ZSL Whipsnade Zoo ZSL Whipsnade Zoo News 2024

Kalaw said:
Its by no means easy, but my preference of course would be to bring back the Musk Oxen! :p
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Musk ox would be my personal preference too but I was originally considering true cattle (and musk ox are more closely related to goats).
Pertinax said:
If I had my way they'd bring back American Bison, Musk Oxen, Cape Buffalo, Elk/Moose and last but not least... Wildebeest, preferably Black...
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If we're including non-bovids, I'd have to choose pronghorn.
 
Tim May said:
Musk ox would be my personal preference too but I was originally considering true cattle (and musk ox are more closely related to goats).
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Interesting, I wasn't aware of this.
Pertinax said:
If I had my way they'd bring back American Bison, Musk Oxen, Cape Buffalo, Elk/Moose and last but not least... Wildebeest, preferably Black...
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Not a bovid, but the moose are the species that I associate most with my childhood Whipsnade visits and the one that I would like to see return the most. I recall very much enjoying reading about Gerald Durrell's experience with the wildebeest Whipsnade once held in 'Beasts in My Belfry,' so although I never got to see them in person, they too are a species that I would love to see return.
 
Not one of the above species is particularly endangered,and seeing as conservation holds the whip hand with the ZSL (and all other major British zoos),it is perhaps wishful thinking (though Moose did re-appear a few years ago and Wild Boar became exhibit-worthy again).Nothing wrong with an enthusiast dreaming, but I feel that EEPs,TAGs and the like will be more likely to determine future collection planning.
 
Tim Brown said:
Not one of the above species is particularly endangered,and seeing as conservation holds the whip hand with the ZSL (and all other major British zoos),it is perhaps wishful thinking (though Moose did re-appear a few years ago and Wild Boar became exhibit-worthy again).Nothing wrong with an enthusiast dreaming, but I feel that EEPs,TAGs and the like will be more likely to determine future collection planning.
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Of course, I agree with you about what will determine future collection plans. I'm sure all those who contributed to the discussion realised it was just wishful thinking; nobody really expects to see musk ox or pronghorns returning to Whipsnade in the near future.
 
Pertinax said:
I believe they were Chartley Cattle not Chillinghams. More domesticated.
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The Chartley Cattle were post-War and the seventeen-strong herd was sold to Lord Ferrers in 1973, but the 1938 guidebook refers to a pair of Chillinghams and anecdotally a former keeper of the Chillingham Herd confirmed to me in the late 90s that ZSL had at one point had a pair which had not bred. He also told me that the then-Dowager Countess of Tankerville was convinced (apparently without evidence) that ZSL had experimented on them and that she had vowed that none of the herd would ever again be sent to zoos.
 
Jennings said:
The Chartley Cattle were post-War and the seventeen-strong herd was sold to Lord Ferrers in 1973, but the 1938 guidebook refers to a pair of Chillinghams and anecdotally a former keeper of the Chillingham Herd confirmed to me in the late 90s that ZSL had at one point had a pair which had not bred. He also told me that the then-Dowager Countess of Tankerville was convinced (apparently without evidence) that ZSL had experimented on them and that she had vowed that none of the herd would ever again be sent to zoos.
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Very interesting, I didn't know that. Apologies for doubting your post.
 
Jennings said:
The Chartley Cattle were post-War ....
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Whipsnade had Chartley cattle both pre-war and post-war. Perusing the ZSL Annual Reports shows that Chartley cattle were regularly born at Whipsnade during the 1930s.
Jennings said:
.....but the 1938 guidebook refers to a pair of Chillinghams and anecdotally a former keeper of the Chillingham Herd confirmed to me in the late 90s that ZSL had at one point had a pair ....
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According to the 1932 ZSL Annual Report, the Earl of Tankerville donated two Chillingham cattle to Whipsnade that year. And a third followed in 1933.
 
Tim May said:
Whipsnade had Chartley cattle both pre-war and post-war. Perusing the ZSL Annual Reports shows that Chartley cattle were regularly born at Whipsnade during the 1930s.
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Thanks for the clarification. Presumably the Whipsnade Chartleys were donated to ZSL by the 11th Duke of Bedford when the park opened, along with the founding populations of many of Whipsnade's deer herds.

Parenthetically there technically haven't been any pure Chartley cattle since 1904, when the last seven animals were sold to the Duke and the sole remaining bull was seriously injured in a fire during transit, never to breed again. He was replaced with a Longhorn bull and so all living Chartley cattle are in fact crosses.
 
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Gigantic news! ⭐

We have welcomed a second giraffe calf to our herd, a male, just a few weeks after the first! Born to mum Luna, this is the first time in over 30 years that we've had two calves at the same time.

They're just starting to venture outside, come and see them on your visit this summer!
 
Embu said:
Gigantic news! ⭐

We have welcomed a second giraffe calf to our herd, a male, just a few weeks after the first! Born to mum Luna, this is the first time in over 30 years that we've had two calves at the same time.

They're just starting to venture outside, come and see them on your visit this summer!
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There's a charming photo they have put up of the two calves together in the outside paddock. They are a little concerned about one of the new little male's front hooves but apparently it seems to be rectifying itself without any treatment.
 
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