Dudley Zoological Gardens Dudley Zoo News 2023
- Thread starter Benosaurus
- Start date
Jambi
Well-Known Member
That's awful, I do hope the turtles are okay and found quickly. This is the first time I've heard of someone straight up stealing an animal from a zoo, is it something that happens very often?
My first thought when I heard about this was perhaps the illegal exotic pet trade is getting bolder and/or more desperate, and this might have been some idiot's get rich quick scheme.
equidae
Well-Known Member
It's not unheard of, but it's not common. Off the top of my head, Dallas, Blackpool and Battersea have all had animals stolen. The smaller monkey species in particular seem to be snatched a lot.
If I remember right a few years back Twycross had a couple of penguins stolen, these where found and returned a few months after
JurassicMax
Well-Known Member
Great news, they have been found unharmed!
From the zoo's Instagram:
"The pair were found by a member of the public three miles away near a playground in Tipton and were returned to the zoo just after 9am this morning (July 3).
Both males have been checked over by our veterinary team and appear to be well.
They have been returned to the Reptile House where they will remain off-show in quarantine for the next week.
Work will continue over the next few days as we install extra security measures alongside the Reptile House exhibit window locks and staff will continue manning the area."
Source:
Instagram of Dudley Zoo (03/07/2023)
Theft of animals exists as long as zoos. The most sought after are parrots, reptiles (tortoises) and small primates. I dont think it´s getting worse with time but it continues to be a problem that every zoo has already experienced. I think we even have some old thread specily started to discuss it.
Lafone
Well-Known Member
Great news they’ve been returned!
2 Pieces of 2023 News Not Mentioned:
On May 15th, it was announced that the zoo transferred a (0.1) giant anteater named Gizmo to the Edinburgh Zoo in Scotland.
Edinburgh Zoo
On June 16th, it was announced that the zoo transferred a (1.0) Patagonian cavy named Grant to the Linton Zoo in Cambridge.
Introducing our newest arrival, seven month old Grant. Born at Dudley zoo he is a Patagonian Cavy also known as Mara. From Argentina closely related to... | By Linton Zoo | Facebook
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On July 11th, the zoo announced its name, Zippy.
Baby sloth is named! | Our beautiful baby Linne's Two-toed sloth has been named ‘Zippy’ by keepers. We’re still not sure if Zippy is a boy or a girl yet, as it’s continuing... | By Dudley Zoo | Facebook
On July 12th, the zoo announced that the box turtles are back on exhibit.
Dudley Zoo
On July 13th, the zoo announced they received 1 gold BIAZA award in the Diversity & Inclusion category for spearheading a campaign for allergy awareness. The zoo were also awarded 2 silver BIAZA awards in the Exhibit category (for the £500K outdoor Bornean orangutan exhibit) and in the Behavior & Welfare category (for teaching their snow leopards to receive injections by hand).
Dudley Zoo
DZC receives trio of top awards! - Dudley Zoo and Castle
On May 15th, it was announced that the zoo transferred a (0.1) giant anteater named Gizmo to the Edinburgh Zoo in Scotland.
Edinburgh Zoo
On June 16th, it was announced that the zoo transferred a (1.0) Patagonian cavy named Grant to the Linton Zoo in Cambridge.
Introducing our newest arrival, seven month old Grant. Born at Dudley zoo he is a Patagonian Cavy also known as Mara. From Argentina closely related to... | By Linton Zoo | Facebook
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The zoo today announced another Linne’s two-toed sloth has been born to Flo and Reggie. The week old baby is the second sloth to be born at Dudley after a female called Button was born last year. The baby is currently unsexed and unnamed.
Baby news! – Dudley Zoo and Castle
On July 11th, the zoo announced its name, Zippy.
Baby sloth is named! | Our beautiful baby Linne's Two-toed sloth has been named ‘Zippy’ by keepers. We’re still not sure if Zippy is a boy or a girl yet, as it’s continuing... | By Dudley Zoo | Facebook
On July 12th, the zoo announced that the box turtles are back on exhibit.
