ZSL London Zoo ZSL London Zoo News 2024

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JVM said:
This is the first I feel like I've ever heard of Rakali! Looks like such an interesting species. The bokiboki and rakali are such a lovely reminder that sometimes just putting an obscure animal on display can be an act of education all by itself. Glad the lorises were active, too! The Clore was one of my favorites.


I had no luck with the mongoose or hunting dogs either. Has anyone seen the latter in a while, maybe something is going on there? The bush baby and mouse lemur were both visible on one day each of my visits.


I don't remember seeing any sign on the Cassons during my visit, that's very interesting.

The Cassons' interior, Chinese Water Deer, and Red Duiker all beg my return...


Yeah, this was a major inconvenience during both of my visits as well -- with both of those routes closed you kind of have to do that half of the zoo again, and it really breaks up the Land of the Lions experience especially since the route by the langurs and mongoose doesn't otherwise get you a good look at the lions.
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Strange that you didn’t see a sign on the Cassons. Worth noting it is only on the south entrance (near Animal Adventure and the Display’s Lawn) as the north entrance (in Tiger Territory) is unfortunately still closed.
 
Gavialis said:
I don't think it's been mentioned on here yet, but the ZSL is hosting a Fellowship Conference this coming Saturday. The line-up of talks and events certainly seems promising - I wonder whether any other ZooChatters are going?
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I was going to go - but now have to go to a lunch instead - anyone going please report back! The break-out sessions on the tricentennial and the future of the collection look especially promising.
 
Gavialis said:
I don't think it's been mentioned on here yet, but the ZSL is hosting a Fellowship Conference this coming Saturday. The line-up of talks and events certainly seems promising - I wonder whether any other ZooChatters are going?
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Sadly I have other commitments at this time of year, but I hope you will stand for election again, I will vote for you as always!!
 
Crowthorne said:
No sign of the three-legged Golden-Headed Lion Tamarin in Rainforest Life

Notable no-shows: Java Green Magpies, Indian Mongoose, Grey Mouse Lemur, Senegal Galago, Hunting Dogs, Babirusa
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I asked a keeper about the three-legged Tamarin ("Bandit") some time last year and was told that he'd been moved to one of the other enclosures near the Golden Tamarins at the far end, outside of the main exhibit when the new Golden-Headed Lion Tamarins arrived, but I haven't seen Bandit there either for a while. Does anyone have more recent news?

I saw three of the hunting dogs for the first time in many months, looking across from the canal towpath at around 10am (n.b. the Colobus monkeys were also very active at this time on a sunny morning) - but the hunting dogs often not visible these days in the later afternoon when I generally visit the zoo.
 
Kalaw said:
Indeed Bhanu has conventionally been rather quiet, but on my last two visits this has changed and on my most recent visit last month he could be heard roaring on five or so instances throughout the day. Presumably Arya’s pregnancy and then the birth of the cubs is a factor in this, causing him to be more territorial. Either way, I am grateful, as the sound and sight of a roaring lion is one of the most impressive things you can see as a zoo visitor!
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From what I remember he started roaring a while ago around dusk, maybe as early as Arya's arrival and the departure of the previous three lionesses? It's a fantastic sound especially when you're near to him! If you do hear him roaring, head quickly over to the Land of the Lions as he often has a few choruses in him before he quietens back down.
 
A volunteer told me that a White Faced Saki Monkey has been born.
It also looks like they only have 3 Chinese Water Deer, I don't know what happened to the 4th one.
I haven't seen the Dik Dik yet and they are not signposted anywhere however they could be off show
 
Red Footed Tortoise said:
From what I remember he started roaring a while ago around dusk, maybe as early as Arya's arrival and the departure of the previous three lionesses? It's a fantastic sound especially when you're near to him! If you do hear him roaring, head quickly over to the Land of the Lions as he often has a few choruses in him before he quietens back down.
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Interestingly, on my visit, he was roaring throughout the five or so hours for which I was there at various random intervals. A remarkable sound indeed, and even with all the crowds and the nearby road drowning out the noise, it could be heard from Monkey Valley!
 
Had a great lunchbreak at the zoo - my first time properly seeing the new reptile/amphibian house. Probably adding to the consensus on here, but I thought it was splendid. A very active giant salamander eating prawns, the crocodile swimming around in its pool, a very visible mountain chicken and best (and most unexpectedly) of all, the best view I have ever had (still not great, through binoculars) of a Congo caecilian. The collection is reduced, but it is so choice species-wise, it is hard to be too upset.

