ZSL London Zoo ZSL London Zoo News 2025
- Thread starter aquilla1
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DCzootripper
Well-Known Member
Yes, at night all the lights come on in Night life, so the animals do get replicated day night cycles!
Is this the female from Whipsnade?
Thanks. That would be an interesting move considering the age of Whipsnade's male.
Kalaw
Well-Known Member
I think he specifically meant during opening hours so that there is a possibility of seeing them in daylit conditions for regular zoo visitors. I believe the answer to this is no, and to be honest in the case of London, I am not even sure that the lights are on for opening time, as I have never seen it myself despite often heading to Night Life in the first hour or so of the day, although granted I have never before gone there immediately after opening.
Rajang-GOAT
Well-Known Member
I would've thought if the male is indeed 3 or 4 years old (as described above in the post quoted from the Whipsnade thread) than that must be a pretty ideal age to form a breeding pair. Not too young, but a good number of years still ahead to allow a good litter or two (maybe more) to be raised and potentially a big pack formed.
DCzootripper
Well-Known Member
Oh, thanks Kalaw for informing me. Yes it is not on a day night cycle in visitor hours, but when it is shut it is.
I have a vague memory of going into the old Night Life area about a decade ago, basically first thing (i.e. 5 minutes past 10) and the lights turning off as I got in. I think they turn them off at about 10am.
Am I right in thinking whipsnade did transfer there elderly hunting dogs to London and are off show?
No.
I nearly always go there first thing when I go in after opening and have never seen the lights on
What you say here is interesting. People often talk about heading to (various zoos) nocturnal houses first thing to see the enclosures with the lights on, implying that they’re turned off the way any of us would turn of a light in our homes. Is this how most of them work, or is there a slow dim to black, and vice versa at night? This would make much more sense!
They talked about it but apparently both dogs were too sick and elderly recently so were PTS instead
cerperal
Well-Known Member
It really depends on the location, I think. As a general rule those sorts of exhibits have 4 main lighting settings in my experience - the red night lighting, dim night lighting, "day" lighting as you'd see early in the morning or when keepers need access with animals inside, and then fully on (generally with the entire house lit up). That's how it's been in London, Berlin, Prague and Leipzig at least. I suppose it saves on the complexities of syncing dimmer switches. Leipzig and Berlin I remember a distinct suddenness of the exhibits being plunged into darkness one-by-one, as the keepers checked on each after opening.
When I finally get back to London I'll have to ask about the process and hopefully pop into Night Life just before opening to see. Might see that bloody shrew finally then
Yeah, I was wondering specifically if the lights come on during the special zoo nights event they're doing where the zoo is open late. 6pm to 10pm, was wondering if anyone has been to that and can attest to whether the lights in the nocturnal house are on by then.
There are also other zoos that are doing evening/night events so was intrigued if any of them will have a daylight setting for their nocturnal house at that time
Joker22Hero
Well-Known Member
Will be going tomorrow, so can let you know! Remind me if I forget to message
If you go near the Gorilla Kingdom area, could you look to see if the Diana Monkeys are in one group of 4 yet, or not?
IIRC, Night life was not accessible to Zoo Lates visitors.