ZSL London Zoo ZSL London Zoo News 2024

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Had a lovely long visit to London Zoo today - obvious highlight being the week-old baby gorilla. I stopped by the gorilla house three times, but I only really saw the baby on the first visit (the gorillas were the first thing I went to).

New species at the zoo that I didn't see on my previous visit last year, and I haven't seen mentioned here yet - in Tiny Giants, there is at least one Egyptian predator beetle, Anthia sexmaculata, mixed in with the two-spotted crickets. I assume it is a new arrival, as the signage is currently still a little laminated cut-out below the cricket signage.
 
Had some luck seeing the baby gorilla today. On first viewing they were all inside with Mjukuu at the far upper back left which gave rare small glimpses of the infant. We returned about 3.30pm to see most of the group outside, with Mjukuu carrying her baby in one arm while climbing ropes and walking around with the baby visibly cradled in her arm - fantastic to see! sadly my camera battery was dead by then, so only phone camera shots...
 
tennisfan said:
The Sulawesi crested macaques seemed to have departed and their former enclosues are now empty.
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Very unfortunate news, although hopefully a sign that the zoo plans on acquiring a new primate species, although I won't speculate. Any idea why this move happened or where to?
 
ajmcwhipsnade said:
They will have moved to whipsnade in preparation for monkey forest to open
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For some reason I thought that the macaques were offshow at Whipsnade already while they await their new enclosure, as was the case with the langurs, but that makes a lot more sense. It has indeed been the plan for quite some time, and I was aware of it, but somehow, and rather embarrassingly, it slipped my mind. :)
 
Kalaw said:
For some reason I thought that the macaques were offshow at Whipsnade already while they await their new enclosure, as was the case with the langurs, but that makes a lot more sense. It has indeed been the plan for quite some time, and I was aware of it, but somehow, and rather embarrassingly, it slipped my mind. :)
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Some macaques had arrived from Jersey and were off show.

Ha don’t worry, happens to all of us!
 
so with the macaques left for a better life in a bigger encloure in Whipsinade and the black and white colobus gone to a bigger home, this now leaves 2 empty enclosures, so wonder what is going to replace them?
 
Pertinax said:
I think Effie is rather a slack mother- its possible she will be better a second time around though, but only time will tell. From videos I've seen I'd now say Mjukuu's baby is 100% a female.
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* Correction- another baby will actually be Effie's 4th, she had two which were handraised in her former home of Berlin. But its still possible her maternal skill/interest may improve with each subsequent birth, as this has happened with other female gorillas.
 
My first visit today in almost 10 Years and gotta say I had a great time, the sun was out and the place looked great! Particular highlights for me were the bird house, it’s great to see so many species mixed, a very talkative Javan Green Magpie outside, all the tigers asleep together, both babirusa walking about, monkey Jungle was great - all the Colobus were out and they’ve done such a great job with it, great to see the ostriches walking about mixed with the giraffes, saw the aye-ayes and the Saki monkeys are a great addition! The new reptile house looks finished but unfortunately is not open yet, I liked the giant tortoise house - I think they need to get their male back, saw the baby gorilla - enough said!!
The only downside, which I was aware of, was the amount of empty enclosures that are now scattered across the site, but I guess verything takes a bit of time, for once I’d give them the benefit of the doubt, because I can see whoever are in charge are bringing in new species, which seems very positive for the future!!
 
aquilla1 said:
My first visit today in almost 10 Years and gotta say I had a great time, the sun was out and the place looked great! Particular highlights for me were the bird house, it’s great to see so many species mixed, a very talkative Javan Green Magpie outside, all the tigers asleep together, both babirusa walking about, monkey Jungle was great - all the Colobus were out and they’ve done such a great job with it, great to see the ostriches walking about mixed with the giraffes, saw the aye-ayes and the Saki monkeys are a great addition! The new reptile house looks finished but unfortunately is not open yet, I liked the giant tortoise house - I think they need to get their male back, saw the baby gorilla - enough said!!
The only downside, which I was aware of, was the amount of empty enclosures that are now scattered across the site, but I guess verything takes a bit of time, for once I’d give them the benefit of the doubt, because I can see whoever are in charge are bringing in new species, which seems very positive for the future!!
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The male giant tortoise has gone to Crocodiles of the World, and seeing as there has already been breeding success there (a UK first), I doubt there are plans to send him back. It was his departure that prompted the zoo to build the new exhibit (which I also love), designed as a ‘retirement home’ of sorts with no breeding plans. Other than that, I agree with all yous say, and it is lovely to hear a positive impression.
 
Reptile House said:
so with the macaques left for a better life in a bigger encloure in Whipsinade and the black and white colobus gone to a bigger home, this now leaves 2 empty enclosures, so wonder what is going to replace them?
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The colobus old home was where the macaques had moved to and the Diana monkeys moved into those macaque’s old enclosues and the previously offshow male squirrel monkeys moved to the former Diana monkey enclosure. So the departure of the macaques frees up one enclosure which currently can be split into two smaller parts if required?
 
I would love to see Patas or L'hoest's Monkeys at London - the former is strikingly coloured and has become a much rarer sight in British collections over the past decade or so, and would be a more than welcome addition to Gorilla Kingdom in my eyes. I have always dreamt of seeing baboons in Gorilla Kingdom, but I now realise that there really isn't enough space for them. The biggest issue that the exhibit has at the moment is the woeful aesthetics of the indoor area, with a questionable choice of peeling wallpaper, dirty concrete floors and lack of natural substrate (even hay for them to forage among), and I feel as though it would benefit greatly from an overhaul of sorts.
 
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