ZSL Whipsnade Zoo ZSL Whipsnade Zoo News 2024
- Thread starter Rosie183
- Start date
It was about 1pm
AlexanderTHG
Well-Known Member
Some highlights/updates from yesterday's visit:
- Indian Rhino Beluki has had part of her ear removed, and there is a sign informing visitors not to worry!
- Was lovely to see the white rhino calf again and the new Blesbok calf. Finger's crossed for more success there (and hopefully Gemsbok as well)
- Saw the elusive Blackbuck duo for the first time this year
- Watched one of the bird shows for the first time in a long while. Really great to watch, and nice to be able to see 12 otherwise off-show species.
- A red-crested turaco is a recent addition (Lafone mentioned one training up-thread), but is currently only trained to fly from the wooden screening to a perch in the middle of the arena and back.
- Francois' langur's were a treat to just sit and watch as always
- I counted 10 macaques at any one time. Not sure if any more are currently present, or if introductions are imminent
- And the Anoa have been introduced (a volunteer told me just that day). The male seemed very keen and kept a close follow on the female, who was playing hard to get!
- Indian Rhino Beluki has had part of her ear removed, and there is a sign informing visitors not to worry!
- Was lovely to see the white rhino calf again and the new Blesbok calf. Finger's crossed for more success there (and hopefully Gemsbok as well)
- Saw the elusive Blackbuck duo for the first time this year
- Watched one of the bird shows for the first time in a long while. Really great to watch, and nice to be able to see 12 otherwise off-show species.
- A red-crested turaco is a recent addition (Lafone mentioned one training up-thread), but is currently only trained to fly from the wooden screening to a perch in the middle of the arena and back.
- Francois' langur's were a treat to just sit and watch as always
- I counted 10 macaques at any one time. Not sure if any more are currently present, or if introductions are imminent
- And the Anoa have been introduced (a volunteer told me just that day). The male seemed very keen and kept a close follow on the female, who was playing hard to get!
What is planned for tigers once Czar moves… be interesting as they have had no luck with his brother at woeburn.. still won’t come out of the secure nighttime enclosure into the drive through. So any hopes of him breeding with the woeburn female have been dashed!
cerperal
Well-Known Member
Well that's unexpected. Where are they likely to transfer another tiger (or perhaps a breeding pair, given recent upgrades), from?
Hang on where would Czar be going to ?
Their a smaller more like Inside den with outdoor space the size of a back garden is what the last female used when she gave birth to the 3 males! But it’s more of a holding pen rather than an enclosure to house a tiger permanently
He is going to Leipzig Zoo, Germany
Lafone
Well-Known Member
Be sorry to see him go, the last of the old group, but hopefully Leipzig will be a good move. I expect they will have a single tiger from somewhere else, they've said for a while they don't have a recommendation to breed there now. Whatever they get, it's a good size for a single.
Kalaw
Well-Known Member
Visited today for the first time of 2024. As usual, a very enjoyable visit to my favourite zoo.
Began on a very high note by seeing all three European Brown Bears in the pool playfighting, two of which were getting particularly aggressive and even roaring at one point, something which I had never heard before. A few minutes later, they were making use of the new extension (the first time I had seen them do so since the glass viewing was added), which I thought was a great space although the glass was very murky in places and made for challenging views. Both Wolverines were active, and there were upwards of ten Common Eider chicks in the Northern Rockhopper pool, who were all delightful. Whipsnade is so big that even having visited ten times as of this milestone visit, there is something new to discover every time - in this case, a sign beside the wild boar detailing the history of the pathway and the role of the naturally occurring pond behind it.
The rhino calf was adorable, as is to be expected; especially seeing as it attempted fighting horn-to-horn with his mother, who was clearly playing gentle with him; a wonderful moment indeed. The entire crash of eight rhinos (surely the largest in the country at this point) came very close to visitors, which was impressive. Got great views of the male lion on the hill behind the Ostrich; Khari's mane added an element of awe to this predator-prey setup that the previous pride of castrated individuals never quite had. Saw Hodor and Lola (the Common Hippos) using the former bull paddock for the first time in a few visits - they still seem to rotate between the two enclosures, allowing the grass in one to grow back for grazing while the hippos are elsewhere. The zebra and waterbuck enclosure was having its fencing renovated and replaced, resulting in the inhabitants being restricted to a far corner near the stables. As I was leaving, I did manage to spot one of the Defassa Waterbuck (new since my last visit) at the far end of the enclosure, which was nice - they are much darker in colour than the Ellipsens, a difference which I hadn't anticipated would be quite so pronounced. In Passage through Asia, a particularly impressive Pere David's Deer stag was venturing far closer to the road than normal, a very memorable encounter. A small part of the fencing was also being renovated here, but strangely, this did not require the deer being locked up indoors.
