ZSL London Zoo ZSL London Zoo News 2024

[cornu aspersum]

I've just checked and the exhibit is called Nightlife. Sorry about that - was working from memory when I wrote the post.

Thanks, and to be fair these things happen.

 

[Kalaw]

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my last visit in January, the three-banded armadillo has moved out of the first two enclosures in Moonlight World and been replaced by another enclosure for slender lorises (which I missed) and what seems to be a new Malagasy giant rat - the window had a barrier to keep visitors at a distance.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.

Thanks for these updates.

If you ever return to SLoRA, according to a keeper, one of the Chapa Mossy Frogs can almost always be seen hiding in the crack in the rock towards the left of their enclosure, which is indeed where I saw it on my visit. There are allegedly a fair few more in there, but they can be difficult to find. Shame about the Congo Caecilians, so I will have to take a page out of oflory's book and check their semi-offshow enclosures behind the Big-headed Turtles and Laos Warty Newts in SLoRA.

The first two enclosures on the left upon entering Night Life have held Grey Slender Loris and Malagasy Giant Jumping Rats for some time now, although the lorises were always unsigned. I never visited while the Three-banded Armadillos were held here, but interesting that you suggest the jumping rats and slender lorises were not held in there during that time. Presumably the lorises were moved to their main enclosure in the final room and the rats joined the mixed exhibit with the Pottos and Moholi Bushbabies.

Great to hear that you saw the Red Forest Duiker, as they have always proven to be rather evasive - I saw one on my last visit as well, so it seems as though they have become more active since the unfortunate passing of the bull Okapi with whom they once shared their enclosure (although I will still be disappointed if the zoo doesn't look to acquire another male). Did you have any luck seeing the newly arrived Kirk's Dik-dik here? Were they even signed?

 

[DesertRhino150]

Thanks for these updates.

If you ever return to SLoRA, according to a keeper, one of the Chapa Mossy Frogs can almost always be seen hiding in the crack in the rock towards the left of their enclosure, which is indeed where I saw it on my visit. There are allegedly a fair few more in there, but they can be difficult to find. Shame about the Congo Caecilians, so I will have to take a page out of oflory's book and check their semi-offshow enclosures behind the Big-headed Turtles and Laos Warty Newts in SLoRA.

Thanks for the directions for the mossy frogs - spent quite some time looking, but to no avail. It's good to know there is a reliable spot for them.

The first two enclosures on the left upon entering Night Life have held Grey Slender Loris and Malagasy Giant Jumping Rats for some time now, although the lorises were always unsigned. I never visited while the Three-banded Armadillos were held here, but interesting that you suggest the jumping rats and slender lorises were not held in there during that time. Presumably the lorises were moved to their main enclosure in the final room and the rats joined the mixed exhibit with the Pottos and Moholi Bushbabies.

I'm pretty confident the armadillo was by itself when I went in January. At the time, the slender lorises were kept in the three connected enclosures where they also still live today. There was also Malagasy giant rat in the large mixed exhibit with the pottos and bushbabies, which again was signed there today. When I went in January I think there was just the one (certainly the 2024 stocklist only shows one female present at the start of the year). Hopefully, that means there is a pair present again.

Great to hear that you saw the Red Forest Duiker, as they have always proven to be rather evasive - I saw one on my last visit as well, so it seems as though they have become more active since the unfortunate passing of the bull Okapi with whom they once shared their enclosure (although I will still be disappointed if the zoo doesn't look to acquire another male). Did you have any luck seeing the newly arrived Kirk's Dik-dik here? Were they even signed?

I didn't see any dik-diks, and there was also no signage for them either.

 

[DesertRhino150]

One other thing I recall from my visit today, that I don't think has been mentioned yet - when I went through the Bird Safari walkthrough, I am pretty confident that there is now a pair of great argus (the 2024 stocklist showed only the single female at the start of the year). One was running around on the ground - I think the female - while another with a longer tail, presumably a male, was perched high in a tree alongside the scarlet ibises.

 

[Regent]

One other thing I recall from my visit today, that I don't think has been mentioned yet - when I went through the Bird Safari walkthrough, I am pretty confident that there is now a pair of great argus (the 2024 stocklist showed only the single female at the start of the year). One was running around on the ground - I think the female - while another with a longer tail, presumably a male, was perched high in a tree alongside the scarlet ibises.