Dudley Zoo
On July 13th, the zoo announced they received 1 gold BIAZA award in the Diversity & Inclusion category for spearheading a campaign for allergy awareness. The zoo were also awarded 2 silver BIAZA awards in the Exhibit category (for the £500K outdoor Bornean orangutan exhibit) and in the Behavior & Welfare category (for teaching their snow leopards to receive injections by hand).
Dudley Zoo
DZC receives trio of top awards! - Dudley Zoo and Castle
Zoo has announced on socials the arrival yesterday of Asiatic lion Keshari from Edinburgh
https://twitter.com/dudleyzoo/status/1682650434077605888?s=20
https://twitter.com/dudleyzoo/status/1682650434077605888?s=20
Totally didn't expect the arrival of a male lion. Will be great to see a male in this enclosure again though. I wonder what the plans for the lions will be with Asha being elderly. Also where does this leave the tiger enclosure improvements because I'm sure someone has said that it cannot happen till the lions pass so that the tigers could go in the lion enclosure. Great news though.
Alwaysevergreen
Well-Known Member
Spoke to a keeper today at Dudley. They said using the Lion exhibit for the Tigers whilst improvements were needed is something that had been Discussed and Mentioned but was NOT the course of action they had decided to take, so the arrival of a Male lion, does not impact any changes to the Tiger exhibit.
The Bush Dogs have left the collection and moved to Port Lympne. Work has started on this exhibit and looks like a new house is being created and work on the fencing. A keeper old me, they are planning to continue this exhibit for Bush Dogs and hope a new pair will arrive when the exhibit is complete.
For the start of the school holidays, it was not massively busy, but I was surprised only one of the cafes was open, and only the Candy Kiosk. In the café, there was just one member of staff on the till, and there was huge queues. None of the other zoo owned cafes (courtyard café) or kiosks were open, only a Burger van in the castle grounds. I found this surprising that more were not open for the School Holidays, but then they could have staff shortages.
Penguin Exhibit looks odd with only 3 Penguins I must say.
Male lion has arrived and keeper has said has settled in well. They said he is quite small, about the same size as Asha. They tried to give him paddock access this am, but he didn't seem keen to go out, and is still getting used to his surroundings, so they allowed him to stay inside, and gave Asha access to the paddock. They have not been integrated yet and it will be done steadily. They will keep trying to give the new male outside access and when he is ready to venture outside he will, so should be visible fairly soon.
On a sadder note, but not mentioned anywhere on any of the pages, one of the female Sea Lions has sadly passed away. They are of course old and have had sight issues, but it's sad all the same. I didn't get a chance to ask which one it was that had died, but she passed away at the end of May, I was led to believe.
Really like the new Red Panda exhibit, although failed to see a Panda.
Got some nice views of the Orangutans who had access to the back section and the main paddock today, whilst Benji was inside. The two youngsters look a right handful!
No sign of the Arctic Foxes all day, and Helga (Wolverine) was most active, as were the Tigers. Plenty of signs of mating between Joao and Daseep (Tigers).
Failed to see any sign of the Palm Civet, and only noticed 2 Lynx instead of 3.
Snow Leopards remain separated.
Quite an enjoyable day, which was overcast, but not wet and most animals showed well.
Didn't they have some new Penguins arrive from Curraghs wildlife earlier in the year? I hope they haven't lost anymore since!
Good to hear they're renovating the Bush dog exhibit but at least I can still get to see them at the Birmingham WCP nearby.
Moorhunhe
Well-Known Member
I haven't seen the palm civet in a very long time actually.
I went last Friday. Nice and rainy day.
Both lions were in their separate compartments, with the path behind them closed and the shutters to the viewing hut shut too.
Red pandas are best to spot looking up in the trees usually more to the back I've noticed since they moved back there.
Snow leopards had access to the full enclosure, but were each in their 'own' enclosure most of the time I was there.