Monkey Forest was the biggest excitement going into my visit, being new since my last time, and I have mixed feelings on it. On one hand, it is an outstanding enclosure for the troop. A genuine, gorgeous woodland of mature trees, with rolling hills, ample climbing and a very sizable indoor area indeed. On the other hand, it felt very empty. The Francois' Langur still seem to be afraid to venture outside, and as lively and confident as the Sulawesi Crested Macaques are, ten did not feel like nearly enough. Hopefully, these are merely teething issues, and the growing confidence of the langurs, and inevitable breeding success of the macaques, will lead to these enclosures feeling livelier and more interesting, as they are so close to being something truly special, and yet fall a little short.
Overall, an outstanding exhibit, and another addition to ZSL's already long list of recent triumphs, but I couldn't help but wish for a little more. Perhaps an aviary of some description for birds of Southeast Asia, to ensure that, regardless of primate activity, there is always something interesting to see. Primates aside, the Babirusa were exploring their enclosure very well indeed, and it is wonderful to be able to view the deer in Passage without a car so close, which has always been one of my very few issues with Whipsnade.
The new climbing frame for the Siberian Tigers is remarkable. Photos truly cannot do justice to its scale, and what was already one of the finest tiger enclosures in the country has now accommodated for its sole weakness. As mentioned upthread, Czar is leaving for Leipzig and 'new stripes' will be arriving soon in his place.
Good views of all the Asian Elephants, while strangely the Visayan Warty Pigs, strangely, didn't seem to have access to the main portion of the enclosure, being restricted to the courtyard space beside the indoor area. On a sentimental note, it was nice to see animals using this area, which offered me my first ever gaur, but I cannot help but wonder as to why. I also noticed that the pathway between the warty pigs and Indian Rhinos has gates on either side, with slopes leading up to them, suggesting that it was once possible to combine the two. Does anyone know what species were held back when this feature was used (if it ever was used, that is)? Further proof that there is always something new to discover at Whipsnade, and not even the last obscure discovery from this visit, either!
In the Aquarium, I was caught off guard somewhat by what is surely the biggest catfish that I have ever seen in the large tank with the plecos. Not sure of the species, but it was enormous and left me wondering how I had missed it on previous visits - does anyone know the species, as none of the signs seemed to mention it? On the topic of catfish, the Dwarf Crocodile pool has been stocked with unsigned Bristlenose Plecos of some species, presumably the same species as what is used to clean many of the tanks in SLoRA (having done so to great effect) - I have never seen so many plecos in one tank, with one individual viewing panel having had over ten climbing on it. A more than welcome addition to what was already a wonderful tank - as usual, the ominous Peter's Elephantnose Fish were a treat, but the Giant Grasscutter Catfish, which had always evaded me on previous visits but were very much visible hovering at the back of the tank this time, were also of note. Elsewhere in the Butterfly House, the new Victoria Crowned-pigeon added a wonderful dynamic to the House, and I finally saw the Spiny Hill-turtle (although from what little I could see of its smooth shell in its shelter, you would be left to question how 'spiny' is the appropriate adjective). No luck with the Laughing Kookaburra in their new aviary.
Of course, the Indian Gaur are always a delight. Nearby, I saw two interesting older structures which I had never previously noticed. One is what I assumed was once an aviary, but has now been allowed to become heavily overgrown in the hope that it will be used by native insects, and the other is a stable of some description. I assume the latter was once part of the Congo Buffalo enclosure, as I know that this species was once kept roughly in this area in the zoo, but I wonder if anyone might know what the former once held (if it was ever used)?
