Can confirm that Wildside Exotic Rescue (private holdings in Herefordshire) have taken the spider monkeys from London as they were seeking a ‘retirement home’ for them (as per WER’s Facebook post a few days ago). They are a private sanctuary who rescue and rehome a vast range of species - their website is very informative if it is of interest to anyone!
ZSL London Zoo ZSL London Zoo News 2024
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Can confirm that Wildside Exotic Rescue (private holdings in Herefordshire) have taken the spider monkeys from London as they were seeking a ‘retirement home’ for them (as per WER’s Facebook post a few days ago). They are a private sanctuary who rescue and rehome a vast range of species - their website is very informative if it is of interest to anyone!
I was at London on Saturday - I don't there's anything particular news-wise to add to the very thorough post by @Kalaw above so I will just add a few opinion pieces.
Having fallen out of the habit of annual visits since the pandemic, this was my first trip to the Regent's Park since 2019, so it was my first time seeing not only the new reptile house, but also the giant tortoises and the colobus in the Snowdon, as well as various smaller developments like the water deer and the latest Web of Life rebranding.
Overall, I thought the site was looking very good indeed. The major exception was the corner around the old Reptile House and Mappins, which is predictably depleted - between Tiger Territory and the Outer Circle are now just four species - Komodo Dragon, Malayan Water Monitor, Red-necked Wallaby, and Emu - with the Reptile House, Aquarium and old Giant Tortoise houses all decommissioned. All of this is understandable, but I hope at least some of this area can be put to better use soon.
That aside - yeah, I liked pretty much everything new. The colobus put on a great show for us, with most of them down on the pathway. The new reptile house is excellent and complemented well by the new tortoise house - and I even rather like how both are set on the edges of Barclay Court, putting that much more at the heart of the zoo. To say I suspect they didn't have the time they hoped for to design that new house, they've done an excellent job, and the on-show collection is excellent - with almost no really 'common' zoo species.
I think generally the only risk to being a nerd at the zoo now is making too many comparisons to the past - what is there is mostly great, it just suffers by comparison to the past if compared on quantity (fish in particular are now very thin on the ground).
Oh, and - we had a few pop-hole appearances from this beauty: Small Indian Mongoose at London, 22nd June 2024 - ZooChat
Having fallen out of the habit of annual visits since the pandemic, this was my first trip to the Regent's Park since 2019, so it was my first time seeing not only the new reptile house, but also the giant tortoises and the colobus in the Snowdon, as well as various smaller developments like the water deer and the latest Web of Life rebranding.
Overall, I thought the site was looking very good indeed. The major exception was the corner around the old Reptile House and Mappins, which is predictably depleted - between Tiger Territory and the Outer Circle are now just four species - Komodo Dragon, Malayan Water Monitor, Red-necked Wallaby, and Emu - with the Reptile House, Aquarium and old Giant Tortoise houses all decommissioned. All of this is understandable, but I hope at least some of this area can be put to better use soon.
That aside - yeah, I liked pretty much everything new. The colobus put on a great show for us, with most of them down on the pathway. The new reptile house is excellent and complemented well by the new tortoise house - and I even rather like how both are set on the edges of Barclay Court, putting that much more at the heart of the zoo. To say I suspect they didn't have the time they hoped for to design that new house, they've done an excellent job, and the on-show collection is excellent - with almost no really 'common' zoo species.
I think generally the only risk to being a nerd at the zoo now is making too many comparisons to the past - what is there is mostly great, it just suffers by comparison to the past if compared on quantity (fish in particular are now very thin on the ground).
Oh, and - we had a few pop-hole appearances from this beauty: Small Indian Mongoose at London, 22nd June 2024 - ZooChat
All well and good, but there is no coming away from the very fact that ZSL \ London Zoo is sending off an endangered species that is part of a EAZA Europe wide ex situ program to a private facility that has no links to EAZA nor follows their guidelines on managed (and monitored) captive populations of species of (conservation / educational) interest to the EAZA zoo community.