I used to be able to tell which artic fox was which, but now I wasn't sure at all which one I saw, lol, with losing the winter coat.
And the brown collared lemurs were out, which I've not seen in 10 trips in the past 7 months, so succesful trip for me I'd say. Need to go more often in the rain, lol.
Keeper said they don't like the sound on their house, so they come and sit outside.
I went last Friday. Nice and rainy day.
Both lions were in their separate compartments, with the path behind them closed and the shutters to the viewing hut shut too.
Red pandas are best to spot looking up in the trees usually more to the back I've noticed since they moved back there.
Snow leopards had access to the full enclosure, but were each in their 'own' enclosure most of the time I was there.
I used to be able to tell which artic fox was which, but now I wasn't sure at all which one I saw, lol, with losing the winter coat.
And the brown collared lemurs were out, which I've not seen in 10 trips in the past 7 months, so succesful trip for me I'd say. Need to go more often in the rain, lol.
Keeper said they don't like the sound on their house, so they come and sit outside.
Planning on visiting very soon, I'm wondering if the giraffe extension is almost done and if the house is still open incase they're inside? Thanks
Alwaysevergreen
Well-Known Member
They were outside today, house didn't appear to be open and exhibit didn't look finished yet.
Thanks, I'll just keep my fingers crossed
I visited yesterday (Monday 31st July) and, despite some rain from midday onwards, it was a thoroughly enjoyable trip. I haven't been since late January so I noticed a lot of changes.
Lots of new visually appealing and interactive signage gives the zoo a much more modern feel. For July it was surprisingly quiet with not too many people around. I'm not entirely sure on when all of these changes were made so I'll note down things I've noticed since my last visit.
The flamingo enclosure is completely netted over and the main viewing area is under cover and has a walkthrough aviary feel too it.
The building work on the bush dog enclosure looks promising, lots of the fencing has been removed and they looked to be building fairly decent sized house for them. While I must say I was slightly surprised at them building a new bush dog enclosure as it wasn't exactly bad, I certainly won't complain. Hopefully we'll get some glass viewing windows so they'll be easier to photograph. The stairs from the outdoor tiger viewing to the indoor viewing was closed for the building to take place but you could still access both areas, at least in the morning, but you'd have to walk around the bush dog enclosure to get there.
The red panda enclosure looks fantastic, especially with a window looking into a new shelter for them, though I'm not sure whether they'll choose to go in there rather than their other, more private shelters without public viewing. I only saw 1 red panda each time I looked.
The giraffe house was closed in the morning but they were shut out and eating browse. Later on in the day, they were given access to the house and it was open for the public too. The extension looked complete and the giraffe appeared to be allowed access but neither of them went in. I'll admit it's not the most visually appealing enclosure but it gives the giraffes much more space so I can't complain. The only viewing into the extension was through glass windows in a new viewing area built inside the house, which looks great with new signage and giraffes painted on the walls and a new training wall for them. You can also see through the access gates into the extension. Viewing for the extension isn't great for visitors but if it means that Dudley can continue to keep giraffe for many years in the future then I'm satisfied, and they will certainly still use the main paddock out the front too. I didn't ask but it certainly seems suitable for another 2 or possibly 3 giraffes with more indoor and outdoor space for them.
Earlier in the day I only saw 1 snow leopard asleep on one of the raised platforms but later on they were both awake and together right in front of the viewing window which was a real treat to see. It was great to see them together after so much time.
No sign of the palm civet but the binturong were both outside. The parma wallaby enclosure looks fantastic with viewing windows all along the front and a few of them were sitting right in front of them which gave us a great view. Both anteaters appeared to be asleep indoors. The cassowary was in the smaller enclosure on the right but was right in front of the window. He's really impressive so close up, like a real life dinosaur! The new aviaries all look great and a new seating area opposite the sloths looks good too. The middle viewing window on the otters was boarded up.