Overall, another thoroughly enjoyable visit to a wonderful zoo. I feel guilty for having been critical of Monkey Forest, as I feel as though ZSL deserve enormous praise for their recent work and think that most of the issues it has right now are by no means the zoo's fault. The fact that it is a wonderful enclosure only makes its shortcomings more unfortunate. Cannot wait to return to my favourite zoo.
Began on a very high note by seeing all three European Brown Bears in the pool playfighting, two of which were getting particularly aggressive and even roaring at one point, something which I had never heard before. A few minutes later, they were making use of the new extension (the first time I had seen them do so since the glass viewing was added), which I thought was a great space although the glass was very murky in places and made for challenging views. Both Wolverines were active, and there were upwards of ten Common Eider chicks in the Northern Rockhopper pool, who were all delightful. Whipsnade is so big that even having visited ten times as of this milestone visit, there is something new to discover every time - in this case, a sign beside the wild boar detailing the history of the pathway and the role of the naturally occurring pond behind it.
The rhino calf was adorable, as is to be expected; especially seeing as it attempted fighting horn-to-horn with his mother, who was clearly playing gentle with him; a wonderful moment indeed. The entire crash of eight rhinos (surely the largest in the country at this point) came very close to visitors, which was impressive. Got great views of the male lion on the hill behind the Ostrich; Khari's mane added an element of awe to this predator-prey setup that the previous pride of castrated individuals never quite had. Saw Hodor and Lola (the Common Hippos) using the former bull paddock for the first time in a few visits - they still seem to rotate between the two enclosures, allowing the grass in one to grow back for grazing while the hippos are elsewhere. The zebra and waterbuck enclosure was having its fencing renovated and replaced, resulting in the inhabitants being restricted to a far corner near the stables. As I was leaving, I did manage to spot one of the Defassa Waterbuck (new since my last visit) at the far end of the enclosure, which was nice - they are much darker in colour than the Ellipsens, a difference which I hadn't anticipated would be quite so pronounced. In Passage through Asia, a particularly impressive Pere David's Deer stag was venturing far closer to the road than normal, a very memorable encounter. A small part of the fencing was also being renovated here, but strangely, this did not require the deer being locked up indoors.
Monkey Forest was the biggest excitement going into my visit, being new since my last time, and I have mixed feelings on it. On one hand, it is an outstanding enclosure for the troop. A genuine, gorgeous woodland of mature trees, with rolling hills, ample climbing and a very sizable indoor area indeed. On the other hand, it felt very empty. The Francois' Langur still seem to be afraid to venture outside, and as lively and confident as the Sulawesi Crested Macaques are, ten did not feel like nearly enough. Hopefully, these are merely teething issues, and the growing confidence of the langurs, and inevitable breeding success of the macaques, will lead to these enclosures feeling livelier and more interesting, as they are so close to being something truly special, and yet fall a little short.
Overall, an outstanding exhibit, and another addition to ZSL's already long list of recent triumphs, but I couldn't help but wish for a little more. Perhaps an aviary of some description for birds of Southeast Asia, to ensure that, regardless of primate activity, there is always something interesting to see. Primates aside, the Babirusa were exploring their enclosure very well indeed, and it is wonderful to be able to view the deer in Passage without a car so close, which has always been one of my very few issues with Whipsnade.
The new climbing frame for the Siberian Tigers is remarkable. Photos truly cannot do justice to its scale, and what was already one of the finest tiger enclosures in the country has now accommodated for its sole weakness. As mentioned upthread, Czar is leaving for Leipzig and 'new stripes' will be arriving soon in his place.
Good views of all the Asian Elephants, while strangely the Visayan Warty Pigs, strangely, didn't seem to have access to the main portion of the enclosure, being restricted to the courtyard space beside the indoor area. On a sentimental note, it was nice to see animals using this area, which offered me my first ever gaur, but I cannot help but wonder as to why. I also noticed that the pathway between the warty pigs and Indian Rhinos has gates on either side, with slopes leading up to them, suggesting that it was once possible to combine the two. Does anyone know what species were held back when this feature was used (if it ever was used, that is)? Further proof that there is always something new to discover at Whipsnade, and not even the last obscure discovery from this visit, either!