You are spot on regarding Great Argus, there is a male and female now in the aviary

 

[polarbear]

Thanks for these updates.

If you ever return to SLoRA, according to a keeper, one of the Chapa Mossy Frogs can almost always be seen hiding in the crack in the rock towards the left of their enclosure, which is indeed where I saw it on my visit. There are allegedly a fair few more in there, but they can be difficult to find. Shame about the Congo Caecilians, so I will have to take a page out of oflory's book and check their semi-offshow enclosures behind the Big-headed Turtles and Laos Warty Newts in SLoRA.

The first two enclosures on the left upon entering Night Life have held Grey Slender Loris and Malagasy Giant Jumping Rats for some time now, although the lorises were always unsigned. I never visited while the Three-banded Armadillos were held here, but interesting that you suggest the jumping rats and slender lorises were not held in there during that time. Presumably the lorises were moved to their main enclosure in the final room and the rats joined the mixed exhibit with the Pottos and Moholi Bushbabies.

Great to hear that you saw the Red Forest Duiker, as they have always proven to be rather evasive - I saw one on my last visit as well, so it seems as though they have become more active since the unfortunate passing of the bull Okapi with whom they once shared their enclosure (although I will still be disappointed if the zoo doesn't look to acquire another male). Did you have any luck seeing the newly arrived Kirk's Dik-dik here? Were they even signed?

Two mossy frogs from a visit on Monday - they were top right and very hard to see.

 

[tennisfan]

The ostriches seem to be back to 4 , second male in partially screened enclosue behind the zebras and the other male and two females together in the main shared giraffe enclosure.
Some maintenance ongoing yesterday , tiger pool paddock exit timber path work so no access from the prayer room side , Blackburn pavilion entrance hall ( not sure if that was an all day work or just for a few hours).

 

[Cat-Man]

When you hear about the tight spacing concerns regarding the zebra's and giraffes, and the screened ostrich, it does make you think how on earth they used to keep all that hoofstock on the pavilion (sorry, the exact name escapes me) back in the day!

 

[Tim May]

When you hear about the tight spacing concerns regarding the zebra's and giraffes, and the screened ostrich, it does make you think how on earth they used to keep all that hoofstock on the pavilion (sorry, the exact name escapes me) back in the day!

Cotton Terraces

 

[aquilla1]

Looks like they've got another Griffon's chick, this time being parent-reared, they really are on a roll at the moment, good for them...

 

[Cat-Man]

Cotton Terraces

That's the one. Thanks so much, Tim.

 

[Tim May]

the three-banded armadillo has moved out of the first two enclosures in Moonlight World and been replaced by another enclosure for slender lorises...

I've just checked and the exhibit is called Nightlife. Sorry about that - was working from memory when I wrote the post.

I never understood why the name of the Clore Pavilion's nocturnal section was changed from "Moonlight World" to "Nightlife"; its original name of "Moonlight World" sounds much more attractive.

 

[tennisfan]

details of the vulture chick

First baby vulture chick returned to parents for rearing | London Zoo

 

[Tetradactyla]

I visited the zoo today for, I believe, the first time this year, ostensibly to get my first look at the Secret Life of Reptiles and Amphibians (which I enjoyed despite not being a particularly big aficionado of frogs) and the baby gorillas. Effie seems to be more inclined to lay her offspring on the floor next to her rather than hold them, like Mjukuu does, which led to a slightly dicey moment when Effie took a few steps away to grab a piece of food, only to turn around and find a suddenly altogether-too-close Mjukuu attempting to retrieve the "unattended" infant! I've never seen a teleporting gorilla before, but Mjukuu didn't half shift when she saw her chance!

Things of potential note:

- The Blackburn Pavilion was closed today for some "sprucing up".

- Overheard a member of staff say that the coppery titi monkey in Rainforest Life has lost "her" mate. Unfortunately I was on my way out of the door at this point, and unable to go back and check, but I don't recall seeing more than one of them as I walked around

- As noted earlier in this thread, the white-faced saki monkeys in Rainforest Life have indeed had another baby, bringing the group number up to four (mum Kaituma, dad Milagre, and a previous female (?) offspring).

