ZSL London Zoo ZSL London Zoo News 2024

[Cat-Man]

ZSL aren't shy to point out their contribution to the world herd. That being said, they weren't a loss to the collection in the same way the Giraffe or Okapi would be.

It is a major shame they still don't hold a group at Whipsnade, though. We aren't that far away for losing them from Britain completely. Having a look on ZTL there aren't many in the 'major' collections of Europe, at all.

 

[JVM]

When we were last there staff were looking at the theming along the wall of the railway station enclosure (on the top deck) and discussing what needed to be done in the area in terms of height needed for safety barriers so presuming it’s closed to facilitate this work.

Thank you for clarifying. If it is safety-related that is of course a very legitimate reason to close it to do work!

 

[Max Blundell]

Like with Whipsnade's map, London's map has also been updated. It now features The Secret Life of Reptiles and Amphibians exhibit. It has also added a number of new icons for birds around the zoo, another change is the correct icon for the Red Necked Wallaby has replaced the Red Kangaroo icon that has been on the map for years.
Strangely the Warthogs and Babirusa are still not listed on the map.

Zoo map | London Zoo

 

[gentle lemur]

When the Arabian oryx arrived at London Zoo in 1959, there were 8 in captivity and 30-40 in the wild. The oryx was soon hunted to extinction in the wild, but the international zoo saved the species. London Zoo's oryx 'Caroline' was lent to the world herd in Phoenix, Arizona, for the first international cooperative breeding programme.

I think that there were rather more oryx in captivity in 1959, as there were some in private collections belonging to Arab sheikhs and princes.

 

[Kalaw]

Like with Whipsnade's map, London's map has also been updated. It now features The Secret Life of Reptiles and Amphibians exhibit. It has also added a number of new icons for birds around the zoo, another change is the correct icon for the Red Necked Wallaby has replaced the Red Kangaroo icon that has been on the map for years.
Strangely the Warthogs and Babirusa are still not listed on the map.

Zoo map | London Zoo

A lot of lovely smaller changes on this map, such as replacing the hummingbirds (a species that the zoo hasn’t kept for a decade now) with Victoria Crowned Pigeons on the Blackburn Pavilion icon, and finally labelling Meet the Neighbours (the aviary within Gorilla Kingdom) with a bird of some description, although I am not sure what (it has the face of a Madagascar Crested Ibis, a species which is kept in said aviary and as such would be appropriate, but is white all over while the ibis in question is mostly brown).

 

[DesertRhino150]

A lot of lovely smaller changes on this map, such as replacing the hummingbirds (a species that the zoo hasn’t kept for a decade now) with Victoria Crowned Pigeons on the Blackburn Pavilion icon, and finally labelling Meet the Neighbours (the aviary within Gorilla Kingdom) with a bird of some description, although I am not sure what (it has the face of a Madagascar Crested Ibis, a species which is kept in said aviary and as such would be appropriate, but is white all over while the ibis in question is mostly brown).

I think the bird representing Meet the Neighbours is a Japanese crested ibis - don't think there are any in captivity outside their native range countries.

 

[Kifaru Bwana]

I think the bird representing Meet the Neighbours is a Japanese crested ibis - don't think there are any in captivity outside their native range countries.

What is the point for a Japanese crested where perhaps the Madagascar crested is relevant to zoo conservation in Europe and North America?

 

[Maguari]

Looks a lot like the artist just googled 'crested ibis' and got the wrong one!

 

[Pertinax]

I think that there were rather more oryx in captivity in 1959, as there were some in private collections belonging to Arab sheikhs and princes.

I found out just recently London actually had a pair but only sent the female to Phoenix. Presumably at the time the tiny Phoenix herd had sufficient males for breeding so the ZSL male wasn't needed. Nowadays with genetic founder bases etc it would be a different story.

 

[Cobi]

Looks a lot like the artist just googled 'crested ibis' and got the wrong one!

Fair enough for the artist to do that but completely inexcusable that this was signed off and is featured in the final version.

 

[LucasRyan]

The viewing deck at Land of the Lions is still blocked, unfortunately, which disrupts the flow of the exhibit some.

I wonder what would be keeping the female lion busy indoors for the last 2 weeks and parts of the visitor flow closed off for privacy...

 

[polarbear]

I wonder what would be keeping the female lion busy indoors for the last 2 weeks and parts of the visitor flow closed off for privacy...

has the gift shop brought out a huge display of lion soft toys? Always a good sign if so.

 

[Rosie183]

Could she finally be expecting cubs?

 

[Max Blundell]

ZTL lists 2 new female Kirk's Dik Dik have arrived at the zoo from Twycross Zoo.

 

[Reptile House]

So I went to London Zoo especially to see the new Reptile House.