In the Aquarium, I was caught off guard somewhat by what is surely the biggest catfish that I have ever seen in the large tank with the plecos. Not sure of the species, but it was enormous and left me wondering how I had missed it on previous visits - does anyone know the species, as none of the signs seemed to mention it? On the topic of catfish, the Dwarf Crocodile pool has been stocked with unsigned Bristlenose Plecos of some species, presumably the same species as what is used to clean many of the tanks in SLoRA (having done so to great effect) - I have never seen so many plecos in one tank, with one individual viewing panel having had over ten climbing on it. A more than welcome addition to what was already a wonderful tank - as usual, the ominous Peter's Elephantnose Fish were a treat, but the Giant Grasscutter Catfish, which had always evaded me on previous visits but were very much visible hovering at the back of the tank this time, were also of note. Elsewhere in the Butterfly House, the new Victoria Crowned-pigeon added a wonderful dynamic to the House, and I finally saw the Spiny Hill-turtle (although from what little I could see of its smooth shell in its shelter, you would be left to question how 'spiny' is the appropriate adjective). No luck with the Laughing Kookaburra in their new aviary.
Of course, the Indian Gaur are always a delight. Nearby, I saw two interesting older structures which I had never previously noticed. One is what I assumed was once an aviary, but has now been allowed to become heavily overgrown in the hope that it will be used by native insects, and the other is a stable of some description. I assume the latter was once part of the Congo Buffalo enclosure, as I know that this species was once kept roughly in this area in the zoo, but I wonder if anyone might know what the former once held (if it was ever used)?
Overall, another thoroughly enjoyable visit to a wonderful zoo. I feel guilty for having been critical of Monkey Forest, as I feel as though ZSL deserve enormous praise for their recent work and think that most of the issues it has right now are by no means the zoo's fault. The fact that it is a wonderful enclosure only makes its shortcomings more unfortunate. Cannot wait to return to my favourite zoo.
Lafone
Well-Known Member
Visited today for the first time of 2024. As usual, a very enjoyable visit to my favourite zoo.
Began on a very high note by seeing all three European Brown Bears in the pool playfighting, two of which were getting particularly aggressive and even roaring at one point, something which I had never heard before. A few minutes later, they were making use of the new extension (the first time I had seen them do so since the glass viewing was added), which I thought was a great space although the glass was very murky in places and made for challenging views. Both Wolverines were active, and there were upwards of ten Common Eider chicks in the Northern Rockhopper pool, who were all delightful. Whipsnade is so big that even having visited ten times as of this milestone visit, there is something new to discover every time - in this case, a sign beside the wild boar detailing the history of the pathway and the role of the naturally occurring pond behind it.
The rhino calf was adorable, as is to be expected; especially seeing as it attempted fighting horn-to-horn with his mother, who was clearly playing gentle with him; a wonderful moment indeed. The entire crash of eight rhinos (surely the largest in the country at this point) came very close to visitors, which was impressive. Got great views of the male lion on the hill behind the Ostrich; Khari's mane added an element of awe to this predator-prey setup that the previous pride of castrated individuals never quite had. Saw Hodor and Lola (the Common Hippos) using the former bull paddock for the first time in a few visits - they still seem to rotate between the two enclosures, allowing the grass in one to grow back for grazing while the hippos are elsewhere. The zebra and waterbuck enclosure was having its fencing renovated and replaced, resulting in the inhabitants being restricted to a far corner near the stables. As I was leaving, I did manage to spot one of the Defassa Waterbuck (new since my last visit) at the far end of the enclosure, which was nice - they are much darker in colour than the Ellipsens, a difference which I hadn't anticipated would be quite so pronounced. In Passage through Asia, a particularly impressive Pere David's Deer stag was venturing far closer to the road than normal, a very memorable encounter. A small part of the fencing was also being renovated here, but strangely, this did not require the deer being locked up indoors.
Monkey Forest was the biggest excitement going into my visit, being new since my last time, and I have mixed feelings on it. On one hand, it is an outstanding enclosure for the troop. A genuine, gorgeous woodland of mature trees, with rolling hills, ample climbing and a very sizable indoor area indeed. On the other hand, it felt very empty. The Francois' Langur still seem to be afraid to venture outside, and as lively and confident as the Sulawesi Crested Macaques are, ten did not feel like nearly enough. Hopefully, these are merely teething issues, and the growing confidence of the langurs, and inevitable breeding success of the macaques, will lead to these enclosures feeling livelier and more interesting, as they are so close to being something truly special, and yet fall a little short.
