ZSL Whipsnade Zoo ZSL Whipsnade Zoo News 2023

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Lovely day out at Whipsnade today - sunny but cold, lots to see.

A third yak calf was born on Thursday and it was great to see it out and about and already playing around with the other recent youngsters. Good year for domestic yak along with the other births in 2023.

The young otters were having a tentative water session - they’ve just started going in to the pond this week according to a keeper talk and lots of activity with the whole family out.

Was good to see the young red crowned crane in its new home in the former blue crane enclosure. Was making a lot of noise but also making good use of the pond.

Stopped at the Whipsnade mound for some coffee and red kites and got great views of the camels who were on the road next to the car park. The camels got fairly offended by an impatient visitor who tried to move them out of the way with his car. Life lesson moment as the big male decided the car bonnet merited closer attention. Keepers arrived and broke up the Mexican standoff, but it did make for fun viewing for a while.

Updated signage has been added on the waterfowl lake with a couple of new birds - new signs for the bar headed, emperor geese and white stork and then two new ones for birds I haven’t seen on the lake in recent times - mandarin ducks and swan geese. Am guessing they may be the new species referred to before.

The new monkey forest is progressing at pace still with the outside enclosure fencing now in place. The outside enclosure looks spacious and has some logs and fallen trees already around the terrain and it looks like it is the slope down to a taller fence style - that could make for some good and uninterrupted views of the residents, if it stays that way. The pathways down from the road also look nearly done.

The oryx were in the rear paddock again so couldn’t get good views of the new male.

The wooden platforms and walkways around the tigers are still mostly closed off (you can still get good views and the bridge remains open). The wooden fencing around the top of the lynx enclosure has now all been replaced including the half log vertical fencing, so that all looks a lot fresher.
 
The Swan-geese were there on my visits in May and October of this year, but the Mandarins could well be new. :) Still hoping for some new pelecaniformes, such as, ambitious and unlikely as it is, the return of Brolga.
 
Kalaw said:
The Swan-geese were there on my visits in May and October of this year, but the Mandarins could well be new. :) Still hoping for some new pelecaniformes, such as, ambitious and unlikely as it is, the return of Brolga.
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I’d also hope for some more pelicans though I couldn’t see any signs in that area saying anything new was coming. Good to see the signs being updated though - the Defassa waterbuck have a new sign too.
 
ajmcwhipsnade said:
Here is more Information on the macaques moving from jersey to whipsnade

Jersey Zoo's macaques move to a new home | Durrell

Are the four other females the ones from London? I double checked and saw that London had 5 this January.
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I complained recently (on this thread I think) that zoos often give little explanation of animal moves in cases like this. Well, at least in this case Jersey have rectified it with this fuller explanation. I still think the main reason is 'species fatigue' but my only concern in this case is whether any of the females- from either London or Jersey, forming this new group at Whipsnade, are still viable for breeding. With the space the new enclosure is going to offer, I'd like to see this new group eventually expand to say, 20 or more- which is the number Jersey used to have too- but can that happen?
 
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Pertinax said:
I complained recently (on this thread I think) that zoos often give little explanation of animal moves in cases like this. Well, at least in this case Jersey have rectified it with this fuller explanation. I still think the main reason is 'species fatigue' but my only concern in this case is whether any of the females- from either London or Jersey, forming this new group at Whipsnade, are still viable for breeding. With the space the new enclosure is going to offer, I'd like to see this new group eventually expand to say, 20 or more- which is the number Jersey used to have too- but can that happen?
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I believe the females at London which presumably will move to Whipsnade are currently aged about 2 , 7, 12,12 years old.
 
tennisfan said:
I believe the females at London which presumably will move to Whipsnade are currently aged about 2 , 7, 12,12 years old.
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So quite young and/or early middle-age, still with plenty of breeding potential then. This could turn into a great display if they are allowed to build into a large group as Sulawesis are very active- the bigger the group, the more activity.
 
A very windy and wet Xmas eve at Whipsnade today, fair number of people until the rain settled in.

Work on demolition of the old sealion enclosure has completed and a new fence has gone up around the area saying the picnic area coming in Spring - assume construction of that will start in the New year. There is no access to the space at the moment.

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The young red crowned crane has gone off show and the enclosure is now signed empty. Slightly sad to see it moved off show completely as had been following and photographing it's progress regularly since hatching. Hope to see it again in Spring.

The white stork are back on show though, and can be seen at the edge of the off show aviary where they are signed nearest the road (just past the elephant enclosure and on the bend as you go up to the farm on the road). Easy to miss if you aren't going down that way.

The temporary paddock fencing has been finished and the zebra and foal are now grazing away from the waterbuck in the smaller area. Not the most attractive fencing but enough flapping around stuff to stop the zebras or waterbuck barging into it which is the most important thing. The temporary fence runs across to the zebra stables so offers them space to wander around in and may be for later weaning or further seperation.

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Lafone said:
A very windy and wet Xmas eve at Whipsnade today, fair number of people until the rain settled in.

Work on demolition of the old sealion enclosure has completed and a new fence has gone up around the area saying the picnic area coming in Spring - assume construction of that will start in the New year. There is no access to the space at the moment.

full


The young red crowned crane has gone off show and the enclosure is now signed empty. Slightly sad to see it moved off show completely as had been following and photographing it's progress regularly since hatching. Hope to see it again in Spring.

The white stork are back on show though, and can be seen at the edge of the off show aviary where they are signed nearest the road (just past the elephant enclosure and on the bend as you go up to the farm on the road). Easy to miss if you aren't going down that way.

The temporary paddock fencing has been finished and the zebra and foal are now grazing away from the waterbuck in the smaller area. Not the most attractive fencing but enough flapping around stuff to stop the zebras or waterbuck barging into it which is the most important thing. The temporary fence runs across to the zebra stables so offers them space to wander around in and may be for later weaning or further seperation.

full
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One thing that struck me was just how small the area of the sea lion house was once it had been pulled down. And this was last month. I know it’s not universally popular but at least they were able to pull it down.
 
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