This is both deplorable and IMPO very reprehensible, exposes a lack of effort on the part of the zoo to have these individuals relocated to another BIAZA zoo or Continental zoo interested in participating in the ex situ conservation breeding Red-faced black spider monkey Ateles paniscus EEP administrered by La Vallée des Singes (Jean-Pascal Guéry) and flies in the face of all EAZA/EEP framework and policy making.
Source: EAZA website EEP Programs.
I think these are quite elderly animals and well beyond breeding age, surely they deserve the respect of a pleasant retirement!
I doubt ZSL would have been able to move the animals anywhere without permission of the studbook holder for the species, so there would of been support for this move. As others have said they where elderly animals, and just two remaining after recently losing one. They look to have an improved enclosure from that video too.
ZooNews2024
Well-Known Member
You are very clearly and very publically accusing ZSL of moving EEP animals without EAZA and/or EEP permission.
Perhaps you ought to either retract your accusations, or substantiate them - and in the future refrain from pressing 'click' until you have thought through what you are posting. Much of it seems to have a similar assumptive and accusational slant.
Kalaw
Well-Known Member
Interesting that London were actively seeking a retirement home, as I struggle to see any reason as to why the current enclosure at the zoo is insufficient for that purpose.
Unless, of course, it is their intention to find a new species for that enclosure, which will otherwise feel a bit wasted, and would be wonderful news, but I will refrain from speculating for now...
The enclosure would be great for Tree Kangaroos, as nothing seems to be happening to the Round House?
cornu aspersum
Well-Known Member
Were the monkeys particularly elderly that maybe they needed to be moved elsewhere since they can't breed?
Charles
Well-Known Member
Out of context but the old giant tortoise enclosure of adapted might be better suited for tree kangaroos and they’d suit the area
Kalaw
Well-Known Member
They were almost certainly past breeding age; my point was just that I don’t see why that would require a move to another collection, when repurposing the existing facilities would be just as effective, hence my assumption that a new species may be on the way. I agree with @aquilla1 that tree kangaroos would be very much welcome, but will refrain from speculating any further.
London briefly had a tree kangaroo years ago, but they were on-show in Rainforest Lookout for only a few days before they went off-show. Does anyone know what happened to them?
Baringogiraffe12
Well-Known Member
The individual in question went to Chester Zoo.
Visited today.
- Female Northern treeshrew arrived very recently and is settling into the former water rat exhibit in Night Life.
- Now-vacated spider monkey exhibit will be home to a species already at the zoo to make way for expansion of another exhibit (a shame for the tree kangaroo theoreticians
). - Small-webbed bell toads (about seven or eight of them, only ones in Europe besides Tula in Russia) now in the former Congo Caecilian exhibit. Likely came from TP Berlin.
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Incorrect - the individual in question passed away whilst living behind the scenes. She was an elderly female that was initially brought in by the zoo as practice of sorts before potentially getting a breeding pair in the future. No way of knowing if there are still plans to continue with the species or not as this was all pre-Brexit/pandemic!
Kalaw
Well-Known Member
Excellent news regarding the toads and treeshrews, and nice to see that the spider monkey enclosure will be inhabited, even if it isn't by a new species. Seeing as the vicuna, giant anteater and giant tortoise enclosures have been vacant for many years since the individuals held moved elsewhere, I feared that it would be the same with the spider monkeys. Deciding upon a new inhabitant within a week of the last ones leaving is quite impressive by ZSL standards.Visited today.
Should be about it.
- Female Northern treeshrew arrived very recently and is settling into the former water rat exhibit in Night Life.
- Now-vacated spider monkey exhibit will be home to a species already at the zoo to make way for expansion of another exhibit (a shame for the tree kangaroo theoreticians
- Small-webbed bell toads (about seven or eight of them, only ones in Europe besides Tula in Russia) now in the former Congo Caecilian exhibit. Likely came from TP Berlin.
Did you have any luck seeing the toads? Are they anywhere near as elusive as the caecilians once were?
No, very easy to see the lot of them - harder to photograph though.
Edit: Forgot to note in my original post
- Female Boky-boky is pregnant and will soon give birth to a (single) little one.
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Thats brilliant news.
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