Nothing new to report in lemur wood but I did see all 3 species out with the B&W ruffed lemurs being particularly vocal and scaring a few young children.
The walkway down alongside the lion enclosure was closed as was the viewing hut at the top however I did manage to see the new male from a distance, he looked very impressive and it's great to see a male lion back at Dudley, no sign of the female though.
Benji had access to the big outdoor orangutan enclosure and was inside the shelter on the climbing frame with his beloved bread crate. Sprout, Jazz and the 2 youngsters were all inside. The babies, Jim and Joe, were a real treat to see, playing and climbing before pulling faces at people through the windows. No sign of Djimat.
The older of the gibbon offspring had been cast out of the family and was living off show in one of the monkey houses until he can be found a new home at another zoo. There was only a pair of pygmy marmosets.
The reptile house was very interesting with a few species being moved around into different enclosures. The Philippine sailfin lizards were sitting almost out of view and the Coahuilan box turtle had a new enclosure. No boa constrictors and several enclosures were boarded up which was slightly disappointing but the reptile house was still one of my highlights as always.
I saw the 2 young black lemurs and if was quite interesting to see the difference between the male and female. They're both quite big now but still small enough to quite easily distinguish between the adults.
I saw 7 white-lipped peccary but no sign of any reindeer. I didn't spot any of the new young penguins, unless they've grown into their adult patterns. I counted around 5 or 6 in total swimming or sitting around the pool. Still a heartbreaking sight when you think about the size of the colony before.
Overall it was one of the best visits to Dudley I've had in a very long time and I was very happy though I must apologise I didn't take many photos of new enclosures or developments however I have plenty of the animals which I'll upload to the gallery in the next few days. I'm sorry if this is too long but there was a lot of new things to talk about and if anyone has any questions I'd be happy to try to answer
Lots of new visually appealing and interactive signage gives the zoo a much more modern feel. For July it was surprisingly quiet with not too many people around. I'm not entirely sure on when all of these changes were made so I'll note down things I've noticed since my last visit.
The flamingo enclosure is completely netted over and the main viewing area is under cover and has a walkthrough aviary feel too it.
The building work on the bush dog enclosure looks promising, lots of the fencing has been removed and they looked to be building fairly decent sized house for them. While I must say I was slightly surprised at them building a new bush dog enclosure as it wasn't exactly bad, I certainly won't complain. Hopefully we'll get some glass viewing windows so they'll be easier to photograph. The stairs from the outdoor tiger viewing to the indoor viewing was closed for the building to take place but you could still access both areas, at least in the morning, but you'd have to walk around the bush dog enclosure to get there.
The red panda enclosure looks fantastic, especially with a window looking into a new shelter for them, though I'm not sure whether they'll choose to go in there rather than their other, more private shelters without public viewing. I only saw 1 red panda each time I looked.
The giraffe house was closed in the morning but they were shut out and eating browse. Later on in the day, they were given access to the house and it was open for the public too. The extension looked complete and the giraffe appeared to be allowed access but neither of them went in. I'll admit it's not the most visually appealing enclosure but it gives the giraffes much more space so I can't complain. The only viewing into the extension was through glass windows in a new viewing area built inside the house, which looks great with new signage and giraffes painted on the walls and a new training wall for them. You can also see through the access gates into the extension. Viewing for the extension isn't great for visitors but if it means that Dudley can continue to keep giraffe for many years in the future then I'm satisfied, and they will certainly still use the main paddock out the front too. I didn't ask but it certainly seems suitable for another 2 or possibly 3 giraffes with more indoor and outdoor space for them.
Earlier in the day I only saw 1 snow leopard asleep on one of the raised platforms but later on they were both awake and together right in front of the viewing window which was a real treat to see. It was great to see them together after so much time.
