Artis Royal Zoo Artis Zoo News 2024

I went to Artis yesterday, not a lot of people were around so I could take my time.

I noticed a pair of Scaly-sided mergansers (Mergus squamatus) in the Tropenkas, they were not signed but I believe these are the same animals that were previously kept in the Hollandse polder aviary. This aviary is currently still empty and getting refurbished.

The Persian jird enclosure also seems to be inhabited again, the enclosure has been refurbished and food was laying around. Sadly I did not see the jirds neither were they signed.
 
I did see the jirds today, but the enclosure was still unsigned.
Also saw the baby white faced saki today for the first time, which was fun to see!

One last question for frequent Artis visitors, did one of you ever see the binturong at Artis?
 
owensluis said:
I did see the jirds today, but the enclosure was still unsigned.
Also saw the baby white faced saki today for the first time, which was fun to see!

One last question for frequent Artis visitors, did one of you ever see the binturong at Artis?
Click to expand...

That's good to hear!

I have seen the binturong multiple times mostly during the summer, but this animal is quite old and therefore spends most of its time indoors.
 
As a first time visitor on Friday, are they doing anything with the old lion enclosure?
 
Charles said:
As a first time visitor on Friday, are they doing anything with the old lion enclosure?
Click to expand...

Sadly not, the old lion enclosure is still empty.

Great that you are going to visit Artis this Friday, if you have any questions, feel free to reach out to me ;D
 
JurassicMax said:
Sadly not, the old lion enclosure is still empty.

Great that you are going to visit Artis this Friday, if you have any questions, feel free to reach out to me ;D
Click to expand...
Sorry I was unclear, Is there anything going in there in the future as I am planning to visit again and was curious if anything was planned to go where the lions were
 
Charles said:
Sorry I was unclear, Is there anything going in there in the future as I am planning to visit again and was curious if anything was planned to go where the lions were
Click to expand...

It can't be torn down because it's a historic monument I believe, so it will definitely be filled up at some point. But we don't yet know with what
 
The Amsterdam chapter of the PvdD (Partij voor de Dieren, "Party for the animals", an animal rights party) is trying again to get the Artis zoo closed, launching a proposal to the Amsterdam city council to turn Artis into a park with nature education, but without animals under human care. Unfortunately the city council is required to react to and vote on this insane proposal.

Voorstel van Partij voor de Dieren: haal de dieren uit Artis

I wouldn't be worried about the stupid proposal if it weren't for the city having a very left-wing council majority and governing coalition. I doubt the chances for this proposal are high, but I'm afraid they are not zero.

Sadly a media poll on the proposal also suggested a substantial minority exists who support the proposal.
 
KevinB said:
The Amsterdam chapter of the PvdD (Partij voor de Dieren, "Party for the animals", an animal rights party) is trying again to get the Artis zoo closed, launching a proposal to the Amsterdam city council to turn Artis into a park with nature education, but without animals under human care. Unfortunately the city council is required to react to and vote on this insane proposal.

Voorstel van Partij voor de Dieren: haal de dieren uit Artis

I wouldn't be worried about the stupid proposal if it weren't for the city having a very left-wing council majority and governing coalition. I doubt the chances for this proposal are high, but I'm afraid they are not zero.

Sadly a media poll on the proposal also suggested a substantial minority exists who support the proposal.
Click to expand...

This sort of stuff is likely to become more frequent in the future. I rate the chances of these succeeding being low, but the Zoo community needs to prepare itself and outline a proper strategy in order to combat it, specifically reaching out across the aisle and to the undecideds. Ensuring high animal welfare and zoo standards is a key pillar of this, but we do need a more comprehensive, and frankly, political strategy. Zoo's broadly have support from the public but we should always look to find ways to deepen that support.
 
I visited Artis yesterday and noticed the following chances;

In the Kleine Zoogdierenhuis/Small mammalhouse, the enclosure of the Round-eared elephant shrews (Macroscelides proboscideus) was refurbished, but currently doesn't house this species. The enclosure next to it, the former northern treeshrew enclosure, now houses Barbary striped grass mice (Lemniscomys barbarus), a new species for Artis.