Overall, an outstanding exhibit, and another addition to ZSL's already long list of recent triumphs, but I couldn't help but wish for a little more. Perhaps an aviary of some description for birds of Southeast Asia, to ensure that, regardless of primate activity, there is always something interesting to see. Primates aside, the Babirusa were exploring their enclosure very well indeed, and it is wonderful to be able to view the deer in Passage without a car so close, which has always been one of my very few issues with Whipsnade.
The new climbing frame for the Siberian Tigers is remarkable. Photos truly cannot do justice to its scale, and what was already one of the finest tiger enclosures in the country has now accommodated for its sole weakness. As mentioned upthread, Czar is leaving for Leipzig and 'new stripes' will be arriving soon in his place.
Good views of all the Asian Elephants, while strangely the Visayan Warty Pigs, strangely, didn't seem to have access to the main portion of the enclosure, being restricted to the courtyard space beside the indoor area. On a sentimental note, it was nice to see animals using this area, which offered me my first ever gaur, but I cannot help but wonder as to why. I also noticed that the pathway between the warty pigs and Indian Rhinos has gates on either side, with slopes leading up to them, suggesting that it was once possible to combine the two. Does anyone know what species were held back when this feature was used (if it ever was used, that is)? Further proof that there is always something new to discover at Whipsnade, and not even the last obscure discovery from this visit, either!
In the Aquarium, I was caught off guard somewhat by what is surely the biggest catfish that I have ever seen in the large tank with the plecos. Not sure of the species, but it was enormous and left me wondering how I had missed it on previous visits - does anyone know the species, as none of the signs seemed to mention it? On the topic of catfish, the Dwarf Crocodile pool has been stocked with unsigned Bristlenose Plecos of some species, presumably the same species as what is used to clean many of the tanks in SLoRA (having done so to great effect) - I have never seen so many plecos in one tank, with one individual viewing panel having had over ten climbing on it. A more than welcome addition to what was already a wonderful tank - as usual, the ominous Peter's Elephantnose Fish were a treat, but the Giant Grasscutter Catfish, which had always evaded me on previous visits but were very much visible hovering at the back of the tank this time, were also of note. Elsewhere in the Butterfly House, the new Victoria Crowned-pigeon added a wonderful dynamic to the House, and I finally saw the Spiny Hill-turtle (although from what little I could see of its smooth shell in its shelter, you would be left to question how 'spiny' is the appropriate adjective). No luck with the Laughing Kookaburra in their new aviary.
Of course, the Indian Gaur are always a delight. Nearby, I saw two interesting older structures which I had never previously noticed. One is what I assumed was once an aviary, but has now been allowed to become heavily overgrown in the hope that it will be used by native insects, and the other is a stable of some description. I assume the latter was once part of the Congo Buffalo enclosure, as I know that this species was once kept roughly in this area in the zoo, but I wonder if anyone might know what the former once held (if it was ever used)?
Overall, another thoroughly enjoyable visit to a wonderful zoo. I feel guilty for having been critical of Monkey Forest, as I feel as though ZSL deserve enormous praise for their recent work and think that most of the issues it has right now are by no means the zoo's fault. The fact that it is a wonderful enclosure only makes its shortcomings more unfortunate. Cannot wait to return to my favourite zoo.
Sounds like a great visit!
Depending on what time you saw the warty pigs, they usually go into the enclosure outside the house with the gates shut into the other space overnight, though the other time they were regularly in that one with the gates shut in the day (when cleaning was not going on) they had just produced the last piglet.
There is just the one Defassa (also a female like the other waterbuck) at the moment. Lovely looking.
That old aviary space near the otters also has some storage and tools in it now.
Rajang-GOAT
Well-Known Member
Thanks for your amazing review of what looks to have been a great visit. Just a couple corrections, there are actually 4 European Brown Bears as 3 new females joined Cinderella I believe last year, the male lion is not Khari as he went back to Blackpool but instead Malik, who arrived from Germany.Visited today for the first time of 2024. As usual, a very enjoyable visit to my favourite zoo.