No sign of the palm civet but the binturong were both outside. The parma wallaby enclosure looks fantastic with viewing windows all along the front and a few of them were sitting right in front of them which gave us a great view. Both anteaters appeared to be asleep indoors. The cassowary was in the smaller enclosure on the right but was right in front of the window. He's really impressive so close up, like a real life dinosaur! The new aviaries all look great and a new seating area opposite the sloths looks good too. The middle viewing window on the otters was boarded up.
Nothing new to report in lemur wood but I did see all 3 species out with the B&W ruffed lemurs being particularly vocal and scaring a few young children.
The walkway down alongside the lion enclosure was closed as was the viewing hut at the top however I did manage to see the new male from a distance, he looked very impressive and it's great to see a male lion back at Dudley, no sign of the female though.
Benji had access to the big outdoor orangutan enclosure and was inside the shelter on the climbing frame with his beloved bread crate. Sprout, Jazz and the 2 youngsters were all inside. The babies, Jim and Joe, were a real treat to see, playing and climbing before pulling faces at people through the windows. No sign of Djimat.
The older of the gibbon offspring had been cast out of the family and was living off show in one of the monkey houses until he can be found a new home at another zoo. There was only a pair of pygmy marmosets.
The reptile house was very interesting with a few species being moved around into different enclosures. The Philippine sailfin lizards were sitting almost out of view and the Coahuilan box turtle had a new enclosure. No boa constrictors and several enclosures were boarded up which was slightly disappointing but the reptile house was still one of my highlights as always.
I saw the 2 young black lemurs and if was quite interesting to see the difference between the male and female. They're both quite big now but still small enough to quite easily distinguish between the adults.
I saw 7 white-lipped peccary but no sign of any reindeer. I didn't spot any of the new young penguins, unless they've grown into their adult patterns. I counted around 5 or 6 in total swimming or sitting around the pool. Still a heartbreaking sight when you think about the size of the colony before.
Overall it was one of the best visits to Dudley I've had in a very long time and I was very happy though I must apologise I didn't take many photos of new enclosures or developments however I have plenty of the animals which I'll upload to the gallery in the next few days. I'm sorry if this is too long but there was a lot of new things to talk about and if anyone has any questions I'd be happy to try to answer
A few news updates
03/08/23: The giraffe house revamp and additional paddock is complete. The zoo's two giraffes have had access to the new paddock for over a fortnight, but are yet to venture into the new area. The zoo is confident they will eventually start exploring it in their own time. Facebook
03/08/23: 15-month-old Button, the first Linne's two-toed sloth to be born at Dudley Zoo, has moved to Folly Farm Adventure Park & Zoo, where she can be found in their 'Sloth Forest' exhibit. New arrival at Sloth Forest! Yep - you read that right - we have welcomed an adorable new arrival to Sloth Forest, and she's as cute as a 'Button'.... | By Folly Farm Adventure Park & Zoo | Facebook
04/08/23: The new male Asiatic lion, Keshari, has been sucessfully introduced to the zoo's female, Asha.
Facebook
06/08/23: The new picnic area opposite the sloth enclosure is complete. It features a view into previously off-show woodland as well as the Big Ben Cavern, which is home to a number of native bat species.
Facebook
03/08/23: The giraffe house revamp and additional paddock is complete. The zoo's two giraffes have had access to the new paddock for over a fortnight, but are yet to venture into the new area. The zoo is confident they will eventually start exploring it in their own time. Facebook
03/08/23: 15-month-old Button, the first Linne's two-toed sloth to be born at Dudley Zoo, has moved to Folly Farm Adventure Park & Zoo, where she can be found in their 'Sloth Forest' exhibit. New arrival at Sloth Forest! Yep - you read that right - we have welcomed an adorable new arrival to Sloth Forest, and she's as cute as a 'Button'.... | By Folly Farm Adventure Park & Zoo | Facebook
04/08/23: The new male Asiatic lion, Keshari, has been sucessfully introduced to the zoo's female, Asha.
06/08/23: The new picnic area opposite the sloth enclosure is complete. It features a view into previously off-show woodland as well as the Big Ben Cavern, which is home to a number of native bat species.