 

[Pertinax]

Effie seems to be more inclined to lay her offspring on the floor next to her rather than hold them, like Mjukuu does, which led to a slightly dicey moment when Effie took a few steps away to grab a piece of food, only to turn around and find a suddenly altogether-too-close Mjukuu attempting to retrieve the "unattended" infant! I've never seen a teleporting gorilla before, but Mjukuu didn't half shift when she saw her chance!

Effie is a rather 'lazy' mother as shown by her behaviour with past infants- two handraised (not at London) then she also allowed Mjukuu to take over Gernot. I'd been hoping she was improved this time but this behaviour sounds rather familiar- I hope Mjukuu doesn't get the chance to steal the baby as she has a very strong maternal instinct and would willingly carry and rear both together if she gets the chance.

 

[oflory]

I visited the zoo today for, I believe, the first time this year, ostensibly to get my first look at the Secret Life of Reptiles and Amphibians (which I enjoyed despite not being a particularly big aficionado of frogs) and the baby gorillas. Effie seems to be more inclined to lay her offspring on the floor next to her rather than hold them, like Mjukuu does, which led to a slightly dicey moment when Effie took a few steps away to grab a piece of food, only to turn around and find a suddenly altogether-too-close Mjukuu attempting to retrieve the "unattended" infant! I've never seen a teleporting gorilla before, but Mjukuu didn't half shift when she saw her chance!

Things of potential note:

- The Blackburn Pavilion was closed today for some "sprucing up".

- Overheard a member of staff say that the coppery titi monkey in Rainforest Life has lost "her" mate. Unfortunately I was on my way out of the door at this point, and unable to go back and check, but I don't recall seeing more than one of them as I walked around

- As noted earlier in this thread, the white-faced saki monkeys in Rainforest Life have indeed had another baby, bringing the group number up to four (mum Kaituma, dad Milagre, and a previous female (?) offspring).

I wonder if the 'sprucing up' could be introduction of birds into the newly renovated enclosure at the western end.

 

[Badger]

Effie is a rather 'lazy' mother as shown by her behaviour with past infants- two handraised (not at London) then she also allowed Mjukuu to take over Gernot. I'd been hoping she was improved this time but this behaviour sounds rather familiar- I hope Mjukuu doesn't get the chance to steal the baby as she has a very strong maternal instinct and would willingly carry and rear both together if she gets the chance.

Effie may l

Effie is a rather 'lazy' mother as shown by her behaviour with past infants- two handraised (not at London) then she also allowed Mjukuu to take over Gernot. I'd been hoping she was improved this time but this behaviour sounds rather familiar- I hope Mjukuu doesn't get the chance to steal the baby as she has a very strong maternal instinct and would willingly carry and rear both together if she gets the chance.

Effie may lay her baby down beside her sometimes but she is lightning fast if anyone goes near it. Perhaps a moral judgement such as the word "lazy" may be inappropriate when applied to Gorillas.

 

[Tankyboi]

Effie is a rather 'lazy' mother as shown by her behaviour with past infants- two handraised (not at London) then she also allowed Mjukuu to take over Gernot. I'd been hoping she was improved this time but this behaviour sounds rather familiar- I hope Mjukuu doesn't get the chance to steal the baby as she has a very strong maternal instinct and would willingly carry and rear both together if she gets the chance.

She’s definitely has a different approach to rearing her young but I spent quite a few days at zsl recently and watched Effie push m’jukuu away from her and her baby so she’s more protective this time around but just has her way of rearing her young

 

[Pertinax]

Effie may l

Effie may lay her baby down beside her sometimes but she is lightning fast if anyone goes near it. Perhaps a moral judgement such as the word "lazy" may be inappropriate when applied to Gorillas.

That is good to hear. But some gorillas in captivity do adopt what I sometimes term as a 'lazy' or 'slack' approach, not carrying their babies all the time as they would in the wild. I've seen it occassionally with other individual females too in the past (not at ZSL), sometimes allowing the baby to be carried off by another female or even a young male and occassionally the baby has to then be removed for handraising.. But I apologise to Effie for doubting her abilities, if she's still being protective- I hope she continues rearing her own baby -in her own particular way- successfully.

 

[Pertinax]

She’s definitely has a different approach to rearing her young but I spent quite a few days at zsl recently and watched Effie push m’jukuu away from her and her baby so she’s more protective this time around but just has her way of rearing her young

Good to hear. I wouldn't want Mjukuu to get the chance to take it over, a big drain on her.