Began on a very high note by seeing all three European Brown Bears in the pool playfighting, two of which were getting particularly aggressive and even roaring at one point, something which I had never heard before. A few minutes later, they were making use of the new extension (the first time I had seen them do so since the glass viewing was added), which I thought was a great space although the glass was very murky in places and made for challenging views. Both Wolverines were active, and there were upwards of ten Common Eider chicks in the Northern Rockhopper pool, who were all delightful. Whipsnade is so big that even having visited ten times as of this milestone visit, there is something new to discover every time - in this case, a sign beside the wild boar detailing the history of the pathway and the role of the naturally occurring pond behind it.
The rhino calf was adorable, as is to be expected; especially seeing as it attempted fighting horn-to-horn with his mother, who was clearly playing gentle with him; a wonderful moment indeed. The entire crash of eight rhinos (surely the largest in the country at this point) came very close to visitors, which was impressive. Got great views of the male lion on the hill behind the Ostrich; Khari's mane added an element of awe to this predator-prey setup that the previous pride of castrated individuals never quite had. Saw Hodor and Lola (the Common Hippos) using the former bull paddock for the first time in a few visits - they still seem to rotate between the two enclosures, allowing the grass in one to grow back for grazing while the hippos are elsewhere. The zebra and waterbuck enclosure was having its fencing renovated and replaced, resulting in the inhabitants being restricted to a far corner near the stables. As I was leaving, I did manage to spot one of the Defassa Waterbuck (new since my last visit) at the far end of the enclosure, which was nice - they are much darker in colour than the Ellipsens, a difference which I hadn't anticipated would be quite so pronounced. In Passage through Asia, a particularly impressive Pere David's Deer stag was venturing far closer to the road than normal, a very memorable encounter. A small part of the fencing was also being renovated here, but strangely, this did not require the deer being locked up indoors.
Monkey Forest was the biggest excitement going into my visit, being new since my last time, and I have mixed feelings on it. On one hand, it is an outstanding enclosure for the troop. A genuine, gorgeous woodland of mature trees, with rolling hills, ample climbing and a very sizable indoor area indeed. On the other hand, it felt very empty. The Francois' Langur still seem to be afraid to venture outside, and as lively and confident as the Sulawesi Crested Macaques are, ten did not feel like nearly enough. Hopefully, these are merely teething issues, and the growing confidence of the langurs, and inevitable breeding success of the macaques, will lead to these enclosures feeling livelier and more interesting, as they are so close to being something truly special, and yet fall a little short.
Overall, an outstanding exhibit, and another addition to ZSL's already long list of recent triumphs, but I couldn't help but wish for a little more. Perhaps an aviary of some description for birds of Southeast Asia, to ensure that, regardless of primate activity, there is always something interesting to see. Primates aside, the Babirusa were exploring their enclosure very well indeed, and it is wonderful to be able to view the deer in Passage without a car so close, which has always been one of my very few issues with Whipsnade.
The new climbing frame for the Siberian Tigers is remarkable. Photos truly cannot do justice to its scale, and what was already one of the finest tiger enclosures in the country has now accommodated for its sole weakness. As mentioned upthread, Czar is leaving for Leipzig and 'new stripes' will be arriving soon in his place.
Good views of all the Asian Elephants, while strangely the Visayan Warty Pigs, strangely, didn't seem to have access to the main portion of the enclosure, being restricted to the courtyard space beside the indoor area. On a sentimental note, it was nice to see animals using this area, which offered me my first ever gaur, but I cannot help but wonder as to why. I also noticed that the pathway between the warty pigs and Indian Rhinos has gates on either side, with slopes leading up to them, suggesting that it was once possible to combine the two. Does anyone know what species were held back when this feature was used (if it ever was used, that is)? Further proof that there is always something new to discover at Whipsnade, and not even the last obscure discovery from this visit, either!