I got a good view of the Ethiopian Mountain Adder and an obscured view of the Mangshan Vipper behind a log on a ledge. Walking around the other displays it was hard to spot the exhibits especially the Mossy Frog which I saw none, despite looking very hard I used to spot 6/7 in the old reptile house. Nice to see old favourites such as Crocodile Lizard and the Blue Tree Monitor. It was nice to see the King Cobra now having a larger enclosure,

I thought the object of husbandry now was to have larger but mixed enclosures. Thinking here the Galapagos Giant Tortoise enclosure, which could do with other species in there, maybe birds from the Galapagos as it seems very vapid in there,

The best part of the new Reptile House though was the exit sign as to be honest a lot of money has been spent on something quite dreadful and it isn't a patch on the old one, with hardly any species in there, it had no wow factor, at least I remember going to a reptile house that did exactly what it said on the tin.

 

[ajmcwhipsnade]

So I went to London Zoo especially to see the new Reptile House.

I got a good view of the Ethiopian Mountain Adder and an obscured view of the Mangshan Vipper behind a log on a ledge. Walking around the other displays it was hard to spot the exhibits especially the Mossy Frog which I saw none, despite looking very hard I used to spot 6/7 in the old reptile house. Nice to see old favourites such as Crocodile Lizard and the Blue Tree Monitor. It was nice to see the King Cobra now having a larger enclosure,

I thought the object of husbandry now was to have larger but mixed enclosures. Thinking here the Galapagos Giant Tortoise enclosure, which could do with other species in there, maybe birds from the Galapagos as it seems very vapid in there,

The best part of the new Reptile House though was the exit sign as to be honest a lot of money has been spent on something quite dreadful and it isn't a patch on the old one, with hardly any species in there, it had no wow factor, at least I remember going to a reptile house that did exactly what it said on the tin.

From the photos and videos I’ve seen, we obviously have a very different definition of the word dreadful

 

[Maguari]

Fair enough for the artist to do that but completely inexcusable that this was signed off and is featured in the final version.

No, 'completely inexcusable' would be harming the birds, or allowing staff to steal things from visitors, or setting up armed sentries on the corners of the zoo perimeter to take potshots at anyone wearing too brightly-coloured trousers. This is a simple mistake that either passed unnoticed, or wasn't judged worth the cost of fixing by the time it was noticed.

I know zoos have an educational remit but a slightly misleading ibis image (that is only really intended to represent 'birds' anyway at the end of the day) on a map really isn't going to impede the mission that much, and I suspect that the zoo switchboard will be able to cope with the influx of complaints from disappointed ibis fans aghast at finding the wrong type of crested ibis in the aviary.

Should it be right, in an ideal world? Yes, certainly. Is it 'completely inexcusable' that it's wrong? Not really. Life will go on.

 

[Maguari]

So I went to London Zoo especially to see the new Reptile House.

I got a good view of the Ethiopian Mountain Adder and an obscured view of the Mangshan Vipper behind a log on a ledge. Walking around the other displays it was hard to spot the exhibits especially the Mossy Frog which I saw none, despite looking very hard I used to spot 6/7 in the old reptile house. Nice to see old favourites such as Crocodile Lizard and the Blue Tree Monitor. It was nice to see the King Cobra now having a larger enclosure,

I thought the object of husbandry now was to have larger but mixed enclosures. Thinking here the Galapagos Giant Tortoise enclosure, which could do with other species in there, maybe birds from the Galapagos as it seems very vapid in there,

The best part of the new Reptile House though was the exit sign as to be honest a lot of money has been spent on something quite dreadful and it isn't a patch on the old one, with hardly any species in there, it had no wow factor, at least I remember going to a reptile house that did exactly what it said on the tin.

I've not been yet, but every other review of it I've seen (including from people I know personally and trust, and who are generally not by any means 'new = automatically better'-type people!) has been very positive.

Is it really 'quite dreadful'? 'The best part is the exit sign'? Seriously? When even you have just noted that the King Cobra has more space now, and that that is good?

I have no problem with people disagreeing with zoos' decisions or wishing things were different but the sheer glee with which people round here seem to like to lay into anything that happens at certain zoos is getting a little old, I must say.

It feels a lot like being back in school at the age when it was only cool to not like things, and I'm far too old for that these days.

 

[Trudie]

ZTL lists 2 new female Kirk's Dik Dik have arrived at the zoo from Twycross Zoo.

Nice to know where they went lol seeing as twycross hasn’t said anything

 

[Pandaboi]

Nice to know where they went lol seeing as twycross hasn’t said anything

Still waiting for the zoo to announce the death of Coco and Holly the chimpanzees too looks like this is the new ‘Twycross way’.