 'former' breeding male and I have noticed he's mentioned a lot in their media.

London indeed does have a pair; Thug and Nicky. Although I don't believe they've breed to date.
 
Yes, I was referring to both Commons and Pygmys. :)

Tapon should be seventeen years of age; he's their 'former' breeding male and I have noticed he's mentioned a lot in their media.

London indeed does have a pair; Thug and Nicky. Although I don't believe they've breed to date.

Yes he's often featured on their socials enjoying ice lollys, celebrating birthdays and wandering about generally, he's a real focus for the zoo I think and a popular one!
 
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