Sounds like a fun day - happy birthday! Perfect place to spend it imho
Thank you! And couldn’t agree more
ZSL Whipsnade Zoo ZSL Whipsnade Zoo News 2023
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Thank you! And couldn’t agree more
Gabriel Furr
Active Member
Good to hear about monkey forest, happy birthday
An excellent place to celebrate your birthday!
Did you manage to see the new defassa waterbuck?
Thank you!
Totally agree!
There was an area fenced off the zebra/waterbuck paddock so it could have been there but unfortunately ran out of time to go and have a look!
What did I say about Whipsnade and my early birthdays..good to see the tradition being carried on by others on here.
Lafone
Well-Known Member
Lovely day at Whipsnade today - very quiet visitor wise but the weather was torrential rain before about 1pm so perhaps that put people off!
Despite the rain lots of things to see. The wolverines were running around and the lynx were on their top platforms.
The signs about torpor have gone up on the bear enclosure and they were nowhere to be seen all day.
The new Defrassa Waterbuck is out with the rest of the waterbuck - got excellent views as they were all watching the lions. The new one looks quite young and she’s very pretty indeed. They all seemed to be getting on well together.
One of the talks mentioned two new blesbok are also due to arrive.
The young zebra was separated out in the end enclosure that isn’t visible without looking over the fence since the house is off show. As AJMC mentioned there’s a new fence going in across the paddock at that end making a new smaller grassy area outside the hard standing. No indication what it’s for.
Got a great view of Malik the male lion as he was outside the house quite near the females. First time I’ve seen him up close. Handsome young lion. The two females were active for an hour before closing too which was fun to see.
The panda cubs were out and about having bamboo with mum and then joining their parents in the big tree. They went up quite high and then there was a lot of noise and Ruby lead them back down again to a slightly lower branch where they settled down. Excellent viewing and they are a real treat.
The Mara have had a very productive year - the latest pair of youngsters were wandering about near the ostrich enclosure.
The wattled crane were active, displaying, chasing and throwing around nesting material. Haven’t seen courting with them before.
All the yaks and their two new youngsters were in the regular yak paddock opposite the Indian rhino.
Despite the rain lots of things to see. The wolverines were running around and the lynx were on their top platforms.
The signs about torpor have gone up on the bear enclosure and they were nowhere to be seen all day.
The new Defrassa Waterbuck is out with the rest of the waterbuck - got excellent views as they were all watching the lions. The new one looks quite young and she’s very pretty indeed. They all seemed to be getting on well together.
One of the talks mentioned two new blesbok are also due to arrive.
The young zebra was separated out in the end enclosure that isn’t visible without looking over the fence since the house is off show. As AJMC mentioned there’s a new fence going in across the paddock at that end making a new smaller grassy area outside the hard standing. No indication what it’s for.
Got a great view of Malik the male lion as he was outside the house quite near the females. First time I’ve seen him up close. Handsome young lion. The two females were active for an hour before closing too which was fun to see.
The panda cubs were out and about having bamboo with mum and then joining their parents in the big tree. They went up quite high and then there was a lot of noise and Ruby lead them back down again to a slightly lower branch where they settled down. Excellent viewing and they are a real treat.
The Mara have had a very productive year - the latest pair of youngsters were wandering about near the ostrich enclosure.
The wattled crane were active, displaying, chasing and throwing around nesting material. Haven’t seen courting with them before.
All the yaks and their two new youngsters were in the regular yak paddock opposite the Indian rhino.
So annoyed I wasn’t able to get to see the new Waterbuck!
That’s exciting about the Blesbok
That’s exciting about the Blesbok
That's cool. Where would the 2 new blesbok be arriving from ?
Lafone
Well-Known Member
New otter pups have been born at Whipsnade according to a member email
“Name the squeaky additions to the otter family
We’re celebrating the arrival of three Asian short-clawed otter pups at Whipsnade Zoo. The pups – two males and one female – were born at Whipsnade Zoo about eight weeks ago and have now started to venture out of their nesting box to explore their surroundings.
We need the help of our members to choose a name for each of the pups! Vote for your favourite among the options that our keepers have pre-selected for you – inspired by the natural habitats of the species – by Sunday 12 November 2023.”
“Name the squeaky additions to the otter family
We’re celebrating the arrival of three Asian short-clawed otter pups at Whipsnade Zoo. The pups – two males and one female – were born at Whipsnade Zoo about eight weeks ago and have now started to venture out of their nesting box to explore their surroundings.