The Hollandse polder has also been refurbished and the birds have returned to the aviary. Currently the following species are on show in this aviary: Lesser white-fronted geese (Anser erythropus), Red-breasted geese (Branta ruficollis), Northern shovelers (Spatula clypeata) Pied avocets (Recurvirostra avosetta) and Black-necked stilts (Himantopus mexicanus). As far as I know the Common ringed plovers (Charadrius hiaticula) and Common redshanks (Tringa totanus), are currently not kept, but will make a return at some point. The European rollers (Coracias garrulus), Eurasian Oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus) and Northern lapwing (Vanellus vanellus) have left the collection. The Little egrets (Egretta garzetta garzetta) as mentioned earlier have moved to the Uilenruïne/Owlruin last year.

There is also a new species in the Apenhuis/Foresthouse, namely 3 Guira cuckoos (Guira guira).
 
Artis has plans to get an Asian elephant bull. During the daily elephant talk, keepers reportedly informed the public about this. The new bull could possibly come to Artis within the next two months.
 
KevinB said:
The Amsterdam chapter of the PvdD (Partij voor de Dieren, "Party for the animals", an animal rights party) is trying again to get the Artis zoo closed, launching a proposal to the Amsterdam city council to turn Artis into a park with nature education, but without animals under human care. Unfortunately the city council is required to react to and vote on this insane proposal.

Voorstel van Partij voor de Dieren: haal de dieren uit Artis

I wouldn't be worried about the stupid proposal if it weren't for the city having a very left-wing council majority and governing coalition. I doubt the chances for this proposal are high, but I'm afraid they are not zero.

Sadly a media poll on the proposal also suggested a substantial minority exists who support the proposal.
Click to expand...

It's kind of crazy that a big, popular zoo in a major European city would be threatened by an animal rights group, but that's not such a far-fetched idea these days. With 1.3 million annual visitors last year, which was an 8.3% increase, the zoo is very well enjoyed and the higher the attendance figures remain, then perhaps the chance of the zoo ever closing will decrease.
 
snowleopard said:
It's kind of crazy that a big, popular zoo in a major European city would be threatened by an animal rights group, but that's not such a far-fetched idea these days. With 1.3 million annual visitors last year, which was an 8.3% increase, the zoo is very well enjoyed and the higher the attendance figures remain, then perhaps the chance of the zoo ever closing will decrease.
Click to expand...

Tell this to Barcelona Zoo, a WAZA, EAZA and AIZA Zoo, with a great number of ex situ and in situ conservation projects and now in hands of whims of "animal rights" groups (or as we call them in Spain "anima-listos")
 
Corby93 said:
Tell this to Barcelona Zoo, a WAZA, EAZA and AIZA Zoo, with a great number of ex situ and in situ conservation projects and now in hands of whims of "animal rights" groups (or as we call them in Spain "anima-listos")
Click to expand...
I think the wider political climate plays a role there.

Another example is Buenos Aries.
 
snowleopard said:
It's kind of crazy that a big, popular zoo in a major European city would be threatened by an animal rights group, but that's not such a far-fetched idea these days. With 1.3 million annual visitors last year, which was an 8.3% increase, the zoo is very well enjoyed and the higher the attendance figures remain, then perhaps the chance of the zoo ever closing will decrease.
Click to expand...

It is nothing more than a publicity stunt at the moment, so nothing threatening so far.

Corby93 said:
Tell this to Barcelona Zoo, a WAZA, EAZA and AIZA Zoo, with a great number of ex situ and in situ conservation projects and now in hands of whims of "animal rights" groups (or as we call them in Spain "anima-listos")
Click to expand...

From what I have gathered this is an exageration, despite all the blown up reports in the media. The real effect on the zoo is fairly minor and not that harmful at all.
 
What are the real effects we've seen so far? Even if minor it would be interesting to know.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top