In the Aquarium, I was caught off guard somewhat by what is surely the biggest catfish that I have ever seen in the large tank with the plecos. Not sure of the species, but it was enormous and left me wondering how I had missed it on previous visits - does anyone know the species, as none of the signs seemed to mention it? On the topic of catfish, the Dwarf Crocodile pool has been stocked with unsigned Bristlenose Plecos of some species, presumably the same species as what is used to clean many of the tanks in SLoRA (having done so to great effect) - I have never seen so many plecos in one tank, with one individual viewing panel having had over ten climbing on it. A more than welcome addition to what was already a wonderful tank - as usual, the ominous Peter's Elephantnose Fish were a treat, but the Giant Grasscutter Catfish, which had always evaded me on previous visits but were very much visible hovering at the back of the tank this time, were also of note. Elsewhere in the Butterfly House, the new Victoria Crowned-pigeon added a wonderful dynamic to the House, and I finally saw the Spiny Hill-turtle (although from what little I could see of its smooth shell in its shelter, you would be left to question how 'spiny' is the appropriate adjective). No luck with the Laughing Kookaburra in their new aviary.
Of course, the Indian Gaur are always a delight. Nearby, I saw two interesting older structures which I had never previously noticed. One is what I assumed was once an aviary, but has now been allowed to become heavily overgrown in the hope that it will be used by native insects, and the other is a stable of some description. I assume the latter was once part of the Congo Buffalo enclosure, as I know that this species was once kept roughly in this area in the zoo, but I wonder if anyone might know what the former once held (if it was ever used)?
Overall, another thoroughly enjoyable visit to a wonderful zoo. I feel guilty for having been critical of Monkey Forest, as I feel as though ZSL deserve enormous praise for their recent work and think that most of the issues it has right now are by no means the zoo's fault. The fact that it is a wonderful enclosure only makes its shortcomings more unfortunate. Cannot wait to return to my favourite zoo.
On the topic of the connecting rhino and warty pig enclosures, is it possible that the warty pig enclosure used to be a rhino enclosure? I feel like I might have heard that on here before, but failing that from google maps and visiting in person it certainly feels like that could've been the case at one point.
Overall, nice to hear about just some of the things this amazing zoo has to offer, glad to see you enjoyed your visit.
The overgrown structure last held Silvery Marmosets, in I think 2010, and before them Goeldi's Monkeys and Geoffroy's marmosets. They were all allowed out to climb the nearby trees via ropes that were run from the outside of their enclosure to branches in the trees. The Silvery Marmosets became especially adventurous crossing the path to what was then a large grassy picnic area to check out the bins for any food.
cerperal
Well-Known Member
Rhino! Of course, I've been trying to remember what it was since that was posted. Originally I was thinking gaur but as Kalaw themselves notes they were held in that area, but not in that exhibit. Now I remember, it was indeed an extra exhibit for greater one-horned rhino until relatively recently, perhaps only 15 years or so. I'm sure it held something else before that, but I believe following the construction of Rhinos of Nepal it was given to the recent species, resulting in the current warty pigs.
Edit: Now I'm thinking more, I believe it was either a female or a youngster held there. Definitely a squeeze given the size of the paddock
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Kalaw
Well-Known Member
It having once been part of the Indian Rhino enclosure is indeed the most likely explanation for the gate, so thanks to @Rajang-GOAT and @cerperal for confirming this. Has anyone ever seen the gate been used to combine the two paddocks? You are correct, cerperal, that the warty pig enclosure once held gaur, but as you say, I doubt that the enclosure on the other side of the gate (currently for bull rhinos) ever did. I also recall Scimatar-horned Oryx temporarily being kept here in recent years, although I cannot remember which side of the gate they were kept on.
Apologies for my mistake regarding the bears. Strange that I only saw three at once, but given how much offshow space they have between the wooded portion and the indoor area, this should hardly be surprising.
Interesting, I hadn’t realised there were callitrichids at Whipsnade quite so recently, and the setup with the trees sounds especially unique, with them essentially having been free roamers by the sound of things. Hopefully they will revisit this concept at one point.
The Defassa looked delightful indeed, although regrettably I was viewing it from some distance. Didn’t realise the one I saw was the only one, but hopefully more can arrive in the near future.
Rajang-GOAT
Well-Known Member
No apologies needed, you came to a perfectly reasonable solution given I believe Cinderella doesn't yet spend time with the other newer three, though maybe a Whipsnade regular can confirm this?
Edit: Can now confirm this is not the case.
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