I also saw Matthew Gould showing a VIP (not sure who...) around, and he really does just exude enthusiasm for the zoo.
 
oflory said:
Had a great lunchbreak at the zoo - my first time properly seeing the new reptile/amphibian house. Probably adding to the consensus on here, but I thought it was splendid. A very active giant salamander eating prawns, the crocodile swimming around in its pool, a very visible mountain chicken and best (and most unexpectedly) of all, the best view I have ever had (still not great, through binoculars) of a Congo caecilian. The collection is reduced, but it is so choice species-wise, it is hard to be too upset.

I also saw Matthew Gould showing a VIP (not sure who...) around, and he really does just exude enthusiasm for the zoo.
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Great to hear you enjoyed your visit, and that you saw an active giant salamander. Both from my own experience and from what I have heard from other visitors (and keepers), the two salamanders currently onshow have each found their preferred hiding spots and like to stay there. The individual on the leftmost enclosure likes the hollow rock in the middle, while the one on the right prefers the cave at the back left with several rock ledges. Naturally, if they were being fed, this will explain it - I will ensure to arrive at SLoRA around lunchtime on my visit if you say this is when you saw this.

Also great news about the caecilians, as on my visit, their tank in the offshow viewing windows in SLoRA was so misty and at such a poor angle that you could never hope to see them, so presumably it has been moved or they have moved into one of the other offshow tanks, of which there were a few empty on my visit.
 
Kalaw said:
Great to hear you enjoyed your visit, and that you saw an active giant salamander. Both from my own experience and from what I have heard from other visitors (and keepers), the two salamanders currently onshow have each found their preferred hiding spots and like to stay there. The individual on the leftmost enclosure likes the hollow rock in the middle, while the one on the right prefers the cave at the back left with several rock ledges. Naturally, if they were being fed, this will explain it - I will ensure to arrive at SLoRA around lunchtime on my visit if you say this is when you saw this.

Also great news about the caecilians, as on my visit, their tank in the offshow viewing windows in SLoRA was so misty and at such a poor angle that you could never hope to see them, so presumably it has been moved or they have moved into one of the other offshow tanks, of which there were a few empty on my visit.
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Not sure if it will be the same time everyday, but the keeper had put 'prawn juice' into the water about ten minutes before feeding at about 2pm, so the salamander (in the right hand tank) was swimming around trying to find the food before it was fed. Was great to see.

RE the caeclians, you would definitely need binoculars to peer into the semi-offshow bit but was good to see a bit of caecilian pressed against the side of the glass in a tunnel.
 
oflory said:
I also saw Matthew Gould showing a VIP (not sure who...) around, and he really does just exude enthusiasm for the zoo.
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Personally, considering the somewhat aloofness and detachment displayed by his two predecessors, this is most refreshing to see. Let’s hope he sticks around long enough to make a significant contribution to the two zoos and ZSL generally
 
I went for a visit to London Zoo today. Was the first into the zoo but it was absolutely packed for much of the day (which, I'll accept, is great news for the zoo). These are some things I noticed:
  • Adding to many of the comments here, I though Secret Life of Reptiles and Amphibians was brilliant. While not a massive collection, it is incredibly diverse, the enclosures are all of a very high standard and almost everything was eventually visible - the only on-show things I missed were the Laos warty newts and the bicoloured mossy frogs. I will definitely enjoy revisiting it in the future.
  • The Congo caecilian room next to the old reptile house is now fully off-show - a wooden hoarding has been nailed over the window.
  • It took three tries, but did manage to see both of the young gorillas (on the first trip round, the gorillas were all off-show and on the second only one was visible with mother in the outdoor enclosure).
  • Since my last visit in January, the three-banded armadillo has moved out of the first two enclosures in Moonlight World and been replaced by another enclosure for slender lorises (which I missed) and what seems to be a new Malagasy giant rat - the window had a barrier to keep visitors at a distance.
  • The duiker was extremely visible today in the okapi enclosure next to the access to the okapi and zebra housing - at times, it was coming up to the mesh under the glass viewing windows to sniff at visitors shoes.
  • In the Tiny Giants house, a few tanks were empty or off-display including: the giant millipedes (blocked off), moon/sea nettle aquarium (empty) and fen raft spider (empty); the Egyptian predator beetle has disappeared from the collection.
  • Not sure if this has been mentioned yet, but the entire upper walkway over the lions was now open again. Although Bhanu was roaring throughout the day, I saw nothing of Arya or the cubs.
  • Managed to get inside the Casson for the first time (last time I tried, got scared out by two giant Christmas nutcrackers looming out of the darkness right inside the door); the red river hogs were inside at the time.
 
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