I was able to visit Zoo d'Asson yesterday. Here are a few changes I noticed since my last visit!
- There are a few Swamp wallabies (
Wallabia bicolor) free-roaming in the zoo now. The Parma wallabies (
Notamacropus parma) that were free-roaming have been moved to "Le parcours des kangourous".
- Wishky, the zoo's female Western sitatunga (
Tragelaphus spekii gratus) that was bottle fed and free-roamed the zoo seems to no longer be at the park. The sign explaining her situation has been removed and I didn't see her the entire day.
- The Crismon-bellied parakeets (
Pyrrhura perlata) and Stephan's doves (
Chalcophaps stephani) are housed in one of the walkthrough aviaries at the entrance, the one that houses the zoo's Nicobar pigeon (
Caloenas nicobarica) flock. Sadly, the Stephan's doves didn't show themselves but there was a sign confirming their presence in the aviary, it seems like they were originally meant to be housed in the "Le Temple Perdu" greenhouse because their sign has the exhibit's logo on it. The parakeets were very lively and a great addition to the aviary.
- As part of the 60th anniversary celebration last year, several photographs showing the "before and after" of several zones of the zoo have popped up around different corners of the park, really nice to see the history of the park being acknowledged this way.
- The Axolotl (
Ambystoma mexicanum) tank is placed right in front of the ocelots, it's a rather nice setup but nothing too special. It would be nice to see more terraria and aquaria displayed this way throughout the zoo.
- I only saw four Western blue duikers (
Philantomba monticola congica) in my visit, two adults in the paddock next to the snow leopards and another pair in front of the tamarins and marmosets.
- The Eastern grey-crowned cranes (
Balearica regulorum gibbericeps) have been moved to the Greater flamingo (
Phoenicopterus roseus) exhibit, I also saw a domestic hen and rooster alongside them!
- I'd say "Le Temple Perdu" is the exhibit that has suffered the most changes. To start off in the tortoise exhibit I was able to see the four Vietnamese small flying foxes (
Pteropus hypomelanus condorensis) the zoo recently got from Leipzig as well as two Lyle's flying foxes (
Pteropus lylei), I did not see the Large flying fox (
Pteropus vampyrus), as a matter of fact both the Large and Lyle's flying foxes have had their signae removed and only the Vietnamese small flying foxes have a sign. In the greenhouse itself the Crested partridges (
Rollulus rouloul), Black-faced munias (
Lonchura molucca) and Tricolor parrotfinches (
Erythrura tricolor) have been seemingly removed, I didn't see any of them and their signs are no longer in the greenhouse either. As a matter of fact the only free-roaming birds I got to see in the greenhouse were Victoria crowned-pigeons (
Goura victoria), Stella's lorikeets (
Charmosyna stellae), Bali mynas (
Leucopsar rothschildi) and a Nicobar pigeon (
Caloenas nicobarica), separate from the larger flock in the walkthrough aviaries. Mindanao lorikeets (
Saudareos johnstoniae) were signed but not seen. I also wasn't able to see the Superb fruit-dove (
Ptilinopus superbus) the zoo recently obtained and housed in the greenhouse, there was no sign for the species either. I counted three Phillipine porcupines (
Hystrix pumila) this time around. I don't remember how many I saw in 2022.
- Saw both newborn gibbons, the pileated gibbon was already brachiating and exploring the enclosure by itself and giving quite the show
- The new Himalayan red panda (
Ailurus fulgens) has already been introduced to the other individual; they were actively interacting with each other (It was the first time I've ever heard a red panda vocalize, quite cool!)
- There is a single female Dark cusimanse (
Crossarchus obscurus) currently at the zoo, but there is a sign explaining that more individuals are to be welcomed to the park.
- The Cotton-top tamarins (
Saguinus oedipus) have occupied the second enclosure in the tamarin and marmoset row, in between the pygmy marmosets and silvery marmosets.
- The next stop was "Karoo", the zoo's new barrierless Cape porcupine (
Hystrix africaeaustralis) exhibit. The exhibit is divided into three layers, with the bottom layer having a bit of softer substrate and a box for the porcupines to sleep in (the original porcupine exhibit), but the other two layers consist of large slabs of stone in elevated levels where you can easily lean on. Other than that, it's very well shaded with two large shade structures. It was pretty cool to experience one of these barrierless porcupine exhibits, it was the first time experiencing something like it, and taking under account that the porcupines can access the zebra paddock at night and this is just the day exhibit I'd say it's not bad, but I'm not fully convinced either. I feel like the porcupines are too exposed to the public; one of the two animals was noticeably agitated whenever someone looked into the exhibit (but the other individual spent the day snoozing on their next box, so I don't know how to judge it).
- In the lorikeet house, most aviaries have been taken over by Mindanao lorikeets (
Saudareos johnstoniae) except for one, which now houses the recently arrived pair of Sumbawa Forsten's lorikeets (
Trichoglossus forsteni forsteni). The Coconut lorikeets (
Trichoglossus haematodus) housed here last time I visited were nowhere to be seen.
- Last but not least, I have to talk about the zoo's new Western pygmy hippopotamus (
Choeropsis liberiensis liberiensis) complex! It has taken over two different exhibits, what used to be the Dusky pademelon (
Thylogale brunii) paddock (which were nowhere to be seen yesterday) has been taken over by a greenhouse-like stable for both hippos as well as a outdoors paddock for one of the two individuals, in yesterday's case Quilla was in it. The other paddock has been built over what used to be a very lush paddock with blue duikers and crowned cranes, which, as I've said, have moved elsewhere at the zoo. This paddock was being used by Valentina and was slightly smaller than the other exhibit, but it is very well thought out and vegetated; it's the most rainforest-feeling pygmy hippo exhibit I've ever seen. Both paddocks have small pools where the hippos can fully submerge themselves, as well as mud baths. For us visitors, the exhibit features really nice viewing areas as well as really interesting educational features. Each exhibit also has a small sign saying which individual you are looking at, which I always appreciate (the only reason I could identify each individual
). I also really liked the fencing surrounding the paddocks, very pretty. In general, I think they did a wonderful job for the space they had and the not-very-high budget I assume they had for it, I really liked it.
I will soon post pictures of mostly animals, as well as a few pics of the new exhibits in the gallery. I hope my summary of the state of the zoo was helpful!