We need the help of our members to choose a name for each of the pups! Vote for your favourite among the options that our keepers have pre-selected for you – inspired by the natural habitats of the species – by Sunday 12 November 2023.”
Such fantastic news!
Side tangent but this general media trend of labelling either Extinct in the Wild or locally extirpated species as 'Extinct' in clickbaity headlines really irks me. Also probably reduces general public concern about biodiversity loss; why care about mass extinction if you receive the perception that 'extinct' species are constantly coming back?
Forgive my ignorance, but wasn’t there a successful transfer of oryx stock from various zoos (Whipsnade included) to Chad a few years ago? Or are they kept in a compound, so technically still not truly “wild?”
Lafone
Well-Known Member
Yes there was a successful wild release and they weren’t in an enclosure.
Reintroducing scimitar-horned oryx to Chad | ZSL
Lafone
Well-Known Member
Had a fun day out at Whipsnade today. Chilly and the wind was certainly blowing at the top of the downs. Gliders were out in force and getting quite low over the top of the zoo. Not too busy and only one school trip.
There was a fire service and ambulance exercise going on in the zoo (signs at the entrance and vehicles and people inside) so lots of appliances parked around the place. Was nice to see the emergency personnel enjoying the rhinos while on their lunch break!
On arrival the walkway to the lynx and the viewing platform were cordoned off as work was going on to put new fencing along the path, this was complete by lunchtime.
The wild boar are signed as off show now and returning in the Spring. The bears are still out, but not very active. I'd expect them to be going off into torpor soon and signs suggest it is imminent.
Work continues at pace in the new monkey forest area. Cladding is going onto the buildings, the paths are being reinforced and finished and a new glass sided viewing platform is under construction. Couple of slightly grim phone pics taken from passage through Asia below.
The blue cranes are no longer signed in the enclosure at the top of the rhino paddock. Couldn't see them or another location for them. Might be a seasonal thing I hope we see them back on show there again. The white stork sign is still there though and the stork was wandering around.
The oryx were in the rear enclosure so didn't get a sighting of the new male.
Great views of active lions, tiger, wolverines and the young yaks and crane. The cheetahs are enjoying their new potting shed and were piled up inside it.
The otters were fed while I was waiting there so saw the new pups for the first time which was lovely. The red panda cubs were also having bamboo near the front of the enclosure and, as it was quiet, the Nilgai were also down near the fence and the gaur were out. Sometimes you get a lucky corner of the zoo!
There was a fire service and ambulance exercise going on in the zoo (signs at the entrance and vehicles and people inside) so lots of appliances parked around the place. Was nice to see the emergency personnel enjoying the rhinos while on their lunch break!
On arrival the walkway to the lynx and the viewing platform were cordoned off as work was going on to put new fencing along the path, this was complete by lunchtime.
The wild boar are signed as off show now and returning in the Spring. The bears are still out, but not very active. I'd expect them to be going off into torpor soon and signs suggest it is imminent.
Work continues at pace in the new monkey forest area. Cladding is going onto the buildings, the paths are being reinforced and finished and a new glass sided viewing platform is under construction. Couple of slightly grim phone pics taken from passage through Asia below.
The blue cranes are no longer signed in the enclosure at the top of the rhino paddock. Couldn't see them or another location for them. Might be a seasonal thing I hope we see them back on show there again. The white stork sign is still there though and the stork was wandering around.
The oryx were in the rear enclosure so didn't get a sighting of the new male.
Great views of active lions, tiger, wolverines and the young yaks and crane. The cheetahs are enjoying their new potting shed and were piled up inside it.
The otters were fed while I was waiting there so saw the new pups for the first time which was lovely. The red panda cubs were also having bamboo near the front of the enclosure and, as it was quiet, the Nilgai were also down near the fence and the gaur were out. Sometimes you get a lucky corner of the zoo!
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I really like the look of the monkey forest buildings, really nice!
Shame about the Blue Cranes, they have always been pretty active when I’ve seen them in that enclosure
Shame about the Blue Cranes, they have always been pretty active when I’ve seen them in that enclosure
In the new meercat/porcupine building. The adults were sleeping almost hidden from view at the back of the enclosure on the right, the porcupette was on its own in the back left hand corner.
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